Choked in Cherry Hills

by Paige Sleuth

  “Where was she?”

  “In her room.”

  “Her room?”

  “She and Sykes booked a room for the night. She claims they planned to have a few drinks and wouldn’t be in any condition to drive after the event was over.”

  “Huh.” Kat wondered when Marta had retreated to the solitude of her hotel room. Right after she had killed her husband?

  Andrew ran his hand through his sandy blond hair, looking as weary as Kat felt. “Anyway, I came to tell you we’re done collecting evidence. You and the others are free to start cleaning up.”

  “Okay.” Kat wasn’t looking forward to the work ahead of them, but it wasn’t as if they could leave these poor cats here until tomorrow.

  As though he knew he was on her mind, Sundae pressed his nose against the front of his cage. Kat held her hand out to him. The cats had grown increasingly agitated after the police’s arrival. Animals could be sensitive to mood changes, and she suspected they had picked up on the humans’ confusion.

  Andrew gave Kat’s shoulder a squeeze. “Get some rest, okay? I’ll catch up with you when I get a chance.”

  “Let me know if there are any case breakthroughs,” Kat said. “I mean, any you can share.”

  “I will.”

  Andrew left. Imogene, who had been standing across the room exchanging goodbyes with Chief Kenny, headed toward her.

  “I’m so glad that’s over with,” Imogene said, slumping against the wall.

  “Me, too,” Kat replied, although she didn’t think this would really be over until John’s killer was caught.

  Imogene eyed the auction items. “We’ll have to do something about these prizes.”

  “I guess we could go through the bids before we leave,” Kat said, unable to muster up much enthusiasm.

  “There’s no point now that all the bidders have already departed. We’ll have to get ahold of the winners some other time.” Imogene drummed her fingers against the side of her leg. “Why don’t you and Willow come by my house bright and early tomorrow, after we’ve all gotten some shut-eye? We can figure out who won then.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Kenny wants me to make up a list of everybody who was here tonight, too, in case some of them left before his team arrived.”

  “I don’t know if I can help much with that,” Kat said. “Most of the people here didn’t look to be from Cherry Hills.”

  “I told Kenny the same thing, but he insisted.” Imogene rolled her eyes. “He said he wants descriptions if we didn’t catch everybody’s names.”

  Although Kat understood the police chief’s desire to obtain a comprehensive guest list, she failed to see how descriptions of the attendees would be of any use to him and Andrew. Did he think they might note such handy observations as ‘looked a bit psycho’ or ‘quite possibly a cold-blooded killer’?

  “Well, I suppose we should get moving.” Imogene surveyed the room. “You want to handle the snack table? I’ll get Willow to help me bring the auction boxes out to my car.”

  “Okay.”

  Imogene drew her hair back into a ponytail and wound an elastic around it as she walked away, morphing into the casual Imogene Little that Kat was used to seeing. Itching to get comfortable herself, Kat kicked off her heels before padding over to what had once been the refreshments table but now resembled a minor landfill. There wasn’t a single crumb of food left, just used paper plates and soda cans amid bunched-up napkins that had been tossed aside. Given that the police questioning had forced everyone to stay longer than expected, it didn’t surprise her that the guests had devoured everything in sight.

  It didn’t take long for Kat to dump everything into a garbage bag. She then focused on removing the food and water dishes from the cat cages to prepare the animals for transport back to their foster homes. By the time Imogene and Willow had finished clearing out the auction items and joined her by the cat corner, everything was ready to go.

  “Do you think their foster parents are even awake?” Kat asked.

  “The Belleroses assured me they would wait up for Sundae,” Imogene told her. “They were here tonight and didn’t leave too long ago themselves.”

  Willow stroked the Burmese cats through the bars of their cage. “What about their family?”

  “They’re probably sleeping, which is what I’d like to be doing.” Imogene sighed. “I’ll keep them in Clover’s bedroom until tomorrow, when the hour is decent. Clover won’t be happy, but he’ll just have to deal with it.”

