Catnapped (A Klepto Cat Mystery) (8 page)

“There you go, kitties,” Savannah soothed as she opened the bathroom door and let the two hostages out. Rags bounded over the top of Layla and jaunted off to parts unknown. Layla stopped as if composing herself and gave her tail one quick wave before stepping confidently out of the room. “Okay Princess Layla, your royal high felineness,” she said while smiling and shaking her head from side to side.

After watching the cats disappear into the dining room toward the living room, Savannah opened the side kitchen door and stepped out onto the porch in search of the gardener. She walked around to the south side of the house and spotted him working in a raised garden bed. She yelled out, “Antonio, can you come here for a minute? I want to show you something.”

“Si, Señorita.” He dropped his spade in the soft dirt and rushed over to where Savannah stood.

“Antonio, did you see anyone here today while you were working?”

He thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly. “No, Señorita. No one.”

“Something wrong?”

“There’s a broken window. I wonder if you can fix it.”

The slight Mexican man frowned. “I see no broke window. Where is broke window?”

“Right here.” Savannah led him up onto the wrap-around porch and pointed at the gaping hole in the window of the kitchen door. I must speak to Señora Margaret first, to see if she wants to talk to the police.”

“La policia?” he said, looking puzzled and a tad frightened. “Bad man broke window in Señora Maggie’s casa?”

“It looks that way. Someone threw a rock through the window.”

Antonio gasped and took a step back. “Madre Mary! Who want to hurt the Señora?”

She looked down at the gardener. “Maybe someone just wants to scare her and make her leave this house. Do you know who that might be?”

He shook his head slowly. “I see no one, Señorita. I in back of house working all day.”

“I know, Antonio. That’s okay,” she said, hoping to calm him. She, herself, certainly wasn’t feeling calm inside. She started to walk through the door and then stopped. “Oh, Antonio, can you cover the hole with a piece of wood or canvas, please? We don’t want the cats getting out.”
Or anything or anyone to get in,
she thought.

***

Two hours later, Savannah looked up from the magazine she was reading and noticed her aunt hobbling into the living room on her crutches. “Are you feeling more rested?” she asked.

Margaret lowered herself into her favorite chair. “Yeah, I’m still a little tired—not used to these things,” she said, nodding toward the crutches. “And we did cover quite a bit of ground today.” Layla was stretched in the middle of the ottoman, as usual. “Scootch, Sweetie,” Margaret cooed as she shifted the relaxed cat over a few inches to make room for her foot. She then lifted her leg using both hands and rested it next to the purring feline. “Ahhhh,” she said as she leaned back in the chair. “I could get used to a cat’s lifestyle—sleep, eat, lounge, sleep, eat, nap... And then there’s all that petting,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Savannah laughed. “I doubt that, Auntie. You’re too much of an on-the-go-lady. By the way,” Savannah cleared her throat before saying, “something arrived for you today.”

“By UPS?”

“No.” Savannah winced slightly. “You could say it came by air.”

“What are you talking about?” Margaret insisted, leaning slightly forward.

“Someone hurled a rock through your kitchen window.”

Margaret pressed her lips together—a look of disgust on her face. After a few moments of silence, she said, “Well, damn.”

“And there was a note on it.”

“A note?” the older woman said flatly.

“Yes, like the one I found in your lingerie drawer this morning. It said, ‘Get Out!’ in big black letters.”

Margaret stared down at her hands as they lay in her lap.

“What’s going on, Auntie?” Savannah asked quietly with a hint of tenderness in her voice. “Who wants you out? Does this have to do with the cat situation?”

“Oh no, I don’t think so. But I can’t be sure,” she said with some hesitation. Margaret looked over at her niece and then began to speak. “The notes started coming a few weeks ago. What do they mean? I don’t know. I haven’t heard of any big-time investors interested in this land—if I had, I might just sell for the right price, actually. They wouldn’t have to badger me,” she quipped. “I’ve spoken rather discreetly with others around here. As far as I can discover, no one else is getting any messages like this.”

Savannah studied her aunt for a moment and then asked, “How did the other note arrive—also by rock?”

“No. I came in from a meeting one evening and found it on my bed. I must have shoved it into my lingerie drawer that night in case I needed it at some point as evidence for the sheriff. And when Helena moved my stuff down to the ground floor bedroom after I broke my damn foot, I guess she unknowingly transferred the note.”

