by Patricia Fry
“With my sister and my aunt, last I saw her,” Savannah said. “Maybe I should go look for her.”
“Here, I’ll hold Charlie,” Colbi said, eagerly taking the baby from Savannah.
At the same time, Craig sat down next to Savannah. Before she could step away, she said, “Oh, here come my aunt and my sister. Hi,” she greeted. “Where’s Lily?”
“With Max,” Margaret said, sitting down next to Craig.
Brianna pulled a chair up next to Savannah. She pointed. “There they are. Looks like he got her some refreshments.”
“She wanted a cookie,” Max explained as he walked up, leading Lily by the hand.
Savannah let out a sigh. “Lemon or vanilla might have been a better choice than chocolate, Max.”
When he looked down at the toddler, he said, “Oh, yeah. I see what you mean. Now her pink dress is all dirty, isn’t it?” Looking sheepish, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was such a messy eater.”
“It’s okay,” Savannah said, pulling a wet wipe from her purse and proceeding to clean chocolate cookie crumbs from Lily’s face and hands. “Was it good?” she asked.
“Uh-huh,” the toddler said, nodding.
“Why don’t you get her some fruit, Max,” Margaret said. “That’s better for her than cookies.”
“Want some fruit?” Max asked the baby.
When she nodded, he reached for her hand and led her back toward the refreshment table.
“Cute,” Craig said, smiling. He turned to the Iveys. “Have you two met your new neighbors yet?”
“We have new neighbors?” Michael asked.
“Yeah, you mean you haven’t missed Mr. Crankshaw? I think his kids moved him closer to them, and they moved some younger people with a family into his home there next to you.”
“Now, how do you know all this?” Savannah asked.
“Well, I guess there’s been some suspicious activity over there.”
“Oh, what’s going on?” Michael asked, frowning.
He hesitated. “I’m not really sure. The complaints are vague. So far, we haven’t found anything unusual.”
“Savannah, what’s wrong?” Michael asked when he saw her posture stiffen. “Do you know something about the new neighbors?”
“Uh, not really.” When the two men continued looking at her, she said, “Well, I did have a strange encounter one day when I was out in the orchard. I thought I heard an animal in distress. I had Lily in the stroller and I followed the sound toward the house and came across a little girl. When she saw me, she picked up the dolly she was playing with and disappeared through a gate. By then the…uh…haunting sound stopped.”
“Yeah, they seem to have quite a few children,” Craig said.
Savannah looked surprised. “They do?” I haven’t seen any, except for that little girl and I only saw her once. You know, they built that eight-foot fence around their property.”
“Yeah, I saw that go up a month or so ago. I wondered why,” Michael said. “Maybe to keep the children inside—close to the house.”
“Yeah, but this little girl was outside the fence, sitting under the old apple tree near where Uncle Jed’s barn used to be.
“What do you think you were hearing?” Michael asked.
“I have no idea, but it was kind of eerie. I haven’t heard it since. Is that the kind of complaint you’re getting, Craig?”
He shook his head. “No, it’s more about territory—who’s-infringing-on-whose-property type of thing. I imagine the older folks in the area are not thrilled to see all those kids move into their peaceful neighborhood.”
Michael chuckled. “It was probably their egg beater or food processor you heard—maybe the washing machine.”
“What?” Craig and Savannah asked, looking confused.
“The sound you heard that day.” He faced the detective. “Craig, she has the most incredible super-hearing power.”
Savannah slapped at him playfully. “No, it wasn’t an egg beater or washing machine. It sounded human…or not human…animal, maybe.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what it was, but it sent chills down my spine.”
“Maybe it was spirits,” Colbi said. When Savannah frowned, she said, “Could be they’re doing séances there. Was the sound sorta other-worldly? Ghostly?”
Savannah thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t thought about that in a while. It was probably nothing.”
“Maybe he…or she…is a dentist and it was a high-tech drill you heard,” Brianna suggested.
“Leave it to a doctor to think of that,” Margaret said. She paused, then continued, “Well, I’m not aware of any sounds, but I did hear a rumor.” When everyone looked at her, she asked, “Do you want to hear a rumor?”
“Sure.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“What is it?”
“Craig’s right. They do have a lot of children over there and they stay very close. I ran into the Thompsons in the store last week. You know, they live across the street. Frank Thompson said neighbors have been trying to figure out if they’re running a daycare, if they are foster parents, if they’ve adopted a lot of kids, or if these are all their children. But he says there are a horde of them.”
“So they’re child hoarders, is that it?” Michael joked. He turned serious and asked Craig, “It isn’t one of those child-trafficking rings you hear about running in the big cities, is it?”
Craig pursed his lips and ran his hand over his graying hair. “I certainly hope not.” He turned to Savannah and Michael. “Just keep an eye out for what goes on over there, will you? It’s probably nothing out of the ordinary, but if you happen to see anything, please let me know.”
At that, Brianna stood and started to step away from the group. “I want to get some more of that punch.”
“Me too,” Savannah said. “Want some, hon?”
