The Cats that Stalked a Ghost (3 page)

Studying the list, she noticed that most of the attendees were Cokenbergers.  Jake had a huge extended family, led by Grandpa Cokenberger, who was so entertaining, he could be a stand-up comedian.  Scanning through the names, she finally came to people she knew.  Mark Dunn, the former estate attorney for her late great-aunt, was coming with Detective Linda Martin.  They’d become quite an item.  Katherine was happy about that. 

When she read “Mrs. Murphy and Guest,” she said out loud, “What?  Mum is bringing a guest. I wonder who it is?” Mum’s son, Jacky — Colleen’s youngest brother — was attending, but his name was already on the list.  Jacky was flying out of LaGuardia Airport in a few days, but brothers Jimmy and Joey sent their regrets.  Katherine thought that was okay, because she really didn’t know Jimmy and Joey very well.  They were ten years older and hung around with their own crowd.

She continued reading.  “Marcia Harper Smith and Guest send their regrets.”  Cora didn’t know the story about Evan Hamilton — the Vietnam veteran who had saved her life two months earlier.  Katherine knew that Marcia and Evan were going to be in Indy that weekend.  Evan had an appointment with a prosthetic eye surgeon. 

Mid-way through the list, she spotted a name she wasn’t familiar with — Veronica Lake. 
The 1940s movie star
, Katherine thought, then read the penciled-in comment next to Veronica’s name, written by Cora herself: “Victoria’s mom is not able to attend.”

“Oh no, she didn’t,” Katherine said, shocked.  “She invited Jake’s deceased wife’s mother?  Why would she do that?”  Katherine had never met Victoria’s mom.  Jake said she kept to herself and didn’t attend many social events.  Katherine thought,
If she would have come, that would have been so awkward
.

Katherine’s cell rang and she slid the bar to answer.  “Yes,” she said, sounding annoyed.

“Chief London here.  Katz, you got a minute?”

Katherine calmed down.  “Yes, of course.  What can I help you with?”

“Are you home?”

“Yes.”

“Can you meet me out front?  I’m pulling up right now.”

“Sure,” Katherine answered.  She wondered what on earth the chief had to tell her in person that couldn’t be said on the phone.  Then the hair stood up on the back of her neck.  She started to panic. 
Did something bad happen to Jake?  Was he in a car accident?
  She flew to the front door, opened it, and hurried out. 

The chief met her on the sidewalk.  “I’ll cut right to the chase.  We’ve had a number of suspicious fires this month.  The fire inspector suspects foul play.”

“Why would anyone do such a thing?” she asked, shuddering at the thought.

“This town has always been full of fire bugs.  Last year we caught the arsonist who was torching barns out in the country.  He’s up for trial next week.”

“I heard about that, but he’s in jail, so it couldn’t be him.”

“Last night, Becky’s Antique Store burned.  Firefighters were able to put it out before any of the neighboring buildings’ caught on fire.  It’s a mess. Our volunteer fire department has really been taxed.  We just don’t have the manpower to keep up with this.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Katherine said, then made a mental note to do something about that situation.

“I’ll get to the point.  The buildings downtown are on the national register of historic places.”

“I hope Becky’s Antique Store can be rebuilt, but the antiques are gone forever.”

“Katz, be on the lookout, and report anything suspicious around your house.  Your Queen Anne Victorian would be an ideal target for an arsonist.”

“I will, Chief.  Thanks for stopping by and telling me in person.”  She respected the fact that the chief was a bona fide worrywart, and always one step ahead of the game.

“Katz,” he said, tipping his police chief hat.  “Watch your back.”

She nodded.

The chief got into his cruiser, and drove east on Lincoln Street. 

Katherine turned to go back inside the house, but two Siamese looking out the parlor picture window caught her attention.  Inside on the windowsill, Abra stretched tall on her rear haunches, and with her front paws dangling, assumed her new Meerkat pose; Scout was sitting next to her, clearly agitated.  Both wore troubled expressions on their brown masks.

Katherine went inside to comfort them, and was amazed at how quickly the Siamese made it to the door.  “Back, back,” she said, putting her foot up in case Scout flung out.  She hurried in and shut the heavy oak door.  “You two are fast.”

“Waugh,” Scout cried, rubbing against her leg.  Katherine picked her up and kissed her on the head.  Abra reached up to be held.  “Okay, how about I sit on the floor for a group hug.”  She set Scout down, and hugged the two cats.  “It’s okay,” she comforted.  “We’re safe here.  No one is going to try and hurt us.”  She mouthed the words, but was worried.  A distant memory ran through her head. 

