1 A Paw-sible Theory (13 page)

“He didn’t.”

“Well… what can I do to help you my friend?”

“I was hoping you could help me out with the purse-snatchers,” said Hunter. “It’s a real long shot, I know, but you never know where it might lead. It’s possible they tried to rob Alyx. If they’re professionals, they probably wore gloves, and there wouldn’t be any other fingerprints around the house or on the pot. And then again, if they’re professionals, they wouldn’t have tried to rob her in daylight.”

“Right. And if they were watching her, they would have known her work schedule. She said Saturday is always her day off.”

”And since they ignored all that, why didn’t they take anything?”

“That’s a good question, and I don’t have an answer. Maybe Ethan and Maggie’s arrival scared them away.”

“That means that whoever attacked her meant to do just that.”

Hunter lightly hit the corner of the desk with his fist. “I have successfully defended some who were no doubt guilty and here’s an innocent young man who will probably have to serve time if I can’t defend him against the evidence gathered by the State Attorney’s Office.”

Hunter rose from his chair and paced the length of the room. “A review of the scene revealed no sign of a break-in or struggle, nothing taken or disturbed. The only prints on the pot belong to Ethan and Alyx. The witness reports confirm that Ethan’s car and Maggie’s were the only cars seen in the driveway. The police learned that Alyx’s half of the business was in both their names. The interview with Maggie also revealed Ethan’s bout of depression over the break-up with his long-time girlfriend just four months earlier. The police also know that Alyx had expressed her concern over Ethan’s spending habits, had quarreled with him on several occasions, most recently, about his twenty-five thousand dollar purchase of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

“The next-door neighbor, Mrs. Leary, told the police about the day Ethan showed up on his Harley. She was out on the porch, heard the motorcycle drive up, and the ensuing argument when Alyx came out, adding at the end, that it really sounded more like a disagreement than an argument. Unfortunately, that last part didn’t make it into the report.”

Tim leaned forward. “I see why you’re concerned. It doesn’t look good for the kid.”

“Notwithstanding all that, Ethan refuses to plead guilty or make any deals; says he abhors even the thought of being associated with such a heinous crime, let alone plead guilty. He insists he’s innocent––that he would rather take his chances. That hope is dashed now that she’s regained consciousness and doesn’t know who tried to kill her.”

“She can testify in his defense, though, can’t she?”

“She wants to. I haven’t made a decision on that.”

Both men were silent long enough for me to think they’d left the room, when Hunter came to stand in front of the window. I quickly moved out of his line of vision, pulling out some fur as I backed deeper in the thorny bushes.

Tim said, “I think we should talk to Mr. Moresby again. If it turns out that he was involved in the attack, it might prompt him to make a move. And what about this guy…George Lucas? You want me to talk to him?”

Hunter said, “I already have. I recorded the interview. I don’t have any notes because he didn’t have anything to add, but if you want to take it on, see if you can dig up anything on his business dealings, past and present.”

“Okay; so I’m to look into both the purse-snatching and Mr. Moresby…and check George Lucas’ business dealings. Right?”

“Right.”

“How quickly do you want me to get on it?”

“Quick.”

Their voices sounded farther away now and I took one quick look into the room.

Tim was looking at his phone. “I just happen to have some time in the next couple of days, is that quick enough?” Hunter sat behind his desk. Tim finished off the last of his coffee and got up to leave.

“Got to go. I have a lunch date in ten minutes and this lady doesn’t cut me any slack,” he said, grinning. How are things with you and Joann?”

“Still unsettled. Still a mess.”

“I guess dinner with me and my lady is out of the question?”

“I’m afraid so,” Hunter sighed audibly. “She filed the divorce papers; we’ve agreed to a settlement––she can’t decide to let me go or hang on, but that’s another story.”

“We have a theory that cats are planning to take over the world, just try to look them straight in the eye...yup, they’re hiding something!”

