Cattywampus Travels

by Patricia Fry

  Gladys started to laugh. “Oh no. Rags didn’t…”

  “Yes, he did,” Margaret asserted. “He left his mark on that toy cat big time, didn’t he, Vannie?”

  “Yeah,” she said, quietly. “That was a first. I’ve never ever known him to do anything like that in public before. But yes, when no one was looking, he peed all over that dog’s little cat toy.”

  “If that gets around,” Margaret said, “they’ll ban him from anymore book signings anywhere in the United States.”

  Gladys tried to stifle her laughter. “What did Rob say when you told him?”

  Savannah sat up straight, insisting, “Oh no, I didn’t tell Rob.”

  “Wasn’t he there?” Gladys asked.

  “Not when that happened. He and Cheryl had another appointment and they’d left by then. Oh no, I don’t think we want Rob to know about that.”

  ****

  The following evening Savannah asked, “Mom, are you ready for the big trip? All packed?”

  “Yes, I’m packed, I just hope…”

  “Hope what?” Margaret asked.

  “Well, I’m hoping for a nice, quiet trip without too much excitement.”

  “That’s what we have planned,” Savannah said. “I’m sure it will be a lovely vacation for all of us.”

  “I must say I’m worried.”

  “Why, Mom?”

  “Because I’ll be with you two and the two of you seem to attract trouble.”

  Margaret huffed. “It’s not us, it’s that cat of hers.”

  Savannah looked sheepish. She petted Rags who lay next to her on the sofa. “I think he’s learned his lesson. He had a pretty frightening experience when he got catnapped. Notice how close he stays to me lately? I think he’ll be fine.”

  “Or he’s resting up for his next escapade,” Margaret grumped.

  ****

  Two days later, on Friday morning, the Iveys, the Sheridans, the Sledges, and Gladys and Adam waited in San Francisco to board a plane to Massachusetts. Rags was in a soft carrier. They’d been sitting in the departure lounge for about thirty minutes when a man across from Savannah and Michael asked, “Do you have a cat in that bag?”

  Michael glanced around, then said, “Yes. He’ll be quiet—you won’t even know he’s there.”

  “Oh, I’m not concerned,” the man said. “I love cats.”

  Michael nodded at the man, then turned to Savannah and spoke softely. “You know, I’m a little worried about Rags. He’s done a lot of sleeping since you arrived yesterday. He seems awfully worn out. Has he been feeling okay? Is he eating?”

  “Yes. He probably has jet lag,” she explained.

  “Jet lag?”

  “Well, from the car trip and being away from home and all. I’m sure he’s fine.”

  “I also noticed his paw pads are a bit roughed up. What caused that, do you think?” He frowned. “He hasn’t been exposed to any chemicals, has he? Or maybe he came in contact with something he’s allergic to.”

  Savannah started to reply, when the man leaned forward again and asked, “Why are you traveling with a cat, may I ask?”

  Michael looked to Savanna for her response.

  “He doesn’t like to be away from us,” she said, not wanting to attract the attention that might ensue if she were to reveal his celebrity status.

  The man was quiet for a few moments, then he chuckled. “You know, I heard about a cat in Los Angeles last week who did a book signing.” He edged forward so he could speak to both Michael and Savannah. “I saw him on TV. Someone stole him and he escaped from the kidnapper and walked twenty miles to find his way back to the place where he was staying.”

  “Twenty miles?” Adam asked. “Dad, can a cat walk twenty miles?”

  The man looked at the boy. “Well, it might not have been twenty, but it was a good distance. How does a cat do that?” He sat back in his seat and took a sip from his coffee cup. He then said, “I think the same cat helped expose a woman who was stealing cats and selling them.” He looked into Michael’s face, then Savannah’s. “Did you read about that cat?”

  When Michael noticed Savannah shrinking back against her seat, he glanced at Margaret, who had a huge grin on her face. He said to the man, “No, I didn’t read about that cat.” He looked sternly at Savannah and practically demanded to know, “Did you, hon?” When he saw the look on her face, he lowered his head. “Oh no.”

