Catnapped (A Klepto Cat Mystery) (22 page)

But now he had one focus—one last task he had to do for his own future. He had to get rid of the only thing that stood in his way. The shed was within sight. He ran the tractor at full throttle up behind it and began pushing it—closer and closer to the edge of the canyon—the canyon that had hidden so many things Bray didn’t want anyone to see.
That’s the only thing my property over in Hammond don’t have—a canyon. Maybe I’ll dig a deep hole—make a pond or I’ll have to find another way to git rid of problems,
he thought
.

“Roar.” He pushed the tractor hard against the shed to get it in position.

Just as they rounded the bend to where she thought Joe Forster had left her aunt imprisoned, Savannah gasped with fright. The shed was teetering on the edge of the deep canyon. “Oh nooooo,” Savannah said as she watched the shed disappear over the edge.

And then the tractor began to shift in the dirt. It looked as if it were sinking. Joe tried desperately to drive it back up onto solid ground, but it was too late. He’d gone too far. He would jump free. But he’d have to hurry—the tractor was toppling over on the open side. He made a leap for it—but too late—the tractor rolled over crushing Joe Forster, and then continued rolling and tumbling down the deep ravine landing on top of the shed, demolishing it.

“My God! My God! Auntie!” Savannah cried.

“Oh don’t be so dang dramatic, Vannie.”

“What?” Savannah spun around and saw, there on the ground in the shadows, leaning up against a large rock, her aunt, in the arms of Max.

“Oh, Auntie Marg!” she shouted. She ran to her, bent down and the three of them had a group hug to beat all group hugs. Margaret and Savannah were crying and laughing all at once. “How did you…? What…?” Savannah stuttered.

“My hero,” Margaret said, as she smiled at Max through tears, patting him on the chest.

“My fiancée,” Max said, a wide grin on his face.

“What?” Savannah asked. “You finally said ‘yes’?”

“How could I turn down a man who risked everything for me?” Margaret winked. And then she looked more closely at her niece. “Savannah, are you okay? You look awful,” she said with obvious concern.

“Yeah, it was rough for a while—but, yes…” She looked over at Michael who was squatting down near them. “I’m okay.”

By then a team of men and women were standing at the edge of the canyon looking down. Someone called out, “It’s an all-clear!”

“That means you folks can get on with your work,” a deputy said.

Michael stood up. “Come on, gang. We have cats to round up.” He looked over at Max and suggested, “Let’s make a human chair for Maggie and get her over to the work area.”

“Oh yeah, a seat carry,” Max said.

“By the way, Max,” Margaret asked, “how did you know we were out here? Or did you even know we were missing? I guess I want to know, who tipped you off?”

“Rags,” he said as he helped her to stand. “When we arrived and you two weren’t there, we looked everywhere. I even checked for holes in your backyard,” he said, obviously fighting back a rush of tears. He paused for a moment and then continued, “When we’d just about given up, we saw Rags in the spare room upstairs walking around with something in his mouth.” He nodded toward the ravine. “It was this joker’s hat.”

“Yes, I remember knocking it off his head,” Savannah said, while wiping her eyes again. “How’d you know it was his hat?” she asked.

“It had his name in it.” Michael explained, “When you spend time in institutions—mental or prison—your name is in every stitch of clothing you own.”

As Max held Margaret steady, he said, “We called Deputy Jim right away and he said they had traced Joe Forster to the Bray place. When he heard what we had to tell him, the sheriff bumped up the time they’d set for the raid. Otherwise,” he choked up, “I’m not sure we would have gotten here in time.”

“How about that?” Margaret chimed. “The cat and his klepto habits saved the day.” Both she and Savannah wiped fresh tears from their eyes.

“Hop aboard, Maggie,” Michael said as he and Max crossed arms and created a human chair for her.

Savannah tried to steady Margaret in an attempt to help her ease onto their arms.

“Ooooo,” she moaned in pain.

Savannah winced. “So sorry. I know how you feel—sore all over.”

“Just sit down,” Max said gently. “We’ll get you over to where the car is and you can watch the show—ever try to herd cats?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Max, you know darn good and well some of the escapades we’ve been involved in together trying to round up cats. I want to do more than just watch,” she said with a defiant pout. “I’m not an invalid. I can help.”

