Vanished in Cherry Hills (Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hard?”
    Mrs. Polanski’s forehead furrowed. “Single women?”
    Kat bit her lip, debating whether to let the two sisters in on her speculations. She didn’t figure she had much to lose. “Chief Kenny, the CHPD police chief, says the bank’s security cameras caught a woman on tape. I was thinking if my mother didn’t rob that bank, it was likely another single woman. I mean, a woman wouldn’t rob a bank alone if she were married, would she? Wouldn’t her husband have done it? You’d think he would be more menacing, and therefore less likely to encounter resistance.”
    Mrs. Polanski’s mouth had gaped open sometime during Kat’s speech. She clamped it shut, then said, “Well, that’s quite a theory.”
    Kat’s spirits sank. “You think my mother did it.”
    “Oh, I didn’t say that.”
    But from the way Mrs. Polanski darted a look at Helen, she didn’t have to say it. Kat could tell she thought her mother was guilty.
    Kat looked down at her lap, feeling a pinch of shame. She watched with envy as the tabby stuck one hind leg straight up in the air so he could clean it, wishing she could be as blissfully content as the cat. Although rationally she knew she shouldn’t feel responsible for anything her mother might have done, she couldn’t convince her heart. As the only Harper left in the area—as far as she knew—she was the only person around to absorb the blame for any crimes committed by her kin.
    “Helen,” Mrs. Polanski said, squinting at the cat in her lap, “this little fella looks like he’s under the weather.”
    Helen set down her knitting, a troubled look crossing over her face. “That’s Shadow. I told you he hasn’t been feeling well, remember?”
    “Oh, yes.” Mrs. Polanski fingered the animal’s ribs. “Is he eating properly? He feels thin.”
    Helen shook her head. “He nibbles here and there, but his appetite isn’t what it used to be.”
    “You ought to take him to the vet.”
    Helen wrung her hands together. “I can’t afford that.”
    Kat looked at Shadow, who wasn’t reacting much to Mrs. Polanski’s poking and prodding. “I volunteer for 4F.”
    Helen tilted her head. “4F?”
    “Furry Friends Foster Families,” Kat clarified. “It’s a nonprofit. We could help cover his vet bills.”
    Helen’s face brightened. “Really?”
    Kat nodded. “In fact, I can get him checked out after I leave here, if you’d like.”
    Helen rubbed her palms together. “Oh, that would be fantastic. I hate for him to suffer any longer than necessary.”
    Kat glanced at the clock. “I should probably head out now. I have to be at Jessie’s by three.”
    “Grab a carrier from the coat closet,” Helen said, gesturing.
    “Okay.” Kat lifted the tabby off her lap, prompting the feline to give her a questioning look. But when she set him down again, he went back to his bath as if he’d never been interrupted.
    Kat fetched a top-opening carrier from the closet. She placed it on the floor and held the hatch open while Mrs. Polanski lowered Shadow inside. Shadow didn’t protest, not even when Kat shut the hatch.
    Kat picked up the carrier. “I’ll return him as soon as the vet says he’s good to go,” she assured Helen.
    The worry lines framing Helen’s mouth deepened. “I’d appreciate that.”
    Mrs. Polanski grabbed the file folder. “Don’t forget this. Something in here could help you.”
    Although Kat doubted that, she didn’t say anything as she followed Mrs. Polanski to the front door.
    Mrs. Polanski had to sweep a few cats out of the way before stepping outside. She patted Kat’s shoulder as they walked. “Your mama, she was a kind woman. I don’t want you thinking ill of her.”
    Kat looked down at the driveway. She didn’t really know what to think. When she’d first let herself imagine what a reunion would be like, she’d pictured her and Maybelle hugging and laughing and crying over all the lost years, both of them overjoyed to have found each other