The Spill of Sangria Blood

[In this final part of The Spill of Sangria Blood, zoo security guard Torely Stone comes face-to-face with the killer of his best friend Tom Dantry. Of course, he’s nearly killed himself, goes on a wild chase, and finally corners the killer behind the elephant enclosure.]

The idea of cat and mouse is for the cat to lay a trap for the mouse and wait for it to bite. Of course, it call all end up like a Tom and Jerry cartoon; too often the mouse is smarter than the cat. I felt strongly that I was the cat, but frankly, I had no clue who was the mouse.

Of course, little details would never stop me. I had to think up a good plan and let the mouse come to me.

I needn’t wait long. The zoo board named zoologist Amy Peters as the new zoo director and on top of it all, it announced the zoo would go ahead with Project Atlas and begin fundraising for the now named Tom Dantry Memorial Zoo Expansion. Peters had been put in charge and she wanted this whole Dantry death behind her.

“Project Atlas is Tom Dantry’s legacy,” Peters explained to the press. “The Kokosia Zoo will become a premier research zoo here on the Central Coast.”

I thought the zoo expansion was the perfect way to bring out the killer. Resurrect an idea Dantry died for and invite the killer to come and target another zoo director. I didn’t like the idea of feeding Amy Peters’ to the lions, but I would make sure she never faced danger.

“You know, putting Project Atlas into play invites the killer to try again,” I warned Peters.

“We need this solved so we can start raising money,” she offered. “Any closer to finding the killer?”

“We had some ideas but they have all fallen through. Honestly, this might be a way of drawing them out.”

“I’m not keen on becoming bait,” Peters stated.

“Of course,” I replied. “I will solve this before it comes to that.”

“Project Atlas” was the bait to draw the killer out. I didn’t relish using my friend Amy Peters as the next sacrifice, but my plan took the now real “Project Atlas” and made it a new target. If the killer wanted the plan gone, they were going to come after Peters.

The newspaper headline announced a ‘major expansion’ to the zoo and laid out all the details of the plan. The news went through the proposed changes and how the zoo planned to raise money to pay for it.

Amy Peters stood in the line of fire as the new zoo director and the chief cheerleader for the project. All I needed now was a mouse to come take the bait.

After a few weeks nobody tried to kill Amy Peters and the plans for Project Atlas moved forward. It was clear to me Project Atlas was not the reason for Dantry’s death, the shooting of Miguel and Eli, and all of the endless dead ends of this case.

It had to be something personal tied to Dantry. But what? Waters and I went through the facts again over lunch at Spinnakers.

“Jenna Shaw made it clear Dantry was never going to leave his wife,” Winters reminded me with a mouth full of roasted turkey. He swallowed and took a long drink of sweet tea.

“The wife never made sense to me,” I exclaimed. “Dantry was a bachelor. I never met a wife in all the years I knew him. He didn’t have one.”

“Maybe he had a secret life,” Winters offered. “Perhaps he had several secret families hidden all over the place and one of the wives found out.”

He was being sarcastic and the idea was preposterous. Or was it? 

“We need to talk with Jenna Shaw again. Find out what she mean’t by Dantry having a wife.”

I asked Carrie to invite Jenna Shaw to my office to clear the air. I wanted to shed light on her mysterious comment. Carrie went about setting the meeting.

“Why are you meeting her here?” quizzed Carrie. “Shouldn’t this be done at the sheriff’s office?”

“I don’t want her to think she’s a suspect. At least not yet,” I replied. “Plus, she’s aware of how things look; she will be more open if she thinks this meeting isn’t all out there for anyone to see.”

Jenna Shaw walked into my office looking a bit disheveled and unpolished. Her usual high-end demeanor was replaced with a loose hoodie, sweats, and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Honestly, I thought she might be on vacation.

“I’ve been home sick these past few days,” she announced. “And I’ve been out of the loop; the board made their press announcement about the zoo expansion without me.”

