Deadly Diamond: A Murfy the Cat Mystery (7 page)

“There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”

––
Tay Hohoff

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
An Impromptu Lunch Invitation

On Wednesday, shortly after we arrived at the store, Alyx received a mysterious visit from her son, Ethan.

“Hi, Mom. Can you get away for lunch?”

“I think so. What’s the special occasion?” she asked suspiciously

“No special occasion. It’s been a while since I took you to lunch, and I don’t want you to feel like you’re being neglected.”

“Honey, rest assured, I don’t feel neglected and I’d love to have lunch with you. Will you pick me up or do you want to meet somewhere around eleven-thirty?”

“I’ll come and get you; that’ll give me a chance to talk to Maggie too. I haven’t seen her for several weeks. Will she be here?”

“She asked about you the other day. I know she wants to see you. I’ll tell her you’re coming.”

“Okay, Mom, I’ll see you later.”

I knew Ethan well enough to know he had something else in mind besides lunch. Ecstatic to see him when he arrived later that morning, Misty and I greeted him with enthusiasm while he waited for Maggie to finish up with a customer, and he reciprocated.

“Hey, handsome!” Maggie said, giving Ethan a hug. “It’s been a while.”

“Not my fault. The last time I was here you were off somewhere with George and you couldn’t make it when Mom invited you for dinner at her house.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s great to see you. So, what’s new?”

While they visited, Alyx concluded her business with a client and I stayed close to Ethan, hoping to increase my chances of tagging along.

“Another new restaurant recently opened on Pelican Street. They have outside seating and I’m sure it’s all right to bring Murfy. I know he wants to go,” said Ethan, apparently reading my mind.

Alyx reluctantly agreed. Ethan had traded his expensive SUV for a practical compact with a standard transmission that he said was helping him save money on gas, and he insisted on driving the short distance to the casual Greek restaurant housed in a renovated 1940s two-story building painted a silvery blue and white. Ethan asked for a table on the large outside patio. Everyone ordered the special of the day
and chatted about the changes taking place on Ocean Street.

Alyx said the downtown renovation effort was finally on the move. Some spaces were still empty though, and there was grumbling from some merchants about neighborhood construction projects that seemed to have no end.

Ever since Alyx and Maggie had convinced the merchants to stay open later during the week, and had established weekend hours, the area had become more of a focal point for residents and visitors. Monthly events such as a wine festival, a street party on St. Patrick’s Day, the Arts Festival, and the Rum Festival served to make downtown Beachside a fun destination. Alyx was sure that it would all be worth it in the end.

Their food arrived––some sort of eggplant dish that didn’t look very appetizing to me, maybe because I hate vegetables. The authentic Greek waiter called it
moussaka
.

The conversation shifted to the real reason for the lunch date when the waiter left our table.

“Mom, you’ve probably guessed that I have another reason to have lunch with you,” said Ethan, quickly adding, “I mean other than wanting to spend time with you.”

She smiled in answer. “I figured as much. So, what’s up?”

He took a deep breath. “I want to buy my own place. I think I’m ready for the responsibility, and I’ve been thinking about settling down.”

“Have you asked Nikki to marry you?” she asked, excited at the prospect.

“No. We’re not ready to get married; only to start working on it. So, here’s what I want to do,” he said sitting forward a little, “I want to buy a house that needs work, move in and fix it up at my leisure when I can afford it. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a great idea if you’re ready to make the long-term commitment and put in the hard work required.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Okay then, how can I help you?”

“I could use your help talking with mortgage lenders and afterwards with the renovation itself. You know, finding some authentic stuff or good reproductions, like light fixtures and things.”

“Have you looked at any places, yet?” His wide grin made her joyful. “What? What did you find?”

“You know that rundown house with the plantation style wrap-around porch on Peninsula Drive?”

When she shook her head, he continued, “The one I wanted you to buy when you were looking for a house.”

“You mean the house on the river that wasn’t for sale when you wanted me to buy it?”

