The Purrfect Lie (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 12) (3 page)

“And the cathouse isn’t secure?” Michael asked, looking around the spacious enclosure.

Max frowned. “Not really. That’s why we keep the cats in these pens. We don’t turn cats loose out here.”

“Man, if I was a cat, I wouldn’t want to leave this place. You really make it nice for them.”

Max smiled. “That’s the objective. It’s disheartening to know there are so many cats without homes, but I try not to think about that. Maggie and I—well, we just do the best we can for the cats that come to us. Of course, a forever home for each of them is our ultimate goal,” he said as the two men stepped out through the old greenhouse door.

“Okay,” Michael said, glancing around the property, “if I were a cat where would I go? Let’s check around the house foundation, shall we?”After they’d walked the entire perimeter, Michael suddenly stopped. “What was that?”

“Did you see something?”

“Yeah, I think it’s one of your escapees. He dashed into that big old shrub there. Perfect hiding place for a skittish litter.” Michael motioned to Max. “Come on; let’s check it out.”

“Wait,” Max said. “If we close in on them, we’ll just scare them. They’ll run. I want to catch them and make sure they get safely back in their pen.”

“Of course,” Michael said, adjusting his knit cap. He spoke more quietly. “After being out all night, they’re probably hungry. Wanna bring one of your traps over here closer and bait it with their favorite food?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to do. Let’s make sure they’re in there first.”

Michael looked at Max. “You’re used to dealing with ferals—why don’t you take a look?”

Max grinned. “You’re younger and more agile.” He swept one arm toward the shrub. “…if you don’t mind?”

“Sure,” Michael said, easing down to his knees and moving slowly toward the shrub. Shortly, he pulled back, stood, and whispered, “Yup, they’re in there—looks like all three of them.”

“What a relief,” Max said. “Thank you.” He let out a sigh. “I’ll go get a trap.” When he returned with the have-a-heart trap, he looked askance. “I just hope they don’t remember their first encounter with one of these contraptions or they won’t take the bait.”

Once the trap was set, the two men headed back toward the Iveys’ home when Michael said, “I’ve never paid much attention to the construction of your house before, Max; it’s interesting.”

Max cocked his head. “How so?”

“I don’t know; it just looks as if it was added onto in some kinda crazy ways—little additions here and there all done, presumably, at different times.”

“Well, as you know, it was a nursery. When I bought it, the owners were living in the back part of the house with offices in the front. They must have had plants everywhere. I had to clean up a lot of dirt.”

“What were they using the basement for?” Michael asked.

“Basement? What makes you think there’s a basement?”

Michael chuckled. “How long have you lived there, Max?”

“Uh…about seven…almost eight years.”

“And you didn’t know you had a basement?”

Max hesitated. “No. Never noticed one.” He faced Michael. “You saw a basement?” “Well, the door is pretty well hidden, actually.”

“Where?”

“Behind that shrub where the kittens are staying warm.”

Max groaned and peered back at his home. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Michael’s grin widened. “Once we get those kittens back into their pen, want to go exploring?”

Max hesitated. He then said, “Sure, Michael. I’m game, only…”

“Only what?”

“Oh nothing,” Max said. “I’m sure it will turn out okay.”

Michael frowned. “What are you talking about, Max?”

He slapped Michael on the back with his gloved hand. “The thought of exploring with one of the Iveys is rather…”

“Rather what?” Michael challenged.

“Shall we say, unpredictable and often perilous?”

“Perilous?” Michael said, laughing out loud. “What could possibly be perilous about checking out the basement of your own home…a basement, in fact, you didn’t even know existed?”

“We found the tabbies,” Max announced upon stepping into the living room of the Iveys’ home.

Margaret looked up from where she sat on the floor playing with Lily. She heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh good! Where?”

“Close to their pen, actually. They didn’t wander far.”

“Did you catch them?” Savannah asked.

Max shook his head. “Didn’t try to.”

She looked at the men inquisitively. “Why not?”

“They’re too unsettled yet,” Max explained. “We didn’t want to spook them. I’m hoping to trap them—and soon.” He grimaced. “Then I’ll have a talk with the volunteers and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Good idea,” Margaret said. “Sure hope those little guys will surrender.” Her face brightened and she said, “Hey, Uncle Max, watch this.” She prompted the baby, “Say auntie, auntie, auntie,” she repeated.

