by Clea Simon
“You know, this is probably all asbestos up here.” When Bill had taken over the bar, he’d removed the false drop ceiling in the music room and the front bar. Back here, it made for a dust-filled crawl space about two feet deep.
“Don’t breathe.” I tried not to, not just because of the decades of dust. Every now and then, I thought I saw a movement.
“You think Ellis could get up here?” I really didn’t want to see anything that wasn’t a cat. “You don’t think he’d fall through?”
“As the human in charge of Musetta’s food supply, I don’t think you should talk.” I thought I heard a small laugh below me. “But, yeah, I think a freaked-out cat could do anything.”
I was glad to hear that little chuckle, weak as it might be. Bill cared more than he’d admit about the fat newcomer. I did one more careful sweep, but there was no way for Ellis to hide his bulk up here. No fur, no large mound of feline. No yellow eyes reflecting back.
“Sorry, Bill.” I started back down the ladder. “Nothing up here but us chickens.”
He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was being brave. “We’ll find him, Bill. I promise.”
We moved on to the storage room. Once again, Bill had looked in all the obvious places, but I knew how a frightened cat could compress himself, so together we started to move furniture and I prepared to climb through the ceiling tiles again. Neither of us looked at the back door. Ellis had still been around when the bands loaded in. He was already missing by the time everyone left. Even if someone had stepped outside for a smoke, it seemed unlikely that the cat could have slipped by. Ellis was black, sure, but also as large as a raccoon. A rotund raccoon. Better to focus on the obvious.
“What do you have in here?” It took two of us to move Bill’s desk, an old metal beast with drawers on both sides.
“A lot of paper. The old ledgers. A few skeletons.” That sad little laugh again. “Watch the cords!” I’d started to slide the back corner, the formica floor was a mess anyway. But I caught Bill’s lamp and laptop before they went over.
“Check this out.” Behind the desk, only a few inches away from the outlet, a hole had been punched in the wall.
“Oh, that’s good.” Bill leaned over the top of the wall and shone his flashlight in. “Think he could be back there?”
“I don’t know, Bill I wish I could see how far back it goes.” I slid as far as I could into the space between the desk and the wall to look. I am not a wimp, but there was no way I was sticking my hand in there. “Remember that case in New York? The cat that got into the wall of the deli?”
Bill grimaced. “Let’s move the desk more.”
We’d grunted it out another foot when my cell rang. “Hey, wanna go free a cat?” Violet’s voice jumped out at me. For a moment, I was disoriented. Wasn’t that what Bill and I were trying to do? Then it hit me.
“Is it time already?” I’d taken off my watch when we’d begun moving furniture and fished it out of my pocket. Just a little past noon.
“Amy called. Musetta is awake and even ate a little. She said we could come by anytime.”
My heart leaped. “Excellent!” I looked over at Bill. “But, Vi, Ellis is missing. You know, the club cat?” I filled her in, hoping she’d hear the concerns I didn’t want to put in words.
“I’ll come over and help you finish up. I’ll bring some traps, too, just in case he got out.” She had.
“Vi’s coming over.” I closed the phone. “She’ll help and then we’ll go pick up Musetta.”
“And maybe some lunch?” I felt myself cheering. He couldn’t be too worried if he could eat.
“You got it. Now, would you hand me the big flashlight?”
We spent a good twenty minutes poking through the plaster before acknowledging the obvious. Even spooked, the big cat could not have gotten behind that desk and into the wall space.
“At least I know why the old owners put the desk here,” said Bill, pushing the heavy desk back with a grunt. “And in that New York case, people heard the cat in the wall. Ellis would be making some noise by now.”
If he still could. I kept my thought to myself as the after hours bell rang and Bill went up to the front.
“Hey there.” Violet came back carrying two large box-like traps. “You’re a mess.”
“Thank you kindly. Do you want to go up in the ceiling tile?” She stared up and looked at both of us. I felt I could read her mind. “Nevermind, we can get those. But before we set the traps, we may as well finish this room first.”
