Claw And Order (Mystic Notch Cozy Mystery Series Book 8)

by Leighann Dobbs

  “Meow!” The mention of pizza had Pandora riled up again, and she batted the paperweight.

  I sighed and watched her push it around as she looked from me to the pizza to the paperweight.

  “What is wrong with her tonight? She seems unsettled.” Striker said.

  “Beats me. Maybe she’s getting spoiled.”

  “Meow!” Pandora shot her paw out and whacked the paperweight. It fell to the floor and rolled under the couch. Thankfully, it stayed on the oriental throw rug and didn’t shatter.

  I wagged my finger at the cat. “Acting like a spoiled brat is not going to get you another piece of pizza.”

  Pandora meowed with frustration as she hopped down from the coffee table and watched the paperweight roll around under the couch. Willa did not understand a thing she’d been trying to tell her.

  Yes, she did like pizza, but that wasn’t the thought she had been trying to get across to the humans. Not only had her meows been misinterpreted, but if Willa had any bit of a telepathic acumen, she would have seen there was a message in the miniature crystal ball that Willa thought was a paperweight.

  Except now, the only image she could see was a toothbrush. What was up with that?

  Willa and Striker had gone on talking about their day, completely unaware of the importance of Pandora’s message.

  Pandora went back to staring at the pizza. She was in a rush to get to the barn and tell the cats about what had happened in the bookstore. She’d have to wait the humans out, but it wouldn’t be long before they went upstairs, and she could escape through her secret exit in the basement.

  In one way, she dreaded going to the barn. She knew the cats, especially Otis, would be disappointed with her lack of communication with Willa. Hopefully, there were still things they could do to protect the key even without Willa’s help.

  And if she ever was able to talk to Willa, she was going to speak to her about how stingy they were with the pizza. A couple of tiny crumbs of crust just didn’t cut it.

  Three hours later, Pandora was finally at Elspeth’s barn. She wondered why she’d been in such a hurry to get to the cats. As predicted, they were not pleased with her lack of communication with her human.

  “So, we have two suspects, then. Mary Ashford and Danielle Norden.” Inkspot sat in the shaft of light from a moonbeam that filtered in from the high window on the side of the barn.

  “It would seem that way.” Pandora had told them about Mary and Danielle being on the list and Danielle’s reaction to the news that Willa had sold the book to Mary.

  “At least that gives us a start.” Snowball’s white fur gave her the appearance of a ghost in the dim light.

  “And you’re sure the key is still safe?” Otis looked down at her condescendingly from atop a bale of hay.

  “Yes, it’s still safe. I’ve kept my eye on it at all times, and no one has been in the shop when I wasn’t there.” Pandora refrained from rolling her eyes. Did Otis think she was an amateur?

  Inkspot turned to Tigger. “Have you verified the instructions are still where we left them?”

  Otis nodded. “Euphoria will keep watch, and I will take a few shifts to help her out.”

  “Okay, then. Pandora, you continue to keep an eye on the key. Tigger, Hope, and Sasha will go on a recon mission to sniff out what Mary Ashford and Danielle Norden are up to,” Inkspot said.

  “There is more than just those two.” Kelley the Maine Coon came out of the shadows. She resembled a lion with her long, striped fur. “I’ve heard that Felicity Bates and Sarah Delaney have an interest in the book.”

  Snowball hissed. “Oh no. If those two are involved, that does not bode well.”

  “Never mind them, what about Fluff?” Hope asked. There was no love lost between Hope and Fluff since he had once tried to burn Hope—and Pandora—alive.

  “If Felicity is involved, you know Fluff has to be as well,” Otis said.

  “That one is not to be trusted.” Hope warned. “And don’t forget his human has charms and spells. You must be aware at all times. One sleep charm, and they can sneak past you without you ever knowing.”

