The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo

by Linda Reilly

  “The good thing about a cat who’s FIV positive is that it’s not the death sentence some people think it is,” Lara said. “But there is a higher level of care involved, which I’m sure you know.”

  As if she’d read Lara’s mind, Jeannie began ticking off points on her fingers. “I take Bunny to the vet for a checkup every six months, at which time he gets every test imaginable. He’s neutered, of course, and he never goes outside. I feed him exactly what my vet advises, nothing funky or raw.”

  Lara peeked over at Kayla and saw her smiling. Jeannie was saying everything she wanted to hear.

  “Plus,” Jeannie emphasized, “I know that at the slightest sign of sickness, I’m supposed to take him to the vet right away. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened with Bunny.”

  “How did you land on the name ‘Bunny’?” Lara asked her.

  Grinning, Jeannie rummaged through her tote and brought out a plastic sheaf of pictures. She pulled out a photo and handed it to Lara. “Take a look at those ears. Aren’t they adorable?”

  Lara stared at the photo of a cinnamon-colored cat with alert gold eyes and delicate white whiskers. His large ears gave him the look of being constantly on alert. “Oh my, is he an Abyssinian?”

  “Yes, he is. Gorgeous little guy, isn’t he?” She took the picture from Lara and gave it to Kayla. “I got him from a woman who’d bought him from a friend who supposedly was a reputable breeder. When she found out the kitty was FIV positive, she had a fit. The so-called breeder”—she made air quotes around the word—“refused to take him back, but the woman who’d bought him definitely didn’t want him anymore. I found out about him through a neighbor of mine who knew the woman. If I hadn’t adopted Bunny, she was going to have him euthanized. Can you believe it?” The outrage in Jeannie’s voice could have been cut with a knife and served on toast.

  “She sounds like an idiot,” Kayla said harshly, returning the photo to Jeannie. She looked over at Lara and smiled. “Shall I bring Sienna in?”

  “Yes! First of all, where are my manners? Jeannie, would you like a warm drink? We have tea, hot chocolate—”

  “No, just the cat please.” Jeannie smiled eagerly, her soft brown eyes dancing with anticipation.

  Kayla left the room and returned a minute later with Sienna nestled in her arms. “Here’s our princess,” Kayla said.

  Jeannie’s face lit up. “Oh gosh, she’s the most beautiful tortie I’ve ever seen!” Kayla went over to Jeannie, and Sienna almost fell into her arms. The cat curled up against Jeannie’s puffy jacket as if she knew she’d found her forever mom.

  Lara crossed her fingers. Another successful match, she hoped.

  She gave Jeannie time to get acquainted with Sienna, while Kayla went about putting together their standard adoption packet, along with an application.

  “This is like, even better than I could’ve hoped for,” Jeannie gushed, her cheek buried in Sienna’s fur. “She’s so affectionate. I just know she’ll make the perfect companion for Bunny. Are you guys okay with my adopting her? Is there some like, protocol I have to go through?”

  Lara gazed over at the sole unoccupied chair. A cream-colored Ragdoll with turquoise eyes was staring at Jeannie with something akin to adoration.

  She smiled at Jeannie. “Something tells me you and Bunny are perfect for Sienna. We do have an application process, though, and we’ll ask for references.”

  “No problem.” Jeannie looked as if she’d just struck a vein of gold in her yard. “I’ve got a super busy weekend coming up, so the timing might be perfect. I’m catering a Valentine’s Day dance at a private high school tomorrow night, and I’m doing two birthday parties on the weekend. By Monday I’ll have some free time to buy new kitty supplies and get the house ready for Sienna. Do you think my application might be approved by then?”

  “I’m sure it will.” Lara’s heart jolted in her chest at something Jeannie had said earlier. “Did you say you have a catering company?”

  Jeannie’s face lit up with pride. “I sure do. If you ever need a gig catered, I’m your gal.” Still clutching Sienna, she freed one hand and pulled two business cards out of her handbag. She slid one over to each of them.