“How do you feel about Amy Peters becoming the new zoo director?”

“Fine, I guess,” Shaw replied. “Someone’s got to do it.”

The phone rang and Carrie answered it though the window separating my office from the foyer. She interrupt my conversation with Shaw through the intercom. 

“Ms. Peters would like for you to swing by her office,” she announced. Carrie went back to tidying her desk and and I turned my attention back to Shaw. “You said something interesting the other day,” I started. “You told me Dantry had a wife and he was never going to leave her for you.”

Shaw squirmed in her seat. “I don’t want to talk about my affair with Dantry.”

“I don’t really care about that. I am interested in Dantry’s wife,” I declared. “Did you ever meet her?”

Shaw hesitated. “I saw them once at a charitable event. He introduced her as his wife.”

“Really?” I still didn’t believe it. All through our friendship I only knew him as a bachelor. “What did she look like?”

“She was a bit older than him, I think. Brunette hair cut short and red lipstick.”

“Why did you think Dantry would never leave her?”

“Because he told me,” Shaw exclaimed. She started to cry. “That’s why we were fighting. He told me that the affair was over.”

Shaw’s alibi had checked out; she was having drinks with the Finkle’s after the ballet and couldn’t have killed Dantry.

“I understand how upsetting this is,” I offered. “I’m sorry you’re going through it.”

“Are you any closer to finding his killer?” Shaw asked.

“No. But you’ve been helpful,” I said offering her support as she stood from the chair. 

As we walked from my office, Carrie was gone from her desk and I found a note: “Meet me behind the elephants.” The hair on my neck stood at attention and I sensed dread. Could Carrie know something about Dantry’s death?

The twilight sun cast eerie shadows across Carrie’s face as I caught up to her behind the empty elephant enclosure. Her eyes darted like a trapped animal’s, a cocktail of fear and defiance swirling in their depths.

“You’re close to solving this?” she trembled and bit her lip.

“I have a lead… thanks to Ms. Shaw.”

“I heard you through the intercom.” She paused and went on angrily. “You have to understand…” I feared her next words. “I had to kill him.”

She pressed her back against the concrete wall, chest heaving. Her news floored me and I felt a rush of nausea. She was agitated, and for a moment, I thought she might make a run for it. Her lips curled into a snarl.

“He was going to leave us,” she spat. “My mother. Me. Toss us aside like scraps they feed pigs.”

I took a step closer, careful not to spook her. “That doesn’t justify murder.”

Carrie let out a bitter laugh that echoed off the empty cages around us. “Justify? You have no idea what that bastard put us through. The promises. The lies. Did you know he was going to marry mother?”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d known Dantry for years; thought I had him pegged. I never learned he was dating my sister.  Let alone marry her. Shows what I know.

“He told mom he loved her,” Carrie continued, her voice breaking. “Said we’d be a family. Then I found the pictures of him and Jenna with a note. Jenna said she loved him.”

I could see the hurt radiating off her in waves, mixing with a desperate anger that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“So you decided to feed him to the lions?” I asked, unable to keep the edge from my tone.

Carrie’s eyes flashed. “I couldn’t let him ruin our lives. You don’t understand. Mom… she wouldn’t survive being abandoned again.”

The pieces were falling into place, forming a picture I wished I could un-see. This wasn’t just about jealousy or revenge. It was about a desperate attempt to hold a fragile world together.

“There were other ways, Carrie,” I said, softening my voice. “Legal ways.”

She shook her head violently. “No. He had to go. It was the only way to protect what matters.”

As I looked at her – this young woman I’d worked alongside for months, my niece – a hollowness grew in my chest. How had I missed the storm brewing behind those eyes?

I stared at Carrie, my mind reeling. This girl – barely out of college – had orchestrated a murder with the cold calculation of a seasoned hitman. And I’d been blind to it all, chasing after low-hanging fruit and missing the fruit in front of me.

