Murder in Cherry Hills (A Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Book 1) (6 page)

Kat drifted through her shift at Jessie’s Diner in a fog, her mind on the events of the past few days. During a lull in business, she’d stepped outside and phoned Greta Opheim, asking her to stop by her apartment at six o’clock under the guise of discussing the Furry Friends Foster Families benefit dinner. Kat’s fingers had been trembling when she’d disconnected the call.

Kat left Jessie’s after the evening waitstaff took over. She made it home by 5:20
p.m.
, her heart beating faster and faster as the clock ticked toward six
.
When the doorbell finally rang two minutes after the hour, Kat’s heart practically jumped out of her chest.

Kat approached the front door. She took a deep breath and rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans before reaching for the doorknob.

“Hi, Kat,” Greta greeted. “You wanted to talk about the 4F benefit?”

Kat forced herself to nod. “Come in.”

Greta stepped over the threshold, and Kat closed the door behind her.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” Kat said, sweeping her arm toward the living area.

“This is a nice place you’ve got here,” Greta commented, taking a seat on one sofa.

Kat moved farther into the living room. “Thanks.” Then, unable to maintain the charade, she turned toward Greta and blurted out, “I know you killed Mrs. Tinsdale.”

Greta’s face paled. “I—I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do,” Kat replied. “I know you inflated the charges on the vet invoices you submitted to 4F. Mrs. Tinsdale found out about it, and she threatened to expose you, didn’t she?”

Greta’s face was as white as a ghost’s now. Her tongue practically touched the floor as her mouth gaped open.

Kat walked over to the kitchen table and picked up the Cherry Hills Veterinary invoices she had raced home to study during her lunch break at Jessie’s. “These came from Mrs. Tinsdale’s apartment,” she said, waving the invoices in front of her. “She wrote some comments on the back.”

“Comments?” Greta squeaked.

Kat flipped the top page over and read the note that Mrs. Tinsdale had penned. “She linked this invoice to a dog named Muffy, who’s currently in foster care courtesy of 4F. She had a question as to why the bill includes charges for both the all-in-one parasite-prevention medicine and individual treatments against heartworm, roundworm, and the like.” Kat looked at Greta. “That seems rather strange to me, too. Wouldn’t a dog only need to be treated for the same parasite once?”

“In an ideal world, yes,” Greta said, crossing her legs. “But you have to understand that these medications aren’t foolproof. Combining the different options makes it that much more likely that the recipient animal stays healthy.”

Kat examined Greta. She had delivered the explanation in a strangely mechanical fashion, almost as if she had it memorized.

“If combining the treatments is so much more effective, why didn’t Dr. Harry suggest that Matty receive both medications when I took her into his office yesterday?” Kat challenged. “I would think he would have said something if what you’re saying is true.”

Greta ran one finger along the edge of the couch. “He probably assumed you were on a fixed budget, working at Jessie’s Diner and all. The specialized medicine is a lot more costly.”

Kat regarded her. “I don’t believe you.”

Greta lifted one shoulder. “It’s true.”

Kat set the invoices back on the kitchen table, freeing her hands to fish her cell phone out of her jeans pocket. “Then you won’t mind if I call up your husband to verify.”

“No!” Greta lunged, but Kat sidestepped her.

Kat stared at the blonde, surprised by her aggression. Greta’s mouth had the same taut set to it that Kat had seen at Jessie’s Diner on Tuesday. She had surmised then that she’d caught the Opheims in the middle of a marital disagreement, but perhaps Greta’s perturbed expression had really resulted from her agitation over murdering a woman earlier that very morning.

“The jig is up, Greta,” Kat said, slipping her phone back in her pocket. “I saw your torn earlobe, and Matty found your lost earring in Mrs. Tinsdale’s apartment. I’m guessing Mrs. Tinsdale ripped it off during your struggle in her bedroom.”

Kat waited a moment to give Greta a chance to reply, but continued when the other woman didn’t say anything.

“I also know the reason Matty went wild during her checkup was because she recognized you as Mrs. Tinsdale’s killer. I had falsely assumed that she was afraid of Dr. Harry, but
you
were the one holding down her cat carrier. She was terrified of you—naturally, as she witnessed you murdering her owner.”

Greta remained silent, but when Kat saw her hands compress into tight fists she knew she’d struck a nerve.

“It won’t do you any good to deny it,” Kat said. “I have all the invoices that Mrs. Tinsdale saved. And I have copies stored somewhere safe, so don’t even think of destroying the ones here.”

