Poisoned in Cherry Hills (Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Book 3) Read online

  “Did you hear me?” Rebecca said, her voice breaking into Kat’s thoughts. “Tell your detective friend I demand to see justice served. I want to see Lucy pay, and I won’t rest until she does.”

  Kat swallowed. “I’ll be sure to relay your message.”

  Rebecca leaned back into the sofa, appearing satisfied with Kat’s answer. “He’s a good detective.”

  Kat didn’t say anything, not sure where Rebecca was going.

  “He helped to convict the alcoholic who killed Mom and Dad,” she continued.

  Imogene clucked her tongue. “Such an abysmal situation.”

  Rebecca tilted her head down and started picking at her fingernails. “It was. Especially for Heidi. She used to have this passion about her, but after the accident she didn’t care about anything anymore.”

  Imogene tsked. “It always takes some time to get over losing a loved one.”

  “I guess,” Rebecca said, but without much conviction. “I just missed the old Heidi, you know? We used to get into these heated debates about politics and whatnot, but it was like her verve for life died when Mom and Dad did.”

  Kat played through her encounter with Lucy and Heidi at the 4F benefit event again. Now that she thought about it, Heidi hadn’t appeared truly involved in the argument. It had been Lucy who had been ranting with enough gusto to give the illusion that both women were equally engaged.

  “And now she’s dead too,” Rebecca went on. She unfolded the tissue in her hand and blew her nose as a fresh barrage of tears slipped down her cheeks.

  Watching her, a weight settled in Kat’s chest. With Rebecca in such obvious distress, Kat couldn’t believe she had anything to do with her sister’s death. Unfortunately, that conclusion still left her with one unanswered question.

  Who had?

  CHAPTER TEN

  After paying her respects to Rebecca, Kat’s spirits were at an all-time low. Having grown up in foster care, she knew better than most people what it was like to not have any relatives, but the thought of having a family—one that could be remembered, anyway—and then losing everyone in it seemed almost unbearable.

  At least she had Matty and Tom now, Kat thought as she let herself into her apartment. Although it was the first time in her thirty-two years that she’d ever had pets, she couldn’t fathom how she’d lived without them for so long. Even watching them sleep cheered her considerably.

  Tom walked over to her and rubbed against her legs as she toed her shoes off. She could hear him purring before she even crouched down to pet him.

  “I’m glad to see you too, buddy,” she said. “What did you do while I was away?”

  Their reunion was interrupted by a knock on the front door. Frowning, Kat glanced at the clock in the living room, trying to remember if she’d made an appointment she’d forgotten about.

  “Kat?” a voice called from outside. “It’s Lucy Callahan.”

  Kat tensed. Matty glowered at the door from her spot on the couch, as if to question who dared to interrupt her peace. Tom, on the other hand, crept closer and tried to peek through the crack between the door and the floor. As long as he netted some belly rubs out of the deal, Kat figured he wouldn’t have any issues with a suspected murderer paying them a visit.

  Fighting a sigh, Kat stood up and swung the door open. The apartment walls weren’t very thick and she was pretty sure Lucy had already heard her talking to Tom, eliminating any chance she had of fooling her unwanted visitor into thinking she wasn’t home. That was what she got for carrying on conversations with cats, she thought.

  Lucy’s grinning face came into view. “Hi, neighbor. I was across the way measuring the dimensions of my new apartment when I heard your footsteps in the hallway.”

  Kat didn’t say anything, scrambling for some excuse to retreat back into her unit alone. But what could she say? That she’d only come home to grab something she’d forgotten? She’d already taken off her shoes.

  Lucy bounced from foot to foot, craning her neck as she attempted to see into the apartment. “If you’re not busy, I thought maybe you could give me some pointers on caring for cats. I need a break anyway.”

  “Oh, sure.” Although she didn’t feel like entertaining, Kat held the door open. “Come on in.”