Once they reached the car, the men lowered their arms so Margaret could stand on her good foot.

“Auntie, how’s your foot? All of that walking he made you do…you could have a setback.”

“That’s for sure. Damn jerk,” Margaret said, tearing up again.

“It’s okay, Maggie. You’re safe now,” Max soothed.

From their location near the large barn, the foursome could see a lot of activity: Jeeps driving around the premises, men and women in camouflage talking on phones and handheld radios, people in jeans and jackets over near the horse pens. The body of Russell Bray lay on the porch covered by a yellow tarp. An officer was wrapping yellow tape around the porch pillars just above the steps. The commotion was a distance from the large barn where it was thought the cats were living.

Michael took charge: “Maggie, you sit here in the back of the car and get the carriers ready for the cats we bring. Max, you take the far side of the barn and the sheds over there—do you have a flashlight?”

“Yup.”

“Savannah, put these gloves on and come with me. We’ll see what we can find inside the barn.”

It was just a few minutes before Margaret saw Savannah emerge holding a white-and-orange van cat. She had a carrier door open and held it steady while Savannah slid the frightened cat inside. “Good job, Vannie,” she said, lifting another carrier into position.

Michael walked up and pushed a large black cat into that carrier.

“Hey, one of the pictures we have of the missing cats shows a black one like that. Cool—somebody might be getting their pet back,” Margaret said.

“Two tabbies,” Max announced, as he rushed toward the car with the cats in his arms. “Small ones. They were huddled together; let’s keep them together.”

Margaret reached for a larger carrier and prepared it for the two new arrivals.

“What darlings,” she cooed.

After a several more trips to the barn, Michael said, “I think that’s it for now. How many is that, anyway?”

“With these two, eleven,” Margaret said, amidst the sound of many meows in varying tones.

“Wait, where’s Sally?” Savannah asked. “Has anyone seen Sally?” She peered into the carriers.

“Oh yes, that poor cat. Let’s go in with flashlights and see if we can find her. She’s gotta be scared out of her wits,” Michael said.

“What kind of cat are we looking for?” Max asked.

“There’s a picture of her in the car somewhere. She’s a pastel calico with a lot of white.”

After foraging around in the car, Max announced, “Here’s the picture.” He looked at it and then gasped, “Oh, God.”

“What’s wrong?” Margaret asked.

“I saw this cat. I don’t think she made it.”

Michael felt sick. “Show me, Max.”

In a few minutes, Savannah and Margaret heard Michael calling out, “Clear a space for me to work.” They looked up and saw him rushing toward them with a limp cat in his arms.

Savannah pulled four carriers from the back of the car and set them on the ground out of the way. “You’ll be okay, kitties,” she purred to those in the carriers. She spread the sheet Michael had brought with him on the floor in the back of the SUV.

“Savannah, keep an eye on her,” he said as he lay the cat down in front of her. She put her hands on Sally and felt a heart pumping faintly inside the quivering body. She pulled the sheet up over the cat and placed her hands around her gently to generate heat.

“Let’s get some fluids into her pronto-quick,” Michael said. “She’s badly dehydrated.” Once he had given her as much as he thought she could handle, with Max holding the flashlight and Savannah managing the little cat, Michael gave her a couple of injections. “One for any possible swelling,” he said, “and one for pain. Savannah I’ll need you to hold her. Wrap that towel around her. We’ve gotta get her temperature up.”

“Then we’re ready to go?” Max asked.

Michael looked around. “Yes, I think so.”

“Well, let’s see if we can stack some of these carriers to make room for all of us. Otherwise, animal control might have to take some of them to the clinic in their vehicles,” Max said.

While Margaret sat in the front passenger seat, the others moved and stacked and shoved and figured until they were able to put the backseat in the SUV up for human passengers. There were two small carriers left over. “We can put them sideways on the seat next to us,” Michael said. He smiled over at Savannah. “If you don’t mind sitting close.”

“I don’t mind at all,” she said with a flirtatious smile.

Just then a uniformed sheriff’s deputy walked toward them. “When you’re finished there, folks, I’d like to ask you some questions.”

“Oh gosh, the ladies have been through so much, can’t it wait? We have to get these cats to the clinic and look them over. Some will need treatment before we can call it a night. You understand, don’t you, Deputy?” Michael asked.

