A Picture-Purrfect Christmas (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 13) (12 page)

“Oh, they went off with Esse,” Shelly said.

Savannah’s posture became rigid. “You’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, why? Is there a problem?” Shelly asked.

“I don’t know,” Savannah said. “Which way did they go?”

When Shelly pointed, Savannah rushed in that direction. Her heart sank when she rounded the bend and saw no one. She called out, “Marissa, Selene, Charm, where are you guys?” Hearing nothing, she shouted, “Brad!”

Several seconds passed before Savannah heard Marissa respond. “Ms. Savannah, we’re down here.”

Quickly following the sound of the girl’s voice, Savannah found herself peering into a thicket, where the four children sat in a circle with Esse.

“Look,” Brad said, “we’re in a deer’s den.”

Selene giggled. “Yeah, his bedroom.”

“I’m ready to get out of here,” Charm complained. “I’m getting full of stickers.”

“Me, too,” Marissa said. “Can someone get my chair? I can’t walk very good on this long grass.”

“Where’s the chair?” Savannah insisted.

“I’ll get it,” Brad said, stepping out from the undergrowth.

“Can you help me get these stickers out of my hair?” Charm asked.

“Sure,” Savannah said. But her eyes were on Marissa. As Brad brought her chair closer, Esse carried her out into the open, a big smile on his face.

“So what were you doing in there?” Savannah asked the children, trying not to appear as concerned as she felt.

“Taking pictures of each other,” Selene, said. “Esse made up the rules. No fair opening your eyes until whoever was
it
took five pictures of you.” She giggled. “I peeked once and saw Brad taking a picture of my nostrils.”

Savannah gritted her teeth. “Selene,” she said, “please help Charm get the rest of the stickers out of her hair.” Without waiting for a response, she walked up to Esse and Marissa. “Just put her in the chair. I’ll take over,” she snapped. Once she’d strapped the girl in, she turned to the man, fire in her eyes. “The group is supposed to stay together. There will be no splitting up unless you clear it with Shelly or me. Understood?”

“Yeah,” he said, shrugging and grinning. “The kids wanted to go. Shelly knew we were going. What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is Shelly and I are responsible. And as I recall, Esse, at least one of these children said she did not want to go with you.”

He glanced at Marissa and back at Savannah. “Oh, that’s not fair. She had a good time, didn’t you, honey?”

Marissa pressed her lips together as if she were holding back a barrage of emotion, and looked down at her hands in her lap.

****

“Looks like Rags is back to normal,” Savannah said later that evening over dinner. “He has confiscated one of Buffy’s foo-foo beds again. Rags, you look silly.”

“So, how did the class go?” Michael asked.

“Oh my gosh, it’s not easy handling six fifth-graders outdoors. For one thing, I was terrified that someone would get snake-bitten or fall into a badger hole and break a leg or drown in the river. It was a lot of responsibility managing all those kids.” She smiled. “But it was a good day. They seemed to enjoy it. I think they got some pretty good shots. Some of those kids are getting quite creative.”

She poured iced tea for both of them. “Hey, Shelly and I are going out riding again tomorrow. Iris wants to keep Lily company.”

“She has really cut back on her hours at the diner, hasn’t she? I rarely see her in there anymore. Is that because Craig prefers she doesn’t work? It seems like he grumbled about wanting her to quit her job even before they got married.”

Savannah shrugged. “That may be part of it. But I think she’s getting more involved with her home decorating hobby—maybe getting ready to turn it into a business. Did you see the pictures at her website of that home she did up behind the high school?” When Michael shook his head, she said, “It’s amazing—a total makeover. She said she is having so much fun.”

“As it should be,” Michael said. He then asked, “So where are you going to ride this time?”

“Shelly and I saw a lot of possibilities for great shots out where we took the kids today, but we were too busy to pursue them. We’d like to do some serious shooting. I want to learn more about landscape photography. I’d love to get a good shot of the layers of mountain ranges visible in that area. We figured the lighting would be perfect around nine thirty.” When Michael gave her a blank stare, she said, “You know, there are three levels of mountains out there and if the lighting is just right, they’re outlined really distinctly. That’s what I want to capture.” When he still looked confused, she said, “Oh, you’ll see when I get home. I have a vision.”

“Sounds like it.” He smiled. “Did Marissa have fun? How’d she like the chair you rented for her? Did it work out?”