  “What, Dad? What’s wrong?” Adam asked. “Did you forget something?”

  “No,” he said, “but I think Savannah might have forgotten something.”

  “What?”

  “She forgot to tell me what happened in Los Angeles.”

  Craig, having overheard part of the conversation, began to laugh. “Don’t tell me. Was that Rags?”

  Before Savannah could respond, the announcement to board came over the loudspeaker and she stood up. “We’d better get in line.” She picked up her purse and the carrier.

  “Savannah,” Michael insisted, “is there something you want to tell me?”

  “No. Not really,” she said innocently.

  He looked at Margaret, who was trying unsuccessfully to conceal a laugh. “Maggie?”

  She shook her head, still stifling laughter. “What happens in LA stays in LA.” When she noticed he was still staring at her, she raised one hand. “Don’t ask me, Michael. I know nothing,” she said, hurrying to join Savannah in the line.

  Michael picked up Lily and turned to make sure Adam had his carry-on.

  “I’ll take that bag for you, Michael,” Gladys said, reaching for the tote Savannah had packed with Lily’s things.

  “Thanks,” Michael said. “He sidled up closer to her. “Hey, maybe you’ll tell me.”

  “What?” Gladys asked.

  “What happened in Los Angeles? Did Rags cause some sort of trouble?”

  Gladys looked up at Michael. “I didn’t see him do anything. He was a perfect gentleman at my house.”

  Michael watched as his mother-in-law scurried to join the others in line.

  Just then Craig caught up with Michael and the children. He slapped him on the back. “Hey, Michael, I guess you’ll have to read all about it in the gossip column.”

  ****

  The group arrived in Massachusetts around six that evening and rented two cars. “Craig, can I ride with you guys?” Margaret asked. “There’s probably not room in the Iveys’ car.”

  “Oh yes there is,” Michael assured her. “Come on, Maggie, I want to talk to you.”

  Margaret looked sheepish, then said, “Max, let’s rent our car here, shall we?”

  “No need for us to rent a car until we’re ready to head to Baltimore,” he reasoned. “We’ll help pay for Craig’s and Iris’s car.” He looked at Craig. “You have room for us, don’t you?”

  “Sure do,” Craig said. “Come on.” He called out to the others, “Meet you at the hotel.”

  Once the Iveys and Gladys were seated in their rental car and Rags had been loaded along with the luggage, Michael turned in the driver’s seat and said for Savannah’s and Gladys’s benefit, “Okay, it’s a thirty-minute drive to the hotel, ladies, and Adam and I want to know…”

  “And Lily, Dad,” Adam said. “Don’t forget Lily.”

  “Yes, and Lily wants to know what happened while you were on your book tour. What trouble did he get into this time?”

  “Well,” Savannah said, glancing rather anxiously toward the backseat at her mother, “it’s a long story. We might not be able to tell it in thirty minutes. Besides, Michael, you should keep your mind on your driving. We haven’t been here before, you know. You aren’t familiar with the roads.”

  “Yeah? Then we’ll just stay right here in this parking lot while you tell me.” When she bit her lower lip and looked away, he said, “Savannah, spill it.”

  She took a deep breath and glanced back at Adam, who sat quietly, his eyes wide. “Okay,” she said, “le
t’s go. I’ll tell you.”

  It was almost exactly thirty minutes later when both rental cars pulled into the driveway of the small hotel. After parking, Michael caught Margaret’s eye. He squinted at her and mouthed, “Nothing happened, huh?”

  She shrank down in her seat, a guilty look on her face.

  ****

  After checking in, unpacking a few things, and freshening up, the large group, except for the cat, met for dinner in the hotel dining room.

  “So you figure we’re about ten miles from Marissa’s?” Craig asked.

  Michael replied. “About that, yes. And we’re due at the Roberts’s around noon tomorrow—right, hon?”

  Savannah nodded. “The party starts at two, but Mabel suggested we come early to surprise Marissa.”

  “Can I call her and tell her we’re here?” Adam asked.

  “No,” Savannah said. “We all want to surprise her together.” She smiled widely. “I can’t wait to see her face.”

