Claws for a Cause (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 15) (15 page)

“Oh, okay.”

Several minutes later, after they’d picked up Lily from Margaret’s and Max’s, Leah, noticing the blanket fall from the sleeping baby’s face, said, “She’s a beautiful baby. I hope I have a beautiful baby.”

“How can you miss?” Iris said, turning in her seat to peer at Leah. “You have great features. Are you Hawaiian?”

“No, I’m half Mexican.” She chuckled. “I was able to pass myself off as an islander for almost a year, though. I used to dance and they always cast me in the exotic roles—as an East Indian or Tahitian or even American Indian.”

“You dance?” Iris asked, now even more intrigued.

Leah nodded. “I love to dance.” She lowered her head. “I miss it.”

“Thank you for the ride, Craig,” Savannah said once they’d arrived home. “Come on, Leah, let’s get you into a soft bed for the night, shall we? Did you eat this evening?”

Leah hesitated. “I finished the granola bars this morning and had an apple for lunch. Apples are healthy.”

Savannah winced, then said, “Yes, apples are healthy, but you need more than just an apple and a granola bar to keep up your strength. Darn it, Leah, you’ve got to think about your baby. Come with me. Let’s get you something to eat. Have you been getting prenatal care?”

“Huh?” Leah asked, while dropping her blankets and backpack in a pile at the bottom of the staircase.

“Have you seen a doctor regularly since you’ve been pregnant?”

“No,” she said, following Savannah into the kitchen.

“Wash up and I’ll heat some soup for you. Do you like vegetable beef?”

“Sure,” Leah said.

When the girl returned from the bathroom, she responded to Savannah’s question. “No, I haven’t seen a doctor—until last night. I thought I was having labor pains, but they said it was false.” As Savannah dished up the soup and placed a few pieces of French bread on a plate, Leah continued, “I didn’t even know what was going on with me until I was almost six months along. Then I never had a reason to see a doctor. So no, I haven’t been to a doctor.”

“You’ve been feeling okay?”

“Yes, except…”

“Except what?”

“Except when I don’t have anything to eat. Then I get weak. And on nights when it’s too dangerous to sleep, I don’t feel very good in the morning.”

Savannah cringed. “Well, you should sleep well tonight in a quiet and safe environment.” Once Leah had finished eating, Savannah said, “Now come on, I have a nice room for you.” She picked up the backpack and led the younger woman to the room at the top of the stairs. “We call this the Healing Room. You have a private bath. Do you have a clean change of clothes? Night clothes?”

Leah shook her head. “On the streets, we don’t change clothes that often.”

Savannah looked at the young woman. “I might have something you can wear.”

“Thank you. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go right into the shower. I haven’t had a shower in…I don’t even want to tell you how long.” She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I wash up. I’m clean. I just haven’t had the luxury of a shower or a bath.”

“We have both options here. Help yourself. I’ll be right back. If you’re in the shower, I’ll just leave a few things on the bed for you.” She smiled at Leah. “Sleep tight. See you in the morning.”

****

Savannah awoke the following morning with an uneasy feeling. Her thoughts consumed her as she headed into the bathroom.
What have I done, inviting a stranger here? What do I know about her or her intentions? There’s obviously something amiss about her situation. I just hope it’s as simple as the fact that she’s a runaway. I’d love to see her reunite her with her family.
She chuckled to herself.
That seems to be a quirk of mine—making sure everyone is where they’re supposed to be, doing what they should be doing, in order to live the fullest life possible. Like me.
She grinned at herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

“The cherub’s awake,” Michael said, putting his arms around her and smiling into the mirror at her. “Want to get her while I clean up?”

“Sure,” Savanna said, kissing her husband. “So what do you have planned on your day off?” she asked.

“If the weather cooperates, I thought I’d take care of a few repairs around the place—fix the rusty hinge on the tack room door, replace that piece of siding the tree branch scraped up during the last wind—things like that.”

“So you’re going to wear your tool belt, huh?” she asked in a flirtatious manner. “I like it when you wear your tool belt.”

He grinned and shook his head as she left the bathroom.

“Good morning princess,” she said, approaching Lily’s crib. “Ready to rise and shine?” she asked, picking her up and snuggling with her. “Let’s get you a dry diaper,” she crooned into the baby’s ear.

“Ki-ki,” Lily said brightly, pointing at Buffy.

