“This is way too cool,” Barbie said in awe.
The playroom was in the front of the house on the east side. In the curved turret area, Margie had designed padded benches underneath each of the three windows, so the cats could soak up the morning rays. In the center of the room were five multi-leveled cat trees. Cokey had built a two-level cat walk around the room. He made it out of reinforced plywood and then carpeted it. The first level was four feet from the floor, while the second level was eight feet. Various ramps made of sisal provided access to the walks. The crowning point was two beams that intersected the middle of the room. This had become Lilac’s and Abby’s favorite feature.
“I asked Cokey to take the Victorian furniture out of here and store it in the attic,” Katherine explained.
“You said guest room. Where’s your guest gonna sleep? Oh, ha! Ha! I get it—in the attic?”
The kittens discovered the first cat walk and were streaking around the room. The adult cats were trying to catch their breath. They hadn’t had this kind of exercise in quite some time.
Katherine laughed, “No, not the attic. I have a guest house on Alexander Street where my future guests will stay.” Katherine didn’t elaborate that the room had been Colleen’s mum’s while she was staying last winter. As much as she loved Colleen’s mother, when mum visited in the future, she’d be staying at the guest house.
“Well, Barbie,” Katherine continued, “That was what I call a Siamese stampede. I think they’re going to be okay. Let’s go back downstairs. Hey, do you want something to drink? Soda, iced tea, or iced something else?”
“Sure,” Barbie said, then to the kittens, “Mommy will be back in a minute. Have fun!” The kittens totally ignored her. Scout, Abra and Iris assumed their positions on top of the cat trees with a look of pure delight on their brown masks.
Before Barbie left the room, she walked over and petted Iris. “How’s my sweet baby?” she asked. Iris reached up to be held. Barbie was no stranger to Iris. Many months before, she had saved the Siamese from harm’s way. Barbie picked up the purring cat and gently hugged her. Iris gently nipped her on the ear.
“Ouch, I forgot you do that,” Barbie said. She placed Iris back on the cat tree and joined Katherine in the hallway. “I just love that little girl the same way I love Dewey and Crowie.”
Katherine answered. “It’s funny how they pull your heart strings.”
They walked downstairs to the kitchen. Barbie was talking a mile a minute about her job, her school, and her new boyfriend.
Katherine stopped at the mention of boyfriend. “A boyfriend? Good show. What’s his name? Is he from Erie?”
“Get me somethin’ to drink first. I’m dyin’ of thirst.” Barbie headed for the kitchen table and flopped down on one of the Parsons chairs. “Oh, somethin’ diet. I’m tryin’ to lose weight for my new designer jeans I just bought. I’m down to a size fourteen.”
Katherine rummaged in the refrigerator and found a Diet Coke. She popped the tab and moved to get a glass.
“Oh, I’ll take it straight up, if you please,” Barbie said.
Katherine handed her the can. “So, what kind of diet are you on?”
“It’s a custom-diet made just for me. There’s a retired pharmacist who lives out in the country and he makes me these delicious milkshakes. They’re full of vitamins, minerals and all of that good kind of stuff. He prepares enough for the week so I pick them up, put them in my cooler, and take them home. I drink them for lunch.”
“What do you eat the rest of the time?” Katherine asked curiously.
“For breakfast, I eat a light meal and for supper, I eat a balanced meal. Lots of veggies and about four ounces of meat—chicken, beef or pork. He’s got it all written up for me. I’d recommend him to you, but Katz, I think you are way too skinny.”
“Barbie,” Katherine said, shocked. “I’m not skinny.”
“Oh, ha! Ha!” Barbie laughed. “I’m sorry. You know how I sometimes I blurt out things without thinkin’.”
Katherine glared at her. “My doctor says I’m a healthy weight.”
“Oh, don’t get your feathers ruffled up. I was just kidding.” Barbie winked.
“Tell me about the new boyfriend.” Katherine gladly changed the subject.
“He’s from France. His name is Henri DuPree. I met him in one of my classes, but he didn’t ask me out right away. The other night, I went clubbin’ with a bunch of friends and ran into him. We ended up dancing all night.”
