by Patricia Fry
The sergeant checked something on his cell phone. “Well, then I guess this is Tinker Bell. She’s missing too, you know.”
“That is not Tinker Bell,” Michael said. “She’s Buffy, she’s our cat, and I have documents to prove it. If you’ll just let me go to the car, I’ll show you health documents for all of our pets.”
The sergeant scowled. “Yeah, I know your kind. …good at forging things like that.”
“Wait,” Savannah said. She picked up her phone off the table. “Look, I have pictures of her on my phone dating back at least four years.”
The sergeant thought for a moment, then said, “Not our job. You can show your pictures to the judge. Stand up,” he said, removing a pair of handcuffs from his duty belt.
“Oh my gosh. No,” Savannah protested. “You can’t be serious. Please, check out our story. We’re not making this up. We haven’t done anything wrong.”
The sergeant clasped the cuffs around Savannah’s wrists and helped her to sit down on the picnic bench, facing away from Gladys. He motioned for Officer Clausen to cuff Michael.
“Good Lord,” Michael muttered, as she cuffed him and helped him ease down next to Savannah. He shook his head. “This can’t be happening.
After going through some of the papers in the case, the sergeant gazed in the direction of the Ivey’s car. “What’s in the trailer? More cats?” he asked.
“Certainly not!” Savannah insisted.
“Hon,” Michael said as calmly as he could manage, “why don’t you let me do the talking.”
She tightened her lips and glared at the sergeant as he made sure all the papers, including the one Rags had taken earlier, were in the case. He closed it.
“Animal control’s on the way,” Moraga announced.
In the meantime, the sergeant focused on Gladys. “Are you part of this gang of cat thieves?”
“Good heaven’s no. And they aren’t cat thieves, either!” she shouted. “My daughter was simply trying to return these things to the rightful owner.”
The sergeant looked at her for a moment, then scratched his head. “So you say this came flying out of a car and you ran into it, then retrieved it from the side of the road?”
All three of them nodded.
“Let me show you the dent it put in our car,” Michael offered, making a move to stand.
“Sit!” Officer Clausen demanded.
“That won’t prove anything,” the sergeant said. He stared at Savannah for a moment, then said to Michael, “Stand up.” When Michael complied, the sergeant removed the cuffs from his wrists, saying, “Meet us at the station and I’d suggest you bring your attorney.”
Michael exchanged looks with Savannah. “Listen to me,” he said to the sergeant, “what can I show you as proof of who we are?”
“Tell it to the judge,” the sergeant said. He nodded toward Officer Clausen. “Put her in the squad car.”
“Wait, where’s the police station?” Michael asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking.
The sergeant handed him a card. “But don’t expect her to get a bail hearing until sometime tomorrow.”
“Good lord,” Michael said. He looked at Teddy, who was starting to squirm in his baby seat. “She’s nursing our son, for heaven’s sake. You can’t take her away from our baby.”
The sergeant stared at him. “Do you want a charge of obstructing justice, sir? Don’t you think we’ve heard it all?”
As the officer began to lead Savannah away, Lily started crying, “Mommy. Mommy.”
Savannah looked back with tears in her eyes.
Michael took their daughter from Gladys and told Savannah, “Don’t worry, honey. It’ll be okay. Don’t worry, now.”
Once Officer Clausen had helped Savannah ease into the backseat of the police car, she stepped into the passenger seat. The sergeant opened the driver’s door and handed the black case to Officer Clausen. Before being seated, however, he picked up his car radio. “Portola here. Oh. Is that right? Um… well… if you say so, Captain. Okay, but… but… yeah, okay. Got it.” He replaced the radio and looked down at his feet. He then glanced at Officer Clausen. “That was the captain. He said they got the extortionist.” Grimacing, he opened the back door of his police unit and helped Savannah out of the car, promptly removing the cuffs. He called out. “Moraga, you can call off animal control.”
