by Patricia Fry
"No," Craig said, keeping a keen eye on the woman. "She was murdered, and we know who did it, Mrs. Peyton."
Savannah watched with wide eyes as Henrietta stood up. "I'd better go now," the distraught woman said, taking steps toward the open door.
"Not so fast, ma'am," Craig said. "Our conversation isn't quite over. He walked to Henrietta, took her arm, and led her to a chair. "Please have a seat," he instructed, as he perched on the edge of the bed across from her. "Don't you want to know how it went down?" he asked.
"Not really," she responded, appearing to be uninterested. She stared off into space and began speaking as if she was suddenly detached from reality. "It was best that she die along with the children. But it didn't work out that way." She spoke her thoughts slowly, as if she were alone in the small motel room.
Savannah noticed Craig fumble with one hand in his jacket pocket. She heard a click.
Ahh, she thought, he's recording her.
Oblivious, Henrietta continued. "If Charles ever found out, I don't know what he would have done. I had to protect the estate. It was the money that kept him happy. Without it, I'd be discarded."
Craig cleared his throat. "But the children were heirs to the estate. They would have controlled everything when they turned eighteen. Isn't that right?"
Henrietta nodded.
"So you had your mother-in-law kill Karen and try to kill Arthur. Did you kill your mother-in-law, too?"
She looked at Craig and shook her head. "Oh no, that wasn't me. It was someone in the jailhouse that killed her, wasn't it?" She continued shaking her head back and forth slowly.
"Now she's dead. Karen's dead." She looked up at Craig and shouted, "Where is my son? I need to see him."
"Why?" Craig asked. "So you can kill him, too?"
Henrietta looked into Craig's face. In a grotesque voice, she demanded, "Where is he? You know I will find out one way or another. Money can buy anything... anything!" She then focused on Craig and asked with a smile, "What is your price, Mr. Sledge? How much will it take for you to tell me what I want to know—$20,000? $100,000? More?" She looked from Craig to Savannah. "How much?" she asked, expectantly.
"Come on, Mrs. Peyton," Craig said, reaching down to help the woman out of the chair. "Your ride is here."
When she looked up and saw a uniformed officer walking toward her, she asked, "Is he taking me to see my son?"
"I'm afraid not," Craig said. "He's taking you where you belong. You're going to find out what it's like when someone takes your freedom away, only no one did this to you. You did it to yourself."
"I'll pay you $200,000!" Henrietta shouted, as a police officer cuffed her. "A million dollars!!"
Craig and Savannah watched as two officers walked the sobbing woman out the door and into the parking lot. He called out to them, "We'll be down to give a statement after breakfast." To Savannah, he said, "Let's go eat."
"Yeah, I need to get a terrible taste out of my mouth," she said, grabbing her jacket. As they walked toward Craig's car, Savannah continued to stare at the distraught woman. She shook her head. "Isn't it sad?"
"What?" Craig asked. "The fact that she may have been at least partly responsible for her children's murder and attempted murder?"
Savannah nodded. "Yes, and that there are people with dollar signs where their heart should be."
****
The mood in Craig's car was somber. They'd traveled toward home for nearly an hour that afternoon before Savannah brought up the Peytons. "So, is Henrietta a suspect in her mother-in-law's death?"
Craig nodded. "It's a funny story, actually.
"How's that?" she asked.
"You know, people like the Peytons have friends in high and low places. As soon as her attorney made her bail, she contacted one of their low-life associates and ordered a hit. The guy knew several women in the jail where Pearl was being held and he contacted a couple of them. There was a price war of sorts and the two gals found out about the other and became adversaries in the mess. When the one who lost the war learned of Pearl's death, she decided to snitch on the other one—out of jealousy, I suppose."
Savannah chuckled. "I thought there was honor among thieves."
"Not when there's a lot of money involved."
Savannah turned to Craig. "I don't understand why she wanted Pearl dead."