Katherine smiled. “I hope he’s a cat lover. What do the kittens think of him? Do they love his French accent?”
Barbie’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Tonight is our first date. Henri is taking me to dinner at a fancy schmancy restaurant in the city.” Barbie continued smiling, then became serious. “Well, back to the kittens, what do you suggest I do about Dewey’s and Crowie’s bad behavior?”
“You haven’t told me what the bad behavior is. I can see they’re hyperactive, but that’s normal for the Siamese breed.”
“They both have a habit of jumping on me and climbing me like a tree. It wasn’t bad in the winter when I wore jeans, but I’ve been wearing shorts. Look at my legs.” Barbie had several deep scratches on the backs of her legs.
“I’m certainly not an expert. I just learned the ropes by being owned by cats,” Katherine began. “When my cats are really bad, I put them in the powder room for time out until they settle down. Do you have a place like that in your apartment?”
“Yep, I have a second bedroom. After seeing your cat room, I’m kinda thinkin’ about makin’ it into one. I never have guests or sleepovers. But when I do, he sleeps in my room.” Barbie covered her mouth. “Did I just say that?”
Katherine giggled and continued with her cat advice. “Buy a spray bottle. Fill it up with water. When they do something bad, say the word ‘no’ and spray them.”
Barbie rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I tried that. The terror twins knocked the bottle out of my hand. Later they hid it. They’re super smart.”
“Forgive me for laughing,” Katherine chuckled. “I would have loved to have seen that. Iris and Abby hide things in an old chair, but a water bottle might not fit.”
“My kittens hide stuff under my bed.” Barbie glanced at her watch. “Oh, it’s getting late. I’ve got to go.” Barbie got up. “Thanks for the pop. I’ll just take it with me.”
Katherine smiled. “I guess we should find the cats.”
As they headed to the atrium, Dewey was fast asleep inside the carrier, but Crowie was missing. Barbie quietly closed the gate. She began calling the kitten’s name. “Okay, where’s my Crowie? Crowie, where are you?”
Barbie climbed up the stairs and was almost to the top when Katherine said, “Crowie’s down here.”
Barbie headed back. “Where?”
“Up there!” Katherine pointed.
On top of the parlor window valance were Lilac and Abby with Crowie in the middle. They were fast asleep.
“Oh, ha! Ha! Sweet! Listen, Katz, I’ve got a million errands to run. Then I’ve got to get back to the city for my hair appointment. Gotta look good for the date, right?”
“It’s awfully hot outside. Do you want to leave them here, and then pick them up on your way out of town? It’s no trouble.”
“Katz, you’re a doll! Thanks a bunch. I shouldn’t be but a couple of hours.”
“No problem. When you come back, give me a heads up call and I’ll have your kittens ready to go.”
Barbie blew a kiss at the carrier and grabbed her capacious Coach bag. She rushed to the front door. “See ya in a little while,” she said, leaving.
“Okay. Bye.” Katherine simultaneously reset the house alarm and looked out the door sidelight, watching Barbie get in her car and leave. She then walked to the parlor.
“Lilac, Abby,” she said softly to the exhausted felines. “Can you get Crowie to come down?”
“Chirp,” Abby cried sleepily and put he
r paw over her eye.
“Me-yowl,” Lilac belted.
The kitten woke up, yawned, and stretched to full height. Without warning, he dove off the valance and landed in Katherine’s arms.
Startled, Katherine said, “You little monkey.” She cradled the kitten and kissed him several times on the head. “You’ve got to warn me when you’re going to do that.” She placed him inside the carrier with his brother Dewey, who woke up for a split second, then went back to sleep. Katherine walked to the linen closet outside the powder room to find a soft fleece baby blanket for their bedding. She was surprised Barbie didn’t have a blanket already in there.
She wondered about Barbie’s drinking the nutrition shakes. Why would anyone drive all the way to the country just to get them? Why would a retired pharmacist make a diet shake in the first place? Was there a drug in it? Something was fishy. Katherine didn’t want Barbie to revert back to her old, wild days.