  Kat grinned. “Clover has his own bedroom?”

  Imogene groaned, but she couldn’t hide the twinkle in her eyes. “He insisted on commandeering the guest room. I gather I toss and turn too much for his liking, so he feels he deserves his own bed. And he seems to get a kick out of seeing his white fur smeared all over that black comforter.”

  Willow laughed. “You let that cat rule the house.”

  Imogene sniffed. “Well, you can’t deny he’s home more than I am.”

  “No, I guess you can’t,” Kat agreed.

  Imogene clapped her hands together. “All right, enough chitchat. I’m ready to hit the hay. Willow, carry that cage out to my car, will you? I’ll take Sundae’s.”

  Willow picked up the Burmese cats’ cage. “Don’t forget your coat, Kat.”

  “Or your shoes,” Imogene chimed in.

  “Right.”

  Kat stepped back into her pumps, waving as Willow and Imogene headed toward the hotel lobby. Kat veered in the opposite direction, proceeding down the corridor that led to the coatroom. She studiously avoided looking at the bathrooms on the other side of the hallway, not wanting to be reminded of the gruesome scene she’d discovered there earlier.

  She had expected her coat to be the only one left, but a black trench coat was hanging on the rack beside hers. She slipped it off of the hanger, trying to remember if she’d seen anyone wearing it earlier. Her mind drew a blank, but she was so exhausted and so much had happened in the past few hours that it felt as though days had gone by since the start of the evening.

  She checked the pockets for any identifying information. She found a receipt in one of the inside pockets. Apparently the coat’s owner had purchased a silver necklace recently, and it hadn’t been a cheap one. Kat blinked in case her tired eyes were deluding her into believing there were more digits in front of her than what was actually printed on the scrap of paper. The figure didn’t change.

  Unfortunately, the receipt didn’t tell her who the coat belonged to.

  She was about to take it to the hotel’s lost and found when she spotted a tiny tag sewn into the inside hem.

  Property of John Sykes.

  Her stomach clenched, the sight of John’s name bringing his fate back to the forefront of her mind. The police must not have taken his coat when they’d processed the scene. It probably hadn’t even occurred to them to look for it.

  Kat debated over what to do. She could bring the coat home with her and give it to Andrew tomorrow. But was it considered evidence? John hadn’t been wearing it when he’d been murdered.

  No, Kat decided, the right thing to do would be to turn the coat over to John’s wife.

  Shoving the receipt back into the pocket, she grabbed her own coat and headed for the lobby. The desk clerk smiled at her as she approached.

  “May I help you?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Kat set the trench coat on the counter. “I need to get this to Marta Sykes.”

  The clerk grimaced. “Terrible shame about her husband.”

  “Yes.”

  “Unfortunately, I can’t give out her room number. But I can connect you to her suite, if you’d like to telephone her.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” Kat pushed the coat toward his side of the counter. “Could you just bring this up to her when you get a chance?”

  The clerk took hold of the coat. “Certainly. I’ll have someone do that first thing tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank
you.”

  With the coat slated to be reunited with its rightful owner, Kat was finally free to leave. She rolled her shoulders as she headed for the exit. The exercise helped to loosen the knots in her back, but it did nothing for the one in her stomach. Kat knew that knot would only grow bigger until John Sykes’s killer was in police custody.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Kat was exhausted when she finally made it back to her apartment. She took off her shoes, changed into her pajamas, and crawled right into bed with Matty and Tom. Normally she could count on Tom at least to greet her at the door, but she had evidently returned home too late even for him. But the cats did snuggle up to her once she got situated under the covers, earning themselves a few tired pats.

  They didn’t stay long. Despite how she could barely keep her eyes open, Kat couldn’t fall sleep. Every few seconds she tried another position, much to the animals’ dismay. Matty only put up with several minutes of Kat’s restlessness before stalking off. Tom didn’t leave, but he did give up on trying to get comfortable alongside Kat’s leg. He eventually relocated to the bottom of the mattress, making sure Kat was aware of his sacrifice by letting out a discontented grunt.

