Valentine's in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  “It’s hard to say. A lot of these profiles don’t use headshots. See, here’s a cow.” Lucy snorted. “Come to think of it, that could very well be her.”

  “Try searching for Seattle, too,” Kat suggested. “According to her application, that’s where she lived before moving to Cherry Hills.”

  “One modified search, coming right up.”

  Kat tried not to squirm while she waited for Lucy to sift through the results, but her impatience was making it hard for her to sit still. Needing something to do, she brushed Tabitha’s fur with her fingers, receiving a nip for her troubles.

  Lucy looked up from her phone. “Either that was a warning, or she wants to play. You’re better off using one of her toys, or the next bite might draw blood.”

  Kat grabbed a shoelace off the floor and dangled it in front of Tabitha. The cat took a swipe when it came close enough, her tail cutting back and forth.

  Kat felt her tension melting away as she played with the tabby. “I don’t remember her being this feisty when she was living with a foster family. It’s like she’s discovered herself since you adopted her.”

  “Yeah, well, she makes up for it by sleeping twenty-two hours a day. Most of the time you wouldn’t even know she was alive except for the way she snores.”

  Kat laughed, thinking of Tom. “Try having a snoring cat sleeping right on your pillow.”

  “No thanks.” Lucy tossed her phone aside and collapsed against the couch. “I can’t find anything on our Sheila Smith.”

  Kat eased the shoelace out of one of Tabitha’s claws. “Maybe she doesn’t do Facebook.”

  “Or maybe she’s not registered under Sheila Smith. Some people don’t go by their first and last names.”

  “What about Melody Jones?” Kat asked. “Did you try her?”

  “Yeah. I found a couple Melody Joneses, but I have no clue whether any of them might be the one living across the hall. I’ve never seen her before.”

  “Maybe try Googling both their names together,” Kat suggested, swinging the shoelace just out of Tabitha’s reach.

  Lucy snatched up her phone and thumbed the screen. After a minute, she shook her head. “Nothing.”

  Although Kat had known finding a link between the two women would be a long shot, she couldn’t prevent the twinge of disappointment that pinched her insides.

  But her disappointment was all but forgotten when her cell phone rang. Lobbing the shoelace at Tabitha, she lunged for it. Relief poured through her when she spotted Andrew’s name on the caller ID.

  “Andrew!” she answered.

  “You called?” he said.

  “Yes.” She paused, not wanting to ask about Sheila over the phone. “Are you busy?”

  “No, but I’m exhausted. I’ve been out patrolling the past few hours.”

  A chill crawled over Kat’s skin. “I called the station earlier, and the officer working the phones said you were off duty.”

  “You called the station? Why didn’t you call my cell?”

  “You weren’t answering your cell.”

  “I was driving. I don’t answer when I’m driving.”

  “I get that. What I don’t get is why the officer I talked to thought you weren’t on duty.”

  “He probably didn’t know I was on the streets.”

  “What were you patrolling for anyway?”

  “You know I can’t discuss my cases.”

  Kat wasn’t sure, but she thought she detected something unfamiliar in Andrew’s tone. Hesitation? Evasion? Was he reverting to his old standby excuse about not being at liberty to talk shop because he knew he’d been caught in a lie, or was she imagining things?

  “I really am tired,” Andrew said. “So if whatever you want to discuss can wait until tomorrow, I promise to give you my full attention then.”

  As much as Kat wanted to demand that he see her right this minute, she knew she wasn’t in the proper frame of mind to be holding a rational conversation. She felt tense, uncertain, and spoiling for a fight.

  “Call me tomorrow, okay?” Andrew said.

  “Okay.”

  “Night, Kat.”

  Kat stared at her cell phone, unsure what to make of their exchange. She had hoped talking to Andrew would lead to answers. Instead, she felt more confused than ever.

  “Hey,” Lucy hissed. She was back by the door, motioning for Kat to join her.

  Kat pushed thoughts of Andrew aside. “You see Melody?”