Michael shook his head. “Not now.”
“Be right back,” Brianna said, giving Bud, who had just joined them, a peck on the cheek.
“So are you enjoying your time off work? How was the concert? Did you find a sparkle top?”
“You’re full of questions,” Brianna said. She grabbed Savannah’s arm and added, “I wish you’d slow down, you long-legged Sally. Remember, I’m your little sister.”
“Oh, here we go again.”
“Where do we go again?” Brianna quipped.
“You complaining because you can’t keep up,” she laughed.
Before the sisters reached the dessert table, Brianna asked, “Hey, how would you like company for a while?”
“What company?” she asked.
“Me, of course.”
Savannah stopped and looked at her. “Sure. You’re always welcome. What’s up?”
“Well, they’re renovating my apartment building, so I decided to take the week off and stay with Bud. But since he and Michael will be out of town, I don’t really want to stay there with his folks. So I thought…”
Savannah lowered her brow. “Michael’s going out of town? My Michael?”
“Yeah, I think he’s going with Bud. He said they were leaving things to that new vet they just hired.”
“Steve?”
“Uh-huh, and then another vet is coming over from another practice to help out.”
“So where, pray tell, is my husband going?”
She frowned. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you. Aren’t you guys communicating these days?”
Savannah thought about her sister’s question. “Yeah, we are. But when you have a child, your opportunity for adult conversation sometimes becomes sketchy.” She thought for a moment. “And that’s probably mostly my fault. I must admit I’ve been pretty busy helping Colbi out lately, then we had the problem with Auntie and the cats going missing, and Iris confessing to a murder…”
“Oh my gosh, girl,” Brianna said, putting her hands on the sides of her head. “Yeah, I get it, things have b
een hectic—over-the-top hectic.” When she noticed Savannah waiting for an answer to her questions, she said, “Oh yeah, they’re going up around Eugene someplace to help out with a bunch of animals that were being neglected—cats and dogs and maybe some farm animals, too. There was a request for volunteers and our guys wanted to help.”
“Well, that’s nice of them, I guess. But I don’t know why Michael didn’t tell me.” She gazed in his direction. “Maybe he did tell me and I didn’t hear him.” She faced Brianna. “Anyway, I’d love to have you stay here with me and Lily while the guys are gone. That would be a blast. Maybe we can get Mom to come up from Los Angeles.”
“I thought about that. She’d love to. Probably already has her bags packed.”
“Well, cool then. We’ll plan on a wonderful quiet weekend of fun. Just us girls, unless…”
“Unless what?” Brianna asked.
Savannah waved her hand in front of her face. “Oh, nothing.”
Brianna grabbed her sister’s arm. “What? Now tell me. What are you concerned about?”
“Nothing, really. It’s just that—well, you heard Craig. We have those new neighbors and there could be something weird going on with them.” She looked off into space. She then smiled brightly at her sister. “You know, that’s ridiculous. I have no reason to believe there’s anything wrong with these neighbors. No reason at all.” She looped her arm in Brianna’s and walked with her toward the dessert table. “I’m sure we’ll have that fun and peaceful week we’re all craving and deserve.”
Other books in the Klepto Cat Mystery series
Catnapped (Book 1)
When Savannah Jordan agrees to help her aunt while she recovers from a broken foot, she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian.
Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister? Of course, as in all of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, Rags, an ordinary cat with a most unusual habit, has a paw in saving the day.
If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.
Available at Amazon.
Cat-Eye Witness (Book 2)
Savannah and Aunt Margaret open the old Forster home to the Hammond Cat Alliance for a fundraiser to help rehabilitate the abused horses rescued months earlier from the catnappers.
Before the afternoon is over, the collected funds go missing and someone is murdered in an upstairs bedroom.
Suspicion surrounds Iris, a local waitress and Savannah’s new best friend. The only witness to the murder is Rags, Savannah’s cat. With the assistance of a cat psychic and Rags’s good friend, Charlotte (the young girl with Downs), the cat helps to “paw” the killer… but not before an attempt is made on Rags’s life. The case is solved only after Rags comes face-to-face with the killer for the second time.
Detective Craig Sledge is new to this book, as is Damon, Iris’s errant son. Sledge finds this to be one of the muddiest cases he has ever worked, with inconsistent clues and no apparent motive. He’s constantly surprised, perplexed and impressed by the cat’s uncanny ability to come up with clues he has missed. His fascination with the attractive Iris Clampton also mystifies the detective.
In this story, one of the rescued horses goes into labor and there’s a night of high drama at the ole corral as veterinarians Savannah and Michael work to save the foal. This experience renews Savannah’s deep interest in horses and riding, which ultimately serves to help her bond with a very important surprise character who finds his way into her life and Michael’s just as they prepare to say their wedding vows.
While Rags is the animal star, he isn’t the only animal featured in this story. Layla is back in all of her tangerine feline beauty. And Rags makes friends with Buffy, a perky almost Himalayan cat and the inseparable duo, Walter, an all black cat and his sidekick, Lexie, a charming Afghan mix dog. Savannah’s new ride, Peaches, also debuts in this story. An incident with this mare adds another dimension to Savannah’s and Michael’s relationship. Can he hold her with open arms?