  When it finally came, sleep brought Kat no relief. She was plagued by nightmares involving John’s splayed feet, women with voices made of radio static, and an evil-looking scarf that could tie itself into knots. She woke up drenched in sweat.

  Kat gulped down air as she flicked on the light. Tom lifted his head, squinting at the sudden brightness.

  “Sorry, Tom.” Kat reached over and dragged him closer. “I’m not very good company right now, am I?”

  But Tom seemed to have forgiven her. He closed his eyes and started purring as he nestled against Kat’s side.

  Kat checked the alarm clock, surprised to note she’d managed to sleep for four solid hours. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel rested at all. If anything, she felt even more exhausted now than she had the night before.

  She stroked Tom’s head, her eyes lingering on the clock’s radio dial. Would Eli be hosting his and John’s talk show by himself this time Monday morning? He had been unabashedly excited about the prospect of operating solo when she’d talked to him.

  Her thoughts turned to John’s widow. Marta Sykes hadn’t looked as though she were enjoying herself the night before. Kat couldn’t blame her, what with all the other women hanging around her husband. But did Marta resent John for attracting so much attention, or did she accept his popularity as part of his job?

  Whatever the answer, Kat found it hard to picture Marta strangling anyone, let alone a man. She had no muscle tone and looked as if she hadn’t eaten a substantial meal in days.

  Kat flexed her fingers, remembering Eli’s strong grip when they’d shaken hands. Eli, on the other hand, was more than physically capable of choking someone.

  Tom interrupted her thoughts with a head bump and a meow.

  Kat rubbed him between the ears. “Are you as troubled by this murder as I am?” she asked.

  Tom closed his eyes and purred louder.

  Kat smirked. “I guess not.”

  Her cell phone rang. Doing her best not to disturb Tom, she stretched toward the nightstand and scooped it up. An unknown number flashed on the screen.

  “Hello?” she answered.

  “Hi, Kat? This is Sally. I’m not sure if you remember me, but we met last night.”

  “Sally?”

  “We chatted by the cats. You told me to call if I decided to take one.”

  “Oh, right.” Kat had a vague memory of the tall blonde, but after everything that had happened since they’d spoken she was having a hard time recalling their conversation.

  “I don’t remember his name, but the one I looked at had a coat with these brown and orange stripes in it. And he has these really pretty black markings around his mouth and eyes.”

  “That would be Sundae,” Kat said.

  “Oh, good. You know which cat I’m talking about then.”

  “Yes, and he hasn’t been adopted yet.”

  “Could you drop him off at the Cherry Hills Hotel? My sister and I are there until this afternoon. Then we head back to Kennewick.”

  Kat sat up a little straighter, prompting Tom to stretch out across her legs in an attempt to pin her down. “Well, there are some forms to fill out. And I’ll want to talk to you a little, to make sure you’d be a good match.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize it was so complicated.”

  “It’s not, really. I’ll tell you what, let me check with the foster family caring for him to make sure they’re home. If I can pick up Sundae before the hotel’s check-out time, I’ll bring him by and we can discuss all the details then.”

  “Okay. You can call me at this number when you know.”

  “I’ll get back to you soon, Sally,” Kat promised.

  As soon as she set her phone down, Matty hopped onto the mattress. The expression on the tortoiseshell’s face made it clear she wasn’t happy about her human taking calls before breakfast had been served.

  Kat bent forward to ruffle the hungry feline’s fur. “You and Tom are next on my agenda.”

  Matty communicated her approval by licking Kat’s fingers.

  Kat’s spirits were light when she headed for the kitchen, Matty and Tom weaving between her ankles. She hoped Sundae’s adoption went through. He had too much personality not to have a home of his own.

  She popped open a can of whitefish and began dishing the contents out into two plastic bowls. She would have to remember to grab a spare cat carrier from Imogene’s in case Sally needed it for the car ride home. Lucky for Sundae, Sally hadn’t already left town last night.

