by Patricia Fry
"Oh, how cute. Her fur is kind of fluffy. She has more white than Rags, but yeah, similar markings. How'd she do with the bath?" she asked.
"She seems to like water like Rags does. Well, you saw her put her paws in her water bowl earlier…" he said. He sat down at the table with Savannah and Lily and continued rubbing the kitten dry with the small plush towel Bernice's cook had given him. He offered the kitten a saucer of water and portioned out a little of the cat food on a napkin. She ate every bite and drank her fill of water.
"Whatcha gonna have, Michael?" Bernice asked. "Have you had a chance to look at the menu? Corned beef hash is the special this morning," she said enticingly. "—but it's close to noon if you'd rather have lunch."
"I'll have the corned beef hash," Michael said. "By the way, thanks for the use of your soap and water. Want to see the difference it made?" he asked, lifting an edge of the blanket on his lap and exposing the kitten.
"Oh isn't that a sweet one," Bernice said. "Grey and white, huh? Never would have guessed about the white. She's a cute one—look at those great eyes—almost too big for her face, like Sophia Loren." She slapped Michael lightly on the shoulder. "That's her name, Sophia Loren, okay?"
Savannah and Michael laughed. After Bernice had walked away to put in the order, Savannah said, "Sophie. I like it."
"I hope your mother likes it, too," Michael said as if making a point. He looked seriously at Savannah. "You aren't thinking of keeping her, are you?"
"Well, I thought you were," she said. "You're the one all attached to her and feeding her."
Once they'd finished the meal, Michael said, "Savannah would you pay the bill? I can't get to my wallet."
"Why not?" she asked.
Michael stared down at his lap and then smiled up at Savannah.
She shook her head, smirking. There, curled up on the baby's blanket was little Sophia sleeping as contentedly as any devoted housecat.
"Michael, before we take off, I want to feed Lily. Can we just sit out there in the car and watch the ocean while she has her brunch?" she suggested.
"Sure thing," he said.
Once back in the car, while Lily was eating, Michael held up his cell phone and said, "Hey, hon, look at this."
"What?" she asked trying to look at the screen from the backseat.
"It's Rags on one of Bonnie's cameras," he said.
She squinted to make out the images. "It is? Oh yes, I see him in his Egyptian-cat pose watching something. But I don't see Buffy. Where's Buffy?" she asked.
"Well, I think I can change cameras and…oh, there she is. Oops, she's using the litter box." He laughed. "Bonnie shouldn't have a camera in their bathroom."
"Well, she'll be in there for a while. I've never known a cat to spend so much time digging before and after her deposits," she said, chuckling.
Michael laughed. "Her deposits? That's funny."
"Well…" Savannah said. She then asked, "Can you see the other two?"
"Um," he said, touching his phone screen. "Oh, there's Lexie curled up in her bed and I think I see Walter's tail sticking out from under that little tent thing they have rigged up for him. I told Bonnie he likes hanging out in tents." He turned off his phone and said, "They all look content."
"Shhh, so is Lily. She's sound asleep. Let me get her buckled in and we can be on our way. Where's the kitten?" she asked once she'd buckled her own seatbelt.
"Cozy on the seat there in Lily's blanket."
Savannah leaned forward and peeked at her. "Awww. Mom's going to love her."
"I kinda hope not," Michael said quietly.
"Did you say what I think you said?"
"Uh, no. I don't think so," Michael said innocently.
****
"Hi Mom. Ohhhh, it's good to see you," Savannah said.
"I'm so glad you're here and the baby…let me see the baby! Come here precious. Bob, come look at this. Is this the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?"
"She sure is a pretty thing, Gladys. Real pretty." The portly man winked at Savannah and Michael and said, "Takes after her grandmother."
"Oh, Bob," Gladys said, laughing.
"Hi Savannah," Bob said, giving her a quick hug. "Nice to see you again." He turned to Michael, who was loaded up with baby items. "Can I help you there, Michael?" he asked.
"Sure. There are just a couple-hundred other things we absolutely had to bring just in case…" He winked. "Ever travel with a baby, Bob?" he asked as he returned from the spare room after depositing a couple of suitcases.
