The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo

by Linda Reilly

  “Really good. Munster adores her. I’m hopeful that the right mom or dad or family will come along for her.”

  “They will. Don’t worry.”

  They parted with a light embrace, not their usual polar bear hug.

  Tears stung Lara’s eyes as she headed outside to her car. She forced them back. She didn’t want Sherry to know that anything was wrong.

  Not that she could fool her bestie. Sherry could spot a dried tear across a crowded coffee shop from twenty paces.

  Countdown to wedding day: seventeen days.

  Which reminded Lara—she wanted to have a chat with Pastor Folger. It was one more thing she could do to help Sherry—if it worked out as she hoped.

  She suddenly changed her mind about going to the coffee shop. She was glad, now, that she’d driven to Gideon’s instead of hoofing it in the cold. This was the perfect time to stop over at Saint Lucy’s and have a chat with Pastor Folger. With any luck, she’d catch the pastor at the tail end of his eight-thirty service.

  As she drove toward the church, her mind spun like a top from her conversation with Gideon. One thing Gideon had been right about—they hadn’t really resolved anything. Were they at an impasse? A point of no return?

  Once again, she couldn’t help wondering, in the pit of her heart, if Gideon fully believed in her spirit cat. Aunt Fran and Kayla did, without reservation—Lara was sure of that.

  Gideon had always professed his belief in Blue, but now Lara had her doubts.

  Her thoughts switched to Megan—the person who’d started all this drama. Gideon’s tale of Megan losing her cool with that poor older woman was disturbing, for sure. While Lara was no shrink, she couldn’t help wondering if Megan suffered from some form of anxiety disorder.

  She pulled into the parking lot of Saint Lucy’s, close to the front entrance to the white-steepled church. On weekdays, only a few faithful attended the morning service. Lara locked the car, then hurried up the granite steps and into the vestibule. From there she entered the church and slipped into a pew at the rear.

  Her timing was perfect. Pastor Folger had just given the final blessing and concluded the service. He took his prayer book from the podium and strode up the center aisle. Along the way, he stopped to greet a few parishioners. Lara couldn’t help smiling. He had a kindly way with people that she’d always admired.

  The pastor’s pale blue eyes widened when he spotted Lara. “Lara, what a nice surprise. You don’t usually attend on weekdays.”

  “I know. I didn’t really attend today, either,” she confessed. “Pastor, do you have a few minutes to spare for a chat? I probably should have called first, but—”

  “No need, Lara.” He looked at his watch. “I don’t have an appointment until eleven, so right now I’m free as a bird. Why don’t you come into my office, but you’ll have to forgive the mess. I’m afraid I haven’t tidied it up in a while.”

  “No problem.”

  She followed him past the confessional and through a doorway at the rear of the church. After a short walk down a lighted corridor, he opened the door to what Lara could only describe as sheer chaos.

  Mess was an understatement. Lara couldn’t imagine how the pastor functioned in the rubble that was his desk. Papers sat in piles along three sides. A stack of books, mostly with religious themes, teetered in one corner. Lara was afraid that if she breathed too hard they’d topple over. Amazingly, there was a free chair adjacent to the one in front of the desk.

  “Please, Lara, sit. Can I get you a cup of coffee? A parishioner donated one of those newfangled machines with the pods. I’m finally getting the hang of it,” he added with a chuckle.

  She smiled. “No thanks. I won’t take up too much of your time, but I do have a question.”

  He sat in his chair and faced her with a smile. “Fire away.”

  “I’m sure you’re familiar with the Bowkers. They own the coffee shop in town.”

  He nodded. “I surely am. Daisy Bowker makes the best cranberry muffins in New Hampshire.”

  Lara grinned. “I agree. Anyway, Sherry Bowker, who’s my best friend, is getting married on Valentine’s Day. It’s a Friday, so they’re having the ceremony in the evening…in the coffee shop.”

  Another nod.

  Lara squirmed on her chair. “They want to get married in the place where they first met, which is why they chose the coffee shop. They’ve arranged for a justice of the peace to perform the ceremony.”

