The Purrfect Lie (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 12) (7 page)

“At the second-hand children’s store, actually. They have some cute things in her size,” she said while releasing the strap and lifting Lily out of the stroller.

“Ki-ki,” Lily said, pointing.

Margaret nodded. “Yes, I see you brought your kitty, didn’t you?” She looked at Savannah, asking, “Why?”

“Michael said he needs exercise and I couldn’t find a boot camp for cats.”

“Funny,” Margaret said, grinning. “Yeah, I can just see him in a pole dance class, or maybe Zumba.” That image caused them both to laugh.

Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them. “A cat on a leash? Crazy! You’re taking a cat for a walk?”

Savannah turned to face a tall, gangly young man of about sixteen.

“Sam,” Margaret said, “this is my niece Savannah, her daughter Lily, and her cat, Rags. Yeah, he is a social cat. Loves to be out and about. But he’s been known to get into trouble, so they don’t let him out by himself,” Margaret explained.

Sam rolled his eyes. “I’ve never seen a cat on a leash before, but it’s gotta be better than being locked in a cage.”

Max heard the comment as he joined the others. “Now Sam, you know why the cats are in cages here—for their protection, remember?” He gestured toward the cathouse. “I want you to clean the pens this morning. Becky will work with you. Then later we’re going to have a lesson on the life of the feral cat and why we do what we do here.” He slapped the boy on the back in a friendly manner. “So get ready for some homework.” Max watched as Sam returned to his duties, then he stepped into the house.

“Where’d
he
come from?” Savannah asked Margaret.

“Sam’s a new court-ordered volunteer,” she explained.

“Court-ordered?”

“Yeah, we work with a few teens who’ve been in minor trouble with the law and whose sentences require community service. Max particularly likes working with kids who’ve been involved in some sort of animal abuse. Of course, we work closely with them and it’s a case-by-case situation.”

“What was he arrested for?” Savannah whispered.

“He ran off with a neighbor kid’s puppy and wouldn’t tell where he’d hidden it. He claimed that the little boy was poking the puppy with sticks and Sam was trying to rescue the pup. The parents pressed charges. We figure he has a good heart for animals, just needs help in the way he chooses to express it. Max says he needs an attitude adjustment. He hopes to teach Sam new ways to help animals rather than through that gut reaction that got him into trouble.”

Savannah stared at her aunt. “You guys are something else, you know it?”

“Why?” Margaret asked.

“Well, there’s just so much more that you do around here than meets the eye. It’s impressive.”

Margaret shrugged. “Thanks. Come on in. Let’s go see what we captured on film last night. I think Max went in to set up the player.”

“So, what do you think of our new project?” Max asked when he saw Savannah enter their living room.

She looked confused for a moment, then said, “Oh, you mean, Sam? Seems like a…passionate young man.”

Max nodded and reached down to pet Rags as he strolled past. “Can I unsnap his leash?” he asked.

“Yeah, go ahead.” She glanced around. “Where’s Jack?”

Max squinted in several directions, then said, “Here he comes. Hi Jack. Rags is here for another playdate.”

Everyone laughed when they saw Rags trot over to the tuxedo cat and head-butt him. Jack stepped back and stared at the harness Rags wore.

“I don’t think he’s ever seen a cat dressed up like that,” Margaret said. “He’s really checking him out, isn’t he?”

“Did your aunt tell you we had a visitor again last night?” Max asked, as he fiddled with the recorder. “He performed for our new cameras.”

“Oh no. Did any cats escape?” Savannah asked.

Max shook his head.

“So who is it?” she asked.

“Don’t have a clue,” Max said. “Can’t tell from the film.”

“You watched it without us?” Margaret whined.

“Yeah. Here, I’ll play it back. See what you think.”

As the two women watched the video, Savannah squinted at the screen, saying, “Gosh, you can’t see his face at all…or any flesh for that matter.” She looked at Max, then Margaret. “It’s like one of those ghouls that has no face.” She shuddered. “That’s just plain creepy.”

“Tell me about it,” Margaret said. “Has
me
creeped out.”

“How did he break in…didn’t you lock the pens last night? I heard you were locking them now.”

“It was hard to see what he was doing in that video,” Max said. “But he actually cut the wire mesh.”

“Yeah,” Margaret said. “He made a hole big enough for even that large Maine coon cat to get through.”

“But they didn’t escape, huh?” Savannah asked.

“Nope.”

Savannah looked from one to the other. “So what are you going to do?”