"Yeah, a time or two," he said, as the two men stepped outside. "He wiped one hand over his balding head. "But that was before they invented all these special contraptions. We had a crib, a highchair, and a playpen. Oh, and an aluminum stroller with—what—five-inch wheels?" He shook his head. "Times have changed." He chuckled. "Heck, when I was a kid, we didn't have booster chairs. When my younger sister took over the highchair, they put a big old dictionary on a kitchen chair so I could reach the dinner table. Michael, that thing must have been six inches thick."
"Yes, times have changed," Michael said, handing Bob an armload of blankets and a package a diapers from the back of the SUV. Michael picked up the portable crib and the little box on the front seat of the car and the two men returned to the house.
Michael noticed that Savannah was changing the baby, so he held the box out toward Gladys. "Careful with that," he said. "There's a kitten inside."
Gladys laughed. "Like you'd bring a kitten all this way."
"Look inside," he suggested.
Everyone watched as Gladys carefully opened the box. When she caught sight of something furry and saw it move, she let out a screech. Bob caught the box with the kitten still in it, just as it bobbled in her hands.
"It really is a kitten," she said, taking another look. "Hi there," she cooed.
Savannah picked up Lily and walked over to where her mother stood. "That's Sophia. She'd like to stay here with you and Bob." She put one arm around her mother's shoulders and said, "Happy birthday, Mom."
Gladys scoffed. "It's not my birthday. And I don't have time for a cat, Savannah. You're not serious, are you?" she asked in a scolding manner. "Where did you get this, anyway? Did you bring it all the way from home?"
"No, Mom, we found her on our way. She travels nicely. Seems to be a sweet little thing."
Gladys took the kitten out of the box and held her. "She's thin," she said frowning.
"Yes," Michael said. "We don't know how long she's been fasting. But we got some food in her earlier. She's a good eater. Uh-oh, do you know what she hasn't done for a while?"
"Oh yeah," Savannah said. "Michael why don't you just take her out in the yard. We can get some litter and a small tray later. I think we should buy her some kitten food, too. It will be gentler on her system."
****
That night, little Sophie slept curled up on Michael's pillow. She woke up only briefly around midnight, when Lily fussed, but went back to sleep before Savannah had finished changing the baby's diaper. Once Lily was dry, Savannah sat with her in an overstuffed chair next to the bed and began feeding her. She couldn't help but smile at the miniature version of Rags snoozing peacefully next to her husband. That's when she noticed Michael's phone plugged in nearby. I wonder what Rags is doing? She turned on the app for the cameras and prepared to view the images. The animals are probably all sleeping soundly at this time of night. I hope I can see them. She waited and watched the screen as the images came into view. It's kind of dark. Oh, there's Rags. Why is he so wide awake? She smiled. Well, cats are nocturnal by nature. She looked over at little Sophie. I guess she doesn't know that yet. She's sure snoozing away.
Savannah looked more closely at the phone screen. What's Rags doing? She wondered. He appears to be intently watching something. Hey, he's in the outdoor enclosure. That's not right. Bonnie puts them inside at night. How'd he get out there? Dang. There's Buffy with him. Wait, is that someone outside the pen? She strained to see
who it was. Maybe it's Barney. What's he doing? No, that's not Barney. The hands are white. Oh my gosh, he has wire cutters. He's cutting the wire. He's going to let the cats out!
Chapter 3
"Michael! Michael!" Savannah called in hushed tones. She lowered Lily into her portable crib and rushed to where her husband slept. "Michael, wake up," she said shaking him.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Someone's cutting the wire on the cats' pen," she said.
"What?" he said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "What cats?"
"Look, it's on the camera at Bonnie's. See…that guy has wire cutters and he's trying to cut through the pen. I'm calling Bonnie right now," she said, locating the number and pushing the call button on Michael's phone.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"After midnight."
"Why are the cats outside?" he asked.
"That's what I'd like to know," Savannah said as she paced and waited for someone to pick up.
"Oh Barney, hi," she said, her voice an octave or two higher than usual. "This is Savannah. Hey, there's a problem out in the cat pen. I was looking at the camera and I see someone cutting the wire. Barney," her voice accelerated, she said, "he's trying to take our cats."
