Catnapped (A Klepto Cat Mystery)

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Catnapped (A Klepto Cat Mystery) Page 5

by Fry, Patricia


  Dora nodded.

  “Oh, that’s near where I live,” Margaret said. “…on the other side of East Heights on Cranberry. I walk up there a lot—when I’m not on crutches.”

  “I like to walk. And I like cath. Do you have cath?”

  “I sure do. Maybe you could come over and meet my cat sometime.” Margaret smiled.

  “Okay!” Charlotte said, looking to Dora for validation.

  Margaret nodded. “Very nice meeting you both. We really need to be going. I hope to see you again. Hugs to all of the kitties,” she said, as she turned toward the door.

  “Oh, watch it,” Dora said with a chuckle. “Charlotte takes everything quite literally, I’m sure she will be doing a lot of hugging today.”

  Charlotte’s smile broadened at the thought.

  ***

  “Well, what a nice lady,” Savannah said while starting the car and swiveling in her seat to see if she was clear to back out of the driveway.

  “Yes she is,” Margaret agreed. “Turn left here, would you?”

  “Left? But we came in from that direction,” she said nodding toward the right.

  “I know, Vannie, but I want to check something out. Left!”

  After using Dora’s map to direct Savannah, Margaret said, “That’s gotta be it! Stop here. She scrutinized the nondescript stucco house which was badly in need of paint and situated in the middle of a dry weed patch.

  “What is this place?” Savannah asked, turning up her nose at the sight.

  “It’s where the cat hoarder lives,” Margaret explained. “I think this is where Jim sent us and we happened upon Dora by mistake.”

  Savannah smiled. “It was a pleasant mistake, don’t you think?”

  “Sure was. Now let’s go check these people out.”

  “Helllloooo,” Margaret called, knocking hard on the front door. “Is anyone here?” She could see a couple of cats in the window through shredded sheers and thrashed mini-blinds.

  “What?” a thin, balding man asked rather abruptly upon opening the door a crack.

  “Hello,” Margaret said. “I’m with the Hammond Cat Alliance and just wanted to stop by and see if you need anything for your cats.”

  “Like what?” he asked brusquely, while using one foot to hold back an array of curious cats.

  “Oh, help with the cats—food, litter…we just want to make sure the cats are getting everything they need.”

  “Why wouldn’t they? And what business is it of yours, anyway?”

  “Who is it, George?” a female voice screeched from inside.

  When he turned to address her, Margaret could see an obese woman sitting in an oversized recliner drinking what appeared to be a giant-sized soda from a convenience store. There were cats of all colors, sizes, and shapes in the room; several lounging on the many pieces of furniture.

  “Some women want to know if we need anything for the cats,” he reported.

  “Hell no. We don’t need nothing from no busybody women. Our cats are jus’ fine.”

  “You heard her,” he said as he pushed the door to close it.

  “Wait!” Margaret shouted. She lifted one crutch and set the tip of it between the door and the door frame. “That cat behind you is sneezing. Its eyes are runny. Is it seeing a vet?”

  “Yeah, we’re gonna take him next week when our money comes in. What’s it to you?” He pushed the door against Margaret’s crutch.

  “You’re going to have a whole lot of sick cats if you don’t isolate him,” Margaret blurted. “My niece here is a vet,” she said. “Isn’t that so, Vannie?”

  “Well…yes,” Savannah said hesitantly, “if what the cat has is contagious.”

  “It could be deadly,” Margaret insisted. “The cat needs to be seen now and he needs to be separated from the other cats.”

  “What’s going on? Who are you people?” the woman demanded as she waddled over to the door and pulled it open wide. “Shoo! Shoo!” she said, waving a sheet of newspaper in the direction of several cats that had followed her. “You git out again and I’m gonna leave you out there!” she screeched.

  As the cats skittered back into the room, the woman turned to Margaret and Savannah and said, “Now listen up. We take care of the cats when the money comes in. When there’s no money, there’s no extras for anyone—us or the cats.”

  “So how do you get the money?” Margaret insisted.