Meanwhile, Savannah rubbed her wrists and joined Michael, who put his free arm around her. When Lily reached out for her, she took the toddler and Michael held both of them close. He glared at the sergeant, obviously waiting for an explanation.
After clearing his throat rather nervously, the sergeant said, “It seems that the cat thieves stopped at a gas station forty miles or so east of here and some woman in there recognized them as troublemakers at these cat shows they have. When she poked around and saw a couple of those Himalayan-type cats in the back of these people’s car… ” Portola glanced down at his shoes. “… well, the citizen did a little spying and overheard the couple arguing about who lost the satchel of paperwork on the Ogilvie’s cats.” He looked at Michael and Savannah. “Sorry, folks. But when the victim reported your call, we thought…”
“Why would you expect them to call Ms. Ogilvie if they had the cats?” Michael challenged. “Sounds to me as if it was theft, pure and simple.”
The sergeant’s eyes widened. “Naw. These folks had already contacted Ms. Ogilvie asking for money—you know, ransom for the cats. They would have most likely taken the money and run—probably abroad, where they could show the cats or sell them or whatever cat thieves do.”
Michael stared at the sergeant, his mind filled with things he would like to say. Instead, he took a deep breath. “Well, if we’re through here, we need to get back on the road. And don’t expect us to stop in your unfriendly town again anytime soon.”
“Amen,” Savannah said. She approached her mother, who was comforting Teddy. She kissed Lily and placed her on the tabletop next to Gladys, then took Teddy into her arms. “I’ll feed him now,” she said, heading to the car for privacy.
Meanwhile, after watching Sergeant Portola and Officer Clausen drive away, Michael lifted Buffy from the portable pen and secured her in a carrier. He folded the pen and slipped it into the car. He motioned for Lexie to hop up into the back of the car. Gladys cleared the table and gathered up the cloth and other items they stored in their picnic basket. She started to lead Lily to the car when she noticed Michael staring across the grassy expanse. She approached him. “What’s wrong, Michael?”
“Rags,” he said. “Is he in the car?” He turned and headed in that direction. “Savannah, did Rags get in there with you?”
“Not that I know of.” She craned her neck to look around her, then asked, “Oh no, you can’t find him?”
Michael ran his hand through his hair, then kneeled to look under the car.
“Problem, sir?” Officer Moraga asked, before heading toward his squad car.
With a feeling of dread, Michael said, “One of our cats is missing. Darn it anyway. Rags!” he called.
The policeman glanced around the area. “Could he have climbed that tree? Or maybe he’s in the shrubbery,” he suggested. “Hopefully, he didn’t head into that tract over there or the woods yonder. Here, let me help you look for him.”
After the men had spent several minutes searching for Rags, Savannah stepped out of the car and tenderly placed the baby in his car seat.
“Finished?” Gladys asked.
“Yeah, he ate pretty well, actually—then he fell asleep. He’s a sleepy little guy today.”
“He’ll probably be wide awake when you want to sleep tonight,” Gladys quipped.
Without responding, Savannah asked, “Mom, will you stay with the children? I’ll go help Michael look for the cat. Darned cat,” she said under her breath.
When she saw Michael checking under the shrubs, she headed toward the wooded area. “I’ll ta
ke a look out near the tract,” Officer Moraga said. He called out, “He’s mostly gray, right?”
“Yes, and he’s dragging a leash.” Michael glanced at the officer. “Thanks, we can use all the help we can get with that cat.”
“It’s the least I can do after…” he started.
Fifteen minutes had passed when the searchers returned, defeated.
“You didn’t find him?” Gladys asked from the car, where she sat sideways in the front seat with the door open, watching Lily pick dandelions.
Michael shook his head.
Savannah stood with her hands on her hips looking around. She asked, “How did he get loose, anyway? I saw you hook his leash under that table leg.”
“The table must have gotten moved somehow,” Michael suggested. He thinned his lips as he recalled, “Yeah, that sergeant moved it when he was trying to get to Rags.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Dang it!”
