Cover Copy
Here, killer, killer, killer...
For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She wants to reconnect with her estranged aunt Fran, who’s having some difficulty looking after herself—and her eleven cats. Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping Fran from being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard. The wealthy builder has his sights set on Fran’s property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.
Then Lara spots a blue-eyed Ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet. Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran’s yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play. To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat’s clues in search of a killer. Is Blue’s ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?
ESCAPE CLAWS
A Cat Lady Mystery
Linda Reilly
LYRICAL PRESS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
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Copyright © 2017 by Linda Reilly
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First Electronic Edition: December 2017
eISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0416-1
eISBN-10: 1-5161-0416-1
First Print Edition: December 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0419-2
ISBN-10: 1-5161-0419-6
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
In loving memory of my dad, Unico “Mike” Gregory
Acknowledgments
A huge thank-you goes to my agent, Jessica Faust, whose enthusiasm for the Cat Lady mysteries helped bring this series to fruition. Jessica, thank you for pushing me until I got it right!
To my editor, Martin Biro, for taking a chance on me and on the series. Your insightful suggestions were spot on! You helped make the book come together in the best way possible.
To my fabulous former coworkers, Mary Newman and Chris Newman, thank you for lending your names to the story. I had fun shaping your personalities, and hope you’ll enjoy what I did with them!
To Maureen Nix and Stephan Nix, land surveyors extraordinaire, I can’t imagine how I would have described the disturbance of the boundary marker without your expert advice. Any errors, whether accidental or by design, are mine alone.
To Jenny Kales, whose keen eye and passion for cozies helped me fine-tune the manuscript, I owe a million thanks.
Most of all, to all those who have made the world a happier and better place by loving cats, this is for you.
Cast of Feline Characters
Callie A gray-and-white long-haired kitten, still wary of humans
Luna Callie’s shy sister, a gray-and-white kitten, the pink dot on her nose giving her an extra touch of adorable
Izzy A cuddly calico with an ever-quizzical expression, she loves curling up with her sibling atop Lara’s bedspread
Pickles Izzy’s calico sister, who has a penchant for chewing strands of Lara’s hair
Twinkles An orange-striped tiger cat with big gold eyes, he’s fond of snoozing with his best bud Dolce
Ballou A black, short-haired feral with a darling white mustache, his fear of people is slowly fading
Munster A striped orange male, he’s the sociable, unofficial greeter of all human visitors
Dolce Long-haired and solid black, he’s as sweet as his name, a lovable lap cat
Bootsie Slender and gray, she’s the cuddly mom to Lilybee and Cheetah
Lilybee White with black markings, this kitten has developed a serious crush on the chief of police
Cheetah Lilybee’s gray-spotted brother, he’s usually first at the food bowls in the morning
Blue An elusive Ragdoll with a fluffy coat and azure eyes, she’s been around since Lara was a girl. Or has she?
Chapter 1
Lara Caphart paused at the foot of the wide porch steps and stared up at the old Folk Victorian. She was startled, and oddly relieved, at how little the place had changed. The white wicker settee still sat on the wraparound porch, its colorful cushions now sun faded. A hanging planter, devoid of any foliage, dangled from a metal hook in front of the green-shuttered window.
She glanced over the yard she hadn’t laid eyes on since she was eleven. The lawn was a bit unkempt, and the shrubs along the base of the porch needed tending. Lara easily recalled the days when Aunt Fran had kept everything trimmed and tidy—postcard pretty, in fact.
Heart thwacking against her chest, Lara slowly climbed the steps. Could it really be sixteen years since she’d seen her aunt? She tapped her knuckles on the wooden doorframe, lightly at first, then with a tad more vigor. After a wait of at least two minutes, the door creaked open. She took an involuntary step backward. “Aunt… Aunt Fran?” she asked with a slight gasp.
The woman clutching the doorframe in one hand and a gray-spotted kitten in the other tottered sideways. “Well, if it isn’t the prodigal niece, returning to her roots. To what do I owe the pleasure? Did someone tell you I was dying?”
All at once, Lara felt tongue-tied. She didn’t need a psychic to tell her that her aunt was in trouble. It was etched, like cut glass, in the hollows beneath her aunt’s green eyes—eyes that at one time had looked at Lara as if she were the niftiest thing since peanut butter on toast.
“No. I, um…”
“I suppose Sherry called you about my knee problems,” Fran Clarkson said, a bit more softly. “I can’t imagine why else you’d have driven all the way up here from Boston.” With a sigh and a slump of her thin shoulders, she opened the screen door. “You may as well come in.”
“Thank you.” Lara stepped inside the once-familiar kitchen, a room where luscious aromas like cinnamon, apple, and cloves once lingered