  The woman looked Margaret up and down, smirked a little, and said, “The Internet. We operate on donations through the Internet and we do jus’ fine, thank you very much.” She glared at the two women who were standing on her porch for a few seconds and then said, “Now George is calling the police. Either you keep harassing us and git arrested or you git the hell outta here now and mind your own business.”

  Holy cow, we’re going to be arrested, Savannah thought. She tugged on the back of her aunt’s blouse and said, “Come on Auntie, there’s nothing we can do here. Let’s go.”

  “Yeah, good idea,” the woman said before slamming the door hard. As Margaret and Savannah turned and started to walk away, they heard the woman screech, “Get the fuck outta the way, you mangy flea bag!”

  “Oh my gosh,” Savannah whispered loudly. “Those people are scary. I’m afraid for those cats. Something is way wrong here. Did you smell that stench and see all the trash in that room?”

  Once in the car, Margaret spoke up, “Vannie, there sure is something wrong here. I believe this is a case of Internet fraud at the expense of innocent cats.”

  “What do you mean?” Savannah asked as she drove the car away from the curb.

  “Well, I’m pretty sure they have a website where they exploit the cats by showing their photos and telling sad stories about how they are ill or have no food to eat. People donate money to help the kitties without knowing that it’s actually a scam. There are cats in need and there are certainly legitimate organizations using the Internet to help cats, but I’ll bet my bottom dollar the money these people are collecting isn’t going toward the cats’ care. Did you see that giant TV in that room?”

  “And the classy new car in the driveway,” Savannah added. “Oh my gosh, what a terrible situation. We have to report them, Auntie.”

  “From what Dora says, the authorities know about them and are planning to close them down,” Margaret said. “I just hope it’s sooner rather than later. Just to be sure they follow through, I’m going to make a few calls when we get home.”

  The two rode quietly for a few minutes when Margaret spoke up. “Where do you suppose they got all those cats? Do you think hoarders go out and steal cats? I guess they might if they’re running a scam and they’re not taking proper care of the cats,” she reasoned.

  Savannah thought for a moment before saying, “Yeah, if they run out of cats, they would certainly need more to photograph.” She shook her head. “Gosh, that’s just sick!”

  Suddenly, Margaret lurched forward in her seat. “What time is it? Uh-oh, it’s after two,” she said, looking at the clock embedded in the dashboard. “We need to get over to the vet’s office.”

  “Okay,” Savannah said. “How are you doing with that foot? You haven’t been keeping it up much today.”

  “Haven’t had a chance. But I rest it on my purse as we drive. Actually, it’s pretty good. I don’t feel so vulnerable since I got the cast.”

  “But you don’t want that foot to swell inside the cast, lady!”

  Margaret waved her hand in the air. “Oh, you sound just like some kind of nagging doctor.”

  “If you didn’t want a nagging doctor here this week, you should have invited my mother or how about Uncle Ray?”

  “Okay, you got me. I’ll take the nagging doctor any day,” Margaret acquiesced.

  ***

  “Turn right at the next stop sign,” Margaret instructed. “It’s that building on the left.” And then she faced Savannah and said, “Now, when you see this vet, I don’t want your eyes popping out of your head.”r />
  “What? What’s wrong with him?” Savannah wanted to know.

  “Oh, you’ll see,” she responded in a teasing tone.

  Savannah parked the car, glanced over at her aunt and let out a shallow sigh. Now what? she wondered. Indeed, hanging out with Aunt Marg is already proving to be anything but an ordinary vacation.

  She had gladly taken time off when she heard that her aunt needed help. She felt as though she had dug herself into a rut. Ruts are for retired people, she thought. So she wasn’t exactly thrilled with the way her life was going. She was working too much, spending too much time volunteering at the shelter. And, although she hadn’t admitted it out loud, the residue from her breakup with Travis a few months earlier was still affecting her. She needed a distraction—but now she wondered if she was swimming against the tide.

  Margaret’s voice brought Savannah back to the here and now. “Would you get that little carrier out of the back, Vannie? Thanks.”

  “Hello, Scarlett.”

