by Paige Sleuth
Andrew and Chief Kenny exchanged glances.
“I promise I won’t disturb anything,” Kat added.
“All righty,” Chief Kenny said. “But don’t get too close. Forensics guys will be here lickety-split, and I don’t need you compromising the crime scene.”
“Okay.” Kat started inching away.
She only made it a few steps before Chief Kenny said, “Stop right there. That’s close enough.”
She frowned. “But I can’t see anything from here.”
“Well, you’ll have to make do.” Chief Kenny yanked a flashlight from his belt and turned it on. “Here.” He aimed the light at the drop trap.
Kat was about to protest that she was still too far away when something in the woods reflected off of the flashlight beam.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“What’s what?” Chief Kenny said. “I don’t see nothing.”
“I saw it,” Imogene said. “Kenny, move your flashlight around.”
Chief Kenny did as he was told. This time, Kat saw two items reflecting the light. It took a second before she realized she was looking at the iridescent eyes of an animal. She squinted, trying to make out the animal’s features, but all she could see from here were his unblinking eyes.
“I think Mustang’s out there,” she said. “Either that or it’s another cat.”
“Oh. I guess you’re right.” Imogene sounded disappointed that they had only spotted the feral tom rather than a crucial piece of evidence that might lead to Lenora’s killer.
Reminded of why they were out here in the first place, Kat shifted her attention to Lenora’s body. She still couldn’t see the dead woman’s face, but she recognized the outfit Lenora had had on earlier. Some of her red hair appeared to be caught under the edge of the trap, as if the impact of her fall had triggered the collapse of the leg that held the contraption high enough off the ground for an animal to slip underneath. Unfortunately, nothing she saw gave her any ideas on who might have done this.
Something occurred to her. “Imogene’s not a suspect, is she?” she asked.
“What?” Imogene straightened in indignation. “Of course I’m not. What a ridiculous question.”
But the police contingent didn’t look nearly as certain. Andrew dragged his hand through his sandy hair, his eyes darting in Chief Kenny’s direction. The police chief flushed, from embarrassment or anger, Kat wasn’t sure which. She knew Chief Kenny and Imogene were fond of each other, and having Imogene be under suspicion of murder had to put him in an awkward position.
Imogene smacked the police chief’s arm. “Kenny! You know I’m not a killer.”
“Well, shoot, of course I know that.” Chief Kenny rubbed his bicep. “But the procedure in cases like this . . .” He trailed off with a helpless look in Andrew’s direction.
Andrew coughed. “Unfortunately, we’re required to treat you like a person of interest.”
Imogene huffed. “Well, I never. Just because I was arguing with her earlier?”
Chief Kenny’s head jerked up. “You had a squabble with the victim?”
Imogene tilted her chin up. “Of course I had a squabble with her. She said she wanted to haul Mustang to the pound. Why, it’s nothing short of a miracle that I wasn’t the one who killed her.”
Kat didn’t like the look that passed between Andrew and Chief Kenny. Clearly this was the first time they were hearing about that afternoon’s altercation.
Chief Kenny finally cleared his throat. “Well, you ask me, we’re gonna have our mitts full tracking down all the folks Lenora riled up ’round these parts. Lenora was about as popular here as a bee in a nudist colony. Coulda been any one of her neighbors saw a golden opportunity to stop her and her nuisance calls and took it.”
Kat looked at him. “Who did Lenora make a nuisance call about?” And, she thought, could someone have been so put out by such a complaint that they might see fit to kill the person who had phoned it in?
“A more apt question would be who didn’t she call about,” Chief Kenny replied. “Noise violations, parking disputes, dogs on her property, you name it, she bellyached about it.”
Kat mulled over that. If everyone had a problem with Lenora, how would they ever pinpoint who was guilty?
Chief Kenny set one hand on Imogene’s shoulder. “You know if she had any folks in the area? We’ll need to notify her next of kin.”