“Yup, that’s the one, only it’s for sale now. The owner’s in a nursing home; his family is scattered, and they don’t want to fool around with it. It’s on the market for one-eighty. You think it’s a good price?”

“Your uncle would be the one to talk to about that. He’s the real estate investor.”

“Yeah, that’s what Dad said, too. He offered to help with the down payment. Can you help me out if I need a co-signer?”

“I’ll be glad to. I know you’ve learned your lesson about financial responsibility. After you get your uncle’s opinion on the property and its value, I’ll talk to some lenders and see who offers the best deal.”

When the lunch had finally ended and the conversation too, Ethan paid the check and dropped us off in front of the store.

“I’ll call Uncle Tom and see if he can look at the place today,” said Ethan. “I’ll let you know what he says.”

“Okay, sweetheart, and thanks for lunch.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Murfy, the Escape Artist

Alyx was on the phone when I wandered into the workroom. I heard her greet Ethan on speaker phone and I didn’t hear a response. He went straight to the reason for his call.

She looked amused. “Take a deep breath, Ethan. I can tell you’re a little excited; it’s not every day you buy your first home. I’ve already made some calls, and the bank we do business with offers the best interest rate. Colonial Bank is at the end of our block. If you can come to the store in about an hour, we can walk over.”

I realized she was talking about the building where I had seen the man arguing in the alley enter. One never knows, though I was fairly certain that Alyx wouldn’t bring me with her to the bank, I patiently waited by the door for Ethan to arrive. I had been looking for a way to communicate what I knew about the man in the alley, whom I suspected was the diamond thief, and it couldn’t have worked out better. My only concern was that if he did work in the bank, she wouldn’t recognize him and––for that reason––it was imperative that I go with them. Also, while waiting I sent out a special call to a friend. When Ethan stuck his head in the door, Alyx grabbed her purse and followed him. Distracted by Ethan’s haste, she didn’t see me slide out the door on her heels. I trotted along, a cat on a mission, avoiding feet and other obstacles, careful to keep my humans in sight ahead of me.

At the end of the block, I gave Alyx and Ethan some lead time before I followed them inside the bank before the door closed. I immediately hid behind a large flowerpot near the entrance, and when the opportunity presented itself, I came out from behind it and lurked behind a uniformed woman. Now and then, I nosed the carpet, my mouth open as I took in the scent of the most-recent visitors––none of them cats. I cautiously moved forward, staying close to the wall. The doors to the offices on either side of the foyer were open with no sign of Alyx or Ethan. In the main room of the building, there were three desks on one side of the room, and one desk on the other side next to a long counter, partitioned into six spaces.

I hid under an upholstered chair up against the wall in the main area and surveyed the room. My humans sat at the first desk across the room. I could see them, but they couldn’t see me. The diamond thief sat at a desk next to the counter across the room facing his computer. I noticed that he kept glancing in Alyx’s direction without moving his head.
 

The only way he was going to stand up so Alyx could notice him was if I scared him as I had done in the alley. Unfortunately, I couldn’t show myself with Alyx and Ethan in the room. Knowing that, I sent out another call to my special helper––one of Pooky’s outdoor friends to help me out. His name was Zipper, a black cat––chosen for drama and speed.

Zipper had slipped into the bank after me and now was hiding under another chair. On my signal, he sprinted across the room at the speed of light, and I ran to the exit. No one was in the hallway; no one saw me leap to hit the handicap door opener.

The ruse worked. Zipper said the diamond thief (his nameplate said he was called
Merkley
) practically jumped off his chair to get out of the way, but that’s all he could report. I didn’t know if Alyx noticed him or even recognized him; I had to wait for her to get back to the store and then hear what she had to say.

Luckily, I left the bank unseen and returned unharmed to the store. I hoped Misty was on guard at the checkout counter. She ran to find someone to let me in when she saw me.

Alyx came back from the bank a short time later, and I followed her to the workroom.

