Kitty Cats and Kitsch, page 6
“That’s great, but after getting the ransom notes, the possibility that he escaped is pretty slim. What will they do if they think we’re sending them on a wild…cat chase?”
“Persephone escaped when Nicole stole the painting. It could’ve been a similar situation.” Casey shrugged. “Maybe once someone realized they found a famous cat, they wanted to capitalize. Now we have people looking for her.”
“True. Speaking of ransom notes, I want to see if Henry’s had a chance to look at them.”
We’d moved to my room. Persephone’s stuff was here, and I wanted to give her a chance to relax.
Casey settled into the zebra print chair in the corner. “Tell him I say hey.”
“I will.” I popped a couple of quarters into the Magic Fingers machine.
Casey gave me a look.
“Persephone likes it. And she’s had a stressful day.”
She jumped onto the bed, flopping down to take full advantage of the vibration.
“We should check in with Rosamund,” I suggested. “See if any of the protesters went to the store.”
“Man, I hope not. I told her to stay away from social media today and let me handle it. She’s not ready for this kind of controversy.” Casey swiped her phone and frowned. “It will take me a while to go through these notifications. I underestimated how passionate people could be about animals they’ve never met.”
“If we can funnel that excitement to the animals at the shelter, I’m all for it.”
“Before I left, I started a feature on Persephone’s page called Shelter Cat Saturday. Depending on how long we’re here, I’ll have to have Brooke take more pictures. We need to check in on her and see how she’s doing with all those hotties helping out at the shelter.”
“I’m sure she’s just fine. I peeked out the window. All but a few of the Cupcake crowd had left. “I’d suggest doing our admin work while we sat at the pool, but I don’t want anyone to bother Persephone.”
Casey glanced at my open suitcase, where my cat had curled up for a nap. She did that at the beginning of the last trip too. “I don’t think she’d mind if we slipped out for a bit.”
She was probably right, but… “I’m worried about leaving her alone. If someone stole Cupcake, they might want Persephone too.”
My phone dinged. Henry.
Wow. This is a first for the Spy Kitty sleuthing team.
You’re telling me. Does anything look unusual to you? I asked.
Some of the fonts were popular midcentury. And the colors look the same, but they could have faded with sun damage.
“Henry seems to think the magazines are old.”
“Of course they are. Who reads magazines anymore, besides my grandma?” Casey grinned at me. Persephone had woken, and had crawled into Casey’s lap to enjoy a good scritch to the spot. “Everything’s available online.”
“I’ve been known to look through a magazine every once in a while.”
“My grandma also likes Parking Lot Potluck.” She and Brooke loved to tease me about my favorite cooking show.
Casey might not have been impressed with Henry’s investigative skills, but I was. Is there any way to tell how old they are?
The best way to do it would be to remove the letters from the paper and check the text on the back. But the glue will most likely make it illegible. You might get lucky and get a date. We can only date paper by eras, and ink by its earliest known use date. Have you contacted the police?
We suggested it to Rosamund, but she’s stubborn, and our fingerprints are all over it.
If you get another one, don’t touch it. Call the police.
That will certainly freak her out.
How are you holding up? he asked.
I’m making peace with the reality that no two cases are alike, except that everyone involved has an agenda.
You’ve got this, Addie.
“Oooh, we’ve got a message from Brooke.” Casey held up her phone. “She says everyone who’s come into the shelter is talking about Cupcake.”
“Have her tell them Persephone is working to find her.”
Casey’s expression darkened. “She’s heard there’s more than one person heading this investigation, and says to be careful.”
“I hope that’s someone posting hearsay and not true.”
“As long as someone finds her, that’s a good thing, right?”
“We’re being paid to be here. So if someone else finds her first…”
Casey scoffed. “I hope they brought a crowbar to get Rosamund to open up. Even if they did, they don’t have Persephone on their side. Isn’t that right?” She roughed Persephone’s fur, and my cat grabbed her hands playfully with her paws. “I asked for a shelter update.”
“Awesome.”
“She said the first couple of days have been great. Darlene and Erin have pulled extra shifts. About half a dozen of Jason’s friends have come in, and they’re not afraid to get their hands dirty. Casey waggled her brows. “You know I asked for pictures.”
Moments later, she put her hand over her mouth. “What is hotter than ex-military dudes holding shelter pets?”
“Them finding homes for the shelter pets?” I took the phone from her. She was right. All those big strong men holding our shelter regulars made my heart skip a beat.
Casey gasped. “We should do a calendar. Vets with Shelter Pets. Think of the money we could raise for Helping Paws.”
“Oh, I’m so on that one.” I gave her the phone back. “Text her and ask her to start gathering interest. We need to end this weird day on a positive note.”
“What should we do for the rest of the day? It’s still kind of early.” Casey lifted Persephone from her lap and placed her on the bed. She stalked over to me and flopped down in front of my legs.
That deserved a belly rub.
Casey opened the curtain. “I bet Persephone could find a nice late afternoon sunbeam to nap in at the pool, and we can talk strategy.”
“Is there catfish here?” Persephone asked.