* * *
In the parlor, the antique grandfather clock bonged six times. Dewey and Crowie stood on their hind legs with their paws on the clock cabinet, watching the large pendulum move back and forth. They moved their heads like they were following a tennis match. Their person hadn’t returned.
Katherine was beside herself with worry. She walked back to the office and rummaged through a stack of business cards on her desk until she found the one Stevie Sanders had given to her. She entered his number on her cell.
Stevie answered, “Stevie’s Electrical.”
Katherine didn’t mince words. “This is Katz Kendall. I’m worried about your sister, Barbie.”
“How can I help ya, ma’am?”
“Barbie came over this morning, left her kittens, and said she’d return in two hours. That was nine hours ago.”
“Left her kittens? What kittens?” he asked, flustered. “I wouldn’t worry none. My sis is never on time. She’ll roll up soon. By the way, did she say where she was goin’?”
“She said she had a bunch of errands to do. One of them was to go out in the country.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch what you just said. I’m driving to the city. Sometimes I lose calls in this area.”
“She said she was running errands,” Katherine repeated.
“Well, if she’s this late, she must have driven out-of-state to do them,” Stevie laughed nervously. “Listen, I’m losing the signal . . .” The call ended.
Katherine was going to hang up anyway. Stevie was absolutely no help. She questioned why she called him in the first place. Maybe brother and sister weren’t that close. Why else wouldn’t he know about Barbie’s pride and joy—her kittens?
While she was on the phone, Jake disabled the house alarm with his cell and came in. “Hey, Sweet Pea. Where’s those demon kittens you’ve been texting me about?” “Mao,” Dewey yelped, rushing in to meet the newcomer. Crowie followed close behind. Jake sat down cross-legged on the floor. The kittens immediately started climbing him like a tree. “Ouch,” he said, then to Katherine, “We need to trim their claws. I take it Barbie hasn’t come back.”
“Not yet. I just called her brother, Stevie. He said this was her MO to be late.”
“Where’s the other cats?” Jake flipped Crowie on his back and began kneading the back of his neck.
“They’re probably sacked out in the play room. The kittens are like the Energizer Bunny. They’ve worn out my cats.” Katherine moved to the parlor window for the fiftieth time and looked up and down Lincoln Street. No red Mustang. No Barbie.
“Have you been looking out the window all day? You’re going to wear out the carpet. Maybe Barbie had car trouble.”
“In a new vehicle? I don’t think so. She would have called me.”
“Ooh, that tickles,” Jake said to Dewey who was tunneling inside his polo shirt. “Sorry, Katz, what did you just say?”
“That Barbie drives a new car. You wouldn’t expect it to break down.”
“Maybe she ran out of gas.”
“I hope not. She said one of her errands was in the country.”
Jake added, “If she did have car trouble, she’s got a huge family network of kin to help her.”
“She was so happy when she left here. She was happier than I’ve ever seen her.”
Jake extracted the kitten from his shirt. “Katz, I know how much you try to see the best in people, but Barbie has a reputation in Erie. The only way she can live it down is to move, which she has done.”
“What does that mean?” Katherine asked sharply.
“Her dad’s a criminal; her brothers have done time. Barbie has done time and once ran a whore house. That’s why the locals call her the massage queen.”
“Yes, I know that, but I think the whore house was just a rumor—a nasty Erie rumor—started by the ball-cap gossips down at the diner. Just because she lived in a rundown trailer on the bad side of town doesn’t make her a criminal.”
Jake put his arms in the air defensively. “Just sayin’.”
“She had a hair appointment in the city, which she missed. She told me she was having a first date with a man she really liked. She wouldn’t just take off and leave her kittens. She loves these cats!”
Jake stood up. Dewey launched off an Eastlake chair, and was hanging on the back of his belt while Crowie climbed up his jeans and perched on his shoulder. “Hey, you guys.” He pulled Crowie off his shoulder. “Katz, his collar’s a bit tight.”
“Barbie put them on to tell them apart, but I think it’s obvious who they are. Dewey’s mask is darker and he’s bigger than Crowie.”
