A Pose Before Dying

Book 1: Cat Yoga Mystery

by Alex Erickson

Genres: Amateur Sleuth; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Mystery; Culinary Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

Fledgling entrepreneur Ashley Branson is thrilled to open her dream business—a cat yoga studio. But helping clients find balance and felines find homes soon becomes one unhealthy exercise in murder . . .

Ashley Branson has a lot to prove with her new cat yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose. It's a place for humans to find inner wellness—and adopt adorable cats from the local shelter. It’s also a chance for Ash to run her own life, out from under her overbearing mother and a stifling relationship. So far, so successful. Until she discovers one of her new clients, a much-disliked college professor, dead in her studio, locked in child’s pose . . .

To make matters worse, Ash’s hapless always-in-trouble brother, Hunter, instantly becomes the cops’ prime suspect. Determined to clear his name and save her business, Ash does a deep lunge into the surprising—and strange—connections the victim had with her other clients. But countless suspects, contradictory leads, not to mention people desperate to see her studio shut down, mean Ash will have to stretch to the max to outthink a clever killer who’s ready to strike her red in tooth and claw . . .

Release date: May 21, 2024

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 272

Sample

A chorus of meows echoed throughout the room. Cat perches, scratching posts, toys, and just about everything a kitty could ever want filled the area. I had to keep a close eye on every step to keep from squashing a tail.

“Look at this one, Ash!” my best friend, Sierra Wahl, said as she scratched the chin of a scrawny tuxedo cat with a black splotch across his nose. “He’s so cute! I’d adopt him right this instant if I thought Herman wouldn’t eat him.”

Herman was her tiger-striped monster of a cat that was the definition of a super chonk.

I flashed Sierra a smile that faded as soon as I turned away. Cats were everywhere, but they were supposed to be. Today was the grand opening of my cat yoga studio, A Purrfect Pose, and I was furiously trying to make sure I was ready.

I so wasn’t ready.

“All right, you should have everything,” Kiersten Vanhouser, head of the local animal shelter, said as she came in from the office. “Adoption forms are on your desk. They just need to be filled out and then they can be dropped off at the shelter or handed to me directly.” She took me by the arm and led me out of the room, into the small hallway at the back of the building. “Are you going to be okay today?”

Was I? I’d been groomed my entire life to take over Branson Designs from my mother, or at least, to have a major share in the business once she finally called it quits. But instead of designing T-shirts and purses and designer masks like most of the rest of the family, I was here, surrounded by cats, waiting for what I hoped would be a full house of yoga enthusiasts.

Concern flashed across Kiersten’s face before she all but shoved me into the small office across from the cat room. Sure enough, a stack of cat adoption forms were piled on the desk. “People will come. You’ll do great.”

“I have three preregistrations,” I said, doing my best not to wail it as I sat in my office chair. “Three! And that’s spread out through the entire weekend. What if no one shows up? I pushed back the grand opening until today in the hopes that more people would preregister, but . . .”

“Breathe.” Kiersten massaged my shoulder. “You’re doing a good thing. People will see that.”

The panic ebbed as I sucked in deep breaths. This was just another big step in Ashley Cordelia Branson’s series of major life changes. I had yet to fall flat on my face over the last few months, and if I kept a level head, I should be able to avoid doing so for the foreseeable future.

“I’m okay,” I said. “Just a little overwhelmed.”

“Take a minute more. I’ll be right out there.” She jerked a thumb toward the door, gave me a good once-over, and then Kiersten headed out to join Sierra with the cats.

Breathing easier, I adjusted the applications on my desk. A folded piece of paper sat beside the pile. On it, I’d scrawled the password to the security system because I had a horrible habit of forgetting things like that. I opened the top drawer of the desk and tucked the page inside where I could find it easily if I needed it.

“I’ve got this,” I muttered before joining the others.