“Don’t know. But I’m sure we can find you some fish.” I looked up at Casey. “The pool might be a good idea. I’d like to talk to some of the guests about the crowd that was here earlier.”
“They’ll probably be more talkative during happy hour, especially since Roy is plying everyone with two-for-one drinks.”
“Then dinner. Want to try the Arcade Diner? As long as we can bring Persephone.” After a day like today, I wasn’t letting her out of my sight.
“Absolutely. I need to film something while I’m here… is it okay if I mention Persephone on my channel? So they understand why I’m in Rappaport. So far, I’ve kept Spy Kitty separate from my own stuff.”
“Sure.” But the word came out sounding the opposite. Someone had catnapped one famous cat, and I had no plans of letting them add to their collection. “Keep details about your location a little vague.”
She nodded and disappeared into her room to change into her bathing suit, and I did the same. Persephone settled into the spot my suit had been in my suitcase.
Once I was changed, I sat on the floor and ran my hand over her back. “If we called Marnie here, would you let her read your cards?”
“What does that mean?”
“She’d draw cards that tell us more about you. That’s what she did for Casey and me. She was really good, and I wonder what she’d have to say about you.”
“Is that magic?”
“I don’t know what it is.” Talking to Marnie again after that awkward exit wouldn’t be easy, but we had to find a way to make it happen. “Was it the shop that made you uncomfortable, or her?”
“Not sure.”
“Did you get a good scent?”
“The whole place smelled spicy. She did too.”
That was probably the incense and candles. “Have you smelled that anywhere else?”
“No.”
Which meant Marnie most likely hadn’t set foot in the Don’t Forget Me shop for a long time. “I have to put the harness on you again.”
“It never gets less embarrassing.”
“I know. But I’m worried someone might try to take you too.”
Persephone’s eyes widened. “Would they?”
“I hope not.”
Casey knocked on the door. She had a cute sundress on over her bathing suit, and a matching straw hat. All I’d packed as a cover-up was an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Ready?”
“I am.” I grabbed the leash, opened the door, and turned back to Casey. “Just a warning—Roy’s out there, tending bar.”
Chapter Eleven
“Consider this Cupcake Search Headquarters,” Roy said to two guests as he slid their frozen strawberry margaritas across the bar. “This is the place to come for all official information, and search plans for the day. Soon I’ll have official Cupcake merchandise. All proceeds will go directly to securing his safe return.”
Casey and I shared a look.
His face brightened when he saw us sitting at the end of the tiki bar. “If it isn’t my guests of honor. What’s your pleasure?”
“We need to talk, Roy.”
His face fell. “Is something wrong with your rooms? My sister instructed me to give you two of our best suites.”
“No. The rooms are fine.” I motioned to the couple next to us as they clinked their plastic cups together. “We need to talk about what you just told them. Your sister hired me for this investigation, Roy. Any official information—and merchandise—should come from Rosamund only.”
He gave me an oily smirk and leaned forward. “Is that why you’re sitting in a bar in your bathing suit after you spent the morning getting your cards read, instead of combing every inch of this town like your friend suggested?”
His expression softened when he glanced at Casey. But she wasn’t having any of it. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him.
“It’s part of the investigation.” Immediately I felt like I’d said too much.
“You think Marnie took Cupcake?” He let out a robust laugh that made everyone at the pool take notice. “Marnie is a respected business owner and longtime resident of this town. You can’t waltz in here and throw out accusations like that.”
He’d twisted my words, but I wouldn’t correct him. “I’m not at liberty to discuss the investigation with you.”
Another laugh. “You’re not the police, Ms. Dawson. You’re a delusional young woman taking advantage of vulnerable older citizens.”
“Rosamund hardly seems frail,” Casey said. She’d smoothed things over with Roy once already. “She hired us. We didn’t seek her out. And like Addie said, there are things going on we can’t discuss. You want to see your sister get her cat back, right?”
She gave him another dating profile worthy smile.
He was putty in her hands. “Of course I do. My sister never had a family of her own, and her cats are everything to her.”
“Do you have a family, Roy?” I asked.
“I do. My twins are in college now. The wife and I stayed together until they finished high school, and then we decided it was best for both of us to explore other options.” His gaze landed firmly on Casey.
“I appreciate all you’re doing to help us with this investigation, but as Rosamund hired me, I’d love to be included in any plans you have to help find Cupcake—just to make sure no one’s stepping on any toes.” I waited for him to acknowledge me. Once I got a nod, I continued. “Thank you. Now can you tell me if any of the guests that are currently at the pool were here when the search parties were formed.”
He grinned. “I’m not at liberty to share information about my guests, Ms. Dawson.”
Infuriating, but I wouldn’t give out information about the shelter simply because someone asked. So in theory, I understood. But in reality, every minute we didn’t know where Cupcake was would make it harder to locate him. And the most frustrating part was that Roy was right. We looked bad, hanging out in the pool in our bathing suits, even if we were working.
I could tell him about the ransom notes, but he already had enough power over us, and I refused to give him anymore. I turned to Casey. “We should go.”