  The spoon stilled in Kat’s hand. Why hadn’t Sally left town last night? Now that she thought about it, Kat didn’t recall seeing her after the police had arrived. Assuming she left around the time John had died, she could have gotten back to Kennewick at a decent hour, but instead she’d booked a hotel room.

  Unless Sally’s sister was the reason she had stayed overnight, Kat considered. Sally had made it clear she was only at the auction because of Zoe. She hadn’t seemed too interested in John herself, but was that because she wasn’t the type to fawn over celebrities, or did she actively dislike him?

  Matty jumped on the counter to see what the holdup was. When she spotted the unmoving spoon, she nudged Kat’s hand with her nose.

  “Sorry,” Kat said, scrambling into action. She finished dishing out the food and set the bowls on the floor. Matty flew off the counter and sprinted toward her half as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks.

  Kat’s mind drifted back to Sally. She might not know what the blonde thought of John Sykes, but Sally’s interest in Sundae gave her the perfect opportunity to find out.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “Thank you both for coming over this morning,” Imogene said, looking across her desk at Willow first, then Kat. “I know we weren’t planning to hold another 4F board meeting until Tuesday, but after last night’s disaster of an auction we have some loose ends to wrap up.”

  “Do the police know who killed John Sykes yet?” Willow asked. She glanced between Imogene and Kat as if one of them must have the inside scoop because of their connections to Chief Kenny and Andrew.

  Kat shrugged. “Andrew hasn’t said anything.”

  “Neither has Kenny,” Imogene chimed in. “And trust me, I’ve been calling him all morning for updates. The sooner we get this awful tragedy wrapped up the better. Poor Marta.”

  “Not to mention the stain this puts on 4F’s reputation,” Willow added.

  Clover, Imogene’s big white cat, sauntered into the room. He eyed Kat sitting in his armchair, then jumped into her lap. Kat petted him, and the contented feline settled down to groom himself.

  “Since our festivities were cut short, we never got around to determining who won the items up for auction,” Imogene continued. “But I couldn’t sleep last night, so I went through the bids and compiled a list of the wi
nners. Now we just need to collect their money and get their prizes to them.”

  “How many are local?” Willow asked.

  “The majority, thank goodness. Most of the out-of-town guests limited their bids to the night with John Sykes. His bidding box was plumb full.”

  The reminder that many people were grieving today cast a pall over the room. Kat was grateful for Clover’s presence in her lap. His warmth helped to offset the chill in her bones.

  “What are we going to do about that particular prize?” Willow asked. “John’s no longer around to fulfill it.”

  Imogene leaned back in her chair. “I’m considering approaching Eli Giovanni about taking John’s place. Lady Fairchild submitted the highest bid. She’s such a big supporter of our organization I know she won’t mind the change in plans, given the circumstances. And with John’s unfortunate passing, I gather Eli will take over his role at the station. With any luck he’ll be amenable to taking John’s place for us, too.”

  “Why don’t I ask him after we finish here?” Kat offered. “I’m heading over to the Cherry Hills Hotel anyway to meet with a woman who might adopt Sundae. I might as well track down Eli while I’m there.”

  Imogene beamed. “That would be splendid. This is the type of request best made in person.”

  Kat had another motive for wanting to see Eli Giovanni in the flesh. Imogene’s remarks about him being next in line to fill John’s shoes had reminded her that when it came to the murder, Eli had motive, means, and opportunity. Chatting with him again would help her to determine exactly how desperate he was to move up the radio-station ranks.

  “As for notifying the auction winners,” Imogene said, “between the three of us it won’t take long to meet with everybody. While we’re dropping off prizes we can also apologize for how the event turned out.”

  Willow pointed at the notepad on Imogene’s desk. “Is that the list of winners?”

  “Yes.” Imogene handed her the pad. “To appease Kenny and his demands for a guest list, I noted all the bidders’ names, even if they didn’t win anything. I figure we can use that as a start.”