Lily looked at Margaret, waved her doll in the air a couple of times, and slammed it on the floor.

“Auntie. Lily, say, auntie.”

“Ma-ma,” Lily said, waving in Savannah’s direction.

“Who’s this?” Margaret asked, pointing to herself. “Auntie? Auntie?”

Lily simply stared at her and began to jabber.

Chuckling, Max said, “Didn’t sound like auntie to me. I think she said, ‘I want a burrito.’”

“What?” Savannah said frowning. “A burrito?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “That’s what it sounded like to me.”

“How are her birthday-party plans coming?” Margaret asked.

Michael and Savannah glanced at one another as he lowered himself onto the sofa next to her. Max perched on the ottoman and began stacking some of Lily’s blocks on the floor in front of him.

“Pretty well, I guess,” Savannah responded. “The guest list is kinda long, but I can’t imagine cutting it down. Every single guest has been such a big part of her life.”

Max laughed when Lily crawled over and toppled the stack of blocks. “Good job,” he told her. Then he asked Savannah, “Will there be any kids? Does she have any
little
friends?”

“My son, Adam,” Michael said, “and little Rose.”

“Oh, Rose—Adam’s other sister.” Margaret said. “How old is she now?”

“About five, I think.”

“And Adam’s, what, ten?”

Michael nodded.

“Doesn’t Lily know any other babies?” Margaret asked.

Savannah thought for a moment before saying, “Actually, no.” She looked at Michael and complained, “She has no friends her age, Michael. We really should do something about that.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Well, she needs peers. She needs to learn how to share and interact with other children her age.” Savannah creased her brow. “I need to find her a friend.” She put her hands up to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, what have we done by isolating her? It never occurred to me that she has only adult friends.” She grabbed her husband’s arm. “Michael, are we bad parents?”

By then the others were starting to laugh. “Oh Vannie,” Margaret said, “she’s a perfectly well-adjusted child. She isn’t lacking a thing. Besides, she has all these fur-siblings.” She gestured toward Buffy, who laid on the edge of the large area rug; Rags, who was, again, sprawled out in Buffy’s bed; Walter, who peered at the group from his favorite plum-colored chair across the room; and the only dog in the bunch, Lexie, who sat at Michael’s feet.

Savannah was quiet for a moment before saying, “Gads, I wonder if she thinks she’s a cat or a dog—a pet. Michael, does she understand that she’s a child or have we caused her to become confused about her identity?”

Michael put his arm around his wife and pulled her to him. Grinning and shaking his head, he said, “You are such a worrywart. She’s fine. Like Maggie says, she’s well-adjusted.”

Savannah sat upright, her jaw set. “Well, I’m going to get her some friends.”

“How are you going to do that?” Margaret asked, laughing. “Place a classified ad in the newspaper, go on Craig’s list?”

“No,” Savannah said. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m the one being ridiculous?” Margaret teased, raising her eyebrows.

“I’ll enroll her in a preschool or day care for a couple of hours a week.” She looked at her aunt. “I read about a program at the recreation department where moms exercise with their babies—a Mommy and Me group.”

“Good idea, hon,” Michael said, trying not to sound too patronizing. “Now, as far as her birthday, Maggie, I think your invitation’s in the mail. The party will be here next weekend and everyone’s invited—even the out-of-town aunts, uncles, and cousins. It’ll be quite a reunion for your family.”

“Well, there you go,” Margaret said, “some of your cousins have children. Roxy and Blake have a little boy about two, you know, and Jimmy and his wife Belinda have an infant. She’s probably six months old. And Belinda has a son about Adam’s age.” Margaret sat up straight. “Wait, I have a friend—well, she’s a gal I knew in school. Actually, her older sister was in my class. I run into Barbara at the beauty shop and grocery store sometimes—she operates a day-care business. Maybe I could introduce you to her.” Margaret looked at the baby. “Oh yes, I’d be most approving of Barbara as a caretaker for my Lily.”

Savannah grinned at her aunt. “Well, if you approve, I’m sure I will. Yeah, introduce me. I’d like to check out her place.”

The others watched as Margaret played peek-a-boo with Lily. Then Savannah said, “I hope everyone can come to her party. It’ll be fun catching up with the cousins and reminiscing about how we used to go exploring around here when
you
lived here, Auntie.” She grinned mischievously. “You know, I’d like to organize a treasure hunt or something fun like that.”

