The Cats-Kill

When Matt Rogers brings his young wife Peggy home to his New England hometown, no one suspects the tortured past she is escaping from ... not even Matt. After a series of murders, the local sheriff and a Boston investigator scrutinize the brutal crimes targeting the Rogers family. Although the evidence points to Peggy, Matt refuses to believe she's responsible.

Excerpt

Matt Rogers sat at his kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee and watching a breeze gently lift the red and white checkered curtains on the window. It was an unusually warm evening for early May. He stood up and set his coffee cup in the sink when an explosion rattled the pictures on the wall. Sirens sounded in the distance. 

"What the hell was that?" he asked, turning toward his wife.

"Probably kids setting off firecrackers," Peggy replied. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was exactly nine o'clock.

"It didn't sound like firecrackers to me. Something exploded," he said.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry, honey. At least we're safe." She washed the coffee cup, then set it on the drainer. "Would you like to watch TV or go to a movie? There's a good mystery playing this week. It doesn't start until ten. We could get a sitter," she asked hopefully.

"Peggy, I'm too tired tonight. Besides I don't like to do things on the spur of the moment. You know that."


"I'm sorry. I just thought that maybe for once in your life you might want to do something spontaneous instead of mapping your life out minute by minute. Next time I'll ask you a month in advance so you can pencil it into your schedule."

Matt laughed at her sarcasm. "I'm sorry, honey." He put an arm around her slim waist. "We'll do something special tomorrow night. I already have it penciled in."

Peggy turned around and nestled her face against his broad chest. The ringing of the phone invaded the privacy of their moment.

"I'll get it," Matt said.

Peggy finished straightening the kitchen, ignoring her husband's phone conversation. She heard him hang up and turned to him. He was ashen-faced, trembling.

"Matt ... what's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"It's Mom," he choked. "Her house just blew up. That's the explosion we heard. Neal was on the phone. She'd been to his house for dinner and he had just taken her home." He shook his head in disbelief. "Neal left only half an hour ago. He said he didn't notice anything unusual." Matt blinked hard. "I've got to get over there," he said hoarsely.

"No, honey," she said grabbing his arm. "There's nothing you can do."


He stared into her eyes. "My mother has just been killed. Do you understand that?" He took his jacket from the coat rack. "I'll be back when I can."

Peggy hugged him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. She suppressed the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'll wait up for you."

He nodded and walked out of the house.

Peggy watched him leave, then walked upstairs and into her daughter's bedroom. She gently caressed her sleeping child's cheek and tucked a blanket around her. Yesterday Amanda Sue celebrated her first birthday. Peggy smiled as she bent and kissed Amanda Sue's warm face. "I love you, baby. Have pleasant dreams," she said softly.

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