"What?" Barney said, sounding groggy. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure, would you go check on them—and hurry!" She sat on the edge of the bed next to Michael, who was now sitting up.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment and then Barney said, "I'll call you back, Savannah."
"Please do."
She pulled up the camera images once again and watched as the intruder suddenly turned, dropped the wire cutters and started to retreat. He wasn't fast enough, however. "Michael, it looks like Barney caught him. I can see two bodies moving around—fighting, I think. Look at Rags—he's pacing and walking in circles on that raised platform. He seems upset. Hey wait, I don't see Buffy." She switched to another camera. "There's Lexie. Looks like she's barking. Good girl, Lexie." She went to another camera. "I still don't see Buffy. Oh wait. Is that her? Michael, she's outside the pen! Oh no. No wonder Rags is so agitated. That guy got her out of the pen," Savannah squealed.
Just then, they heard a knock on their bedroom door. "Honey, is everything all right?"
"Come in, Mom," Savannah called. "There's a problem with our cats."
"The kitten?" she asked, concern in her voice.
"No, our cats at home. Someone let Buffy out."
Gladys looked confused. "How do you know that, dear, is it a psychic thing? You don't really believe in that do you?"
"No, Mom, we're looking at a real-time camera in the cats' pen at our friends' boarding kennels. Someone was trying to let the cats out of their pen," Savannah said without looking up from the phone screen. "Barney is scuffling with him. I see an arm, then a leg and someone's back. But where did Buffy go? Oh let our sweet Buffy be okay." She looked up briefly. "I wish there was sound."
"I guess cameras with sound would be more expensive," Michael said.
"Oh, that's Bonnie," Savannah said, putting the phone up to her ear.
"Michael?" Bonnie said.
"No it's me," Savannah responded. "What's going on?" she asked sounding panicked.
Bonnie whispered, "Barney's fighting with someone. Oh Savannah, I'm so scared."
"Bonnie, I think Buffy got out or that creep took her out."
"Oh no." She hesitated. "Don't worry, Savannah, we'll get her back."
"She doesn't know where she is; she'll get disoriented," Savannah practically shouted.
"She won't go too far away from Rags will she?"
"Probably not. What's wrong with Bella?" Savannah asked. "Is that her barking?"
"Yes, Barney said to keep her in and she's going crazy. I called 9-1-1 and they said to stay inside until they get here. It's taking them so long. I can see Barney out there on top of someone. Oh Savannah, I wish the sheriff would get here. Wait. I hear them. They're here. Hold on."
Savannah heard Bonnie speak to someone. She came back on the phone. "I hear shouting. I don't know what's going on. Stay on the phone with me, will you, Savannah?"
"I'm not going anywhere," Savannah said into the phone. "What's happening? Can you see anything?"
There was silence. Then Bonnie said, "The sheriffs just flooded the area with lights. I can see Barney. Thank God he's okay. The sheriffs have their guns drawn. Oh no—the guy must have gotten away—they appear to be looking for him." There was more dead air. "Savannah, Barney's coming this way. He has something in his arms. Just a minute. Can you hold on?"
"Yes." She looked up and saw Michael and her mother staring at her in anticipation. Just then, Lily began to fuss and Gladys walked over to the portable crib and lifted her out of it. She sat down in the overstuffed chair and held the baby close.
When Bonnie returned to the phone, she said, "Savannah, Barney just brought Buffy to me. Poor thing is frightened, but otherwise she's fine. I have her on my lap right now with a blanket around her."
"Thank God," Savannah said. She looked up at Michael. "Buffy's okay." Then into the phone, she said, "Yes, Buffy likes to burrow. She feels more secure when she can burrow like that. Oh thank you, Bonnie. I'm so glad she's safe." She hesitated. "What about the others? And the guy—did they arrest him?"
Bonnie took in a deep breath. "He got away. They're looking for him now. The other animals are okay. We don't know how Rags and Buffy ended up in the outdoor pen. We secured them inside before dark last night."