“For the kids?” Max asked.

“For everyone,” she explained. “We all have a kid living inside us—or we should.”

Margaret shook her head slowly and helped Lily to stand. She said to the baby, “Doesn’t Mommy know it’s wintertime? It’ll be too cold for silly outdoor games.”

“If it’s too cold, we’ll do a treasure hunt inside,” Savannah said, defiantly.

Max began stacking the blocks again. “Well, it sounds fun to me.” He looked up. “Will there be cake?”

“Certainly,” Savannah said. “I’m thinking about a
Hello Kitty
theme.”

Margaret grinned. “Of course, you are.”

Savannah turned toward Max. She tilted her head and smiled demurely. “Could we entice you to prepare one of the meals over the weekend for us, oh-chef-of-great-talent?”

Max chuckled. “Sure. I’d be glad to.”

“What can
I
do?” Margaret asked.

“We may need an extra room or two for overnight guests, if you don’t mind.”

“Yeah, that’s okay.” Without warning, Margaret abruptly changed the subject. “Hey, when do you think your sister will have a baby?”

“A baby?” Savannah said, frowning. “Brianna? Auntie, she’s not even engaged.”

“Yeah, when’s that going to happen?”

Savannah looked at her aunt for a moment before saying, “Well, she has her career to think about right now. Establishing a medical practice is pretty time-consuming. And Bud is awfully busy at the veterinary clinic, since Michael has been gone so much and I’m on maternity leave.”

Michael nudged Savannah. “Is that what you call it, an extended maternity leave?”

He grinned impishly. “Are you girls interested in a rumor—of the gossip type?”

“Yes,” Margaret said, facing Michael.

“Sure,” Savannah said, “as long as it’s juicy stuff.”

“Is it about Brianna and Bud?” Margaret asked, eagerly.

“Maybe…” he said, teasing.

“What?” Savannah nagged.

“Wellll,” he said, taking his time to respond, “there just may possibly, perhaps, be an engagement announcement sometime soon, or…later.”

Margaret and Savannah looked at each other, their eyes wide. “Cool,” Margaret said.

Savannah scolded, “Michael, you’re not just funning with us, are you?”

“No,” he said. “This is very probably a true rumor…maybe.”

Margaret looked at her niece. “We need to take that girl out to lunch and see what she’ll tell us.”

“And what if she doesn’t know about it or she won’t fess up?” Savannah challenged.

“Then we’ll take Bud out for a couple of beers,” Margaret said, giggling. She went in for a high-five with her niece and both women laughed out loud.

“Well,” Max said, standing, “Maggie, let’s go see if we caught us some tabbies, shall we?”

“Okay, if we must.” She looked at Lily. “It has been a fun playdate, little one. Auntie will come over and we’ll play another day.”

“An-tie,” Lily said in her sweet voice. “An-tie.”

“Yes!” Margaret shouted. “She said auntie; did you all hear that? She said auntie.” She grabbed the baby and hugged her, blowing raspberries on her neck and making her giggle. “You are so smart, and cute as a kitten.”

“Ki-ki,” Lily said, pointing at Buffy, who was walking dangerously close to the toddler. Just as the baby made a grab for the Himalayan’s tail, Margaret intervened.

“I’m surprised she got that close,” Savannah said. “Buffy’s usually more cautious around her.”

“She knew I had her back, isn’t that right, Buffy?” Margaret said, scratching the cat behind one ear. “And she loves my massages.”

“That she does,” Savannah agreed. She picked up Lily and said, “Let’s get you something to eat, then it’s time for a nap.”

“Ahhh, sounds good to Auntie. I think I’ll take a nap, too.”

“After we make sure those kittens are okay,” Max reminded her.

****

Later that afternoon, Michael answered his cell phone. “Hi Max. How’s it going?”

“We captured the little escapees.” He chuckled. “One male and the female went in together. Ever catch two at a time in one of those contraptions?”

“Good lord, no. I haven’t seen that happen. Are you sure they aren’t joined at the hip?”

“Practically. I hope to find someone who’ll take them both; they sure are little buddies.”

“How’d you get the other one?”

“Charlotte came over after church and lured him. That kitten’s been real responsive to the teen,” Max explained.

“She does have a way with cats,” Michael said. “Sometimes I wonder if it has something to do with her…condition.”