by Paige Sleuth
Willow released a small laugh. “It’s impossible not to get in the spirit when everybody else is. Halloween is all my students have been talking about this week.”
“I actually ran into a few of your students yesterday,” Kat said.
“Yeah?” Willow regarded her. “Which ones?”
“Lindsay. She works down at the copy shop. Although, I’m not sure if she’s in any of your classes. I just know she goes to Cherry Hills High.”
“Lindsay Mackinaw,” Willow confirmed with a nod. “Good student. She doesn’t have a natural aptitude for the language arts, but she studies hard.”
“I met her brother Luke and his girlfriend Beth too,” Kat told Willow.
“Ah, Beth.” Willow sighed. “She used to be one of these students who couldn’t wait to be engaged. She raised her hand in class and got excited when she aced a test. Now, she’s still keeping her grades up and turning in her homework, but you can tell her heart’s not really in it anymore.”
Kat played through her conversation with Monica. “Maybe once things settle down with her grandmother she’ll get some of her spark back.”
“I hope so.” Willow surveyed Kat’s apartment. “So, you have more fliers here?”
“They’re on the coffee table.”
Kat walked into the living room, frowning when she saw Matty sitting on top of the fliers. She tried to nudge the cat aside, but Matty went limp, tipping over like a dropped paperweight.
Willow laughed. “She’s determined to make you work for what you want.”
Kat prodded the feline with her fingertips. “Come on, Matty. Let me give these to Willow, and then we’ll all go outside.”
Instead of obliging, Matty stretched her front paws out as far as she could. Her toes brushed against something, prompting her to lift her head. Her eyes glinted with mischief when she spotted the piece of paper just out of reach. She scrambled upright, her hind feet kicking at the stack of fliers and scattering them everywhere.
“Matty!” Kat snatched a handful of fliers off the floor. “Look at the mess you made.”
Matty responded by batting the scrap of paper around until it too fell onto the floor.
The commotion drew Tom out of the bedroom. When he saw the papers spread across the carpet he dashed over and lay down on top of them. His tail swept back and forth, his eyes slipping closed in his contentment.
“Tom!” Kat scolded.
“Let me help,” Willow said.
Willow stepped around Kat and picked up Matty’s makeshift toy. She was about to put it back on the coffee table when her hand stilled. “This is the code to get into Tracy’s house,” she said.
“I know. Matty found it in Connie Vood’s yard last night.”
Willow held the paper up to her face. “Connie Vood didn’t write this.”
“I’m guessing whoever broke into Tracy’s house dropped it when they were fleeing the scene.” Kat frowned, the implication of Willow’s statement sinking in. “But how do you know it didn’t come from Connie Vood?”
“Because I recognize this handwriting.” Willow’s knuckles had turned white from her hold on the paper. “Luke Mackinaw wrote this.”
CHAPTER NINE
Kat was nearly breathless by the time she burst into the copy shop. Although she’d taken her car, the short drive hadn’t given her enough time to recuperate from her sprint through her apartment building.
Lindsay looked up from the computer when the door chime announced Kat’s entrance. “Hi again. You need more fliers printed?”
“No.” Kat gulped air into her lungs as she hurried over to the counter. “Where’s Luke?”
Lindsay’s forehead furrowed. “My brother?”
“Is he here?” Kat’s eyes roved around the store as if she might spot him hunched behind one of the copy machines. “I need to talk to him about Midnight.”
“Midnight?” Lindsay blinked. “You mean the cat on your fliers? The one that belongs to Ms. Montgomery?”
Kat nodded. “I know he took her. I know he was the one who broke into Tracy’s house.”
Lindsay’s mouth dropped open. “Are you sure?”
“I found a piece of paper with Tracy’s door code written on it. Willow Wu recognized Luke’s handwriting. She’s graded enough of his papers to know how he writes.”
“But how would Luke know Ms. Montgomery’s door code?”
“I don’t know, but he got it from somewhere.”