Jake didn’t hesitate. He removed Crowie’s collar and began rubbing the kitten’s neck. “Poor little man,” he said softly. Dewey trotted over and Jake removed his as well.
“I tried to take them off, but the kittens wouldn’t stand still long enough for me to remove them. You must have the magic touch.”
Jake winked.
“Katz, I don’t want to sound like an alarmist, but maybe you should call the police.”
Katherine found the chief’s number in her contact list and pressed the number. The call went directly to voice mail. She explained the situation and voiced her concerns. When finished, she called Stevie, but he didn’t pick up. A message popped up on her screen, “Out of area.”
The chief was still at the station when he returned the call. His tone was serious. “Hey, Katz. I know I shouldn’t be divulging this private information, but I can count on you to be discreet. I’ve been in contact with Barbie’s brother, Dave. He came down to the station. He was concerned because Barbie was supposed to meet him at noon and she didn’t show up. In light of the message you left me, I convinced Dave to file a missing person report.”
“Oh, no, Chief. A missing person report . . .”
“In Erie, if there’s a suspicion of foul play, it’s our policy to not wait twenty-four hours so I sent email to every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Indiana law enforcement world. I won’t bog you down with the official channels I contacted, so I’ll come right to the point. Brace yourself.”
“Okay, hit me with your best shot.”
“Barbie’s car was found at a closed rest stop outside Shermanville. In case you don’t know, that’s about thirty-five miles south of Chicago. The officers didn’t find Barbie, but did find blood on the back seat—a lot of blood. We may be looking at a homicide.”
Katherine gasped. The room began to spin. She thought she was going to faint. She held onto the edge of the marble-top curio cabinet for balance. “Oh, no . . .,” she cried. Jake rushed over and put his arm around her.
“An investigating team is working on this,” the chief continued. “Right about now they’re probably combing the vehicle for clues as to what happened. Shermanville police have a search and rescue team looking for Barbie.”
“This is terrible.” Katherine paused, then asked, “Chief, don’t state-operated rest stops have surveillance cameras?”
“Good point, but like I said, this rest stop is clo
sed to the public. I’ve been told that the only way to enter it is to drive by the entrance, which is blocked, then back up via the exit lane. The rest stop building itself doesn’t exist anymore. There probably hasn’t been a working surveillance camera in years.”
“Did anyone see her drive in?” Katherine asked hopefully.
“No eye witnesses. As soon as we punched in Barbie’s license plate on the official database, a Shermanville officer found the car. The keys were still in the ignition.”
“Where is she then? I can’t see Barbie walking away from her new car unless she was coerced,” Katherine said. “Maybe someone abducted her, but why?”
“Don’t know, but the Chief of Police is keeping me up-to-date. Katz, got another call coming in. I’ll keep you posted.” The chief hung up.
Katherine placed her cell on the cabinet. She wrapped her arms around Jake and buried her face in his chest. “Barbie’s car was found outside of Chicago. There’s blood on the back seat. It might be Barbie’s. Jake, I’m afraid that something horrible has happened to her.”
“Shhh,” Jake whispered in Katherine’s ear. “It sounds bad, but we don’t know. Let’s just take it one step at a time.”
Dewey and Crowie had returned to the room and were taking turns climbing the legs of Jake’s jeans. He picked both of them up and held them against him. “I’m staying here tonight, Katz. I don’t want to leave you alone, and these kittens look like they need some TLC.”
“Why do you say that?” Katherine said, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Because as much as you think Barbie walks on water, these cats seem a bit scrawny to me. Crowie looks like his ribs are poking out.”
“I noticed that. They’re almost nine-months-old and should be heavier. I know Lilac and Iris were at that age.”
“They look malnourished.”
“In case you didn’t know, the modern, wedge-head Siamese are lean, but . . .” She didn’t finish her sentence. She thought about Barbie making a comment that she was too skinny. Now Barbie might be dead.
“I think we need to go to the kitchen and feed them. It’s supper time for the cats.” Jake said the words to get Katherine’s mind off the terrible news.
The Cats that Watched the Woods (The Cats that . . . Cozy Mystery Book 5) Page 5