  The freckle-faced brunette of twenty-five looked up and then rushed from behind the counter in the veterinarian’s office. “What happened to you, Ms. Forster?” She put her hand on Margaret’s back and walked her toward the closest chair. “Here, sit down.” She then moved a small table over for her to rest her casted foot on. “Are you all right?”

  “Sure—just broke a bone in my foot. My niece is here to help me out for a while. Vannie, this is Scarlett. Scarlett, Savannah. We came to pick up the neuters you did for Max Sheridan.”

  “Right on, Ms. Forster. Dr. Ivey will be with you in a moment.”

  “Thank you,” Margaret said while motioning for Savannah to sit down beside her. As Savannah lowered herself into one of the molded chairs, she set a small plastic and wire pet carrier on the floor at her feet. They were the only ones in the waiting room.

  “Hi Maggie.” It was a man’s voice. Savannah looked up. Her face began to burn and she was sure her heart skipped a beat. Walking toward her was one of the most gorgeous men she’d seen in quite a long time. Frighteningly gorgeous—run-away-now-or-get-your-heart-broken gorgeous. As if he isn’t already a 10.5 on the appealing man scale, he’s holding two adorable black-and-white kittens in his hands, Savannah thought, as she took in the yummy scene before her.

  The veterinarian’s eyes were on his tiny patients as he approached the two women. “They’re ready to go,” he said. “They both did just fine. Have you met them, yet? This is Tommy.” He rubbed the larger kitten’s cheek with his thumb. He looked up at Margaret while saying, “And this little guy is Tonka.” But something else caught his eye. “Oh, hello,” he said, nodding toward Savannah. “I’m Michael Ivey.” He stared at her for a moment and then offered an apology: “I’d shake your hand, but…” He smiled down at the two rather docile kittens, still groggy from the anesthesia.

  When Savannah didn’t speak right away, Margaret interjected, “Dr. Mike, this is my niece, Savannah. She and her family lived in Hammond for many years—in fact, their home still stands just a few blocks from here.”

  “Oh? Here on a little vacation? How long do you plan to stay?”

  “Hi,” Savannah managed as she diverted her gaze from his piercing stare. She rested her eyes on his shoulders—a safe zone. Or maybe not. Even through his lab coat, I can tell he’s buff…and look at that tan. Holy cow, is he an Olympic swimmer? she wondered? Certainly not a gymnast—too dang masculine. “For as long as my aunt needs me,” she finally managed.

  “Cool,” he said, his light-blue eyes intently studying her face.

  I wish I’d worn makeup today. Who would have thought I’d meet such a steaming hot man in my travels with Aunt Marg? Of course, that’s part of Auntie’s charm. You never know what’s going to happen next or who you’re going to meet. She took a chance and glanced up at Michael Ivey’s face again.

  Noticing the obvious sparks between the two and her niece’s sudden lack of total consciousness, Margaret smiled and said, “Savannah is a veterinarian, too.”

  “Oh really?” He eyed her with even more interest. “Where do you practice?”

  Embarrassing… Savannah thought. I wish Auntie would stop telling people that. “I’m working as a vet tech right now in a large hospital just outside Los Angeles,” she said, trying not to sound like a failure. She didn’t actually consider herself a failure. After the situation with Travis, she had to take a time-out. Opening a practice when she was still so emotionally whacked, would be a mistake. Or was this a cop-out? She hoped to work out the logistics of it while she was away from LA and Travis.

  “Do you want me to carry these kittens to your car?” Michael Ivey was saying.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. We have a carrier. Here it is.” Savannah picked it up, set it on a nearby table strewn with magazines, and opened the little wire door.

  “In you go, guys,” the veterinarian crooned. “You know the drill, right, Savannah? Keep them quiet, watch for swelling or redness…”

  “Sure,” she said with a nod. “I guess we’ll tell Max when we deliver the kittens to him, right Auntie?”

  “That’s the plan. Shall we go?”

  Michael Ivey held Margaret’s crutches while she lifted herself up out of the chair. “See you tomorrow, then. The meeting’s at 7?”

  “Yes, donuts and coffee,” she called over her shoulder as she headed for the door, which Scarlett held open for them.

