Strangled in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  “I don’t know if that makes this more or less palatable,” Imogene said with a shake of her head. “But one thing’s for sure. Whoever did this has to be mentally unstable.”

  Janice rubbed her palms up and down her arms. “To think, that unfortunate man might have been killed where Bubbles and I played fetch just this week.”

  Kat turned toward Sherry. “How do you know Jeff?”

  “Oh.” She leaned back a little, looking startled to be included in the conversation. “We go back a ways.”

  “Last time I saw him was a couple weeks ago, when I stopped by his parents’ house for a visit,” Imogene said. “He still lives with them, you know, although Deidre, his mother, would have preferred that he moved out. She wanted him to be independent.” Her face fell. “Oh, good heavens. But that’s all irrelevant now, isn’t it? Deidre must be devastated.”

  Kat’s heart grew heavy. As awful as it had been for her to find Jeff’s body, she couldn’t imagine his parents’ pain.

  Imogene sighed. “Deidre was always on his case about getting a real job, but Jeff resisted. He said dog walking made him rich in other ways.”

  “I get that.” Janice reached down to pet the Irish setter. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much Bubbles has enriched my life.”

  “Nothing beats the love of a fur baby.” Imogene bit her lip. “It’s too bad Jeff never got the chance to experience that himself, although I’m sure the dog walking gave him a taste.”

  “How come he didn’t adopt his own pet?” Janice asked.

  Imogene shrugged. “Deidre said she was open to it, but Jeff never acted all that interested. Perhaps he was simply too young to see himself taking on such a big commitment.”

  “How old was he?” Kat asked.

  “Twenty-three.” Imogene fingered her ponytail, her face crumpling. “Much too young to have his life stripped away from him like that.”

  The room fell quiet, the atmosphere turning somber. Kat wondered what Jeff might have accomplished if he hadn’t had his life cut short. Her stomach clenched just thinking about it.

  The dachshund was the first to break the silence. He stared at the front door and barked.

  “Oh, he’s eager to get out of here,” Imogene said. “After the day he’s had, he must be drained, poor thing.”

  Sherry stood up. “I’ll check on Dr. Harry.”

  Something stirred in Kat’s gut as she watched the receptionist disappear through a door leading to the back. Her gait struck Kat as a little too hasty.

  Janice crouched down and rubbed the Irish setter’s head. “I bet Bubbles wants to go home too.”

  “Smart dog,” Imogene said. “After receiving such horrible news, I believe we’re all ready to return to the safety of our own homes.”

  Sherry popped back up behind the reception counter. “Dr. Harry’s getting the microchip scanner,” she told Imogene.

  Imogene rubbed her palms together. “Oh, that’s marvelous.”

  Sherry turned to Janice. “He’ll meet you in Exam Room A when he’s done with them. The scan only takes a minute.”

  “We’ll be waiting,” Janice replied, heading toward the hallway.

  Sherry took a step backward. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to slip away for a moment.”

  Kat watched her go. It didn’t occur to her until after Sherry ducked out of sight for the second time that the receptionist had never answered her question about Jeff.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The dachshund did indeed turn out to be microchipped. Once Dr. Harry confirmed he belonged to Dorothy Fairchild, Imogene called to fill her in on the situation and let her know they were on their way.

  Imogene drove, and Kat rode in the passenger seat with the dachshund in her lap. Dorothy only lived a handful of blocks from Kat, but her neighborhood was gated and much nicer. Once the guard verified they were authorized and Imogene drove past him, Kat realized she was seeing what existed on the other side of the golf course next to the dog park.

  The houses were all huge and so well maintained they looked brand-new. Tall trees graced most of the yards, providing a sufficient amount of shade and privacy without obstructing any views. Kat spied an RV parked in one of the driveways, prompting her to wonder how often its owner traveled. She was pretty sure if she lived in one of these houses she would never want to leave.

  “Here it is,” Imogene said, pointing.

