Claws of Justice

by Emmie Lyn

  Gina moved at a snail’s pace. I didn’t dare let her out of my sight, so I slowed down, too, as we barely inched our way to the door.

  “So?” Gina interrupted my thoughts. “Will you take me home now? Charlotte’s all gaga over Tilly and couldn’t care less if I’m here or not. I don’t need this right now.”

  “Don’t need what, Gina?” I faced her. “To do the right thing and reconnect with your grandmother when she needs help? What is it with you? You pulled her out of the nursing home where she was content, and now you’re ready to dump her on the side of the road like an unwanted kitten?”

  “No. It’s not that.” She sighed and her body shrank. “I don’t think I can do it. I didn’t know how hard it would be. I have to work, and I can’t be with her all day.”

  I had to admit that she had a point but her whining grated. I forced that aside and said, “I’m sure Tilly will help. Maybe Charlotte could stay with her during the day and with you at night?”

  She brightened at that suggestion. “You think Tilly would do that? I mean, I can’t pay her, at least not unless I sell the bonsai tree, and Hitch would have to help me with that. I guess I could grovel and go back to Maxine. She might take me back, or I could find a different cleaning job if she refuses.”

  I put my arm around her shoulder. “You don’t have to do it alone, Gina. Make a schedule and ask for help.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “Come on then. I want to see how the kittens are doing. They have a special magic that will make you feel better no matter what’s happening.” I pulled her along through the building into the greenhouse.

  Tilly had found an ancient but sturdy chair for Charlotte. She had a heck of a time corralling several kittens on her lap. They climbed up her arms and over the chair, but she laughed and managed to keep them from falling off.

  Conrad held Mama Cat, who looked perfectly content to get a break along with the cuddles. With his obvious love of cats, I couldn’t think of anyone better to help us design the Kitty Castle.

  Hitch whispered in my ear. “I know what you’re thinking, Sunshine,” he said, a twinkle in his eye. “Conrad is trying his hardest to win me over. He knows you’ve got a soft spot for him. But,” he pulled me away from the others and lowered his voice even more, “he thinks Gina has the bonsai tree hidden somewhere. What if he’s trying to cozy up to us to cut him some slack to find the tree?”

  “He’s in for a surprise then, isn’t he? Especially since Gina doesn’t know where the tree is anymore.” I laughed at that deception Hitch had pulled off. “I think I convinced Gina to make a plan for caring for Charlotte. I said we’d pitch in, and that calmed her down. She said she needs your help to sell the bonsai tree, so she has money for Charlotte’s care. How hard will that be?”

  Hitch shrugged. “I have some names, but we don’t even know who it belongs to.”

  “And look at this one, Charlotte.” Tilly handed over the smallest of the kittens, the mostly gray one with intense blue eyes. The first one Jasper had found.

  Charlotte’s face glowed with happiness. Having one of the kittens at Gina’s house would keep her content, I decided. Maybe that little one would do the trick.

  And then, for some reason, she lurched to one side.

  Like a slow-motion film, Charlotte’s chair tipped precariously. I jumped around Hitch to catch it, but Jasper chose that moment to walk between Charlotte and me. Instead of saving her from a fall, I found myself sprawled in the dirt next to her with kittens crawling over me.

  Charlotte groaned.

  “Hitch!” Tilly yelled. “Help me over here.”

  First, he pulled me to my feet, then bent down to help Charlotte. He carefully put one arm under her legs, and the other under her arms while Tilly righted the chair. Hitch lowered Charlotte safely back on the seat.

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry,” she insisted but I saw scrapes on her hand that needed to be cleaned.

  I got the water bowl I’d brought for the kittens, filled it with clean water, and handed it to Tilly. She dipped the hem of her skirt in the bowl and dabbed at Charlotte’s hand.

  “Hey.” I looked around. “Where’d Gina and Conrad go?”

  “Check outside,” Hitch said. “I’ll stay here to help Tilly.”

  I ran outside with Jasper, only to discover Tilly’s lime green VW gone.

  They’d taken off.