“Wait a minute.” Lindsay straightened, blowing a strand of her honey-blond hair away from her face. “Luke couldn’t have taken Midnight. There’s nowhere to hide him in the house without me or my parents seeing.”
Kat flattened her palms on the counter. “If you’re covering for him, I’ll find out. Willow is on her way over to your house right now in case Luke is there.”
Lindsay spread her hands. “I’m not lying.”
The bell on the door sounded. Kat’s heart lurched when Luke strolled into the store.
“You’re not off yet?” he asked Lindsay. “You told me you only work until eleven on Saturdays.”
“Luke,” Lindsay said, coming around to their side of the counter. Her eyes were hard as they zeroed in on her brother. “Did you break into Ms. Montgomery’s house?”
Luke froze in his tracks. “Uh, wh—what are you talking about?”
Lindsay stood on her tiptoes and jabbed a finger against his chest. “Did you do it?”
Luke’s gaze skirted toward the large glass windows lining the front of the store. He looked like a caged animal planning to make a run for it.
“Oh, Luke.” Lindsay stomped her foot on the floor, her hand falling back to her side. “I can’t believe you would be that stupid. How did you even get Ms. Montgomery’s door code?”
Luke flushed. “Before she left, I overheard her giving Ms. Wu the combination. They were standing right there in the school hallway.”
Lindsay stared at him, shaking her head like a disappointed mother. It took Kat a second to remember that Luke was actually the older of the two.
Luke shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Look, I just wanted to change a couple test scores, okay? Just a few Ds to Bs.”
Lindsay’s blue eyes flashed. “Did you really think you’d get away with it? That Ms. Montgomery wouldn’t remember giving you Ds?”
Luke toed the carpet with one sneaker, not saying anything as he stared at his feet.
Lindsay’s eyes met Kat’s, and she grimaced. “You were right.”
Kat approached Luke, imploring him with her eyes. “Wherever you’re holding Midnight, you have to give him back.”
Luke rocked backward, her statement seeming to knock him off-balance. “I don’t have Midnight.”
Kat’s hands clenched into fists. “Don’t lie. Whatever your problem is with Tracy, don’t take it out on an innocent animal.”
“I don’t have him, I swear.”
“I’m not interested in punishing you,” Kat said. “Tracy just wants you to return him safely.”
“I already told you, I don’t have him,” Luke insisted. “Yes, I went into her house, but I didn’t take the cat.”
Kat paused. Something in Luke’s tone made her believe him. “Are you saying Midnight wasn’t there when you broke in?”
“The cat was there. But I didn’t take him.”
“Midnight snuck out the door when you left then.” Despite Tracy’s claim that Midnight would have never ventured outside voluntarily, Kat certainly preferred that to someone snatching him for evil purposes.
Luke shook his head. “We would have seen him if he’d followed us.”
Kat’s breath hitched. “We? What do you mean ‘we would have seen him’? Somebody else was with you?”
“No!” He eyed the glass storefront again, his face turning beet red. “I meant me. I was there alone. I’m being totally truthful.”
Lindsay heaved a sigh. “Oh, Luke. What did you do?”
He whipped toward her. “Nothi
ng. I just changed a few grades. That’s all.”
“Who was there with you?” Kat asked.
“Nobody.” He blew out a breath. “I told you already. I was there—alone—to alter a few test scores. No big deal. I just wanted to boost my GPA a little, so maybe I can get into U-Dub.”
“U-Dub?” Goosebumps broke out on Kat’s skin as she replayed her conversation with Monica, the truth hitting her like a sledgehammer. “Beth was the person with you.”
Luke’s mouth twitched. “No,” he said, but he hesitated too long for Kat to believe him.
“Luke, please don’t lie.” Kat had to tamp down her urge to yell, guessing that would only encourage him to clam up. “I know you and Beth are a couple, and I know she’s applying for early admission to University of Washington. I’m guessing she plans to go with or without you.”
Pain rippled across Luke’s face, and Kat knew she had pegged the situation correctly. But she failed to derive any satisfaction from being right. Luke had to be devastated by the knowledge that life was taking him and the person he loved in two different directions.
