Read Online Framed in Cherry Hills (Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Book 2) by Paige Sleuth - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Paige Sleuth
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exactly does he do there?” Kat asked, feeling lightheaded.
Hannah seemed to have relaxed somewhat now that they’d moved off the topic of drugs. “Oil changes, I guess.”
Kat gathered that the teenager really didn’t know what Josh did. For that matter, Kat had no clue what automobile mechanics did either.
But, even given her lack of knowledge concerning the details, she figured Josh had probably changed at least one taillight. At the very least, he’d likely watched someone else changing one and knew how to do it himself.
Kat’s gaze snapped toward the wall clock. “What time does Cherry Hills Auto close?”
Hannah’s tongue poked at her cheek, as if she were debating over whether to say anything. She must have realized how easy it would be for Kat to look up the information herself because she finally said, “They’re not open this late.”
“What time do they reopen in the morning?”
“Seven.” Hannah looked at Kat with her head slanted slightly to one side, as if she couldn’t quite figure her out.
Kat couldn’t blame her. She was still working things out herself, but she was pretty sure a huge puzzle piece had just fallen into place.
CHAPTER TEN
Kat barely got any sleep that night. Tom joined her on the mattress sometime after midnight, and, although Kat fully expected her restlessness to send him scampering away in search of a less turbulent bed, he merely adjusted positions and settled down again whenever she flung the covers over his head or bumped his body with her foot.
She checked the time every ten minutes, silently counting down the hours until Cherry Hills Auto opened for the day. She forced herself to wait until exactly seven o’clock before racing out of her apartment building and jumping into her car. She’d mapped out and memorized the route to the shop the night before. It was a short, five-minute drive from her place.
She parked in a vacant spot and peered out the windshield, craning her neck to see if she could spot Josh Easton in one of the garage bays. She saw several people wearing blue coveralls, which she guessed was the employee uniform, but she couldn’t make out any of their faces from this distance.
She stepped out of the car and headed toward the garage area, homing in on a burly man poking around under the hood of a red sedan. “Excuse me.”
The man turned around, grinning when he spotted her. “Hiya. How can I help you, miss?”
“I’m wondering if Josh Easton is working today.”
The man looked around for a second before pointing to the far bay. “He’s over by that Beemer.”
“Thanks.”
Kat moved slowly as she headed in the direction indicated. Despite mentally rehearsing various scenarios all night long, she still hadn’t worked out exactly what she would say to Josh. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to act on Hannah’s information.
As she got closer to the BMW, all Kat could see of the mechanic were his boots and the dirty coverall cuffs that hung past his ankles. The rest of him was underneath the vehicle somewhere, doing who knew what.
Kat decided she would wait for Josh to emerge rather than interrupting him. She had a healthy fear of anything related to car repair work, and she didn’t want the teenager injuring himself if she startled him.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long. Josh rolled himself out from under the vehicle less than a minute later. His eyes grew larger when he spotted her.
She smiled. “Hi, Josh. Remember me? We met at Jessie’s Diner yesterday.”
“I remember. Ms. Harper, right?”
“Yes, or you can call me Kat.”
Josh pulled a rag out of his pocket and used it to wipe his hands. “What are you doing here?” He sounded wary, as if he suspected she’d sought him out to berate him for his dirty fingernails.
“Hannah McGinty told me you worked here. I thought maybe you would know how to replace a burnt-out taillight.”
The tension in Josh’s posture eased. “Oh, yeah,
Hannah seemed to have relaxed somewhat now that they’d moved off the topic of drugs. “Oil changes, I guess.”
Kat gathered that the teenager really didn’t know what Josh did. For that matter, Kat had no clue what automobile mechanics did either.
But, even given her lack of knowledge concerning the details, she figured Josh had probably changed at least one taillight. At the very least, he’d likely watched someone else changing one and knew how to do it himself.
Kat’s gaze snapped toward the wall clock. “What time does Cherry Hills Auto close?”
Hannah’s tongue poked at her cheek, as if she were debating over whether to say anything. She must have realized how easy it would be for Kat to look up the information herself because she finally said, “They’re not open this late.”
“What time do they reopen in the morning?”
“Seven.” Hannah looked at Kat with her head slanted slightly to one side, as if she couldn’t quite figure her out.
Kat couldn’t blame her. She was still working things out herself, but she was pretty sure a huge puzzle piece had just fallen into place.
CHAPTER TEN
Kat barely got any sleep that night. Tom joined her on the mattress sometime after midnight, and, although Kat fully expected her restlessness to send him scampering away in search of a less turbulent bed, he merely adjusted positions and settled down again whenever she flung the covers over his head or bumped his body with her foot.
She checked the time every ten minutes, silently counting down the hours until Cherry Hills Auto opened for the day. She forced herself to wait until exactly seven o’clock before racing out of her apartment building and jumping into her car. She’d mapped out and memorized the route to the shop the night before. It was a short, five-minute drive from her place.
She parked in a vacant spot and peered out the windshield, craning her neck to see if she could spot Josh Easton in one of the garage bays. She saw several people wearing blue coveralls, which she guessed was the employee uniform, but she couldn’t make out any of their faces from this distance.
She stepped out of the car and headed toward the garage area, homing in on a burly man poking around under the hood of a red sedan. “Excuse me.”
The man turned around, grinning when he spotted her. “Hiya. How can I help you, miss?”
“I’m wondering if Josh Easton is working today.”
The man looked around for a second before pointing to the far bay. “He’s over by that Beemer.”
“Thanks.”
Kat moved slowly as she headed in the direction indicated. Despite mentally rehearsing various scenarios all night long, she still hadn’t worked out exactly what she would say to Josh. The only thing she knew for sure was that she had to act on Hannah’s information.
As she got closer to the BMW, all Kat could see of the mechanic were his boots and the dirty coverall cuffs that hung past his ankles. The rest of him was underneath the vehicle somewhere, doing who knew what.
Kat decided she would wait for Josh to emerge rather than interrupting him. She had a healthy fear of anything related to car repair work, and she didn’t want the teenager injuring himself if she startled him.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long. Josh rolled himself out from under the vehicle less than a minute later. His eyes grew larger when he spotted her.
She smiled. “Hi, Josh. Remember me? We met at Jessie’s Diner yesterday.”
“I remember. Ms. Harper, right?”
“Yes, or you can call me Kat.”
Josh pulled a rag out of his pocket and used it to wipe his hands. “What are you doing here?” He sounded wary, as if he suspected she’d sought him out to berate him for his dirty fingernails.
“Hannah McGinty told me you worked here. I thought maybe you would know how to replace a burnt-out taillight.”
The tension in Josh’s posture eased. “Oh, yeah,
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