"To keep her quiet. You see, I believe she's the one who paid Pearl to arrange for the children's accidents. She didn't actually confess, during the interrogation, but she did say that she never wanted children; that was her first husband's wish. It was also his money, and he's the one who made provisions for the children to inherit the estate at the age of eighteen. Of course, she was to get an allowance."
"But if they were gone, she was next in line? Is that the deal?" Savannah asked.
"I believe so."
"So what do you think will become of Mr. Peyton? Is he guilty of anything?" she asked.
"It's hard to tell. It's still unclear as to his connection in all this. It may be that he was an innocent bystander, with his wife and his mother acting without his knowledge. I guess it depends on whether he knew about the contents of the will. But even if he outlives them all, he still gets nothing. Remember? The cat organizations get everything."
After a long silence, Savannah asked, "So Craig, what's next for you? Do you have any big cases coming up?"
He sighed. "I'd like to just kick back and enjoy the rest of the summer with my wife and little Tommy Kitty." He glanced at her. "That means that Iris and I'll have time to entertain Miss Lily when you need a break."
"A break? Not for a while. I can't wait to get my arms around my little girl and spend some time with Adam—he's coming this weekend. I have an orchard to tend and a horse to ride, not to mention the cats and a dog to take care of. Naw, I won't be taking a break anytime soon." She looked at Craig. "And I won't be doing any sleuth work, either. Don't bring any mysteries my way, please. I've had my quota of suspense and who-done-its—at least for the rest of the summer."
Other books in the Klepto Cat Mystery series
Catnapped
When Savannah Jordan agrees to help her aunt while she recovers from a broken foot, she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian.
Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister? Of course, as in all of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, Rags, an ordinary cat with a most unusual habit, has a paw in saving the day.
If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.
Available at Amazon.
Cat-Eye Witness
Savannah and Aunt Margaret open the old Forster home to the Hammond Cat Alliance for a fundraiser to help rehabilitate the abused horses rescued months earlier from the catnappers.
Before the afternoon is over, the collected funds go missing and someone is murdered in an upstairs bedroom.
Suspicion surrounds Iris, a local waitress and Savannah’s new best friend. The only witness to the murder is Rags, Savannah’s cat. With the assistance of a cat psychic and Rags’s good friend, Charlotte (the young girl with Downs), the cat helps to “paw” the killer…but not before an attempt is made on Rags’s life. The case is solved only after Rags comes face-to-face with the killer for the second time.
Detective Craig Sledge is new to this book, as is Damon, Iris’s errant son. Sledge finds this to be one of the muddiest cases he has ever worked, with inconsistent clues and no apparent motive. He’s constantly surprised, perplexed and impressed by the cat’s uncanny ability to come up with clues he has missed. His fascination with the attractive Iris Clampton also mystifies the detec
tive.
In this story, one of the rescued horses goes into labor and there’s a night of high drama
at the ole corral as veterinarians Savannah and Michael work to save the foal. This experience renews Savannah’s deep interest in horses and riding, which ultimately serves to help her bond with a very important surprise character who finds his way into her life and Michael’s just as they prepare to say their wedding vows.
While Rags is the animal star, he isn’t the only animal featured in this story. Layla is back in all of her tangerine feline beauty. And Rags makes friends with Buffy, a perky almost Himalayan cat and the inseparable duo, Walter, an all black cat and his sidekick, Lexie, a charming Afghan mix dog. Savannah’s new ride, Peaches, also debuts in this story. An incident with this mare adds another dimension to Savannah’s and Michael’s relationship. Can he hold her with open arms?
Some say this is a love story with a mystery in the background. And it’s a story of family and friendship as newlyweds Margaret and Max continue to be a meaningful part of Savannah’s and Michael’s world.
Available at Amazon.
Sleight of Paw
In this story, Michael Ivey, the local veterinarian (Savannah’s new husband) is attacked by an enraged client and then later accused of this man’s murder. The evidence quickly stacks up against Michael, until Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat, starts digging up clues implicating the unlikely suspect.