When she was younger, and lived with her parents in Brooklyn, the attic floor of their townhouse caught on fire.  She’d remembered waking up to the blaring alarm, the smell of smoke, and her parents rousing her from her bed.  Her father carried Katherine downstairs, while her mom opened the front door to safety.  Even though the firefighters had quickly put out the flames, Katherine couldn’t extinguish the memory. 

Chapter Four

Katherine walked into the cat’s playroom and gazed happily at the cats.  Scout and Abra were sharing a cozy bed on the perch of a cat tree.  Nearby, Lilac, Abby and Crowie were snuggled in another bed, while Iris and Dewey cuddled in the third. 

“Ahhh,” she cooed.  “You kids are way too cute.”  She reached in her back pocket and extracted her cell.  She clicked several pictures of her cats, planning to use one for her monitor’s desktop background. 

Scout jumped off the cat tree, stretched, and sharpened her claws on the sisal-covered post.  Abra did the same.

Katherine said to Abra, “I need to borrow your sister for a minute.”

“Raw,” Abra protested.

Katherine gathered Scout in her arms, walked downstairs, and carried her to the front door.  Abra followed, voicing her displeasure in a loud, catly way. “Next time, Abra, but Scout gets to go first.”  Earlier, Katherine had placed the nylon harness on Scout, so she’d get used to it before the walk.  She was amazed that Scout didn’t mind wearing it.  She attached the leash and walked out the door.  Abra ran out, too.

“No, you can’t come.”  Holding Scout with one hand, she caught Abra with the other, and set her inside the house.

Walking down the porch steps, Katherine could hear Abra having a complete, royal Siamese cat fit behind the door.

Katherine leaned down and set Scout on the sidewalk.  The seal point trotted several feet, then collapsed on her side.  She began rolling back-and-forth. 

“Scout, what are you doing?  We’re taking a walk.”  She slightly nudged the Siamese with the toe of her sneaker.  Scout jumped up and walked several more feet. Then Scout spotted a grassy area, and she lunged for it. 

“Enough,” Katherine reprimanded.  “I know this isn’t your first rodeo, so get moving.”

“Na-waugh,” Scout cried, snatching a blade of grass and chewing on it.

Katherine admitted to herself that Scout’s first walk on the leash was proving to be a challenge.  Scout alternated between trotting a few feet, and collapsing on the grass with her blue eyes slightly crossed in pure feline ecstasy. 

“Scout, this is killing my back having to reach down to pick you up,” Katherine complained.

The Siamese totally ignored her and rolled on her back.  Kicking her back legs, she cried a loud series of Siamese complaints.

“Okay, that’s it.  We’re going back inside.”  When Katherine tried to pick up the sassy Siamese, Scout dug her front claws into the grass.  “Let go,” she said, grabbing a paw and trying to unhook five entangled claws.

Scout released her claws and charged toward the yellow brick American Foursquare next door to the mansion.  During Prohibition, the house had a speakeasy in the basement, and a tunnel that connected it to the mansion.  The previous year, Katherine’s great-uncle’s skeleton had been found in the tunnel. 

“Scout, slow down.” 

A dark gray Ford Taurus pulled up and a silver-haired woman got out.  “Are you Katherine?” the woman asked.

Katherine noted the logo on the passenger-side door — Erie Realty.

“Yes, and you are?” she asked, as she picked up Scout and held her in her arms.

“I’m Ava Franklin.  I’m a Realtor with Erie Realty; been there over twenty years.”

“How may I help you?” Katherine asked, suspecting Ava wanted more than to stop by and chat.

“I heard through the grapevine that you’ve let the listing on this house expire. I stopped by to let you know I’m available in case you want to relist it.”

“Let’s talk,” Katherine said.  “Would you like to go inside the house and take a look-see?”

“Sure, I’d love to.”

Katherine directed the way with Scout struggling in her arms to be set free.  “Quit it!” she said sternly.

Ava looked perplexed.  “Quit what?”

“I’m sorry.  I was talking to my cat.  She’s not being very cooperative today.  This is our first time taking a walk on a leash. She’d much rather walk me.”

The realtor laughed.  “I’ve gotta admit, this is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone walk a cat.”