Imogene must have still been miffed about being labeled a person of interest because she wrenched her body away from his touch. But she did answer his question. “This afternoon was the first time I met her,” she said. “Ronnie said she’d only moved to the area a year ago. I can ask Ronnie if she knows of any family.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Chief Kenny said.
A scratching sound drew Kat’s attention to the house. The calico cat was pawing at another windowpane. Had she too spotted the feral in the woods? For all Kat knew he had been there for hours, tracking the comings and goings through Veronica’s backyard. Could he have seen what had happened to Lenora earlier? Maybe he was only sticking around now to make sure the woman who had wanted him hauled off to the pound really was gone for good.
Kat wrapped her arms around her body to ward off a sudden chill. Maybe, like at least one person out there, the feral tom was secretly basking in the fact that Lenora wasn’t in a position to ever cause him grief again.
CHAPTER THREE
“I feel just awful,” Veronica said as Kat and Imogene stood on her doorstep.
Imogene set one hand on Veronica’s elbow. “It’s a horrendous feeling, having violence strike so close to home.”
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about Lenora’s death.”
“You weren’t?”
Veronica shook her head. “Trust me, there wasn’t any love lost between Lenora and me. What I meant was, I feel awful about dragging you into all this. If I hadn’t asked you to help trap Mustang, you’d be at home relaxing right now.”
Imogene patted Veronica’s arm. “Nobody could have predicted this.”
“I guess not.” Veronica gestured toward the living room. “Why don’t you visit for a while? Maybe Kenny will have an update for us soon.”
“I’d love to.” Imogene turned hopeful eyes in Kat’s direction. “Join us, will you, Kat?”
“Sure.” Kat didn’t see any point in going home. No way would she be able to sleep after this.
Kat studied Veronica as she led them inside. Could Imogene’s friend have had something to do with Lenora’s death? It was obvious from their exchange this afternoon that the two women didn’t get along. Then again, apparently Lenora didn’t get along with many of her neighbors.
Veronica headed for a well-worn wingback chair near the fireplace. She picked up the gorgeous Himalayan cat nestled there before sitting in the chair herself.
Kat blinked as Veronica set the Himalayan in her lap. She had seen those chocolate markings and clear, blue eyes before. “Is that Clementine?” Clementine had been found abandoned and dehydrated a few weeks ago. Furry Friends Foster Families had been called out to rescue her, but as far as Kat knew she was still with one of 4F’s foster families while she awaited her forever home.
Imogene smacked her forehead. “Forgive me, Kat, but I’m getting forgetful in my old age. It completely slipped my mind to mention that Ronnie adopted Clem just this past week.”
“Once I saw her I knew I couldn’t let this one get away,” Veronica chimed in, stroking the feline’s long fur.
Kat smiled as Clementine closed her eyes and began purring. “Well, I’m happy for both of you. Clem certainly looks at home here.”
“She’s a treasure.” Veronica gestured around the room. “Please, why don’t you two have a seat.”
With a loveseat, two longer sofas, and several armchairs that looked to be nearing the end of their life, there were no shortage of seating options to choose from. Kat decided on the sofa closest to Veronica, and Imogene collapsed beside her with a heavy s
igh. Clearly the day’s events had left her physically and emotionally drained.
Imogene’s sigh roused the snowy white cat curled up on an armchair sporting a faded paisley pattern. The feline twisted his body around so he could get a better look at them. Kat noticed his eyes were as blue as Clementine’s. They were the type of eyes you could stare at for hours and still find mesmerizing.
“How long does Kenny expect to be out in my yard?” Veronica asked, rubbing Clementine’s ears.
“At least until the forensics people arrive.” Imogene grimaced. “Hopefully none of the evidence they find will point to me.”
Kat glanced toward the window, but the closed Venetian blinds masked whatever Andrew and Chief Kenny were up to outside. However, she did see several tufts of brown, gold, and white fur poking between the blind slats. Apparently the calico cat was still keeping watch over her domain.
“Why would the evidence point to you?” Veronica asked Imogene. “You had nothing to do with Lenora’s death.”
“Yes, well, Kenny seems to believe otherwise,” Imogene said.
