by Patricia Fry
"We're thinking about it. We're just not sure she'd be comfortable with several children in the room at once." She adjusted Lily's little socks and then said, "Oh, Glenda—I don't think I told you—there's a documentary filming crew coming here to film Rags and we'd like to get some video of the cats and kids in the reading program. What do you think?"
"Documentary? Wow!"
"Yeah, they're interested in filming Rags because of his…um…contributions…to some of the recent criminal cases, and I thought we could work in some publicity for the reading program, as well."
Glenda raised her eyebrows and looked down at Rags, who was now sitting a distance away staring back at her. "That ought to be fun to watch. Sure, we would welcome some positive publicity for the library and for the reading program."
****
Two days later, Savannah left Lily at Margaret's while she and Rags went to their first reading session. Two Alliance members met her there with their cats. Colbi brought Dolly, her eight-month-old tabby kitten, in a small cat tote, and Janice carried her angora cat into the library in her arms. The white angora wore a harness and a leash.
The women had arrived early so the cats could become familiar with the place before being introduced to the students. Glenda pointed the way to the secret garden. Once inside the enclosed courtyard, Savannah opened the door to Rags's carrier. He stepped out and immediately began investigating. Using most of his senses, he examined, sniffed, listened, and felt his way around the courtyard, tasting a few bugs and weeds along the way. Dolly was more fascinated with her old buddy Rags than with her surroundings. She tagged along behind him, batting at his tail every once in a while and playfully attacking his back legs. Janice's angora Bayley, was content just to lie in her lap, casually observing the other two cats.
After several minutes, Glenda peered into the secret room. She noticed Rags sprawled across the seat of the whimsical throne replica batting at one of the many colorful decorations adhered to it. She grinned. "What's he doing, trying to remove that big daisy?"
"Who knows?" Savannah said.
The librarian glanced across the courtyard and noticed that Bayley was still comfy on Janice's lap. "Where's the other cat?" she asked.
"Playing hide-and-seek," Colbi said, motioning toward a large potted plant with drooping leaves. Just then, Glenda spotted the young tabby pawing at a leaf, a cobweb draped over her ears.
"Looks like she's been where no duster has been before," Glenda said with a chuckle. She asked Savannah, "Okay if I bring in the children?"
Savannah looked at the other two women, who both nodded. "I think we're ready," she said.
Glenda opened the door wide and walked through it. Three students strolled in behind her—all of them full of curiosity as they glanced around the room. Glenda put her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Ladies, this is Jerome," she said. "He's nine." She turned to one of the girls. "This young lady is Gloria, and," she nodded toward the third child, "this is Jasmine. They're both eight."
The three women acknowledged the children with wide smiles.
"Savannah, I'll let you take it from here," Glenda said, just before slipping out through the door and back into the library.
"Hi kids, I'm Savannah and this is Rags."
"Rags?" Jerome said crinkling up his nose.
"Yes, it's short for Ragsdale."
"Ohhhh," the two girls remarked.
"This is Colbi and her kitten. Dolly's only eight months old."
"My baby sister's eight months old," Gloria said excitedly. Then she frowned. "Sometimes I'd rather have a kitten."
The three women attempted to stifle a laugh.
"The white cat on Janice's lap over there is Bayley. She's a lot older than Dolly."
"How old?" Jerome asked
Janice responded. "In cat years, she's fourteen. But in people years, she's around the age of your great-grandparents."
"Whoa," Jerome said.
"My grandparents died," Gloria commented.
"How old is that?" asked Jasmine shyly.
"Seventy-six or eighty," Janice said.
Savannah took the stage again. "Okay students, what we're going to do today is read to cats."
Gloria made a face. "I don't like to read."
"But our cats would love to hear you read. Won't you please read a story to them?"
The students nodded obediently. Jasmine knelt down and began petting Rags, who had left the chair and sidled up to the girl. He sniffed her face and her hair and she giggled. "He tickles," she said.
Jerome plopped down on the whimsical chair.
