“Or old, faltering ones,” Pandora shot back.
“Stop fighting,” Inkspot said. “I side with Otis. We don't want to go off half-clawed. Danforth’s presence is circumstantial. You also saw Elizabeth Post there and Felicity. The truth is we don’t know who is after the extract.”
Pandora sighed in frustration. Why were the cats being so overly cautious? She was starting to think that they were getting lazy in their old age. Was she the only one that wanted to take quick action to prevent evil from destroying their town? “But Danforth’s ancestor goes back to the time of Hester Warren. He accused her of being a witch. I saw it online.”
“Most people in Mystic Notch have ancestors that go back that far,” Kelley pointed out.
“But not all of them accused Hester of being a witch. I think Miles Danforth did that to get at the potion and that’s why Hester hid it.” Pandora could practically spit.
Inkspot shot her a sympathetic look. “I sense your frustration, but we cannot take action against humans until we are certain the threat is dire and the human we target is the right one.”
“But Obsidian, the ghost cat, told me the threat was dire. His exact words were that this liquid could ‘plunge Mystic Notch into the deep abyss of an evil greater than mankind has ever known’. And he alluded to Hope being a target.” Pandora looked at Hope out of the corner of her eye. The young cat did not seem the least bit afraid and Pandora felt a rush of pride in knowing her. She was powerful and brave, and Pandora was honored that they were friends.
Otis padded forward until his face was mere inches from Pandora’s. “Well, if this ghost cat knows so much about it, then maybe he can tell you exactly who it is that we should take out of commission.”
9
Otis’ words hung like a dark cloud over Pandora’s heart as she snuggled into her cat bed at the bookstore the next morning. She wished she could ask Obsidian who the evil one was, but the ghost cat had not shown himself since that first day. Pandora didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t do much about Danforth on her own, and the box did seem to be safe at the police station, so maybe she should do as Otis and the others suggested and just wait. Too bad waiting was not her strong suit.
The click-clacking of high heels on pavement caught her attention and she looked out the window to see the same red stilettos she’d seen in the police station the night before. But this time, she could see who the owner was—Rebecca Devon-Smyth.
Had Rebecca been at the police station last night? Pandora’s face contorted as if she’d eaten a lemon. She didn’t like Rebecca and, judging by the conversation that was coming from the purple micro-suede sofa, neither did the bookstore regulars.
“I don’t think her outfits are very professional at all.” Hattie twisted around to look out the window at Rebecca who sashayed across the street in a tight, red top and floral skirt that ended just above the knee.
“Certainly not for mayor of our town,” Cordelia agreed. “And where is she going, anyway?”
“It looks like she’s headed toward the First Hope Church,” Josiah Barrows, the retired town postmaster said.
Cordelia snorted. “Church! I never saw her go there before.”
“Probably trying to jazz up her image before the elections next year.” Bing’s white brows knitted together as he watched Rebecca disappear down the side street across from the library.
“I heard the Bates family made a big contribution to her campaign.” Hattie twisted to face forward again.
Pandora’s ears perked up at the mention of the Bates family. She hadn’t realized they had a connection with Rebecca. She remembered that Felicity had been in the police station last night, too. Were the two of them combining forces to get the box? And if so, where did Danforth fit in?
Pandora made a mental note to do more research on the computer. She knew Felicity was not on the side of good, but near as she could tell, she didn’t have ties to the box like Danforth did. Nor did Rebecca. Then again, maybe she hadn’t researched far enough. Pandora had looked up Devon and Smyth and not found anyone … perhaps she hadn’t traced the maternal lineage back enough. Her ancestor could be someone with a different last name.
Pandora’s spirits sank. If the three of them were in on it together and they had Fluff on their side, the situation was grim. She glanced at Willa out of the corner of her eye. Maybe it was time to start ramping up the communications with her human, or maybe she should focus on Striker.
Striker seemed like a better bet. He had talked to Hester’s ghost and his frequent presence at the police station indicated he may be there because of the box.
As if conjured by thoughts of the police, the door whooshed open and Gus stormed inside in her usual brisk, confrontational manner.
The regulars all raised their brows as Gus turned a stern face toward them.
“Morning, Gus. How are you?” Bing asked.
“Good.” Gus nodded to them. “What are the rumors on the grapevine this morning?”
The regulars exchanged a look and shrugged.
“Nothing, really,” Hattie said.
Willa narrowed her eyes at her sister. “What brings you here, Gus? A social visit? Or do you want something?”
Pandora figured it was the latter. Gus never stopped by for a social visit.
“We had a bit of a fracas down at the station last night and I was hoping there might be some scuttlebutt around town. Maybe one of you might have heard something.” She slid her eyes over to Pandora who shrunk back in her bed. “I think I might have recognized someone there.”
Willa turned to look at Pandora. “Pandora? She wasn’t there. She was at Elspeth’s with me last night.”
Gus' left brow quirked up. ”Uh huh. Funny, there was a cat that looked just like her at the station.”
Pandora pasted her ‘innocent’ face on. Then she did the trick that always diverts suspicion and makes humans go ‘awww’—she cocked her head to one side and rotated her ears forward then raised up her eyebrows just slightly so her eyes would look bigger.
