Cats in Cahoots (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 18) (9 page)

“No!” she said. “Stan’s good to me. He takes care of me. No one else has ever cared about me like he does.”

Savannah spoke up again. “Yeah, he’s really taking good care of you. You know, if you end up in prison, you’ll probably never see him again. Is that how you want it?”

“I do what he says. He’s more experienced in life than I am. He’s watching out for me.” She smiled weakly. “I’ll be just fine.”

Soon the man returned with a large roll of duct tape. After wrapping each of his victim’s wrists together behind her back, he demanded of Savannah, “Where are the car keys?”

She nodded toward her purse, which was sitting on the buffet a short distance away in the dining room, and he promptly dumped it. He found the ring of keys and headed for the front door again. When he returned, he said, disgustedly, “Nothing.” Now appearing even more angered, he took the gun from the gal and aimed it at Savannah. “Where is it?”

Suddenly, the girl began to look worried. “Stan, maybe she’s telling the truth. Maybe it fell out somewhere downtown.”

He turned and glared at her, then mimicked her. “Maybe elephants can fly.” At that, he turned the gun on her and warned, “Maybe I just ought to …”

Before he could finish, they heard another voice call out, “Sheriff! Drop it! Drop it, now!”

“Jim! Ben!” Savannah said, feeling a sense of relief. However, when she saw the man turn and point the gun at the deputies, she cringed and quickly looked away, expecting to hear a shot ring out. Instead, she heard a scuffle and someone shouting something about a damn cat. When she dared to look in the intruder’s direction again, she was surprised to see him lying face-down on the floor, Deputy Ben straddling him and locking a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

“What happened?” she asked when she saw Deputy Jim rush to pick up the weapon the man had dropped. Just then Savannah saw Rags leap through the banister posts onto the third step and dash halfway up the staircase.
Oh my gosh, he must have tripped the guy.
She watched as the cat licked his coat.
I hope he wasn’t hurt.
When she determined that he looked unharmed, she turned her attention back to the intruders. Deputy Ben had the man sitting against a wall and Deputy Jim had cuffed the young woman, easing her down next to her partner.

Still in a state of shock, Savannah glanced at her sister and her mother, who seemed even more alarmed than she felt. But before she could utter a word, she heard another voice. “You ladies have sure found yourselves in a pickle tonight, haven’t you?”

“Craig,” Savannah said when he approached her and began cutting the tape off her wrists.

Ben released the other two women.

“So what’s going on?” the detective asked, looking from the women to the intruders. He and the deputies waited for an explanation and all three women began talking at once.

“Good God, one at a time,” Craig begged. “Savannah, you go first.”

“Well, they got in here somehow—I guess they broke a window or something.”

“Didn’t you set your alarm?” he scolded.

She winced. “No, I forgot. Michael does it when he’s here.” She buried her face in her hands for a moment. “He’s going to be furious.”

Craig nodded. “Yeah, I imagine so.” He asked, “Do you know what they want?”

Savannah swallowed hard before saying, “Diamonds.”

“Diamonds?” Craig repeated.

“They took them from a store downtown and…” her voice accelerated, “…we saw them being chased and...” She choked up.

That’s when Deputy Jim jumped in. “Yeah, Detective, there was a jewelry store burglary at Lana’s Jewelers today—a man and a woman matching their description. They got away with a pricey diamond necklace.”

“Is that right?” Craig said, gazing into the eyes of the women who still sat huddled on the steps. He scratched his head, cleared his throat, and asked, “So, pray tell, how did you three get involved in a jewelry heist?”

“They said they put diamonds in Lily’s diaper bag while we were shopping. I didn’t find anything in there. We haven’t seen any diamonds.” Before Savannah could continue, she noticed that something had caught the detective’s eye. When he started to chuckle, the three women quickly looked in the direction he stared.

“I don’t believe it!” Brianna said.

Gladys gasped. “Oh my goodness!”

“Rags!” Savannah shouted. “Where did you get that?” She raced up the staircase toward the cat, who quickly dropped something at his feet. She could only stare at it for a moment, then finally said, “As Auntie would say, ‘holy cow!’ Would you look at this?” She picked it up in her hands and walked slowly down the stairs, holding it out for the others to see.

“Wow!” Brianna said, taking it from her sister. “Isn’t it exquisite?”

“It surely is,” Gladys agreed. She glanced at the handcuffed couple. “Is this what those criminals were looking for?”

