by Paige Sleuth
“Rumor has it you were the one who identified his killer, too,” Tiffany continued after a moment of silence.
Kat fingered her milkshake glass. “I thought this interview was about Furry Friends Foster Families.”
Tiffany wrinkled her nose. “But this is so much more interesting, don’t you think?”
“On the surface, maybe.” Still, if Kat had a choice she would rather avoid rehashing what had occurred at 4F’s most recent fundraiser. Death wasn’t exactly what any of the 4F board members wanted people to think about when their animal rescue organization came up in conversation.
Tiffany tapped on her iPad. “I’ve been doing some research on you.”
Kat tensed. “Oh?”
“It seems you’ve discovered quite a few bodies in the past few months. And didn’t a woman end up croaking at your organization’s benefit dinner this past summer?”
“That had nothing to do with 4F, per se.”
“Really?”
Kat resisted the temptation to wipe her brow. The room temperature seemed to have gone up a few degrees, and she was starting to get a sense of how politicians felt when they were attacked at press conferences.
Tiffany rubbed the tabletop with one finger. “I thought the benefit dinner was to raise funds for you guys.”
“That’s true.” Kat didn’t figure there was any point in denying it. Tiffany had obviously done her homework.
Tiffany grabbed the edge of the table and pulled herself closer, a smile breaking out on her face. “Why don’t you give me the lowdown on that?”
Kat cleared her throat. “Ms. Reed, I’d really rather stick with 4F’s work with homeless animals. In fact, that’s what I thought this interview would be about.”
Tiffany sighed. “That’s what my editor wants, too. But I was thinking, if I could present him with a true crime piece, something really hard-hitting, he might run it.”
“I thought you were hired to do human interest stories,” Kat said, remembering what Tiffany had told her on the phone. “Didn’t you say the Courant was moving toward publishing more articles with local flavor in the hopes of growing their readership?”
“Yeah.” Tiffany worked her jaw for a moment before slanting across the table. She seemed to have a hard time sitting still. “Kat, can I level with you?”
“Sure.” Kat didn’t know where this was going, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to hear Tiffany out.
Tiffany pushed her iPad aside. “I think the paper is on the wrong track with all this touchy-feely stuff. Sure, this is a small town. But that’s all the more reason why you guys need some excitement, right?”
“That’s certainly one way to look at it,” Kat hedged.
Tiffany’s eyes lit up, as if Kat’s lukewarm endorsement was the most encouragement she’d received since moving to Cherry Hills. “See, you get it. My editor, Bill, he says our readership doesn’t dig all that crime and justice stuff. He says that’s why they live here, to get away from the daily violence of the big cities. I get that he’s just regurgitating what the owner wants, but you’d think he’d grow a backbone and fight for us to report on real news, right?”
Kat didn’t reply, figuring Tiffany wasn’t truly looking for her opinion. She seemed to need to vent.
“I mean, get real,” Tiffany went on. “Just because you live in Nowheresville, Washington doesn’t mean you want anything all that different from the peeps in Boston and Chicago. But whenever I bring it up, Bill balks. It’s like I’m suggesting we personally go out and commit crimes to have something to report on when I really just want to write articles with a little sizzle. You know what I’m saying?”
Kat observed the reporter. If she was older than twenty, it wasn’t by much. And the way she talked about crime reporting, it was clear she had found her passion.
“Tiffany, can I ask you a question?” Kat said.
Tiffany smiled. “You just did.”
“Okay, let me ask you another one. Why are you working at the Courant? A small-town paper in the middle of Washington State doesn’t really sound like a good fit for you.”
“They were the first paper to give me a shot. I figure I pay my dues here, and then maybe the New York Times or Chicago Tribune or Boston Globe will see I’ve got the goods.”
“So you’re using them as a springboard for your career.”
Tiffany bobbed her head up and down. “Yes, see, you get me.”
Jessie came over with a steaming mug of coffee. “Here you go. Yell if you need anything else. I’m Jessie.”
Jessie started to walk away, but Tiffany stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Hey, you’re Jessie, as in Jessie’s Diner?”
“I am,” Jessie replied.
Tiffany aimed her thumb over her shoulder. “Then you’d better watch out for that guy over there. He’s the Courant’s new restaurant critic. Brutal.”
Jessie paled a little. “I didn’t know the Courant did restaurant reviews.”
“New format.” Tiffany perked up. “Hey. Maybe you can help me out, Jessie.”
“How’s that?”
“Informal poll. Would you rather read lifestyle or true crime articles?”
“Crime,” Jessie said, not missing a beat.
Tiffany beamed. “Thanks. I’ll tell my editor.”
Jessie tapped her chin. “You know, if you’re interested in true crime, you should talk to Kat. She seems to find herself involved in something every other week.”
Fiddlesticks, Kat thought, slinking lower in her seat. Why did Jessie have to go and say that?
Before the conversation could continue, a glass shattered. Kat started to silently thank whoever had provided the distraction until she caught the look of horror spreading across Jessie’s face.
A chill washed over Kat as she followed the direction of Jessie’s gaze. In the next booth over, Aaron Moskowitz was clutching his throat with both hands, a panicked look in his eyes as he slid wordlessly to the floor.
* * *
Click here to find the book at your favorite online retailer.
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
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].