“Inside the police station?” Hattie asked. “I didn’t know you allowed cats in there.”
“We don’t,” Gus said. “Not usually. But for some reason, there was a gaggle of them. Felicity Bates brought that white thing in and then some other cats apparently snuck in.”
“Felicity Bates?” Bing’s face was etched with concern. “What was she doing there?”
“Getting some papers notarized, or so she said.” Gus crossed her arms over her chest. “Anyway someone stole the contents of the box that was dug up at the groundbreaking for the historical society sometime that night.” Gus glared at Pandora as if she suspected her. “And I was wondering if any of your cronies had heard anything.”
“You mean something was stolen from the police station?” Willa’s lips quivered at the corners as if she was trying not to laugh.
Gus' face turned pink. “Yes. From my office.”
“They didn’t take the whole box? Just the vial inside?” Bing’s face was serious.
Gus nodded. “I don’t know why someone would want that so bad, but I do know three people who were trying to get their hands on the box, and two of them were there last night. Now, have any of you heard anything about it?”
The door whipped open before anyone could answer and Elizabeth Post stormed in. She stood in front of Gus, her hands fisted on her hips. “I heard the vial was stolen right out from under your nose. I demand you give me what’s left before the rest of it gets stolen and is lost to Mystic Notch forever.”
Gus narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth. “And how did you hear that so soon?”
“I have my ways. That box is an important piece of Mystic Notch history and it will be safe in the museum,” Elizabeth said. “Apparently, a lot safer than in the police station, anyway.”
“Sorry, no dice. I’m keeping the box until someone can make a valid claim or the time expires as per the law.” Gus gave the group one last look as if giving them a fin
al chance to enlighten her. No one said a word.
The concerned look on Bing’s face made Pandora’s heart twist. She knew Bing was one of the humans that tried to keep undesirable forces from gaining power in Mystic Notch. She should have listened to her instincts last night and taken the vial, then given it to Bing or Elspeth. She’d let the other cats overrule her intuition and now the celestruim lily extract was in the hands of the bad guys. She would not make that mistake again.
“Well, I never.” Elizabeth’s knees popped as she turned toward the group on the couch. “Don’t you people think that box should be in the museum? It clearly belonged to one of our most interesting residents—Hester Warren.”
“Indeed,” Bing said. “It is a fine piece with a lot of history. You seem to be going to awfully great lengths to secure it.”
Elizabeth scowled at him. “Well, of course I am. It’s my job. Naturally I would be going to great lengths. I want to display it front and center. The question is why would Oscar Danforth and Rebecca Devon-Smyth be going to those same lengths? They don’t have a museum to display it in, and I can’t imagine why it would be so important to them. And if they wanted it, why not take the whole box?”
“Good question,” Cordelia said.
“It doesn't make sense,” Elizabeth continued. “I mean, who would steal that lovely vial and just what do they plan to do with it?”
10
Pandora fidgeted in her cat bed. Now that someone had stolen the lily extract, it was only a matter of time before they used it. But what would they use it for? According to what little information Pandora had, the extract would amplify energy. Things like herbs and crystals could be made more powerful. Could it be used for other types of energy, too?
What exactly were Obsidian and Hester afraid would happen if it fell into the wrong hands? If only she had some clue, she could come up with a plan of action, but she had no idea where this person might strike and, therefore, no idea how to head them off at the pass.
A dark cloud of loneliness descended on Pandora. She couldn’t depend on the Mystic Notch cats to help. They were clearly determined to proceed with an over-abundance of caution. She didn’t want to waste time pleading with them again when the results would probably be the same.
Now that the vial had been stolen, that upped the ante. Pandora felt a sense of desperation. She had to do something fast.
But she couldn’t go back to the cats in Elspeth’s barn with the way they were acting, especially the obnoxious Otis. Saving Mystic Notch was all on her.
She trotted over to the sisal scratching post Willa kept next to the desk, to sharpen her claws while she thought about what to do next. She would have preferred to use the back of the sofa for sharpening, but the one time she'd done that Willa had become incredibly angry. She’d never done it again, even though the sofa called to her at these times when she wanted her shivs to be as sharp as razors.
Pandora had to admit the other cats did have a point. Her evidence against Danforth was compelling but wasn’t proof of anything. She eyed the computer on the counter. She should research the other suspects and see if they had ties to Hester Warren, but Willa was hunched over the computer so Pandora wouldn’t be able to access it until later. She didn’t have time to wait for ‘later’.
With limited time, Pandora figured her best bet was to check out the prime suspect, Danforth. Maybe she could catch him with the vial and take it from him before he did his dastardly deed. And if Danforth wasn’t the one, at least she would have done something.
Pandora’s eyes drifted to the full trash barrel. The regulars had left and Pandora knew Willa would soon be taking it out to the dumpster. She would have to be ready to make her exit. Pandora stopped working her claws and padded over to Willa, snaking around her ankles so that she would be noticed, then flicked her tail and headed toward the storage room. She glanced back over her shoulder halfway there to make sure Willa was watching.