  Lucy scooted past Tom, who sniffed at her ankles. “Who’s this big guy?”

  “That’s Tom.”

  Lucy squatted on the floor and ran her hands down Tom’s sides. He rolled onto his back and held his paws above his head.

  Lucy laughed. “He doesn’t waste any time, does he?”

  In spite of herself, Kat couldn’t help but smile. “He never gets enough.”

  Lucy peered at Matty, who hadn’t budged from her position on the couch. “What about that one? He looks a little more reserved.”

  “She,” Kat corrected. “And yes, Matty is much less of an attention hog.”

  “Are they related?”

  Kat shook her head. “They just have similar colorings.”

  Lucy leaned closer to Tom and crooned, “Well, I think you’re gorgeous, big fellow.”

  Tom rubbed his face against the carpet as he dragged himself along the floor, basking in the attention.

  Matty stood up, tilting her nose in the air as she eyed Lucy and Tom. She jumped off the couch and stalked down the hallway, evidently unable to stand the sight of Tom degrading himself like that any longer.

  Kat lowered herself onto the couch. “So, what is it you need help with?”

  “Nothing in particular,” Lucy replied. “I read a couple articles online about cat care, but I don’t trust anything posted on the Internet. Besides, they only touched upon the basics, things like making sure they’re fed and cleaning out their litter box. What else do I need to know?”

  “Nothing really. Besides that, regular vet visits, and lots of love, they’re fairly independent.”

  Lucy nodded. She didn’t look surprised, which made Kat wonder if she’d actually come over to be social.

  Tom must have finally gotten his fill of belly rubs. He righted himself and wandered down the hallway. Kat wasn’t sure if he was going in search of Matty, his litter box, or a comfortable napping spot. Tom seemed to be under the impression that the queen-sized bed belonged to him.

  Lucy relocated to the sofa opposite Kat. “I think I’m going to like having a cat.”

  “If you’re anything like me you will,” Kat agreed.

  “Did you have to train them to use the box?”

  Kat shook her head. “Their mother usually teaches them, assuming they aren’t removed from her care too soon. And cats are naturally clean animals. All the ones up for adoption from 4F are already litter-trained.”

  Lucy relaxed into the couch. “That’s good. I was worried about that.”

  Matty stalked through the room. After disappearing into the kitchen for a moment, she planted herself at the edge of the living room and glared at Kat.

  Lucy’s mouth crooked. “She’s not very friendly, is she?”

  “She’s very friendly, actually,” Kat said, feeling compelled to defend the feline. “She’s just not as open with her affection as Tom is. And that look she’s giving me means her food bowl is empty, a situation she dislikes immensely.”

  Lucy stood up, her eyes brightening. “Maybe I could help you feed them. You know, get some practice in.”

  Kat lifted one shoulder before standing up and heading toward the kitchen. Although she couldn’t determine exactly what Lucy thought would be involved with feeding cats other than scooping some kibble into a couple bowls, she didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her new neighbor—just in case she wasn’t a cold-blooded killer.

  As soon as Kat opened their food bag, Tom came tearing into the kitchen. He screeched to a stop in front of one of the empty bowls and meowed.

  Lucy laughed. “I should have figured that one likes to eat.”

  “A hearty appetite is a universal cat quality.”

  Kat poured some
kibble into each of their bowls. Tom tore into the food, wolfing it down as if he hadn’t consumed a decent meal in weeks. Matty took a few bites from her portion, then looked over her shoulder at Tom.

  “What’s she doing?” Lucy asked.

  “She’s convinced I give him better food,” Kat said, her mouth twitching as Matty’s tail started to flick back and forth. “Watch.”

  Sure enough, a second later Matty sauntered over to Tom and proceeded to sit down and stare at him until he became uncomfortable enough to relocate to Matty’s food dish. Matty then moved forward and began nibbling from Tom’s bowl.

  Lucy giggled. “I never would have guessed they were that silly.”

