Chapter Twelve
I couldn’t tell if Jimmy was excited or terrified, but he told me to get out of there in case there was trouble and I complied. We worked out a plan where he would go up on the pretext of looking for the murder weapon and stumble across the markers, then bring Steve in. It would work out perfectly since Jimmy would get the credit and I wouldn’t get into trouble with Gus and Striker. I just hoped Jimmy didn't get hurt.
I was probably supposed to keep it all a secret until Steve was officially arrested, but I had to tell someone, so I called Pepper. Besides, I knew she could keep a secret. She'd been keeping some of mine since kindergarten.
"I think I found Bruce Norton's killer," I announced as soon as she answered her phone.
"What? Who?"
"Steve Van Dorn."
"So it was him!" she said. "Wait, how do you know for sure?"
"Remember how Jimmy said the symbol on Bruce's forehead was drawn with a certain type of marker?"
"Uh huh."
"I saw Steve with that same exact marker and he is driving a yellow car."
"Yellow car?"
"Striker said Ruth Walters claimed a yellow car drove by early in the morning when I found Bruce."
I could hear Pepper thinking on the other end. "But Ruth says a lot of things that aren't right—"
"I know, but the two together are too much of a coincidence. Plus, he's profiting big time on that eBay stuff and I heard him saying that he needed money bad for something." I realized I hadn't told Jimmy about that, but I guess it didn't matter. Whatever he was into would surely come out after he was arrested.
"Willa, he could be dangerous. I hope you're not thinking about confronting him." Peppers voice was laced with concern.
"No, of course not. I called Jimmy and he's going to be the one to figure out the evidence and make the arrest."
"You mean he's going up there to confront Steve by himself?"
"Yep, as far as I know."
"Oh, that’s wonderful." Pepper was practically squealing. "If he's confident enough to do that, that means my tea is working."
Or maybe he's just doing his job.
"Right, well, let's hope so. I haven't told anyone, though, so keep this to yourself until Jimmy brings him in."
"Mum’s the word," Pepper said, and we disconnected just as I pulled into the driveway of my house. A small, beige car that had been behind me slowed as it passed my driveway. I tensed, my nerves on edge.
Had the car been following me?
I adjusted the rearview mirror just in time to see a redheaded passenger and a gray-haired driver and I relaxed back into my seat. It was only Felicity and Claire—probably following my every move, just in case I acquired the journals.
I turned the car off and glanced at my house. Pandora had her face pressed to the window and she looked mad. No telling what she'd done to express her displeasure. A hairball on my pillow? A dead mouse hidden under the couch that I would only discover once it started to stink? My curtains in shreds?
I sighed and made my way inside, knowing I'd have to face her wrath sooner or later.
I opened the door to loud hissing. Pandora looked at me reproachfully, then walked stiffly around the kitchen, her kinked tail pointing toward the cellar door.
"I know you have a secret exit down there," I told her. She turned slitted golden-green eyes on me and scampered into the living room, where I figured she'd left my punishment.
Ranger was more friendly. His sad, brown eyes looked up at me and I bent down to pet him.
"Don't worry. You're not in trouble."
He thumped his tail once on the floor and I took that as a good sign that he was starting to release some of his grief.
Pandora must have noticed the attention I was paying to the dog because she suddenly appeared beside me, purring and rubbing her head against my arm.
I gave her a quick scratch behind the ears, then turned back to Ranger. "Good news. I think we got the guy that killed your master."
The fur on Ranger's forehead crinkled and his eyes slid over to Pandora. Pandora's eyes narrowed to slits as she looked at Ranger, then up at me. I could have sworn the two animals were communicating with that look. Nah, that was crazy … I'd been living alone too long.
I pushed myself up from the floor. It was late and I was hungry. I opened the fridge and took out the cottage cheese that Striker hadn't used the night before, then grabbed a peach from the windowsill and some honey from the cabinet.