  Lara took the card and stared at it, her pulse racing. Jeannie Jennings was the owner and proprietor of Bakewell Custom Catering.

  “Bakewell Custom Catering. Jeannie, did you cater the birthday party for Wayne Chancer last week?”

  Jeannie’s expression tightened, and her eyes glazed over. “I did. In all my years of catering, it’s the one job I wish I’d never accepted. You probably heard in the news that the police think Wayne Chancer was poisoned at the party.” Jeannie twisted her lips.

  Lara and Kayla nodded in unison.

  “Well, the next morning they summoned me and my employees to the police station—separately, of course—and questioned us for hours. Plus, they took samples of every bit of food and drink we served that night so they could examine it. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I have the deepest respect for the police. A man died horribly, and they were doing what they had to do. But it was embarrassing, to say the least—not to mention a huge waste of time. A couple of my employees felt like they were being singled out.”

  “Did the police ever tell you what the results were?” Lara asked her.

  Jeannie’s smile was tight. “They found nothing—not one iota of our food that could’ve caused Chancer’s death.”

  Lara mulled that over. “So, have they figured out yet what killed him?”

  “At first, they thought it was a heart attack, but the medical examiner ruled that out. I’m not sure I’m supposed to reveal this but—” She looked at each of them, then pulled Sienna closer, eliciting a soft purr from the kitty. “I have a cousin who works at the Bakewell police station. She just happened to overhear a conversation between our chief of police and one of the state police guys. They think whatever poisoned Chancer was in the cigar he smoked after the party.”

  Cigars! The same thing Megan had mentioned.

  “But if that’s the case,” Lara said, “shouldn’t they be able to trace where they came from?”

  “My cousin told me they’re working on it, but so far they haven’t located the source. Apparently, the cigars were delivered rather secretively, either the day before the party or the morning of. In all the hoopla getting ready for the party, Chancer’s wife didn’t notice when they arrived or who delivered them.”

  “What about the poison itself?” Kayla asked. “Have they figured out what it was?”

  Jeannie shook her head. “Not yet, but whatever it was, it led to heart failure.” She gazed down at the cat in her arms, and her voice softened. “Right now, adopting this little girl is my top priority. Can I fill out the application while I’m here and leave it with you?”

  “Sure,” Lara said. “That would be perfect. How about some tea while you work on it?”

  “No thanks.” Her cheeks pinked. “But I wouldn’t mind having one of those yummy-looking sugar cookies I saw on your Web page.”

  Lara laughed. “You got it.”

  “I’ll get it,” Kayla offered. “Are they in the container in the kitchen?”

  “Yep. Same place.”

  After Kayla left, something occurred to Lara. “By the way, how did you happen to check out our shelter? I’m thrilled that you did, but if I’m not mistaken, there’s a no-kill shelter even closer to you, right outside of Bakewell.”

  Jeannie smiled. “Easy question. One of my employees recommended this shelter. In fact, I think you met her recently. Tina Tanaka?”

  A cold chill skittered down Lara’s spine. “Tina works for you?”

  “She sure does. Part-time, anyway. I’ve tried to persuade her to buy in to my business and become an equal partner with me, but she’s hell-bent on making her fortune cookie company into a national brand.”
>
  So, Tina worked for the catering company that had catered Chancer’s party. How interesting that she’d never mentioned it.

  Interesting or deceitful?

  “Jeannie, was…Tina at the Chancer party the night he died?”

  “Yeah, she was, but she stayed in the kitchen so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She despised Chancer, said he was a creep and a weasel. She didn’t want him to see her either, so she stayed out of sight.”

  If she despised him, why did she agree to work his birthday party? The question perched on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back.

  It was just too coincidental, Lara thought. She couldn’t help wondering if Tina had wanted to work the party so she could sneak the poisoned cigars into the house. It also made her wonder if Tina’d had an ulterior motive when she’d asked Lara to meet her at the diner. Even more important, why had Tina withheld that information from her? What was she trying to hide?