“That’s a good guess,” Craig said, taking the necklace from her and handing it over to Deputy Jim. He had started to turn away, when he noticed something else. He approached the young woman and asked, “What’s your name, miss?”

She tightened her lips and looked down at her lap.

“All right,” he said, “have it your way. We can arrest you tonight or turn you over to your parents—that is, if you’re as young as you look. It’s up to you. Do you want to go to jail and see how the scum of the earth live or would you rather sleep in your own bed tonight?” When she appeared to be listening to what he was saying, he added, “If you take option two, you’d better be prepared to straighten up—make better choices, listen to your parents, go to school, and stop mingling with knuckleheads like this.”

“I…I’m Jessica…uh…Jessica Adamson. I live in Straley.”

“Okay, Jessica. How did you hook up with this jewel thief, anyway? Or was it your idea to take the bauble?”

She shook her head and revealed, “I met him online. He sounded so nice. Wanted to meet me.”

“How old are you?” Craig asked.

“Almost fifteen.”

“Gawd,” Stan said, turning away from her. “She told me she was twenty. I swear. Look at her; she looks twenty.”

Jessica nodded. “Yeah, I did tell him that. He said he was twenty-five.”

Craig chuckled. “That ship sailed—what—twenty years ago?” He studied Stan’s face. “What are you, forty-five, forty-six?”

“Forty-nine, according to his driver license,” Ben said.

Jessica lowered her head in shame.

“Will you give the deputies your parents’ phone number and address?” Craig asked. When she nodded, he motioned toward the deputies. “They’re all yours.”

As soon as Ben and Jim had driven off with their prisoners, Savannah rushed to the nursery to check on Lily. “Sleeping like a baby,” she reported when she returned to the living room.

“How do you think they got in?” Craig asked.

Savannah shook her head. “I don’t know. I heard a crash, like glass breaking.”

“Let’s look around,” he suggested, after checking the windows in the living room and dining room.

“Oh, it’s the glass in the kitchen door…again…” Savannah said.

“This happens often?” Brianna asked, her eyes wide.

“Not really, but it has happened a few times,” she said, watching Craig examine the door.

He asked, “Does Michael have a piece of plywood around here?”

Savannah flipped on the porch light and stepped outside with a flashlight. “I’m sure he does. Come on; I’ll show you where he keeps stuff like that.”

Once Craig had chosen a small piece of plywood from some that were leaning against a wall in the shed, he asked, “Do you know where Michael keeps his hammer? I’ll need nails, too.” When he noticed that she was staring down at the floor, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Some of his tools seem to be missing.”

“Did he take them with him?” Craig asked.

“I can’t imagine why he would. No, I’m sure he didn’t take them. He keeps his hammer and other tools he uses a lot in a wooden caddy right there,” she pointed. “Antonio and I cleaned this shed out a week or so ago and I know it was here when we finished.” She looked around. “Where could it be?”

“I don’t know.” He spotted something on the workbench. “Is this the hammer you’re looking for?”

“No, that’s a different one, but it’ll work. Yeah, use that one. He keeps his nails in this cabinet; choose your size.”

Once Craig had done the repair, he said, loud enough for all three women to hear, “Okay, ladies, you’re all set. Now lock the doors and set that damn alarm, will you?” he scolded.

Savannah nodded. “Yes, I will.” She hugged him. “Thank you, Craig.”

“You’re a knight in shining armor,” Brianna called after him, as he left.

He grinned and waved one hand over his head in an off-hand gesture as he walked briskly to his car.

****

Morning was a long time coming for Savannah. She lay awake for hours listening to the sounds of the night. It seemed as though she’d just dozed off when she heard Lily’s sweet voice calling from the nursery. “You just won’t give Mommy a break, will you, sweet pea?” she said, lifting the baby from her crib. “Hi, Buffy,” she greeted, when she saw the little Himalayan-mix peek out of her pink canopy bed. “Ready for breakfast?”

“Ki-ki,” Lily chirped, pointing.

Savannah smiled. “Yes, there’s your Buffy kitty.” She looked around. “Where’s Rags kitty?” She thought for a moment before saying, “I haven’t seen big brother kitty all night.” She felt her stomach tighten. “Did he…? Gads, I hope he didn’t…Rags!” she called as she walked through the house toward the kitchen. She jiggled the baby playfully. “Maybe he’s night-night with Grammy or Auntie Nana. Let’s hope so.” But her gut told her otherwise. “I’ll just bet he…”

“Who did what?” Gladys asked when she stepped into the kitchen behind Savannah.