“Hi, Buffy,” Savannah greeted, leaning over and petting the cat’s lush fur.

“Ki-ki, meow,” Lily said.

After changing the baby, Savannah put her down on the floor and led her toward the kitchen.

“Ki-ki,” Lily said when she saw Rags approach. She giggled when the cat rubbed against her, his tail brushing across her face.

“Rags, don’t be so rough,” Savannah scolded, when he knocked the toddler off balance. Savannah picked Lily up and carried her the rest of the way into the kitchen. She had seated her in the highchair when she heard a soft voice behind her.

“Good morning.”

Savannah spun around. “Hi, Leah. How’re you feeling this morning? Did you get a good night’s rest?”

The girl practically swooned, saying, “The best. That bed is so comfortable. I don’t think I woke up once, even to pee. I haven’t slept that good since…” She suddenly stopped chattering. When she noticed Savannah was still looking at her, she said, “Well, since I was a child, I guess, and in my own bed at home.”

Savannah stared into Leah’s eyes for a moment, then invited. “Sit down, won’t you? What do you like for breakfast?”

“Oh golly, I’m easy—I’d appreciate whatever you’re serving.”

“No really,” Savannah said, “I can make omelets, French toast, eggs and bacon, I have English muffins and homemade jams and jellies, pancakes, biscuits… Anything sound especially good?”

“You had me at homemade jams and jellies,” Leah said. Looking across the room rather dreamily, she explained, “My grandma used to make jam. My sister and I got to help sometimes. I didn’t like the work, but it was worth it to spend the time with my grandmother. Nana always made everything fun.”

“Where is your family, Leah?”

“Idaho.”

“When did you see them last?” Savannah asked.

“Nearly a year.” She looked down at her baby bulge. “They wouldn’t want to see me like this, that’s for sure.”

“Hi all,” Michael said, charging into the room.

“Da-da,” Lily chirped.

“Hi punkin’” he said, kissing her forehead. He turned toward their guest. “Good morning. How’re you feeling this morning?”

“Great, actually,” she said. “I had the best night’s sleep.”

Michael poured a cup of coffee, then sat down across from Leah. He peered at her over the mug. “How long have you been without a roof over your head?”

Savannah interrupted. “Leah, would you like a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice?”

“Yes, please,” she said eagerly. “Can I help?”

“No, I have it covered.” She then asked, “How about eggs, bacon, and biscuits this morning?”

“Yum,” Michael said.

“Sounds great,” Leah agreed. When she noticed that Michael was staring at her, she decided to answer his question. “I’ve been on the streets for just a couple of months.”

“How’d it happen?” Savannah asked as she gathered the ingredients for the biscuits.

“Well, it’s a long story,” she said, obviously reluctant to tell it.

Michael winked. “We have all the time in the world.”

Leah took a sip of her juice, looked from one to the other, and said, “Yeah, it’s been about two months. It wasn’t so bad in Oahu, but it’s a different story here.”

“Do you mean because of the weather?” Michael asked.

“Yes, that’s a problem, but also, I’m an outsider. You may not know this, but it’s not easy to be accepted into homeless circles. I mean, there are some bad people out there—predators, my parents would call them. Others are comfortable in the space they’ve chosen and they don’t want someone moving in on their territory.” She took a breath and smiled. “I did meet up with a nice guy, though. He’s been helping me find your suitcase.” She thought for a moment, then said, “He’s not exactly homeless, but he knows some of the people on the streets. He seems to make friends easily—well, it’s easier for a guy than a girl.” She looked down at her stomach and added, “…especially a pregnant girl.”

“So what are your plans, Leah?” Michael asked in a serious tone. “You don’t want to bring a baby into this life, do you?”

“Do you plan to go home to your family at some point?” Savannah asked.

“Oh no. They would never accept me this way or with a baby.” She spoke defiantly. “I do plan to keep my baby.”

“Where’s the father?” Savannah asked. “Still in Hawaii?”

“He’s dead,” she said solemnly. When she saw Michael staring at her, waiting to hear more, she took a deep breath. “I met him while I was on a cheerleading trip with my college.” She stared off into space. “Kale was charming. I fell hard for his phony line, ended up pregnant and deeply in love with who I thought he was. Come to find out, he was married with children and he wasn’t at all interested in this baby. He was also a criminal. I learned later that he had just been out of jail for a matter of weeks when we met. Six months later, he winds up getting arrested again and there goes the money he was paying for our apartment. When he went to jail, I found myself on the streets.”