  The pastor located a pencil under one of the smaller stacks of papers. He picked it up and twirled it.

  “The thing is,” Lara went on, “the groom’s mom is less than thrilled with the venue, if you know what I mean.”

  Pastor Folger nodded sagely. “She wants them to get married in church.”

  “Exactly. Which is not going to happen. So, my thought was, do pastors ever perform ceremonies outside of the church?”

  He thought a moment. “Some do, yes. But I thought you said they already had a justice of the peace lined up?”

  “They do, but here’s what I was thinking. If the JP is okay with it, would you be willing to co-officiate the ceremony?”

  The pastor swiveled in his chair and tilted his gaze toward the ceiling. “I would have to think about this, Lara. It is possible, yes, but may I ask you a question now?”

  “Of course.” Oh God.

  “Why is it that you’re speaking on behalf of Sherry and her fiancé? Is there some reason they don’t want to ask me directly?”

  Lara sighed. “I think Sherry’s worried because she doesn’t attend church services. She’s afraid you’ll refuse them on that alone.”

  He sat back in his chair and rested his elbows on the arms. “In my humble opinion, Lara, faith lies within the individuals.” He tapped his heart. “The church is a vehicle for observing that faith, but it’s not the only one. Why don’t you have Sherry call me and set up an appointment? If she’s willing to do that, we may well be able to work something out.”

  Yes!

  “Thank you so much, Pastor. I’ll do that. She’ll be working all day, but I’ll stop in and see her after the coffee shop closes. I’m really grateful for your offer.”

  He glanced around his desk and began peeking under piles. “I have business cards somewhere…never mind, I’ll write down my number.”

  While he searched for a slip of paper, Lara reached into her tote and pulled out her cell phone. “How about I text it to myself. That way I won’t lose it.”

  “Ah, the perfect solution.”

  Lara took his number and thanked him profusely. It was probably overkill, but she was so relieved that one thing went right today, she felt like dancing a jig.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Sherry.

  She texted her friend, and they agreed to meet at the coffee shop right before closing time.

  Chapter 13

  Kayla showed up shortly after lunch. Aunt Fran immediately put on the teakettle.

  “Sorry, I meant to get here earlier,” Kayla said. “I got yakking on the phone in my car and lost track of time.” She blushed a bright pink.

  “Chatting with someone special?” Lara teased.

  “Sort of. It’s the guy I told you about. From my class?” Kayla peeled off her coat, gloves, and scarf just in time to have Panda nearly leap into her arms.

  Smiling at them, Aunt Fran poured boiling water into a mug and dropped in a tea bag. “Ah, yes, but I don’t think you told us his name.”

  Kayla shrugged and pushed at her glasses. “I didn’t want to jinx anything. I still don’t, so I might wait until I know him a little better. The whole thing might tank, you know?”

  After a short tea break, they spent the next hour tidying up the meet-and-greet room for adoption hours and grooming the cats, in the event anyone showed up. Tuesdays were usually slow, but anything was possi
ble.

  “While we wait, let’s work on that editorial,” Lara suggested. She needed to push Gideon out of her thoughts. Temporarily, at least. She fetched her tablet, and she and Kayla spread out on the table in the meet-and-greet room.

  “I read last week about two cats who were dumped in a landfill,” Kayla began, her expression darkening. “They survived, but only because someone heard them crying and rushed in to rescue them.”

  “I know which case you mean,” Lara said. “I saw it on the news. There was a no-kill shelter only a few miles away from there, too. If they’d waited till morning, they could have brought the cats there.”

  Kayla’s eyes blazed with anger. “Why are people so horrible? Sometimes it makes me sick.”

  “I know what you’re saying, but luckily, most people know better. It’s the few who don’t that I hope to reach. That’s why I want to get this editorial in the paper. If it helps to save even one cat or dog, it’ll be worth it.”

  They worked together on the piece for a while, Panda in Kayla’s lap and Munster in Lara’s. Shortly after two, a pair of faces peeked through the glass pane—a woman and a little girl. The woman smiled and rang the doorbell.

