The Christmas Kitten: A Polly Parrett Pet-Sitter Cozy Murder Mystery Book 2 (Polly Parrett Pet Sitter Cozy Murder Mysteries)

by Liz Dodwell

  Ammi’s face whitened when she spotted them and she scooted closer to me. “Are they going to take me away?” she said. I wrapped a protective arm around her and gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile. In truth, I had no idea what would happen to her.

  “Polly Parrett?” The older of the two hiked his belt as he addressed me.

  I nodded wordlessly as the officers introduced themselves and asked us to recount what had happened. Tyler and I each gave our own perspectives, then they asked Ammi a few questions but she’d turned into a mute; too scared or confused to say anything except, “It was a dragon.” Poor kid, I bet it did seem as if a big, fearful beast was trying to snatch her.

  “You know, we can take Ammi back to my mother’s house,” I said. “She knows us and she’ll be well looked after.” And we’ll make sure she can’t run away.

  “That’s something you’ll have to talk to Social Services about.” It was the younger officer who spoke this time. “Once we report back we’ll be joining the search party for the little lady’s sister.”

  I breathed a huge sigh of relief as the cops left us. “Let’s get back home before someone has a change of mind.” Glancing heavenward at the glowering skies I added, “Or it starts snowing.”

  Tyler stood. “You girls stay here. I’ll go and get the car and pick you up. And you,” he winked at Ammi, “can have another hot chocolate.”

  I realized instantly he was protecting Ammi from having to go back to the foster home. I blew him a kiss. “You’re the best,” I said.

  Fourteen

  There were five of us round the table at Welcome Home that late afternoon: Mom, Rooster, Linda, Tyler and me. Ammi was fast asleep on the sofa in the room across the hall where we could see her through the open doors. Curled up at her neck, Dopey the kitten was also asleep. A soft glow of multi-colored lights lay over them, reflecting through the window from the Christmas decorations outside and Burl Ives, a favorite of Mom’s, was singing a selection of Christmas songs that should have filled us with the joy of the season, but we were caught up in the plight of two little girls.

  No-one had let Ms. Harris know that Ammi had been found. In a conversation with Rooster the Sheriff had said he had a “feeling” he might forget to tell her, in which case the child would be best with us for the time being.

  It had been decided Ammi and her kitty would sleep in Linda’s room tonight. As our only female resident Linda was privileged to be in the house; the barn was just for the guys. Meanwhile, we were having a meeting of the minds to figure out what we could do to find Sophie and help solve this awful murder. Tyler and I had recounted our adventure, now Rooster was speaking.

  “Right now our priority is finding Sophie. For all we know the person who tried to grab Ammi could also be after Sophie. And that person could be a killer.

  “Feliks,” that’s the Sheriff; he and Rooster are pals, “is working on locating the girls’ father. I’ll keep bugging him for any news but as Whittier is special ops there’s no guarantee the Army will be forthcoming with information.

  “There is some good news, though. Feliks confided in me that Sophie is not the killer; she couldn’t be. Nicole died from stab wounds, not a head wound.”

  There was a general sigh of relief around the table before Linda voiced the thought that was in all our heads.

  “Then someone must have come to the house after the girls ran off. Do the police know who?”

  “You know as much as I do. By rights the Sheriff shouldn’t have told me about Sophie, so keep it under your hats.”

  Rooster gave us all a stern glare, then continued.

  “Feliks has also recruited VFW members to help in the search for Sophie. They’ll be heading out right about now, and our guys from Welcome Home should be setting off soon in the van. Polly, Tyler and I will be joining them shortly. Edwina,” that’s my Mom, “you and Linda will take care of things here.”

  I have to say something before I go on. Much as I was anxious and afraid for Sophie, I was so darn proud to be part of a group of such selfless people. Members of the military give until it hurts and then some. Many of these volunteers were old, some were broken and some had been forgotten. Yet when help was needed they didn’t hesitate to give again, and I was feeling pretty positive that between us we’d find Sophie and keep her safe.