  “Come on, Jasper.” As I ran toward my car, I pointed the fob and unlocked the door, let Jasper in the back, and got behind the wheel. If Tilly left her key in the car, Gina, no doubt, filed that away for her getaway plan. I kicked myself for not checking. I assumed Gina made a beeline home when she saw we were distracted with Charlotte.

  Unless Conrad had a different plan.

  I drove to Gina’s house to check there first.

  As I turned onto her street, Maxine’s Lexus was parked in Gina’s driveway next to Gina’s old sedan.

  Strange. What was Maxine doing here? And where was Tilly’s Volkswagen?

  I screeched to a stop. I needed to focus on figuring this out before Gina completely disappeared with Tilly’s car. I refused to let her abandon her responsibility to her grandmother during this critical transition time. On top of that, I needed to find out what Maxine knew.

  Outside the car, a mower buzzed somewhere in the neighborhood, chickadees tweeted in the trees, and the wind ruffled the leaves, but those every day sounds only registered in the far back of my brain. With Jasper at my side, we ran to the front door. I knocked and called, “Gina? Maxine? Are you there?

  The deep silence from within was interrupted by Jasper’s bark. She ran along the front of the house and I followed her as she disappeared into the backyard.

  My stomach lurched. There was Tilly’s Volkswagen, scratched and dented, parked under the shade of a big maple tree. It was missing the side mirror and a branch stuck out from the front grill. Oh, Tilly. I could just hear her furious rant when she saw the damage to her precious bug.

  Jasper scratched at the backdoor. I peeked through the window into Gina’s kitchen. My heart pounded at the sight of Maxine crumpled on the floor, blood oozing from her head. Someone else had to be here.

  I couldn’t even begin to guess what happened, but it wasn’t good. With shaky fingers, I punched in 9-1-1, then sent a message to Hitch: come to Gina’s house.

  I leaned against the wall next to the door wondering what to do when I heard a crash inside.

  I turned the knob and cracked the door. Could I sneak in quietly? Jasper had other ideas. She pushed through and raced inside.

  I followed, scared, but knowing help was on its way.

  34

  Jasper didn’t wait for me to catch up to her. She rushed through Gina’s kitchen, weaving around knocked over chairs, on a mission of her own.

  As I followed, anxious to stay close to her, Maxine groaned. I kneeled down next to her as Jasper disappeared into another room. Maxine’s eyes fluttered. “Maxine? It’s me, Sunny. What happened?”

  Her eyes opened, and she gave me a terrified look when they focused on me. She mumbled, “Help.”

  “Help is coming,” I said, holding her cold hand. I didn’t dare try to move her. “What happened?”

  “Tree,” she managed to say before her eyes closed.

  Tree? Did Maxine come here looking for the bonsai tree?

  I heard a door slam upstairs, and Jasper barked ferociously.

  I hesitated, torn between staying with Maxine and finding what Jasper was up to. Maybe Gina was upstairs in some kind of trouble. Maybe Conrad had her locked in a room. But I couldn’t abandon Maxine yet.

  I searched the kitchen for something to cover her shivering body with, and yanked the tablecloth off a small table, sending a plate sailing off and shattering when it hit the floor. Maxine flinched.

  As I leaned over her, tucking the cloth around her as best I could. The watch in my pocket popped out and landed in her open palm.

  Lifting the object t
o see what it was, Maxine mumbled, “Harry,” before her hand fell to her chest.

  I saw an identical, but smaller watch, on her wrist and slipped it off. Both had identical hearts engraved on the back. What did it mean?

  And then, everything fell into place.

  A chill seeped into my bones.

  I slipped Maxine’s watch back on her wrist and folded her fingers over the other one. Harry’s watch.

  “I’ll be back,” I whispered, hoping she’d be fine until then.

  I followed Jasper’s woofing up the stairs, my footsteps muffled by her barks. “Gina?” I yelled at the closed door. “Are you all right?”

  The door opened a crack, an arm came out and pulled me inside before I knew what happened. The door slammed closed. Jasper, still on the wrong side of the door escalated her jumping and scratching at the door, frantic to follow me.