  Only one person could answer that question with any certainty.

  Tina Tanaka.

  Chapter 24

  After Jeannie left, Lara and Kayla managed to complete a decent draft of the editorial they wanted to send to the local paper, encouraging people to bring unwanted pets to a shelter and not to leave them out in the cold. Lara saved it on her tablet. She planned to let it sit for a day and then review it the following morning. Assuming it didn’t need any final tweaks, she’d send it along to Chris Newman, the editor at the Whisker Gazette.

  By ten that evening, after she’d dabbled in a few other projects without making any real headway, Lara still hadn’t heard from Gideon. She’d hoped he might have felt bad about the way their meeting had ended that afternoon and called her, or even texted. The idea that their relationship might be over saddened her deeply. She loved Gideon, and she knew he loved her. So, why couldn’t they work it out?

  The more she thought about it, the more it irritated her. After all, wasn’t it his old girlfriend who’d started all the trouble in the first place? If Megan hadn’t shown up at his office last Friday, Lara never would have heard of Wayne Chancer. His untimely death would never have crossed her radar, and she never would’ve gone to Bakewell.

  Aunt Fran was still sitting at the kitchen table, working on her novel, by the time Lara was ready to head upstairs for the night. Lara kissed her aunt on the cheek. “Still working?” she said.

  “Mostly doing revisions,” her aunt said, looking distracted. “I can’t say I made much forward progress today. Some days my mind is elsewhere.”

  Lara wrapped an arm around her aunt’s shoulder. “You’re worried about Twinkles, aren’t you?”

  Aunt Fran nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t think he has much longer. I’m keeping him as comfortable as I can.”

  “It’s so hard,” Lara said, choking back tears. “But think of all the wonderful years he had here with you. He couldn’t have asked for a more loving mom, or a better home.”

  Her aunt smiled, and she stared at Lara through glassy eyes. “No, I suppose he couldn’t.” She gave Lara an impulsive hug. “But it’s because of you that so many others like Twinkles found their forever homes. I can’t imagine the mess I’d be in if you hadn’t driven up here on that fateful October day.”

  If her aunt didn’t stop reminiscing, Lara was going to burst into tears herself. “This is the way things were meant to be. Just remember that.”

  She left her aunt and headed upstairs, planning to make it an early night. Easier said than done when she couldn’t shut down her mind. She tossed her tablet onto her bed, then went over to Amber, who was curled up on one of the perches on the cat tree. “Hey, little girl, how are you doing up here?”

  Amber closed her eyes and lowered her head to her paws, a sign that she was growing more comfortable with Lara. Lara patted her for a while, then went over to her bed. Panda had already plunked himself onto her tablet, and Munster was trying to pull it away from him.

  Lara sat cross-legged on her bed and gently tugged her tablet out from under them. “Sorry, you little monkeys, but I need to check out a few things.”

  After booting up the tablet, she Googled Bakewell Custom Catering. The site popped up instantly, and a colorful array of delectable goodies swirled around the border. The Web page was strikingly designed in muted shades of lavender, blue, and rose. Somehow it made Lara’s mouth water—it reminded her of a birthday cake laden with sugary colored frosting.

  Lara clicked on the “Meet Our Staff” link. Six faces popped up—the one at the top being that of Jeannie Jennings herself. Beneath her photo was a description of her experience and her culinary degrees, which were impressive for so young a woman. She also volunteered at a food bank and donated her time every Thanksgiving to serving meals at a shelter for veterans in transition.

  Knowing more about Jeannie’s background made Lara like her even more. She was more convinced than ever that Sienna would be the perfect addition to her household.

  Beneath Jeannie’s bio, the smiling pics of four women and one man appeared. Only one face was familiar to Lara—that of Tina Tanaka. Lara clicked on her picture and her bio came up.

