Stabbed in Cherry Hills Read online

  Stabbed in Cherry Hills

  A Cozy Cat Caper Mystery

  Book 8

  Paige Sleuth

  Copyright © 2016 Marla Bradeen (writing as Paige Sleuth)

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Marla Bradeen.

  This book or portions of it (excluding brief quotations) may not be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher/author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), actual businesses, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If this ebook copy was not purchased by or for you, please purchase your own copy before reading. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  THANKSGIVING IN CHERRY HILLS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER ONE

  “So, how did it go?” Andrew Milhone asked as he stepped inside Katherine Harper’s apartment.

  Kat kicked the door shut. “Awful. It was the worst job interview in recorded history.”

  Tom, Kat’s brown-and-black cat, poked his head out of the kitchen. When he spotted Andrew, his ears pricked and he ran over to them, meowing the whole way.

  “What do you think, Tommy boy?” Andrew asked, crouching down. “You think your mommy’s interview was as bad as she’s making it out to be?”

  Tom responded by flopping onto one side and splaying his legs.

  Andrew lifted one eyebrow. “Wow. That must have been one dire interview.”

  “I told you.” Kat trudged into the living room and slumped onto the couch. “My chances of getting the job would have been better if I hadn’t even shown up today.”

  Andrew stood up and took off his coat. “Yeah, but then you’d have to wait until your first day on the job to humiliate yourself.”

  Kat stuck her tongue out at him.

  Andrew’s eyes twinkled as he walked toward her. But he didn’t get very far before Tom scrambled upright and raced in front of him, coming to a halt in the exact spot where Andrew was about to step.

  Andrew pulled his foot back at the last second, narrowly avoiding stepping on Tom’s tail. But the abrupt motion caused him to lose his balance. He pitched forward, his coat flying out of his hands. He somehow managed to catch himself on the sofa armrest, ending up only half sprawled on the floor.

  Kat’s heart lurched, and she bent closer to him. “Are you all right?”

  He blew his sandy hair out of his eyes. “Your cat almost killed me.”

  “Next time don’t be the first to walk away,” Kat advised, relaxing a little now that she knew he wasn’t injured. “As long as he’s still lingering, he hasn’t gotten enough attention yet.”

  Andrew got back on his feet. “I didn’t think he ever got enough.”

  Kat grinned. “It’s a very rare occurrence.”

  Andrew circled around to the front of the couch. Tom watched his progress with the intensity of a hawk. His dilated pupils suggested he was contemplating the merits of attempting another dash-and-stop. He looked almost disappointed when Andrew plopped onto the seat next to Kat, eliminating the feline’s chances of tripping him again.

  “So, give me all the details about this interview,” Andrew said, draping his arm around Kat’s shoulders.

  She sagged against him. “You sure you want to know?”

  “Whatever happened, I doubt it was as bad as you’re making it out to be.”

  “Really? My interviewer’s name was Leo Price, but I was so nervous I botched it and called him Mr. Lice.”

  Andrew chuckled.

  “It’s not funny,” she said.

  “It’s a little funny.”

  She considered arguing with him, then opted to let it go. “Well, what happened next isn’t funny. When I reached out to shake his hand, I knocked over his coffee mug and spilled hot coffee all over the front of his pants.”

  “It was an accident. Anybody could have done the same.”

  “Have you ever poured coffee on Chief Kenny’s lap?” she challenged.

  “Well, no.”

  “And that wasn’t even the worst part of the interview.” Kat’s stomach clenched just thinking about what had occurred next. “After he dried himself off as best he could, he asked about my prior programming experience.”

  “So?”

  “So that’s when I told him about that database project I worked on in college as part of Professor Bluefield’s team.”

  Andrew tilted his head. “You mean the one to track the trees planted on your campus? Didn’t you say your department gave you some kind of award for that database?”

  “I did.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “The problem is, as it turns out, Leo and my old professor went to high school together thirty years ago. At the end of their senior year, Professor Bluefield stole Leo’s girlfriend away and married her himself.”

  Andrew winced. “Ouch.”

  Kat sighed. “Exactly. I wish I had known that before I listed Professor Bluefield as a reference.”

  “Leo might not have even seen that. If DataRightly operates anything like the Cherry Hills Police Department, their Human Resources department handles all the reference checks.”

  Kat rested the back of her head against Andrew’s arm and stared up at the ceiling. “The way my luck is going, I doubt it.”

  As if sensing her need for comfort, Matty, Kat’s yellow-and-brown tortoiseshell cat, jumped onto the cushion next to her and settled down against her leg. Kat rested her palm on Matty’s back. The feel of the feline’s soft, warm body underneath her fingers did wonders to lift some of her dejection.

  So as not to be left out, Tom leapt onto Andrew’s lap. He tilted his head to one side as if to question why Andrew had stopped with the belly rubs. Andrew responded by scratching Tom between the ears. Apparently that was an acceptable answer. Tom started kneading Andrew’s leg with his front paws, his claws extending and contracting as the sound of his purring filled the air.