Maggie ended her phone conversation when she saw Alyx walk in and asked, “How did it go? Is he getting the loan?”

“Yes, no problem as long as I co-sign. I can’t believe my little boy is becoming a homeowner. I’m so proud of him, Maggie.”

“I know you are, and you should be.”

Maggie said she had an appointment with a man about reupholstering a chair, and mentioned my excursion. “By-the-way, I think Murfy had himself an exciting time while you were gone.”

 
“What did he do now?” asked Alyx.

“I think he followed you, or tried to.”

“I didn’t see him get out.”

Maggie shook her head and shrugged, “Well, maybe he followed a customer. All I know is that I heard Misty walking around meowing, and when she saw me, she bounded to the front door where Murfy was waiting outside. I didn’t even know he was gone until I saw him waiting at the door.”

Alyx looked at me suspiciously and frowned.

“Maybe this was a one-time adventure, an opportunity he couldn’t resist,” Maggie joked.

“I think my cat is an escape artist, only he knows all the places he’s been.” said Alyx, unfortunately providing me with no information about whether or not she had recognized the diamond thief at the bank.

“Cats can be cooperative when something feels good, which, to a cat, is the way everything is supposed to feel as much of the time as possible.”

––
Roger Caras

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
A Predictable Plot

Alyx made a fresh pot of coffee, poured two cups, and brought one to Maggie along with a plate of muffins she’d picked up earlier from the Café.

“Take a break; I want to run something by you,” she said, setting the coffee and muffins in front of her.

Maggie took a sip of the hot coffee, reached for a muffin and leaned back in her chair.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“Remember the nervous guy I told you about that came in the store the day Hall’s was robbed?”

Maggie answered with a blank look on her face.

Alyx continued, “The one who stepped on Misty on his way out.”

“Oh, yeah. You said you thought he was embarrassed because everyone was staring at him.” She laughed and took a bite of the muffin in her hand.

“Well, I don’t know if I mentioned it at the time but he looked familiar, and now I know why; he works at the bank, our bank. His name is Mark Merkley.”

“Who?”

“Mark Merkley. The name plate on his desk said Mark Merkley.”

The baffled look on Maggie’s face hastened an explanation. “I saw him today when I was there with Ethan. He was dressed in a shirt and tie, wearing the same brown shoes with tassels and no socks––the same as the man who stepped on Misty the day Hall’s was robbed. I didn’t recognize him at the time because when he was in the shop he was dressed casually and his face was hidden by a baseball cap and sunglasses.”

“Alyx, don’t forget; you haven’t been in the bank since Bernice started making the deposits.”

“That’s the truth.”

“So what happened that made you look at this guy’s feet?”

There was a moment of silence, and then Alyx continued. “I think he’s ailurophobic; he has an irrational fear of cats.”

“And how do you know that?”

“This is going to sound strange but hear me out …” She went on to recount what I already knew had happened. Then, they both looked down at me, frowning.

“Okay, getting back to what I was saying … here’s what I’m thinking. What if he––this Mark Merkley––stole that diamond from Hall’s and hid it in the desk in our shop, intending to get it later when the heat was off, except we delivered the desk to Althea. He could have been watching and saw where it went.”

“And he went back later to get his diamond and killed Althea in the process,” finished Maggie.

“Exactly. So you think it could have happened that way?”

“It could have, except it sounds too much like the predictable plot of a bad mystery novel.”

Alyx bit her lower lip, “Yeah, I guess it does at that.”

“Besides, how can you approach the police with just a theory? Don’t they have to have evidence before they can investigate?”

Alyx shrugged.

“Did you let on that you recognized him when you were in the bank today?”

“Not outwardly. Don’t worry I’m not going to do anything foolish. Not where that’s concerned anyway. I’m going to tell Smarts about recognizing him, and about the behavior of the man who came in the store after the robbery and who I think he is. Right now, it’s just speculation on my part that he killed Althea, and Smarts may come to that same conclusion. No question though, I do think he stole the diamond.”

