Blackmail in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  Kat hadn’t lived in Cherry Hills during the last election, but she was ashamed to admit she probably would have voted for Norman herself if she were basing her support on the way he presented himself in public. He had a certain charisma about him—at least, he did when he wasn’t alone with Imogene. Apparently he didn’t see the need to put on airs when speaking one-on-one with his old rival.

  Tom trotted over. The big feline chatted up a storm as he twined between Kat’s legs and then Imogene’s. He looked as though he were completing some complicated obstacle course, and when he finished he eyed Kat as if he expected a reward payable in treats.

  Imogene crouched down and ran her hand over the cat’s body. “Hi, sweetheart. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

  Tom meowed his concurrence and pressed the top of his head into Imogene’s palm. Then he flopped onto his side and rolled over to expose his belly. He kept his gaze on Imogene the whole time as though to make sure she understood what he wanted.

  She did. Imogene scratched Tom’s stomach even as she faced Kat. “On the bad days, when I wonder if all the frustration and heartbreak of animal rescue is worth it, I only have to look at one of the animals I’ve helped save and there’s my answer.”

  Kat sat down on the couch next to Matty, prompting the snoozing tortoiseshell to pry one eye open. “I, for one, am glad you’re doing what you do. Without you, I never would have gotten involved with 4F. Nor would I have met Tom.”

  Kat wanted to add how she couldn’t imagine her life without the affectionate feline in it, but her throat clogged up before she could get the words out. She felt so much gratitude toward Imogene at that moment it brought tears to her eyes.

  How on earth could anyone dislike her?

  Kat watched Tom rolling around on the floor, her heart swelling with love. When the lump in her throat had subsided, she said to Imogene, “What’s the deal between you and Norman van der Veer, anyway? It seems like there’s a lot of animosity between you two.” More than can be explained by the breeder ban, Kat mentally added.

  Imogene gave Tom one final pat before standing up. “Norman is two years older than me. Back when I was a sophomore in high school, he dated my friend Patty.”

  Kat reached across the sofa and rested her hand atop Matty. The gesture was more for her own comfort than the tortoiseshell’s. She could tell from Imogene’s somber tone this wouldn’t be a happy story.

  Imogene lowered herself onto the other couch. She clucked at Tom and patted her thighs as an invitation for him to join her. Tom obliged, hopping onto her lap and folding himself into a loaf shape. Then he shot Matty a smug look as if to gloat over snagging the best seat in the apartment.

  Imogene stroked Tom as she continued her narrative. “I told Patty not to get too involved with Norm, that he would be leaving for college as soon as he graduated. But Patty wouldn’t listen. She was lovestruck.” Imogene looked at Kat, her eyes dull. “Norman is a first-class jerk at heart, but he can present a polished and smooth front when it suits him.”

  Kat nodded. The smooth and polished exterior was the side of Norman she was used to seeing at the town council meetings.

  “Even back when we were teenagers he had a certain smarmy charm to him,” Imogene said. “I saw right through his facade, but not everyone did. And, unfortunately, Patty was one of the girls blinded by his charisma. By the time Norm graduated, she was head over heels.”

  “The feeling wasn’t mutual?”

  Imogene shrugged. “Maybe. I can’t say for sure how Norm felt about her. All I know is he convinced Patty to drop out and follow him to Pullman when he moved there for college. And she was so smitten she didn’t even stop to think about what she would be sacrificing by accepting his offer. Her bags were packed before she even called to tell me she was leaving.”

  Matty scooched closer, stretched her paws in front of her, and began kneading Kat’s leg, her little claws extending and contracting. Normally Kat would find the rhythmic gesture soothing, but right now even Matty’s delicate ministrations couldn’t ease the pinch of anxiety that had been building inside of Kat’s chest as she listened to Imogene’s story.

  “At first, Patty wrote to me quite regularly. She would tell me all about Pullman and how she loved the city. She would gush over Norm and how well he was adjusting to college life. If Patty was to be believed, he’d befriended the entire campus within his first week of attendance.”