“But what about this item you hid in our luggage?” Michael asked.

“Well, a friend of Kale’s felt sorry for me and he’s the one who set me up with that. He said it’s a key to my future—mine and the baby’s.” She tilted her head. “He was afraid I’d be searched when I flew out of Honolulu because authorities might know I’d associated with Kale. In fact, it was his idea to hide the envelope in a bag that was headed for the Frisco area.” She chuckled. “You know, not all fabric luggage is lined. I had to do some research to find out which ones are, to make sure the envelope remained hidden.”

“What happened to Kale?” Savannah asked. “You said he’s dead?”

Leah stared down at her hands. “I’m not sure. He died in prison—a gang war or riot or something, I guess. Ano, that’s Kale’s friend—he told me Kale got himself killed.”

As Savannah placed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon on the table and pulled the biscuits out of the oven, Leah picked up her phone and said, “I thought I’d hear from my friend by now. Oh wait, here’s a text.” She looked up at Savannah. “He sent it last night, but it just came through.” After reading it, she smiled. “I think we found your suitcase. Did you remove your ID tag from it?” she asked.

Savannah nodded.

“And it has a broken wheel, right?”

“Yes,” Michael said.

Leah let out a sigh of relief. “Then I think we found it. My friend wants me to meet him in the mini-market parking lot on Juniper at noon today. What time is it?”

“Nine thirty.”

“Then what?” Savannah asked, sitting down at the table next to Leah.

“Then I have to go to Frisco to get the money.”

She frowned. “Is it an inheritance or something?”

“Kind of, yeah. Ano said it’s Kale’s share of a take and that I should have it.”

“Stolen money?” Savannah said, furrowing her brow. “Leah, you’re going to meet crooks to collect stolen money? Don’t you think that’s dangerous?”

“I don’t think so. I just have to get the address for the storage unit from someone in Frisco, that’s all. The key’s in the envelope.” She sighed deeply and began eating. “Savannah, this is delicious.” She smiled. “Your jam sure brings back memories of my Nana.”

After a brief silence, Savannah asked, “So when do you think you’ll go to Frisco?”

“First, I have to make sure I have the key and contact information, then I guess in a few days. I’m really rather tired and sore from spending so much time sitting and lying on hard places. After the scare with the labor, I’m resting more—I don’t want to take chances with my baby.” She looked at Savannah. “I’ve been trying to take it easy since I went to the hospital the other night.”

“Good for you. The best way you can take care of your baby is by taking care of yourself, you know. He…or she…is depending on you.”

Leah let out a sigh, then continued eating. After finishing breakfast, she walked to the window and peered out at the horse. “Have you fed her yet?”

“No,” Savannah said. “Want to help me with that chore this morning?”

Leah’s face lit up. “Sure do.”

“Well, let’s get our jackets and we’ll go have some quality time with Peaches.”

“Peaches? Her name’s Peaches?” Leah asked, crinkling her nose.

“Yeah,” Savannah said, “because of her coloring.” She then asked, “Did you have your own horse at home?”

“Yes.” Smiling, she said, “Hoss and Little Joe—you know, from Bonanza, and Queenie. She was one feisty mare and boy, did I love her.” As the two women stepped out onto the wrap-around porch, Leah yelped, “Oh, no. You don’t want the cat out, do you?”

“No,” Savannah said, rushing to thwart Rags’s attempt to escape.

“I’m sorry,” Leah said. “I didn’t know he was so…”

“Sneaky?” Savannah offered. “…devious? Naughty? Oh, he’s the worst. Raaags! She called as she watched him bound down the steps and head quickly toward the corral.

Suddenly, Leah started backing up. “Oh no,” she said. “A big dog. Will he hurt the cat?”

Before either of the women could react, Lucy appeared from around the tack room and rushed toward Rags. What happened next surprised them both. They watched as Lucy lowered herself down to the ground, her chin resting on her outstretched paws. Rags, in the meantime, sauntered up and head-butted the dog, rubbing his body against Lucy’s face and along her side. The dog stood and followed Rags as he walked toward the corral. When the cat climbed to the top rail, the mare nickered, tossed her head a few times, then approached Rags and gently nudged him with her muzzle. Rags, rubbed against her head. When he spotted a piece of straw dangling from the mare’s forelock, he reached with one paw and batted at it, causing her to shake her head.