Blackmail in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  “No!”

  Randy’s shout was so loud and unexpected it sent Leva scurrying back into the house. Loki scrambled to follow, his little paws moving so rapidly they slipped and slid across the porch floor’s smooth wooden beams.

  “Why don’t you want the police to have that note?” Kat asked Randy. She was bluffing, of course. She and Imogene had already promised Maya they wouldn’t involve the authorities, but Randy didn’t have to know that.

  “Because . . .” He unhooked his arm from Bianca’s and dragged his fingers through his hair.

  Bianca’s eyes narrowed. “Because why?” Her tone had turned decidedly cold.

  Leva and Loki apparently couldn’t stay away. Kat spied their little heads peeking from behind the open front door, one stacked atop the other.

  Randy didn’t move, seemingly frozen in place. Then, after a long, tense moment, he released a heavy sigh, and his shoulders sagged in defeat. “All right, I admit it. I sent that blackmail letter to Mom. And yes, I printed it on Bianca’s computer.”

  Bianca backed away until her legs banged into an Adirondack chair. She promptly collapsed into it.

  Imogene had been silently watching their exchange, but now she stepped closer. “Why on earth would you do something so asinine to your own mother?”

  “Because I wanted her to vote down the breeder ban, okay?” Randy strode over to Bianca. “I did it for you.”

  Bianca braced her feet against the floor as though to scoot her chair away from him. But there was nowhere to go. So instead she shook her head over and over again.

  “I know how much you love these cats.” Randy swept his arm toward the house, presumably to encompass her breeding operation.

  Loki and Leva crept toward Bianca, Loki in the lead. When they came close enough, Bianca bent sideways and plucked Loki off the floor. As Bianca clutched the Devon Rex to her chest, Kat thought she saw tears brimming in the woman’s eyes.

  Imogene glowered at Randy. “So you were willing to throw your mother under the bus for your girlfriend?”

  Randy flushed and cast his eyes downward.

  Bianca bit her lip. Judging by the shame stamped on her face, Kat didn’t think she was any happier than Imogene about what Randy had done.

  Randy mumbled something incoherent.

  Imogene leaned forward. “What’s that?”

  Randy lifted his head a fraction. “I said, I wasn’t ever going to go through with the blackmail threat. No matter how Mom voted, I wasn’t going to do anything.”

  Imogene’s lips puckered as if she had bitten into something tart. “So you sent her that note just to scare her?”

  “I wanted to . . . influence her a little. That’s all.”

  “Oh, Randy,” Bianca moaned. “How could you do such a thing?”

  He twisted toward her. “I did it for you. I didn’t want you to have to give up your operation here. I can see how much you care about these cats. The joy in your voice when you talk about your kittens is unmistakable. And when you’re holding one . . . it’s like your whole face lights up. You can’t tell me this isn’t your passion.”

  “But my business would have been fine with or without the ban. I don’t need to sell my Siberians in pet stores. There are other ways to find qualified buyers. I didn’t need you to blackmail anyone, and especially not your own mom.”

  Loki gave his head a little shake, as if he were supremely disappointed by Randy’s actions.

  As though sensing he could use the support, Leva set her front paws on Randy’s knee. When he picked her up, she started licking his fingers.

  Randy scratched the cat’s side. He seemed reluctant to meet anyone’s eye. “I wasn’t going to do anything.”

  “So you’ve said,” Imogene replied. “But that doesn’t excuse all the stress you’ve put your poor mother through. She was absolutely shaken on Tuesday.”

  “Nothing excuses what I did. I know that.”

  Except for some contented purring coming from the cats, the porch fell silent. The air felt heavy with Randy’s confession and the weight of what he had done.

  “I know you don’t agree, but Bianca’s doing a good thing here,” Randy said. “She really cares about her animals, and she’s providing options for people who couldn’t otherwise handle having a cat in their lives. You realize we met because I’m allergic to cats?” He dropped a kiss on top of Leva’s head. “Most cats, anyway.”