She nodded, and I think she got that I was humoring Bill. We’d seen no sign of the black cat back here. “What haven’t you done?”
“Those shelves.” I pointed to a tall metal bookshelf that flanked one wall. CDs and some ancient tapes filled the top shelves, cardboard boxes of bar supplies the bottom. “And the closet.”
Vi took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves to reveal matching wristband tattoos. “Well, Ellis is too large to disappear between those boxes. But that closet looks nice and dark.” Taking one of our flashlights, she got down on all fours and began calling for the cat. I moved onto the shelves, poking between packages of cocktail stirrers in the hope of hearing a rustle or even a hiss.
“Hey, what’s this?” There was an urgency to Violet’s voice that made me start, smacking my head on the metal shelf above me.
“Ow, what’s what?” Bill had taken the more sensible path of removing his box from the shelf before diving in. We both looked over to the closet. Violet was leaning in up to her waist.
“This.” She stepped back, dust bunnies clinging to her purple hair, and held up a small glass vial. “There’s another back there, too.”
“What is it?” I reached to take it, but Violet was reading the label.
“Just what I thought. How odd. It’s ketamine.” She handed me the bottle and reached in to retrieve another that looked identical.
“The animal tranquilizer?” I read the warning on the label: “for use by a licensed veterinarian.” Bill looked at me and then over to Violet.
“Yeah, Ketasite’s the brand.” She examined the silver seal on top. “It’s pretty common, but we don’t have it laying around. It’s a controlled substance.”
“You don’t think someone used it on Ellis?” I had images of the large cat lying unconscious and being carted away. Drugged and catnapped.
“Why would they?” Violet was examining the label. “This looks unopened. I wonder what the street value of this is?”
“Street value?” I was straining to recall something in the back of my mind, when Bill’s training kicked in.
“Special K. The party drug.” He leaned back on the desk, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Great. Right here in my club.”
I walked over and put my arm around him. He was having a hell of a day, and on not much sleep. “You think someone’s dealing?”
Vi answered for him. “This could just be a personal stash. You dry it, snort it. Though who knows how much was back here. Anything’s possible.”
I couldn’t help it, I thought of Tess. She’d gotten so skinny and yesterday, in the warm sun, she’d had her parka zipped up tight. I didn’t want to think it, but Bill must have seen it on my face.
“Tess has been doing some work for me and, well, things have been going missing.” He rubbed both hands over his face, leaving a gray streak of dirt on his cheek. “Good thing I didn’t have her start on my books.”
“You think Tess was stealing to buy drugs?” Violet wasn’t stupid, but something else was on her mind. Bill shrugged, his face blank, but another idea had flashed through my brain, too.
“You don’t think she bought these.” I held up the pristine bottle. “You’re thinking she stole them from a vet.” The full force of it hit me. “You think Tess got these from the city shelter?” She nodded slowly.
“It’s possible, Theda. I don’t want to believe it either. But somebody was in there early. Maybe she thought the place woul
d be empty.”
“And maybe Tess killed Rachel.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Bill was the first to react. “I need to call some people.” He reached for the phone.
“No, wait.” I put my hand over his. “We don’t know anything. We don’t even know if those belonged to Tess.” They both turned toward me. “Look, I know her history. We all do. But she’s our friend. We have to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“No, Theda.” Bill looked grim as he shook his head. “This could mean my license. The club.”
“But we’re just jumping to conclusions. I mean, think this through. We don’t know Tess put these vials here.” That got me a hard look. “Even if we did, we don’t know where they’re from. How would she have gotten into the city shelter? Into the treatment rooms? Wouldn’t the drugs be locked up?”
Violet shook her head. “These are from a vet’s office. I don’t have this kind of stuff on hand, Theda. And you know how crazy the city shelter gets. Plus, we all know how to buzz ourselves in.”
She was right, I’d done it myself. “And there’s no uniform, nothing to keep her from looking like just another volunteer.” I couldn’t believe I was saying this, but it did seem plausible. “She could even have put on one of her lab coats from the university and nobody would’ve questioned her.”