Max shook his head slowly, looking defeated. “I just don’t know. I’m afraid we’re going to lose some of the cats and I don’t know what we can do about it.”

“Have you talked to Deputy Jim?”

“Pshaw,” Margaret said. “You know how much they care about cats down there at the sheriff’s office. Let Rags bring them a clue and they’ll praise him from kingdom come, but call them about someone trying to let your cats out and they don’t have time for you.” She put her hand on Savannah’s arm. “Vannie, I think we should take things into our own hands.”

“Now, Maggie,” Max said, “let’s think this through. I’m sure we can resolve the issue.”

She glared at her husband. “Yeah, what do you want to do, put the cats behind six-foot cement walls? Maybe we could rent Fort Knox for them,” she exaggerated.

He stared at her for a moment. “I’ll think of something.” He stood and hugged his wife, saying, “Everyone’s okay. No one’s been harmed. Now you and Savannah have a nice visit. I’ll take care of things here.”

Margaret sniffled, wiped at her eyes, and stood on her tiptoes to give her husband a peck on the cheek.

Before leaving the room Max smiled at Lily, who was standing next to where Savannah sat. “How are you this morning, you cute thing? Do you have a smile for Uncle Max?”

“Ki-ki,” the toddler said, pointing.

Everyone turned and saw Rags and Jack walking into the room, Jack still trying to examine the harness Rags wore. “Yes, there are those old ki-kis, all right.” He squeezed the baby’s arm affectionately, smiled, and walked out toward the cat pens.

“Want coffee or tea?” Margaret asked. She looked at the baby. “How about you? Want a cookie?”

“Ki-ki,” she said.

“Tea sounds nice. I brought Lily a snack,” Savannah said as she pulled a package of baby puffs out of her jacket pocket. She picked up the baby and followed her aunt into the kitchen.

“Ki-ki,” Lily said, pointing at two black cats curled up in little kitty beds.

Margaret was quiet while she prepared the tea water and placed a few sugar cookies on a plate. She then turned toward Savannah. “I want to do a stakeout. I want to catch that guy before something awful happens.”

“A stakeout? Do you mean you and Max?”

“Um, no, I was thinking more about…”

Savannah sat rigid in her chair and began shaking her head. “Oh no you don’t. You’re not thinking about…uh-uh, not me. I don’t want any part of that. Why don’t you and Max sit up and watch for him?”

“Well, as you heard, Max isn’t exactly for it. Anyway,” She said defiantly, “I believe in woman power. I thought…”

Savannah handed Lily another treat while glancing at her aunt. “I don’t think so…you can count me out of that little plan of yours. No way.” She thinned her lips, saying, “I’ll bet you could hire a security company. One of their guards should be able to catch that guy.”

“…or gal. Vannie, we don’t even know if it’s a guy, a woman…” She slipped into a chair and pondered her niece’s suggestion. “Security, huh? Now there’s an idea.” Margaret stood when she heard the teakettle whistle, then picked it up, and filled two cups with the hot water. Before she could set the kettle back on the stove, something caught her eye. “What the…” she said.

When Savannah looked in the direction Margaret stared, she broke out laughing. “Oh my gosh, Rags, what have you been doing?” She turned the baby to face the doorway into the living room. “Look at brother kitty. Doesn’t he look funny?”

Margaret tried to speak, but was laughing too hard by then.

“What’s funny?” Max asked as he stepped into the kitchen, his newest volunteer following behind him.

“It appears that Rags has been tiptoeing through the lingerie,” Savannah said, still laughing.

Max grinned and shook his head slowly. “Will ya look at that? How’d that happen?”

“It’s the harness you have on him,” Sam said angrily. “See how dangerous it can be?” He walked toward the cat, who was draped in a lavender negligee.

“I’ll get it,” Margaret said, quickly darting toward Rags, who just as quickly ran into the other room.

“He wants to wear it,” Savannah said, still laughing. “Maybe he’s become a cross-dresser.”

“Not in my clothes, he’s not,” Margaret snapped, continuing to pursue the cat.

“That’s sick,” Sam said under his breath.

“What?” Max asked, furrowing his brow.

“Making fun of your cat. That’s sick,” he said. “Animals deserve respect.”

Max put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “I’m glad to hear you say that. You’re so right. Animals do deserve respect. I’m sorry that we appear to be disrespecting Rags.” He chuckled. “But you have to admit, he does look funny peering through the lace on Maggie’s nightie.”

