Cat's Don't Squeal, page 7
part #32 of Klepto Cat Mystery Series
“Here’s a five,” Michael called from the kitchen, “and a couple of coins.”
“Oh good,” Cassie said. “Where was it? Where did Rags put it?”
“In his bed,” Michael said.
“Here’s the rest of it,” Holly called from the hallway. She handed it to Cassie and said, “Now go put this away someplace in a drawer or something so Rags can’t find it.”
Savannah frowned. “I don’t know how Rags could have taken it.” He was right here with me the whole time you were getting settled.”
“He’s the one Cassie saw with the little purse,” Michael reminded her.
“Yeah, but he was just sniffing it. He didn’t have it in his mouth.”
Michael sighed. “So, who do you think took the purse, Teddy, me...?”
“Well, I don’t know. But I can’t imagine how it could have been Rags this time. I just can’t.”
He moved closer to her and spoke quietly. “Hon, what’s the deal? Why are you so bent on protecting him lately?”
“I’m not,” she defended.
“It sure seems like you are.”
Savannah took a deep breath and called out to the others, “Okay, let’s get our drinks and enjoy the deck while it’s still warm out.”
“Can I help?” Holly offered, joining Savannah in the kitchen. “By the way, I’ll have a wine cooler and I’m sure Keith will want a beer.”
“Okay. Do you want to see what flavor juicies the kids would like?”
While Holly was busy with that task, Savannah took a moment to quiet herself. Five, four, three, two, one, zero, she recited slowly and silently. She then imagined a white light around herself, each member of her family, the cats, and their guests. She smiled, thinking, That was empowering. I’m starting to understand the concept now—just by going through the motions of protecting yourself and your loved ones, your stress level goes down.
Once the children had chosen their beverages, they walked toward the sliding glass door leading to the spacious deck and Cassie asked, “Can Praline and Rags come out with us?”
“It’s not Praline,” Adam scoffed. “It’s Pauline.”
“Oh, Pauline,” Cassie repeated.
“Put their harnesses and leashes on them,” Savannah called from the kitchen.
Adam ran into the laundry room and returned saying, “Look at this, Cassie, Pauline has a new leash and a matching harness. I’ll put this one on her. Here, you can put Rags’s on him.”
“How do you know whose leash is whose?” Bethany asked.
“That’s easy,” Adam said. “Rags’s is blue and Pauline’s is this purple color.”
“Lavender,” Savannah said as she and Holly carried drinks out for the four adults.
The families had been visiting for a few minutes and enjoying the beach ambiance when Cassie said, “Hey, Adam, where’s your cat?”
“Huh?” he stared down at his feet.
“Uh-oh,” he said, jumping up from his chair. He picked up Pauline’s harness and leash and looked around. “Where’s Pauline? Who turned her loose?”
Bethany laughed and pointed. “She’s right there, sleeping on your sweatshirt.”
“But how did she get this off?” he asked.
“She must be a Houdini,” Keith suggested, laughing.
“Huh?”
“Some cats slip out of those things somehow.” He reached out. “Let me look at it.” Keith examined the harness. “Yeah, I’ve known cats to escape from this type of harness.”
“In your veterinary office?” Adam asked.
“Yes, sometimes. And I saw a video once showing cats that can’t be contained.” He chuckled. “I’m surprised Rags isn’t a Houdini, as much as he loves his freedom.”
“So is there a way to put it on so it will stay on?” Adam asked.
“Well, let’s see,” Keith said, walking with Adam toward the cat. “Maybe if we tighten it a little.”
Once they’d strapped the harness on Pauline, she lay down and went back to sleep. A little while later, though, when Adam felt her rub up against him, he reached down to pet her and yelped, “Her harness! Where’s her harness? She took it off again, Uncle Keith.”
“So that’s the secret, is it?” Michael lamented.
“What secret?” Holly asked, obviously amused.
He looked across the deck at his sister-in-law. “Well, the gal who forced her on us said Pauline has a secret, and that she would reveal it at some point. I guess that’s it. She’s a worse escape artist than Rags is.” He held the harness up and shook his head. “I hope to heck she doesn’t teach him this trick.”
“It’s interesting, though, that she sticks around,” Savannah said. “She doesn’t seem to wander off; she just wants to be free of that thing. She’s kind of dog-like in the way she hangs around wherever the family is.”
Keith laughed. “Yeah, maybe that’s her secret; she’s part dog.”
****
The following afternoon Savannah opened the door to Detective Aaron Shively. She showed him in and invited him to sit with her in the living room.
“Nice place,” he said, looking around.
“Yes. We’ve rented it for a few weeks. We’re having a little family vacation.”
“With cats?” he asked, when he saw Rags walk into the room. Pauline trailed behind him.
Savannah pointed. “The grey one’s Rags. He found the money.”
The detective stared at the cats for a moment, then sat back in his chair saying rather smugly, “That’s what I’m told. Tough to believe, actually.” He looked hard at her. “So you can see why we need to know about your affiliation with John Droust and Ed Slattery.”
“Who?” Savannah asked.
The detective responded rather sarcastically, “The two men you were with when you recovered the loot.”
