Read Online The Extortion Cat-astrophe: A Beatrice Young Cozy Cat Mystery (Beatrice Young Cozy Cat Mysteries Book 2) by Alannah Rogers - Free Book Online

she asked as they rolled out of the parking lot.
    He shook his head slowly as he patted down his rumpled comb-over with a shaking hand. “None. She was actually scarier than Tony—made a lot more physical threats. Demanded more money. Over email and letter, of course. I just assumed it was a guy.”
    Beatrice sighed and grasped for Nathan’s hand. “You know that Matthew and I are your family, right? You can tell us anything. Even embarrassing stuff like being extorted for ten years and doing nothing about it.”
    Nathan snorted with laughter. “When you put it that way, Bee…”
    “No but seriously.” She squeezed his hand. “No one should be alone in this world. Problems are lighter when shared. So you have to let us in, okay?”
    “Seconded,” Matthew said from the front.
    “But tell me first since it’s actually my job,” the sheriff added. “Unless it’s like, trouble with a woman. I can’t help with that. If she’s beating you up, maybe.”
    Nathan flushed crimson again. “If only I had something to complain about,” he muttered.
    “Not dating, huh?” Matthew asked.
    “I work too much, I guess. Never seem to meet anyone.”
    “Matthew said he wants to get married again,” Beatrice said. “Fancy that?”
    The sheriff looked over at Matthew in surprise. Since his wife’s death, Matthew had been a consummate bachelor. “Don’t rush into anything. It’s not all a walk in the park,” Sheriff Roy said gruffly.
    “I know. I’ve been married twice, remember?”
    Beatrice frowned at him. “Which sounds like enough times, really. I don’t see the rush to get back on that horse again.”
    “I’m not exactly swimming in a luxury of time,” Matthew returned. “At this point, everything should be a rush job.”
    Silence fell over the car as they neared Waitsfield. “Alright, we’re going to Leah’s last address in town,” the sheriff said as they pulled into a down-and-out apartment block. “Maybe the super will know something.”
    They all piled out, cats included. Lucky pulled at his leash anxiously, glad to be out of the car. The sheriff knocked on the super’s apartment on the ground floor. The door opened, revealing a squat little man with a few tufts of gray hair.
    “Whaddya want?” he barked.
    The sheriff drew himself up straight. “I’m looking for Leah Moore. She used to live here a couple of years ago. You know her whereabouts?”
    “Leah? Can’t tell you exactly. She hasn’t been around here. That said, I heard one of the tenants talking about seeing her recently. Ada, it was, up in apartment 14. Be my guest.”
    The sheriff thanked him and they mounted the stairway to the aforementioned unit. The woman who opened the door, a talkative lady with brassy blonde hair, invited them in immediately.
    “Boy, do I have an axe to grind with Leah Moore,” she said as she ushered them to sit on her faded floral couches. “That woman used to be my best friend in high school. We did everything together. But she turned out bad.”
    “How so?” the sheriff asked, sinking far into the cushions. The cats sniffed around the apartment relentlessly.
    “She used to borrow money from me she’d never pay back. Said her ex-husband was tight fisted as anything, never gave her money to spend on their kid. I never liked him. And look what happened—in jail! I saw that coming.”
    “So Leah had money problems?” Beatrice asked.
    “Sure did. She worked part-time at the dollar store downtown but she didn’t make a lot. Tony was dealing drugs, of course. He always had new toys – nice cars, flashy clothes, hunting and fishing trips with his buddies. Leah had to count every penny to pay the bills, buy food, and take care of all the other necessities. He sure was tight-fisted. No wonder she left him. I guess once he was put in the slammer she figured it was safe to come back.”
    The sheriff folded his hands. “Has she been in touch with his mother or brother, Rick?”
    Ada shrugged and lit