“I guess the sergeant didn’t realize…” Moraga started.
“No one does,” Savannah lamented.
After a few minutes as they each silently considered a strategy, the officer chuckled. “You know, I heard about a cat west of here in California that actually works with the police department in solving crimes. There was a story about him in our county law-enforcement newsletter.”
Suddenly Savannah lurched forward and shouted. “There he is!” She squinted into the distance. “That’s him, isn’t it? Come on, Rags!” she called.
Michael shaded his eyes. “Yes, that’s him. What’s he got?”
Everyone watched as the cat trotted toward them, his head held high because he was dragging something between his legs.
Savannah momentarily covered her eyes. “Do I really want to know?” When the wily cat approached her seconds later, however, she noticed, “Hey, he doesn’t have anything, do you, Rags?” She picked him up and looked across the terrain. “Were we just imagining things?”
Meanwhile, the officer trotted in the direction the cat had come from and returned carrying a woman’s handbag. “He had this,” he said, holding it out for Savannah to see. “Is it yours?” When she shook her head, he turned the purse over a couple of times, then opened it and removed a credit-card case, exclaiming, “Uh-oh! Well, will you look at this?” He immediately spoke into his radio. “Moraga here, I have something belonging to a missing person. Remember that Angela Wilson case? We just found her pocketbook. I’d like to request backup to investigate.” He paused, then continued, “Yes, a woman’s purse with her ID inside. A cat found it. Yes, a cat.” After ending the call, he grinned widely and pointed. “Did I hear you call him Rags?” When Savannah nodded, he said, “Well, I’ll be darned. That’s the cat I read about in that article.” He cocked his head. “So you know Craig Sledge, do you?”
Savannah nodded. “Yeah, he’s a friend of ours.”
“Well, I’ve met the detective a time or two. They interviewed him in that article.” He grinned at her. “So this is Rags, the cat in that article, right?”
She let out a sigh. “Yes, this is Rags, the celebrated klepto cat.”
The officer smiled. “Can I get a picture of him? How about if you take a picture of me with him? Would you do that?”
“I guess,” Savannah said. “Just don’t let go of him.”
“What are you doing, Moraga?” a female officer asked as she approached a few minutes later.
Her partner began to laugh. “I don’t believe it. You’re taking a selfie with a cat?”
“Hey, you guys, this is Rags,” Officer Moraga said. “This cat has solved more crimes than either of you two put together.”
The other officers looked at him suspiciously and the woman asked, “Have you been drinking on the job?”
“I’m telling you, he has a talent. He found this purse. It belongs to the girl who went missing last month.” He lowered Rags to the ground and handed Savannah the leash.
The woman officer glanced at Savannah, then Gladys. “It’s not your purse?”
Savannah shook her head and walked closer to examine it. “Looks like it’s been in the dirt for a while.”
“Sure does,” Moraga said. He stepped back. “Mr. and Mrs. Ivey… um… ” he stammered,
“Michael and Savannah Ivey,” Michael said. “And my mother-in-law, Gladys.”
He smiled. “These are officers Jessica Bailey and Hank Grabowski.”
Everyone nodded politely. In the meantime, Officer Moraga studied Savannah, then looked down at Rags. “Do you think he’ll lead us to where he found this?”
Michael shook his head in protest. “Hey, we need to get back on the road.”
“It might help us to solve a month-old case,” he pleaded. When it appeared as though the Iveys weren’t interested in participating, he threatened, “We could subpoena the cat.”
Michael stiffened. Then, seeing the grin on the officer’s face, he relaxed. “Okay. Let’s see what he’ll show us.” Moraga reached for the leash, but Michael stopped him. “You’d better let my wife take him. He might not cooperate for you.”
The officer looked at Rags, then at Michael and Savannah. “Sure. Let’s see where he’ll lead us.”
Savannah reluctantly agreed. She turned to Gladys, who now held Lily in her arms. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Gladys nodded. “That’s okay. She’s fading fast. Should be asleep soon.”