  Once everyone had ordered and they’d been served their beverages, Craig leaned across the table to Michael, “So,” he asked, “did the girls fess up? Did Rags run wild and raise havoc in LA?”

  Michael grimaced. “I guess he did, Craig.”

  The detective sat up straight, his eyes twinkling. “You mean that was Rags who did all the stuff that guy was talking about?”

  Michael let out a deep sigh. “It was, indeed.” When the others began making remarks and tittering among themselves, he said more loudly, “Who else? What other cat does that?”

  “You aren’t taking him to Marissa’s home are you?” Margaret asked cautiously.

  Yes, of course we are,” Savannah insisted. “She’ll want to see him.”

  “Why don’t we bring her here to the hotel to see him,” Michael suggested.

  “Oh, Michael, it’s part of the surprise for her to spend the day with Rags.”

  When he ran his hand through his hair, Savannah smiled brightly. “He’ll be just fine, Michael. You’ll see. The kids will keep him busy. He won’t have time to get into any trouble.”

  ****

  The next day everyone met for breakfast in the hotel. Once they’d placed their orders, Margaret asked, “How’d things go with your cat last night?”

  “Fine,” Savannah said. “He’s been pretty mellow since we wore him out in LA.”

  “Yeah, he’s resting up,” Margaret said impishly.

  “For what? What do you think he plans to do?” Craig asked, chuckling.

  “Oh, who knows?” Margaret said. “But I’m sure he’s scheming as we speak.”

  At that very moment Craig nearly choked on his coffee. He began laughing and pointing. “Uh-oh. Look who’s joining us for breakfast.”

  “Rags!” Adam shouted.

  “Huh?” Michael said, turning. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, Dad. There he his right there.” He leaned over to entice the cat. “Come here, Rags.”

  “Good Lord,” Michael said, lowering his head.

  “Hi, Ragsie,” Savannah said, when Rags rubbed up against her legs.

  “My kitty!” Lily chortled. “My kitty!”

  Just then a server approached the table smiling. “Is that your cat?”

  Savannah nodded. “I’m afraid so. The housekeeper must have gone into the room despite the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door.”

  The waiter chuckled. “Yeah, we have some overly zealous housekeepers who aren’t following instructions. I’m sorry about that.” He looked around, then asked, “But how did he know you were in here?”

  “He seems to have a built-in GPS gadget,” Margaret explained. “As hard as they try to ditch that cat, he always seems to find them.”

  Savannah got up from the table and picked up the cat. “I’ll take him back.” She spoke to him. “Rags, you can’t be coming into restaurants.”

  “He probably didn’t like what you gave him for breakfast,” Craig said. “He wants to order off the menu.”

  After putting the cat back in their room, Savannah returned to the table. “I told the housekeeper to come back later and also taped a note to the door so no others will go in there. I hope that works.”

  “You brought tape with you?” Gladys asked.

  “Bandages,” she said.

  “Who are you, Mrs. MacGyver?” Iris asked, laughing.

  “Mrs. MacGyver,” Adam said. “That’s funny.”

  ****

  “Here it is,” Savannah announced a few hours later when they arrived in front of Marissa’s home.

  “Nice place,” Gladys said.

  “Yes, pretty,” Savannah agreed. She then said, “I just texted Marissa’s grandmother and told her we’re in the neighborhood.” She giggled. “She’ll make sure Marissa’s in the back of the house so she doesn’t see us all piling out of the cars, then she’ll have Marissa answer the door.”

  Adam bounced in his seat with excitement.

  “Okay, are we ready to go?” Michael asked once they’d gathered on the curb in front of the house. “Adam, want to ring the doorbell?”

  “Okay.”

  The boy started to run up the porch steps when Michael hollered, “Hey, Speedy Gonzales, wait for us!”

  Within minutes, the door opened and everyone shouted, “Surprise!”

  Marissa took a step back, almost tripping over a Pomeranian who stood behind her, barking at the crowd of people.

  Just then Roland and Mabel appeared. He picked up the small dog and murmured, “It’s okay, Petunia. They’re friends.”