  Like all the other houses, Dorothy’s didn’t have a single visible blemish. The two-story structure spanned at least five thousand square feet, and its light-blue exterior gleamed in the sunlight. The house had two garage doors off to the side, one of average height and a taller one that looked designed to hold a vehicle like the RV they had just passed—or a yacht, for that matter. Kat could probably fit her whole apartment in the garage and still have room to spare.

  With a handful of pine trees that towered into the sky and a lush, green lawn that appeared to have been freshly mowed that morning, Dorothy’s front yard looked more like a park. Kat almost had to question if it was real. It was no wonder Jeff had taken the dachshund somewhere else to do his business. From the looks of it, this lawn had never once been used as relief for any type of animal.

  Kat half expected a valet to meet them when Imogene pulled her car around the circular driveway. She tried not to gape at the house as she got out of the car with the dachshund. “Do you know Dorothy?”

  “Yes. She’s very friendly. And generous to boot. She donates to many causes.” Imogene paused. “She does have one tiny little quirk though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “She prefers to be called Lady Fairchild.”

  “Huh.” Kat had never known anyone who went by the term Lady.

  Imogene joined Kat on the other side of the car and scratched the dachshund’s ears. “You can’t deny her devotion to this little guy, though. She’s going to be thrilled to see him.”

  As if Dorothy Fairchild had been listening for their arrival, a sixtyish woman with perfectly coiffed gray hair swung open the front door. She wore a yellow blouse and matching pants, both of which appeared to have been ironed within the past hour.

  “Is that my Muffin?” she said, hurrying toward them. The dog let out a yap, and Lady Fairchild’s face lit up. “Muffy! It is you!”

  Kat adjusted her grip as Muffin started writhing. With his human in sight, he seemed incapable of sitting still.

  “Oh, look at that,” Imogene said. “He’s absolutely delighted to see you.”

  “The feeling is mutual.” Lady Fairchild took the dog from Kat and snuggled him close to her face. “Poor Muffin suffers from separation anxiety when we’re apart for too long.”

  Imogene leaned against her car and folded her hands in front of her. “Well, he certainly looks ten times better than he did five minutes ago, when he wouldn’t stop shaking.”

  “You were shaking?” Lady Fairchild cooed to Muffin, pressing her nose against the dog’s.

  Given how put together Lady Fairchild was, Kat expected her to shy away from Muffin’s kisses, but she merely closed her eyes while the dog proceeded to lick every last square inch of her face. Kat had to stifle a laugh as she watched them, some of her tension fading. A woman that in love with her pet couldn’t be half bad, no matter how much higher she was in social standing.

  Kat caught sight of an all-white cat sitting just outside the front door. The cat stayed as straight and still as a statue, her fluffy tail wrapped around her feet. She looked well taken care of, and Kat figured she must have followed Lady Fairchild out of the house.

  “You can thank Kat for finding him,” Imogene said. “Kat Harper is our 4F treasurer now.”

  Lady Fairchild paused from her exchange of affection to look at Kat. A smile had taken over her whole face. “Thank you, Kat.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Lady Fairchild’s smile faded. “How awful for Jeffrey though. When Imogene told me how you found him, I just about fainted.”

&n
bsp; Kat hugged herself. “It was awful.”

  Muffin leaned forward to resume his licking spree, but Lady Fairchild tucked him under her arm. “I hope the police catch the hooligan who murdered him. I must say, I don’t think I’ll be able to rest until he’s behind bars.”

  “I know I’ll be keeping all my doors and windows double-locked until this thing is settled,” Imogene said.

  Lady Fairchild flapped her hand. “Oh, I’m sure you’re safe. You’re not the one the murderer is going to target next.”

  Kat frowned. “You think Jeff’s killer might be after you?”

  “Not me, Muffin.” Lady Fairchild scratched the dog behind his ears. “Why, he must have seen the whole thing. I’m sure whoever did this would love to silence my poor baby.”

  Kat’s eyes drifted to Muffin. She wondered if Lady Fairchild’s suspicions had any merit. Surely a killer wouldn’t fear being identified by a dog, would he?

  A chill worked its way down Kat’s spine. For that matter, would the killer think Matty posed a threat? How much had Matty really seen? She had been rather determined to escape that morning. Was it possible her urgency had been propelled by witnessing the murder through Kat’s apartment window? Kat shuddered just thinking about it.

