Meow for the Money (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 14) (14 page)

Craig chuckled. “Seventeen last week.”

“What?” she said. “Seventeen? Oh my gosh, then we
did
see him. Craig, is he a tall, skinny blond? Does he work at the mini-mart?”

“Sounds like him,” he said. “So you saw him?”

“Yes, he came out the back door of the place and stared in our direction for several seconds before disappearing back into the store. In fact, he waits on me sometimes when I stop in for a loaf of bread or something. Oh gawd, Craig—a teenager? That’s sick.”

“Yeah, his mother said his cell phone’s full of pictures of you he’s taken while you’re pumping gas and looking around in the store. She was as upset as you are about all this. Of course, she deleted the pictures in his phone.”

“What about the flowers? How could he afford them?” she asked.

“There was a death in the family,” he explained. “He took some of the flowers from the funeral and scattered them over your property.”

“So can you make him stop?” she demanded. “Or should I go over to the store and have a little talk with him?”

“Yeah, maybe you could give him a spanking,” Craig said, laughing.

“Not funny, Craig. Kids can be scary and dangerous.”

“Yeah, I know. But I think his parents are on top of the situation. I doubt you’ll hear from him again. If you do,” he chuckled, “…just call his mother.”

“He’s seventeen?” Margaret said doubling over laughing.

“So he’s the kid who came out and was looking around while we waited for your prince charming, huh?” Colbi said, also laughing.

Savannah sighed. “Yeah, that was him.” She faced the others. “I don’t really see why you think this is so darned funny.”

“You don’t?” Margaret asked. “Well, you don’t have much of a sense of humor, do you?”

Colbi joined her in laughter.

“Okay you two, just wait. I’ll get back at you one way or another. And believe me, paybacks can be…”

“What?” Margaret asked.

“Sweet,” Savannah said, trying not to smile. “For me, anyway.”

Margaret giggled. “Wait ‘til Michael finds out who his competition is.”

“Will you just stop!” Savannah said, her lips starting to curl into a slight smile.

Once Margaret had dropped the others off at the Ivey home, Savannah rushed in and grabbed the things she’d set out to take with her. Before stepping out the door, she said, “Actually, we were staying with June because of those darned phone calls. I guess there’s no reason to stay there any longer.”

“But it’s more fun when you’re there,” Colbi protested. “Ms. June seems to like having you to rely on. I vote you stay.”

“Well, I’ll see what Michael says,” she giggled, “after I tell him who had the nerve to call him a weasel.”

****

“Nola will be here around three,” June announced the following afternoon when Savannah joined her in the cat room. “I want you to be here.”

“Sure, I’d like to meet her,” Savannah said. She checked her watch. “It’s nearly three now. Is there anything you need in the meantime?”

“Nothing I can think of. I had a wonderful lunch, then took a nap with sweet Mazie Mae, Tabitha Tabby, and I think Tondra Sue joined us for a while.” She leaned forward. “Oh, while you and Lily were out strolling around the grounds, Detective Sledge stopped in. He said the fish someone left for the cats was poisoned and there are no fingerprints or any other identifying marks left around here. Neither could they get a description of the person who bought the fish because it was pre-packaged, so there are no suspects at this time.” She took a breath. “He said they did find some very small footprints out in the yard. But they could be sweet Colbi’s—what’s she, a size four or five shoe? Anyway, he’s going to talk to the suspicious three. Who else could it be, but Petra, Jody, or Megan? As he says, there’s no one else who believes they would benefit from the cats’ demise. Sad as it is, I have to agree.”

Savannah grimaced. “I’m so sorry. It must be awful to think that someone you care for might be willing to hurt you in this way.”

“Yes, it is awful.”

Within seconds, the doorbell chimed and Savannah stepped out of the room. By the time she had ushered Nola Katherine Hope into the cat room, June was standing with a smile on her face and her hands out in greeting. “So nice of you to come,” she said, taking the young woman’s hands in hers.

“Thank you,” Nola said, smiling.

“Please sit down,” June invited. “Can we get you a refreshment?”

Before responding, Nola spun around the room, taking it all in through bright hazel eyes. “This is a gorgeous house.” When she spotted a cat walking toward her, she knelt and reached out to Tinker saying, “Oh, what a pretty kitty.” She looked up at June, her wispy, chin-length hair floating into place. “And he’s so healthy. Oh, there’s another one.” When she walked toward the wall where several large cat trees stood, she looked around, spotting cat after cat. “Each one is yummier than the last,” she said excitedly. “And look at this guy. Isn’t he majestic?”