Pandora and Ranger watched me while I cut up the peach. "Of course, now that I know Steve killed Bruce, I still have to find Charles' killer because it couldn’t have been Steve. I guess the two murders weren't related after all."
I put the peach slices in a bowl, dumped in the cottage cheese, poured some honey on top, then sat at the table to eat. My leg started to burn and I propped it up on the chair next to me.
My thoughts drifted to Eddie Striker and a little hollow feeling of longing lodged in the pit of my stomach. I hoped I wasn't starting to fall for him—I was too old for that, wasn't I? I told myself that I wasn't at all upset that he hadn't called since he'd been here the other day. Sure, he produced a good meal and gave a nice massage, but my honey peach cottage cheese porridge was delicious and I could massage my leg myself just fine.
Leaning forward to press my thumbs into the injured area, I caught a glimpse of the round paperweight in the living room. It was glowing cherry-red, probably reflecting something from the room. It was a simple, but beautiful, piece of glass—round and thick—and reflected all kinds of lovely colors that reminded me of Elspeth. I knew I should stop over for a visit.
A quick glance at the clock told me it was too late for that tonight. I finished off my supper and put the bowl in the sink. Pandora and Ranger were watching my every move.
I decided to turn in early so I could get an early start tomorrow. I wanted to do some computer research on Gladys Primble to see if she lived in the area. I also planned to pay a visit to the writer, Les Price. If he was finishing his father's book, he might have some knowledge about Charles and Gladys. And, of course, I still had a business to run.
Pandora weaved back and forth in front of the cellar door, her tail up high, the kinked end bobbing up and down.
"Meow!"
"Yes, I know you want the door open so you can go down there and catch mice." I walked over and unlocked it, knowing that if I didn't she'd meow at me all night.
She thanked me by rubbing her head on my ankle. "Spoiled."
I tugged the rope through Rangers collar. I really did need to get to Bruce's and pick up some of Ranger's stuff, not the least of which was a leash. The big dog was obedient and I was sure he would stay with me outside, but I didn't want to take any chances. I took him outside for his nightly business and then kissed both animals good night and headed into the living room to see if Pandora had left me any nasty surprises. She hadn't, which in itself was mildly suspicious. Perhaps there would be a surprise for me somewhere else.
The sun had set and the paperweight on the table was colorless. At a quick glance it almost looked like there was a handwritten note inside, but when I took a second look, I saw it was reflecting the print from the newspaper it had been sitting on. Odd, it looked like blue fountain pen when I'd first glanced at it.
My eyes must have been playing tricks on me. It had been a long day and I noticed they got more tired at night lately. Pandora and Ranger were still in the kitchen, staring at me.
"Are you coming?" Pandora usually slept in the room with me, and Ranger had been sleeping up there with us curled in the corner, but tonight the two of them made no move to follow me. Maybe they thought it was too early.
"Suit yourselves." I flipped off the living room light and headed up the stairs by myself, sending a curious glance back at the dog and cat and wondering just what the two of them would do in the kitchen while I was upstairs sleeping.
***
Pandora craned her neck, peeking ar
ound the corner to make sure Willa was going upstairs. "Is she going to bed this early?"
"Seems like it." Ranger got up and sniffed the cabinet Willa had put his dog food in. His appetite was starting to come back, especially since he'd helped to find Master's killer.
Pandora looked from the dog to the cabinet. The dog food bag Willa had put inside had been very large. She hoped that wasn't an indication of how long the dog was staying, but she couldn’t worry about that right now. There were more important things to consider.
"We have somewhere to go tonight."
Ranger whipped his head in her direction. "Go?"
Pandora flicked her tail at the basement door. "Yes. I need to tell the wise ones about the special place. They may have questions that you can answer."
"But Willa said they found Master's killer."
A strange feeling passed across Pandora's whiskers as she batted the plastic ring from a milk jug across the floor. She was glad they had found the killer, but couldn’t imagine how they'd found the murder weapon without her help.