  “No, Sheila.” Lucy pulled away from the peephole, a troubled look on her face. “She just got home.”

  Another chill coursed through Kat, this one penetrating straight to the marrow of her bones. Was it a coincidence that the new neighbor had returned just after her boyfriend had claimed to be getting off work?

  She didn’t know, but that would be her first question to Andrew tomorrow.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Saturday morning, Kat thought about phoning Andrew to arrange a time to meet, then decided she would be better off driving to his house without warning. There was something alluring about having the element of surprise on her side. It only seemed fair, considering how blindsided she had felt when Lucy had mentioned spotting a strange woman in Andrew’s car, then again upon hearing from his colleague that he hadn’t been working last night.

  She dressed quickly, fed Matty and Tom, and raced out the door, almost colliding with Larry in the hallway.

  “Kat!” Larry boomed. “Where’s the fire?”

  Kat halted beside him. “I was just . . . getting in my exercise.”

  “I’m on my way to meet my new tenant.” Larry gestured toward the door across the hall from Lucy’s apartment. “Stick around and say hi.”

  “You haven’t met her yet?”

  “Nope. I must’ve been out when she moved in, and she wasn’t here when I stopped by to invite her to the mixer.”

  “But didn’t you meet her when she signed her lease?” Kat asked.

  “We did the paperwork through email, and FedEx overnighted her keys.” He clucked his tongue. “The wonders of the modern world.”

  Kat recalled how she had thought the handwriting on both Melody’s and Sheila’s rental applications looked similar. Perhaps her theory that the same person had filled out both forms wasn’t so far-fetched after all.

  Larry rapped on the door with his knuckles. “It’s good I caught you,” he said to Kat. “Being new in town, I’m sure your neighbor could use a gal pal.”

  “A gal pal?”

  Larry winked. “Don’t be coy. I know how you gals are, always trading the latest gossip.”

  Kat snorted before remembering how she and Lucy had spent yesterday night speculating over the new tenants. Okay, so maybe Larry had a point. And, as eager as Kat was to confront Andrew, she couldn’t deny she also wanted to meet Melody. She supposed a five-minute delay wouldn’t hurt.

  Kat stood next to Larry, squelching the urge to hop from foot to foot as they waited for someone to answer the door. What was taking so long?

  Larry knocked again. “Hello? This is Larry, the landlord.”

  After several more seconds, the door finally slid open a crack. “Hello?” squeaked a timid female voice.

  “Hiya.” Larry grinned. “I came up to introduce myself. I’m Larry, the landlord and building manager.” He clapped Kat on the shoulder with enough force to nearly send her sprawling to the floor. “And this here is Kat, your neighbor from down the hall.”

  The door widened another inch, and the woman inside peered out with one eye. “Oh, hi.”

  “Hello.” Kat figured this had to be Melody Jones. She sounded impossibly young.

  “I’ve got some stuff to go over with you,” Larry told Melody.

  “You do?”

  “I’ve gotta give you an overview of the building rules.”

  Kat heard the doorknob rotating back and forth as Melody fiddled with it. “Isn’t everything covered in my rental agreement?” Melody asked.

  “Yup, bu
t I’ve learned some folks don’t actually read what they’re signing, if you can believe that.” Larry chuckled. “Now I make a point of talking to all my tenants as soon as they move in. Saves me and everybody else a lot of hassle later on.”

  Before Melody could reply, a ginger cat squeezed through the doorway. He darted past Kat and Larry, streaking toward the other end of the corridor.

  Melody threw the door open. “Remy!”

  Kat had been about to chase the cat, but one look at Melody’s face stopped her in her tracks. The skin around her left eye was an ugly purple, almost the same color as the fabric of her pajamas. Except whereas her pajamas appeared to be purple by design, the discoloration around her eye didn’t look planned at all. She looked as though someone had recently punched her in the face.

  Melody caught Kat staring and flushed. Kat hastened to pick her jaw up off the floor, but Melody had already retreated back into her apartment.

  She shut the door enough to shield the damage to her face. “I, um, I should get dressed,” she stammered.