Savannah chuckled. "Well, I just remembered something. Rags has been known to breach security before. It could be that he opened the kitty door. I used to have one for him and had to put a lock on it. I'd forgotten about that, or I would have mentioned it. Dang, he's a handful." She paused. "What do you think that guy was after?"
"I got the impression he wanted Buffy. I'll know more once I have a chance to talk to Barney."
"Are you okay now, Bonnie?" Savannah asked.
"Yeah. I think so. Looks like the excitement's over for now. I'll let you go. I want to spend some quiet time with Buffy. Then Barney will move her and Rags until he can repair the pen. I'll make sure he puts a tamper-proof lock on that kitty door."
"Thanks, Bonnie. Give Buffy a hug for me. And would you have Barney call me when he comes in? I'll be waiting up."
"Yes."
Eighteen minutes later, Michael's phone rang. Savannah, who'd just finished nursing the baby, quickly put it up to her ear. "Michael?" the voice said.
"No, it's Savannah. Barney, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I guess. Sure am glad you checked those cameras when you did. I'm still flabbergasted as to how your cats jimmied the cat door. That big one must be some sort of magician."
"Yeah, he's pretty clever. It's my fault. I should have warned you. It's been a while since we've had a kitty door and I forgot about his special talents with them. Sorry about that. But at least you know who's been taking your livestock, right?"
Barney didn't respond. Finally he said, "Not exactly. We scuffled, but he got away without me getting a good look at him. I know he's white and he's not a very big guy. Oh, and I noticed a nasty gash on the inside of his right wrist. I think one of your cats may have grabbed him. It was bleeding a lot."
"Probably Rags. He has strong claws and he knows how to use them. I'm glad we didn't trim them before we left—he's due." She lowered her voice a little. "Barney, are you all right?"
"Yeah, just mad as hell that he got away. The sheriff's deputy will come by in the morning and take another look around in the daylight to see if this guy left any kind of trail."
"How's Buffy?" she asked.
"She's just fine. Bonnie has her in here with us tonight. She's all comfy in her foo-foo bed. I hope you don't mind. We'll take her out to be with the other cats in the morning."
"Mind? Not at all. We appreciate you taking such good care of her…only…"
"Only what, Savannah?"
/> "Only I'm concerned that Rags is worried about her. I saw him pacing when she was missing."
"Yeah, he seemed pretty upset," Barney said. "Before I brought her in, I took her over so Rags could see her and smell her. I told him I was going to take good care of her. He seemed to settle down."
There was dead air. Barney said, "Savannah?"
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracking with sobs. "I'm just so grateful they're okay."
"I'm glad you checked those cameras. You're a better watchdog than Bella," he said with a laugh.
"So what did he say?" Michael asked when Savannah ended the call.
Savannah looked at Michael, who was sitting on the edge of the bed in his pajama bottoms wriggling his fingers in an attempt to engage the kitten, and Gladys, who was sitting in the chair holding Lily. "Well, Rags evidently opened the kitty door and he and Buffy were enjoying a night out on the town when the rustler spotted them and decided to take a cat this time. Barney thinks he had his eye on Buffy. In fact, she got out or he took her out, but they caught her and she's sleeping inside with Bonnie and Barney tonight. Rags is in solitary confinement in another pen and they put a lock on the kitty door. The sheriffs will be back in the morning to continue their investigation—see if they can find any clues. Oh, and it appears that Rags got his claws into the rustler big-time. Barney said there was blood everywhere."
Michael picked up Sophie and snuggled with her for a moment. "Good boy, Rags. He was probably trying to protect Buffy. Poor girl. She must have been terrified."
"That's the fluffy lap-cat?" Gladys asked.
Savannah nodded. She grinned and said, "Barney just might have to fire Bella and hire Rags for his security team."
Gladys and Michael laughed.
"Well, what do you say, we go back to sleep?" Michael suggested.
"I'll try," Savannah said. "I'm pretty wide awake. Is the baby asleep, Mom?"
Gladys looked down at the child. "Yes," she said with a smile. "She's sound asleep. I'll put her in her bed. Vannie, I'm not sleepy, either." After she'd kissed Lily and laid her in her little bed, Gladys turned to Savannah and said, "Want some hot cocoa…with marshmallows?"