“How did someone get in?” Savannah asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe Helena inadvertently left a door unlocked that day when she finished here. Or maybe someone came in while she was cleaning. It’s a big house, if she was vacuuming downstairs, someone could slip right in and run upstairs to my bedroom.”

“Did you question Helena?” Savannah asked.

“A little. I didn’t want to startle the woman for no good reason.”

Savannah looked at her aunt for a solid minute without speaking—not quite knowing what to say or what to think. Finally she asked, “Have there been other notes or threats?”

It was obvious that Margaret was uncomfortable talking about this. She wanted, instead, to focus on the upcoming meeting and the work they were trying to do on behalf of the community’s cat population. She also knew that she owed some sort of explanation to her guest. After all, if she was in danger, so was Savannah for as long as she stayed under her roof. Finally, she took a deep breath and, with some effort, she said, “Someone left a dead cat on my porch. I’m sure it was road kill, but…”

“But what?” Savannah prodded.

“They had stabbed the body with an old knife and pinned it to my front door.” Margaret rested an elbow on the arm of the chair and cradled her forehead in her hand murmuring, “It was an ugly thing to come home to.” She sat back, looked over at Savannah and continued, “Thankfully, Max was with me that evening and he, bless his heart, took care of things. Don’t you know, though, that made me all the more concerned that someone might harm Layla? She’s such a dear. It would just be horrible…” She choked up at the thought.

Savannah leaned her head on the back of the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. “It doesn’t appear that you’ve told any of this to the sheriff, have you?” she asked.

“Not yet. Too much other stuff going on. I’m just trying to be careful. I want to understand what this is all about.”

Savannah sat upright. “Yeah, I saw how careful you can be today, Auntie—nearly getting arrested for spying. And then badgering those cat hoarders.” Savannah grinned over at her aunt. Then her demeanor became more serious. “Now, tell me, do you think the person behind these threats has anything to do with you breaking your foot?”

Margaret sat silent for a few moments considering the question. “I don’t think so. I stupidly caught the toe of my sandal under a loose slab of concrete and, when I fell, a bone in my foot snapped. It all happened so fast. It was right out here in back,” she said, motioning with her hand. “In fact, the next day, Antonio fixed those uneven stepping stones.” Her brown eyes darted around the room for a moment before she added, “That’s when he found the hole.”

Savannah sat forward, stared intently at her aunt and asked, “What hole?”

“Somehow, I guess the ground where the original cesspool was had given way. A board across there rotted or something. I’m not sure. I didn’t see a hole. Antonio told me about it, later. He said that it’s lucky I didn’t fall in. The only thing stopping me was the fact that I fell before I got to it. From what Antonio said, you couldn’t see the hole. He found it when he set a crowbar or some other tool on the grass covering the old cesspool and the ground gave a little. It’s just fortunate that he noticed it.” Margaret bit her bottom lip and stared off into space. Finally, she continued, “He said the thing was deep, Savannah—maybe eight feet. And we often walk out there. It’s near the tomato garden. It’s truly a wonder that we didn’t fall into it before. I mean, we’ve had parties out there—kids running around and all…” She suddenly felt a chill and shivered a little.

“Auntie,” Savannah practically yelled, “did it ever occur to you that someone knew that old cesspool was there, came on your property, and booby-trapped it?”

“What are you doing up so early?” Savannah asked while walking slowly into the kitchen rubbing her eyes, and yawning. “It’s not even light out.”

Margaret leaned against the sink counter, measuring coffee into the pot. “Oh, I woke up and decided to get an early start. We have a big day ahead of us.”

“Here, let me do that,” Savannah said. “You sit. Get that foot up.”

“I’m okay. I’ll sit during the meeting. My foot was up all night.”

Savannah put on her sternest look. “Remember, I’m not here as a guest. You don’t want the swelling to return. I’m sure the doctor warned you about that, right?”

Margaret looked away from her niece and busied herself at the counter while muttering, “You sound like some kind of doctor, girl.”

“I am some kind of doctor. Remember? I deal with fractures all the time,” Savannah reminded her.

“Yes, but I’m not a duck or a pig or a cow.” She laughed as she opened a drawer and pulled out a handful of paper napkins.

