a Coyote's in the House (2004) (6 page)

Something like that, I suppose, Miss Betty said.

See, I thought you and Lola were enough alike, Ramona said, you'd know what she's saying. You both being in shows and all.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, Miss Betty said. I can't help it.

It surprised Ramona, the truth of Miss Betty's words leaving her a bit stunned, and she didn't know what to say.

Miss Betty was looking toward the yard again. She said, Where's Antwan? sounding worried about him.

Ramona changed her voice to a friendlier tone saying, He went around to the other side of the house. You'll see him in a minute. As they waited, watching the house, Ramona said, You know I was kidding about you and the cat being alike.

I know, Miss Betty said.

I was being funny.

Miss Betty said, I'm not trying to change your brother, so don't worry about it. If Antwan doesn't want to learn manners, so be it. Understand what I'm saying to you?

Sounding like him a little. Maybe he was changing her.

Ramona let it go, because now she saw Antwan and said, There he is, on the house. He must've jumped onto a low place on the other side.

Now they caught glimpses of him moving from one level to another, leaping to a deck, running down steps to the terrace, over the railing and he was in the yard.

Lola was taking it easy, playing with the rubber mouse again. You can tell she don't know about Antwan, Ramona said. Watch how quick he is. Lola smells him, looks up. Too late, he's got hold of her collar in his teeth. Now Lola's screaming for her kitty life as Antwan runs with her, that cat on a ride she won't ever forget. Look at him, on the terrace now and up the steps, leaps to that deck look at him goes up and over the roof with the cat. And there's the human coming out.. . . Now she's looking around. She heard Lola scream, but where was she? Calling to her now, 'Lola, where are you, honey?' Can't believe the cat's gone. She runs in the house. ... Now she's screaming at somebody maybe was supposed to be watching Lola. You can tell that woman don't know nothing about coyotes. Must've moved here from someplace they don't have any. Except our pack leader, Cletus, says we're everywhere 'cause we know how to stay alive. He says coyotes and crows could be the last ones left on earth account of our smart brains. Hey, here comes Antwan, like he's carrying a sack of cat hair.

Antwan brought Lola over to them, unclenched his teeth and shook his head. Lola dropped to the ground stiff-legged, her back humped. Antwan nosed at her and took the paw she threw at him in his mouth. He licked it, let go of it and said to Lola, Now settle down. We have to decide if you get et or not. He looked at Miss Betty. Now what?

You weren't seen, were you?

No, he wasn't seen. Ramona scowling. You could see how that human was looking every which way but up at the house.

Lola looking from one to the other with big eyes.

So she won't believe a coyote could have snatched her cat.

She won't even think of it, Ramona said. Nobody will.

Would Lola leave home by herself? Run away? If she's stupid.

Lola meowed a pitiful sound.

Antwan listened, waiting for the right question. He already had an idea where this was going.

Miss Betty said, So what will they think happened to Lola?

There it was.

She was kidnapped by bad guys, Antwan said, and saw Miss Betty smile.

She said, You saw the movie.

Antwan nodded. Buddy and the Kidnappers. He had seen the picture with Buddy lying on the floor in the family room. Buddy rescues a famous dog entertainer from the kidnappers, Antwan said, a little Chihuahua named Pedro.

Yes, and Buddy carries him by the collar during the escape, Miss Betty said, the same way you brought Lola here.

Who does Buddy rescue her from?

Us. We keep her a few days and then Buddy takes her back home.

We pass up a good nourishing meal, Antwan said, just to cheer Buddy up?

It's been a long time, Miss Betty said, since Buddy's acted like himself. Yes, I want to cheer him up. Buddy's a good old guy. I want to make him a hero again.

Wait a minute, Ramona said, looking up from sniffing Lola, Lola cringing. Where you gonna hide her? We take her up to the dens, she'd be et in two minutes.

Antwan, grinning, said, Can you imagine explaining it to Cletus? 'No sir, you can't eat her. We have to keep her for this kidnapping thing we're putting on.' Antwan said to Miss Betty then, You gonna hide her in the house?

In my closet. I'm sure I can keep her quiet.

Show her your trophies, Antwan said and paused for a moment. Will Buddy know she's there?

That's a good question, Miss Betty said. Once we show him Lola and tell him the plan, he might not go for it. Why not?

Buddy has his pride. And he's not a hero if it's a hoax. Antwan said, That's all actors do.

This is different, Miss Betty said. We have to decide, do we tell him or not?

Chapter
Seven.

BY the time A n t w a n and Miss Betty had sent Ramona home and got back to the house with Lola only minutes before the family car pulled into the garage they had decided not to tell Buddy their scheme to make him a hero.

I'm afraid, Miss Betty said, he'll refuse to have anything to do with it. But then you'll want to have Lola for supper and I can't bear to see that happen.

Then don't look, Antwan said.

Wrong. He should've learned by now Miss Betty didn't think he was funny.

We have to work it, she said now, so Buddy actually believes he's saved the cat's life. But how?

There was a lot to think about to make the scheme work.

The first thing they had to do was get Lola upstairs and into the closet without Buddy smelling the cat and causing an uproar. Antwan checked on him and came back to the kitchen.

Guess what movie he's watching? Antwan grinning. Buddy and the Kidnappers. Honest. You don't believe me, go look. Buddy raised his head and sniffed, just once, and went back to watching himself on the screen, Buddy saving little Pedro from the bad guys.

They got Lola upstairs before the family came home, but then had to worry about the kids, especially Courtney, coming into Miss Betty's room when Lola was out of the closet. We can't keep her in there all day, Miss Betty said. I've heard cats can see in the dark. Still, the poor kitty could die of fright.