  If Larry had noticed her black eye, he didn’t let on. “I can come back some other time.”

  “Could you?” Melody said, her voice firmer now. “Maybe this afternoon?”

  “Sure thing.” Larry stepped back, smiling between Melody and Kat. “I’ll see you gals later.”

  Kat worked some saliva into her dry mouth. “Bye, Larry.”

  Larry waved before ducking into the stairwell.

  Kat shifted her feet, uncomfortable meeting Melody’s eye. “So, would you like some help getting your cat inside?”

  “No,” Melody replied. “I can do that, after I get dressed. Remy doesn’t like people.”

  Before Kat could reply, Melody closed the door.

  What now? Kat thought. She was torn between leaving to give Melody her privacy and staying to make sure Remy was returned safely to his owner. Although the cat couldn’t get into much trouble in the corridor, if he happened to sneak into the elevator and slip downstairs, who knew where he would end up.

  She shifted her attention to the feline, trying to gauge his intentions. But Remy wasn’t acting as though he were plotting an escape. His eyes lacked the mischievous glint that Matty’s always took on when she was scheming.

  He sat at the end of the hallway, his unblinking gaze fixed on Kat. From this position Kat had a clear view of the small white patch on his chest. It reminded her of a baby’s bib, and something inside of her softened. She couldn’t leave without at least a cursory attempt to make friends with the animal.

  “You’re Remy, huh?” she crooned, creeping closer to the feline.

  Remy backed into the corner.

  “You don’t have to be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

  Remy evidently wasn’t going to take her word on that. He wrapped his tail around his body and lowered himself to the floor.

  Before Kat could advance any farther, Melody’s door opened.

  “Oh.” Melody fingered her black hair as though to smooth out the messy mop. “I didn’t realize you were still here.”

  Kat squinted at Melody’s bob. The ends looked choppy, as if someone unskilled—possibly even Melody herself—had cut it. The hack job combined with Melody’s round, youthful cheeks almost made her look like a child. Kat didn’t figure she could be much older than twenty.

  Melody stopped playing with her hair, her hands dropping to her sides. She hadn’t changed out of her pajamas, but her black eye was less pronounced, as though she’d covered it with makeup. “You don’t have to hang around for my benefit,” she said. “I mean, I don’t want to keep you from anything. You probably have things to do.”

  “I was only going to stay long enough to try to catch Remy. I was afraid he might follow me downstairs otherwise.” Kat smiled. “He’s a beautiful cat.”

  “Thank you. I should be the one to get him though. He’s shy.”

  Kat retreated a couple feet. “I’ll stay out of your way then.”

  Melody stood there for a moment, obviously nervous in Kat’s presence. Kat pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket and fiddled with it, hoping to put her at ease. Melody’s jumpy behavior was solidifying Kat’s suspicion that she had moved to Cherry Hills to get away from someone abusive. Between Melody and Remy, she wasn’t sure who seemed more skittish.

  Kat watched out of the corner of her eye as Melody tiptoed over to Remy. Melody spoke softly while holding her hand out to the cat. Kat couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Remy seemed to be responding. He honored his human’s efforts with a slow, deliberate blink, a gesture Kat recognized as one of trust, and when Melody reached for him he didn’t shy away.

  Melody stood back up, Remy cradled in her arms. She offered Kat a tentative smile. “I’ve got him.”

  Kat tucked her cell phone back in her pocket. “I’m glad.”

  “Well, I should go.”

  Kat nodded. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “You, too.”

  Melody’s door clicked shut, and Kat found herself pondering over Melody’s situation as she boarded the elevator. Although she’d heard the statistics about abused women, she had never known one in person—that she knew about, anyway. Her encounter with Melody had really driven home the fact that not everyone was lucky enough to be in a healthy relationship.

  Her thoughts turned to Andrew. He had never hit her or otherwise become physically violent, and the reminder of how fortunate she was filled her with gratitude—and a little bit of melancholy, too.