  Kayla gently set Panda on the floor and raced over to let them in. “Hello,” she greeted. “My name is Kayla. Welcome to the High Cliff Shelter for Cats. Come on in and have a seat.”

  “Thank you,” the woman said, tucking her gloves inside the pockets of her puffy pink jacket. “I’m Phoebe, and this is my daughter, Pia.” She gazed down at a girl of about seven. The child had the same big brown eyes and dark curls as her mom. “Can you say hello, Pia?”

  Pia nodded at the floor. “Hello,” she said shyly.

  Lara introduced herself and offered to take their jackets. Pia stuffed her little red mittens into her jacket pockets.

  “Nah, we’ll keep them on,” Phoebe said. “It’s such a pain taking them on and off. Hey, look, I’ll tell you why we’re here. My daughter’s in the second grade, and recently the school invited someone from one of the local humane societies to speak to the class. The speaker explained what they did, and why it was so important to spay and neuter your pets. The problem is”—she squeezed her daughter’s shoulders—“Pia got very, very upset when the woman brought up, you know, euthanizing.” She whispered the last word.

  Lara’s heart wrenched. No wonder the child looked so forlorn.

  She invited them both to sit, urging them to have a glass of juice or cocoa. Pia decided on a glass of milk, while her mom opted for apple juice.

  A smile emerged from the little girl when she saw Panda gazing up at her. “Mommy, can I hold that cat?”

  “Let’s ask first,” Phoebe said, raising her eyebrows at Lara.

  “Of course you can,” Lara said. “Panda is very friendly. Plus, he has some of the longest whiskers I’ve ever seen!”

  Lara lifted the black-and-white cat and set him gently on Pia’s lap. Pia giggled when Panda’s motor revved up. She wrapped her little hands around Panda’s chunky form. “Look, Mommy, he’s purring!”

  “He sure is,” Phoebe said, winking at her daughter. She turned to the women. “Anyway, I thought that if Pia saw how a shelter actually worked, she’d feel a lot better about it.” She bounced her gaze around the meet-and-greet room. It landed on the corkboard that showed scads of photos of the shelter’s successful adoptions. “I have to say, I think I chose the right one. I don’t see any cages, though. Is the shelter part of the house?”

  “The shelter is the house,” Kayla piped in. “The cats have free range and get only the best of care. This is the room where we greet visitors and introduce them to cats that are available for adoption.”

  Lara smiled. She loved it when Kayla rattled off her spiel about the shelter. Kayla was immensely proud of the care she gave to the cats. The shelter was firmly embedded in her heart and soul.

  Phoebe winked at Lara as if to say, You’d better answer this right. “So, what happens if a cat doesn’t get adopted right away?”

  “Most cats don’t get adopted immediately,” Lara explained. “Sometimes it takes a while for a kitty to find their forever home. That’s because we always make sure we send them to the perfect home. But while they wait, they stay here with us as part of the household, where they’re loved and cared for. No matter how long it takes.”

  Pia, who’d clearly been absorbing everything Lara said, looked over at her. “Even if it takes a year?” she asked softly.

  Lara nodded. “Even if it takes more than a year.”

  Pia pulled Panda closer. “Mommy?” She tugged at the sleeve of her mother’s jacket. “Can we come back and get this cat after we move?”

  Phoebe’s face softened. “I’m not sure, honey. We’ll have to run it by Daddy first.” To Lara and Kayla she said, “We’re moving to a larger house next month. Maybe after we get settled, we’ll come back. You…have other cats, right?”

  Lara knew exactly what she was thinking. By the time they were ready to adopt, Panda might be gone.

  “We do, and we always will.”

  Lara thought about trekking upstairs to fetch Amber and Sienna, but then changed her mind. Once Phoebe and Pia were ready to adopt, she’d be sure they got acquainted with all of the cats ready for placement.

  Before they left, Kayla gave them a brochure about their “read to a cat” Sundays, as well as some other helpful printouts. One was the sheet identifying plants and other substances that were poisonous to cats. Lara had sketched the illustrations herself.