“Wouldn’t need to. She could’ve worn Francesca’s,” added Violet. “Though I thought she gave it back when she quit.” I looked at her, a question on my lips. “A month ago, at least.” Violet kept talking. “You know, when her cat died?”
“So, a few weeks before Rachel…” I hadn’t realized I’d voiced the thought. “We should find Tess.”
“You should go pick up Musetta.” Bill pushed himself off the desk. “I can’t believe you’ve forgotten about her. Look, I’ll give you a few hours. I’ve got to get this place ready to open, anyway, but that’s it.”
The discovery of the drugs seemed to have driven all worry about Ellis out of Bill’s head, but he lent a hand as we baited and set the traps, one right by the back door, the other further back in the alley. Ellis was an unpredictable feline, but he deserved a good home. I’d come back and help look for him later, once my own pet was safe.
***
I caught sight of myself in Violet’s rear view mirror, all dust and disarray, so when she suggested that I wait outside, I gritted my teeth and agreed. She’d promised me she’d be quick and although I was tempted to ask her to take her time, and to grill the new vet about his connections to Rachel, I wanted Musetta back more. In the meantime, I tried Tess’ lab. She was out, a receptionist told me. Called in sick. No one answered at her apartment, and I left another message. As I waited, I thought about calling Piers. Could he have been lying when he described his last conversation with Rachel? Or was Tess the “old business,” an old friend with a longstanding problem. I hadn’t checked the date on those vials.
Another thought made me catch my breath. Could Piers have been covering for Tess? Could they have been an item, once, in the old days, or were they again? I knew the rules of the program: Tess was supposed to avoid any serious commitments for a year, at least. But she was human, and pretty, too, and he was, well, a boy in a band. I stopped myself. That was the kind of talk people were spreading about me and Piers, too. But, wait, if she were jealous, or just trying to throw people off the track, she might want to divert attention. A word from Tess could start some rumors. A word from any of us could.
“Here she is!” Violet came out holding the carrier high.
“Musetta!” I was so relieved to see my cat I felt myself beaming. “Thanks, Vi.” I looked in at my pet. She was curled up, still groggy, but she opened her mouth for a weak “meh.” “You doing okay in there?”
“She’s fine.” Violet led us back to the van. “She had some bad tartar and the vet has given me a toothbrush and some enzymatic toothpaste.” I hadn’t seen the small bag until she waved it in the air. “Says if you can’t use the toothbrush, just put some of the paste on your finger.”
I looked in at my cat. “Musetta, how hard will you bite me if I try to brush your teeth?” Her eyes were barely open, but I imagined I saw a spark in them. “It beats coming back here, doesn’t it?”
Cats don’t take well to bargaining, and she began to complain on the ride home. Out of consideration, Violet turned down the music. “Everyone’s a critic.”
“I don’t think it’s that, Vi.” I caught her smile. She’d been trying to cheer me up. “We’re good. And I really am grateful that you set this up. I didn’t want her to start losing teeth just because my life is jammed up.”
“We’ll tackle that one next.” Violet sounded so confident, I let myself believe. As she drove, I filled her in on Tess’ absence from work and my latest fears. I’d barely questioned Piers and just let sympathy sway me. “Am I a sucker for a pretty face, Vi?”
“Well, for this little girl.” She nodded back toward the carrier. “But seriously? I still don’t see Piers having any part in this. The rest, well, it’s a possibility. Look, why don’t you spend some time with Musetta? I’ll go over to Tess’ place, see if I can rouse her.”
I paused. Tess had originally been my friend. But maybe she and Violet had more in common these days. Maybe she’d talk to Vi. Besides, I did want to take my cat home and make sure she was comfortable. “Okay, but call me?”
“You got it. And call me, too, if you need anything,” she said as she dropped us off. “Always glad to take a study break.”