“Okay, if that little guy is still here in a week, I’m going to have a chat with Herman about getting him a brother.” Sierra rose from her crouch after one last scratch behind the kitty’s ears. “I really wish I could stay, but I’ve got to get to work.”

“It’s all right,” I assured her. “I’ll see you later?”

“Of course.” Sierra pulled me into a hug. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Good luck, Ash.” Kiersten took Sierra’s place. She gave me an extra squeeze before she released me. “If you need anything at all, I’ll be at the shelter. Just give me a ring, okay?”

“Will do.” Feeling more centered, I took a deep breath and let it out through my nose. “Thank you both for coming.”

Sierra and Kiersten left, leaving me a few precious minutes to myself. Well, to myself and a dozen semi-well-behaved felines. My customers—if I had any—could adopt any of the cats they saw, cats who would be “helping” them with their yoga poses. If no one showed up, I’d be failing not just myself, but these poor kitties as well.

I double-checked to make sure the cats had clean litter and full water dishes before carrying a full trash bag out through the back door. The alley was blessedly quiet as I tossed the trash into the can, and I took a moment to just breathe before heading back inside.

At the front of the studio, I checked the display of yoga mats and water bottles emblazoned with the Purrfect Pose logo—the silhouette of a cat doing the half-moon pose—to make sure everything looked okay. To the back of the studio, shirts with the same logo hung, all available for purchase. It had taken a lot of begging to get my mom to agree to make the shirts for me, and I was glad she’d given in because I thought they’d turned out great.

My phone rang somewhere in the studio, and for a moment, my brain blanked on where I’d left it. I smacked my rear end where I usually kept it in my jeans pocket, but yoga pants didn’t have pockets. I spun in a circle before I realized I could follow the sound. It led me to the tiny bathroom in the back where the phone sat on the edge of the sink from when I’d splashed water on my face earlier.

A quick glance at the screen caused me to smile.

“Hey, Alexi,” I said, answering. “What’s up?”

“Did I interrupt you?” my sister asked. “You sound out of breath. I didn’t think you started until seven?”

“I don’t. I’ve just been running around like a madwoman for the last twenty minutes, trying to make sure everything’s ready.”

“I should be there.” Alexi—full name, Alexandra Lee Branson—was my older sister by four and a half years, and had succumbed to our mother’s pressure to dedicate her life to Branson Designs, which, I assumed, was where she was now. “I can’t believe Mom is acting like this.”

“I can.” I sighed as I walked to the large plate glass window that fronted the studio. I had to lean forward a little so I could look toward Branson Designs.

A large fountain dominated the square where many of the businesses of Cardinal Lake, Ohio, were located. Downtown was sleepy at this time of morning, but sure enough, I could see Alexi standing outside the family business, which was directly across the square and a little to my right from my studio. She was holding her phone to her ear and gnawing on her thumbnail.

“I see you.” I waved, though she wasn’t looking.

Alexi’s head jerked up and she leaned to see past the fountain before she returned the wave. “It’s all hands on deck here. Mom has turned into a dictator. She insisted everyone come in today and we’re required to remain until noon. No breaks outside the building. No early lunches.”

“Convenient.”

“I swear she’s going to do everything in her power to make sure you fail.” Alexi sounded as annoyed by it as I felt. Cecilia Branson cared about one thing and one thing only.

No, make that two, actually: Cecilia Branson and money. It’s the only reason she’d given in on the shirts.

“It’s probably better that you’re not here,” I said, stepping away from the window before our conversation somehow conjured Mom. “I’m already nervous enough without an audience.”

“Yeah, well, it still sucks. Mom needs to grow up.” There was a rustle and then, faintly, “I’m coming.” Another rustle. “I’ve been summoned.”

“Usually, it’s the demon who gets summoned, not the other way around.”

Alexi chuckled. “Maybe I’ll tell her you said that and see where it gets me. It’s not like things can get much worse.”

“Don’t tempt fate,” I said. “You’re just asking for trouble now.”