“Sure. But I just need some basic information and statements now. We can finish up tomorrow after everyone’s rested. With both men dead, it isn’t like we need it for a trial. Just bookwork, you see.”

“Okay,” Margaret said, sighing. “Let’s get this over with.”

“I’m going to need from each of you a name, address, phone number where we can reach you, your association with either of the perps and…”

“Perps?” Savannah asked.

“Perpetrators—Mr. Bray and Mr. Forster.”

“Oh.”

“And I want to know what happened this evening. How did you ladies come to be out here when we arrived for the raid?”

Margaret and Savannah gave the short version, contact information was exchanged all around and soon the foursome was on its way home.

“Savannah,” Margaret said amidst the sounds of cats howling and mewing and trying to claw their way out of the carriers.

“What, Auntie?”

“You will really have stories to tell when you get back home. Your mother is going to absolutely freak. And what will you tell your coworkers when you return to work? I’ll bet they’ve never been involved in a cat rescue quite like this one.”

“You’ve got that right, Auntie,” Savannah said while looking out the window into the darkness. “This wasn’t the quiet respite I was hoping for. Way too much excitement. But,” she said, glancing up at the man who was holding her in his arms in the backseat, “some of it pleasant excitement.”

“I’m trying to get Savannah to stay,” Michael said, looking down at the cat she held in her lap.

“What?” Margaret craned her neck as far as she could.

“I can’t,” she said. “Not right now.”

Margaret turned on the dome light so she could see Michael’s face. “What’s going on, Michael?”

“I want Savannah to come to work for me,” he said. And then he added, “As a partner in my practice.”

Margaret looked back and forth between the two. “Holy cow! You’re serious. But how do you know if she’s…” She hesitated.

“Whether she’s a good vet?” he finished.

“Well, yes,” she said.

“Auntie, have you no confidence?” Savannah asked feigning indignation.

“Cool down, ladies,” Michael prompted. “With Savannah’s permission, I spoke with her employer, Dr. Mason and I had her school records faxed to the office. This woman,” he said looking over at her adoringly, “is an amazing veterinarian. Top of her class—vital in Mason’s practice, which is one of the leading hospitals in California. In fact, he was going to ask her to hire on as a veterinarian as soon as she got back.” He hesitated, cleared his throat and said, “But he can’t offer her what I can.”

Savannah pulled away to look at him. She and Margaret said in unison, “What?”

“Marriage.” As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn’t. He could feel Savannah’s body stiffen against him. He knew he was premature in his exuberance.

Savannah rode silently the rest of the way home. She kept her eyes on the limp cat she held to her chest, her head filled with thoughts—conflicting thoughts.
Marriage. That was an out-of-the-blue surprise. I mean, I think I love Michael and all, but marriage? Not now. Not yet. Can I ever do it? I haven’t done a relationship right, yet. They’ve all been botched—or so it seems. I love the man and then I don’t.

She couldn’t hold back the tears. It had been a horrendous night and now Michael had brought up the word that she fears more than anything. She wept quietly in the still of the night—a chorus of soft kitty mews and yeowls occasionally interrupting the stillness. No one seemed to notice. No one would blame her after the fear she’d experienced just hours before. In fact, each individual in the car was deep in thought about what had happened and all of the frightening what-ifs.

“I simply must, MUST take a shower,” Savannah said when they pulled up in front of Margaret’s house. “I just feel so—well, filthy doesn’t quite describe it. Please, Michael? It’ll be quick, I promise,” she said, as she gently handed little Sally to Michael. “I’ll be right there at the clinic with the carload of cats—the kit and caboodle,” she said, botching an attempt at a joke.

“Okay,” Michael said while exiting the car carefully with Sally in his arms. “I’ll take this one with me.” He looked back at Savannah. He wanted to say something more, but he stopped himself. He was aware that the marriage blurt had affected her and not in a good way.

Savannah stepped out of the car after him, noticed him standing there looking at her and she reached up and kissed him on the lips. “And the next kiss goes to Rags,” Savannah said, as she quickly moved around the car to help her aunt out.

“Oh my gosh, Rags. My hero,” Margaret said. “I’ll never ever complain to him about a missing bra, shoe, earring, or anything again. He can do all the thievery he wants in my house and still be welcome. In fact, I think I’ll keep him.”