I waved and carried my kitty upstairs. Vets always tell you that cats coming out of anesthesia can be disoriented. They say keep them in an enclosed space until they’re fully awake. But my experience with Musetta was that she wanted normalcy as soon as possible. So I put her box down by her food and water dishes, and grabbed the afghan off the sofa to make a soft bed right near by. Then I opened the box and waited for my dear pet to emerge.
“Meh.” Her voice still seemed soft, but that was no surprise. The first time she tried to stand, she wobbled so much she lay back down again. But her nose was busy, sniffing at the air and, after the first few steps, at the afghan.
“Yes, that’s usually on the sofa.” I kept my voice soft. “But let’s not try jumping for a while, okay?” I saw her head for her food, nearly keeling over on the way. But she only lapped at the water a bit and then lay down, hard.
“I should leave you be, shouldn’t I?” I reached to stroke her and she raised her head. “Why don’t I do this?” I lifted her and slid the folded afghan beneath her. That had to be more comfortable than the floor. With a few desultory licks of one paw, she accepted the arrangement and curled up neatly for a nap. When the phone rang, I grabbed it immediately.
“She’s not home, either.” Violet sounded distracted. “I left a note.”
“Do you think we should try to get in?” I could still picture her as I’d found her a few months ago lying on the floor. “At least climb—”
“Up the back to look in from the porch?” Violet was ahead of me. “I did, and nothing. The place looks neat, clean, and absolutely empty.”
I sighed. Had our friend gone on the lam? “You think she’ll turn up? Get in touch?”
“If not, your boyfriend may sic the cops on her.”
With a heavy heart, I let Violet get back to her life. Maybe she’d even study. I sat back to watch Musetta, falling into an almost meditative state. It was so easy to sit there, I barely noticed the afternoon slipping away. My cat’s sides rose evenly as she breathed, and every now and then she’d mutter and kick or get up to readjust.
“Today really wore you out, didn’t it kitty?” As I sat there, she began to twitch, paws and mouth moving in a dream hunt. But when she turned around and settled into a deeper, calmer sleep, leaving me with only a view of her broad black back, I began to feel like I needed a burst of activity of my own. With a little effort, I rose. I really needed to start running again, regularly, and considered my options. It h
ad been so long since I’d had a Monday without a column to write, I felt at loose ends. It wasn’t yet five, early enough still to call Pilchard and tell him my suspicions about the new vet. But if I did, I should also let him know about the drugs and about Tess.
No, once my lawyer heard about her past, he’d put her in the spotlight. I needed to wait, at least until Violet or I had heard her side of the story. At the very least, she might be a friend in need. Even Bill had agreed to hold off, and suddenly I knew what I needed to do.
“Musetta, will you be okay if I leave you for a while?” In response, one ear twitched. “There’s another cat who might need our help.” Nothing. So I grabbed my jacket and left for Bill’s.
***
The hearty welcome I got was due more to the pizzas I carried than to any help I could offer. But I checked the two traps and put down some cat treats as additional bait, before returning inside to grab a slice. Bill, by that point, had finished searching every nook and cranny of the store room.
“I even went through the basement, Theda.” He leaned over the bar to tear off another slice. Nothing diminished his appetite, but I could tell he was distraught. At least he no longer mentioned calling his former colleagues. “Nothing. No trace.”
I shook my head. “We’ll find him, Bill. Tomorrow, I’ll go out looking.” Tomorrow, I promised myself, I’d also find Tess, or come clean with Bill about her going missing. I’d also go for a run and eat something other than pizza. “He’s a big cat. He can take care of himself.”
“Who can?” Ralph had shown up and reached for a slice like it was his right. Bill turned to get him a beer.
“Bill’s cat has gone missing.” I didn’t know how much about Ellis was public knowledge, or if cats might be almost as contraband as drugs. Were there health codes limiting feline bar employment? “But, hey, we never finished our conversation.”
Ralph looked up, eyes wide. Trapped. “What else can I tell you?” He wiped cheese from his chin. Bill rolled his eyes and walked down the bar. The early crowd had begun to gather. I heard laughter.