“Yeah, I know. Good luck today, Ash.”

“Thanks.” I was about to click off when I remembered something. “What are you doing tonight? About sevenish? The gang’s getting together at Snoot’s to celebrate.” Whether we were going to be celebrating my success or failure had yet to be determined.

“Tonight? I’ve already got plans with Fiona, but we can stop by. Evan’s going to be home with the kids, so I’m free to do what I want, and I plan on taking full advantage of it.” Evan was her husband and often remained home while Alexi was running around town with her best friend.

“Sounds great. Hopefully Mom doesn’t catch wind of it or she’ll force you to work overtime, just so you can’t have any fun.”

“Ugh. Don’t even say that. Talk to you tonight.”

“Later.”

We clicked off just as someone stepped up to the locked front door and tugged. Checking my Fitbit, I noted it was ten ’til seven, which meant it was time to start letting people in.

“Welcome to A Purrfect Pose!” I said as I unlocked and opened the door. “Thank you so much for coming. I’m Ash Branson.”

The woman appeared to be in her mid-forties with reddish-brown hair speckled with a heathy dose of gray at her temples. It was being held back by a yellow headband, which she adjusted as she walked through the door.

“Lulu,” she said. “Lulu O’Brien. I hope I’m dressed properly for this.” She eyed my yoga pants and tank top. She was wearing neck-to-ankle spandex, with a loose-fitting tee on top. She looked as if she belonged in an ’80s workout video.

“You look great,” I said. “You can come to class in anything you feel comfortable in.”

“I want to do this right,” Lulu said, patting herself down nervously. “I’ve been promising Cal that I’d start exercising more for the last two years and I don’t want to mess it up.”

The door opened and two more people entered. The man appeared to be in his mid-fifties while the woman looked a little bit younger. They were quickly followed by a pair of college-aged boys who looked dissimilar enough that I knew they weren’t related, despite my first thought that it was a family coming through.

I showed Lulu the cats and told her she could go in and pet them if she’d like before I went over to the newcomers for introductions.

“Professor Valentine!” one of the younger guys, a good-looking, athletically built blond wearing a Def Leppard shirt that looked well-worn said as I approached. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

The man turned with a faint scowl. He looked the two boys up and down, brow furrowing as he did, clearly not recognizing them.

“It’s Topher, right?” the woman with Professor Valentine said. I placed her between forty, forty-five. “Topher . . . Newman?”

The boy beamed. “It is. I’m happy you remembered me.”

The woman looked to the professor. “He was in my class last semester, Jonas.” She turned to Topher. “English Lit, I believe?”

“It was. And I had chemistry with Professor Valentine that same semester. We both did.” He motioned toward his black-haired companion, who had yet to say a word.

A brief uncomfortable silence followed. It was apparent Jonas Valentine wasn’t too keen on talking to students outside of class. Based on the Cardinal Lake University tee the dark-haired kid was wearing, I assumed they were all from the local college.

After a moment, Jonas turned away and muttered, “Let’s go, Fay,” to the woman next to him. He urged her away from the boys.

“Welcome to A Purrfect Pose,” I said, stepping in. “Thank you so much for coming!”

“Are those the cats we’re going to be using?” Topher asked, nodding toward a large window where you could look in on the kitties before bringing them out. It also gave the cats a view of the room so they could get used to all of the people.

“They are. Feel free to go in and pet them.”

“Cool. Let’s check them out, Chad.”

Chad of the dark hair nodded to me, and then followed Topher over to the window.

I spent the next few minutes greeting newcomers and showing everyone around. Then, once I had everyone together in the same room, I explained the cost and adoption policies. It wasn’t something I planned on doing every day, but figured it would be a good idea on my first-ever session.

“Individual classes are twenty dollars each, but you can pay monthly if you’d prefer, which would get you a discount.” I pointed to the sign that listed the various options, including a yearly plan I expected no one would take. “If you adopt one of our cats, you get a forty-dollar voucher you can use on your own classes or give to a friend.”

