Maverick Touch: The Cat

by Ashley Nemer

CHAPTER TEN

  Anabella, Kain, and Nadia cleaned up the living room after Leon and Daman were sound asleep in their beds. It had been a big night for them, watching their first Presidential Election on television. Four years ago neither had been old enough to maintain interest, but this year they had learned about it in school and were full of questions. Between asking how a political party gets their mascot and why they are the colors that they are, everyone had a good night making predictions and cheering for their nominees that won.

  Kain had decided to make a game out of it, so each boy picked which color they thought a state would turn, and if they were right they got fifty cents. Daman walked away with five dollars and Leon scrapped by with just a buck. The adults had fun watching both boys scream at the television for the states to turn red or blue, and in the end, everyone learned a valuable lesson. Screaming at the television scares the cat! No one could find Triple T. They searched high and low, then finally gave up around ten p.m.

  “Looks like another four years of the same.” Kain didn’t sound happy or sad about that, but anyone who knew him understood the lack of emotion said a lot.

  “Yeah, but does any of that really matter? I don’t vote in these things anyway, waste of time.” Anabella had always been the one who felt one vote didn’t count. Nadia had spent countless hours trying to convince her that, while one vote might not decide something, a million ‘one votes’ do, but she never listened.

  “Gah, come on, no more politics. We just spent four hours screaming at the television for quarters; I say we go to our corners, lick our respective wounds, and save it for four more years.” Nadia walked out of the kitchen with the trash bag in hand; she loved politics, just not tonight.

  “Here, I got that, sis.” Kain came up and took the bag from her; she smiled and plopped down on the couch.

  “Who’s up for a little Twilight Zone?” Anabella looked from her brother to her sister; neither of them were budging when she shrugged. “Your loss. I saw Leon had put some on the DVR, you know how much we used to enjoy that with Mom.”

  “No thanks, chica. I’m gonna head into the bedroom and do a little work.” Nadia hugged Kain when she walked past him and waved goodnight to Anabella.

  “Don’t work too hard; you know you’re supposed to be resting.” Kain gave her the look; his stern warning silenced the room. Everyone was worried about Nadia, including her.

  She gave a smile and a quick nod, then walked into the room she and Anabella had been sharing. She saw that curled up on her pillow was Triple T. The little stinker somehow had snuck back into the room. She sat down on the other side of the bed and turned her laptop on. Triple T stretched on the pillow and came over to her leg. She pet the back of his head, he rubbed up against her knee. His little purr made Nadia think of the simple things in life, how the smallest thing could bring so much joy.

  She pulled up the website for her newspaper and saw that the articles had already begun being posted. She was missing out on one of the busiest days of the year. Last election the paper had a big to-do and she had missed the festivities by a few months, this year had promised to be a great news year with the two candidates, and now she had to read others covering it. They were always looking for a controversial article that would increase the following that was her position; she wrote what no one else wanted to. It looked like they got Tracy from entertainment to cover her spot. Front page; she had taken her front page spot.

  Nadia couldn’t sit idle and watch things pass by like she wasn’t supposed to be working. There wasn’t any way she could not think about Carlisle and his men. She got up, went to her work bag, and pulled out her notebook, all of the things she had researched and taken down about the pet shop laid out before her. Triple T looked up at her; his curious face made her smile. He curled up on her pillow again and fell back to sleep. She watched him. All of this had started because of him, her wanting to get a cat.

  “What trouble you caused, little guy. Who would have known wanting a cat would end up in death and corruption?”

  Triple T ignored her and she went back to reading her notes. After a few pages of reading, she pulled her laptop onto her lap and began typing. She couldn’t stop; her fingers lead the way.

  Mr. A – A Ghost in the Shadows of our Streets

  It is a sad day in Cedar Rapids when corruption takes over our world.

  Do you want to let evil disband our justice system? Do you want the ones who move in the shadows to control our government officials?

  If this is the world you choose to live in, then welcome to our new reality. I’ve witnessed this criminal at work; I’ve seen what he is capable of. He has his hands in the pot; he’s stirring up trouble and deciding who lives and who dies. Now who do you and I have to turn to for protection when those we elect into office are in his pocket?

  Greed always overpowers. He is paying off the wealthy, putting more money into their pockets, leaving you and me as the poor victims. VICTIMS! That is what we are. He is robbing us of our safety, of our children’s safety, and turning our hopes and dreams into nothing but fear.

  I am calling each of you to take a stand, a stand for justice, a stand for truth, and a stand for our rights.

  Do not let this man, known as Mr. A, this ghost in our shadows, win. Don’t let him ruin our good city. Write the mayor, write the police chief, and alert your friends and neighbors. We have a predator roaming our streets and we won’t let him control us. We will rise and take back what is ours!

  This reporter has always given you the truth, and I will not be silenced. I’ve seen this Ghost moving through the night, and I for one am appalled that we the people are walking along side of him in the streets.

  He leaves a chalk mark of a snake on each of his victim’s chests. Male or female he kills both evenly, so take heed to my warning and protect yourselves.

  Your honest reporter – Nadia.

  Nadia looked at the computer screen and what she had written. Would Carlisle know she was talking about him? Technically they hadn’t met yet, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know about her and her investigation, especially after what had happened last night.

  She closed out of her Word program after she emailed the story to Gabe for review and saw her paper’s website still on in the background of her desktop. Flashing in red in the upper left hand corner was their “Breaking News” icon. Someone must have updated their articles because it wasn’t red an hour ago when she looked at it last. She clicked on the button and it brought up a new page. She saw the top link, “Staff member murdered.”