  Gina, alone in her bedroom, pushed me onto a chair. “Where is it?” she demanded as she looked around the room, wild-eyed and frantic but keeping her steely grip on my arm.

  “What are you talking about?” I had to distract her until the police arrived.

  “The bonsai tree, you do-gooder. When I left, it was here in my room. Where is it? Tell me or you’ll get the same treatment Maxine got when I found her sneaking into my house. She didn’t find it either.”

  “It’s too late, Gina. The police are on the way.” I kept my voice calm even though my insides were twisted in knots.

  She went silent and tilted her head toward the open window. We couldn’t hear anything over Jasper’s barking. “You’re lying. Why would you call the police?”

  “Because you killed Harry to get his bonsai tree,” I said.

  “You’re bluffing. Conrad stole the bonsai from Maxine and put it in my car. I was only protecting it.”

  “That was so convenient for you, wasn’t it? He gave you exactly what you coveted. And, you played the misunderstood granddaughter to get Tilly and me to help you.” I stared at her, not showing any fear.

  “You made a big mistake, Gina. You shouldn’t have stolen Harry’s watch when you stabbed him. But I shouldn’t be surprised. Your greediness knows no bounds, does it? You’ll steal from anyone. Including your own grandmother.”

  Gina, agitated, paced between the door and my chair. Her knuckles white from the death grip she had on her phone. “Charlotte did nothing for me. She owes me that bonsai tree.”

  And there it was, the truth coming out like it always does.

  “No one owes you a thing, Gina. Is that what you argued with Harry about? You demanded the bonsai tree after you heard him talking to Maxine about how valuable it is. You saw your opportunity to get rich quick.”

  Her face twisted into a sneer. “When he saw me at the auction, he finally put two and two together. Yeah, he saw me at Maxine’s house. I lied to you about that.”

  “All you’re good at is lying, Gina.”

  She continued, her eyes glassy. “Harry promised to tell Maxine to fire me so I couldn’t even look at his precious tree. Then, he laughed right in my face.” She stopped her manic pacing and picked up a heavy lamp, throwing the shade across the room. “I had no choice but to stab him after I lured him behind some trees. I’d had enough of him trying to control my life. He didn’t even die right away, the fool. He tried to get help.” She lifted the lamp. “You won’t be so lucky.”

  As she swung it at my head, I jumped to the side. The force sent Gina and the lamp crashing to the floor. Her phone skidded away from her. She scurried to her feet, ran to the window, and threw her leg over the sill. I had no intention of stopping her, knowing she wouldn’t get far.

  After she disappeared from my sight, I went to the window and watched her shimmy down a tree right into the waiting arms of Officer Mick Walker. I had to admit this was probably the first time in my life that I was thrilled to see him. But he’d never hear that from my lips.

  I scooped up Gina’s phone and opened the door. Jasper, making another lunge at the same time, flew through the opening and bowled me over. She covered me with licks, which I didn’t try to avoid this time. I was just happy to be unharmed.

  When I could finally see around Jasper’s enormous body, there was Hitch, resting against the doorframe grinning at me. His smile made the edges of his eyes crinkle so delightfully, I forgot all about Gina.

  “What happened?” he asked casually, as if I hadn’t just escaped a psychopath.

  “Gina came back for the bonsai tree. You were right, Hitch. We needed it to flush out the killer.”

  I held out my hand and he pulled me to my feet. Jasper, still glued to my side, made for an awkward trip down the stairs.

  I glanced at Gina’s phone. “Now, I see what she was up to,” I said to Hitch, showing him a string of reservations she’d made at a motels across the country. “It looks like she planned to disappear with the bonsai tree… except she couldn’t find it.” I looked at him. “Where is it?”

  Hitch led me through the kitchen, now empty, and the chairs tucked under the table. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  We walked out the back door, passed Tilly’s car, to the far corner of Gina’s yard. He slid a round table top off an empty oak barrel and there, nestled inside, was Harry’s bonsai tree. Safe and sound.

  “Amazing. What a perfect hiding spot.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t have much time. I guess it’s my lucky day.”

  I had to agree.

  “What happened to my car?” Tilly yelled, making Hitch and I turn around.