  What would she do if she lost him?

  CHAPTER SIX

  Still preoccupied with thoughts of losing Andrew, Kat almost sideswiped a black sedan as she was making a right turn. She twisted around to mouth an apology to the driver, but she couldn’t see through the tinted windows and the car never slowed down.

  Refocusing on the road, she eased her foot off the accelerator and pondered over what she would say to Andrew when she arrived at his house. She was sure there was a rational explanation as to why he had been with Sheila the day before. She just needed to hear it from him before she could relax.

  She was so lost in thought she almost didn’t spot Andrew in front of one of the stores lining the road.

  Without thinking, Kat slammed on her brakes. Jerking her eyes toward the rearview mirror, she was grateful to note an absence of cars behind her.

  She eased toward the curb and swiveled around in her seat, blinking to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. Sure enough, there was Andrew, sauntering into Flowers by Barbara, Cherry Hills’ lone floral shop.

  What was Andrew doing there? Buying her Valentine’s flowers? The thought made her almost giddy.

  She waited for him to reemerge. Five minutes later, he left the shop. He was empty-handed, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t arranged for a bouquet to be delivered to her apartment tomorrow.

  Andrew didn’t seem to notice her. He kept his head down as he got into his car. She peeked through the gap in the front seats to watch his progress. He turned onto the street, heading in the opposite direction. For one brief second she considered following him, then common sense kicked in. If he was on his way to work he wouldn’t appreciate her trailing him to the station in the hopes of discussing their relationship. And since he was traveling away from his house, there was no point in continuing on her mission.

  She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. What should she do now? Although she didn’t want to ruin the surprise if Andrew had bought her flowers, her curiosity was getting the better of her.

  Checking for traffic, Kat did a U-turn and parked in the spot Andrew had vacated seconds earlier. There was a bounce in her step when she climbed out of the car, and her heart felt lighter than it had at any point in the past sixteen hours.

  Tulip, Barbara’s friendly orange tabby, zoomed toward Kat as soon as the bell on the door announced her presence. Tulip weaved between Kat’s legs, making her smile.

  “You remember me, huh?” she said, stoo
ping down to pet the rambunctious feline.

  “Is she bothering you?” Barbara, the proprietor, called out from the counter.

  “Not at all.”

  Kat stood up and approached the shop owner, guided by Barbara’s bright orange shirt. Barbara had dyed her hair a deep red today, perhaps in honor of Valentine’s Day. Her hair certainly blended well with the arrangement of red roses she was currently fussing with. Kat wondered if that was what Andrew had ordered for her.

  Barbara craned her neck, grimacing when she spotted Tulip batting at a sprig of baby’s breath poking out of one of the bouquets displayed by the front window. “She’s been wound up ever since we opened.”

  “What’s she so excited about?” Kat asked.

  Barbara paused from her work long enough to brush her hair away from her face. “Somebody broke into the shop overnight.”

  Kat’s breath caught, visions of rose bouquets showing up on her doorstep vanishing in a poof. “So that’s why Andrew was here,” she said, her spirits sinking.

  Barbara nodded. “He came by for my statement just before you got here.”

  “Do you have any idea who broke in?”

  “No, but the guy was still here when I came in through the back door.”

  Kat looked around as if the intruder might still be lurking close by. “Did you see him?”

  Barbara shook her head. “I heard him crashing through the front door, but by the time I made it out here, he was gone.”

  They fell silent when Tulip ran over to a cardboard scratcher in the corner and began sharpening her claws. When she was finished, she moved on to sniffing the base of a refrigerated case.

  “Thankfully, I take Tulip home with me at night,” Barbara said. “Even so, she knows something’s off. She’s been inspecting everything.”

  Tulip jumped onto the counter and rubbed her head against Barbara’s hand as though to assure her human she was okay.

  “What did the guy take?” Kat asked.

  “Nothing, as far as I can tell.” Barbara jerked her chin toward the register. “It doesn’t look like he even tried to get into the till.”

  “Well, that’s one bright spot.”