  “All the more reason for everyone to be on their toes.” Inkspot turned to Pandora. “It would be of the utmost help if you could finally communicate with Willa. We need to secure that key at all costs. If Felicity and Sarah really are involved, the results could be disastrous.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Stupid reading glasses.” I shoved the prescription into my purse and pulled out of the vision center parking lot. At least the tortoiseshell frames I’d picked out looked cute on me and complemented my copper curls. But I hated the idea of having to root around in my purse for a pair of glasses every time I wanted to read the fine print.

  Was it only a matter of time before I needed them to read books? Right now, I could see the letters on most books, though I had caught myself looking for large-print editions more often. Reading was my life, and it would be inconvenient to have to fiddle with glasses at night. Maybe I should have gotten two pairs so I could leave one beside the bed. Or maybe I would get an e-reader and adjust the print size.

  I parked in the town lot and started toward the bookstore with a tingle of trepidation. I’d dropped Pandora off at the store before my appointment, and I shuddered to think about what havoc she might have wreaked. I got the impression she was still mad about the pizza. Had she spooled the toilet paper across the store? Maybe she’d coughed up a hairball in some hidden spot that I would only find through the disgusted yelp of a customer.

  The fact that she hadn’t minded being left in there alone raised my suspicions. And she’d been acting weird lately, always looking at the shelves behind the cash register. She’d climbed on them and knocked things off too. Visions of the shelves on the ground and a squished cat underneath them bubbled up.

  I picked up the pace and rounded the corner, my heart jolting at what I saw. A flap of a black dress disappeared around the corner into the alley beside my shop. Sarah Delaney!

  Had she been at my shop? I glanced at the door. There was no note. The door looked fine. But why was she running away down the alley?

  I ran to the alley, but she was already gone. Darn, she was fast. Must have already disappeared out the other end. Weird behavior, to be sure, but Sarah was known for being weird.

  The thick oak door to Last Chance Books was still locked, but I felt tension as I opened it to find…

  Nothing amiss.

  Pandora was fast asleep in her cat bed. The shelves had not been destroyed, and no toilet paper was strewn about.

  I’d let my imagination run away with me.

  Pandora raised her head and blinked at me from her cat bed.

  “Guess it’s been quiet here? No one tried to break in?” I asked her even though I knew she wouldn’t answer. Sometimes I wished she would. She’d probably be a good conversationalist, and it did get lonely in the shop during the quiet times.

  “Mew.” Pandora’s eyes narrowed, and she looked at the shelves again. Just what was her obsession with those things?

  Pandora blinked at Willa. Had she just said someone had been trying to break in? Her question was answered as Willa continued to ramble.

  “I thought I saw someone run down the alley. Flowing black dress, long black hair flying behind it. Could only be one person—Sarah Delaney.”

  Pandora practically fell out of her cat bed. Sarah Delaney? Here? She hadn’t sensed a nefarious presence. She’d been sound asleep. Maybe Willa was mistaken. She did just come from the eye doctor, and perhaps her vision was impaired.

  Pandora glanced at the box on the shelf. It wasn’t possible that Sarah could have broken in and stolen the key right under Pandora’s nose. But if she’d done something magically… Sarah was a witch and might be able to open the shop door with a spell. And then if she’d somehow hexed Pandora with a sleep charm…

  This was not good. Not good at all.

  Willa appeared unconcerned as she straightene
d the pillows on the purple sofa and chairs and dusted the coffee table and side tables.

  “I missed the regulars and my coffee this morning. I suppose I’ll have to suffer with the coffee from the K-Cup machine in back.”

  Forget about the coffee and think about the key! Pandora screamed at Willa inside her head.

  But Willa didn’t even turn to look at her. It was as if her telepathic attempts were blocked.

  Pandora’s attention was drawn to the tea next to her bed. The sunlight was filtering through the liquid, giving it a golden glow. It looked welcoming and inviting.

  She remembered Otis’s words about the problem being with Pandora and not Willa. What if that were true? She had had a special bond with Anna. What if she had subconsciously blocked herself from having that same bond with anyone else?

  And if Sarah had been here, maybe it was time to do something drastic.