Maybe she wasn't giving the humans enough credit. They’d probably searched the area again and found it or figured out who it was some other way … in which case they'd still need the murder weapon. She made a mental note to check if it was still there tonight, after she completed her task.
"This isn’t about the killer. At least I don't think so. There's something at the special place you showed me … something that has to be protected and I need to consult with others about it."
Rangers ears perked up and he started panting, a happy smile on his face. "Ranger good dog. Ranger protects."
"Yes, that’s right." Pandora started toward the cellar door "Follow me."
They took the same route out of the house as they had the night before, but this time they headed through the woods behind Willa's to the barn where Elspeth kept her brood of cats.
Pandora's heart warmed thinking of the old woman. She had a fondness for cats and did what she could to provide warm homes for several of them. Her barn was the perfect place for those that didn't care to stay in the house, as was the case with most of the elite cats Pandora was going to visit.
Of course, Elspeth didn't know that her cats were an elite species sworn to help humans keep the balance between good and evil since ancient times. Or did she? Pandora wondered sometimes because the old lady seemed to know a lot more than most humans should.
The night was warm and Pandora drank in the smell of the forest. Pandora and Ranger ran side by side, the bright moon lighting the way. When she came to visit Elspeth with Willa it usually took ten minutes to get there, but she and Ranger could run at full speed and they arrived at the small barn next to the gingerbread-trimmed Victorian house in only two minutes.
Pandora paused outside the barn, a flitter of anxiety tickling her tummy. She didn't know how the others would respond to her bringing a dog. "Stay behind me and don't make any sudden moves. Some of these cats are very nervous around your kind."
Ranger frowned at her. "Ranger doesn’t chase cats."
"I know that, and you know that, but they don't know that. Just follow my lead."
Pandora flicked out a gray paw and pushed the door open. She slipped inside. Ranger lingered just outside the door.
Pausing in the doorway, she blinked to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark interior. Several pairs of eyes watched from the dark, then as Ranger pushed in behind her, she heard claws scrape against wood as some of the cats scrambled behind the bales of hay that were stacked around the barn.
"Hiss!" Pandora swung around to see the fat calico, Otis, arching his back and swiping his claws toward Ranger's face. She jumped between them just in time, knocking Otis's claw away with smug satisfaction. There was no love lost between her and Otis—he was one of the old ones—an ancient feline who had served many humans, and he didn't like Pandora’s modern ways. Although she'd tried to make friends with him several times, there was always a combative rivalry between them.
"This is an outrage! She's brought a canine here!" Otis screeched, his back still humped.
"Oh, come on. He won’t hurt anyone. Pandora gestured to Ranger who was standing calmly behind her. "See? Besides, he has important information about something you will be very interested in."
Their ears perked up. Sasha, a sleek Siamese, ventured forward, sniffing Ranger from all angles. To his credit, Ranger stood stock still, his nose twitching furiously, but he made no move to sniff back.
"Why do we need a dog?" Sasha asked.
"I brought him in case you had questions I could not answer. He led me to the house where his master was killed and I know there is something inside that needs our attention."
"How would you know?" Otis had jumped on a tall hay bale to groom his fur.
"Just a feeling. Don't the rest of you get them?"
Several heads nodded and a white cat with thick, lustrous fur came forward.
"Where is this place?" she purred.
"The Van Dorn Mansion."
Several cats gasped.
"Wasn't he—" Kelley, a Maine Coon who had remained in the background started to say.
"The keeper of secrets." A deep baritone cut her off from the back of the barn and a large, black cat emerged from the darkness. His name was Inkspot and he had a tendency to be overly dramatic.
"Secrets?" Pandora asked.
Snowball, the white cat, answered. "Yes, now I remember. He could talk to those who had passed over and gleaned important information on how to move things from this plane to the next … information that could be deadly if it fell into the wrong hands."