––Dog Fancy Magazine

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:
 
Dead-End Leads

As promised, Hunter’s friend Tim delivered the information two days later, and Pooky’s friend was there to observe and report back to Pooky. Tim told Hunter that Moresby didn’t want to talk at first. He told Tim that Hunter knew everything he knew and he had nothing else to say. Then, when Tim told Moresby that somebody had seen his car in front of Alyx’s home, he became more talkative. He admitted to going to see her. He said that since he hadn’t yet heard back from Maggie, he couldn’t be sure that she had mentioned the deal to Alyx, so he decided to go speak to Alyx himself, but changed his mind when he got to Alyx’s house and drove off without stopping. Hunter didn’t think that was much to go on, but Tim thought it could motivate Moresby to make another move if he was involved.

Apparently, Tim had also spoken
 
to the store manager regarding Alyx’s purse snatching and the manager said that a long-time employee had dropped off the purse at the Customer Service counter. He spoke to the woman and she said she had found the purse on the floor, in the produce aisle on her way to the break-room. She said she didn’t give an explanation to the Customer Service clerk because the girl was busy and she didn’t want to use her break time waiting for her. She meant to tell her later but just forgot. The woman who had found the purse was seventy-years-old and had worked at that store for ten years in food demonstration.

According to Pooky’s informant, Tim requested and received a copy of the video from the store’s security office. The first time Tim and Hunter viewed the video, the surveillance camera panned the parking lot and store entrances and focused on the grocery store entrance. They saw Alyx enter the store with her purse, and leave empty-handed a short time later, but didn’t see anyone suspicious or known to them. The two men viewed the video a second time and saw a man with a walrus mustache––Moresby’s trademark––enter the coffee shop minutes after Alyx entered the grocery store. Since the coffee shop is part of the grocery store and the two places open to each other, Hunter said he would discuss it Moresby.

Tim said he had spoken to several sources and did some record-checking on George Lucas. It turned out that he had been sort of involved in a scandal a few years back. That is, Lucas wasn’t personally involved, but the antique dealer he did business with was indicted for fraud and sentenced to prison. The police report said they were on an anonymous call, so George could have been the whistle blower on the case.

I commended Pooky’s friend Jemma for a job well done. Pooky reported that Jemma said she liked being a snitch and had offered to stay on the case for as long as it took. I didn’t particularly like the role I had been thrust into (that of inducing young felines into a life of espionage), but I was honor bound to do whatever needed to be done to keep my human safe.

“Cats are notoriously sore losers. Coming in second best, especially to someone as poorly coordinated as a human being, grates their sensibility.”

––
Stephen Baker

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:
 
Attack Cats

I panicked when Maggie walked in and found us all on the screened porch. It had cost Alyx a bundle to have the cat door installed on the glass patio door. She would be very upset if she found out it was for nothing. Fortunately, Maggie focused on Pooky and didn’t seem to suspect anything, or didn’t show it if she did.

“Well, my goodness, the prodigal cat has returned. I’m glad you decided to come home, Pooky. Alyx would have been really disappointed not to find you here.”

“You must have had quite an adventure out there, but this better be the last of your outdoor excursions. The outside can be a very dangerous place for a kitty.” She stood still for a second, her head cocked, and my heart stopped.

“How did you all get out here, anyway? I don’t remember unlocking the cat door.” She shook her head and gave Pooky another hug, brought her in and cleaned her up as much as Pooky would allow.

I felt intense relief when she didn’t pay any attention to the screen door and left it propped open. I took a moment to catch my breath, and followed Maggie as she went about her established routine, one of which was to return calls to mutual friends, bringing them up to date on what was happening with Alyx and Ethan, while the other felines kept track of the activity in the back yard. After refilling the food and water bowls, Maggie went from room to room opening windows.

Her cell phone started playing the catchy tune Ethan had downloaded for her. It was Alyx calling, and I reached up with my paws, meowing and purring. She understood and hoisted me over her shoulder.