A man with the cherubic face of a middle-schooler and the thinning hair of a middle-aged man raised his hand. He’d introduced himself as George Wilkins when he’d arrived.

“Yes, George?”

“What if I pay for the three-classes-per-week monthly plan and then decide to come to a few extra classes?”

“You can pay for individual sessions if you wish,” I said, excitement thrumming through me. My first early morning class was nearly full, which was far better than I’d anticipated. There were three younger women who’d come in together soon after the Valentines and the two male students, along with an older couple I feared might struggle with the more demanding poses, bringing the total up to eleven. I had room for fifteen.

Well, technically, I could fit more than that, but I didn’t want to cause the cats too much stress by packing the place full of people.

Once everyone was settled on the pricing, and had chosen their spots on the floor, I released the felines. It wasn’t a flood of fur and tails like you might expect, but the cats did come, albeit slowly.

This was the part that worried me. Yoga mats and cat claws didn’t mix all that well. And with nearly a dozen strangers in the room, I wasn’t sure how the cats would react.

I shouldn’t have worried. As soon as the first cat stepped into the room and found someone to rub up against, the rest followed. Before I knew it, I was in front of the class, in command of a room full of fluffy tails and cooing students. Even the stern Professor Valentine softened when a chubby kitten batted at his ankles.

“Okay, let’s start off with some stretches,” I said once the initial excitement died down. Light, calming music played over speakers strategically placed at the front of the room as I demonstrated a few easy stretches to get everyone warmed up.

The morning session was meant to be a sort of wake-me-up, and was less demanding than the following classes. I figured that since I was the only instructor, I could use the slower pace so I didn’t wear myself out before the last class of the day.

Once the stretches were out of the way, it was time to get into the actual poses. I straightened, rolled my head on my neck once more, and then said, “Now, let’s start with the crescent moon pose.”

“You mean the erd have a hasta la sauna?” George said as he raised his arms above his head.

I hesitated before asking, “What was that?” I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right.

“The erd have a hasta la sauna. It’s the official term for the pose.”

I opened my mouth, but snapped it closed again when I realized what he was trying to say. The urdhva hastasana.

I was debating how to respond when Lulu spoke up. “I’m sure she wants to make it easy on the rest of us.” Sweat beaded her brow, despite only having gone through a couple of stretches. She wavered as she tried to hold the rather simple pose. “I’d never remember those official names, not when I have to put my full concentration on not falling over.”

George grunted at that, but otherwise didn’t comment as we flowed into the next pose.

A shriek caused me—and half the class—to jump. It was followed by a laugh.

“Sorry!” one of the younger women—a lithe girl named Kelly—said. “His tail tickled my nose.” The cat, which happened to be the tuxedo Sierra had been so fond of earlier that morning, proceeded to butt his head against Kelly’s supporting arm. She wavered, and then giggled in response.

We were working into more difficult poses when a bang from the back caused me to stagger and nearly fall. It took me a moment to realize the sound was the back door—the supposedly auto-locking back door—slamming closed.

“Excuse me a moment,” I said, straightening. “Take a few minutes with the cats while I check on that.”

“Whew,” Lulu said, wiping her brow. Her hair was plastered to her face where it had come free from her headband. “Thank goodness! My legs feel like jelly.”

I hurried past her, into the back, fearing that I’d find the back door hanging open and cats pouring out into the alley. What I found instead was my brother, Hunter, sitting on the floor, back against one of the shelving units there, with his head in his hands.

My stomach dropped. “What’s happened now?” I asked him.

Hunter—or, if you talked to my mother, Reginald Hunter Daniels—looked up. “It’s good to see you too, Sis.”

I sighed. “Hunter.”

He pushed his way to his feet. I was glad to note he didn’t look rumpled, as he often did when he came to me for help.

