Stabbed in Cherry Hills Read online

  “Chief Kenny,” Kat said when she was close enough not to have to yell for him to hear her, “do you know who killed Leo yet?”

  “Nope.”

  “Nobody saw anything?”

  “Not a thing.”

  “Huh.”

  Chief Kenny picked up his pace, forcing Imogene and Kat to do the same.

  “What was he stabbed with?” Kat asked.

  Chief Kenny abruptly stopped walking. Unfortunately, Kat, who had only been one step behind him, couldn’t decelerate that fast. She plowed into him with an oomph.

  He was so solid that the force of her impact didn’t elicit even the slightest physical reaction. Still, he didn’t look amused when he turned around to face her.

  “Kat, I understand you’ve got yourself a bit of a reputation as an amateur sleuth,” he said.

  Kat raised her eyebrows. “I do?”

  Chief Kenny shook his index finger in front of her face. “But the short of it is you’d be wise to keep your nose outta things. You’re liable to get yourself in some hot water if you keep asking questions. Take my advice and let us handle things.”

  Kat shoved her hands in her coat pockets. “I was just curious.”

  “You know what they say ’bout curiosity. It killed the cat.”

  Imogene swatted his arm. “Oh, come on now, Kenny. You can’t expect her not to be a little inquisitive. We’re talking about a murder happening right in our own backyard!”

  His eyes narrowed. “Leo wasn’t killed in your backyard, Imogene. He was killed in the DataRightly parking lot.”

  Imogene stared right back at him, although she had to stand on her tiptoes to do so. “Anytime something bad happens here in Cherry Hills, it’s a threat to our community. It disrupts our tranquility. You can’t expect us not to care.”

  “There’s a mighty fine line between caring and sticking your snout where it don’t belong.”

  Imogene tilted her chin up. “As a lifelong resident, anything that happens in Cherry Hills is my business.”

  Chief Kenny shook his head and started walking again. Kat thought she heard him muttering to himself, but he had sprinted too far ahead for her to catch what he was saying. By the time they caught up to him, he was already standing by the door.

  He unlocked the main entrance using what Kat figured must be Leo’s keys. “You know which unit is his?” he asked as they piled into the lobby.

  “It’s this way.” Imogene veered right. “Fourth door on the left.”

  Chief Kenny smirked as he followed her into the hallway. “How you keep tabs on all the folks in Cherry Hills is beyond me.”

  “Leo adopted his cat from 4F last year,” Imogene replied. “I like to perform a home inspection before releasing any of my animals.”

  “All I know is if I were blessed with a memory like yours, I wouldn’t be stuck spending so much time apologizing to the ladies in my life. Between sisters and cousins and aunties, not a day goes by where I ain’t forgetting somebody’s birthday or anniversary.”

  “Flowers,” Imogene advised. “Women will forgive a lot if you buy them a nice bouquet of flowers.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Chief Kenny stopped halfway down the corridor and pointed to unit 104. “This the one?”

  Imogene nodded.

  Chief Kenny pounded on the door. “Police.” He turned toward Imogene. “He live with anybody?”

  Imogene shook her head. “Leo dated a lot of different women, but he never settled down with one. He seemed to prefer playing the field.”

  Kat filed that away. If one of Leo’s ex-girlfriends hadn’t considered their relationship to be as casual as he had, a break-up could have produced some hurt feelings—feelings that could have led to murder.

  Kat flushed when she caught Chief Kenny studying her. The slant of his lips suggested he knew exactly what she was thinking.

  But, much to her relief, he didn’t bother to chastise her again. Instead, he turned his attention to the door, trying a couple different keys before finding the right one.

  He pried the door open a crack, then twisted around. “I wanna remind you ladies we’re going in for the cat only.”

  Imogene blinked. “Of course.”

  But Chief Kenny wasn’t looking at her. It was Kat he was peering at down the bridge of his nose.

  Kat bobbed her head. “Right. The cat only.”

  He didn’t look as if he believed her sincerity, but he did open the door the rest of the way.