Savannah took a deep breath. “Yeah, that chair was a lifesaver. Worked great and she was happy to be able to keep up with us. But…”

“But what?” Michael asked.

“Well, she has made it known that she doesn’t like Esse—that photographer friend of Shelly’s. And he has a way of sort of pushing himself on her. I don’t know what it is, Michael, but he seems to single her out.”

Michael frowned. “What does he do to single her out?”

“Oh, he took off pushing her in the chair. She didn’t like going that fast and it seemed to make her nervous when they got so far ahead of us. Later, he tried to get her to go off with him by herself and she didn’t want any part of that. Eventually, though, he lured her and a few of the other children away and, according to the kids, played some kind of weird game where they took pictures of the others while they had their eyes closed.”

Looking confused, Michael asked, “The one taking pictures had his eyes closed?”

“No, the shooter was looking. The other kids had to close their eyes while being photographed.”

“Well that’s rather bizarre.” Michael said. “I can see why she doesn’t trust him.” He asked, “What does she do when he gets pushy?”

“She withdraws. She wasn’t nearly as bubbly and enthusiastic as usual and I believe it was because of his presence.”

“Does Shelly notice this going on?”

Savannah shook her head. “She doesn’t seem to, but I think I’ll suggest she not invite him to any more of the sessions.”

“You’re getting kind of bossy there, hon. Aren’t you just an assistant?”

She nodded. “But I have to speak up. If she hasn’t noticed how that man affects Marissa, someone has to tell her.”

****

“Well, we don’t have the sun, so we’re not quite getting the effect we’d hope for,” Savannah said as she and Shelly rode into the area where they’d taken the children

“Yeah, but there are still possibilities for some great shots.” Shelly grinned. “That’s where creativity comes into the mix.” She faced Savannah. “Hey, did you and Esse have a problem yesterday? He said you jumped all over him for no reason.”

Savannah smirked. She took a deep breath. “Actually, I do have a problem with him, because Marissa does.”

“She does?” Shelly asked, furrowing her brow.

“Yeah. I’ve been thinking about it.” She hesitated. “I wonder if there’s a history there.”

“Between Esse and Marissa? What sort of a history?”

“I don’t know. It’s just that she doesn’t seem to like him and he seems to delight in pushing himself on her. I…well…I can’t really explain it, but I don’t trust him. Do you know where I found him and the children yesterday? In a thicket, and he had the kids playing some odd game where they took turns secretly photographing the others.”

Shelly frowned. “What?”

“Yeah, the kids had to keep their eyes closed while they were being photographed.”

Shelly shook her head in disbelief. “Are you sure?”

“Oh yes, the kids told me all about it and he didn’t deny it.”

Shelly raised her eyebrows and thought about what Savannah had said. “That is strange. Yes, you do have to be careful who you involve when you’re working with children.” She looked at Savannah. “You’ve been a pleasure to work with. The kids like you and I trust you and your instincts.” She thought for a moment, then said, chuckling a little, “Okay, I can’t say that I’ll unfriend him, but I won’t ask him to help with the rest of the classes.” She shook her head again. “No, what you describe doesn’t sound kosher. I appreciate you telling me about it.”

“Oh,” Savannah said, “about the possibility that Esse and Marissa have a history, I don’t know what it means, but once I heard him call her
Rachel
.”

“Now that’s odd.” She shrugged. “I wonder why?” Just then, she jumped and turned. “Hey, what was that?” she asked quietly, reining in her gelding.

Savannah stood in her stirrups and gazed across the horizon. “What?” she asked.

“I think it was a deer.” Shelly motioned for Savannah to follow as she nudged her horse forward. Pointing, she said, “There he is.”

“Oh, I see him,” Savannah whispered excitedly. She grabbed her camera, climbed off her horse, and changed to her long lens. “That’s a good shot,” she said, viewing the picture she’d taken on her camera screen. “Got a close-up of his head and antlers.”

“Cool. I took his whole body. Wait, he’s walking out into the open. There’s another gorgeous photo op with him standing in that green grass sprinkled with flowers.”

Suddenly, a shot rang out.

“Good God,” Shelly said under her breath. “Hey!” she shouted, holding tight to her gelding’s lead rope as he bolted a little. “Stop shooting!”