Some say this is a love story with a mystery in the background. And it’s a story of family and friendship as newlyweds Margaret and Max continue to be a meaningful part of Savannah’s and Michael’s world.
Available at Amazon.
Sleight of Paw (Book 3)
In this story, Michael Ivey, the local veterinarian (Savannah’s new husband) is attacked by an enraged client and then later accused of this man’s murder. The evidence quickly stacks up against Michael, until Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat, starts digging up clues implicating the unlikely suspect.
Coinciding with the details of this challenge is the discovery that the old house, which the couple purchased from Savannah’s aunt, is cursed. Is this why the couple has not been blessed with a child?
Savannah’s sister Brianna comes for a visit. She teams up with the Iveys’ vet tech, Bud, to discover how to break the gypsy spell and they fall hard for each other. Will their courtship be strengthened or weakened by a frightening carjacking incident?
Detective Craig Sledge is prominent in this story as the lead investigator in the murder case. As usual, he engages in some creative tactics to get the information and the confessions he’s after. He has also become embedded in Savannah’s friend, Iris’s family. He’s dating Iris and helping with her son, Damon’s rehabilitation in prison. If you read the 2nd in the series, you know that Rags (the cat) helped to put Damon in jail.
Available at Amazom.
Undercover Cat (Book 4)
A popular local journalist goes missing just before she has the opportunity to turn in her story exposing unscrupulous cat hoarders. Not only is Colbi a friend of Savannah’s and Michael’s, Damon (now out of prison and employed by the local newspaper) has a strong personal interest in her. In fact, Damon breaks some rules and some trusts in his search for Colbi.
Is this a love connection? It’s doubtful because Colbi is a strong advocate for the feral cat population and Damon hates cats—or so he believes.
Colbi’s rescue is almost too late. She needs time to heal both physically and emotionally. So the Iveys invite her to recuperate in their home. Just when Colbi begins to feel safe, a body is discovered in the Iveys’ orchard and Rags (their kleptomaniac cat) goes missing. Can someone in a nearby homeless camp shed some light on the evolving mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Colony Cat Caper (Book 5)
Savannah Ivey, a veterinarian out on maternity leave; her aunt Margaret, the founder of the Hammond Cat Alliance; and Colbi Stanton, a reporter for the local newspaper take on a cat colony at an old, abandoned building. Odd activity around the place makes them wonder if it actually is vacant; some believe it’s occupied by something other-worldly.
When a stranger comes to town and suggests the Alliance open the old building to a fund-raiser, everyone gets involved, including Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat. He finds something that day that stirs a lot of people—both law-abiding and crooks—into action. Are the feral cats and their caretakers in serious danger? What (or who) lurks inside the old building? What secrets does it hide? And who has the key that unlocks the mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Celebrity Cat Caper (Book 6)
Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, opens up a whole new bag of tricks, when he becomes a therapy cat in a children's reading program. A documentary film crew arrives to capture the cat in action and they get more than they bargained for. Find out how Rags handles his sudden celebrity status.
In this story, Savannah and Michael Ivey invite strangers into their home during a torrential rainstorm and learn that one of them has a sinister past. Someone is murdered, Savannah is stalked, Mich
ael's life is threatened, and Rags helps to uncover an old mystery that, until now, has everyone baffled.
The Iveys' baby Lily is three-and-a-half-months old and, along with nine-year-old Adam, provides some sweet and warm moments throughout this fast-moving story with many twists and turns.
Avalable at Amazon
The Corral Cat Caper (Book 7)
The Corral Cat Caper features a lot of horse energy. It's rich in adventure of the feline as well as equine sort. In one scene, Rags attempt to save their sweet kitty, Buffy, from a catnapper and Savannah helplessly watches this drama unfold via a surveillance camera app on her phone.
This story is full of sweet and evil surprises, unexpected twists and turns, and plenty of action and adventure.
Available at Amazon
The Gallery Cat Caper (Book 8)
An old friend of Michael’s, who has become a successful artist, invites the entire Ivey family to his beach house. But their vacation is not all fun-and-games. It appears that someone is out to get the artist; and the Iveys and their friends keep stumbling upon clues to the tangled mystery.
Rags is up to his old klepto tricks, and it’s a good thing because, not only do his uncat-like antics prove to be amusing, he manages to save two lives.
Join the hilarity and suspense as this mystery unfolds. Enjoy some of your favorite human and animal characters as well as a few new ones, all of them giving this story a light and rich quality.
Available at Amazon
Mansion of Meows (Book 9)
Rags's documentary is scheduled to debut. The showing will take place at the investor's San Francisco mansion, where the Ivey family and film crew will stay. Of course, the mansion holds secrets and Rags is instrumental in letting the cats out of the bag.
Savannah and Aunt Margaret share another daring adventure and, of course, find themselves in deeper than they expected.