  Kat surveyed the living area as they stepped inside. Between the leather sectional sofa, large-screen television, and robust stereo system, the place looked every bit like a bachelor pad. She didn’t see a single picture, throw pillow, or decorative knickknack anywhere in sight.

  “So, where’s this cat?” Chief Kenny asked.

  Imogene stood in the center of the room, her eyes searching their surroundings. “I don’t see him. But Stumpy is the skittish type. He probably heard us coming and went to hide.”

  “Stumpy?” Chief Kenny repeated.

  “That’s his name, because he doesn’t have but a stump for a tail.”

  Chief Kenny chuckled. “Oh, I can’t wait to lay eyes on this cat.”

  Imogene’s lips thinned. “He’s a Manx.”

  Chief Kenny held up his hands. “Hey, no offense to the animal. It’s just an odd name, is all.”

  Imogene strode past him. “I bet he’s under the bed. That was his favorite hiding spot when he was in 4F’s care.”

  Since Chief Kenny was almost as wide as the hallway, he and Kat had to follow behind Imogene in single file. Kat felt a little claustrophobic sandwiched between the two of them, but luckily their destination was only a few steps away.

  The first thing Kat noticed upon entering the bedroom was that Leo had made more of an effort to give this part of the condo a homey feel. Over the bed hung a painting of a vase filled with yellow roses, and, in a similar theme, the bedspread was patterned with tiny yellow rosebuds.

  Imogene set the carrier on the mattress before easing onto the floor and sticking her head under the bed. “I see him. He’s in the far corner by the wall.”

  Kat shut the bedroom door. “This will keep him confined until we can catch him.”

  “Here, Stumpy,” Imogene crooned, extending her hand under the bed.

  “You ask me, you’re better off giving the guy a more manly name,” Chief Kenny piped up, “one he might not be embarrassed to respond to.”

  Imogene lifted her head high enough to shoot him a glare.

  “Hey, it was only a friendly suggestion,” he said.

  Imogene stood up, brushing her palms on her jeans. “I can’t reach him. Kat, maybe you can crawl under there and get him.”

  “Me?” Kat said. “I’m taller and bigger than you.”

  “Yes, and you’re also twenty-five years younger.”

  “Well, one of you ladies oughta get him outta there.” Chief Kenny made a show of checking his watch. “I need to be heading on back to the crime scene soon.”

  “Fine,” Kat said, kneeling on the carpet.

  She had only just set her palms on the floor when the gray cat scampered out of his hiding spot and bounded into the adjoining bathroom.

  Chief Kenny craned his neck. “That him?”

  “Yes,” Imogene confirmed.

  Chief Kenny scratched his head. “You sure that was a cat? From my angle it looked an awful lot like a rabbit who left his ears on the chopping block.”

  “Manx cats often have longer hind legs,” Imogene said, moving toward the bathroom. “It makes them hop more than most cats.”

  “Well, you coulda fooled me.”

  Kat was about to stand up when something just under the edge of the bed caught her eye. The small, green object didn’t appear as if it belonged on the floor, and she crouched down to get a better look at it.

  “Chief Kenny,” she said, waving him over. “Come take a look at this.”

  “What’ve you got there?”
Rather than attempting to get down to her level, he braced his hands on his knees. Given his size, that seemed to be about as close to the floor as he could get without some effort.

  “It looks like a button,” Kat said. “Should I pick it up?”

  “Sure.”

  Although Chief Kenny didn’t sound as though he considered the button to be relevant to Leo’s murder, Kat still did her best not to touch it any more than she had to. She inspected it as she pulled it closer.

  “From this swirly design around the rim, I’m guessing it came from a woman’s garment,” Kat observed.

  Chief Kenny pulled a pair of reading glasses out of his breast pocket and slipped them onto his face. Only then did he take the button from Kat, his large hand practically swallowing it up.

  Kat looked at Imogene. “Do you know who Leo was seeing most recently?”

  Imogene shook her head. “Like I said, he dated a lot.”

  “Whoever she is, she might know who Leo’s enemies were,” Kat said.