  Pepper had said the tea would help with blocked communications.

  Pandora flipped open the latch to the top, and the jar popped open. Pepper’s teas were known for backfiring, but she had to take a chance. She was desperate. She braced herself for the worst, then stuck her head in and started drinking.

  It wasn’t too bad, actually. Kind of like honey and moss with a tinge of licorice. How much should she drink? Would there be adverse effects if she drank too much?

  She drank as fast as she could. As the level of liquid went down, she stuck her head in farther.

  “Pandora! No!”

  Through the inside of the jar, Pandora saw Willa racing over. The curve of the glass distorted the panicked look on Willa’s face, making it almost comical. She reached out, her hand appearing huge as it came toward Pandora.

  Pandora jerked her head out, and the glass tipped. The rest of the liquid spilled on the windowsill before the jar rolled off and shattered on the floor.

  Pandora lapped up the rest of the liquid that had spilled on the windowsill.

  Willa was looking down at her in horror.

  “What have you done?”

  Pandora opened her mouth to answer, but all that came out was…

  “Burp!” Pandora grimaced. “Err… sorry.”

  Willa gestured to the mess on the floor. “You better be sorry!

  Willa started toward the closet where they kept the broom and dustpan. She stopped midway and slowly turned to stare at Pandora. “Wait a minute. Did you just talk?”

  Chapter Eight

  Apparently, the coffee that Bing and the others usually brought was vital for my sanity because I could have sworn I just heard Pandora speak words. Human words.

  “Yep, it’s me talking to you. We can communicate!” Pandora seemed overjoyed.

  I, on the other hand, was terrified. Maybe it had something to do with those drops they’d put in my eyes at the optometrist. I blinked and shook my head.

  “You’re not seeing things, or hearing things.” Pandora twitched her tail. “We can communicate. My meows are actual words to you now. Pepper’s tea helped.”

  My gaze switched to the broken mason jar. “You mean, you drank this tea, and now I can hear you in words?”

  “Yes! Exactly! Isn’t that what I just said?” Pandora trotted over to the broom closet. “Now, let’s clean it up, I don’t want to get a sliver of glass in my paw. We have a lot to catch up on.”

  I’ll say. Pandora watched as I cleaned up the glass. I couldn’t exactly ask her to help. She couldn’t hold a broom, and from what I’d experienced with her before we could communicate, she wasn’t the type that cleaned up.

  “So, Pepper’s teas really are magic?” I asked.

  “I guess, but they mostly backfire, as you know.”

  Did I ever. “And there’s magic here in town. Or at least a magical cat?”

  The idea of magic existing in Mystic Notch wasn’t new to me. After all, I did have two ghosts in the bookstore that I had regular conversations with, not to mention the dozens that had appeared wanting me to solve murders. There had also been a few incidents that defied logical explanation, so maybe talking to my cat wasn’t that far-fetched.

  “There’s more than one magical cat. All the cats over at Elspeth’s are magical. You see, we’re descended from a long line of cats that are sworn to keep Mystic Notch from falling into evil ways.”

  That sounds a bit overdramatic, I thought as I emptied the dustbin full of glass into the trash. “Does Elspeth know about her cats?”

  “You betcha. She’s got some skills herself.”

  I stared at my cat. Was she saying that the kindly white-haired lady I thought of as a second grandmother was some sort of witch? I really needed that coffee.

  “Wait, you talk to Elspeth?” I headed toward the back room where the Keurig machine was. Pandora padded along beside me.

  “Tigger is the one that has the telepathic connection to Elspeth, so he does most of the talking. Of course, she does address us and ask us to do things.” Pandora started grooming herself while I made the coffee. “Oh, and you know that paperweight she gave you when you inherited the house?”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s not a paperweight.”

  So I had seen images in there. “Let me guess. It’s some sort of crystal ball?”

  “Yes!” Pandora appeared astounded that I was catching on so fast. I was shocked myself, but like I said, it wasn’t exactly a surprise that there were paranormal happenings in Mystic Notch.