Greta’s jaw clenched and unclenched several times before her face drooped. “Fine,” she said, an edge to her voice. She threw her hands in the air. “Fine! You figured me out.”

Kat reached behind her, bracing herself against the kitchen table. “Why did you do it? Why were you overcharging 4F?”

“Because they deserved it,” Greta spat. “They were always taking advantage of Harry. Often he didn’t even want to invoice them for his services, if you can believe that. I told him he had to, that that was our money. Eventually I convinced him to let me act as his liaison with 4F.”

“But you belong to 4F yourself,” Kat said. “You must see the value in your husband’s donation of his time.”

“I only joined so I would have more control within the organization,” Greta said, her eyes flashing. “I thought I would have some influence over how they spent their money once I became part of the board, but that Hilda was such a control freak. She insisted she handle everything, and she never let anybody but Imogene near her books.”

Knowing what she knew about Greta now, Kat had to silently admit that that had been a wise decision on Mrs. Tinsdale’s part—if you ignored the fact that that good decision had ended up getting her killed.

Greta’s face reddened. “That little snot. I told Hilda what each line item was for when she came to me with all her questions, nitpicking over every little charge on those invoices I’d fudged. But what did she do? She sent Harry a letter, asking for further clarification.”

“How did Dr. Harry respond to that?” Kat asked.

“He never received her stupid letter. I intercepted it before he could read what she’d written.” Greta paused. “Then I came over here that morning, planning to tell Hilda that if she didn’t like the way Harry ran his practice she could take 4F’s business elsewhere. That would have made both of us happy. Then Harry would have more time to see paying clients, and Hilda could go take advantage of the other local vets’ charity.”

“But she wouldn’t let the issue go,” Kat surmised. “She said if you were cheating people by fabricating charges, she had an obligation to report you.”

“You should have heard her spiel.” Greta snorted. “Like she was this high and mighty princess out to right everything wrong with the world.”

Kat nodded. “It’s enough to make anybody sane want to commit murder.”

Greta’s eyes narrowed as she shot Kat a nasty look. Then her shoulders sagged, the fight seeming to drain from her body. “Hilda surprised me when she fought back.”

Kat tilted her head. “What exactly happened on Tuesday?”

“When I showed up that morning at Harry’s practice, I saw Hilda’s letter. Sherry had left it in his inbox, as she does with all the mail. I called Hilda right away and asked if I could come over to discuss it.”

Kat remembered Andrew saying that Dr. Harry’s number had been the last one listed in Mrs. Tinsdale’s call history. Greta must have phoned using her husband’s office line.

Greta’s eyes glazed over. She seemed to be getting lost in her memory of that morning. “Hilda agreed to meet me, and when I arrived she led me into her bedroom where she had the invoices I’d given her last week.”

Kat found herself holding her breath. She had to consciously inhale so she could focus on Greta’s story without becoming dizzy.

“She started going on and on about her concerns that 4F was being overcharged. She used this haughty, pedantic tone, as if she were explaining something to a dimwitted child.” Greta scoffed. “I tried to reason with her, but she wasn’t buying it. Then I told her if she didn’t agree with the charges, 4F could just stop using Cherry Hills Veterinary altogether.”

The room fell silent as Greta stopped talking. She looked down at her hands, wringing them together.

“But that wasn’t enough for her,” Greta finally said, her voice much softer now. “She said that billing for services not rendered was immoral, illegal. She said she had an obligation to report fraud to the Better Business Bureau. I knew if I didn’t keep her from talking, she would destroy Harry’s reputation.”

Kat swallowed. “So you attacked her.”

Greta nodded slowly. “Hilda started grabbing at everything in reach—first the bedspread, then the lamp—as she tried to get away. She made it into the bathroom, but there was nowhere left for her to go from there.”

A sickness developed in the pit of Kat’s stomach. She tried not to visualize the scene she’d stumbled across two days ago, but warding off the memory was impossible.

Greta took a deep breath. “At some point she hit her head on the toilet. Hard. I knew it was over then. So I gathered up the invoices that Hilda had pulled out to show me, planning to shred them at home.” Her gaze moved to the kitchen table. “I didn’t realize she had more stashed somewhere, but I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to give it much thought. I just wanted to get out of there.”

Kat would be eternally grateful that Greta hadn’t gone in search of Mrs. Tinsdale’s archived invoices. The inflated charges and Mrs. Tinsdale’s notes not only helped to prove that Cherry Hills Veterinary had defrauded 4F, but established a motive for Greta to kill her fellow volunteer. Without the annotated invoices, Greta might have gotten away with her crimes.