“It wasn’t enough to kill him, was it?” I asked, my voice gravelly. “You had to pin it on someone else.”

Carrie’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Eli Price was perfect,” she said, her tone chillingly matter-of-fact. “I chased him and Miguel and waited for Eli to fight back. He picked up the tranquilizer rifle and came after me.”

“Except I showed up,” I offered. “Why did you shoot Eli?”

“He was pretty convincing in his dumbass manner,” she snapped. “You were buying it up.”

“Jesus, Carrie,” I muttered, running a hand through my thinning hair. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? The lives you’ve ruined?”

She tilted her head, eyes narrowing. “I did what I had to do. For my family.”

Family. The word hit me like a sucker punch. My sister’s face flashed through my mind. What would this do to her? 

“There’s always a choice,” I said, more to myself than to her. “Always.”

Carrie’s laugh was sharp and bitter. “Easy for you to say. You’ve never had to fight for every scrap of happiness you get.”

I reflected on her words. I was fighting my whole career and bumping up against a wall. Now, I had another wall to face.

The weight of my badge hung heavy – metaphorical now, but no less weighted – pressing down on me. Duty warred with self-preservation, and I understood whatever I chose next would change everything.

I reached over to comfort her, a gesture of support for family. Carrie pulled back. I watched her carefully, my old cop instincts kicking into high gear. Her eyes darted left and right, seeking an escape route. 

“Carrie,” I said, keeping my voice deep and steady, “let’s talk this through. There’s still a way—”

She bolted. 

One second she was there, the next she was a blur of movement, darting between the shadowy animal enclosures.

“Carrie!” I shouted, my feet already pounding the pavement after her. “Stop!”

My lungs burned as I sprinted down the dim path. When did I get so old? The zoo was a maze of twisting walkways and looming exhibits. Somewhere, a monkey shrieked, as if mocking my wheezing pursuit.

“This isn’t going to end well for anyone!” I called out, rounding a corner. My knees creaked in protest. “Just stop and we can figure this out!”

The path ahead forked, and I hesitated for a split second. Left or right? In that moment of indecision, Carrie vanished like a magician’s assistant.

“Shit,” I muttered, choosing left on instinct.

My footsteps echoed off concrete as I ran past empty food stalls and shuttered gift shops. The air was thick with the musky scent of animals and the cloying sweetness of popcorn gone stale. It was like chasing a ghost through a carnival funhouse.

I slowed to a jog, straining my ears. The zoo had gone eerily quiet, as if every creature was holding its breath, watching the human drama unfold. My heart thundered in my chest, drowning out any subtle sounds that might betray Carrie’s location.

“Come on, Carrie,” I called out, my voice echoing in the empty zoo. “Let’s not drag this out. Neither of us wants to spend the night playing hide and seek with the lemurs.”

Silence answered me. I took a cautious step forward, every sense on high alert. The stakes were too high for mistakes. One wrong move and this whole situation could turn into lion show without a tamer.

As I inched forward, I couldn’t help but think: when did my life become a bad episode of Wild Kingdom meets Law & Order?

A flicker of movement caught my eye; a shadow darting between the elephant enclosure and the reptile house. Bingo.

Rounding the corner, I caught sight of her silhouette in the moonlight. She was running full tilt, her blonde hair streaming behind her like a comet’s tail.

“Stop!” I yelled.

Then luck intervened and Carrie hit a patch of water leftover from the nightly cleanup. She slipped and fell headfirst into a wall. I caught up with her, rolling once before coming to a stop. I found myself face-to-face with my niece, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and defiance.

I reached for my gun and raised it.

“I don’t want to shoot you,” I exclaimed, begging her to give up. “But I will if you run again.”

She stared at me, breathing heavily, and looking like a cornered cat.

“Carrie,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, “you know I have to turn you in.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy with implication. I could feel the conflict raging inside me. On one hand, justice demanded that Carrie face consequences for her actions. On the other, the scandal would tear my family apart. My sister would be devastated; her daughter at the center of a murder.