Alyx then called Detective Smarts regarding Mark Merkley, the alleged diamond thief. He asked her to come into the station to file a formal statement. I was delighted that she decided to take me along.

At the station, I expected a cool reception and wasn’t disappointed. Smarts practically hissed when he saw me trailing behind Alyx.

“Why didn’t you give us this information about this Merkley character earlier, Ms. Hille?”

“It didn’t occur to me then.”

“What made you think of it now?”

“I guess it was because of his behavior today in the bank for one. I used to make our bank deposits at least three times a week for more than two years, and he––this Merkley fellow––always said
hello.
I haven’t been making the deposits recently, so I haven’t been in the bank very often and therefore haven’t seen him. Today when I was there with my son, and I saw him, I remembered that he had been in my store the day of the diamond robbery. Secondly, you don’t usually see men in suits wearing dress shoes with no socks, and I remembered that the guy who came in the store after the robbery also wore brown shoes with tassels and no socks.”

“So you think we should question him based on what you just told me.”

“Look, I had information and I gave it to you. You do what you want with it.” She grabbed the purse she’d slung across the back of her chair and walked out, her cheeks red.

Back at the shop, customers continued to trickle in all evening. I sat on the counter carefully monitoring the comings and goings, on the lookout for Mark Merkley.

David Hunter called for Alyx and left a message on the answering machine in the workroom. The message was the same as the one he’d left on the answering machine at home and probably on her cell phone––asking her to call him.

Alyx hesitated a moment, took a deep breath and then called him. I was close enough to hear him say he was hoping to have dinner with her and she could pick the place.

“How about dinner at my house?” she suggested, “Nothing fancy. I’ll make spaghetti and a salad.”

“Okay, I’ll bring the wine and, Alyx…did I tell you how beautiful you looked the other night?”

Her eyes softened. “Yes, several times,” she said.
 

The bright red-orange glow must have drawn Alyx to the screened porch. The western sky was ablaze with the setting sun. At first glance, one might have thought that the woods in the distance were on fire.

Hunter arrived promptly at six. He uncorked the wine and filled two glasses, while Alyx served a simple dinner of mixed salad greens, spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce and garlic bread sticks.

She let him do most of the talking during dinner, telling her funny stories about other masked balls and charity events he’d attended. Their conversation touched mostly on the surface of things. They finished dinner, and Hunter deposited the dirty dishes in the sink while Alyx put away the leftovers. He refilled the wine glasses and carried them to the living room. Alyx followed and sat next to him on the couch. For a moment, neither one seemed to know what to do or say.

Alyx spoke first. “David, I agreed to see you because what I have to say needs to be said in person… I think you know I’m attracted to you.” He took her hand, and she pulled it back. “The relationship with your wife…”

“Ex-wife,” he interjected.

“Your relationship with your ex-wife isn’t over, and I don’t want to be involved in a triangle.”

She told him about the encounter at the ball.

“Alyx….”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry David––there can’t be anything serious between us with a third party still involved.”

He reached for his glass, “Joann and I have known each other since grade school; we dated exclusively in high school, and married while still in college. She’s been restless for a long time. She doesn’t want me––she just doesn’t want anyone else to have me. Believe me, Alyx, it’s over between us.”

“That’s just it; I don’t believe it is. You have too much history between you. I’m truly sorry, but I can’t deal with it.”

“So, that’s it, we’re finished?”

“We can see each other as before.”

“Yes, we can do that; see each other once or twice a month for coffee. How long do you think we can do that without giving up?”

“For me, it’s until you’re truly free.”

There was nothing left to say. He nodded silently, his eyes dark with displeasure, maybe a little anger, surely not at her. He drained his wine and stood to leave. She walked him to the door and said goodnight. Closing the door behind her, she leaned her back against it. She turned and quickly pulled the door open expectantly but he was gone.