And that’s exactly what this was. I could tell by the way he wouldn’t meet my eye, the way he ducked his head as soon as he was on his feet, that he wanted something from me.

“You know today is important,” I told him. “It’s my first-ever class here at A Purrfect Pose and I can’t mess it up.”

“I’m not here to mess anything up,” Hunter said. “I just needed somewhere to sit for a few minutes.”

“So you broke in through my back door?”

Hunter snorted. “I didn’t break in. It was unlocked.”

“No, it wasn’t. The door locks as soon as it’s closed.” My eyes flickered past him, to the door, which was indeed firmly shut now that he was inside.

“Uh, yeah, it was.” He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

A part of me wanted to scream in frustration, but it was often like this with Hunter. He hadn’t had it easy ever since Mom and Dad had split. Petty crimes. Not knowing where he fit in with the family. That didn’t mean we didn’t try to help him. I did whatever I could, as did Alexi, but Hunter was Hunter, and he did things his own way.

“Hunter,” I said, fighting back a sigh. “Why are you here?” I peeked back out front. Most everyone seemed content to play with the cats, but Jonas was scowling at where his wife, Fay, and Topher were petting a Maine Coon who had rolled over onto his back to absorb the attention. Jonas checked his watch and then looked to the door as if thinking about leaving. “I really need to get back out there.”

“Go ahead,” Hunter said, waving a dismissive hand. “We can talk after. I’m in no rush.”

And from the sound of it, I wasn’t going to like this little chat. I rarely did.

I returned to the main room. Before I could resume the session, the front door opened and a harsh series of barks filled the space, causing nearly all the cats to flee to the back in a flurry of scrabbling claws and poofing tails.

“I told you it would be like this,” a short, white-haired man with a high-pitched, whiny voice said. He was carrying a yippy Pomeranian under one arm. “Didn’t I say that there were cats everywhere? Cats meowing and causing absolute mayhem. It’s going to ruin me if it keeps up.”

Behind him, a police officer entered. She was Black, short, and annoyed.

And I knew her extremely well.

“Mr. Leslie,” Officer Olivia Chase said. “No one is meowing in here.”

“But they were! I heard it.” He shifted the Pomeranian from one arm to the other. “The dogs were having fits. How am I supposed to groom them when they’re so riled up? You’ve got to do something.”

Officer Chase rubbed at the bridge of her nose, and then turned to me. “Hello, Ash. I’m sorry about this, but Mr. Leslie has concerns.”

Mr. Leslie’s eyes widened at the familiar tone. “Wait. You know each other?”

Olivia answered before I could. “Her sister married my older brother, but that doesn’t stop me from doing my job.”

“That’s not fair.” Mr. Leslie stomped like an angry toddler, causing the Pomeranian to start barking again. “I want another officer to come down here and take care of this problem at once!”

“Mr. Leslie, there’s nothing we can do. Ash isn’t bothering anyone, nor are her cats. In fact, it’s only your dog that’s causing anyone distress as far as I can tell.”

Mr. Leslie stepped back as if Olivia had struck him. “You dare? I called you to help me, and this is how I’m treated?” He turned on me and jabbed a finger at my face. “I will get you to close this place before the end of the month, mark my words. I won’t let this stand.” He spun on his heel. “Let’s go, Ginger. These people aren’t worth your breath.”

Stunned silence filled the room as Mr. Leslie stormed out of the building. He paused outside, peered in through the plate glass window that fronted the studio, and, to my shock, he stuck his tongue out at me before he marched away.

“I . . . I . . .” Was flabbergasted. Stunned.

“Don’t worry about him,” Olivia said. “You should get back to work.” She nodded toward the unsettled group of people waiting on me.

I caught Jonas Valentine glancing at his watch again, and this time, he made a point to make sure I noticed him doing it.

“Yeah,” I said to Olivia, not sure if I should thank her or apologize to her. I settled on “I’ll talk to you later?”

“Of course.” She glanced around the room. “I think . . .