  A shadow passed over Imogene’s face. “But after a few months the tone of Patty’s letters changed. She stopped mentioning Norm’s friends, some of whom I understood to be her friends as well. Soon afterward she even stopped making more than cursory mentions to Norm himself. And her notes as a whole grew more sporadic and less personal.”

  Emotion caused Imogene’s voice to waver. Tom scrambled upright, his eyes wide with concern.

  “I could sense something was wrong, of course,” Imogene went on. “Patty and I had grown up together. I knew her like I know the back of my hand. So I decided to make a trip to Pullman to see for myself exactly what was going on.”

  Imogene drew in a deep breath. “I didn’t tell Patty I was coming. I didn’t even check to make sure she would be home. I just borrowed my parents’ car one weekend and popped on over. Needless to say, she was surprised to see me standing outside her apartment.” A scowl flitted across her face. “So was Norm.”

  Kat couldn’t breathe. Every time Imogene paused for air Kat could hear her heart thumping against her ribs. She was already dreading how this story ended.

  Imogene snorted. “I probably don’t have to tell you this, but Norm’s surprise wasn’t the happy kind. I gather he had gone to great lengths to cut Patty off from her old life, her old friends. Reading between the lines of her letters, I already had my suspicions he had been working to isolate her from everybody who cared about her, but his less-than-welcoming reaction to my unannounced visit cinched it.”

  Tom set his front paws on Imogene’s collarbone and rubbed his face against her chin. He seemed desperate to cheer her up.

  Imogene hugged Tom to her chest. “Norm refused to let me into his and Patty’s apartment that day, which was fine by me. I could give him a piece of my mind just as easily on the doorstep as I could inside. Patty hid behind him during my entire tirade. No, not hid, cowered. She was scared of him. I could see it in her eyes and her body language. I tried to get her to come back to Cherry Hills with me, but she refused. I gather she was terrified of how Norm would react if she left him.”

  Imogene scratched Tom’s head with so much vigor Kat could see his loose fur starting to accumulate on Imogene’s knuckles. Dredging up all these old memories had obviously agitated her.

  “I tried reaching out to Patty a few times after that,” Imogene said. “I wanted to offer my help to get her out of that awful situation. But she wouldn’t take my calls, and my letters went unanswered. I never did see or hear from her again.”

  Kat slumped against the back of the sofa, her heart heavy.

  “I didn’t see Norman again either until a few years later, when he moved back to Cherry Hills,” Imogene went on, continuing to pet Tom. If she rubbed the poor cat any harder she was liable to scour a bald patch on his fur. “He came back alone, so I imagine Patty left him at some point. I’m glad. And Norm, of course, never forgot how I challenged him that day.”

  “And he’s had it in for you ever since,” Kat concluded.

  “It would certainly seem that way.”

  Kat wondered exactly how far Norman van der Veer was willing to go to make his old enemy’s life miserable. Far enough to blackmail another council member? Given his position in the community, Norman had to have connections—connections that had perhaps clued him in to Maya’s sordid past.

  Now if she could just find enough evidence to prove whether he was actually guilty.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The next morning, Kat was too preoccupied with getting ready for another day at the office to give much thought to Ma
ya Pickerling’s blackmail note or Imogene’s disturbing story about Norman van der Veer. Work kept her busy, and by the time her shift ended at five o’clock she was looking forward to kicking back and unwinding at her apartment with Matty and Tom.

  That was why she was so surprised to find her car creeping past The Bark and Meow on her drive home from work. Apparently her subconscious hadn’t succeeded in pushing the disturbing town council vote out of her headspace.

  Several cars occupied the parking slots in front of the pet store. As furious as Imogene had been yesterday after talking to Keave Ohana, Kat half expected to see her friend on the sidewalk blowing into a bullhorn and waving a picket sign around urging people to boycott the establishment. But Imogene was nowhere in sight. Neither was her SUV.

  One of the vehicles, however, did snag Kat’s attention. It was a blue coupe—one that looked very much like the car that had pulled up to the Pickerlings’ house right before Maya had shooed Kat and Imogene out the door.