Pandora felt a chill flick across her whiskers. She actually didn't know for sure who 'the wrong hands' were, but she knew that the results of them getting ahold of this information would be disastrous for both the humans and the cats of Mystic Notch.
"I guess that must have been what I sensed in the house," she said.
Snowball nodded. "It's been protected in that house for decades."
Pandora felt a jolt of electricity—it had been protected because no one had been in the house, but that had all changed now. "The house is being sold and all the contents are being sold off, too."
Snowball's whiskers twitched and her eyes darted around the room. "That means anyone could find it … even the wrong people."
"We must take measures to secure that information!" Inkspot turned to Ranger. "Tell us what you know."
Ranger glanced at Pandora who nodded. "Well, I don't know much. The house has been empty a long time and Master would take me there. He longed for the good times he used to have there. But then one day, another man was there and he fought with Master and then Master was dead."
Ranger hung his head and Pandora felt that annoying tug at her heart again. She turned away, admonishing herself for getting all sappy and sentimental and wondering if it was because she'd been hanging around with humans too much. She hoped it was only temporary—the sooner she got Ranger out of Willa's house the better.
"That’s right.” Otis looked down at them from his high perch with superiority.” Van Dorn died long ago. But he had the information well hidden. I'm a bit disappointed it's still in the house—he was supposed to make provisions for it after his death."
Pandora narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know?"
Otis's eyes got misty and his whiskers drooped. "I used to know his cat. Sadly, she only had nine lives—much less than we do—and she's parted the curtain now."
Pandora almost felt sorry for him … almost.
"I felt something in there." Pandora said. "This information must still be in the house … and now that the house is being sold …"
"We must go and remove that information from the house and put it in a secure spot!" Inkspot declared. "Do you know where it is, Otis?"
Otis shook his head.
"We'll have to get into the house and find it." Shasha's luminous, blue eyes turned toward Ranger. "Do you know any easy access routes?"
Ranger's face crumbled. He dearly wanted to be helpful, but he didn't know how to get into the house. "I never went in."
"That won’t be a problem," Pandora said. "When I was there, I saw many ways in … but the house is big, It could take days to find this thing and it may be crawling with police now."
"Then we need to get in and out quickly," Inkspot rumbled.
Kelley groomed the long, white fur on her chest. "It would help if we knew exactly where this information was stored."
"Maybe I can help," Pandora said hopefully. "I could sense it was in there, so maybe I can hone in on its location."
Otis snorted from above where he was hunkered down, his front paws tucked under his chest. "Now, that would be quite a feat."
Ranger let out a low growl at the offensive Otis and Pandora felt a swell of warmth in her chest.
Was the dog coming to her defense?
It had been a long time since another furry creature had stuck up for her—not since she was a tiny kit with litter-mates to defend her. She stuck her paw out to shush him. She didn't want to see a fight break out between Ranger and Otis. Not that she really cared that much about either of them, or so she told herself. She just didn't want to clean up the mess.
Truffles, the small, black and orange tortoiseshell, trotted into the center, her greenish-yellow eyes glowing in the slit of moonlight that filtered in from the door Pandora had left ajar. "Finding its location may be easier than we thought … I have a friend that has knowledge of the goings on there."
Inkspot turned his green eyes on the petite feline. "A friend? One of the feral cats?"
The feral cats were a colony of wild cats that lived in Mystic Notch. It was rumored that they descended from an ancient clan. Most of them answered to no human, but even so, the humans helped provide shelter and food for them. Pandora felt a swell of pride knowing that her human, Willa, was one of those.
"No, but I can ask them, too. They have eyes and ears everywhere," Truffles answered. "This cat has been with the people who served the Van Dorn family for decades. She might know where this information is kept."
"Very well, then, find out what she knows." Inkspot nodded at Truffles, then turned to address the rest of the cats. "In the meantime, let us prepare. We will voyage to the Van Dorn mansion under the cover of darkness tomorrow night."
02-A Spirited Tail Page 10