  With Phoebe’s permission, Kayla also presented Pia with a cat-shaped sugar cookie, frosted in black and white to resemble Panda. The little girl left with a happy smile.

  “Poor little kid,” Kayla said after they left. “I remember myself at that age. I was so sensitive to anything that had to do with animals. I swear, I cried myself to sleep half the time thinking about everything.”

  Lara understood exactly what she meant. “It’s a fine line, isn’t it? We want to teach kids to be kind and caring, but we don’t want to make them feel sad about the way others behave. Not until they’re old enough to understand it, anyway. There’s no easy answer, I guess.”

  Kayla stared at her. “Do you ever think about having kids? I mean, not now, but someday?”

  Lara waved a hand at her. “Get real. You know I’m not ready for that.”

  Except that I’m going to be thirty in a month, and I’m not even close to starting a family.

  “Yeah, but someday, right? I mean, you’ve got the perfect temperament for being a mom. You’re smart, you’re patient, you’re creative. Me, I think I’m gonna stick with cats. Easier all around that way.”

  Lara laughed. “Don’t be surprised if you change your mind one day.”

  Kayla shrugged. “What will be will be.”

  They went back to working on the editorial, but Lara’s thoughts went off on a sidetrack. The printout about household poisons stuck in her mind.

  She’d done her homework before putting it together. So many everyday plants, both indoor and out, were deadly—not only to cats but to humans. The same went for household products, such as detergent and mothballs.

  Was it one of those poisons that killed Wayne Chancer? Had the medical examiner figured out exactly what killed him?

  Chancer had been dead for over three days now. As far as Lara knew, the crime lab was still conducting tests on everything they’d collected at his home. If they’d made any progress, it hadn’t been reported. Maybe the police were keeping mum until they had something definite to announce.

  “Oh! Lara, I completely forgot to show you something,” Kayla said. “Give me a sec. I have to run out to my car.” She dashed outside without putting on her coat. A minute later, she returned holding a cellophane bag filled with what appeared to be colorful snacks. Lara recognized them—they were the ones Kayla had bought
the day before at the Peach Crate.

  Kayla grinned. “These are so cool. Wait till you see them.” She handed the bag to Lara.

  “They look like fortune cookies,” Lara said, intrigued. She removed the twist tie and peeked into the bag.

  “Take one out,” Kayla urged. “They’re made from fruit.”

  Lara removed a bright red fortune cookie, which was twice the size of a typical one. She sniffed it. “Mmm, smells like strawberry. It looks like they’re made from those fruity rolled-up snacks kids eat.”

  “They are. Open it—there’s a message inside each one.”

  Lara opened the cookie and pulled out a fortune typed on pink paper. “Kindness never goes out of style,” she read. “Hey, I like that.”

  “Taste it. They’re good.”

  Lara bit into the cookie. It was delicious. “Wow. It’s tasty,” she said, after she swallowed. “I can see why kids would love these.”

  “I thought they’d be fun to give to my nieces and nephews on Valentine’s Day,” Kayla said. “But that’s not all. Look at this.” She reached for the bag and turned it over, then pointed to the label.

  Lara examined the label, and her jaw dropped. “Well, isn’t this interesting? Custom fortune cookies created with you in mind by Tina Tanaka,” she read aloud. “It gives a Web site address and a Facebook page.”

  “I thought you’d find that interesting,” Kayla said, her eyes lighting up. “Tina Tanaka seems to have a nice little business going for herself.”

  Lara nodded, thinking. She pulled her tablet over and went to the Web site listed on the label. Almost immediately, a beautifully designed site came up. “Oh my, look at this. Tina makes custom fortune cookies for all sorts of occasions—including weddings.”

  Sherry had been looking for something creative to give out as wedding favors. These might be just the ticket!

  “Are you thinking of Sherry?” Kayla asked.

  Lara smiled. “I sure am. She was complaining that the foil-wrapped chocolate hearts she was planning to use were too boring. We might have just stumbled on the perfect favors for those darling little boxes she bought. I’m so glad you landed on these in the gourmet shop.”