  Chief Kenny peered at her over the top of his glasses. “I thought you were gonna keep your nose outta this.”

  “Er . . .” Kat jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I should go catch Stumpy.”

  “Try putting some lettuce on a hook,” Chief Kenny said with a smirk. “I hear rabbits eat that stuff up.”

  Imogene puckered her lips. “I’m starting to see why you’re always in trouble with women, Kenny.”

  He grinned. “Imogene, maybe now would be a good time to ask what your favorite flower is.”

  “Oh, that’s easy. I like anything that comes from the heart.”

  Imogene ducked into the bathroom before Chief Kenny could reply, but not before Kat spied the smile on her face.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Chief Kenny joined Imogene and Kat in the corridor, locking Leo’s unit up after them. “I’ve gotta go join Andrew and the guys,” he said. “You ladies gonna be okay on your own?”

  Imogene smiled. “Yes, thank you, Kenny.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “If you don’t mind, we’re going to be a couple minutes behind you.” Imogene set Stumpy’s carrier on the floor. “We have a few details to work out about where this one is going to go before we brave the cold.”

  Chief Kenny saluted them. “I’ll leave you ladies alone then.” He started down the corridor.

  “You let us know when you reach Leo’s family,” Imogene called after him. “Until then, we’ll make sure Stumpy is well taken care of.”

  “Stumpy,” Chief Kenny muttered, shaking his head as he walked away.

  Imogene turned toward Kat. “I’m going to give the Belleroses a call,” she said, extracting her cell phone from her jeans pocket. “Their two fosters were adopted recently, so I know they’ll be happy to care for Stumpy until Leo’s relatives can be contacted.”

  “Okay.”

  Kat bent over to check on the feline. He looked at her from the back of the carrier, where he had transformed himself into a tight, gray ball. He had yet to say a word since they’d stuffed him inside his current prison.

  Kat stood up, wishing there was some way she could assure him he would be all right. “Can I do anything to help get him settled?” she asked Imogene.

  “We should be fine. The Belleroses have plenty of cat supplies on hand. He’ll be well cared for there.”

  The door to the unit across the hall opened. A woman poked her head out, her long, gray hair framing a weathered face. “Did I hear you talking about Stumpy?” she asked.

  Imogene looked up from her phone. “Oh, hi, CeeCee.”

  “Hey, Imogene.” CeeCee stepped all the way outside, pulling her front door closed but not latching it. “What’s wrong with Leo’s cat?”

  Kat and Imogene exchanged glances. CeeCee clearly hadn’t heard about her neighbor’s fate yet.

  Imogene lowered her phone to her side. “CeeCee, I’m so terribly sorry to be the one to tell you this, but Leo passed on this evening.”

  “Passed on? You mean died?” CeeCee looked more curious than horrified.

  Imogene nodded.

  “Was that Kenny I heard out here earlier?” CeeCee asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then he was murdered.” CeeCee stared at Stumpy’s carrier as she appeared to ponder that.

  “That’s what it looks like,” Imogene said. “Although what would possess anybody to do something so horrendous, I can’t say.”

  CeeCee twirled a piece of her hair around one finger. “I wonder if that man was the one who offed him.”

  Kat’s head snapped toward her. “What man?”

  “There was a man here the other day. He was yelling and pounding on Leo’s door, making a ruckus like you wouldn’t believe. I could hear him all the way back in my bedroom.”

  “Did Leo let him in?” Imogene asked.

  CeeCee shrugged. “I assume so. After a minute everything turned quiet again, and he sounded too angry to give up that quickly.”

  “You don’t know who he was?” Kat asked.

  CeeCee shook her head.

  “Did you see what he looked like?”

  “No.” CeeCee leaned against the doorframe. “I wasn’t about to leave the condo while he was out here making such a fuss.”

  Kat couldn’t blame her. If Leo’s stabbing proved anything, it was that you just never knew how much harm people were capable of, sometimes not until it was too late.

  Kat remembered the button she had found under Leo’s bed. If CeeCee knew who it belonged to, maybe its owner could lead them to Leo’s irate visitor.