  Kat rolled her head sideways until Andrew was in her direct line of vision. “I’m worried I’ll never find a job in my field unless I move to Seattle or someplace with more tech companies. There just aren’t a lot of options in Central Washington.”

  She felt Andrew’s arm tense under her head. “Are you thinking of moving?” he asked.

  “I’d prefer not to. I like it here.”

  Andrew scooted closer to her. “I’m glad. I like having you back in Cherry Hills.”

  She snuggled against him, marveling at how her perspective had changed since she’d moved back to her childhood hometown four months ago. Back in July she hadn’t felt much of an attachment to Cherry Hills. Now, she couldn’t imagine being happy anywhere else.

  “I just wish more local places were looking for programmers,” she said, brushing a wad of loose fur off of Matty and watching it drift toward the carpet. “At this rate, I’ll be waitressing at Jessie’s Diner until I qualify for social security.”

  The sound of Andrew’s cell ringtone interrupted their conversation. He eased his arm away from Kat and fished the phone out of his pants pocket, careful not to disturb Tom as he did so. “Milhone,” he answered.r />
  Kat watched him as she stroked Matty, a little buzz of energy zipping through her body. Sometimes she still couldn’t believe they were a couple. When they were growing up together, she never would have imagined that one day their relationship would morph into something romantic.

  “I’ll be right there,” Andrew said before pulling his phone away from his ear and disconnecting the call.

  His grim tone prompted Kat to sit up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

  Andrew nudged Tom aside and stood up. “I have to go.”

  Kat scrambled off the couch, ignoring the dirty look Matty shot her. “But you just got off work. I thought we were going to eat dinner together.”

  “Well, apparently I was only on a short break.”

  Kat had trouble breathing as she watched him shove his phone back into his pocket and scoop his coat off of the floor. As a police detective, there were only a few reasons why Andrew might be called back to work. None of them were pleasant.

  He stopped walking halfway to the front door and turned around. The light she had seen in his eyes earlier was gone now. “Kat, you’re going to hear this sooner or later, so I might as well be the one to tell you,” he said.

  Her heart stopped beating. “What’s that?”

  “Leo Price was just found stabbed outside the DataRightly building.” Andrew’s jaw clenched. “He didn’t make it, Kat. He’s dead.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Kat! Come in,” Imogene Little said, throwing her front door open. “I’m tickled you’re here. Willow has to skip today’s board meeting, but we still have plenty of things to talk about.”

  Dread pooled in Kat’s stomach as she stepped over the threshold. She had yet to tell her friend and fellow Furry Friends Foster Families board member about her disastrous job interview and her interviewer’s subsequent murder. As the person who had put Kat in contact with Leo Price, how would Imogene feel knowing her good deed had ended so tragically?

  Leo’s murder has nothing to do with your interview, Kat reminded herself for the hundredth time. Him dying mere hours after you met him is pure coincidence.

  “I can’t tell you how excited I am about the approach of Thanksgiving,” Imogene said, shutting the front door and leading the way to her home office. “Do you have any plans in two weeks?”

  Kat trailed after her. “No.”

  Imogene rubbed her palms together. “Then you’ll be spending the holiday here. I’m throwing an all-vegan event. Bring Andrew, if you’d like. The more the merrier.”

  “We’ll be there.” Kat cleared her throat. “Uh, Imogene, there’s some—”

  “I know,” Imogene interrupted, flapping her hand. “You’re going to tell me Andrew’s not vegan, right?”

  “That wasn’t—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I plan on having so many delicious substitutes available he won’t even notice the lack of meat.”

  Kat pressed one hand against her middle. All this talk of food was making her already upset stomach perform flip-flops.

  “Oh, I almost forgot!” Imogene whirled around, a beaming smile threatening to split her face in two. “Your job interview was this afternoon, wasn’t it?”

  Kat nodded.

  “Well?” Imogene said, her eyes bright. “How did it go?”

  “Okay.” Kat saw no point in recounting how badly she had blown it. “But something happened afterward.”

  Imogene clapped her hands. “Leo called to offer you the job!”

  Kat shifted her weight between her feet. “Not exactly.”

  “Well, I’m sure he will soon. He’d be silly not to hire you, as smart and hardworking as you are.”

  Kat took a deep breath. “Imogene, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  Imogene must have heard the tremble in Kat’s voice. Her smile wavered for the first time. “What’s wrong?”

  Kat’s mouth went dry. She had been struggling to figure out the best way to break the news of Leo’s death ever since Andrew had hurried out of her apartment an hour ago, and she had yet to come up with the right words. Maybe there just wasn’t an easy way to broach such a topic.

  But she had to say something. Imogene was looking at her with such concern that it wasn’t fair to keep her in suspense.

  “Leo died,” she blurted out.

  Imogene gasped, her hand floating toward her chest. “During your interview?”

  “No, no.” The thought made Kat shudder. “After. Andrew got the call around six o’clock this evening. Imogene, he was murdered.”