Antwan's eyes brightened. If she does, better tell me right away so I can dispose of the remains.

Miss Betty scolded him saying, Think about making this work instead of worrying about your stomach for a change. She said she'd keep her bedroom door closed; if she heard anyone in the hall she'd shoo Lola into the closet quick. The only one who might smell her was Buddy, but he hardly ever came in the room.

I just thought of something, Antwan said. What's she gonna eat?

Kibbles, Miss Betty said, like everybody else. Or those meat-flavored treats. Though she might not eat junk food.

Where's she go to the bathroom?

Bring up some newspapers.

I heard cats use something else.

A litter box, Miss Betty said, but we don't happen to have one. Go and get the newspapers while I talk to Lola and get her settled.

So yo u ' r e i n kitty-cat shows, huh? And you're the famous Miss Betty, Lola said, looking at the display of trophies and photographs. Well, I've won way more than you. Sixteen red ribbons.

You mean, Miss Betty said, you're the best looking cat in the show? With that little pug face? You don't even have a nose. See mine? Nice and long and has that handsome black sniffer on the end? Honey, this is a nose.

Lola gave a little shake to fluff her hair.

My room's bigger than this one and it's prettier. They hang special draperies that I can claw all I want.

I bet you live alone, Miss Betty said, don't know what to do with yourself.

I have my master. She kisses me on the mouth. How's her breath?

Not too bad.

You ought to smell some of the breaths around here. I won't say which ones, Miss Betty said. You kiss your master back to get what you want?

Of course, Lola said.

You ought to live with a German shepherd who thinks he runs the house. He did pay for it, but that's another story. His name's Buddy, and you know what? For some strange reason he loves cats. Don't ask me why. It might be old age or he's forgotten he's a dog. And now we have a boarder, Antwan. Thinks he's cool 'cause he's from the Hollywood Hills. Miss Betty paused. He is, sort of, for a coyote.

Lola jumped hearing the word coyote and her legs stiffened. How can you have a coyote in the house? A note of terror in her little cat voice. What's he doing here?

I find out, Miss Betty said, I'll let you know. Is he a friend of yours?

You'll have to wait on that one, too. Listen, Miss Betty said, don't think about it, or worry what's gonna happen to you. If you don't make any noise or cause trouble, you'll be out of here in no time, back to that one kisses you with the bad breath.

Lola didn't understand.

That was all right, because now Miss Betty said, But if you try to run, or think if you cry loud enough you'll be rescued, it won't happen. The Hollywood Hills coyote I mentioned? He'll have you for dinner.

Just at that moment Lola heard a sound coming from the hall.

She didn't think Miss Betty's big floppy ears under that ridiculous hairdo could have caught the sound.

But she did hear it, rushed Lola into the closet and pushed the door shut after her.

Only it didn't close all the way. Lola pressed her face to the opening where a crack of light showed from the bedroom. She saw a little girl giving Miss Betty tidbits from a plastic bag with a cartoon doggy on it.

And saw the bedroom door to the hall left open. Should she make a run for it?

Not knowing where she was, or how to get out of the house?

No, first she had to think about what she was doing here. What if they were going to eat her? Or maybe it was something Lola and the other Persians had talked about at shows. Catnapping: humans grabbing you, hiding you someplace, and then they either let you go like threw you out of a car or you disappeared and no one ever saw you again.

It looked like that's what this was about. Maybe the coyote was trained to kidnap cats, and if he ever ate one they'd beat him. She hoped so.

Now she was wondering about the German shepherd who liked cats, Buddy, and if he was in the house somewhere.

She watched the little girl hold the tidbit over her head, making Miss Betty beg for it. Lola's master never did mean things like that. She called her Lolums and Sweetums.

The little girl walked out of the room.

Leaving the door open.

Miss Betty didn't notice it right away. When she did, she strolled over and pushed the door closed with that big black nose she was so proud of.

It told Lola this poodle didn't know much of anything about cats, especially how quick and crafty they were.

Chapter
Eight.

Not the next morning but the one after, Buddy said to Antwan at breakfast, What've you been doing? I haven't seen you lately.

Same old, Antwan said, his nose in the dish of fried eggs the maid fixed for him when he wimpered and gave her the look, with toast.

Been hanging with Miss Betty, huh?

Yes, he had, up in her room, but said to Buddy, I chase her around, pretend I want to bite off her pom-pom.

I used to do that. I think she likes it acts scared so you'll keep chasing her. By the way, Buddy said, you hear about the cat that disappeared?

Antwan raised his nose from the dish, but then only said, Uh-unh, not wanting to sound too interested.

Yeah, the mom and dad were talking about it, Buddy said. Yesterday some kids came to the door asking if anyone had seen her. They put up a poster along the road says she's missing and offers a reward to whoever finds her. It even has her picture on it.

What kind of cat is it? Antwan said, acting interested now.

A white Persian named Lola. They said she was in a movie, but I've never heard of any Lola. There was a Crissy in Buddy to the Rescue, the little girl's cat. When we can't find Crissy we know it was the wolves got her.

I saw the picture, Antwan said, and asked then, What do you think happened to Lola?

Got bored and sneaked off, Buddy said.

Antwan said, I wonder how she got out of there. Saw Buddy lift his head to look at him and knew he'd made a mistake.

Out of where? Buddy said.

The house where she lives.

Buddy kept looking at him, working the taste of breakfast in his mouth. Now he said, You were gone the other day, weren't you?

Took a run in the woods.

You didn't happen to see her, did you, a white Persian? I would've told you, Antwan said.

Buddy didn't say if he believed that or not. He finished his breakfast and went outside.