Veronica scoffed. “Oh, go on. You’re pulling my leg.”
Imogene didn’t reply, but her morose expression said it all.
Veronica whistled. “Well, I’ll be. I thought Kenny had more sense than that.”
“He’s merely following procedure,” Kat said, as much for Imogene’s benefit as Veronica’s. “And since Imogene found the body he has to consider her to be a person of interest. But he knows she didn’t kill anyone.”
The calico cat stuck her head between the blinds. She stared at Kat and Imogene for several seconds before crawling through the slats and making her way across the room.
“Why, hello there,” Kat said, bending forward and offering the cat her hand for inspection.
The calico gave Kat’s fingers a sniff, then she turned her nose up and strutted away.
“Don’t take her rebuff personally,” Veronica said. “Callie has attitude.”
Imogene grinned. “Don’t most felines?”
“Yes, well, Callie has it in spades.”
As if she knew the humans were discussing her, Callie stopped walking and glared at them over her shoulder.
“Oh, my,” Imogene said. “Look at that haughty expression on her face. I guess we know who’s queen of the household.”
Veronica chuckled. “If you don’t believe it, just ask her.”
Callie clearly didn’t appreciate being the source of the humans’ amusement. With a flick of her tail, she resumed her retreat, disappearing down the hallway.
Imogene laughed, and Kat was glad to see her friend’s dark mood lifting somewhat.
“She thinks she’s so superior,” Veronica said with a smirk. Then the corners of her mouth dipped down. “Just like Lenora did.”
Imogene slumped against the back of the sofa. The mention of Lenora had snuffed out the twinkle in her eye. “And arrogance outside the feline species typically isn’t as well received.”
Veronica brushed Clementine’s coat with her fingers. “You’re right about that. Truth be told, it’s people like Lenora who make me prefer the company of cats to humans.”
The white cat lifted his head from the paisley chair and let out a trill as though to commend his human for her choice of favorite species.
“Before I forget, I have to ask you if Lenora has any family around here,” Imogene said. “Kenny needs to find a next of kin to notify of her death.”
“Hmm.” Veronica looked pensive as she stroked Clementine. “I’m not sure about family. She was widowed, I know that. She moved out here after her husband died.”
“What made her choose Cherry Hills?” Kat asked.
Veronica lifted one shoulder. “Your guess is as good as mine. We didn’t chitchat much, but as far as I know she doesn’t have any family in the area.”
“She didn’t have children?” Imogene asked.
“She never mentioned any, although she did say something about a stepson a couple times. The way Lenora talked though, I don’t think they were close.” Veronica tapped her lip with one finger. “Come to think of it, she did refer to a sister once. I never caught her name, but if I recall correctly she lives on the East Coast somewhere.”
The doorbell rang. Veronica looked grim as she picked up Clementine and rose from her chair.
“I bet that’s the police,” she said, carrying Clementine over to the door.
But it wasn’t Andrew and Chief Kenny standing outside but an older couple. Tall and lanky with a handful of wispy gray strands swirling around a mostly bald pate, the seventy-something man reminded Kat of a mad scientist. She had no trouble picturing him holed up inside a laboratory, a test tube in one hand and a Bunsen burner in the other.
The woman, on the other hand, looked like the outdoorsy type. Slim, fit, and a good decade younger than her companion, she sported the type of tan that suggested she spent many hours in the sun.
The man breezed inside without waiting for an invitation.
“She’s dead!” he announced, pumping his fist in the air. “Let’s celebrate!”
CHAPTER FOUR
Nobody moved, the man’s gleeful announcement leaving Kat, Imogene, and Veronica stunned speechless.
“Why the long faces, everyone?” He threw his hands toward the ceiling. “Praise the Lord, the nag is dead!”
Clementine reared back in Veronica’s arms, her blue eyes wide with alarm. She must have decided it would be better to put some distance between her and this bizarre man because she scrambled out of Veronica’s hold. Once her feet touched the floor she scampered down the hallway.
The man’s female companion hurried into the living room and tugged on his arm. “Melburn!”
