Choked in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  Choked in Cherry Hills

  A Cozy Cat Caper Mystery

  Book 13

  Paige Sleuth

  Copyright © 2017 Marla Bradeen (writing as Paige Sleuth)

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Marla Bradeen.

  This book or portions of it (excluding brief quotations) may not be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher/author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), actual businesses, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If this ebook copy was not purchased by or for you, please purchase your own copy before reading. Thank you for respecting this author’s work.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  DROPPED DEAD IN CHERRY HILLS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER ONE

  Something was coiled around Katherine Harper’s neck. She could feel it encircling her throat, cutting off her airway. Whoever was choking her had a hold on her head, keeping her immobilized and helpless. She wanted to scream, but that was impossible when she couldn’t draw air into her lungs. Terror spread through every cell in her body. She was only thirty-two, much too young to die.

  Kat’s eyes flew open in a panic, her heart racing in her chest. Gasping for breath, she reached up to fight off her assailant. Her fingers landed on something soft and warm, something that felt quite familiar.

  Tom flicked his tail in her face and adjusted positions. Kat let out a strangled laugh, her heart starting to return to its normal rate. The attack had been a dream, one perpetuated by a certain big cat’s insistence on sleeping on her pillow.

  Kat levered herself up on one elbow and turned on the bedside lamp. “I thought you were trying to kill me,” she scolded the brown-and-black feline.

  Tom pried one eye open. The expression on his face suggested he wasn’t above such a deed if he deemed it necessary.

  Kat ruffled his fur. “You can’t fool me with that tough-guy attitude. I know you’re a big softie at heart.”

  Tom shut his eye and relaxed. Pretty soon, the sound of his purring filled the room.

  Kat snuggled closer to Tom while she petted him, savoring this moment for as long as she could. January mornings could be cold in Cherry Hills, Washington, and she would like nothing more than to stay buried under the covers all day.

  Unfortunately, she had to start getting ready for work soon.

  Kat checked the bedside clock. On the off chance that Matty, her yellow-and-brown tortoiseshell, failed to rouse her for breakfast according to her usual strict schedule, the alarm was programmed to go off in half an hour. Kat moved the knob to the radio setting instead.

  “Let’s see what John Sykes has to say this morning, shall we?” she suggested to Tom as she adjusted the dial.

  She rarely listened to talk radio, but since John Sykes had volunteered to auction off an evening out in his company to benefit Furry Friends Foster Families, she figured she should tune in to the local radio personality’s show at least once.

  “. . . totally agree, Bob,” a melodious male voice boomed through the speakers when Kat found the proper frequency. “Fitness is a lifelong commitment. Speaking for myself, it can be a challenge to find the time, but this year I’m making a point to show up at the gym at least twice a week. What about you, listeners? Anyone want to join me in my pledge to better health?”

  Kat swung her legs out of bed, frowning when she noticed the stiffness in her calves. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been inside a gym.

  “For those of you just tuning in, we’re talking New Year’s resolutions. Have one? Hate ’em? Call in and let us know where you stand.”

  Tom turned his head toward the radio and meowed his two cents before leaning back to groom his tummy.

  “You’re not into resolutions either, huh?” Kat replied. She gave Tom’s ample stomach a scratch, feeling it yield beneath her fingers. “Or fitness,” she added.

  The man who Kat presumed was John Sykes came back on the radio. She listened while heading over to the closet to select an outfit for work.

  “Happy Friday to all of you just joining us. If this is your first time tuning in this week, I have some exciting news to share with you. Tonight I’ll be up north in Cherry Hills for a charity auction. You ever been to Cherry Hills, Eli?”

  “Once or twice,” a more nasal male voice chimed in. “Can’t say the town offered much in terms of entertainment.”

  “If it’s entertainment you want, today’s your lucky day. A wonderful little animal rescue there called Furry Friends Foster Families is hosting a silent auction tonight to earn some much-needed funds for those homeless puppies and kitties. And one of the auction items up for bid is a very special evening with yours truly.”

  “If somebody is desperate enough to fork over cold hard cash to spend time with you, they’re welcome to give me a call,” Eli quipped. “I’ll give ’em this seat right here.”

  John chuckled. “Now, Eli, we’re not letting you sleep in that easily.”

  Matty sauntered into the bedroom. The tortoiseshell stopped just past the threshold and glanced at the radio.

  “And here’s the expert at keeping people from sleeping in,” Kat said, greeting the feline with a head scratch. “Right on time to beg for breakfast, I see.”

  Matty let Kat pet her for a few seconds before leaping on top of the mattress. Her ears pricked when she caught sight of the clean slacks Kat had laid out.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Kat snatched her pants off the bed before Matty could shed all over them.

  “So, ladies,” John Sykes was saying, “now that you have the lowdown, I expect to see a bunch of you in Cherry Hills tonight.”

  “And remember, if the thought of spending a full evening with John fails to float your boat, there’s still plenty of reasons to join us tonight,” Eli said. “Lots of other auction items will be up for grabs—ones that are much more appealing than the threat of being stuck with my dud of a co-host for hours on end.”

