Free Catnapped! by Elaine Viets

Helen said. “Why the ferocious feline?”
    “Cat shows will sometimes rent a big-cat mascot,” Phil said. “A panther, a tiger or a leopard, and then give out medallions with its image. I was at a cat show in Fort Lauderdale that had a cougar.”
    “Brilliant,” Helen said.
    “My middle name,” Phil said.
    “Now we have to figure out who went to the Coventry cat show.”
    “Already did that,” Phil said. “I did some research on Arthur, the boyfriend.”
    “The foreclosure lawyer,” Helen said. “I couldn’t believe Trish said he had more prestige than Mort. I wanted to tell her about the classy foreclosure lawyer who put
Su casa es mi casa
on his yacht.”
    Phil kissed her again. “I admired your fortitude,” he said. “Arthur is even richer than Mort, and he is prestigious, at least in his profession.”
    “Humph,” Helen said. “I have more respect for garbage collectors. They serve society.”
    “Okay,” Phil said. “I agree, but the faster we solve this case, the faster you’re away from those reeking cat boxes. Arthur has an impressive Web site, and he bragged he was a guest lecturer at theMapesbury Comparative International Law Seminar in Stratford-upon-Avon.”
    “Shakespeare’s hometown,” Helen said.
    “And a major tourist center. The Stratford seminar was the same weekend as the Coventry cat show, and Coventry is a little over twenty miles away.”
    “You think Arthur went there?”
    “I called Trish and she said yes,” Phil said. “His lecture was early in the morning; then he went to the show to get pointers for Trish. They have big plans for Justine. Trish thinks she can be an international star. A British show win would be an important step in Justine’s career.
    “I think there’s something off about this kidnapping, Helen.”
    “Off how?”
    “I think that Trish faked it and stole her own cat.”
    “How could she do that?” Helen asked.
    “Easy. Arthur did the catnapping. Why would a kidnapper wait eight days for the money?” Phil asked. “The longer the wait, the easier it is to catch the kidnapper.”
    “If Trish kidnapped her cat, do you think she killed her husband?” Helen asked.
    “Well, it would be convenient for her,” Phil said.
    “Can’t see it,” Helen said. “Murder would mess up her designer dress. She’s too girly.”
    “Don’t underestimate her. Did you see the muscles in Trish’s arms?” Phil said. “She’s strong, but I don’t think she walloped Mort with the cat tower and walked off with Justine. She stayed safely at home and called the cops to set up an alibi.”
    “That didn’t work,” Helen said.
    “Right. The cops think like I do,” Phil said. “Trish set up her alibi and then her boyfriend did the dirty work. Arthur doesn’t look like a desk jockey. I saw his picture on his Web site. He’d have no trouble killing Mort.”
    “Why would he bother? Trish is getting a divorce,” Helen said.
    “And it’s taking forever,” Phil said. “The money’s being eaten up in legal fees, and the publicity is brutal. Arthur knows the longer a high-profile divorce drags on, the more likely one party will say, ‘Take everything. I don’t care anymore. Just cut the knot.’”
    “And Trish, who’s engaged to a rich guy, is more likely to cave first,” Helen said. “But Arthur is already rich.”
    “And greedy,” Phil said. “He’s a foreclosure lawyer, remember?”
    “I’m not convinced Trish is a black widow. She seemed genuinely upset.”
    “I used to work insurance cases,” Phil said. “You’d be surprised the frauds so-called solid citizens try. You’d also be amazed at how good they are at acting. Trish may be one of those undiscovered acting talents. And she does have real reasons to be upset. The cops suspect her. Her alibi didn’t fool them and she could be arrested anytime. If her scheme unravels, she goes to jail for murder one.”
    “So Arthur kills Mort,” Helen said, “and steals the kitten. What