Savannah watched as the buck leaped into a stand of dense trees. “Good, he got away.” “Are you sure he wasn’t hit?” Shelly asked.

“I don’t think he was. Who’s doing the shooting, anyway?” she asked, looking around.

“Well, wouldn’t you know it,” Shelly said, “it’s Dumb and Dumber.”

“Sorry about that, ladies,” the taller man said as he emerged from the brush. “Didn’t see you there.”

The second man stared eagerly into the undergrowth. “Let’s go after him. He can’t be too far ahead of us.”

“He’s long gone,” Savannah said, hoping to dissuade the men from continuing their pursuit. “Put your rifles away and go back where you came from.”

“Yeah, under a rock,” Shelly said quietly. When the shorter man asked what she had said, she told him, “We could actually turn you in.”

Savannah nodded. “It’s not hunting season. You’re poaching.”

“What if we’re only protecting our…” the tall man started.

“Your what?” Savannah asked.

“Our crops,” the smaller one said.

“Crops? Out here?” Shelly questioned.

The taller man grinned at Shelly. “Naw, he don’t know what he’s talking about.” He then said, “Hey, we have booze. Wanna party?”

The second man nudged his friend and looked behind him. “Never mind; their husbands might be around here somewhere. Come on, we’d better get back to our bikes. Scaif’s coming out today and we have some stuff to take care of…remember?”

“Yeah.” The taller man then leered at the women saying, “Sorry girls. We’re busy today. Maybe next time, okay?”

Before the men could turn and leave, Savannah asked, “Where’s the boy who was with you the other day?”

The taller man winced. He glanced at his partner, licked his lips, and finally said, “Took him home.”

“Yeah, home,” the shorter man said. “…to his mother.”

“Is he your son?” she asked.

“Uh, no…nephew,” he almost shouted. “Yeah, he’s my nephew. He likes to come out here and ride with us.”

Savannah shook her head. “Didn’t look like he was having much fun the last time we saw you.”

“Um,” he hesitated, then said, “he wasn’t feeling too good that day.”

“Yeah, he was sick,” the shorter man said. He turned and headed into the brush, his buddy following behind.

Within a few minutes, the women heard a dirt bike start up and then a second one. As the din of the motors became fainter, Savannah spoke up. “Something’s not right there.”

“Welcome to the armpit of the community,” Shelly said, sneering. “There’s a lot that goes on that would shock even the most sophisticated citizen.”

Savannah stared at her for a moment before glancing at the dust trail that followed the two bikers in the distance. She then led her horse into the meadow where they’d seen the buck and began looking around on the ground.

“What are you looking for?” Shelly asked.

“Blood. Just want to make sure that buck wasn’t hit.”

“What if he was? What would you do?” she asked.

“Well, that’s a good question. I should carry a pistol, I guess.”

“Why?” Shelly looked confused.

“Don’t want to leave an animal suffering.”

“Oh my gosh,” Shelly said. “You could shoot him?”

“I don’t know. But it would be the humane thing to do if he was suffering. With so many out-of-season idiot hunters in this area, I’d like to be prepared in case it’s necessary.” Savannah studied the ground. “I don’t think he was hit, though. I don’t see a blood trail. Thank goodness.”

“Oh look,” Shelly said, “the layers are evident on the mountain range.”

Savannah quickly changed her camera lens again. “Oh, that’s beautiful,” she said, mounting her mare and raising her camera to her eye. “What a shot. I just hope I got the lighting right. What are you shooting it at?”

Once the two women had discussed the camera settings, did some shooting, and compared their shots, they decided to head back to the trailhead. They rode in silence for a while before Shelly smiled over at Savannah and said, “I hear you took Marissa riding the other day. She said she had such a good time.”

“Oh it was great,” Savannah said. “As I told Michael, she has the same horse-craving I had as a child. It was so much fun introducing her to the world of horses.” She turned toward Shelly. “She is a delight.”

Shelly smiled. “Yes, she is.” She sighed deeply. “I just wish…”

“I think I know what you’re going to say. We need to get her out of that awful home.” “And out of her father’s reach,” Shelly added.

****

“Where’s Marissa?” Savannah asked, once most of the children had arrived for their class the next day at the recreation center.

“That’s a good question,” Shelly said. “Maybe she had to take the bus by herself and she’s running a little late.” She grinned. “Hey, thanks for being flexible. I know you were expecting us to meet at your house today.”