  Mabel put her arm around Marissa, who stood frozen with her hands over her mouth, her eyes as big a saucers. “Shall we invite them in?”

  “Oh, my gosh,” Marissa said. “Oh, my gosh, yes. Adam!” she shouted, hugging him briefly. “Mama Savannah!” She rushed to her and wrapped her arms around her, enveloping the heavy coat she wore, a gift bag, and a large purse.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Savannah said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. “So good to see you.”

  “Detective!” Marissa said, jumping up and down. She smiled brightly. “Mrs. Detective,

  Aunt Maggie, Max…you’re all here. What a surprise!”

  “Marissa,” Savannah said, putting her hand on Gladys’s arm, “this is Adam’s and Lily’s grandmother. They call her Grammy.”

  “Hi, Grammy,” Marissa greeted.

  “What about us?” Michael asked, kneeling next to Lily with a smile on his face.

  Marissa threw her arms around his neck. “Hi, Dr. Mike.” She pulled back and ran a hand over Lily’s hair. “Hi, pretty Lily. You’re so big!” She stood back and spun around once. “This is so crazy exciting.” The slightly built girl with the topsy-turvy curls turned to her grandparents. “Pinch me!” she insisted. “I must be dreaming. Everyone I love is here in this room.” She thought for a moment, then said, “Well, maybe except for one.”

  “Erin?” Savannah asked. “Where’s Erin?”

  “Oh, Errie’s at work. She’ll be home soon,” Marissa said brightly. She looked down at her feet and added, “No, I was thinking about Rags. But I guess people don’t usually take a cat on an airplane, do they?”

  “They don’t?” Michael said, smiling as he nodded toward something on the floor.

  When Marissa looked down and saw Rags sitting next to Michael, she screeched, dropped to the floor, and began hugging the cat. “He’s licking me like a dog,” she said, giggling.

  “He wants to eat you up,” Margaret said.

  Marissa picked up the cat. “Look, I can hold him better now.”

  “Yes, you’ve grown, haven’t you?” Savannah said. “You look wonderful, Marissa.”

  The child turned toward her grandparents. “Did you know about this surprise?”

  Both of them nodded.

  She grinned knowingly at her grandmother and wiped at her eyes. “So that’s why we made such a big cake.”

  “Yes. Now let’s
take our guests’ coats and get them something warm to drink, shall we?”

  “Oh my,” Margaret said when she saw a white cat across the room. “Is that Angel? She’s beautiful.”

  Marissa released Rags, then picked up her own cat and took her to Margaret. “Yes, she is.” She said to the cat, “Angel, this is your first Mommy. She gave you to me for Christmas last year.”

  “Hi, Angel. What a lovely, lovely girl you are,” Margaret said. “How’s her leg?”

  “Just fine. It’s still crooked, but she walks just fine and even runs. I taught her to walk on a leash like Rags does,” Marissa boasted. She turned, “Hey, Adam, want to take the cats for a walk out back? I’ll show you my fort.”

  “Sure,” he said. “Can I, Dad?”

  “Ask Savannah about taking the cat out, Son.”

  “Excuse me, Savannah,” Adam said, approaching her as she talked to Marissa’s grandparents. “Can I take Rags outside with Marissa and Angel?”

  “Um,” she hesitated, “I guess so. Just leave his harness and leash on and whatever you do don’t let go of him.”

  “Put your jacket back on, Adam,” Marissa said. “It’s cold out there.” She slipped into her jacket and put Angel’s harness on her.

  Before the children trotted off, Savannah picked up Rags and held him. “You be a good boy for Adam, now.” She set him down and watched the children and cats bound out of the house.

  A little while later, Savannah and Michael walked out into the backyard to check on the cats and the kids.

  “We’re over here,” Adam called. “Come see Marissa’s fort.”

  “How’s he doing?” Savannah asked Adam.

  “Oh, you mean Rags? Good. He likes it in here. He and Angel are taking turns hiding in that box over there.”

  “That’s my bookshelf,” Marissa said. “They keep knocking my books down so they can lay in there.”

  “I’m glad to see he isn’t trying to run off,” Savannah said.