  “I thought I saw images in there,” I said.

  “Thank the great cat god Bastet for that. You might be helpful after all.”

  “Um. Thanks.” Was she being sarcastic? I hadn’t thought of her that way before. Sarcasm didn’t translate well through meows. “Last night, were you trying to show me something in the paperweight?”

  “Right again!” Pandora stopped grooming. “There’s something going on in Mystic Notch, and we need your help. I thought you might be able to see a clue in the paperweight.”

  “Something bad?” That explained why I’d felt an ominous impending doom lately.

  “Very bad, and us cats are trying to make sure that evil foes don’t harm our town.”

  “Evil foes? Like who?” I was a tad skeptical because now this was starting to sound like an episode from a superhero movie.

  “Felicity Bates, for one.”

  I wasn’t so skeptical about that. I knew she was bad news.

  Pandora continued. “And Sarah Delaney.”

  “Oh no! I thought I saw Sarah running away from the shop earlier.”

  “Yeah, that’s why I went the extra mile to try to talk to you. We need your help to—”

  “Yoo-hoo, anyone here?”

  I shushed Pandora, then spun around and looked out into the hall. Someone had come in, and I did not want them to hear me talking to my cat.

  “I’ll be right out!”

  “But I need to—”

  “Shush! Later!” I interrupted Pandora and hurried out front.

  Josie Martin was standing in the shop, looking down the hallway. She had a camera in one hand and a notebook in the other. “How are you, Willa?”

  “Fine, you?” I was a bit distracted by Pandora, who kept looking like she would open her mouth and start talking. I supposed that wouldn’t be a problem if Josie couldn’t hear her, but what if I slipped up and answered back? That wouldn’t do at all. Thankfully, Pandora must have sensed my fears and remained silent.

  “I’m good. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’m doing features on the various shops in town and was hoping to get some photos and do a write-up on Last Chance Books.”

  “Oh. That’s nice. I am kind of busy now, though.” If you considered trying to talk to your cat about saving the town from evil busy.

  “It will only take a few seconds. I need to get it in before the deadline. It will be printed on Friday. Very good for business.”

  “Okay, fine.” Josie was persistent, and I knew she’d probably bug me until I agreed, so I figured I might as well let
her do her thing. Besides, I needed some time to process this new development with Pandora. What exactly did the cat think I could do to help, and did I even want to do it?

  Pandora curled up in her cat bed on the windowsill while Willa answered a barrage of questions from Josie. Josie used an old-fashioned camera that she proceeded to make a show of taking photos with, including one of Pandora in her bed. Pandora preened and plumped out her tail for the photo.

  Willa kept shooting warning glances at Pandora, so she eventually tuned them out. She got it. It was disturbing to realize you could talk to your cat, and Willa was worried Josie might find out and think it was strange.

  Pandora shut her eyes, feeling quite pleased with herself. Wait until the barn cats found out she’d finally communicated with her human! If only Willa hadn’t shushed her right before she told her the most important part. But the key was safe in the box on the shelf, and Pandora deserved a little cat nap. She could fill Willa in and have her take the key to Elspeth later.

  Josie’s incessant questions kept her from falling asleep.

  “Did you inherit all the books in the shop from your grandmother?”

  “How do you get new inventory?”

  “What types of books are most popular?”

  On and on. Even Willa must have gotten tired of it, as she eventually stopped following Josie and plopped down on the purple sofa.

  Mercifully, Pandora was blessed with sleep, finally, and she didn’t awaken until Josie was opening the door to leave.

  “Well, thanks for letting me do this piece. It will be in Friday’s paper. Toodles!”

  “You’re welcome!” Willa yawned from the sofa then peeked around the store. “We need to continue our talk, and I need a coffee.”

  She got up and went to the little kitchenette in the back, and Pandora followed.

  “Listen, there’s something very important you have to do.” Pandora knew it was a lot for Willa to process. It would be nice to ease her into this whole business with the book and the key, but Pandora didn’t have time.