  “That’s right,” John said, laughing. “And all the money is going to a good cause.”

  Kat smiled as she changed out of her pajamas. She was happy the radio hosts were putting in a good word for the silent auction. She, Imogene Little, and Willow Wu—the three Furry Friends Foster Families board members—had put a lot of work into tonight’s fundraiser, and they were banking on it being enough of a success to support the needs of their foster animals for the next few months.

  Kat buttoned her slacks and pulled a belt out of the closet. Deciding to have some fun before she put it on, she grabbed hold of the buckle and wiggled the other end at the cats.

  Matty’s pupils dilated, and she jabbed at the belt with one paw. Tom, on the other hand, didn’t want to have anything to do with the snake-like object. He scurried toward the far side of the bed and buried his head under the pillows.

  Kat laughed. “You’re seriously scared of a little belt? And you’re always the first one to attack my shoelaces.”

  Losing interest in the belt game, Matty trotted over to Tom and licked his neck. Tom flinched, but when he saw it was only Matty he started purring again.

  K
at’s insides warmed. “It must be nice to have a sibling who looks out for you,” she said, ignoring the ache she experienced sometimes when she was reminded that she had no brothers or sisters of her own.

  Before Kat could become too maudlin, the voices on the radio captured her attention again. The hosts were still discussing the 4F auction.

  “You looking forward to tonight, Eli?” John Sykes asked.

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Good. For all you listeners on the fence about driving a little ways to attend a charity auction, let me remind you that I’ll be there meeting and greeting everyone in person.”

  “You’re supposed to be encouraging our listeners to show up tonight, not driving them away,” Eli joked.

  “Well, in that case, I’ll offer everyone out there a guarantee. Show up this evening, and I promise I’ll make this one of the most memorable nights you’ll have this year.”

  Kat wouldn’t realize the truth of his statement for another twelve hours.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Although the Cherry Hills Hotel had donated use of their largest conference room for the silent auction, the space hardly seemed adequate now that the event was in full swing. The turnout tonight was definitely better than what the Furry Friends Foster Families board members had expected, and Kat could only assume John Sykes was responsible. The man must have more fans than she’d imagined possible for a radio host operating out of Southeastern Washington. She hoped the awesome attendance would translate to a profitable evening for 4F.

  Funny to think the room had seemed almost too big when they had been setting up, Kat thought. A few of 4F’s adoptable cats occupied one corner of the room, on display in case someone hunting for their next four-legged family member walked by. Although 4F currently had five cats in their care, only three were present tonight. The two absentees were both rather shy, and the board members had agreed that subjecting them to the stress of a crowded room wasn’t worth the added exposure.

  Tables had been pushed against the other three sides of the room. The one by the wall opposite the cats held various finger foods and beverages. The auction items were lined up along the other two walls. Submitting a bid was as simple as filling out a form and dropping it into the top of the bidding box in front of each item.

  As one of the hosts putting on tonight’s event, Kat knew she should be mingling, but she had made the mistake of wearing a pair of too-high heels that pinched her toes every time she took a step. Plus, she didn’t feel up to braving the mob. She satisfied herself with setting up camp near the cat corner, smiling at those who walked by while she talked nonsense to the animals to help put them at ease.

  She heard John Sykes before she saw him. Recognizing the voice from the radio, she turned away from the two Burmese cats she had been petting through the bars of their shared cage.

  She didn’t see him at first. He seemed to have been swallowed up by his female fans. Kat recognized several of the women from around town, but most she had never laid eyes on before.

  After a moment, a trio of girlfriends separated themselves from the crowd, leaving behind a big enough gap for Kat to get a glimpse of the man who had captured everyone’s attention. Even from half a room away, Kat could tell John Sykes was attractive. With his wavy brown hair, square jaw, and slim build, she figured he was around mid-forties. He wore a turquoise dress shirt sandwiched between black pants and a black scarf. The shirt might look tacky on another man, but it seemed to work on him.

  “You ladies are too much,” he said, an amused quirk to his lips as he bestowed smiles upon his adoring audience.

  A woman jumped up and down while waving her cell phone in the air. “John, can I get a selfie?”

  “Sure thing, darling.”

  Several of the women murmured similar requests, their purring loud enough to rival Tom’s when he was in the midst of receiving a particularly satisfying belly rub.

  John posed next to a beaming blonde, and Kat noticed he wasn’t very tall. Either that or she wasn’t the only one who had worn impractical heels tonight.

  “No pushing now,” John said with a chuckle. “I’m here all night, so I’ve got time for pictures with all of you lovely ladies.”

  Listening to him work the room, Kat could see why he had pursued a career in radio. His voice was smooth and commanding, and he spoke with a cadence that was almost hypnotizing.

  Imogene Little sidled up to Kat, a bright smile lighting up her face. “Charming, isn’t he?” she said, angling her head toward John.