  “Oh boy,” I said. “This won’t end well.”

  Tilly walked around rubbing each scratch, ding, and dent before puckering her lips and saying, “I always wanted a convertible. This is the sign I’ve been waiting for to trade this baby in and live my dream.”

  “A sign? Somehow, she manages to turn any disaster completely around,” I whispered to Hitch.

  He shrugged. “You never know what’s going on in that mind of hers.” He knocked me with his elbow. “Come on, we’ve got a plant to deliver.”

  He carefully picked up the bonsai tree and I followed him out front. “Conrad gave me a ride to get my truck.”

  “Conrad?” I’d forgotten all about him. “He disappeared at the same time Gina left. I thought they were together.”

  “Nope. She left him in the dust. Once he saw that watch, and recognized it as Harry’s, he suspected what Gina was up to and called Maxine.”

  “And she came here looking for the bonsai tree, getting bashed over the head trying to rescue it,” I filled in. “How is she?”

  “She’ll be fine. I promised to bring the tree to her conservatory for safe-keeping. And you won’t believe what she offered.”

  “What?”

  “She said that Charlotte can live with her so she can enjoy her orchids and the bonsai tree for the rest of her life.”

  “Maxine’s going to take care of Charlotte?” I could barely get the words out. I was completely and utterly flabbergasted.

  Hitch chuckled and held his hands up to stop me from having a heart attack. “Not exactly. She’ll provide a nice apartment for Charlotte and a live-in companion.”

  Officer Walker approached us. “You know you put yourself in danger, Sunny.”

  “It was all Jasper’s fault. She pushed Gina’s kitchen door open and I’d planned to stay with Maxine until she recognized the watch.”

  “What watch?”

  “Harry’s watch. Jasper found it, Maxine recognized it, and I figured out what Gina had done.”

  Mick shook his head. He ruffled Jasper’s ears. “So, Jasper saved the day?”

  “Sort of. She led me to the killer, but she got herself locked out of the room when Gina pulled me inside. Fortunately for me, Gina didn’t have much of a plan in place when everything started to fall apart.”

  “Except for this.” Hitch handed Mick the phone. “She made motel reservations, in Charlotte’s name and probably used her credit card,” he pointed out, “from here
to New Mexico. I don’t think her car would have made it. She didn’t have the bonsai tree, but I guess she saw the writing on the wall and knew it was time to disappear.”

  “Nice catch, by the way,” I said to Mick. “She climbed right down into your arms, didn’t she?”

  “That was the easiest arrest I’ve ever made.”

  “You’re welcome,” I said.

  He patted my shoulder. “Yeah, thanks. Now, go deliver that gnarled old tree before it causes any more trouble. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow for the rest of your details.” He walked away mumbling to himself, probably wishing he’d been the one to rescue me instead of me defending myself quite handily.

  “Yup, that tree has a permanent home now. And, you know what else, Sunshine?” Hitch looked at me with a gleam in his eyes that made me a little worried about what might come out next.

  “Do I want to know?”

  He laughed again. “We’re partners. Of course you want to know. Why are you so suspicious?”

  I shrugged. “Your track record?”

  “Well, I know I have a lot of work to do to make you forgive me for running off to New York, but I think you’ll like what I’m about to propose.”

  I held my breath, preparing myself for disappointment.

  “I asked Conrad to give us a quote on turning the greenhouse into your Kitty Castle.”

  I felt my mouth spread into a gigantic grin.

  “Good, right? He’s already working on the plans and wants to get started as soon as possible. And,” Hitch said, “He wants to adopt Mama Cat when the kittens are all on their own. What do you think?”

  “I’m glad that Conrad is one of the good guys.”

  “What about me?” His face fell into a pout.

  “You still have work to do, Hitch… lots of work.”

  He took my hand and squeezed, sending my heart fluttering against my ribs. That was a good start.

  But I wasn’t planning to tell him that anytime soon.

  More Blueberry Bay

  Welcome to Blueberry Bay, a scenic region of Maine peppered with quaint small towns and home to a shocking number of mysteries. If you loved this book, then make sure to check out its sister series from other talented Cozy Mystery authors…