  OK, I’ll get back to the story now.

  Rooster, Tyler and I geared up; it was going to be a very cold night. What’s more, snow had begun to fall, and as the temperature fell the flakes fattened and drifts began to form. I hoped to goodness Sophie had stayed in the town.

  Fifteen

  As it happened we weren’t out long before the call came through that Sophie had been found. We’d driven around for a while, stopping a couple of times to get out and patrol the streets and ask the few people we encountered if they’d seen a young girl anywhere. There’d been no good news and my stomach was churning at the thought of the danger Sophie might be in. That changed in an instant when we knew she was safe and all of us were elated, high-fiving and cheering in relief.

  Sophie had been taken to the County Sheriff’s Department. They were the ones who had been coordinating the search. The desk sergeant there didn’t know us from a hole in the ground and we were arguing with him to let us see Sophie when Wisniewski walked in.

  “What’s going on here?”

  “They won’t let us see Sophie,” I threw up my hands in exasperation.

  “Alright, calm down.” The Sheriff lifted his hat and ran his hands across his thinning hair. “Let me deal with this; you should go on home, there’s nothing you can do here.”

  “The heck there isn’t.” All the tension of the last couple of days was about to burst from me when Rooster put a soothing hand on my shoulder and gave a squeeze.

  “What Polly means,” he said in calm voice, “is that we’ve all been really anxious about the little lady and we want to be sure she’s got someone in her corner in there.” He nodded in the direction of the offices where we assumed Sophie had been taken. “In fact, we really want to take her home to her little sister and some people who will care for her properly. And Feliks, we’d really appreciate if you could help us with that… don’t we Polly?”

  “Sheriff, you know the best place for her is with us. The kid’s been through hell. Does she even know she’s innocent?”

  “That’s enough, Miss Parrett.” Wisniewski threw up his hand to signal “Stop” and his face tightened as he hissed, “If you want my help, you’ll shut up right now. There’s a lot of people who want the best for the girls, and I’m one of them. But there are legal procedures I’m duty bound to follow. I’ve already stepped out on a limb by telling you the girl didn’t kill her stepmother and by letting you keep her sister at your Mom’s, so I’ll tell you again – go home, and leave this to me.”

  I felt my face burning, partly in indignation but more in shame. The Sheriff was right; he was trying to do the right thing for everyone, and I’d blabbed in public about Sophie being innocent when I wasn’t even supposed to know about it. Mumbling apologies I let Tyler take my hand and lead me out.

  Rooster hung back and exchanged a few quiet words with his friend before hurrying to join us. “We’re good. Feliks will call when he can to let us know what’s happening.”

  “I’m sorry, Rooster, I broke your confidence as well.”

  “Not to worry, sweetie. We’re all emotionally involved in this; it’s understandable. But I think it’s time we got serious about figuring out who killed Nicole. That’s the best way we can help the girls.”

  “I’m with Rooster,” Tyler said. “Meanwhile, it’s been a long day. Let’s sleep on this and look at it with fresh minds tomorrow.”

  It hit me then that I was feeling pretty exhausted. We had to get Rooster back to Welcome Home and pick up Angel, Vinny and Coco. Knowing I’d be gone a long time I’d taken them over there. Mom would have fed them long before now and, knowing her, she probably had something tasty w
aiting for us.

  Sixteen

  Mom had outdone herself. We walked into a full house, the smell of Brunswick Stew drawing us to the dining room.

  Normally the Welcome Home residents cater to themselves. They have a kitchen in the barn, which allows them to be more independent. Tonight, as thanks for their help, Mom had pulled a few batches of her famous stew from the freezer and invited the men over.

  Ammi was holding court as Snow White, and had apparently cast most of the guys as the dwarfs, with Dopey playing the part of, well…Dopey. Batt Vargus was gamely playing the wicked queen, with a paper crown on his head.

  Batt had been training as a pararescue specialist in the Air Force when he had a brain aneurysm. During surgery he then had a stroke and it left him with memory loss, daily headaches and partial deafness; he was also prone to dizziness. Not surprisingly he struggled with depression, and attempted suicide.