  Tina’s vast experience working in a family-owned, Asian-style restaurant was emphasized, as well as her skills at presenting food aesthetically. She’d also created her own style of homemade fortune cookies, which she was hoping to develop into a national brand. That pretty much wrapped up her bio.

  Lara went back to Tina’s photo, and she spied it instantly—a tiny pinpoint of light that hovered about two inches above her right shoulder.

  Jade. Tina’s guardian cat.

  Lara wanted so badly to trust Tina, but the question remained: Why hadn’t Tina told her that she’d worked at Chancer’s birthday party? That single omission—a critical one, in Lara’s mind—made her both wary and suspicious of her.

  She briefly reviewed the bios of the other four employees, but nothing stood out or raised any red flags.

  After powering down her tablet, Lara took a fast shower and put on her warmest flannel nightie and a pair of snuggly socks. She slipped under the covers, then fished her e-reader—a recent indulgence—out of her nightstand drawer and turned it on. She’d been seriously enjoying the cozy mystery she’d downloaded about a young woman who gave up her law career to work in her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. The food descriptions were delectable, and the mystery was a delightfully complex puzzle that challenged Lara’s detection skills.

  Tonight, however, her mind was a jumble. She was finding it hard to concentrate on anything. The events of the past several days had worn her out, both physically and emotionally. Her own life was fraught with mystery, and she wasn’t having much luck solving any of it.

  Faces kept popping up in her mind’s eye.

  Gideon’s.

  Megan Haskell’s.

  Tina Tanaka’s.

  Wayne Chancer’s.

  She thought about Aunt Fran, losing her young husband in a tragic accident when their future had just begun. It was obvious why her aunt had told her the painful story about that awful night—she wanted Lara to make her peace with Gideon.

  Lara wanted that, too—if only she knew where to begin.

  She smiled when Sienna leaped onto her bed and curled up against her chest. Munster and Panda had claimed the foot of her bed and were snuggled in together for the night.

  Eventually she gave up on reading and turned out her light. Exhaustion claimed her, and she fell asleep almost instantly.

  Chapter 25

  The ping of a text early Friday morning dragged Lara out of a half sleep. In the next instant she shot awake, hoping it was from Gideon.

  She reached over to her night table for her phone, but it was gone. Rubbing the last shreds of sleep from her eyes, Lara sat up and glanced around. Her phone was on the floor halfway across the room. She could only guess which feli
ne culprit had been responsible for its relocation.

  Lara was smiling when she hopped off her bed to retrieve it, but her smile died a quick death when she saw who’d sent the text. Not Gideon.

  Sherry.

  David and I made another earth-shattering decision last night. Can’t wait to tell you. Stop in early!

  Any other day Lara would have been thrilled to receive that message. But as she’d drifted off to sleep the night before, she’d already made the decision not to visit the coffee shop this morning. Sherry was a pro at picking up on her moods, and Lara was afraid of alerting her that something was wrong.

  Her heart low, she texted back.

  So much going on today. I’ll try to get there.

  It was a cop-out, she knew, but it couldn’t be helped. Some days she had to cut herself some slack without feeling guilty about it. This was one of those days.

  Oddly, no furry feline faces were around to greet her. Where had they all disappeared to? Lara looked at her phone again. It was after eight! How had she managed to sleep so long?

  She threw on her robe and slippers and headed downstairs. The delectable scent of cinnamon drew her into the kitchen like a culinary siren song.

  Her aunt smiled when she saw her. “Good morning. I made some cinnamon rolls for breakfast, if you hadn’t already guessed.”

  Lara inhaled deeply, relishing the scent. “I knew it was something with cinnamon. They smell delicious.” She grinned at the sight of the cats lined up at their food bowls, chowing down breakfast. “And you fed the cats. Lucky thing, because I’m sure they’d have all starved to death by the time I came downstairs.”

  They sat down to a breakfast of cranberry tea and frosted cinnamon buns. Lara was surprised to discover how hungry she was. She couldn’t remember what she’d eaten the night before, so it couldn’t have been too substantial.