In July Fireworks Sky, the seventh book in the Cat Collier Mystery Short Story series, private investigator Mary Catherine Collier, known as Cat, finds herself in a disturbing, life-altering situation related to her brother’s trial.
The outcome will have far reaching effects for not only herself, but Carter, Spencer, and others.
The location for this cozy mystery bounces back and forth from her quiet, sleepy hometown of Heaton Valley, Ohio to New York City, where Cat has another branch of her detective agency and a wonderful, new love.
Will Cat finally find the honesty she’s looking for?
Available in kindle format and paperback on Amazon:
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eanwhile across town at a Manhattan coffeeshop, Erick Carter Larson sipped a large black coffee while waiting for his cab to the airport. His flight to Heaton Valley, Ohio, departed at two o’clock. His father, Detrick Bittmor, called him back to Ohio to aid in the defense of Dane Collier, Cat’s brother, in a murder trial.
In walked Granddad Larsen. He took a seat near the window, looking out into the busy street and crowded sidewalk of New York City.
Carter was surprised because Granddad isn’t fond of Manhattan and usually avoids it. As Carter gathered up his things to join his grandfather, Yvette entered the coffeeshop. She hugged Granddad Larsen and sat down.
Carter ducked behind the wall. To his knowledge, Yvette and Granddad didn’t even know each other.
Carter looked around and spied a young man wearing an old black hoodie with a college insignia on the back.
“Psst! Hey! I’ll give you $50 for your hoodie.”
“You nuts, man? Do you think I got this beauty at Goodwill?”
“$100 then,” said Carter.
“I don’t know. I really like this hoodie. It’s broke in just right. It’s my fave.”
“$150.”
“Mmmm.”
“Are you in a hurry?”
“No.”
“Okay, $150 to rent your favorite hoodie. I’ll give it back as soon as I’m done. See that pair by the window?”
“The hot babe and the old guy?”
“Yes. Hot babe is my girlfriend. And I want to sneak up close behind them to overhear their conversation. And I need your hoodie to do it.”
“Hot babe’s cheating on you with the old guy?”
“Maybe.”
“Ahh, that’s sick, man. Sure. Here. I’ll wait over there,” Hoodie Guy said. He gave Carter his hoodie. Carter slipped him cash.
Carter pulled the hoodie up and walked quietly to the front of the coffeeshop with his head down. He slid into a chair facing the back of the shop, but close enough to his grandfather to eavesdrop.
“Yes, Yvette, I realize he’s still angry at the world. But he’ll settle down soon.”
“But he’s so miserably unhappy.”
“I know it seems that way right now. But it’ll pass.”
“I hate to see him so sad.”
“Yvette, Erick changed for the worst when he moved to Heaton Valley with Mary Catherine Collier and chummed around with that immoral degenerate Detrick Bittmor.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“He became so giddy and giggly. Those are not good traits in a New York City lawyer, or any man, really. Didn’t you see it?”
“No. He was never giddy or giggly around me. He was… quiet.”
“Well, it was annoying at best. He’d go on and on about the beautiful shade of blue of the sky and the pretty clouds. He’d rave about how delicious the food tasted that he bought on the corner from a street vendor. He dressed like a hippie-beatnik-flower child. Pink shirts!”
Erick Carter Larsen looked down. He pulled the hoodie tight across his chest to cover his Ralph Lauren Classic pink dress shirt.
“And he was always smiling. No, over-smiling. All the time. It was like he joined a cult or something. Damn it, my brilliant, serious-minded lawyer only grandson turned into a silly pre-teen girl. Aren’t you glad he’s back in town?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you two spend time together?”
“Well, yeah. We go out to dinner or see a show. He escorts me to all my work-related functions.”
“That’s good.”
“He’s not in the least bit affectionate toward me.”
“Was he ever? Erick was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve.”
“Yeah, that’s true. But he pulls away from me whenever I try to… touch him.”
“We had to step in and do something. We had to do something to get him back on track before he wasted his whole life skipping through the park, marveling at the pretty clouds and butterflies, and holding hands with Little Red Riding Hood."
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