Coinciding with the details of this challenge is the discovery that the old house, which the couple purchased from Savannah’s aunt, is cursed. Is this why the couple has not been blessed with a child?
Savannah’s sister Brianna comes for a visit. She teams up with the Iveys’ vet tech, Bud, to discover how to break the gypsy spell and they fall hard for each other. Will their courtship be strengthened or weakened by a frightening carjacking incident?
Detective Craig Sledge is prominent in this story as the lead investigator in the murder case. As usual, he engages in some creative tactics to get the information and the confessions he’s after. He has also become embedded in Savannah’s friend, Iris’s family. He’s dating Iris and helping with her son, Damon’s rehabilitation in prison. If you read the 2nd in the series, you know that Rags (the cat) helped to put Damon in jail.
Available at Amazom.
Undercover Cat
A popular local journalist goes missing just before she has the opportunity to turn in her story exposing unscrupulous cat hoarders. Not only is Colbi a friend of Savannah’s and Michael’s, Damon (now out of prison and employed by the local newspaper) has a strong personal interest in her. In fact, Damon breaks some rules and some trusts in his search for Colbi.
Is this a love connection? It’s doubtful because Colbi is a strong advocate for the feral cat population and Damon hates cats—or so he believes.
Colbi’s rescue is almost too late. She needs time to heal both physically and emotionally. So the Iveys invite her to recuperate in their home. Just when Colbi begins to feel safe, a body is discovered in the Iveys’ orchard and Rags (their kleptomaniac cat) goes missing. Can someone in a nearby homeless camp shed some light on the evolving mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Colony Cat Caper
Savannah Ivey, a veterinarian out on maternity leave; her aunt Margaret, the founder of the Hammond Cat Alliance; and Colbi Stanton, a reporter for the local newspaper take on a cat colony at an old, abandoned building. Odd activity around the place makes them wonder if it actually is vacant; some believe it’s occupied by something other-worldly.
When a stranger comes to town and suggests the Alliance open the old building to a fund-raiser, everyone gets involved, including Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat. He finds something that day that stirs a lot of people—both law-abiding and crooks—into action. Are the feral cats and their caretakers in serious danger? What (or who) lurks inside the old building? What secrets does it hide? And who has the key that unlocks the mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Celebrity Cat Caper
Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, opens up a whole new bag of tricks, when he becomes a therapy cat in a children's reading program. A documentary film crew arrives to capture the cat in action and they get more than they bargained for. Find out how Rags handles his sudden celebrity status.
In this story, Savannah and Michael Ivey invite strangers into their home during a torrential rainstorm and learn that one of them has a sinister past. Someone is murdered, Savannah is stalked, Michael's life is threatened, and Rags helps to uncover an old mystery that, until now, has everyone baffled.
The Iveys' baby Lily is three-and-a-half-months old and, along with nine-year-old Adam, provides some sweet and warm moments throughout this fast-moving story with many twists and turns.
Avalable at Amazon
The Corral Cat Caper
The Corral Cat Caper features a lot of horse energy. It's rich in adventure of the feline as well as equine sort. In one scene, Rags attempt to save their sweet kitty, Buffy, from a catnapper and Savannah helplessly watches this drama unfold via a surveillance camera app on her phone.
This story is full of sweet and evil surprises, unexpected twists and turns, and plenty of action and adventure.
Available at Amazon
The Gallery Cat Caper
An old friend of Michael’s, who has become a successful artist, invites the entire Ivey family to his beach house. But their vacation is not all fun-and-games. It appears that someone is out to get the artist; and the Iveys and their friends keep stumbling upon clues to the tangled mystery.
Rags is up to his old klepto tricks, and it’s a good thing because, not only do his uncat-like antics prove to be amusing, he manages to save two lives.
Join the hilarity and suspense as this mystery unfolds. Enjoy some of your favorite human and animal characters as well as a few new ones, all of them giving this story a light and rich quality.
Available at Amazon