“Got it,” Margaret called from the living room. “Vannie, can I take the harness off him?”

Savannah nodded. “Sure.” She turned toward the young man and asked, “Do you have pets, Sam?”

He looked down at his feet. “No. Can’t have any in our apartment, plus, my dad says we can’t afford no animals.” He grinned a little. “I have lizards in my room for sleepovers sometimes.” He became serious again. “But I always turn them loose in the morning.”

“For sleepovers, huh?” Max said, grinning.

“Yeah, and our neighbor has a dog I get to take to the dog park sometimes. He’s a yellow lab.” He glanced at Savannah. “Know what they look like?”

Savannah nodded.

“Here, I have a picture of him,” he said, pulling a cell phone from his baggy jeans pocket. “His name’s Scout.”

“And you get to come here and hang out with a lot of cats,” Margaret said, when she returned to the kitchen.

The boy nodded.

“Do you go to school?” Savannah asked.

“Yeah, a continuation school. I do a lot of the work at home, but I go to class a few mornings a week. I might graduate ahead of my class,” he said proudly.

“Then what?” Savannah asked.

His eyes lit up. “I want to have a ranch where animals of all kinds can live free.” He glanced at Max. “…without cages.”

Max and Savannah exchanged looks, then Max put his arm across the boy’s shoulder. “Well, Sam, I like the way you think.”

“Yeah,” Margaret said, “but you need to know a lot about animal behavior and instincts before you can successfully manage that sort of sanctuary.”

“I know what animals want,” he said, defiantly.

“Well, let’s go to the computer, shall we?” Max invited. “There are a couple of programs I want you to check out.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Sheridan.” The boy ran his hand along Rags’s back as he and Max walked past the cat toward a small office in the back of the house.

“Wow, what a big chip that kid has on his shoulder,” Margaret said.

“And a big heart for animals,” Savannah added. “Interesting mix.” She asked, “Hey, can you go with me tomorrow to Straley? I want to visit that big party store and pick up some plates, napkins, table cloths, and stuff.”

“Sure,” Margaret said. “What time?”

“I’ll pick you up around ten.”

****

The following day, Savannah pulled up to Margaret’s and Max’s house just before ten with the baby in the backseat.

“Hi, you two,” Margaret said as she slipped into the front passenger seat. “How is everyone?”

“Good. How about you?” Savannah asked. “Any more problems last night?”

“No. Of course, I’m not getting much sleep listening for strange noises. But no—nothing showed up on our cameras.”

“So the volunteers know you’re filming them?” Savannah asked.

“No. We haven’t told anyone. Anyway, we only turn the cameras on at night.” She chuckled. “It’s kinda fun watching the kitties playing out there. The ferals really come alive at night.”

Savannah reached out and touched Margaret’s arm briefly. “Hey, I had the most unusual encounter after I left your house yesterday morning.”

“What happened?”

“Well, I ran into Mr. Crankyshaw—I mean Crankshaw,” she said, chuckling.

“Oh? What nasty thing did that old man have to say?” Margaret asked.

Savannah rolled her eyes. “He sure is cranky, isn’t he? I’d hate to live inside his head. Of course, he criticized me for having Rags on the leash.”

“I suppose he’d rather the cat come over and leave deposits in his garden,” Margaret said sarcastically.

“Yeah. Well, I’m pretty sure he’d call the cops if he saw Rags anywhere near his place.” Savannah set her jaw. “I must say, I don’t appreciate being called an abusive cat owner, especially by someone who doesn’t seem to know much about cats.”

“He said that?” Margaret asked. “…that you’re an abusive cat owner?”

“In so many words, he did,” she said indignantly. She mimicked the man: “Cats aren’t dogs and shouldn’t be treated like dogs. If you want a dog, get a dog; don’t try to make a cat into a dog.”

“Hmmm.” Margaret muttered. “Odd. I can’t even imagine why he cares. He says he doesn’t like that dog he’s always walking.”

“I think he just wants something to gripe about, don’t you? If you say it’s a nice day, he says it’s too breezy or there’s not enough breeze or…” Savannah said. “I’m just glad I had Rags with me for him to criticize; otherwise, he might turn his ugliness against Lily.”

“Ohhh,” Margaret said, her brown eyes flashing, “that would be a mistake. He’d never survive the mama-bear attack.”

Savannah laughed out loud.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Savannah announced, “Here we are at the city limits. Now, do you remember where that party store is?”