  Kat laughed along with Lucy but froze mid-chuckle as something occurred to her.

  Heidi and Rebecca Smith had ended up in Andrew’s and Kat’s designated seats at the benefit dinner. The iced teas had been poured before the guests were let into the area. Anyone in attendance could have used the printed place settings to determine where the guests would be sitting—assuming they didn’t switch places. It wasn’t a stretch to think the poison was already in one of the iced tea glasses before Kat had offered to switch places with the Smiths.

  Kat’s pulse pounded as her brain tried to wrap itself around the possibility that the poisoned beverage might not have been intended for Heidi at all. Maybe it had been waiting for Kat or Andrew to take that first, fatal sip.

  But, for the life of her, Kat couldn’t think of anyone who might want to do her harm. She certainly didn’t think she had any enemies who hated her enough to kill her.

  Andrew, on the other hand, dealt with unsavory characters all the time, she thought, breaking out into a sweat. As a member of the police force, how many criminals had he helped to convict over the years? She didn’t know, but figured the number was substantial. It wasn’t impossible to think one of them might come after him personally.

  And if Andrew was the killer’s target, she had better warn him before they made another attempt on his life.

  Kat whipped toward her guest, her heart feeling as if it might explode out of her chest. “Lucy, would you excuse me? I just remembered I’m supposed to be somewhere.”

  “Oh.” Lucy’s face fell a fraction. “Sure.”

  Kat briefly considered assuring Lucy that her hasty departure had nothing to do with her, but that would require a delay she didn’t want to incur. Instead, she brushed past the startled redhead and raced back into the living room.

  Lucy followed more slowly, her forehead furrowed in consternation. “So, maybe we can meet up again later?”

  “Okay.” Kat snatched her purse off the coffee table, crammed her feet into her shoes, and flew out the front door, almost beating Lucy out of her unit.

  Sprinting down the corridor, one question cycled through her mind on autoplay: Who was the intended victim yesterday evening, Heidi Smith, Andrew Milhone, or herself?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Kat was relieved to find Andrew at the police station. She had been in such a rush to see him she hadn’t bothered to call ahead.

  He stood up when she barged into his office. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise.”

  She shut the door and dropped into the visitor seat, winded after running across the parking lot. It was a miracle she hadn’t been pulled over for speeding on her way here.

  “I need to run something by you,” she said breathlessly.

  Andrew sat back down and folded his arms on the desk. “I have an update for you too.”

  “On Heidi’s poisoning?” When Andrew nodded, she said, “You go first then.”

  “That container you recovered from the restroom tested positive for the same type of poison found in Heidi’s iced tea.”

  Although she didn’t think it was possible, Kat’s heart beat a little faster. “It did?”

  “Yep. The lab guys say it was some sort of lye-based substance, similar to what might be found in an industrial cleaning solution.”

  “Have you been able to link it with anybody?”

  Andrew shook his head. “My understanding is that type of product is pretty common.”

  Kat’s heart sank. “So really, the vial doesn’t provide you with any leads.”

  “Nope,” Andrew agreed, looking unfazed. “Okay, your turn.”

  “So, I’ve been thinking,” she began slowly.

  “About what happened to Heidi?”

  Kat nodded.

  Andrew’s jaw tensed. “You’re not involving yourself in this case, are you?”

  “Not really,” Kat lied.

  He studied her for a long moment, clearly not buying it. But he didn’t challenge her.

  Kat coughed. “Anyway, I was thinking maybe that cleaning solution wasn’t meant to be ingested by Heidi after all.”

  Andrew picked up a pen and rolled it between the tips of his fingers. “What makes you think that?”

  “Because you and I were originally supposed to sit where Heidi and Rebecca ended up.”

  When Andrew didn’t reply right away, she looked at him, her stomach clenching when she envisioned how differently the benefit dinner might have turned out if they hadn’t switched places with the Smiths. Instead of sitting here discussing the case with Andrew, she could be sitting at home crying her eyes out while another detective sought justice for his colleague.

