Catnapped! (A Matchmaker Mystery Book 3) Read Online Free Page B

signature scent. He wasn’t under the bed or hiding in the tub or hanging out in the gigantic closet.  Before she left the room, Alyssa’s gaze was drawn to the old framed photograph of a handsome young man on the night table.
    Not for the first time, she wondered how Mr. Michelman felt having Mildred’s first husband watching over them. After all, she’d made a point of showing Alyssa the picture the first time she’d come to the house, speaking with great fondness and admiration of her long-deceased love.
    She didn’t seem to be quite as enamored with Mr. Michelman, who Alyssa had yet to meet, since he was on the around-the-world vacation with Ralph, his son from his first marriage.
    She didn’t seem to have any kind feelings toward Ralph, despite having been his stepmother for close to forty years.
    But the cat, Mr. Burberry, she was pretty sure Mildred loved him most of all.
    She continued her search down the hallway to another bedroom, this one done in a blue-and-white beachy décor that didn’t fit a house that was surrounded, not by sand or sea, but by an impressive garden. No cat.
    No cat in any of the six bedrooms.
    She moved her hunt downstairs, but couldn’t find him anywhere.
    Sighing, she gave up the fruitless search and went to tell Mildred the upsetting news.
    Mildred and Roscoe were in the library. While Mildred, reclining on an elegant chaise lounge, was absorbed in a phone call and Roscoe studied an antique cookbook, Alyssa took a moment to appreciate her favorite room in the house. Done in dark woods and subtle chintz, it felt like an extension of the garden it offered a stunning view of.
    “Back already, dear?” Mildred asked, hanging up the phone. “I thought you were taking the entire afternoon off.”
    “A bit of an issue arose.” Alyssa slid her gaze toward Roscoe who stubbornly kept his eyes glued to the yellowed page he read. Not that she could blame him. She really wasn’t sure how Brady had convinced him to help her out with this protection detail.
    Mildred frowned. “What kind of issue?”
    “I’m sure it’s going to end up being nothing, just like last time.” Alyssa knew her words were coming out too quickly to ring true, but she couldn’t slow them down. “Mr. Burberry seems to be missing again.”
    Mildred frowned. “Oh.”
    Alyssa was taken aback. She’d expected wringing of hands and accusations to fly.
    “Maybe I should make you a cup of tea,” Roscoe suggested, getting to his feet.
    “That would be lovely,” Mildred murmured.
    Roscoe left the room.
    “Has it arrived yet?” was all she asked.
    Alyssa blinked. “Has what arrived?”
    “The ransom note.”
    Cold fear dripped down Alyssa’s spine. No wonder Mildred had barely reacted to the cat’s disappearance. Her husband was in danger. “You’re expecting a ransom note?”
    Mildred nodded. “Of course we’ll need proof of life. I’ve spoken to a retrieval expert and was told that proof of life is essential.”
    Alyssa jumped to her feet. She’d known Mr. Michelman was traveling in some remote areas, but she hadn’t anticipated him being kidnapped. She clenched her hands into fists, thinking the next time she saw Brady, she was going to kill him for getting her into a replay of her worst nightmare.
    “Then again,” Mildred mused, “he is a very clever boy. Maybe he’ll escape on his own.”
    Knowing the first few hours after a kidnapping were statistically very important in the safe return of a victim, Alyssa reached for her phone. She might no longer be a member, but she knew when it was time to call in law enforcement.
    “Did you check the garage?”
    “What?” Alyssa wondered if the old woman had cracked.
    “Did you look for him in the garage? Maybe he hasn’t been kidnapped at all. Maybe he’s just hiding there.”
    “Wait. Are we talking about Mr. Burberry being kidnapped or a human being?”
    “Why Mr. Burberry of course.” Mildred looked at her as though she were the one being