"Did you each bring a book with you?" Savannah asked.
"I did," Jerome said.
Jasmine nodded and held up her book.
Savannah pointed. "Gloria, there are some books on that table, if you'd like to choose one."
Once the children each had a book in their hands, Savannah said, "Now we need to be quiet and calm so we don't frighten the cats. I want you to find a comfortable place to read. It might be over there in the corner under that tree, or you can lie on the bench or sit on the floor on these colorful pillows." Look, there's Dolly lying in the sunshine in that big flower pot."
Everyone laughed.
"One of you might like to pull a chair over near her and read your story to her."
"I have a book about a puppy," Jasmine said.
"I'll bet she'd love to hear that story, Jasmine. Why don't you go sit near her and begin reading." Savannah glanced at the other children. "Jerome, I see that you're engaging Rags. Would you like to read your story to him?"
"Yeah, okay," he said without much enthusiasm.
"Gloria, that sweet angora cat Bayley doesn't have a partner. Would you like to have her sit on your lap while you read?"
Her eyes lit up. "Yes!"
Soon the children seemed to feel somewhat comfortable reading out loud to the cats, and they began to relax. The three women walked to the far side of the courtyard and watched inconspicuously.
After a few minutes, Savannah noticed that Jerome was distracted. She walked over to him and asked quietly how things were going.
"He's playing with my shoelaces," he said. "He's not listening."
Savannah observed the situation for a moment. "How about if I sit here with you for a little while and see if I can get Rags to settle down." When the boy agreed, Savannah knelt next to him. "Okay, I'll pet him while you continue reading. Try not to wiggle around too much. When you wiggle, he thinks you're playing. Just sit still and concentrate on reading," she said in a soothing voice.
Jerome read two more pages and then quietly said, "He's sleeping. How's he going to hear my story if he's sleeping?"
"He's not really sleeping. He's just resting. He's relaxed. Watch this," she said as she ruffled the fur gently on his head. Rags lifted his head and opened his eyes. He then laid his chin on his outstretched legs and closed his eyes again. "There, see? He's just resting. I think he wants to hear the rest of your story."
Jerome appeared satisfied with Savannah's explanation and she left him and Rags alone.
A few minutes later, Jasmine raised her hand and Savannah walked over to her. "I finished my book," she said.
"Good. Did Dolly like the story?"
"I think so. She listened to me read." Jasmine petted the kitten and then asked. "Can I read another book to her?"
"Sure can—come on, let's choose one."
Another ten minutes passed, and Savannah asked quietly, "How's everyone doing?"
There were no comments.
"Were the cats good listeners?"
"Yeah," the children said, echoing one another.
"Do you think the cats liked the story you read?"
Gloria's face lit up. "Bayley purred when I got to the good part."
"Then she must have really liked it."
"How did you and Rags do?" she asked Jerome.
"He's the only boy cat, isn't he?"
"Yes, I guess he is."
&n
bsp; "And I'm the only guy. Us guys read a guy book."
"Did he like it?" Savannah asked. "Did he listen when you read?"
"I think so," Jerome said. "But sometimes he pawed at the pages like he wanted me to turn them faster." He thought and then said, "Or maybe he was pointing to the pictures."
Savannah smiled at the boy. She then addressed all of the children. "So tell me, would you like to do this again?"
The students shouted, "Yes!"
"Cool. Then we'll be back and you can read to the cats again."
"Can I read to Rags?" Jerome asked.
"And I want Dolly," Jasmine said.
Gloria chimed in. "I love Bayley. I think she's the only one who ever liked hearing me read."
"Well that was a smashing success," Savannah said enthusiastically after the children had left. She, Colbi, and Janice did high-fives all around.
"This was so neat," Janice said. "Thank you for letting me be a part of it."
"Certainly," Savannah said. "We appreciate your sharing Bayley with us. What a sweetheart. And what a difference she seemed to make for little Gloria."
"I just want to take Jasmine home, she's so cute. I think Dolly would, too," Colbi said with a smile. She then lurched forward and pointed. "Savannah, what's your cat doing?"