She frowned. “I don’t know what you’re implying, but I’d never met either of those men before Sunday and I did not knowingly recover anything.”
“Then how is it that you were so quick to put your hands on the money bags?” He stared into her face. “Are you telling me you simply breezed into town and just happened to find the stuff buried behind a row of thick shrubs surrounding a busy restaurant?”
“No,” Savannah said. She nodded toward Rags. “He happened to find it.”
The detective studied Rags for a moment. “He looks like an ordinary cat to me.”
“Well, he is. Didn’t John tell you what happened? Rags, that’s the cat, was walking around at the end of his leash while John and I were talking. The cat went behind that bush and came out with a pouch of money. I called the police.”
“Mrs. Ivey,” the detective said scornfully, “that’s a lovely fairytale, but come on, you had to know that money was there.”
She frowned at the detective. “How would I know that? No! I did not know the money was there. Why would I call the police if I knew it was there and had come to get it? That doesn’t make sense.”
Detective Shively sat with that thought for a moment while looking at Rags, who was lying on the floor in a sphinx position and staring up at him. “He’s kind of evil looking. Does he always stare at people like that?” Without waiting for Savannah’s response, the detective focused on her. “When’s the last time you were in our city, Mrs. Ivey?”
“Oh...well, I was actually there in December with my mother and sister, why?”
The detective shifted in his chair. “December, huh? Was it the week of the first, by any chance?”
“Yes, the first weekend in December. Why? How did you know that?”
“Well, madam, that’s when the robbery took place.” He made eye contact with Rags again. “That cat gives me the willies, the way he just lies there and stares.”
“I’m sorry,” Savannah said. “He’s an unusual cat.”
“You don’t say. How’s that?”
“Well, he sometimes helps solve crimes. He finds things and very often what he finds is related to a crime.” She added. “Like I guess he did on Sunday.”
“Hard to believe,” he grumbled. He took a deep breath. “Well, how long will you be here, Mrs. Ivey?”
“Almost two weeks.”
“And do we have your home address?”
“I believe so. I can give it to you.”
He turned a page on the small notebook he’d been using and copied it down as she recited it.
“So are John and Ed still in jail?” she asked.
He looked at her. “I thought you said you didn’t know them.”
“I don’t,” she insisted. “I met them for the first time outside that restaurant two days ago.”
“Do you know that John has a record?” he asked.
“Well,” she stalled, “he did mention being in jail once.”
He looked at her. “Did you know that someone was hurt or maybe killed in the execution of that robbery?”
“I got that impression from the newspaper article I read. So I guess the blood you found on that jacket...” Savannah started.
“Yes, it looks like it belongs to the missing witness.”
“If she’s missing, how do you know she was a witness?”
“Proximity and probability,” he said, “or it’s one huge coincidence. What do you think?”
“About what?” she asked becoming more and more annoyed with the man and his line of questioning.
“Was she stabbed or shot?” he asked, using a mysterious tone. “Is she being hidden somewhere or is she dead?” When Savannah didn’t react or respond, he taunted, “You know something about that witness, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no involvement whatsoever in that case.”
“Except that you came up with the money,” he said sharply. “Money, by the way, that was hidden six months ago, approximately or maybe exactly when you were visiting our town.”
“I know nothing at all about that money,” Savannah insisted, “except that my cat found it and I called the police and turned it in.”
The detective stared at her, a smirk on his face. “Not all of it,” he declared.
Startled, Savannah yelped, “What?”
“Are you insinuating that you don’t know some of that money’s still missing? I’m guessing that whoever took it,” he stared hard at her, “is spending it as we speak on, oh, perhaps a luxury vacation.”
Savannah shook her head, thinking, He’s not going to let this go. What is wrong with him, anyway? She asked him, “Now, you say the burglary took place six months ago?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’re surprised that some of the money has been spent?”
He looked around the house again. “No, not really.” He leaned toward her. “Now what is it you do wherever is it you come from?”
“Hammond. I’m a veterinarian, not practicing right now. I stay home with our two young children. I’m also an author and our cat there stars in some children’s books and a documentary that bring in royalties. My husband runs a veterinary clinic. We do not need to steal money in order to survive or, for that matter, in order to enjoy a rich life.”
“So you say,” the detective snarked. He looked suspiciously at her, then gazed at Rags and glanced at Pauline, who was curled up on the sofa next to Savannah. He stood up and looked beyond her. “So how much does this place rent for?”
“I’m not sure. The owners are friends of ours. I can give you their name if you’re interested in renting it.”
“How many bedrooms does it have?” he asked.
“Six. Are you still interrogating me,” she snapped, “or do you want this information for yourself?”
“Yeah, I might want to bring my family here.” He looked out the windows. “Is there easy access to the beach?”
“Come on, I’ll show you,” she offered, eager to distract him from his line of questioning.
The detective followed her through the house, then out onto the deck, where she causally and quickly introduced him to the others.
“Nice place,” he said, heading back into the living room minutes later, “but probably out of my price range.” Suddenly, he stopped and looked around the area where he’d been sitting.
“Did you lose something?” Savannah asked.