  Kat coasted to a stop by the curb. What would Ian Pickerling be doing at The Bark and Meow? Had Maya broken down and told her husband about the blackmail note? Perhaps Ian figured Keave was the person with the most to lose if the breeder ban passed, and he had stormed down here to confront the business owner.

  Except, if Maya had told Ian about being blackmailed, he undoubtedly would have pressed her to reveal what she had to hide. And given how Maya had insisted he could never know about her past, the scenario struck Kat as unlikely.

  But that still didn’t explain why Ian was here now. And the blue coupe was parked too close to The Bark and Meow for Kat to presume he might be shopping at the grocery store next door or the home-improvement place on its left.

  Making a snap decision, Kat verified the road was clear before executing a U-turn and veering into the shopping center. Regardless of whether Ian knew about Maya’s blackmail note, Kat wanted to talk to him. After all, the blackmailer had to have found out about Maya’s former line of work somehow, and as the person who had known her the longest Ian might be the best lead she had to figure out who else in Cherry Hills might share an old connection with his wife. She would just have to phrase her questions carefully so Ian wouldn’t wonder why she was so interested in the Pickerlings’ past.

  She scanned the sales floor as she stepped into the pet store. She didn’t see Ian, but several people near the front of the store were oohing and ahhing over two puppies on display behind a glass cage. The temptation to stop and tell them about the adorable one- and two-year-old dogs currently in 4F’s care was strong, but she couldn’t risk Ian slipping away before she had a chance to talk to him. Maybe she would approach the other patrons later, if they were still here after she finished chatting with Ian.

  She found Ian near the back of the store, browsing through a vast selection of cat toys. A rangy, middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, he had a catnip mouse in his hand, his back facing the aisle.

  Kat tapped him on the shoulder.

  Ian turned around. “Excuse me. Am I in your way?”

  “You’re Ian Pickerling, aren’t you?” Kat said.

  “I am.” He regarded her. “You look familiar. Have we met?”

  “Not officially, but I’ve seen you at some of the town council meetings. I’m Kat Harper. I serve on the Furry Friends Foster Families board along with Imogene Little.”

  Recognition dawned on his face. “Yes, Kat. Of course.”

  She jerked her chin at the catnip toy in his hand. “Are you shopping for Petey?”

  “Uh, no.” Ian hung the toy back on its metal display arm, his fingers brushing against a nearby package containing three plastic balls with bells inside. They jingled in response to the disturbance. “I’m just passing time while I wait for Keave. Our standing pool tournament with the guys is tonight.”

  Kat wasn’t sure why that surprised her. After all, Cherry Hills was a small town. Many of the residents knew each other.

  “Is Maya friends with Keave too?” she asked.

  “Sure, although she’s closer to Alaina.”

  “Alaina?”

  “Keave’s wife,” Ian said.

  Kat’s brain churned. If Maya considered Alaina to be a trusted confidante, she might have told her about her past at some point. And if Alaina had, in turn, passed that information along to Keave, he would have all the ammunition he needed to strong-arm Maya into voting down the breeder ban.

  Ian sighed. “Look, I know Imogene and your entire organization must be disappointed that the breeder ban didn’t pass, but if you’re here to have it out with Keave, I would suggest you reconsider. The Ohanas are very nice people. It’s hard keeping a small business afloat. They have to do what’s needed to turn a profit, whether or not it coincides with your rescue group’s agenda.”

  Kat hadn’t stopped by to see Keave at all, but she couldn’t very well admit she was actually here to see Ian. He would want to know why.

  “I’m sure Maya had her reasons for voting no,” Ian continued, “and taking your frustrations out on the people who benefited from that vote isn’t going to change anything.”

  “Did Maya tell you what her reasons were?” Kat asked.

  “We don’t talk about her council decisions. She makes those on her own, without my input. But I know my wife, and I’m positive she had a valid reason for voting the way she did.” Ian lifted one shoulder. “If you’re looking for something more than that, I can’t help you.”