  “Murdered?” Imogene stared at Kat with wide eyes.

  “Andrew said he was stabbed in the DataRightly parking lot.”

  “Oh my goodness.” Imogene stumbled toward the closest piece of furniture, an armchair, and collapsed into it.

  Kat sat down on the edge of the coffee table, her heart heavy. “I’m sorry.”

  Clover, Imogene’s big white cat, sauntered into the room. He took one look at them before evidently deciding they weren’t in any frame of mind to cater to his needs and continuing toward the kitchen.

  “I just can’t believe this,” Imogene muttered to herself. “Who would have wanted to kill Leo? He had such a big heart.” She paused. “Unless it was that Franklin Delacourt.”

  “Who’s Franklin Delacourt?” Kat asked.

  “Leo’s old business partner. I never met him, but suffice it to say, from what Leo told me their relationship was quite strained.”

  “What happened?”

  “Leo and Franklin founded a dot-com together. This would have been in the nineties, when new tech startups were cropping up faster than bunnies on a rabbit farm. They both lived over in Seattle at the time. After a couple years the company went kaput.” Imogene shrugged. “It wasn’t anybody’s fault. It was just the way things were at the time. They both lost their entire investment.”

  “But Franklin blamed Leo?” Kat guessed.

  “According to Leo, they both knew he couldn’t have done anything to prevent the company’s demise. But then Leo managed to land a job right away—a job Franklin had applied for too.”

  Clover wandered back into the room. He sat down and surveyed them while licking his chops. When Imogene patted her leg, he trotted over and sprang into her lap.

  Imogene combed Clover’s fur with her fingers. “Again, not Leo’s fault. Perhaps he interviewed better or was simply more qualified. But Franklin apparently didn’t see it that way. Leo said he made his life miserable after that. They had the same set of friends in Seattle, so I gather it wasn’t hard for Franklin to snub him at parties and talk bad behind his back.”

  “Sounds like he’s the type of guy who holds a grudge,” Kat commented.

  “He does, doesn’t he?” Imogene paused. “Of course, this is all based on what Leo’s told me. I never actually met Franklin myself.”

  “At least he didn’t follow Leo to Cherry Hills.”

  “No, thankfully. Landing that job at DataRightly four years ago was the best thing that could have happened to Leo.” She tsked. “Oh, what am I saying? The move might have gotten him away from Franklin, but at what cost? Who would have guessed his life would come to such a violent end in our quaint little town?”

  Kat hugged herself, the thought of Leo bleeding to death mere miles away turning her body cold.

  She wondered if Leo’s demise might have anything to do with his rivalry with Franklin. Except, if Franklin was that jealous of Leo’s professional success, why hadn’t he acted out years ago, right after Leo had landed that first job they both wanted?

  Imogene drew in a sharp breath, drawing Kat’s attention back to the present.

  “What is it?” Kat asked.

  Imogene scooted toward the edge of the armchair. “Leo adopted a cat from 4F last year. It just occurred to me that the poor thing is homeless now.”

  Imogene scrambled out of the chair, setting Clover in the spot she’d vacated. The big cat didn’t seem to mind being displaced. He merely curled up
in his human’s abandoned seat and rested his chin on his paws, almost as if he’d been waiting for her to relinquish the armchair this whole time.

  “Come on,” Imogene said, grabbing her purse and coat and racing to the door. “We have a cat to rescue.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Thank you for meeting us here, Kenny,” Imogene said, firming her grip on the empty cat carrier she held in one hand.

  “You’re a tough woman to say no to,” Chief Kenny replied, his booming voice echoing throughout the night. He caught sight of Kat as he slammed his car door shut and gave her a nod. “Always good to see you, Kat.”

  “You too,” Kat replied. “I only wish the circumstances were different.”

  He grimaced. “Don’t we all.”

  Although he had to be in his fifties, Chief Kenny was built like a football player. His legs were about as thick as Kat’s torso, and his arms weren’t much thinner. If she didn’t already know him, she would find him more than a little intimidating. As it was, she still didn’t feel completely relaxed around him.

  But Imogene clearly didn’t share any of Kat’s reservations. She latched onto the burly police chief with her free hand, her fingers appearing laughably small against his forearm. “I wouldn’t have insisted you come over right away if it weren’t urgent. Leo’s poor cat is trapped inside his condo all alone.”

  Chief Kenny eyed her sideways. “Leo hasn’t been cold for more than three hours. This cat would have to be mighty wily to have landed himself in trouble between then and now.”

  Imogene pulled her hand away and planted it on her hip. “He could be stuck in there with no food or water.”

  Chief Kenny rubbed his temple. “Imogene, I’ve got a dead guy within spitting distance and a killer running loose in my town. I ain’t too concerned about a cat spending one night without food. But I’m here, so let’s do this.”

  Before Imogene could respond, Chief Kenny started walking toward Leo’s condo building. They had to run to catch up to him. His strides were so long that Kat had to silently question if he were trying to lose them.