Kat looked him in the eye. “I have a question for you, and I need an honest answer. Was Beth inside Tracy’s house with you?”
Luke shifted his feet. “Okay, so maybe she was there.”
Lindsay set her hands on her hips and shook her head.
Luke straightened. “But Beth didn’t do anything. I was the one who punched in the lock code and changed those grades. She just stood there the whole time. And we didn’t take Ms. Montgomery’s cat.”
“I believe you,” Kat said.
She meant it. Not only did Luke look sincere, but he didn’t strike her as the type to take someone’s pet for nefarious reasons. He was simply a boy willing to do anything he could to improve his chances of staying with the girl he loved.
The only problem was, Kat’s conviction in his innocence meant she still didn’t know who had taken Midnight.
But she did have one guess.
CHAPTER TEN
Monica looked startled to see Kat standing on her doorstep. “Oh, it’s you,” she said. “Hi.”
Kat mustered up a smile. “Sorry to barge over like this, but I really need to talk to Beth. Do you know where I can find her?”
“She’s in her bedroom.” Monica’s eyes narrowed. “But what kind of business do you have with Beth?”
“I have a question for her.”
Monica regarded her. Kat considered explaining, but she didn’t want to accuse Beth without giving her a chance to tell her side of the story first.
“What’s going on?”
Monica swiveled around. Beth stood at the base of the staircase, a puzzled look on her face.
“Are you guys talking about me?” she asked. “I heard my name.”
Monica swung the front door wide and motioned Kat inside. “Kat’s here to see you, honey.”
Kat hurried over the threshold before Monica could change her mind about letting her in. “I wanted to ask you something,” she said to Beth.
Monica shut the door and folded her hands in front of her. The three of them stood there, exchanging awkward glances. Kat had hoped Monica would excuse herself, but it soon became clear that wasn’t going to happen.
“Do you mind if I speak to Beth in private?” Kat asked.
Monica started to shake her head.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Beth piped up. “I’ll yell if I need you.”
Monica stood there for another second. Then she shrugged and took a step toward the staircase. She ascended slowly, as though to give Beth plenty of time to change her mind.
As soon as Monica disappeared out of sight, Kat faced Beth. “You took Midnight.”
Beth didn’t look surprised by the accusation. She had probably already deduced that her involvement in Midnight’s catnapping was the only reason Kat would have to show up looking for her.
“I didn’t mean to make Ms. Montgomery worry,” Beth said, perching on the couch armrest behind her. “Luke—” She abruptly stopped talking, a flush creeping up her neck.
“I know you and Luke were there to change his grades,” Kat said. “He admitted it.”
Beth set her jaw. “He told on me?”
“He didn’t mention you. I figured that part out myself.”
Beth chewed on one fingernail, appearing to take that in.
Kat looked around the living room. “Where’s Midnight?”
Beth’s hand fell away from her mouth. “He’s not here. My dad’s allergic.”
Panic bubbled up Kat’s chest. If Midnight wasn’t here—
“He’s okay,” Beth hastened to add before Kat had time to imagine the worst. “He has food and water.”
Indignation rose inside Kat’s chest. “Food and water isn’t everything a pet needs to thrive. They need love and companionship too.”
“Oh, I didn’t take him to keep him.” Beth looked shocked that Kat had come to such a conclusion. “I was just borrowing him for the weekend.”
Kat’s stomach tightened. “Borrowing him to do what?”
“To show my grandma.” Beth’s face fell. “She can’t have pets where she’s at. Since Ms. Montgomery was going to be out of town, I thought if I just took him for a couple days I could return him before she got home. I didn’t know she’d freak out and fly back early.”
Kat absorbed that. If she had to guess, she’d bet Beth hadn’t considered the consequences of her actions beyond how she and her grandmother might benefit. She’d probably taken one look at Midnight and formulated a plan right then and there, never asking herself what Willow Wu would do when she walked into Tracy’s house the next morning.