June chuckled. “That’s Ragsdale. He’s a special guest here this week.” In an almost reverent tone, she explained, “He’s the one who saved my Mazie Mae, you know.” When Nola peered questioningly at June, she added, “Oh yes, when she escaped—or was catnapped—he discovered her and kept her warm all night until someone found them and rescued her.”

“Wow!” the young woman said, petting Rags. “You
are
special, aren’t you? And which one is Mazie Mae?” she asked, glancing around.

Savannah pointed. “The Himalayan in the hammock to your right.”

“Awww, what a beauty. Do you groom them often?” she asked. “Her fur is perfect.” She then said, “…purrrfect.”

“Yes, we have a staff of groomers who keep them all in tip-top condition. Please sit down, will you, Nola?”

“Thank you,” she said, sitting on the daybed next to the sleeping Shadow and Homer. “He’s old, isn’t he?” she asked, petting Homer gently.

“Yes, seventeen.” June coughed a little, then said, “Nola?”

“Yes?” the young woman responded as she continued to pet Homer.

“Can you tell me a little about yourself? Your goals in life and all?”

“Oh, um, well, as you know, I just spent some jail time for all of the wrong reasons. I took kittens out of harm’s way.” She shook her head. “I do love cats—in fact all animals—maybe too much, sometimes,” she said, grinning. “I’d love to get a job working with animals—especially cats.” She smiled. “Silly me; that’s a dream most kids have, don’t you think? And I’ve had the dream since I was a kid. But I’m an adult now—I’m twenty-five—and I just can’t get enough of cats. I’m so passionate about them that I help out at three different facilities; I work for a breeder and volunteer at a couple of shelters.”

“So how do you support yourself, I mean with pay from just one part-time job?”

“Well, I live with my mom, so that helps.”

“Do you have your own cat?” June asked.

“Yes, Mom and I have a pair of matching bookends. They’re black-and-white sisters. Their markings are almost identical.” Pulling out her phone, she said, “Here’s a picture of Fiona and Phoebe. They look alike, but they sure have different personalities.”

“Lovely,” June said—and one’s fluffy and one’s not.” She gazed at the young woman for a few moments. “I have a proposition for you—a job, if you want it. What do you know about grooming cats?”

“A little, actually. My employer breeds Persians and boy, do they need constant grooming. I’ve also taken a few veterinary courses. A shelter I heard of down South offered a sort of first-aid workshop for pets. I jumped on that one. Not only do I want to know more, I figured it would look good on my resume.” She reached for her large purse and began to chuckle. “Well, hello there,” she said, noticing Tondra Sue and Rags investigating the bag. “Aren’t you two curious creatures?”

When Rags reached into the purse and pulled something out, everyone but Savannah began to laugh. “Oh no you don’t,” she said, rushing toward the cat. “Rags, come back here with that.”

“It’s okay,” Nola said laughing out loud. “It’s just a little coin purse. I doubt there’s more than a dollar in there.” She watched as Rags disappeared into a tunnel, then climbed to the top of a cat tree. Obviously amused at his antics, she said, “So he’s a klepto, is he?”

“He sure is,” Savannah said. “And he’s been on his good behavior since we’ve been here. This is his first heist, isn’t it June?”

Still trying to contain her laughter, June nodded. “Yes, as far as I know. I’ll send a bill if I discover anything missing from around here, Savannah.”

“Oh, that was priceless,” Nola said, still chuckling. She then pulled a file folder out of her purse. “Here’s my resume. There are names and numbers for my references.”

June took a quick look at the resume, then said, “Yes, it certainly does look good.” She asked, “Would you be satisfied having only a handful of cats to care for or would you need to step beyond the parameters and continue to volunteer?”

“Oh, that’s a hard one. I would never ignore or neglect a cat if it was in need, if that’s what you mean.”

“Well, I want to hire someone to take over the complete care of my eight cats.”

“Nine,” Savannah said, smiling.

“Oh yes, nine. I guess I’m in denial,” June said, chuckling. “I want a full-time caretaker for now and especially for when I’m gone.”

“Are you taking a trip?” Nola asked, innocently.