  “Randy called me a few months ago to talk about my Siberians,” Bianca put in. “He wanted to see if he could handle being around one of my kittens without suffering an allergic reaction.”

  Leva chirped. Randy set her down, then rested his knees on the porch floor. Holding his hands out to Bianca, he said, “I’m sorry for what I did. I made a huge mistake.”

  Bianca eyed his outstretched hands, looking tempted to take them in her own. But then she pulled Loki closer and shook her head, her lips pursed tight. “Your mother would be appalled. I’m appalled.”

  Randy flushed, his hands dropping to his sides. “I had to do something. I love you.”

  A small strangled sound slipped past Bianca’s lips before she slapped her hands over her mouth.

  “It’s true,” Randy said, his eyes never leaving Bianca’s. “I love you.”

  Bianca’s hands fell away from her face, revealing a huge smile. Kat figured this was probably the first time Randy had ever told her he loved her.

  Even Loki seemed surprised by the declaration. His ears pricked, and his two wiry whiskers twitched. Then, as though he were so overwhelmed with excitement he couldn’t contain himself, he vaulted off of Bianca’s lap and ran back into the house.

  Bianca gave her head a little shake, her smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. “But blackmail?” she said, choking on the words.

  Randy picked up one of her hands, sandwiching it between his own. “What I did was wrong. And I regret it. Believe me. But I panicked. I know that doesn’t excuse my actions, but that’s what happened.”

  Bianca stared at Randy’s hands encompassing her own. She looked torn between pushing him away and twining her fingers between his. Kat’s heart went out to her. Typically, a man announcing his love would be cause for celebration. But that wasn’t the case here.

  Even Imogene seemed to have softened a little now that she knew Randy’s actions had been rooted in love. She was no longer glaring at him, at any rate.

  Randy squeezed Bianca’s fingers. “Do you think you can ever forgive me?”

  Bianca chewed on her lower lip. Nobody on the porch moved so much as a muscle as they all waited for her response.

  She finally bobbed her head once. “I can forgive you, Randy. But I don’t know if your mother can.”

  He grimaced. “I’ll have to tell her what I did.”

  “And why,” Bianca added, her eyes twinkling.

  Randy grinned. “And why.”

  “Maybe I could go with you when you talk to her.”

  “I’d like that. It’s about time I formally introduced her to the woman of my dreams.” Randy turned to look at Imogene and Kat. “And you both have my word that I’ll confess everything to my mother.”

  Kat knew that wouldn’t change anything on their end, given that the town council’s votes had already been cast. But at least Maya would be able to rest easy when she discovered her secret was still safe.

  It might not be the perfect ending, but Kat supposed sometimes in life you couldn’t do much more than look on the bright side.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Thank you for coming,” Maya said, holding her front door open.

  Imogene smiled as she and Kat stepped into the house. “When you said you had something to tell us about the breeder ban, you could bet we’d be over here in a flash.”

  They settled in the living room. Petey joined them, crawling into Maya’s lap as soon as she sat down in the brown armchair. The oversized tabby seemed just as relaxed as ever. Kat didn’t figure he had lost any sleep over
Randy’s blackmail demands, even if his human had.

  “So,” Imogene said from her spot next to Kat on the couch, “what did you want to tell us?”

  “First, I wanted to say how much I appreciate you finding out who sent me that note. If I had known it was my own son . . .”

  “He’s in love,” Imogene said. “And I think he might have overreacted a little when he heard about the breeder ban and thought Bianca’s business was in danger of being shut down.”

  “He’s young and impulsive, that’s for sure.” Maya grimaced. “And I am so, so sorry for all the heartache he’s caused you and everybody else in Cherry Hills involved with animal rescue. But I have worked out a deal with him that I believe should please you.”

  Imogene arched an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Randall has vowed to become a Furry Friends Foster Families foster parent.”