“Nana’s mind is going,” Beth said, averting her eyes. “She rarely knows who I am anymore. But she loves Halloween. At least, she used to. So I thought maybe if I surrounded her with enough Halloween stuff, she’d come back for a little while. I mean, if I can get her to remember how much fun we used to have together carving jack-o’-lanterns and going trick-or-treating, she has to remember how we’re related, don’t you think?”
Kat’s heart wrenched as Beth’s face crumpled. It was clear the girl missed her grandmother—at least the grandmother who knew who she was—terribly.
Beth drew in a shaky breath, wiping her tears away with one hand. “Anyway, I’ve been planning this thing for her this weekend. I bought some pumpkins and costumes and stuff. Later today Luke and I are going to drive up to Nana’s and surprise her.” Beth paused, then said, “Midnight was kinda a last-minute addition. Luke doesn’t even know about him yet. When we were in Ms. Montgomery’s house he was so friendly that I thought . . .”
“You thought he would make a great Halloween accessory,” Kat filled in.
Beth nodded. “Luke had Ms. Montgomery’s door code jotted down on a slip of paper. After he threw it away, I grabbed it out of the garbage when he wasn’t looking. Then I snuck out of here and walked back to Ms. Montgomery’s house later that night to borrow him.”
“Where are you keeping him?” Kat asked.
“In the old Lerner house.”
Kat recalled what Monica had said about the abandoned house being haunted. Could all the eerie cries and weird noises Monica and her friend had heard in the past twenty-four hours have originated not from discontented spirits but from a scared cat who just wanted to go home?
The thought made Kat’s stomach twist.
“I would have waited until today to take him, but I couldn’t break in on a Saturday afternoon,” Beth said.
Kat pivoted around and strode toward the door. “We have to go get him. Now.”
After making sure Beth was following her, Kat ran to her car. She couldn’t move fast enough as she unlocked the doors and threw herself into the driver’s seat.
Beth moved more slowly, opening the passenger door and climbing inside with all the speed of a slug. But Kat didn’t complain. She was just glad Beth was getting into the car.
When Beth was finally situ
ated, Kat tossed her her cell phone. “Call Tracy and tell her what you did,” she ordered. “Tell her to meet us at the Lerner house. Her number’s on that flier on the floorboard.”
Beth didn’t move. The thought of confessing everything to her teacher seemed to have immobilized her.
“Do it,” Kat commanded, shoving the car into gear.
Beth must have realized she meant business. She jerked upright and fumbled with the phone.
Kat only half listened to Beth’s end of the conversation as she sped toward Tracy’s neighborhood. She was vaguely aware of the teenager explaining her motive for taking the cat, but she had too much adrenaline running through her arteries to stay focused on Beth’s words.
Kat had just turned off the main road when Beth lowered the phone to her lap. “Tell me how to get to the Lerner house,” Kat said.
Beth aimed a trembling finger out the windshield. “Take a right up there. It’s the house with the unmowed lawn.”
Kat did as instructed, suppressing her desire to stomp on the accelerator.
The house was easy to recognize. As the only one on this block falling into disrepair, it stood out from the well-maintained homes surrounding it.
Kat pulled into the driveway and shoved the car into park. She took her cell phone back from Beth, and they both got out of the car.
“You lead the way,” Kat said.
Beth pointed toward the side of the house. “There’s a broken window over here.”
They had to take exaggerated steps in order to wade through the overgrowth. When they reached the back of the house, Kat saw the window Beth had mentioned.
She also heard the most heartbreaking mewl to ever reach her ears.
Kat picked up her pace. “Stay out here and wait for Tracy. I’m going to get Midnight.”
Beth stopped walking. “Okay.”
Kat crawled gingerly through the window, careful not to cut herself on the jagged shards of glass protruding from the frame. It was harder than she thought to maintain her balance without touching the sides of the window.
Somehow, she made it inside without any injuries. Glass crunched beneath her shoes, and she reached for the wall to steady herself. She tried not to cringe as her hand touched what felt like a spiderweb, Beth’s motives for choosing this place becoming clearer. Nobody in their right mind would enter this house unless they had to.