A loud thump on the other side of Kat’s apartment interrupted their conversation. Andrew emerged from the hallway. Two other officers followed behind him as he strode into the living room.

“Greta Opheim, you’re under arrest for the murder of Hilda Tinsdale,” Andrew said.

Greta’s eyes widened. “You were listening this whole time?” She turned toward Kat, her face darkening.

Kat shrugged. “When I told him about my suspicions, he was the one who suggested hiding in my bedroom while I worked on coaxing you into a confession.”

Greta looked as if she wanted to spit. Her eyes darted toward the police officers, and she said, “I want a lawyer.”

“That’s your right,” Andrew replied. He motioned his supporting officers forward. “Cuff her and read her her rights. I’ll meet you both at the station.”

One of the officers secured Greta’s wrists behind her back while the other recited her Miranda rights. She went willingly as they led her out of the apartment.

When Kat and Andrew were alone, she turned to face him. “You caught everything on tape?” she asked.

He smiled, his dimples indenting his cheeks. “Every last word.”

Kat felt relief wash over her. “Combined with the earring and the invoices, you should have everything you need to prove her guilt, even if she pleads innocent.”

“Yep,” Andrew agreed. “But in case I’m wrong, we always have a secret eyewitness that we can trot into the courtroom.”

Kat grinned. “I thought you said cats couldn’t be eyewitnesses.”

“I might just have to make an exception for Matilda.”

As if on cue, Matty ambled down the hallway. She’d been holed up in the bedroom along with the police officers. Kat hadn’t wanted to subject her to another stressful encounter with Greta Opheim.

Kat’s heart surged with love as the feline approached. She crouched closer to Matty, burying her fingers in the cat’s soft fur. “It looks like your mama’s going to get justice after all, girl.”

With Greta Opheim in jail awaiting trial, Kat and Andrew were celebrating over dinner at Jessie’s Diner. Kat had the night off, and Andrew was authorized to use up a few vacation days after closing his first murder case. Kat had already promised Matty that she would return with whatever leftovers she could scrounge up so the feline didn’t have to miss out on this evening’s celebration.

It was Kat and Andrew’s first meal together since they had run into each other the morning of Mrs. Tinsdale’s murder. As they both munched on their burgers, Kat realized how much she’d missed his easy company. She had yet to meet another human being who made her feel as content as Andrew did.

“This brings back memories, huh?” Andrew grinned at her as he reached for his strawberry milkshake.

Kat tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach inspired by that incredible smile. “It sure does. Only this time we’re fully capable of paying for our milkshakes, thanks to my employee discount.”

Andrew laughed.

“Yoo-hoo!”

Kat paused mid-dunk from dipping a french fry into a dollop of ketchup. Barreling toward them from the restaurant’s front entrance was Imogene Little.

Imogene flew over to their table and plopped into the booth seat next to Kat without waiting for an invitation. “Kat Harper, I’m tickled to run into you here!”

Kat smiled. Although she was somewhat disappointed that her and Andrew’s dinner had been interrupted, she was growing quite fond of the Furry Friends Foster Families president.

“Now that Hilda and Greta are no longer with us, I have a proposition for you,” Imogene continued, not sparing Andrew a cursory glance. Kat wasn’t even sure if she’d noticed him.

“What’s that?” Kat asked, swishing her french fry back and forth.

Imogene shifted sideways, imploring Kat with her eyes. “We need somebody to fill in as 4F treasurer. I thought you’d be perfect for the job.”

“I don’t have any bookkeeping experience,” Kat said.

Imogene flapped her hand. “Oh, we don’t care about credentials. We just need somebody who cares about animals as much as we do. The treasury part is a small portion of what you’ll do.”

Kat absorbed Imogene’s offer, her heart beating a little faster at the thought of accepting. She had always wanted to become more involved with animals but had never found the right time or opportunity. Volunteering at 4F would fulfill that desire.

“I’d love to,” Kat told Imogene.

Imogene’s eyes brightened. “That’s fantastic! When can you start?”

Kat lifted one shoulder. “Anytime.”

Imogene rubbed her palms together. “Oh, marvelous! We still have quite a bit to do before the benefit dinner next month. You can jump into that project right away. Come to our next meeting this Saturday at noon, my house. I’ll tell you everything you need to know then.”

Kat grinned. “Great.”

As Imogene bustled off, Kat popped the french fry into her mouth. She didn’t know exactly how demanding the treasurer position at 4F would be, but she knew one thing for certain.

Whatever the future had in store for Katherine Harper, she was pretty sure it would be adventurous.