  “Lady Fairchild, do you have any idea who might have wanted to kill Jeff?” Kat asked.

  She pursed her lips. “Well, naturally I don’t associate with killers.”

  “Oh, of course not.”

  “But then again, some say, deep down, everybody has the potential to harm another.”

  Kat pictured the distaste on Sherry’s face when Jeff’s name had come up. She wondered how many other people in town disliked him.

  “I didn’t know Jeff,” Kat said. “What was he like?”

  “Oh, he was friendly enough.” Lady Fairchild stroked Muffin with one hand. “I never did get the sense that he had much ambition. He seemed to prefer chasing after girls over planning for his future.” She chuckled. “But he was so young that comes as no surprise. How many of us wanted to work when we were in our twenties?”

  Kat didn’t say anything, remembering how hard she had slaved after leaving the foster care system at age seventeen. Back then she would have toiled night and day if that was what it took to get away from Cherry Hills. Her younger self would have been apoplectic if she knew all that effort would eventually lead her thirty-two-year-old self back to the town she’d once despised.

  She looked at the house, wondering if Lady Fairchild had inherited most of her wealth. For her, perhaps Cherry Hills had always felt like home and working was something optional.

  Lady Fairchild shifted Muffin to her other arm. “I will say Jeffrey wasn’t the most reliable fellow. He had trouble sticking to a schedule. If you know dogs, it’s good to walk them at the same time every day. That’s why I secured his services. But he’d show up late or early more often than not.”

  “Why didn’t you hire somebody else?” Kat asked.

  “He was good to my baby, and Muffy liked him well enough. Besides, what do you really expect from a man you’re paying a touch above minimum wage?”

  Kat had to admit she had a point.

  Lady Fairchild set Muffin on the driveway. “Plus, I admit I felt bad for the boy. After all, he was stuck walking dogs for a living.”

  “Maybe he liked dogs.”

  Lady Fairchild crooked one eyebrow. “Darling, I like dogs, and you don’t see me walking them to earn a few extra bucks.”

  Muffin trotted over to the white cat. The cat eyed the dog as he approached, but she didn’t back away. Muffin’s tail started wagging harder, and he craned his neck to lick the cat’s face. The feline reached out and slapped him before his tongue could make contact. Muffin didn’t seem deterred. He simply barked and tried again.

  “Muffin, hush.” Lady Fairchild looked at him over her shoulder, and the corners of her mouth dipped down. “Where is your leash?”

  “The police took it as evidence,” Kat said.

  “Evidence?” Lady Fairchild’s frown deepened. “Why on earth would they do that?”

  Kat twisted her fingers in front of her, not wanting to go into the details of how the dog leash had been used. “I’m pretty sure it’s standard procedure for them to collect everything found at the crime scene.”

  “Well, it’s lucky I have a spare.” Lady Fairchild picked Muffin back up and gave him a kiss on top of his head. She took a step toward the front door. “Come inside, ladies. I’d like to compensate you for your trouble.”

  “It was no trouble,” Kat assured her.

  “Nonsense.” Lady Fairchild motioned for them to follow. “I’ll write out a check to 4F.”

  “Well, we could never turn down a generous offer like that,” Imogene said, hustling after her.

  The inside of Lady Fairchild’s house was as nice as the outside, if a bit cluttered. From the bookcases overflowing with paperbacks, end tables crammed to capacity with music CDs, and a collection of DVDs so large that some had to be stacked on the carpet next to the entertainment center, Kat wouldn’t be surprised if Lady Fairchild hadn’t thrown anything away in decades.

  Lady Fairchild deposited Muffin on the floor. He immediately started sniffing everything as if he’d been gone for a month instead of a couple hours.

  “Please excuse the mess,” Lady Fairchild said. “I review products in my spare time, and I get so much free stuff from people I don’t know what to do with it.”

  Imogene chuckled. “What a fabulous problem to have.”

  “Oh, indeed it is. If you see any movies or books you’d like, you just say the word and it’s yours.”