“Murfy wants to say hello; here he is,” she said putting the phone to my ear. I heard Alyx talking and pretended nonchalance as expected. Maggie pressed the phone to her ear then, and Alyx said the doctor usually made his rounds at eight o’clock in the morning, and she would call after that to let her know what time to pick her up. Elated to hear that Alyx was coming home, I launched myself out of Maggie’s arms and skidded across the tile floor to let the girls in on the good news.

The morning light squeezing through the partially closed shutters revealed the party atmosphere of the previous night: toys scattered all over, pillows knocked on the floor, and scatter rugs scattered. Too excited to sleep during the night, we had chased each other and a lizard all over the house. The lizard had lost his tail as a result. Lucky for him, we were too happy to take the hunt seriously.

I thought the girls could help with putting their toys back in the basket, work together to straighten the kitchen rugs, and put the pillows back on the couch. The tail, however, had to be disposed of immediately. For some reason not quite clear to me, humans reacted very badly to finding animal parts in a house. Alyx’s shriek the first time I brought her a piece of lizard––was not soon forgotten. I picked up the tail with my teeth and dropped it in the wastebasket under the kitchen sink, the cabinet doors no problem.

I always hoped Alyx would toss bits of food into the garbage can, but she almost always disposed of any leftovers in the noisy contraption visible under the sink. By the time Maggie arrived, there was no sign of the previous night’s celebration.

Maggie had arranged to have the front door lock re-keyed and the young man from All-Locks finished the job around ten. Maggie handed him a check and accepted the two keys he offered. I followed her as she closed and locked the windows. The phone rang before she got to Alyx’s bedroom and I heard the one-sided conversation.

“Of course, I’ll be there. I’m at your house now. Anything special you want me to bring you tomorrow morning?”

Maggie gathered Alyx’s clothes; put them in a canvas tote bag and left. I divided my time between catnaps, and watching the street in hopes that Alyx might come home that day. Every time I heard a car in the distance, I sat tall in anticipation only to be disappointed when it wasn’t Maggie.

That evening, I saw the same vehicle I had seen twice during the day slow down as it passed the house. I didn’t recognize the driver or his passenger and warning bells went off in my head.

Sometime late into the night, a loud yowling outside rudely awakened me. The bully I had fought earlier that week had been taunting me since. I was sorry I hadn’t hurt him more than I did when I had the chance.

I meandered to the front door and sat watching the scruffy stray, thinking I should go out there and force him out of the yard once-and-for-all, when the cat bounded away as fast as he could. I had no idea what had made the cat run away. I didn’t think it was another animal or human because I hadn’t heard any other sound. I stepped away from the glass, hid a little behind the door and continued to watch with interest.

There was no direct light illuminating the front porch, just the streetlight filtering through the branches of the large magnolia tree. Two men dressed in dark clothing, wearing dark wool caps approached from behind the azalea bushes.

The men were both at the front door; one of them crouched next to the wicker chair, the other one apparently trying a key in the lock. I couldn’t believe what was happening and came out in full view as the man unsuccessfully tried to unlock the door. The man swore quietly as he motioned to his partner to check the windows. Misty and Pooky joined me growling and hissing at the intruders as we ran from window to window. Misty wasn’t sure what was going on but she didn’t let that stop her.

At Alyx’s bedroom window, emboldened by the fact they were now in the dark and out of view from the street, the two men removed the screen. We were ready for them, a determined mass of fur, claws, and teeth.

In the melee, we scratched, bit, yowled, and squawked loud enough to wake up Smooch, the dog next door, who in turn woke up Mrs. Leary, who turned on her patio lights. The bloodied intruders ran off to the other side of the yard and down the street.

There wasn’t anything I could do about the open window, but I reassured everyone not to worry about those two coming back. Proud of successfully defending our turf, the females rehashed everything that happened several times. Huddled on Alyx’s bed, they finally fell into a light sleep and I watched the window through slit eyes, alert to the slightest sound.