Meows, Magic & Murder (2 page)

“So tell me, Noah. Did you really find the body together, or did Petunia see it first?”

Noah had to admit that she had seen it first, but he would have noticed it about the same time, so that’s what he said. “We found it at the same time.”

“And she was over at your place because…”

“One of her cats found its way inside my house. She was coming over to retrieve it.”

“And did she?”

“No, we found the body and called 911 to report it.”

“Do you knit, or have knitting needles?”

Noah couldn’t help but laugh at that question. “Of course not.”

“We’ll handle it from here, Noah.”

Noah nodded. He was outraged at how the sheriff had spoken to Petunia. Sure, he had the same questions for her, or accusations, but he had no business asking them. He wasn’t the sheriff or part of any police force here in Lake Forest. He was also in no position to ask questions about what sounded like another murder, possibly also with knitting needles as the murder weapon.

He really was curious about Petunia now. She certainly was sharp as a tack. How was she connected to a missing persons case? Noah wasn’t positive, but he planned to try and wiggle the truth out of her. It didn’t help that she was a looker, with the most impressive green eyes he’d ever gazed into.

CHAPTER TWO

Petunia poured fresh water into three of the four bowls lined up on the floor. Merlin was the first to drink his share, followed by Sassy, a white Persian. Gem was a Himalayan and always the last to reach her dish.

“I swear, Gem. If you get any slower…” Petunia said.

The cats lapped up the water and Petunia jumped when there was a knock at the door. When she came home, she’d headed straight to her knitting basket and, sure enough, her knitting needles were missing. Had she misplaced them, or had someone come into her house when she was unaware? Petunia really couldn’t think how that would be possible, and it scared her to think about it.

When Petunia opened the door, Sheriff Pinkerton had one very hairy brow raised. “It’s about time. I hope you weren’t hiding evidence.”

“If you thought that, then why did you allow me to come home unsupervised?”

Sheriff Pinkerton strode inside when Petunia held the door open for him. He stepped around the cats that had moved their bowls to the middle of the room and lowered his hulky-like body into a chair in the kitchen.

“So, I’m sure you recognized the body of Helen Patterson outside. Were you acquainted with her?”

“Not exactly. I mean, I accidentally receive her mail once, but I went over to her house and gave it to her.”

“I see. And you’re not related?”

“No. When I told her my last name was also Patterson, she was shocked. We didn’t really have any small talk about it further than that. I had the impression she wanted me to leave.”

“How so?”

“Well, she told me to get off her property and not come back, ever. I really thought it a bit odd since I’d never met her before, but who am I to judge? Some folks just don’t like to be bothered.”

“How about Noah? How long have you known him?”

“Just met him today. Seems like Pansy got into his house and I went over there to retrieve him when we spotted the body.”

“You found the body together?”

“Well, I think I might have noticed it a fraction of a second before Noah, but basically, we did find the body together.”

“Do you knit, Petunia?”

“You know I do, Sheriff. I sold a blanket to your daughter Mary last year at St. Matthew’s church bazaar.”

Sheriff Pinkerton jotted down the information. “Did you kill Helen with you knitting needles?”

Petunia shook her head. “No, I did not. I had no reason to want the woman dead.”

“Not even after she ordered you from her property?”

“That’s hardly a reason to want someone dead. Some of my neighbors have gotten upset about my cats straying into their yards, too.”

“I know. Helen’s neighbor, Cora, told us that when she saw all the commotion over at Noah’s house.”

“You allowed her on the crime scene?” she asked, shocked.

“No, she came to the fence and, if truth be known, the woman wouldn’t quit talking.” He cleared his throat. “She had plenty to say about the goings-on over at your place.”

Petunia swallowed quite hard now. “You should know how Cora can be, Sheriff. Wasn’t she banned from calling 911?”

“So did Helen, or didn’t she order you from her property?”

“I already told you she did. I think one of my cats went over there once, too. She really hated cats, you know.”

“Oh? You didn’t say that before.”