  His life took a turn for the better when a giant-sized black and white Newfoundland mix came into it. Though not a trained therapy dog, Patches acted as Batt’s ears, instinctively knew when Batt was having a dizzy spell, and his happy nature was a real tonic. They’d been with us for several months now and were a valued part of our “family.”

  Tonight, Patches had been allowed to join his person and so had also been roped into Ammi’s tableau as the handsome prince, which I thought was a good move as he most likely was the best kisser. For some reason, known only by someone with a six-year-old mind, Linda had been cast as the magic mirror.

  Mom greeted us and quietly explained Ammi knew her sister had been found. “But we told her Sophie was staying with a nice lady in town because she had to help the police tomorrow.”

  It was somewhat close to the truth and the child seemed to have accepted the explanation. I wondered just where Sophie would be tonight. Surely not in a jail cell? And would Ms. Harris trust Kaylene to take charge of her again?

  For the next couple of hours, I pushed aside any dismal thoughts. It was nearly Christmas after all and the guys were in great spirits, enjoying the food and knowing the girls were safe. The mood was infectious and soon I was sharing the good cheer.

  In the background I heard a phone ring and noticed Rooster get up from the table, putting his hand in his pocket. A few minutes later he came over and whispered in my ear. “The Sheriff is on the way over; says he needs to see us.”

  “What for?” Alarm bells were going off in my head. Was he coming to take Ammi away?

  “Didn’t say. Just said to expect him within the hour.”

  After that my mood soured again. I didn’t say anything to Mom; didn’t want to spoil her evening. I did tell Tyler, who took the high road to optimism, saying, “It’s not necessarily something bad.” I’m not so sure.

  The gathering ended about 10 minutes later when Ammi fell forward, head on plate, fast asleep. Batt gathered her up and climbed the stairs with Linda to put her to bed. The rest of the men cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen. In no time everything was spotless and the guys left, Batt joining them, with cries of “Thanks,” and “Merry Christmas.”

  The rest of us went back to our usual places in the kitchen, Linda joining us with reassurances that Ammi was out for the count. We made desultory small talk for a while, which dwindled into silence, no-one wanting to voice reasons for the Sheriff’s visit. By the time we heard the crunch of tires on the crisp snow outside we were a bundle of nerves.

  Tyler got up to open the door. Moments later he came back, a big grin on his face. With him was Wisniewski, his hand on the shoulder of a young girl…Sophie.

  Seventeen

  Once again it was the dogs who reacted first. My three and Elaine greeted Sophie as if she was the most wonderful person they could ever hope to meet. In moments her bleak expression was transformed and a big smile lit up her face.

  One by one the rest of us approached her with hugs and words of welcome. In turn, the first thing she said was, “Where’s Ammi?”

  “The poor child is worn out.” Mom gave Linda a meaningful look, and she responded by guiding Sophie up the stairs to join her sister.

  Once we were sure she was out of earshot we bombarded Wisniewski with questions ‘til he raised his arms in surrender. “Stop!

  “How about a cup of coffee, Edwina, and then we’ll talk.”

  Mom gave him an appraising look. “You look done in, Feliks. Sit yourself down and have a piece of pie with that coffee. The rest of you, give the man some room to breathe.”

  We backed away – when Mom talks, people listen – and allowed the Sheriff to enjoy his break. Linda returned during that time and filled the void, telling us Sophie conked out in the bed beside her sister within moments. “Ammi didn’t even wake. I don’t think there’s any fear of them running away tonight. Just to be sure, though, I’m going to sleep on a bedroll across the door.”

  “Gracious, Linda, you don’t need to do that. We can put a couple of cots in the room for the girls and you can have the bed back.”

  “Edwina, I’ve spent many nights on the hard ground; believe me, a bedroll still seems like luxury, so don’t worry. Besides, I’ll sleep more soundly knowing there’s no way the kids can get past me.”