  Oh Shit…

  She knew what that article was going to be about. Against her better judgment she clicked on the link and the story came right up. In the right hand side of the article was a picture of Matt’s face. Her stomach churned and she felt the tears begin to collect on her eyes. She began reading; her heart was aching, and her body felt numb as she read all about Matt Holmes, former newspaper junior reporter.

  Staff Member Murdered

  Late Monday night of this week, Matt Holmes, reporter, was found murdered in Nadia Maverick’s living room. He was hanging from one of the ceiling beams. The police officers say it does not appear that the death was instant. Everyone’s hearts go out to Matt’s family and friends. He was 21 and leaves behind his mother and father, three sisters, and two nieces.

  We have not been able to get a statement from Ms. Maverick at this time; she is taking time off of work to cope with losing a reporter on the job. Our thoughts go out to her as well.

  The police at this time have no leads on who was behind this murder but have assured the news station that once they have a suspect in custody we will be notified.

  If you have any information about this article or the facts stated please contact the lead detective on this case, Kevin Glasco, at the Police Department.

  The funeral will be held this Saturday, November 10th, 2012, at their church. The family asks that if you wish to provide a donation in his memo
ry to please pick a charity of your choice. Matt enjoyed giving his free time to the nursing homes and families in need and would want his memory honored in such a way.

  -Malory Hemmingworth.-

  Nadia closed the computer after reading that. They exposed her name, put it out there for everyone to see that she had gotten someone killed. She put the computer on the night stand and walked into the living room where Anabella was laying on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, watching the Twilight Zone.

  “I knew you’d come back. Kain just said he’s changing and coming to watch it too. You two never could resist it when Mom would gather us around to watch.” Anabella looked pleased, shifting positions on the couch and patting the cushion next to her.

  Nadia sat and pulled her legs up under her bottom. “Thanks Ana, seriously.”

  “I know what you need, honey; I always do.” She tossed the other part of the blanket over Nadia’s lap, leaving some for Kain when he returned.

  “Look what I found, ladies!” Kain said. He walked out of the room holding a bottle of red wine and some playing cards.

  “Oh lord help us,” Anabella said when Kain pulled up a chair and sat in it, sticking his legs on top of the couch.

  “Remember the first time we got Nadia drunk?” Kain laughed while dealing the cards.

  “Not again, please…” Nadia picked up the cards on her lap and started sorting them.

  “That was a great day. Man, the shit we got you to do. Do you remember Grandma and Grandpa’s face when they saw you climbing the roof of the pool house?” Kain was beaming; he pulled off the cork of the wine bottle and took a swig. Handing it off to Anabella, he said, “We got verbally whipped good for that, Ana.”

  “I fail to see what is so funny about my two older siblings torturing me.” Nadia put two cards down and watched as Kain dealt her two new ones.

  “That’s cause it was happening to you. Had you been us, you would have laughed your ass off. I still can’t believe you stripped for the neighbor boy and flung your top off into the tree.” Anabella passed the wine bottle to Nadia and laid down one card for Kain to re-deal.

  “Classic. Dad laughed so hard he couldn’t even punish us. That was what my first year away from home and attending college, best Christmas ever, coming home to that.” Kain dealt himself three cards and took the wine bottle from Nadia. Taking a drink he laid down his hand. “Three clubs.”

  “Ha, beat ya. Two pair kings over threes,” Nadia said with a smirk on her face.

  “Well I suck; give me the bottle, bottoms up.” Anabella tipped the bottle and Kain counted to five before she stopped.

  Nadia grabbed the deck and laughed a bit; she started to shuffle and kept thinking back to that Christmas when she was twelve. “Mom was pissed. She wouldn’t talk to you two for days and kept giving me lectures about strippers and how I wouldn’t be allowed to learn dance.”

  “I’m sure you’re heartbroken you never made it to a dance class sis.” Kain smiled at her.

  “Hush and look at your cards.”

  The three of them sat in silence as they each laid down the ones they wanted to trade in, two to Anabella, three to Kain, and four to Nadia. They all eyed each other before Nadia laid her hand down first.

  “Ace high.”

  “Ha, read ‘em and weep, two sevens,” Anabella said.

  “Shit, give me the bottle.” Kain laid down his cards, jack high. The girls counted to five as he turned it up and started drinking.

  “Oh look at him; he scowls when he loses,” Nadia said

  “That’s just because he likes to cheat, and he knows like this he can’t.” Anabella said.

  “You two stop yacking and deal, for cryin’ out loud.”

  The three of them carried on like this for a few hours. Around three am they had gone through two bottles of wine and were all laughing.

  “Alright, bed time for me.” Kain had to get up in a few hours to get the two boys ready for the car pool that would pick them up at seven a.m., and he didn’t want to be late for that.

  “Awe, he used to be able to outlast us all, and now he is the first to turn in.” Nadia said, she was lying on top of Anabella’s shoulder, barely staying awake.

  “Just because I’m responsible doesn’t mean I’m old or not fun. Means I’m a dad. Night you wenches.”

  “Ugh that language, such a filth!” Anabella hollered out. The girls laughed and together managed to walk to their room. Triple T had to move quickly; Nadia plopped onto her pillow and he would have been a squished cat had they not woke him up. They both passed out the moment they hit their pillows. Nadia went to sleep feeling better than she had in the last twenty four hours and was able to sleep, nightmare free.