Oh, boy. “It was pretty obvious when she told me to get off her property that she was upset about my cats getting into her yard. She even threatened to kill one of my felines if they came back over to her place. She called animal control once and they took Pansy to the pound.”

The sheriff jotted it down. “Anything else you’d care to add?”

Petunia tapped her foot, a habit of hers. “Not that I can remember.”

Merlin hopped on the table and hissed at the sheriff. Petunia hastily picked him up, setting him on the floor.

“No, but then there’s Jeremy Walters’ disappearance. Word has it Jeremy was seeing both you and Helen.”

Petunia went to the sink to pour herself a glass of water, taking a drink as she turned back to face the sheriff. “I can’t say for sure. Like I already said, I only met the woman once.”

“So you said, but there has to be some reason she was rude to you besides the cats.”

“Possibly, but I don’t know what it was.”

“So about Jeremy—you’re sure you don’t know his whereabouts?”

Petunia shook her head as her heart beat hard. The sheriff just wouldn’t quit. “No, I don’t. He might have left town.”

“What makes you think that?”

“He had family in Grand Rapids, I believe, or at least he told me he did. But I already told you that when you questioned me before.”

Sheriff Pinkerton massaged his chin. “Yes, I believe you have, but as I’ve also told you before, he never returned to Grand Rapids and his family hasn’t seen him since he came to Lake Forest.”

Drat! “How awful, but I’m sure he’ll show up someday.”

The sheriff rose from his chair and said, “Thanks for your time, Petunia. If you remember anything else about Helen or Jeremy, don’t hesitate to call me.”

Petunia walked the sheriff to the door and once he’d left, Noah waltzed up holding Pansy, a black cat, in his arms. Pansy squirmed, but Noah held him securely. Petunia took the cat, snuggling Pansy against her cheek for a moment. She then walked over to his bowl and set the cat down, filling his bowl. Instead of lapping up the water, Pansy knocked it over with a swipe of his paw.

Noah was quickly ushered to the door. Petunia thanked him for bringing the cat home and slammed the door shut just as Pansy paced, screaming telepathically, “
Help, don’t leave me with her
!”

“Oh, bother. You know he can’t hear you.”

Pansy jumped on the counter and stared at Petunia.
“Of course nobody can hear me but you. Was that part of your evil plot?”

“I don’t have an evil plot, Jeremy, and cats don’t have the vocal range for human speech. But how many times have I told you not to leave the house?”

“Leave the house? What’s your beef with me, Petunia? Just turn me back already. Isn’t it bad enough you gave me a feminine name?”

Perhaps if Jeremy had been nicer to Petunia, she wouldn’t have named him Pansy, but there’s no going back now. Petunia could even say that she had no idea who Jeremy really was until she changed him into a cat.
“Since I don’t know how I turned you into a cat to begin with, Jeremy, how do you expect me to turn you back into human form?”

Pansy hung his head.
“I don’t know, but it’s not like you’re even trying.”

“Haven’t I done enough damage already? It seems like you’d have gotten used to it by now.”

“Oh, yeah, an entire two months of eating that dreadful cat food you give me and licking out of a bowl. It’s the high point of my life.”

Pansy scampered over to a ball with a bell inside, batting it into the next room as the other cats darted after it.
“It might be fun if you give me to the hot blonde on the next block. Now, she’s a woman I’d love to get to know.”

“You do realize you’re a cat, right?”

“Of course. How could I not? I really would love a steak for dinner. How about getting your human self down to the market and fetching me one.”

Petunia tapped her foot.
“And that’s the attitude that got you into your predicament in the first place.”

“Not. That was all you and your need to be loved, remember? You slipped me a potion thinking it was a love potion, but all it did was turn me into a cat.”

“I’m sorry about that. I was so sure I had the right recipe, too.”

“Well, mix up another potion and turn me back.”

“Don’t you think I would if I could? But I’ve sworn off making potions.”
And that therein was Petunia’s life. While most in town considered her a witch, she considered herself a maker of potions that do the opposite of what they’re suppose to, and the inventor of healing balms that at this point she was too afraid to try on anyone. The simple truth was that Petunia wasn’t a witch and didn’t understand why people called her that. Whipping up potions didn’t deem one a witch, did it?

