by Paige Sleuth
Andrew stepped through the automatic doors as Nikki was exiting. They exchanged a few words before Nikki continued on her way. Andrew stayed by the door, his gaze combing over the lobby. When Alyssa saw him, she waved him over with all the enthusiasm Kat imagined a sister would. He smiled, and Kat’s heart swelled as she watched him approach.
But some of her happiness faded when her thoughts turned to Gina Hayes. Was it worth considering whether Gina would have set that fire if her mother had provided her with even a smidgen of the love and attention she had so desperately craved? Perhaps not, considering the damage was already done.
She pictured the ruined remains of the Jeffersons’ den in her mind’s eye, wondering what the room would look like once the repairs were completed. Then again, maybe it didn’t matter.
After all, she reflected, a home wasn’t so much where you lived, but the place where you could find the people who had your back no matter what.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for visiting Cherry Hills, home of Kat, Matty, and Tom! If you enjoyed their story, please consider leaving a book review on your favorite online retailer and/or review site. Also join my readers’ group so you’ll be one of the first to know when their next adventure is published.
Please keep reading for an excerpt from Book Twenty of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery series, Overdosed in Cherry Hills. Thank you!
OVERDOSED IN CHERRY HILLS
Maura O’Malley’s fingernails danced a staccato beat on the conference room tabletop. Her gaze swung from the clock hanging on the wall to the window overlooking the parking lot one story below DataRightly headquarters and back again. The only place her eyes failed to land was her laptop monitor.
Katherine Harper watched all this from her seat across the table. “You seem distracted,” Kat said. “Big plans this weekend?”
Maura’s head jerked in Kat’s direction. “What?”
“Just wondering if you were looking forward to having the next two days off.” Kat glanced out the window. “It’s supposed to be gorgeous the next two days. Sunny, upper sixties. The perfect May weekend here in Central Washington.”
“Huh.” Maura looked at the clock again, showing no interest in the weather.
Kat wondered if her boss had a date tonight. Maura had never mentioned a boyfriend before, but with her bright green eyes, lovely olive complexion, and thick, dark hair, Maura was pretty enough that she wouldn’t have any trouble attracting the attention of a man. And a date would help to explain why she was so fidgety this afternoon.
But no matter what was going on in Maura’s personal life, right now they had a Monday close-of-business deadline looming.
Kat nodded toward Maura’s laptop. “Have you looked at the code I sent you yet?”
“Code?” Maura echoed.
“The programming code I’m modifying for Billy Bob’s Sporting Goods. I made some adjustments to accommodate those new accounting checks they’re putting into place.”
“Oh, right.”
Kat waited for her boss to pull up the program in question, but Maura didn’t even glance at her laptop, let alone reach for the mouse.
“All right, Maura.” Kat closed her own laptop and pushed it aside. “Something is obviously on your mind. Spill it.”
Maura sagged in her seat. “It’s Stumpy.”
“Your cat?” Maura had adopted the gray Manx six months ago, after another DataRightly employee and Stumpy’s previous owner had been murdered.
“Stumpy is at the vet’s.” Maura snapped her chair forward and started drumming her fingers against the table again. “The vet said he had to be put down.”
Kat’s heart lodged in her throat. “Put down?”
“I mean put under. Under anesthesia. He’s having his teeth cleaned.”
“Oh.” Kat breathed out a sigh of relief. “Well, that’s standard procedure. Unfortunately, the vet can’t explain to Stumpy what’s going on, so the only way to do a proper dental cleaning is to sedate him during the procedure.”
“I know, but I’m worried about him.”
“I understand.” Kat would be worried too, if it were one of her cats. Matty and Tom were like her children. No wonder Maura couldn’t concentrate.
“The vet’s office was supposed to call when Stumpy was ready to be picked up.” Maura’s eyes flicked toward the clock. “Except they should have been done by now.”
“They’re probably just running late. Sometimes they have emergency procedures they have to fit in between all the scheduled surgeries and whatnot.”
“I don’t know. Wouldn’t they have called if that were the case? They have to know I’m flipping out here.”
“On the contrary. I’m sure they would have called if something had gone wrong with Stumpy’s procedure, but if they haven’t gotten to him yet they’ll likely hold off on phoning you until he’s ready to go home, just as they told you they would.”
“I guess.” But Maura didn’t sound convinced.
“Which vet did you take him to?” Kat asked.
“Ritter Veterinary.” A flicker of concern crossed over Maura’s face. “They’re reputable, aren’t they?”
“Yes. Dr. Mark takes great care of several of the animals we have in 4F’s care.” Furry Friends Foster Families, or 4F for short, was a local nonprofit organization that placed homeless animals with foster families until they found permanent homes. Kat served as their treasurer, which was more a label of convenience than indicative of her responsibilities on the board.
“Maybe I should try calling them,” Maura said.
“You might as well.” It was obvious they wouldn’t make any progress on their client’s program until Maura set her mind at ease.
Maura snatched her cell phone off the table and punched a few buttons before pressing it to her ear. Kat couldn’t help but notice the way she kept rubbing the fingertips of her free hand together, and she wondered if her boss were wishing she had a cigarette right now. Maura had resolved to quit for the umpteenth time back in February, and she had yet to slip up. Kat was pretty sure she’d know otherwise. Given a nonsmoking Maura’s propensity for mood swings, the past few months had been an excruciatingly painful time for everyone working at DataRightly.
Right now though, Maura looked more troubled than crabby.
“There’s no answer,” Maura said, pulling the phone away from her ear.
“Then they’re probably busy with emergencies,” Kat surmised. “Just as I suspected.”
Maura tossed her cell phone between her hands before jumping out of her chair and heading for the door. “I should go down there and make sure Stumpy’s okay.”
“You’re leaving now?” Kat frowned at the clock. “It’s only three.” They typically didn’t get off work until five.
Maura paused by the door. “Come with me. If something’s happened to Stumpy . . .” She swallowed. “I might need the comfort.”
Kat figured there was no point in arguing. They obviously weren’t going to get any more work done this afternoon, Monday deadline notwithstanding.
“I’ll come,” Kat said, “but I’m sure everything is fine. You’ll see.”
She said it with confidence, but it would turn out to be an empty assurance.
* * *
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Books in the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery series:
Book 1: Murder in Cherry Hills
Book 2: Framed in Cherry Hills
Book 3: Poisoned in Cherry Hills
Book 4: Vanished in Cherry Hills
Book 5: Shot in Cherry Hills
Book 6: Strangled in Cherry Hills
Book 7: Halloween in Cherry Hills
Book 8: Stabbed in Cherry Hills
Book 9: Thanksgiving in Cherry Hills
Book 10: Frozen in Cherry Hills
Book 11: Hit & Run in Cherry Hills
Book 12: Christmas in Cherry Hills
Book 13: Choked in Cherry Hills
Book 14: Dropped Dead in Cherry Hills
Book 15: Valentine’s in Cherry Hills
Book 16: Drowned in Cherry Hills
Book 17: Orphaned in Cherry Hills
Book 18: Fatal Fête in Cherry Hills
Book 19: Arson in Cherry Hills
Book 20: Overdosed in Cherry Hills
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paige Sleuth is a pseudonym for mystery author Marla Bradeen. She plots murder during the day and fights for mattress space with her two rescue cats at night. When not attending to her cats’ demands, she writes. She loves to hear from readers, and welcomes emails at [email protected].