“Yeah. I thought I put my notebook here on the table.” He checked his pockets, then kneeled and looked under the table and chair.
Just then Adam walked into the room with a notebook in his hand. He asked, “Is this yours?”
“Yes,” the detective said crossly. “What are you doing with it? Do you make it a habit of taking things that don’t belong to you? Maybe you learned that from your mother, here, huh?”
“Hey,” Savannah said. “I don’t like your tone or your implication.” She turned to the boy and asked gently, “Adam, where’d you find this?”
He chuckled. “I came in to get a water bottle and saw Rags and Pauline pawing at something. I went over to look and...” He shrugged. “I guess Rags took it. Where was it?”
“Um...,” the detective stalled, “I left it on the table there.” He picked up his pencil and put it in his pocket, then took the notepad from Adam. “Thanks,” he said without much sincerity. When he saw the two cats sitting in the kitchen, he stared at them for a moment. “I still find it hard to believe that a cat would...”
Just then Cassie ran into the room, squealing, “Where is it? Did you see what he did with it?”
“What, honey?” Savannah asked.
“My Sandra doll’s sunglasses. She needs her dark glasses out in the sun. I think Rags took them. Do you know where he put them?”
“He’s there in the kitchen,” Adam said, “sitting by Teddy’s jumpy chair.”
Moments later, Cassie raced out of the room, calling out, “Found them. Thanks, Adam.”
Detective Shively looked in the direction Cassie had gone, then down at Rags, who had by then returned to the living room. He shook his head. “I never knew cats could cause so much commotion.”
“This one can,” Michael said, entering the room. He scrutinized the detective, then glanced at Savannah and Adam. “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” the detective said. “Yeah, I guess, for now. I have your number, Mrs. Ivey. Will you be around? I mean here at this place, or do you have outings planned?”
“Yes, actually, I’ll be doing some book signings around town.”
He scratched his head and stared down at Rags, then turned and walked out of the house.
“What was that all about?” Michael asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. For some reason he has it in his head that I’m in cahoots with John and Ed.”
He appeared confused. “Who?”
“You know, the two guys we met at the restaurant.”
“Why do you think that is?” he asked.
“I don’t actually know,” she said, staring after the detective. “But Rags and I could be in deep trouble.”
Chapter 4
The following afternoon the Iveys and the Pettits were lounging on the deck enjoying the ocean view when Keith looked down at Pauline and asked, “So, how’d the new cat check out, Savannah? You took her to see some of your former colleagues yesterday, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, it was kind of cool seeing them again. It’s been a while. My mentor was disappointed that I’m no longer a practicing veterinarian, but Dr. Daisy Miller got it. When I showed them pictures of the kids, Daisy said, ‘If I had a beautiful family like that, I’d give up my day job in a heartbeat.’” Savannah ran her hand over Teddy’s arm and smiled down at him as he played under the shade of a large umbrella. “Yeah, Pauline checked out fine. She got her booster shots and flea control. She’s good to go. Oh, they checked for a chip. She didn’t have one, so I had them put one in.”
“Good idea,” Keith said. “If she’s going to be a free spirit—you know, shun the harness and go her own way, she’ll need to carry identification.”
Suddenly, they heard someone call out. “Hi, there!”
“Hi,” Savannah greeted when she saw a couple who appeared to be in their thirties waving from the beach. The man, dressed in colorful board shorts, held something up and asked, “Does this belong to any of you?”
The woman with him said, “We found it on our deck.”
“What is it?” Savannah asked, moving closer. The couple walked closer as well. When Savannah saw that it was a piece of jewelry, she shook her head and turned to her sister-in-law. “Holly, are you missing a pendant necklace—you know, one of those long ones with a...?”
Before Savannah could finish describing it, Holly joined her on the edge of the deck. She squinted at the necklace. “No. I didn’t bring anything like that with me.” She walked down a couple of steps and looked more closely. “It’s pretty. Where’d you find it?”
The woman nodded. “On our deck a couple of doors down.”
“Hey, maybe a seagull dropped it,” Keith offered. When the others looked at him, he explained, “You know, he took it from a beach vendor and dropped it on your doorstep. I’d say it’s a gift; keep it.”
“Yeah, a gift from above,” Michael added, laughing.
The woman tilted her head when she looked at Keith, then Michael. “Hey, you guys are twins, aren’t you?”
Keith studied Michael briefly, and said, “Yeah, I guess we are at that.”
Holly slapped playfully at her husband, who had joined her. “Be nice.”
Keith reached his hand out to the couple. “Hi, I’m Keith, this is my wife, Holly, my sister-in-law Savannah, and,” he pointed, “that’s my brother, Michael.”
“Nice to meet you,” the man said. “I’m Glenn and this is...”
Suddenly the woman pointed at something behind Savannah. “Hey, isn’t that Rags?”
Savannah turned and saw Adam leading Rags toward her on his leash. She smiled. “Yes. You’ve met him before?”
The woman nodded and addressed her companion. “Honey, remember when we met Rags here a couple of years ago? He’s the cat in that documentary. I bought some of his children’s books for Ellie and Jack.”