“What?” He glided away from her. If anything, the smile on his face only seemed to have grown since he’d first stepped inside. “I’m not going to pretend I liked that intolerable shrew. You ask me, she deserved what she got.”
“Mellie!” the woman scolded again, more loudly this time. Her cheeks turned crimson as her eyes met Kat’s.
“It’s okay,” Veronica said, closing the door and reclaiming her seat on the wingback chair. “It’s no secret that none of us were fond of Lenora.”
Melburn looked between Imogene and Kat. “Did y’all know Lenora too?”
“Not well,” Imogene said as Kat shook her head.
“Imogene, Kat, this is the couple who lives directly west of Lenora, Melburn and Audrey Duncan,” Veronica said. To the Duncans, she added, “Imogene is a friend of mine. She’s helping me to get Mustang fixed.”
Melburn stabbed one forefinger in Imogene’s direction. “You’re the woman who killed her!”
Imogene tensed. “I most certainly am not.”
“Audrey said she heard you two arguing when she was tending to her flowers earlier,” Melburn went on. “Except she called you the cat trapper.” He lurched across the room and grabbed Imogene’s right hand, pumping it between his own. “I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance. And my sincere thanks for offing that infuriating woman.”
Imogene yanked her hand from Melburn’s. “I didn’t off anybody!”
The white cat turned cool, blue eyes toward Melburn as his tail began thumping against the paisley chair. Although the feline seemed to dislike Melburn’s loud tone, he didn’t appear to be distressed by the man’s presence. Kat wondered if Melburn visited often. Perhaps the white cat was used to his boisterous nature.
“Don’t be ashamed,” Melburn said to Imogene as he plopped onto the loveseat. “Why, you should be proud of yourself! You had the guts to do what all of us wanted to at one time or another.”
Veronica rolled her eyes. “Melburn, Imogene didn’t kill Lenora.”
“Oh, right.” He winked. “Can’t have the police knowing the truth, can we? Well, I’m just happy that miserable termite finally got what was coming to her. Believe me, I thought about sending her off to take a dirt nap myself a few times.”
Audrey reached over and pinched his arm. “Mellie!”
Melburn made a face. “You’re one to talk. You hated her as much as the next person, even if you’re too polite to say so. Don’t deny it.”
Audrey ignored Melburn, shifting her attention to Veronica as she sat down next to her husband. “I suppose there’ll be a funeral.”
Melburn snorted. “A funeral? For that wretched woman? We should throw a party!”
Before Audrey could pinch him again, he vaulted off the loveseat and plucked the white cat off of the chair. The feline’s eyes expanded to the size of watermelons as Melburn started dancing him around the living room. He released a desperate meow, then turned pleading eyes toward the other humans.
Audrey popped off the s0fa, her hands landing on her hips. “Mellie! You stop this crazy behavior right now! If you’re not careful, everybody is going to think you’re the one who killed Lenora.”
“Let them think what they want,” Melburn said, waltzing past her. “Imogene here is going to need someone else for the police to focus on anyway. Can’t have her going to jail for making this neighborhood a nicer place to live.”
Kat realized her mouth was hanging open and snapped it shut. Watching Melburn twirl around with Veronica’s cat as his hostage, she had to question whether the man was all there.
Audrey sank back onto the loveseat, shriveling against the side as though she hoped it would swallow her whole. Kat felt for her. She would be horribly embarrassed if it were Andrew making such a spectacle of himself. Melburn was bound to shoot straight to the top of the police’s suspect list if he acted like this in front of them.
Although, Kat considered, would he have thanked Imogene for her supposed role in the murder if he himself were guilty? She supposed his show of gratitude could have been an act to deflect suspicion away from himself. Then again, Melburn’s grasp on reality seemed tenuous at best. Maybe he had killed Lenora during a delusional moment and had promptly forgotten the incident.
“You’ll have to excuse him,” Audrey said, looking between Imogene and Kat. “It’s just that Lenora has been a thorn in his side since she bought that house last year.”