  “OK, Sheriff,” I was getting impatient. “Spill. Where did you find her?”

  “We didn’t. She found us.” Wisniewski noted our confusion and explained. “She walked up to the same two cops you talked to and announced, ‘My name’s Sophie Whittier, and it’s best for everyone I go with you.’ ”

  “What a funny thing to say.” Mom frowned. “Did she say it just like that?”

  “Word for word.”

  “Maybe she’ll tell us more in the morning. If she feels more secure she might start to open up.”

  “Just make sure she doesn’t start planning another escape.”

  “Where’s Dopey?” Talking of escape, I had a sudden realization I hadn’t seen the kitten for a while and I felt a twinge of concern.

  “She’s not with the girls,” Linda said. Oh, Lord.

  With all the activity that had been going on in the house earlier she could have been scared and be hiding somewhere. Even worse, what if she slipped outside? People had been coming in and out all evening; she’s so tiny, it would be easy not to notice her.

  For the next half hour, we practically ransacked the house and searched around the outside, shining flashlights in every nook and cranny. Linda and I even went up to the bedroom and gently removed the covers from the girls, thinking she might have crawled in bed with them. There was no Dopey…anywhere.

  I was in a state of near panic. How could we lose a helpless kitten? How would Ammi react? I dropped onto the sofa in the living room, choking back a sob and burying my face in my hands. I had to get a grip on myself.

  Something touched my foot – just barely. Spreading my fingers wide I peered down. A purple glass Christmas ornament rested at my feet. Where had that come from?

  Directly across from me, the Christmas tree stood in all its splendor. Actually, splendor is a bit of an exaggeration. To stay pet-friendly we had an artificial tree mostly decorated with paper and silk ornaments. It looked very real and was quite thick. Only the top half had lights because Lief, my gorgeous orange cat who stayed with Mom, had a thing about chewing electrical cords. But we did put a handful of bright shiny things at the top of the tree where they were out of reach of the furry critters. So how had this one ended up on the floor?

  As I eyed the tree I saw the top sway a little, and a couple of the branches rustled enough that the ornaments twirled gently one way then back again. I moved closer and parted the moving branches and found myself inches from a white face with splotches of brown and tan, and a pair of startlingly blue eyes. Dopey barely acknowledged me, instead reaching out a paw toward another dangly treasure.

  “I found her,” I yelled out, laughing in sheer relief, and reached in to pluck her from her hiding place.

  The others surged into the room, happy that dis
aster had been averted, and made a fuss of the kitten who promptly fell asleep.

  “It’s a good thing the tree didn’t come down,” Wisniewski was shaking his head.

  “We’ve learned from past experience,” Mom explained. “We’ve had more than one disaster with cats and glittery things, so now the tree gets anchored to the wall.”

  Glittery things. I was reminded of the bracelet Ammi had put around Dopey’s neck. “You know, talking of glitter, we should give some thought to the significance of the bracelet Nicole was given, and the meaning of the inscription.”

  The Sheriff scowled at me.

  Eighteen

  Right about now I was feeling fairly warm and fuzzy towards Sheriff Wisniewski. He’d just finished telling us that he’d informed Ms. Harris it wasn’t safe for her to be on the roads in her small car with all the ice and snow. That was actually true, but he could just as easily have used his Ford Expedition to take Sophie to another foster as bring her out to us.

  Wisniewski drained the last of his coffee and stood. “There’s something else I’m going to tell you. Before I do I need to caution you not to go poking around in this investigation.” Why was he looking at me when he said that? “We’re dealing with a murderer, and what I’m going to tell you is because I want you to keep those girls safe…from anyone.”

  “Spill it already, will you?” Linda yawned, which produced a copycat reaction in all of us.

  The Sheriff looked stern. “Neal Whittier has been on leave for the past five days.” There was a general gasp of surprise. “And one of the Whittier neighbors thinks they saw him the day before the murder.”

  “So Ammi’s and Sophie’s father was in Mallowapple when Nicole was killed?” Mom echoed Wisniewski’s words.