  “I thought he was allergic to cats,” Kat said. Leva’s and Loki’s impish faces popped into her head, prompting her to add, “Or, most cats.”

  “He is,” Maya replied. “He’s going to be fostering dogs, if that’s okay with you.”

  Imogene clapped her hands together. “That sounds marvelous. We’re always in need of new caretakers for both dogs and cats.”

  “That’s not all Randall has agreed to. He will also be making regular donations to 4F until I feel adequate restitution has been made to your organization.”

  Imogene’s eyes brightened. “That’s very generous.”

  “Well, it means a lot to me that you honored my request for privacy. To be honest, when I told you about my past I wasn’t positive you would keep it to yourselves.”

  Imogene offered her a sheepish grin. “I probably didn’t inspire much confidence when I came barging in here Tuesday night, as worked up as I was at the time.”

  “No, you didn’t, but it was one hundred percent your right to be upset.”

  “Will you be requesting a revote at a future town council meeting?” Imogene asked.

  Maya hesitated before shaking her head. “If I did that, I would have to make public Randall’s blackmail attempt.”

  Imogene nodded, although she did sag in her seat a little.

  “But I did speak with Keave Ohana,” Maya went on, “and although the breeder ban didn’t pass, I convinced him the sentiment behind it was something we as a community should do everything in our power to back.”

  Imogene’s eyes flashed. “I doubt you’ll get very far with that man. He tried to tell me he cares about rescue animals—right before explaining how they weren’t a hot enough commodity for his store.”

  “I may have changed his opinion a bit on that.”

  Imogene sat up. “Oh?”

  Maya bobbed her head. “The bottom line is, he’s willing to work with you and Furry Friends Foster Families to showcase rescue animals in his store. He still plans to support Bianca’s business, but at least this way the cats and dogs in 4F’s care will receive some additional exposure too.”

  Imogene fingered a crease in her slacks. “I suppose that’s better than nothing. It’s certainly more than I expected.”

  Maya rested her hands on Petey. “So, no hard feelings about me voting down the breeder ban?”

  “I can’t say I’m happy about it, but since 4F will now have a working relationship with The Bark and Meow, plus we got a new foster parent and supporter out of the whole ordeal, I think we’re good.”

  Maya exhaled. “Thank you.”

  Petey’s head swiveled toward the front window. A moment later the grind of the garage door opening sounded, and Petey took off for the kitchen faster than Kat would have thought possible for a feline of his size.

  “That will be Ian.” Maya stood up. “I’ve decided to level with him about what I used to do for a living.”

  Kat and Imogene exchanged glances as they rose to their feet. When Imogene turned back toward Maya, she had a warm smile on her face. “I’m glad,” she said.

  Maya’s nervous eyes flitted toward the kitchen. “Let’s hope he doesn’t leave me.”

  “Ian loves you,” Imogene said. “And I believe you might be pleasantly surprised by his reaction to your confession.”

  Maya peered at her, a mixture of terror and hope in her eyes. “Do you really think so?”

  “I do. However the conversation goes, this will be a huge burden off of your shoulders. You’ll no longer need to live in so much fear of having your past exposed.”

  “Well, I guess if my son can accept me, shameful choices and all, there’s hope that Ian can, too.”

  “I’m home!” a male voice called out.

  Ian walked into view, moving slowly so as not to step on Petey as the tabby circled around his feet. The joy reflected in Petey’s expressive, gold-colored eyes warmed Kat’s heart.

  Maya drew in a deep breath, appearing to steel herself. Then she leaned closer to Imogene and Kat and whispered, “Wish me luck.”

  Imogene laid her palm on Maya’s arm. “You’re going to be just fine.”

  Kat eyed them, feeling lighter than she had all week. Who could have predicted that Randy’s blackmail note would end up opening the lines of communication between the Pickerlings and serve to bring the entire family closer together? Kat was positive they would be just fine.