  “You think the poison was meant for one of us?” Andrew said at last.

  “I’m not sure. It’s just a thought that had crossed my mind.”

  “It’s certainly an interesting theory.” Andrew braced his elbows on the desk. “Okay, run it by me.”

  Kat tried to find a more comfortable position, but Andrew’s tiny office severely limited her range of motion. She finally gave up when her knees banged into the desk for the third time. “Heidi ended up sitting in one of our seats, right?”

  “Mine,” Andrew confirmed.

  Kat had already figured he was the intended victim, but his words still chilled her. She couldn’t imagine she would feel any more terrified if she were the person being targeted.

  Swallowing hard, Kat said, “That means Heidi likely drank the iced tea originally set out for you. Whoever put that cleaning solution in there might have meant for you to drink it, not Heidi.”

  “But who would want to kill me?”

  “You are a police detective,” she pointed out. “You don’t exactly run across the most law-abiding citizens every day.”

  He tapped the pen on his desk. “True.”

  “Maybe somebody you put away once was just released and decided to exact revenge,” Kat suggested. “Or it could be somebody you haven’t actually convicted yet. Maybe they think the case against them won’t be as strong if you’re not around to work on it.”

  Andrew’s lips thinned. “Those are rather flimsy reasons for killing me. First of all, I can’t see somebody who was recently released from prison risking their newfound freedom by putting out a hit on a cop. Second, CHPD would operate just fine without me. Most of these cases are pretty straightforward. I just put the evidence together to tell a complete story. Almost anybody on the force could do that.”

  “What about a friend or family member of somebody you put away?” Kat pressed. “Do you think one of them could want you dead?”

  Andrew spread his hands. “What would a friend have to gain by crossing over to the wrong side of the law?”

  “Revenge for their friend. Don’t the friends and family of criminals ever get upset over the trial verdicts?”

  “Sure, all the time,” Andrew replied. “But killing me isn’t going to get their loved one’s conviction overturned. The only thing that will do is increase their own chance of going to jail.”

  Kat snapped her fingers. “Then maybe it was somebody who wanted to be reunited with a person already in jail.”

  Andrew lifted one eyebrow. “That would have to be one desperate friend.”

  She slumped into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, who
ever tried to kill you has to be pretty desperate.”

  “We’re still not sure that poison was meant for me,” he reminded her.

  He was right, of course, but now that the idea had popped into her head, she couldn’t shake it. “Just promise me you’ll be careful until the killer is caught,” she pleaded.

  “I’m always careful.” His expression shifted as he fixed her under his gaze, his penetrating blue eyes sending a flare of heat surging through her insides. “Kat,” he said softly, “I’m a trained police officer. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

  She nodded, praying he wasn’t lying.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  As Kat left the police station and headed across the parking lot, she was jarred by a series of sharp barks.

  She stopped and surveyed the surrounding area but didn’t see any dogs. Just as she was about to resume her trek to her car, movement in the distance caught her eye. Squinting, she could make out something jumping in the back seat of a rusted red sedan parked across the street.

  Kat veered toward the car, trying to see whether anyone was inside. Although the driver’s side window was open halfway, it was much too hot for anyone to leave an animal unattended inside a vehicle. She wouldn’t hesitate to storm back into the police station to report this if necessary.

  But as she got closer, she saw there was indeed someone in the driver’s seat. They were turned around, presumably to calm down the dog—a dog who looked eerily similar to Champ.

  “Tasha?” Kat called out, inching across the road after checking for oncoming traffic.

  Tasha’s head spun toward the window. “Oh, Kat. Hi.”

  Kat circled around to the passenger side so she wouldn’t be standing in the street. “What are you doing here?” she asked, peering through the open window.

  Tasha bit her lip. “I was just taking a drive and decided to pull over for a second.”