Willa watched Pandora, then bent to pick up the trash. On her way to the back door, she poked her head into the storeroom where Pandora had already curled up in between two stacks of boxes and was pretending to sleep.
“That wasn’t you at the police station, was it?” Willa frowned at Pandora who blinked at her innocently. “No. It couldn’t have been. I saw you in Elspeth’s barn. Gus just thought it was you.”
Willa turned with the trash in her hand and Pandora silently snuck up behind her, slipping out through the open door. While Willa was focused on throwing the trash in the dumpster, Pandora slithered underneath it. She crouched down and looked around, her heart jerking in her chest when her eyes met another set of feline peepers blinking at her from the dark shadows of the corner.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Hope said.
“What are you doing here?” Pandora asked.
“I came to help you. I can feel the urgency in making sure the vial doesn’t get into the wrong hands. I think the other cats are acting too slowly and, while I know the older ones have much wisdom, I think us younger cats have a lot to offer, too.”
Pandora studied Hope’s face. The dual colors were a little unnerving. The coloring was split down the middle of her nose. One side was all black with a green eye, the other side was orange tiger-striped with a blue eye. It took a little getting used to.
Should she take her up on it? Like Pandora, Hope was a young cat in terms of lives lived. The two of them had forged a bond earlier in the summer when they’d gone up against Fluff and narrowly escaped a dire situation. Hope was powerful, but she was very important to their cause and if harm came to her, it could be devastating. Pandora shuddered to think of how much trouble she would be in with the other cats of Mystic Notch if harm came to Hope because of her … but she could use the help.
And if they didn’t do something now, there might not be any cats—or humans—left in Mystic Notch to care.
“Okay, what do you think we should do?” Pandora asked.
“We must figure out who the evil one is. Have you gleaned any more information from the ghost cat?”
Pandora’s hopes fell. She had not seen Obsidian since that first day, even though she’d focused many times on manifesting him. His advice would have been very valuable right now. “Sadly, I have not.”
“Okay, then we are on our own. It sounds like there are three suspects. I agree with the others that we can’t go off half-clawed and just attack one of them without provocation. But I also think it would take too long to depend on the humans to resolve this. So we need to eliminate the suspects and the best way I know to do that is to spy on them,” Hope ventured.
Pandora nodded. That had been exactly her plan. The two were in sync. “Okay, but we must be careful. I found out disturbing news that makes our mission even more critical.”
Hope’s whiskers twitched. “What is that?
“I’ve discovered that the vial of celestrium lily extract we saw in the police station last night has been stolen.”
“No!” Hope hissed. “So, the evil ones must intend to use it quickly.”
“No doubt. Unless we can stop them.”
“It seems like we have no choice.”
“I’m afraid you are right.” Pandora peeked out from under the dumpster to make sure the coast was clear, then shimmied out with her stomach low to the ground.
Hope followed, glancing around uncertainly. “Maybe this job is too big for the two of us. Should we tell the others?”
Hope had a point. Pandora didn’t want to endanger Hope, but she also wasn’t going to wait around for the others to make a decision. The least they could do was scout things out. Maybe they would get lucky and, if they were cautious, they would not come to harm. “We will tell the others, but in the meantime maybe we can do some surveillance. If we can bring them solid proof of who stole the extract, then perhaps they will agree to join with us to rid Mystic Notch of the one who would do us harm.”
“Good plan. I think I know where we should start.”
11
Elizabeth Post lived on Vine Street and Hope new exactly which house. They trotted across town, belly-crawling under shrubberies and sticking to wooded areas so as not to be seen. It didn't take long before they were crouched at the edge of the woods overlooking Elizabeth’s back yard.
The old woman was bent down, digging in the ground.
Pandora’s whiskers tingled. “Is she burying something?”
Hope craned her neck for a better look. “She is digging in the dirt, but I don’t think she is burying the vial. It looks like she’s planting flowers.”
Pandora’s whiskers drooped in disappointment. Hope was right. Sitting next to Elizabeth was a flat of colorful pansies. Her gnarled hands stabbed at the dirt with a spade. She shifted her weight, her knees creaking and spasms of pain etched on her face. Still, she hummed as she worked.
Pandora had a sinking sensation that Elizabeth was not the one.
“She’s just gardening. Wouldn’t she be putting her evil plans into action if she was the person who stole the vial?” Hope’s words reflected Pandora’s thoughts.
“Yes, it does seem odd. Maybe she is putting on a front?”
Hope looked around. “For who? There is no one here but us.”
“She’s not doing anything even remotely evil,” Pandora said. “I can't help but feel she is not the one.”
“Maybe we should look in on the other suspects. I believe they were higher up on the list anyway, right?”
“Yes. I saw Rebecca heading toward the church earlier. Maybe we can catch her down there.”
“The church? That is supposed to be a place of good,” Hope said.
“I know.” Pandora turned back toward the woods. “Maybe that makes it the perfect place to start a campaign of evil.”
“What about Fluff?” Hope asked as they raced through the woods back to town. “He was at the police station with Felicity last night. I bet he is in on it.”
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