She nodded and slid off her barstool.
“So soon, ladies?” Roy held up his hands. “It’s happy hour.”
“We’re working,” I reminded him.
He almost laughed at us again, but he must have thought better of it. “Casey, when you’re done with work, I’d be honored if you joined me for a nightcap.”
“Searching for Cupcake is a twenty-four-seven job.” She was too good at this. “But this is a super cute bar. We’ll have to hold the celebration party here once Cupcake is safely reunited with your sister.”
With Persephone in tow, we didn’t look back until we got back to our rooms. I collapsed on my bed. “Isn’t he a peach?”
“He’ll back down if you stand up to him. He’s used to being a bully. No wonder he’s divorced.” Casey settled next to me. “He was about to call the police on all the people who gathered until I went out there.”
“That’s because he likes you.”
“He can dream on, because he’s the same age as my dad, and ew.” She shuddered. “He’s definitely not the guy Marnie talked about during the reading.”
“She did say to beware of men showering gifts on you and to make sure you got the treatment you deserved.” I didn’t want Roy to be the guy in Casey’s reading either, but he did fit certain aspects. “We should probably rethink our approach. It was my plan to get immersed in Rosamund’s world—that’s worked every other time. That’s easier to do in a city than it is in a small town. But if anyone knows small towns, it’s us, right? Sometimes I pinch myself that I get paid for this. So I can understand—”
“No.” Casey sat up and turned to me. “Don’t doubt yourself because what you’re doing looks bad according to Roy. What if he’s trying to push us away from something?”
“I didn’t think of that. Do you think Roy has something to do with Cupcake’s disappearance?”
Rosamund didn’t seem to think so.
“I think Roy’s an opportunist. Whether he got involved in this opportunity before or after Cupcake went missing remains to be seen.” She scrolled through notifications on her phone. “Oh, it looks like there’s been a Cupcake sighting.”
“Where? And how do you know?”
“I started a group before everyone left the motor inn.” She grinned. “Roy only thinks he’s in charge of this investigation. Let him. We’ll keep working.”
“What’s the info?” I got off the bed and dug through my suitcase for something that wasn’t a bathing suit or covered in cat hair.
“They didn’t give an address. Just that they saw him behind where the Dairy Barn used to be.” Casey sighed. “Hopefully nothing a quick search can’t fix.”
“That means whoever posted it is local. Make a note of their name in case it comes up again.” Or we could figure out a way to talk to them. The game had changed since we came to Rappaport. A life was on the line, and we couldn’t rely only on what Rosamund told us to save it.
“The building is still there. Covered in graffiti. It’s five minutes away.”
Once we got dressed, the three of us were back in the SUV. Roy was still holding court at the bar. I’d swear he watched us drive away. Nothing got past this man. He was the mayor of the town that was named after his family, and he wanted to make sure we knew that.
I hadn’t bothered to put Persephone in her carrier. She could ride shotgun with Casey. It was a quick trip, and she’d had enough stress for one day. I could work endlessly, but my cat needed a gentler schedule.
“I won’t let Roy Rappaport intimidate us into failure,” I said more to myself than Casey.
“After today, I understand why Rosamund was so standoffish with us,” she said as she patted Persephone. From the sounds of it, she’d found the spot. “There are some bullies in this town.”
“We’ve only met two people so far. And it seems like they’re not very welcoming to outsiders, which is odd for a town that depends on tourism to survive.” My mind raced as I drove. “Which makes me wonder if Cupcake’s disappearance is part of something bigger.”
“You might be right—but is it our job to solve their problems?”
“Nope. They can duke it out after we leave. Our concern is finding Cupcake.”
The GPS guided us to the street where the former Dairy Barn stood. It was a lonely stretch of road, and besides a couple houses tucked into the woods, its only neighbor was a gas station that had been defunct longer than Casey and I had been alive.
Weeds thrived in the thick cracks of the Dairy Barn’s parking lot. Planks covered the old takeout window, and many spray paint artists had taken the opportunity to leave their mark. A tired, broken rope spanned the entryway, and a rusty sign that warned us not to trespass lay on the pavement.
We were the only car here. “When did that notification come through? I expected people to be here.”
“About an hour ago.” Casey bit her lip as she scrolled. “I’m checking for updates, but there are so many posts in this group they’re getting jumbled.”
I shut the car off and locked the doors. “I don’t want to get out. The woods are thick, and it’s gonna get dark soon.”
Persephone jumped into my lap, claws at the ready. Casey screamed when something hit our SUV.
Chapter Twelve
“Get us out of here!” Persephone’s claws dug into my skin, but I couldn’t move.
“Someone tried to kill us!” Casey stared wide-eyed at the back window. “Addie, go!”
I was frozen with shock, the signals from my brain not quite making it to my body. Somehow I managed to put the SUV in drive and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. We were going back the way we came—or so I thought. Once we got out of this parking lot, we could figure it out.
I turned onto the main road and pulled into the parking lot of a bank. No one was there. My legs were rubber when I jumped out of the car.