  Imogene waved her off. “That’s very generous of you, but it’s not necessary.”

  “Please, I owe you for reuniting me with my Muffy.” Lady Fairchild looked around, patting her hair. “Now where did I put my purse?”

  “Is that it?” Imogene pointed to the piano bench.

  “Yes.” Lady Fairchild rushed over and snatched it off of the bench. “I’m getting to be so scatterbrained in my old age. You wouldn’t believe the things I misplace. Jewelry, purses, even some of my collectibles. I’m still trying to locate that elephant figurine my mother gave me on my sixteenth birthday.”

  Imogene bobbed her head. “Oh, I know just what you mean. I’ve become rather forgetful myself.”

  Lady Fairchild squinted at her. “Darling, you have no idea. You’re still a youngster.”

  Imogene laughed. “I’m fifty-six.”

  “Well, nobody can tell the way you take care of yourself.”

  “It’s running around after all those animals. It keeps me young.”

  “I understand.” Lady Fairchild reached out to stroke the white cat, who had jumped onto the piano bench. “If it weren’t for Muffin and Angela, I’m sure I’d be completely senile by now.”

  Muffin bounded up to Kat and sniffed at her ankles. Kat was happy to see him looking so carefree now that he was back in a familiar environment.

  Lady Fairchild rummaged through her purse for a few seconds before extracting a checkbook. “Imogene, I must say, I really admire everything you do with 4F. It’s quite a spectacular organization that you’ve built.”

  Imogene beamed. “Why, thank you. It gives my life meaning.”

  “Without people like you, I would be really troubled about the state of the world nowadays.” Lady Fairchild paused from writing out the check and pursed her lips. “To think, somebody in our community could take another person’s life without a second thought.” She shook her head. “It’s things like this that make a person all too aware of their own mortality.”

  Kat shoved her hands into her pants pockets as a shiver worked its way through her body. She hoped when Andrew came over tonight he had good news to report.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “You have no idea how glad I am that today is over,” Andrew said, stepping inside Kat’s apartment.

  Kat shut the door. “Well, I, for one, am glad it’s no
t quite over.”

  Andrew grinned, and the sight of his dimples caused flutters to erupt in Kat’s stomach. He tilted his head down and pressed his lips against hers, distributing the flutters throughout the rest of her body. No matter how often he kissed her, he still managed to turn her knees to jelly each time.

  They broke apart, and Andrew held up the paper bag in his hand. “I brought Chinese, as promised.”

  “Great. I’m starving.”

  Tom, Kat’s black-and-brown cat, came running over, meowing the whole way.

  “Hey, buddy.” Andrew crouched down and set the bag on the floor, holding his arms out to the cat.

  Typically Tom greeted Andrew by rolling onto his back in search of belly rubs. But today he brushed right by him, heading straight for the front door. He sniffed at the doorframe, then stretched as high as he could, missing the doorknob by a few inches.

  Kat groaned. “He’s been trying to get outside ever since I came home.”

  Tom looked at her and let out a plaintive meow.

  Kat put her hands on her hips. “I told you already, I didn’t let Matty out. She escaped.”

  Tom sat down. The morose look on his face drenched Kat in guilt. He whined, and Kat swore he was berating her for not letting him join in on their fun this morning.

  Kat pictured the dog leash wrapped around Jeff’s throat and shuddered. If only Tom knew the truth about their adventure.

  Andrew reached over to pet the cat. “You’ll just have to settle for some good, old-fashioned indoor entertainment, Tommy boy.”

  Tom sniffed the door one last time before giving in and exposing his stomach.

  Kat perched on the couch while Andrew worked on spoiling Tom. She looked over at Matty sitting on the windowsill. Curiously enough, Matty hadn’t tried to bolt when Kat had let Andrew in. Judging by how she hadn’t stopped gazing out the window since Kat had returned home from Lady Fairchild’s, the tortoiseshell was itching to explore more of the neighborhood.

  “Okay, buddy, you’re making my legs cramp.” Andrew gave Tom one last tummy scratch before he stood up, walked over to the couch, and sat down next to Kat. “That animal never gets enough attention, does he?”