Stepping up to the porch, Katherine rummaged for her key ring with one hand while holding Scout with the other.  She opened the door.  “Come in.”

Ava stepped into the house and her jaw dropped.  “This is fabulous!”

Katherine shut the door.  “I’m going to let my cat roam the house,” she said, removing the leash.  Scout darted into the main living room, and began her reconnaissance mission to scan-and-sniff every nook and cranny.

Katherine explained, “The Foursquare was built in the early 1920s, and belonged to my great-aunt Orvenia Colfax.  Last February, I inherited this house from her estate.  Margie Cokenberger did the restoration, and did a super job.”

Ava admired.  “I like the way the modern meets the old.  The walls are a nice neutral color, and the original, stained woodwork really complements them.”

Katherine agreed.  “Let’s head back to the kitchen.”

Ava stepped into the room.  “Fantastic,” she commented.  “In my business, the kitchen is the number one room to improve.”

“Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, island, 42-inch cherry cabinets — ”

Ava interrupted, “and the most gorgeous oak floors.”

“They’re original.  Margie’s team sanded and stained them.”

Katherine showed Ava the rest of the house.  Mid-way through the impromptu tour, and now on the second floor, she wondered where Scout was.  “Excuse me just a minute.  I need to find my cat.  I’ll be right back.”

Leaving Ava in the front master bedroom, Katherine began calling Scout.  She checked two bedrooms, then headed to the back hallway.  She thought she heard a woman sobbing. 
What the hell
.
Who is that
? 

As she rounded the corner and peered into the farthest bedroom, she spied an antique rocking chair, rocking back-and-forth, in a noisy, frantic fashion, but no one was sitting in it.  Katherine felt an eerie, tingling feeling on the base of her neck.  She started to back out of the room, but stopped when she heard a cat hissing.

Scout was crouched in the opposite corner.  She’d arched her back and began lurching up and down like a deranged Halloween cat.  Her eyes were glowing red, and fixed on the rocking chair. 

Katherine moved toward her.  “Scout, it’s okay.  We’re leaving.  Come to me.”

The closed closet door popped open, and the sobbing continued inside.

Scout growled and then hissed.  She slinked closer to the opening when Katherine grabbed her around the middle.  “Oh, no, you don’t.”

Ava walked briskly into the room.  “There you are.  I see you found your cat, but why’s her tail all bushed out?”

Katherine had to think of a good answer.  She didn’t want the realtor to know she and Scout had just encountered something very weird and unexplainable.  “I think I startled her when I came into the room.”

Scout collapsed against Katherine’s chest.  Her heart was beating fast.  “Calm down, sweet girl.  It’s okay,” she cooed to the frightened cat. 

“Waugh,” the Siamese cried.

Ava glanced around the room suspiciously, and didn’t seem to buy Katherine’s explanation.

Before Katherine could warn her not to, Ava walked over to the closet, pulled the light chain and looked inside. While she did that, Katherine held her breath for fear of what
was
inside. 

Ava disappeared into the closet.  “Wow, this is huge,” she said.  “Buyers love big closets.”

Katherine cautiously stepped over and peeked inside.  The closet was huge, almost the size of a small room. 

Ava stepped out, and Katherine quickly closed the door.

Ava asked curiously.  “If you don’t mind my asking, who was the realtor this last time?  I seem to remember it wasn’t anyone local.”

Katherine recovered, and walked out of the room.  Scout was still afraid, and clung to her, breathing rapidly. “There have been several, but most recently the
List it Here
realty, in the city.”

“Oh, yes.  I’ve heard of them.  Did they ever have an open house?”

“Not to my knowledge, they didn’t.”

“The house is very impressive.  I’m surprised it hasn’t sold.”

Katherine thought,
Perhaps the sobbing woman in the closet turned off potential buyers.
“So, you’ve seen the house.  Let’s head back down.  My cat has suddenly grown tired, and I must take her home,” Katherine lied.  Scout was a brave cat and rarely frightened by anything, but whatever the two of them had witnessed, it had scared the Siamese
half-to-death. 
There’s no two ways about it
, Katherine thought. 
Scout and I just had a paranormal experience
.  She wanted to send Ava on her way, so she could research the house, make some inquiries, and call her spirit-hunting friend, Colleen.

Leaving the Foursquare and walking Ava to her car, Katherine said, “I really appreciate your offering to represent me in the sale of this house, but I’m not quite ready to list it again.  Do you have a business card?  I can call you when I’m ready.”