After several minutes, Officer Bailey chuckled. “It appears that we’re just indulging his folly.” When her partner looked confused, she explained, “He’s playing with us—taking us in circles.”
“That’s what a cat does,” Savannah said. “They rarely take a direct route anywhere. Even inside their home, a cat will often veer off course to walk around something or over something rather than walk in a straight line. It could be a throwback from their ancestors in the wilds—a ploy to keep their predators guessing. When Rags has a choice, it’s back and forth, around, up, down, and circles.” Just then she noticed something. “He seems to want to go into that yard.”
“It looks like the place is abandoned.” Officer Grabowski noted.
Moraga nodded. “Yeah, let him go in there.”
When Rags started to jump up onto a gate into the backyard of the abandoned home, Savannah said, “No, Rags. How about if we open it?”
“If it’s not locked,” Grabowski said. He motioned for Savannah to stand back and he opened the gate. “Good God,” he muttered. “Looks like this is some sort of litter box for the neighborhood cats. Hi, kitty,” he cooed to a small black-and white cat crouched under a dead shrub across the yard. He glanced at a pair of tabby cats huddled together on the patio against a sliding-glass door. Two additional cats raced up and over a portion of the fence that had collapsed. “Do you think this is where he found that purse?”
Officer Bailey kneeled and examined the area more closely. She pointed. “There’s a piece of fabric and a hairbrush. This stuff could belong to the missing girl.” She looked up at Officer Moraga. “Did she live in this area?”
“No. But she worked the evening shift at a department store in that mall across the highway there. Co-workers said she left at closing time, and her parents reported her missing the following morning.”
Grabowski looked around. “Hey, I’ll go get a shovel out of the car.”
“Can we go now?” Michael asked.
“Wait, hon,” Savannah said quietly, “I want to see what they find.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Yeah,” Officer Moraga said, “you folks can go. I think this here’s what we’ve been looking for.” He started to turn away, then changed his mind. He offered his hand. “Hey, thanks for your help.” He looked at Michael, then Savannah. “Again, on behalf of the department, I want to apologize for…” Michael waved him off and the officer said, “Well, I hope the rest of your trip is smooth sailing.”
Michael nodded, then he and Savannah stepped back and waited patiently until the officer
s had uncovered the secret they all feared was buried at their feet.
****
“Hi Keith,” Michael greeted into his phone the following morning as he leaned against a railing outside a breakfast house somewhere in Nevada.
“Hey, how’s it going? Where are you guys?”
“I just finished breakfast. The others are still eating. I’m afraid we’re not making very good time. I figure we’re still more than ten hours away. We may not pull in until Wednesday morning.”
“That’s okay. We’re not going anywhere. What’s the holdup, Michael? Are the kids cranky little travelers? Sometimes it can be challenging.”
“No, the kids have been good campers. It’s… um… well, you’re not going to believe this, but Savannah almost got arrested yesterday.”
After a few moments of silence, Keith laughed guardedly. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No.”
“What did she do, cut in front of someone in line at a mini-mart?” he asked, laughing in earnest now. “Was it road rage?”
“No,” Michael said. “A briefcase flew out of a car or off of a car while we were driving along on the freeway and it hit us. We retrieved the case and Savannah called the phone number on the stuff inside there in an attempt to return it to its rightful owner. You can imagine our surprise when police officers arrived where we were having a picnic and accused her of extortion and theft.”
“Extortion and theft?” Keith repeated.
“Yes. Would you believe they thought she stole a couple of Himalayan cats? When the cops spotted Buffy, she almost got arrested too.”
Keith thought about what he’d just heard, then said, “Hey, Michael, you don’t have to make up such an outrageous excuse for being late. It really doesn’t matter.”
“Wait, Keith; there’s more. Before we could leave that town, Rags discovered something that allegedly belonged to a missing person and the officers wouldn’t let us go until Rags showed them where he’d found it. They said if we didn’t stay, they’d subpoena Rags. What could we do?”