  As for Imogene and Furry Friends Foster Families, their work would continue. And, Kat thought, she had a feeling they would be just fine as well.

  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 27 of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery series, Last Supper in Cherry Hills. Thank you!

  LAST SUPPER IN CHERRY HILLS

  Katherine Harper looked at Andrew Milhone as he rang the doorbell outside of the unfamiliar, Ranch-style house.

  “Who are these people we’re eating dinner with again?” she asked.

  “Some guys I used to hang out with in my twenties and their significant others. I’ve known Dante Mason, our host, and his wife since they moved to Cherry Hills seven years ago. We’ve kind of grown apart, but Dante thought it was time to catch up with the old crew.” Andrew brushed his sandy blond hair out of his eyes and winked at her. “I secretly think he’s only hosting this gathering to show off his grilling skills. You should have heard him go on about the new charcoal grill he picked up last week.”

  “Well, late August in Central Washington is the perfect time for a backyard barbecue.”

  Andrew laced his fingers with hers. “And Friday evening is the perfect time to enjoy a dinner with friends while showing off your new girlfriend.”

  “I’m not new. We’ve been together for a year.”

  “You’re new to Dante and the rest of the guys.”

  Before Kat could reply, the door swung open. A rangy, fortyish man dressed in blue jeans and a black, short-sleeved T-shirt stood there.

  “Andrew!” The man clapped Andrew on the shoulder and began vigorously pumping his hand. “How long has it been?”

  “Too long.” Andrew extricated himself from the handshake and set a palm on Kat’s arm. “Dante Mason, this is my girlfriend, Kat Harper.”

  Dante spun toward her, a grin the size of Texas on his face. “So you’re the woman who domesticated Andrew.” He motioned them inside, not giving Kat a chance to reply. “Come in and mingle. I’d stop to shoot the breeze, but as host I’ve got a ton of things requiring my attention.”

  Andrew stepped into the foyer. “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Yeah. Head on out to the backyard and start shaping and seasoning the hamburger patties, will you? Everything you need is by the grill. I’ll be out in a few minutes. I’ve gotta go talk to Phoebe—” He looked at Kat. “—that’s my wife—about something.”


  Andrew saluted. “Aye aye.” He turned toward Kat as Dante wandered off. “I guess I’m in charge of hamburgers. I’d invite you to join me, but out of respect to the other guests I ought not to subject them to your abysmal cooking skills.”

  She slugged him in the shoulder. “Thanks a lot.”

  He chuckled, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

  “All right. Have fun.”

  Kat watched until he disappeared through the sliding glass door leading to the backyard. Once he was gone she perched on the edge of the brown, L-shaped sectional sofa occupying the center of the living room. The sofa fit right in with the rest of the room’s tasteful, modern furniture. Between the oversized flat-screen television, the sleek glass coffee table resting atop an ornate Oriental rug, and a collection of abstract paintings and certificates hanging on the walls, the place looked so perfect it almost appeared to be staged.

  She was about to take stock of the handful of people gathered when a mostly white cat with a darker tail and a mishmash of brown and tan facial markings ambled over. His flattened muzzle made Kat think he was some kind of Persian mix. A deep crease shaped like an upside-down U separated his nose and mouth from the rest of his face and left his eyes nearly squinched shut.

  He seemed friendly enough. He hopped right into Kat’s lap and started rubbing his cheek against her knee.

  “Hey there, handsome.” Kat scratched the feline behind the ears. “You’re a little love bug, aren’t you?”

  “I see you’re making friends with Mr. Magoo.”

  Kat looked up. A thin woman around her own age of thirty-three stood in front of her. The woman’s semi-long, highlighted brown hair hung straight down her back, and her freckled face looked freshly scrubbed with nary a hint of makeup. Dressed in a flowery top and faded blue jeans, she looked like the quintessential girl next door.

  “Mr. Magoo?” Kat echoed.