“Not that much different when it comes to a break, Auntie. I’m here to help, remember?”

“Yes, I remember.” Margaret turned to face her niece, looking into her still sleepy green eyes. In a more serious, sincere tone, she added, “I really appreciate you being here.”

Savannah sensed that her spunky, capable aunt was referring to something more than just the helping aspect of her visit.
She really is spooked,
she thought.
And that makes me nervous.

Margaret turned back toward the counter and the task at hand. “There definitely are things I need help with. People will be arriving shortly. I had my shower, such as it was. By the way,” she said, looking over at Savannah, who was now standing along the counter not far from Margaret, “I’m so glad you found that old shower chair upstairs. Using that handheld gizmo, I can just sit there, hold my foot outside the shower curtain, and feel as though I’m having a real shower. Works slick.” She looked down at her cast. “I’m running out of clothes I can wear with this thing, though.”

“Well, not much goes with purple. Why a purple cast, anyway, was that all they had?”

“Heck no. I
chose
purple. If I must put up with this thing, I might as well have one in a color I like. Anyway, I have plenty of clothes that go with purple. The problem is dressing over the cast. I have to wear wide-leg sweats, shorts, or skirts—something that will fit over this bulky thing. I seem to wear mostly jeans, normally.”

“Well, I’ll do some laundry this afternoon and I’ll go out and get you more sweats, if you want.” She pulled playfully at the side seam of the pair her aunt wore. “…something not quite so baggy. Auntie, You have a nice figure for…”

Margaret quickly twisted toward her niece, an index finger raised in her direction. “Don’t you dare say it, Savannah,” she scolded.

“Say what?”

Margaret glared at her and said in an exaggerated mocking tone, “You have a nice figure
for your age
. I either have a nice figure or I don’t—age has nothing to do with it. I hate when people qualify comments like that,” she spat.

“Whoa, Auntie. Where did that come from? You are a good-looking fifty-seven-year old—right? Fifty-seven?”

“Who told you that?” she teased.

Savannah tossed her head and said flippantly, “I did the math.”

“Well, you should mind your own business,” Margaret said with a grin. And then she looked hard at her niece and added, “Just be glad you got the tall, svelte genes from your dad’s side of the family and not these short, plump ones.”

“Plump?” Savannah laughed out loud. “You’re not plump—but you are curvy. I don’t have nice curves like you, my mom, and Brianna.”

“But look at you—you have a tight butt—men like tight butts, slim hips, a nice bosom… Oh Savannah, you are lovely.” She stopped and looked somewhat askance at her niece while studying the faded blue pjs She wore. “However, not so much at the moment. I mean, is that what you wore when you slept with Trevor?”

“Travis,” she corrected.

“So you admit you were sleeping together,” Margaret teased.

“No…I mean…Auntieeee…” Savannah whined. And then she abruptly changed the subject. “Now, sit and let me get you a glass of juice. I’ll put the donuts on platters. I see you have cups and napkins out already.”

“Okay, Vannie. I’ll take your professional advice and sit for now. Then you go get ready. I want you to be here for the meeting. I think you should know about what’s been going on.”

Savannah walked around the table and pulled out a chair for her aunt, stepping over Rags, who was sprawled in the middle of the kitchen floor. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
What else would I be doing?
she thought.
Of course, I’m interested in the situation with the cats. Plus, I heard Michael Ivey say he would be here. I wouldn’t mind another chance to look at him.
She was a little surprised at the tingle she felt inside when she brought the local vet to mind.

***

“Max, come on in. Looks like the cats let you off duty early this morning,” Margaret said with a wide smile.

“I just got the necessities taken care of—you know that the morning routine is just the tip of the iceberg.”

“I know,” she said shaking her head slowly from side to side. She motioned toward the refreshment table Savannah had set to her specifications in the dining room and added, “Go pour yourself a cup of coffee.”

The doorbell rang as Savannah entered the room. She was wearing jeans, a blue and white striped tee, and a blue light-weight cardigan sweater. Her hair was still wet from her shower and pulled back in a tight knot. She had taken the time to put on makeup this morning. She didn’t want to be caught without it again. She stopped Margaret as she started to head for the door. “Auntie, please sit down and get comfortable. I can greet your guests.”