  “Can you think of anyone she might have explained her motives to?” Kat asked. “A close girlfriend, perhaps?”

  Ian’s lips thinned. “You mean like Alaina Ohana?”

  Now it was Kat’s turn to shrug. “Possibly.”

  “I don’t have a clue who Maya may or may not have spoken to about her vote.”

  “You must have been surprised when she withdrew her support of the ban at the last minute though,” Kat said.

  “People change their minds. It happens all the time.”

  This conversation wasn’t getting her anywhere. She opted to switch tacks.

  “What brought you and Maya to Cherry Hills?” she asked.

  Ian blinked, the abrupt subject change obviously catching him off guard.

  “Maya mentioned you met in Philadelphia.” Kat smiled, hoping he would think she was just making friendly conversation. “Cherry Hills is a long way from Philly. Moving here must have been a big adjustment for you.”

  “You’ve answered your own question,” Ian replied. “Sometimes people need a change.”

  “That’s an extreme change though. Cherry Hills must seem like the boonies compared to Philly.”

  Ian darted a glance in the direction of Keave’s office. He was clearly losing patience with this conversation, and his disinterest sparked a small flare of panic within her. She hadn’t learned anything of importance yet.

  “Or was it the small-town vibe that attracted you?” she rushed on, scrambling to reengage Ian in the conversation. “I’ve never lived anywhere as large as Philly, but I imagine cities can feel so impersonal. All those people crammed into one area, and yet nobody really knows anyone else.”

  Ian dragged his gaze back to Kat. “Big cities can feel smaller than you think.”

  “Oh? How so?”

  “It all depends on the circles you orbit.” Ian’s eyes darkened a fraction. “Not everyone who leaves the city is searching for community. Sometimes it’s the community you’re looking to get away from. There is such a thing as getting too cozy with your neighbors.”

  Kat frowned. If she didn’t know better, she would think Ian was making a veiled reference to Maya’s prior profession. Except, Maya had claimed he didn’t know what she used to do for a living.

  “Bad crowds can be . . . seductive,” Ian said. “And once you’ve fallen in with the wrong people, it can be difficult to extricate yourself from that lifestyle. Sometimes the only way to escape is to sever every last string keeping you tethered to your situation and establish roots elsewhe
re.”

  Kat scrutinized him. “Are you speaking from experience?”

  Ian tapped his loafer against the tile floor as he appeared to weigh his words. “Philly is where I met Maya,” he finally said, his foot coming to rest. “For that, I will always be grateful.”

  “Does Maya ever miss your old life there?”

  “No. She was just as eager for a fresh start as I was—perhaps even more so.”

  “Were you running from something?”

  “I wouldn’t say that. A person sometimes just needs a new environment.”

  “Hmm.”

  “My wife is not a bad person, Ms. Harper. She may have made some questionable decisions as a matter of survival, but she never once lost sight of what’s important. Sometimes a person simply has no good options.”

  Kat was itching to ask him outright if he knew about his wife working as an escort years ago. The only thing stopping her was the promise she and Imogene had made to Maya. Still, everything Ian had said so far led her to believe he was already aware of his wife’s so-called secret past. And given that Maya’s blackmailer had to know about it too, one burning question had emerged in Kat’s mind.

  Had Ian Pickerling blackmailed his own wife?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Ian knows,” Kat said, holding her apartment door open for Imogene.

  Imogene halted, one foot over the threshold and her other foot still in the common hallway. “What do you mean Ian knows?”

  Upon hearing Imogene’s voice, Tom came racing out of the bedroom. His green eyes lit up when he spotted their visitor, and he hurried over to welcome her with a string of gleeful meows. The novelty of having Imogene inside the apartment apparently hadn’t worn off yet despite this being her third visit in three days. The attention-deprived kitty—as Tom would describe himself, Kat was sure—was undoubtedly hoping Imogene’s return appearance meant he could expect to receive more head pats, ear rubs, and belly scratches today than he would on a typical Thursday evening with only his work-weary human around.