Independence Day in Cherry Hills by Paige Sleuth

Author:Paige Sleuth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cat cozy mystery, murder mystery series, humorous whodunit, animal detective, clean indie read
Publisher: Marla Bradeen
Published: 2018-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kat was still dwelling over a potential affair between Clarissa LaPierre and Floyd when she left Jessie’s Diner. Although Mitch could have made up that story to deflect suspicion off of himself, the more she thought about it the more sense it made. Floyd had seemed awfully comfortable on the LaPierres’ porch.

And if Clarissa had wanted a way out of her marriage, she might very well have considered murder to be her only option. She couldn’t have expected to fare well in a divorce against the Clean ’Em Out King, not if she believed everything she’d told Andrew about Jay’s shady practices. A sudden death—even one administered by gunshot—was bound to be less messy.

All these thoughts were swirling through Kat’s head as she drove away from the restaurant. She didn’t even realize she had turned down Clarissa LaPierre’s street until she was almost at her house.

She slowed the car, surveying the homes she passed. She wondered which one was Floyd’s—assuming he really was a neighbor. For all Kat knew, that could have been a story the couple had made up to explain the frequency of his visits.

She didn’t spot Floyd, but she did spy Clarissa as she neared the LaPierre residence. Clarissa was sitting in the same Adirondack chair Floyd had occupied on Friday night. With a glass of lemonade in one hand and a brownish tabby cat on her lap, she looked as relaxed as a woman on vacation. She certainly wasn’t the stereotypical picture of a grieving widow.

Before she could think about what she was doing, Kat turned into the driveway, got out of her car, and started across the stone pathway leading to the porch. At the sight of her, the tabby lifted his head and began thumping his tail against the side of the chair. Clarissa, on the other hand, stayed as still as a statue. If it weren’t for her eyes following Kat’s approach, Kat would be left to wonder if she’d even noticed her.

Kat climbed the porch steps but didn’t go any farther. “Hello again,” she said, offering Clarissa a smile.

“Hello.”

Clarissa’s voice was flat, but Kat was just happy she wasn’t kicking her off the property.

“I was wondering if I could talk to you about a few things,” Kat said.

Clarissa lifted one shoulder as if it didn’t make any difference to her. With his ears rotated in her direction and his eyes wide with curiosity, the tabby seemed more interested in what Kat wanted than his human.

Kat pressed on anyway. “I’d like to ask—”

“What was your name again?” Clarissa interrupted. “I apologize, but I don’t believe I caught it on Friday, what with everything else going on.”

“I understand. And my name is Kat.”

Clarissa ran one hand down the tabby’s back. “Like the animal?”

“Spelled with a k, but yes. Speaking of which, I don’t remember seeing him on Friday.” Kat nodded at the tabby.

Clarissa set her lemonade on the porch floor and slid the cat off of her lap before standing up. “That’s because he was inside the house.

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