Petunia was startled when there was a rap at her front door. “What now,” she muttered as she made her way there, opening the door but leaving the screen door closed. Pansy put her front paws on the door, peering outside.
“This looks like trouble,”
came the telepathic message from Pansy.

“Tell me something I don’t know,”
was sent back to Pansy.

“Hello there, Petunia. Is it true you found the body?” Cora asked, the resident snoopy neighbor that lived next to Helen. “Isn’t it just awful?”

“Y-Yes, it sure is. Did you see anything?”

“Oh, me? I barely notice what’s going on with my neighbors.”

What a total lie! “Me, either.”

“I couldn’t help but notice this morning, though, that Helen had company last night.”

Petunia’s brow arched. “Oh? What could you possibly have seen this morning that would mean that she had company last night?”

“Well, I was going out to get the newspaper this morning and there was a black sports car in the driveway and it was parked there all night.”

Petunia yawned. “Newspaper this morning? They don’t deliver the paper on Tuesday mornings.”

“Well, I forgot to get my Sunday paper.”

“For two days?”

Cora adjusted her coke-bottle glasses on her narrow face. “It sounds suspect, doesn’t it?”

“What did the sheriff have to say about it?”

“Oh, I didn’t see the sheriff today.”

What a liar. “That’s strange, since he mentioned that you spoke to him from your side of the fence. And what did you have to say about me exactly?”

“I-I’d never say anything about you, Petunia. You’re one of my most favorite neighbors.”

Petunia rolled her eyes. “I think it would be a good idea to have a privacy fence installed. That way nobody would need to concern themselves with the comings and goings on my property.”

“Well, the sheriff asked about you first. You have to have known that you’re on his suspect list ever since Jeremy went missing.”

Ignoring the Jeremy reference in regards to her being a suspect in his disappearance, Petunia said, “Helen was dating him too, you know.”

“I-I didn’t know that. I didn’t mean any harm, honest. I feel so nervous since Helen’s body was found. Do you plan to investigate her death?”

“Me? Why on earth would you think that?”

“What if the sheriff thinks you killed Helen?”

“Why would he think I had anything to do with it?”

Cora shuffled her feet. “It’s just that with all the rumors floating around about you being linked to witchcraft and all, folks might think you killed poor Helen with some kind of spell.”

Pansy looked up at Petunia.
“This Cora has a point.”

“First off, I’m not a witch. Sure, I work at my aunt’s potion shop whipping up a few concoctions and sometimes we gather in my backyard for cookouts, but that hardly makes me a witch. Plenty of folks rely on home remedies these days.”

“Of course, you’re right. I’m just thinking out loud about a few things most folks think around town.”

“If you don’t mind, Cora, I really need to finish up a few things. What kind of car did you say you saw over to Helen’s?”

“It was a Camaro and the only reason I noticed was on account that it was a classic car, like from 1970, with red racing stripes. I only know that because my daughter dated a man who had one once.”

“Does this man have a name?”

“That was back in California years ago.”

Drat. “Thanks for the information, but I think the sheriff can handle the investigation.”

Petunia didn’t wait for a reply from Cora, but Pansy had plenty to say as he screamed,
“Get out of here. Petunia has potions to make and spells to cast.”
Fortunately, Petunia was the only one who heard Pansy speak and it gave her a headache when he blabbed so much.

“I swear, sometimes I think that cat can talk. Its lips were moving,” Cora shouted through the screen door.

The door slammed shut and Pansy ran over to Petunia’s desk and jumped on it, tapping the keys and spelling out,
“walk.”

Hands flew to her hips.
“I’m not taking you for any walk. You just got home and I’m exhausted from my ordeal today.”

Merlin bounded into the room and spit out a mouse. “Oh, yuck. Would you stop doing that?”

Merlin pranced away like he was proud of his accomplishment and waited by the refrigerator for a treat, meowing loudly. Petunia came over and filled his dish with the rest of the moist cat food from yesterday and Gem joined him for the feast, which he didn’t seem to mind.