“Oh hi, Mom.” She grimaced. “I think Rags got out last night. I was so distracted and tired by the time everyone left, I didn’t think to count noses.” She placed Lily on the floor and headed toward the living room. “I’m going to shut off the alarm system, then I’d better go out and look for him.” She turned back toward her mother. “You haven’t seen him this morning, have you?”

Gladys shook her head and yawned.

When Savannah returned to the kitchen, she noticed the dog looking longingly at the door. “Oh Lexie, do you need to go out?” She petted the dog. “Well, come on,” she said, opening the door for her. She glanced around the yard, then gazed at the porch furniture. “So there you are,” she said, when she saw a familiar grey-and-white form lying in a meatloaf position on a padded chair next to the door. “And there
you
are,” she added, smiling down at the orange tabby. “Good morning, Golden Girl.”

“Find him?” Gladys asked from the kitchen.

“Yes, him and his girlfriend. And they’re all dressed up again.”

Just then, Brianna poked her head out through the door. “This is getting to be a habit for him, isn’t it?”

“Yes, and I’d sure like to nip it in the bud.”

She laughed. “I think that train has left the station.” Brianna took a closer look at the cats. “Have they been partying? Looks like they’re dressed for a night out on the town.”

“Funny,” Savannah said without emotion. She picked up Rags and carried him inside. “Lexie,” she called. “Come on, girl.” The women watched as Lexie trotted up the stairs and into the house.

“Well, you have one animal that minds you,” Brianna said, chuckling. “One out of six isn’t bad.”

“Six?”

“Yeah, three cats, a dog, a child, and a husband.”

Savannah grinned impishly at her sister, then stepped back out onto the porch and stared down at the orange tabby. “What will I do with you?” she asked. Before she could decide, the cat jumped down from the chair and trotted off in the direction of the Crane house. With a sigh, she walked back inside. “Mom, want to give Lily some cereal and fruit while I feed the animals?”

“Sure. Come on sweet girl,” Gladys said, scooping the baby up and putting her in the high chair.

Savannah filled the cats and dog bowls, then grabbed her sweatshirt from off a hook in the service porch and headed outside, calling, “I’m going to feed Peaches.”

She looked the horse over as she did every day when she fed her. She checked her water, then gazed in the direction of Michael’s tool shed.
I still can’t believe his tool caddy is missing
. Wondering if she’d overlooked something when she and Craig were in the shed last night, she headed in that direction. Once inside, she stood stunned. “Well, for Pete’s sake,” she said, staring down at the tool carrier, right where it belonged and right where it hadn’t been just a few hours earlier. After looking around inside the small shed, she scanned the horizon outside.
What is going on?
That’s when she saw a small person heading her way through the orchard. “Hi, Kira,” she called, as the child approached. “How are you this morning?”

“Good.”

“Kira, I was going to come over and ask if you saw our cat yesterday.”

“Yes, Rags came to visit.”

“Did you give him a gift?”

“Yes. Did he like it? I made it. Luke showed me how.”

“Uh, yes, he liked it a lot. You know, he’s not supposed to go outside. We keep him in to keep him safe. Please let us know if he comes to your house again, would you?”

“In the house? You make him stay in the house? Oh no, he likes to be outside like Sunbeam and like me.”

“Well, honey, you have your rules at your house and we have ours. Our cats live inside and can only go outside when someone’s with them, okay?”

“Okay. I was with him and so was Luke. He likes to go with Luke and Sunbeam.”

Savannah tilted her head and asked, “Who’s Luke?”

Kira looked at Savannah wide-eyed. “I’d better get to school,” she said, scampering off toward her house.

Before Savannah could react or respond, Gladys opened the door and called, “Maggie’s on the line for you, Vannie!”

“Coming,” she said. When she entered the house, she took the phone. “Hello. How are you this morning?”

“Good. What about you? Sounds like you had quite a night.”

“How’d you know?”

“My sister told me all about it. Frightening. How’d they get in?” she asked.

“They broke a window. I guess I forgot to set the alarm.” Before her aunt could comment, she said in her defense, “Well, it’s not part of my nighttime routine.” Her tone changed when she said, “I’m sure glad Bri was able to make a call and get us some help before…” her voice cracked. “…before something awful happened.”