"Oh my gosh, I forgot all about him." She headed toward him. "Where does he think he's going?" By the time she reached him, he had gone down three cement steps and was standing with his paws on the solid wall at the bottom. "What are you doing, Rags? Looking for a way out? Huh?"
"That's strange," Janice said, joining her. "It's like he wants to see what's on the other side of that wall…like there's something of interest to him behind it."
Savannah smiled. "Like a secret of some kind? Yup, he's good at conjuring up secrets."
Colbi walked over to where the others stood, leading Dolly on her leash. "What lies beyond the wall?" she said, using an eerie tone to her voice.
When all three women had converged upon him, Rags sat down on the bottom step and stared up at them.
Janice laughed. "I don't think he likes us making fun of him."
"No he doesn't, do you Rags?" Savannah said. "But he's kinda used to it. He gets it a lot."
"How'd it go?"
The trio turned toward the voice. "Oh Glenda. Great!" Savannah said. Janice and Colbi nodded.
Glenda was beaming. "The kids sure seemed happy. Said they want to read to cats again." Then her demeanor changed. She looked over at Rags and asked, "What's he doing?""Good question," Savannah said. "He seems fascinated with the wall or whatever is behind it. Do you know what's behind it?"
Glenda shook her head slowly. "Well nothing, actually. It's just a wall. There's an enclosed deck on the other side of it with another cement wall separating it from the parking lot. Why someone put stairs right there is anyone's guess." She paused and added, "You know, there's some quirky construction designs in many of these old buildings."
"Maybe the builder was the one who designed the old Winchester house," Janice said.
Glenda nodded. "Where there are all those staircases and doors that lead nowhere?"
Savannah grinned. "Stairs that go nowhere? Kind of adds to the fairytale atmosphere here in the secret garden, don't you think?"
****
That evening over dinner, Savannah told Michael about the reading program. "Oh, Michael, it was magical. The children loved it. The cats were perfect. I had such a wonderful time." She placed three spears of asparagus on her plate and added, "I'm beginning to wonder if I should have become a teacher rather than a veterinarian." She tilted her head a little. "Well, I could teach children about animals."
"Or teach animals about children," Michael said, straight-faced.
"What?" she said scrunching up her nose.
"You're so cute when you get all obsessed about something."
"Obsessed?" she snapped.
"Yeah, you know, excited…" He cleared his throat. "How did old Rags do? Was he a good boy?"
"He was. You'd be a proud papa." She took a bite of her salad and then waved her fork in the air, swallowed, and said, "Oh, he found a curiosity."
"A curiosity?"
"Yes. There were these stairs that went nowhere and he wanted to know what was behind door number one."
"Huh?" He frowned. "Door number one? Where were you, on the Price is Right?"
"No. But someone built a wall where there shouldn't be a wall, at the bottom of some cement stairs, like at the old Winchester house in San Jose." She cocked her head and said, "Or they built stairs where there shouldn't be stairs up against a solid wall."
"Now that's interesting," Michael said. "I'll have to go over there and take a look."
"Oh, Michael, I called Rob Willoughby and he wants to start filming right away. He'll have a crew here Monday."
"Whew, that soon, huh?" Michael said. "What do we need to do in preparation?"
"I don't think anything, really. I'll have to arrange for another reading group at the library. I think Rob's people will get in touch with Craig, Damon, and Colbi—probably Auntie."
"Why?" he asked.
"Well, they'll be interviewed for the film. They've all been involved with some of Rags's quirky behavior. They'll be part of the documentary."
"Oh, so it's not just a cute cats segment," Michael said. "People will speak, too?"
"Yeah, since cats can't speak," Savannah said, laughing. "Do you think Charlotte would like to be a part of it? She discovered some of the clues, which helped solve Craig's criminal cases, in Rags's stash."
"That's a good idea. Let's check with Reba first. She may want to learn more about Rob's intentions before letting her daughter get involved. So where will the film crew stay?"