  As Savannah approached the open door with the carrier, she couldn’t help herself. She had to take another look at him. She turned before exiting the lobby with every intention of saying a casual, “Nice to meet you.” But when she looked at him, his gentle, but penetrating stare rendered her speechless and she continued walking out the door, catching the jamb with her shoulder. How embarrassing, she thought. She hurried toward the car before he could see the blush she felt raging to the surface.

  ***

  She’d driven several blocks before Savannah realized her aunt was speaking to her. When she finally focused on her words, she heard Margaret saying, “I thought we could take a tour of Max’s place today, but I’m kind of tired. I hope you don’t mind just dropping the kittens off and heading home. We can come back tomorrow. Maybe you’d like to spend time socializing some of the kittens. It’s important that they interact with people as often as possible, you know. There’s a greater chance they’ll make good pets.”

  “Huh? Yes…a…I would. Definitely.” What’s going on? She wondered. I’ve met good-looking men before. Lots of them. There was that professor—Jerry Barnes—at college. What an Adonis. The man who comes into the clinic with those three bulldogs. He’s handsome, indeed. And what about Travis? He’s certainly a nine-and-a-half on any woman’s hunk-a-meter. Which is an important reminder, Savannah thought, that looks aren’t everything. In fact, she’d learned over the years that some of the best-looking men (and, for that matter, women) she’d met were terribly flawed. So what’s wrong with Michael Ivey? she wondered.

  Savannah looked over at her aunt. “I’m glad you want to rest. The way you were going, I was afraid I’d be the first one to cry ‘uncle.’ You sure are the Energizer Bunny. Do we need anything while we’re out?”

  “How about we go later to get the donuts for the meeting,” Margaret said, sounding rather weary.

  “And food for Rags,” Savannah added. “I only brought enough of his food for a few days.”

  “Speaking of the klepto…” Margaret laughed, “I wonder how he’s doing there in that big house on his own. Doesn’t he usually go outside to burn off some of his energy?”

  “Yes, at home. I thought I’d give him a few days here. If he’s adamant about going out, I may take him outside for short spurts during the day. He’s pretty good about staying close if I watch him. Otherwise, well, you know, he’s off burglarizing the neighborhood.” She thought for a moment and then reasoned, “You don’t have traffic out here, so that’s not a concern. But, from the sounds of it, you get ‘vermin’ as you call them—you know—possu
ms, wild boar, and…alligators,” she said, grinning over at her aunt.

  “And coyotes and owls, not to mention catnappers,” Margaret interjected.

  After handing the kittens over to one of Max’s volunteers, Savannah drove the short distance to Margaret’s house and pulled in as close as she could get to the porch for her aunt’s convenience. She parked the car and then walked around to the passenger door to give Margaret a hand. As she held the crutches steady, she looked out across the rolling green landscape off in the distance. “This really is a beautiful area.”

  “Yes, it is,” Margaret replied—standing in place for a moment, a crutch under each arm. “I love it out here,” she said with a smile. And then her demeanor changed suddenly. “I just hope I can hold onto this place.”

  “Why can’t you, Auntie?” Savannah wanted to know. This was the first time she’d heard her aunt make such a statement. As far as she or Margaret’s siblings knew, her aunt was set for life—unless she’d done something stupid with her money, again.

  When Savannah’s grandparents died, they’d left each of their four children a pretty substantial inheritance. The other Brannon heirs invested their money, most of which came from the property and stock the senior Brannons had acquired while operating a successful lumber mill for many years on the outskirts of Hammond. Aunt Margaret was between husbands when the elder Brannons were killed in a car accident and she was bent on having fun with her inheritance. She became overly spendy and overly generous. She also bought a house, which her siblings were happy to see; they figured she would always have a place to live. However, unbeknownst to anyone in the family, she soon ran out of money and began borrowing against the house until her mortgage was too much for her to handle. She ended up losing her home.

  She didn’t want to get a job; Margaret was not one who could stand too much regimentation. So she went in search of another option. Enter Tom Forster, Savannah thought to herself. This union seemed to be the answer to her aunt’s prayers. Ole Tom didn’t do too bad for himself, either. She smiled at the thought.

 

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