  “CeeCee, was Leo dating anybody?” Kat asked.

  “Well, sure.” CeeCee folded her arms over her chest, a slow smile spreading across her face. “He always had a gal around. He’s actually been with this most recent one for quite a few months.”

  Kat’s heart rate sped up. “Do you happen to know her name?”

  “Christy is her first name. I never did catch her last name.”

  Kat looked at Imogene. “Do you know her?” As one of Cherry Hills’ most social residents, Imogene seemed to know most everyone in town.

  But Imogene shook her head in the negative.

  “I don’t think she lives here,” CeeCee interjected. “I heard her and Leo talking once when he was letting her inside. He asked how the drive was. Sounds to me you’d only ask that kind of question if the other person were traveling a little ways, don’t you agree?”

  “I do,” Kat said. Unfortunately, a Christy, last name unknown, who lived out of town would be infinitely more difficult to locate than a local Christy.

  Stumpy meowed, a tiny, pitiful sound that tugged at Kat’s heartstrings.

  “Poor thing,” CeeCee said, clucking her tongue.

  “He’ll be okay,” Imogene assured her. “We’ll set him up with a foster family and either place him with one of Leo’s relatives or find him a new home.”

  “I’ll save you some time and tell you that Leo didn’t have family,” CeeCee said. “At least, he didn’t have any relatives who ever came to visit him here.” She tapped her chin. “Although he did mention a reunion or something a few months ago. Could be he reconnected with somebody then, if he ended up going.”

  Stumpy meowed again, this time with more urgency. He had moved to the front of the carrier and was reaching through the gridded door with one paw as he attempted to reach the latch.

  “Well, I’d better make this call,” Imogene said, lifting her phone back up to her face. “Stumpy looks like he’s anxious to get out of here.”

  CeeCee pushed her door open. “I’ll let you go then. See you later, Imogene.”

  Imogene grinned. “It was nice running into you, CeeCee.”

  As Imogene dialed the Belleroses, Kat’s mind churned. Between Franklin Delacourt, the shouting visitor, and Leo’s bevy of ex-girlfriends, the murder suspects were certainly piling up. And whether Chief Kenny liked it or not, she knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until she learned who ex
actly had killed Leo Price.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The next morning, Kat stopped by Flowers By Barbara, the only dedicated floral shop in Cherry Hills, and purchased a cheap vase and the biggest bouquet of yellow roses her budget allowed before driving over to the DataRightly building. Her college career counselor had always advised her to send a thank-you note after job interviews. Since her interviewer was now dead, this seemed like a good compromise.

  DataRightly occupied the second floor of a two-story office building in the area of Cherry Hills that most resembled a downtown, if the town were big enough to boast such a thing. At any rate, the buildings here tended to be a little taller, and there was less grass present between each one. There was even a parking garage on one street corner.

  But Kat wasn’t interested in the garage right now. As she pulled into the DataRightly parking lot, morbid curiosity compelled her to drive past several vacant slots in order to prolong her time out here. She had trouble deciding whether she was more relieved or disappointed when she didn’t see any evidence pointing to the exact spot where Leo had gasped his last breath.

  She finally parked and exited her car. Yesterday, nerves and excitement had given her a stomachache as she’d entered the building that she had high hopes of working out of one day. Today she was here for a much different purpose, but her stomach felt just as unsettled.

  She took the elevator up. The doors opened directly into the DataRightly lobby. Kat clutched the flowers a little tighter as she approached the receptionist, the same strawberry blonde who had greeted her the day before. But instead of the bright smile she’d received then, the receptionist’s mouth was now set in a grim line. Kat supposed that was fitting given what had happened since they had last seen each other.

  “Hi,” Kat said. In deference to Leo, she was careful not to sound too cheerful. “Wendy, right?”

  Wendy pushed her headset off the top of her head and hooked it around her neck. “Have we met?”

  “I was here yesterday for a job interview. The programmer analyst position. My name is Kat Harper.”

  “I remember,” Wendy said, although nothing in her demeanor suggested as much. “How may I help you?”