Carrie must have sensed my hesitation. “Please, Uncle” she pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. “You can let me go. We can forget this ever happened.”

For a moment—just a moment—I considered it. Then I thought of Dantry. His life snuffed out because of her actions. I thought of Miguel and Eli, one nearly dead and the other nearly framed for murder.

With a heavy sigh, I reached for my phone. “I’m sorry, kid,” I said, dialing the number from memory. “Some things are bigger than family.”

As I waited for the call to connect, I caught Carrie’s eye. There was no anger there anymore, just a resigned sadness. I felt it mirrored in my own heart.

“This is Stone,” I said when the dispatcher picked up. “I need officers at the zoo. I’ve got a suspect in custody for the murder of Tom Dantry.”

The flashing blue and red lights pierced the darkness, casting eerie shadows across the zoo’s deserted pathways. I watched as two officers led Carrie away, her head bowed and shoulders slumped. A cocktail of emotions churned in my gut—relief that justice would be served, sadness for the mess we’d all have to wade through.

“You did the right thing, Stone,” Detective Winters said, clapping me on the shoulder.

I nodded, my throat too tight for words. As the patrol car pulled away, I muttered, “Doesn’t make it any better.”

With the excitement dying down, the zoo settled into an unsettling quiet. I found myself wandering the empty pathways, the events of the night replaying in my mind like some twisted highlight reel.

Passing the warthog exhibit, I chuckled darkly. “At least you fellas get three squares and bars between you and your problems.”

The horned pigs ignored me, probably used to the ramblings of night guards and zookeepers.

I paused by the elephant habitat, leaning against the railing. “What a goddamn mess,” I sighed, rubbing my face. “How the hell am I gonna explain this to Mary?”

The thought of my sister learning about Carrie’s involvement; it made my stomach turn. But as I stood there, surrounded by the ambient sounds of nocturnal animals, a strange sense of calm washed over me.

“One step at a time, old man,” I told myself, pushing off the railing. “You’ve weathered worse storms.”

As I made my way towards the exit, I couldn’t help but feel like I was leaving more than just a case behind. A chapter of my life was closing, but damned if I knew what the next one would bring.

I stopped at the zoo’s main gate, my hand resting on the cold metal, then turned to face the darkened zoo, its silhouette a reminder of the twists and turns this case had taken. 

I thought about how I had landed here, the ups and downs of my career and the challenges of remaining relevant in a world that forgot about you about as fast as a speeding mustang. The cool night air filled my lungs as I took a deep breath. I couldn’t help but chuckle, a mix of exhaustion and dark humor coloring my thoughts.

“Maybe,” I mused aloud, “this is exactly what I needed. A kick in the pants from the universe.”

As I spoke the words, I felt a familiar fire ignite in my gut. It was the same determination that had driven me through countless cases, the unwavering resolve that had defined my career as a cop and now as the head of zoo security.

As the first hints of dawn began to color the sky, I straightened up, rolling my shoulders. I turned back to face the darkened zoo, its silhouette a reminder of the twists and turns this case had taken. “Whatever comes next,” I said aloud, my voice firm, “I’ll face it head-on. No backing down now.”

For the first time in years, I felt truly alive. Ready to face whatever came next.

“Hell, maybe I’ll write a book. ‘The Day the Zoo Went Wild: A Memoir by Torely Stone, the Zoo Detective.'”

As I walked to my car, each step felt like a step towards a new chapter. The road ahead was uncertain, but I was ready to navigate it with the same grit and integrity that had brought me this far.

“Time to face the music,” I said, starting the engine. “And hope it’s not a sad funeral march.”

With one last glance at the zoo in my rearview mirror, I pulled away, ready to write the next page of this unpredictable story called life.

The End

© 2024, Michael Shawn Sommermeyer. All rights reserved.