Poisoned in Cherry Hills (Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Book 3) Read Free Page A

chuckled. “You know how big a force we’d need if breaking hearts was deemed a punishable offense?”
    Lucy tapped her chin, as though seriously reflecting on his comment. “True enough.” She dropped her elbows on the table. “But there should still be a law against certain behavior. I mean, we live in a civilized society, ya know?”
    “Well, I can tell you that kidnapping a potential love interest against their will is illegal.”
    Kat frowned, wondering if she were misreading Andrew’s playful tone. The thought of him flirting back with Lucy Callahan twisted her insides into a knot. She pretended to adjust her napkin in her lap to mask her discomfort.
    Lucy leaned closer and propped her chin on her hands. “If your department is open to suggestions, I have a few ideas on what you could do to lower the crime rate in Cherry Hills. As this town gets bigger, safety concerns will only increase.”
    Andrew rotated sideways to give her his undivided attention. “I’m all ears.”
    Kat gritted her teeth and sat on her hands so she wouldn’t be tempted to tug on Andrew’s sleeve like a petulant child. She wished now that she had taken the seat right next to Lucy.
    Lucy sat up straighter. “Okay, so, CHPD can only employ so many officers, right? That means it’s really up to us citizens to do our part. What I’ve been thinking is . . .”
    Kat slumped in her seat as Lucy began the start of a long speech about recruiting the public to form neighborhood watch associations. From the way she batted her eyelashes every so often, Kat suspected she’d only brought up the proposal in the hopes that she and Andrew could join the same group, giving her an excuse to see him regularly.
    Kat sighed, mentally berating herself for being so uncharitable. Naturally Lucy wouldn’t see anything wrong with chatting up the handsome, single man occupying the chair next to her. When they’d been talking before his arrival, Kat had deliberately emphasized that she and Andrew were just two good friends out to show their support for homeless animals. She hadn’t brought up her attraction to him, fearful that Lucy might let something slip to Andrew himself.
    Now, though, Kat was starting to regret that strategy. Maybe if she’d dropped even a tiny hint about her romantic interest in Andrew, Lucy wouldn’t be hoarding all of his attention.
    A piercing scream penetrated Kat’s thoughts and nearly caused her to lose all bladder control. Beside her, Lucy and Andrew abruptly stopped talking, both of their heads whipping toward the source of the scream.
    Kat spun around a split second after they did. An older, chestnut-haired woman was standing by one of the tables, her hands clamped over her mouth.
    The room had fallen completely silent. Everyone was too busy staring at the woman to continue with their own conversations. Several people had started to approach her, concern etched across their faces.
    Among the people moving closer, Kat spotted Imogene. When she arrived at the source of the commotion, she crouched down, disappearing for a few seconds before jumping back up.
    “We need a doctor,” she yelled.
    A man Kat recognized as a local veterinarian stepped forward. “What’s the problem?”
    The woman who had screamed dropped her hands to her sides, exposing her ashen face. She didn’t raise her voice, but she didn’t have to. Kat could hear her clearly in the eerie silence of the dining room.
    “Heidi Smith collapsed. I—I think she might be dead.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    Although Andrew had yet to return to their table, Kat had already heard the rumors making the rounds. As quiet as the room had been earlier, now it seemed as though everyone were chattering.
    The veterinarian who had rushed forward to assist had verified that Heidi was indeed dead. Nobody was quite sure what had happened yet, but the speculations ranged from her having a heart attack to someone deliberately taking her life. Andrew had joined the fray soon afterward,