June laughed. “No, I mean, when I leave this earthly plane. I want to hire someone who will reside here, on the premises, and care for my cats for as long as they live. This someone will get a salary and, when the last kitty’s gone, there will be a bonus enough to buy a home, start your own shelter, or whatever you choose to do.”

“Oh that sounds wonderful. Gosh, I’d love to be considered for that job. My very own pack of kitties in such a lovely setting. That would be a dream come true,” she said. “I suppose I could even use my business background to manage things related to the kitties.”

June looked at Savannah, raised her eyebrows, and smiled.

“June,” Savannah said, “have you ever considered turning the estate into a ranch for cats? I mean, you have a whole ravine full of feral cats out there.”

“You do?” Nola asked. “Oh my gosh, that would be so awesome. Yes, I would apply for a job like that in a hot minute.” She grinned. “Where do I sign up?”

“Hmmm, a kitty ranch,” June said. She smiled at Nola. “Yes, awesome, indeed. Let me think about it for a day or so and you think about it, too.” She studied Nola for a moment, then turned to Savannah. “Do we have any spare rooms left?”

Savannah nodded. “Yes, two or three, actually.”

“Good. Nola, would you like to bring your things here and stay? That way we could get to know one another and you could become more familiar with the kitties. I’d like to have you start helping with the feeding and grooming, if you don’t mind. Of course, I’ll pay you for your time. Would you consider that?”

“Absolutely,” Nola said, her eyes wide. “I need to take my mom’s car back to her and get my things together. I could have her drive me back in an hour or so. Is that okay?”

“Yes. Savannah, would you show Nola Kat a suitable room and introduce her to Colbi? Let her know they’ll be working together. I’m sure Colbi will appreciate having the help.”

****

“Hi, Rags,” Savannah said, when she saw the big cat enter their guest room later that night. “Come to kiss us goodnight, boy?” she murmured. She ran her hand along his back as she lay propped up in her bed, checking e-mail on her phone.

“What’s he doing there?” Michael asked when he came out of the bathroom.

“What?” Savannah sat upright to look in Rags’s direction.

“Well, he’s clawing at something under that shelf.”

“Crazy cat,” Savannah said, scratching his tummy. “Ever notice that he spends just about as much time upside down as he does right side up?”

“Yeah, he does expose himself a lot, doesn’t he?” Michael said, chuckling.

Just then Rags jumped to his feet and peered suspiciously under the shelf.

“What is that?” Michael asked, reaching down and picking up a small plastic bag. “It’s a powder of some sort.”

Rags, in the meantime, sat at his feet looking up at the package.

“Michael,” Savannah said, “that looks suspicious, don’t you think? I mean, there’s tape on it.” She climbed out of the bed and felt around under the nightstand. “I’ll bet it was taped to the bottom of this thing. I’m going to call Craig. It might be a clue in what’s been going on here with June.”

“Or, it’s someone’s drug stash,” Michael reasoned.

“Either way, I’m going to tell Craig,” Savannah insisted. Into the phone, she said, “Hi, Craig, we just found a suspicious package in the room where we’re staying at the estate. It has a powder inside and it was taped to the bottom of a nightstand.”

“How’d you find it?” he asked, chuckling. “What were you and Michael doing, anyway?”

“Craig,” she scolded, “it was Rags. He was on his back, rolling around, and he evidently spotted it. Want us to save it for you? Where are you, anyway?”

“Outside the cat room—where’s your room?”

“Left hallway, third door to the left.”

“Are you decent?”

“Yes, come on down.” When he stepped inside the room, Savannah said, “I didn’t know you were on the premises.”

“Just got back from a little meeting with Petra Salvo when I got your call. He claims he’s innocent of everything. He knows nothing about nothing. I think he’ll change his tune when the gal he jilted shows up.”

“Gal? What gal?” she asked.

“The orderly he manipulated into smothering the life out of Sterling Goss.”

“Wow. He sure must have a way with the ladies. So where is this gal? Do you have her in custody?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Not yet, but I think we’re closing in. She’s on an island, for Pete’s sake; where’s she going to hide?”

“An island?” Savannah asked. “How did you find out about her, anyway?”

He grimaced. “I don’t think Lorrie was very well thought of among her co-workers. They seemed all too eager to breach her confidence when it came to her torrid relationship with a good-looking, wealthy playboy. One of them even saw the airline tickets he gave her and remembered the destination—an island in the Bahamas.”