Drowned in Cherry Hills: A Cat Cozy Murder Mystery Whodunit: Cozy Cat Caper Mystery, #16

By Paige Sleuth

When the dead man's float isn't for survival . . .

 

Kat Harper's morning workout takes a sinister turn when she discovers the lifeless body of Ellie Higgins in the gym pool. All evidence points to murder, and the amateur detective soon finds herself submerged in another homicide investigation.

 

With her exercise plans derailed, Kat heads to the victim's house to take Ellie's newly orphaned Maine Coon cat into protective custody. But she receives her second surprise of the day when she inadvertently interrupts a burglary in progress. Is the break-in related to Ellie's murder, or did an opportunistic thief merely decide to take advantage of the late homeowner's permanent absence? Kat's not sure, but she's determined to find out.

 

She had better be careful though. When the killer realizes Kat is getting close to uncovering the truth, the small-town sleuth's New Year's resolution to get into shape may turn into a death sentence. And, unfortunately for Kat, this is one time when her cats won't be around to save her.

 

All of the Cozy Cat Caper Mystery books can be enjoyed as standalones but will be better appreciated as part of the series. The books are light, fun cozy mysteries featuring an animal-loving female amateur sleuth, lovable and not-so-lovable quirky characters, and a page-turning mystery that needs solving. None of the books include cliffhangers, bad language, or graphic scenes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marla Bradeen
• Release date: Jun 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386310945

Paige Sleuth

Paige Sleuth is a pseudonym for mystery author Marla Bradeen. She plots murder during the day and fights for mattress space with her two rescue cats at night. When not attending to her cats' demands, she writes. Find her at: http://www.marlabradeen.com/

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Katherine Harper pulled into the parking lot of Brawn New You, the gym her boyfriend Andrew Milhone had persuaded her to join last month as a late New Year’s resolution. She had missed her normal aerobics class, thanks to her cat Matty’s decision to aim for Kat’s gym bag when throwing up her most recent hairball. Kat had spent a good twenty minutes emptying out the bag and scrubbing it clean before tossing everything into a canvas tote and heading out.

She didn’t know what time it was, but her growling stomach suggested it might be close to noon. She couldn’t be sure without checking a clock. Her appetite never failed to flare when she thought about the series of squats, steps, and kicks that made up a typical aerobics class. It was as though her body was already gearing up to compensate for the expenditure of so many calories. It didn’t help that she had to inhale the aroma of fresh doughnuts during her trek from the car to the door. Kat was fairly certain the owner of the doughnut shop next door had set up his ventilation system so the kitchen exhaust pumped directly into the Brawn New You parking lot.

Judging by the cars in the lot, a decent number of people were exercising this morning. Even so, the number of gymgoers grew smaller with every passing day. Kat could tell by how it became increasingly easy to find a parking slot by the door. She’d read somewhere that it took six weeks for a new activity to become habit. In a few days it would be March, and she would probably have her pick of premium spots.

The possibility of her becoming Brawn New You’s next casualty lingered in the back of Kat’s mind as she entered the building, signed in at the front desk, and speed-walked down the empty corridor. Although she’d made it to the six-week mark, she still found herself thinking about quitting on an almost daily basis. If it weren’t for the promise of those post-workout doughnuts, she almost assuredly would have already turned in her membership card.

She was so lost in thought, she rammed right into someone as she turned the corner leading to the locker rooms.

Oomph, she grunted. She blinked a few times before focusing on the tall, leotard-clad brunette who looked equally stunned by their collision. Sorry, Diana. My mind was elsewhere. She had to raise her voice to be heard above the high-energy music the owner piped through the building to keep his clients motivated to move.

Diana rubbed her nose, which was what must have smacked into Kat’s forehead. It’s all right.

Kat examined Diana’s face as she shrugged out of her coat. Did I hurt you?

Nah. You mostly just gave me a shock.

Are you just getting here? Kat often saw Diana on Saturday mornings, but, like Kat, she didn’t seem to be locked into a strict schedule.

Leaving. She grinned. I’m on my way to get one of those doughnuts we’re addicted to.

Kat’s stomach grumbled just thinking about it.

Diana propped her shoulder against the wall and nodded at the door to the women’s locker room, which had a sign reading ‘Closed for Cleaning’ taped to it. I’m just waiting to get in so I can clean up before taking off.

Diana reached down to pick up an orange key that Kat recognized as belonging to one of the Brawn New You lockers. She must have dropped it when Kat had plowed into her. When Diana straightened back up, she tossed her towel over one shoulder.

The gesture reminded Kat of her own towel that she’d forgotten to pack after cleaning up Matty’s mess, and she groaned. Now she’d have to run home to get it. That would be one more delay before she could head over to the bakery for one of their to-die-for doughnuts oozing sweet strawberry jelly.

Diana cocked her head. What’s wrong?

I left my towel at home, Kat told her. Matty coughed up a hairball on my gym bag this morning, which is throwing off my routine.

Diana giggled, sounding much younger than her thirty-something years. Your Matty sounds like a trip.

Kat’s mouth curved up. She is.

I wish I could get a cat.

Why don’t you?

With my hectic schedule? Diana scoffed.

Well, Furry Friends Foster Families is always in need of foster parents. If you’re not ready to adopt permanently, the program is very rewarding with only a minimal commitment.

I’ve been meaning to look into that. Diana bit her lip. Ellie keeps telling me I should.

Is Ellie here today? Kat asked.

Diana bobbed her head. The gesture looked stiff, and some of the light in her eyes had dimmed. Kat knew the two were friends, but maybe they’d had a tiff. She didn’t know Diana well enough to ask.

Diana took a step back, her dark mood seeming to clear as quickly as it had appeared. I’m sure somebody here has a towel you can borrow, she said. Let’s go find one of the trainers. They must keep extras around.

Kat got the hint. Diana didn’t care to talk about Ellie.

They turned the corner, passing the mirrored rooms used for aerobics and other group classes. The closer they got to the large workout area filled with every exercise machine known to man, the louder the music became. Over the past six weeks, Kat had developed an almost Pavlovian reaction to dance music. It made her instantly crave doughnuts.

Diana let out a yelp before pitching forward. She managed to break her fall using her hands, but as soon as she sat up, the pinched look on her face gave away the