  “He seems to be,” Kat agreed.

  Imogene’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at John. “I was delighted when he agreed to auction off a night on the town for our cause. He has to be the most dashing man in the whole Tri-Cities area.”

  Kat was tempted to point out there weren’t many celebrities in the Tri-Cities, but she held her tongue.

  Imogene had left her auburn hair down tonight. She twirled a lock around one finger, looking more like a smitten teenager than a woman four years shy of sixty. “Look at all the ladies out tonight. Why, I bet the females at this event outnumber the males twenty-to-one.”

  Kat scanned the room, tempted to put the ratio at closer to fifty-to-one. The only other men she spotted were standing together near the refreshments table.

  “Who are those guys over there?” Kat asked, aiming a finger across the room.

  Imogene stood on her tiptoes to raise herself up to a normal person’s height. “I don’t recognize the bald man, but the other one is Eli Giovanni.”

  “Eli? You mean John Sykes’s co-host?”

  “That’s the one,” Imogene confirmed.

  Kat studied the two men a little more closely. Eli’s conversational partner reminded her of a stage magician. He had grown out his black mustache long enough to curl it up at the ends, and he wore a red bow tie and cummerbund to go along with his black suit and white shirt. All that was missing was a top hat to mask his lack of hair and a white rabbit in his arms.

  Eli’s looks were more conventional, and Kat doubted he would have any issues landing a few modeling gigs if he so desired. With a full head of dark hair that still looked wet from a shower and a slim, muscular build outlined by his gray knit shirt, she was surprised more of the guests weren’t vying for his attention. She could easily picture him gracing the cover of a magazine.

  “I wonder why the women aren’t swooning over Eli,” she mused aloud. “He’s on the radio every morning just like John, isn’t he?”

  “Eli hasn’t been in the business very long,” Imogene replied. “People around here, they’ve been listening to John for years.”

  “I see.”

  “Although, you do make a good point. You would think as the bachelor of their little duo, their female fans would be more inclined to idolize Eli.”

  Kat’s eyebrows crept up her forehead. “John Sykes is married?”

  “Yup. In fact, that’s Marta Sykes over there.”

  Dressed in a simple black dress that matched her raven hair, Marta was standing off by herself, her attention fixed on a small plate in her hands. She was wafer thin, and she seemed to be picking at her food rather than eating it.

  Rich male laughter floated above the crowd, followed by a string of high-pitched giggles. Kat frowned. She couldn’t imagine John’s wife appreciated all the attention her husband was receiving, even if it was part of his job.

  Imogene looked around. “Where’s Andrew? I haven’t seen him yet.”

  “He’s working.” Kat’s heart sank a little at the reminder that her boyfriend hadn’t been able to get the night off. “You know how it goes with police and regular hours.”

  “Like oil and water, huh?”

  Kat smiled as she took note of the flush creeping up Imogene’s neck. She itched to ask about Imogene’s own relationship with one of Cherry Hills’ finest but didn’t want to put her friend on the spot. Still, she was pretty sure there might be something more than a platonic friendship between Imoge
ne and the local chief of police.

  Imogene clucked her tongue. “I ought to go see if John will hang out over here. If he were standing closer to these cats, I’d bet my last nickel all three of them would find homes tonight.”

  “Go work your magic then,” Kat said, shooing her friend away.

  Imogene patted her hair into place and disappeared into the crowd.

  Kat shifted her attention back to the felines. The cage on the left held the two Burmese brothers. With their thin, tan bodies, dark brown faces and legs, and yellow eyes, Kat could only tell them apart by their sizes and the way the larger brother insisted on subjecting all visitors to a sniff test before allowing them to touch his sibling. Anyone who failed inspection received a little nip on the hand, a gesture that delighted more people than it discouraged.

  Sundae was the other cat in attendance. A beautiful tabby with a coat of black, orange, brown, and white markings, he had been named for his coloring, which was similar to how a bowl of vanilla ice cream might look after someone poured hearty amounts of fudge and caramel sauce over it. He noticed Kat looking at him and stuck one of his paws through his cage.

  “You’ll find your forever home soon,” Kat told him, touching her finger to his tiny foot. “I just know it.”

  Sundae tipped his nose up and meowed, as if to say he was a cat and therefore inherently fabulous.

  “Any human who can’t see that is a fool,” Kat agreed.

  A thirty-something blonde with large brown eyes and striking cheekbones appeared by Kat’s side. “Mind if I join you?” she asked. “That crowd is stifling.”

  Kat coughed, hoping the blonde hadn’t overheard too much of her conversation with Sundae. “I’d love your company. I’m Kat.”

  “Sally.”

  “Are you from Cherry Hills?” Kat asked. Sally didn’t look familiar, and she wasn’t a woman someone was liable to forget. She had to be close to six feet tall, and she had piled her golden blond hair on top of her head in a way that added at least two more inches to her already impressive height. If she had opted to wear heels instead of flats, she would undoubtedly tower over everyone else in the room.