"They'll get several rooms at the Capri."
"Several rooms? How many people are coming?"
"I guess some of them travel with their spouses," Savannah said. "Rob asked about an RV park. Some are evidently coming in their motor homes."
"Caravan style? Like "Westward Ho" or something?" Michael asked. "Could get interesting, I guess."
Chapter 3
"So are we set to film at the library?" Rob asked when he called Savannah Tuesday afternoon.
"Yes, at three thirty tomorrow. Now, it's a rather small space and we don't want to freak out the cats or the children; can we keep the number of cameras and people to a minimum?" she asked. "We've only done the program twice and it went well, but you'll be adding a dimension we haven't encountered."
"Yeah," Rob said, "I have an experienced animal videographer. We've worked together before. In fact, he's from this neck of the woods. Maybe you know him. His name's Lance Grayson."
"No," Savannah said. "The name's not familiar. My aunt may know him; she's lived here all her life. Was he doing filming when he was here before?"
"I don't think so. I believe he was in construction."
"Okay, is there anything we need to do to prepare?" Savannah asked.
"Not a thing," he said. "Just be there with the cats and the kids. Set the stage for us."
****
Wednesday afternoon, Savannah and Michael pulled into the library parking lot.
"Thank you for taking off early this afternoon, hon," Savannah said.
"Not a problem. We didn't have much going on today. Anyway, Lily and I want to see all the activity, don't we, baby girl?" he cooed as he removed her from the infant car seat and tucked her into a baby carry pack he had strapped on.
Suddenly, they heard, "Hi you two."
Savannah and Michael looked up. "Oh, hi, Damon," Michael said. "On assignment?"
"Yeah. And I thought it would be fun to watch little Dolly and Mr. Rags in action."
Savannah chuckled. "Actually, there's not much action—at least we hope there won't be. The cats are just supposed to sit quietly and listen."
"That, I gotta see," Damon said, shaking his head. "Usually Dolly is just racing all around Colbi's place—up and down the sta
irs, over the furniture. Colbi caught her on top of the fridge the other day."
"On top of it? How...?" Michael started.
"We figure she jumped up on the stove and then made the leap to the refrigerator," Damon said. "Can't have her up on that stove. Could be dangerous. Oh, and she gets inside the refrigerator."
"Inside?" Savannah said. "Cats don't usually like cold places."
"Yeah, but she knows there's food in there. She does like to eat, ever since you got her well, Michael." Just then, Damon made eye contact with Lily. "Hi there, pretty girl," he said as he reached out to touch her cheek.
Everyone laughed when she kicked her feet and waved her hands in excitement.
"I think she likes you, Damon," Savannah said.
He smiled down at the baby. "Well, I like you, too, Lily." He stood straight and said to Savannah and Michael, "I don't think I've ever been liked by a baby before. You know what? It's cool."
Savannah and Michael laughed. "Oh, here comes Colbi," Savannah said. The trio watched her pull into the lot and park her car.
Damon walked over, opened the passenger door, and peered in. "Hi Dolly," he said, lifting the carrier.
Colbi leaned toward him and they kissed. "Thanks," she said. "She's getting heavy."
Michael chuckled. "I guess so, if she's climbing in the fridge and helping herself to the food."
After exiting her car, Colbi walked up to Lily and greeted her with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. Lily smiled back and kicked her feet.
"She's happy to be out and about," Damon said.
"She's always happy," Colbi said. "Aren't you, sweet pea?"
Savannah opened the side door of their SUV and prepared to lift their cat carrier.
"Here, I'll get the cat, Savannah," Michael offered.
Savannah shook her head. "Oh, I can get him. You just take care of the baby."
"Here, Savannah," Damon said, "you take Dolly and I'll carry the big guy."
"Oh thank you," she said. "I like that idea."
Once they were inside the main part of the library, Glenda greeted Savannah and Colbi, who introduced the librarian to Damon and Michael. They walked out to the secret garden together.
"Just put him anywhere," Savannah suggested, referring to Rags and his carrier.