“Look, the best thing to do is to play it safe. If you go out tomorrow and you see the same black car, call Fred. Tell him what happened. Also, make sure all your doors and windows are locked and make sure you have Fred's number on speed dial. Look out your window now and then and see if anything is happening outside, and if you see the black car parked. If so, call Fred immediately. This could be a coincidence or it could be nothing, but being prepared for trouble never hurts.” Jill explained to Mandy.
“I'm going to follow your advice and talk to Roger and tell him to be on attack cat mode. I'm sure he won't understand a word I'm saying, but it doesn't hurt to try. Besides, he's usually good at sensing danger and he won't hesitate to protect me.”
“Yes, watch a movie tonight and sit with the cats. They're going to be your best company.” Jill said.
“I hope it doesn't turn out to be a long night.”
*****
Cynthia had decided she needed to treat herself to something nice after all she had been through in the recent past. She thought about getting a manicure. She knew a great place to get her nails done and after being there for an hour or so, she felt a lot more relaxed than she did earlier.
Cynthia thought about the recent horrible events. She still had the vision of Karen's body on the main office's floor. She wondered if Allen killed her and why did he do such a thing. Many thoughts were going around her head. Now and then, she'd look at the beauty attendant and the attendant would ask Cynthia if she's being too rough with her nails. In these instances, Cynthia came out of her reverie.
She thought back to simpler days when she worked as an office manager at another company and wondered if perhaps this whole pet spa thing was not for her. It involved too much of work and an excess of responsibility. Even though she made more money than before, the amount of money she made didn't match up with the amount of work she did. She thought perhaps this whole Karen experience is telling her to get out of this business. There's got to be an easier way of making a living with not so much on the line. And she asked herself, did she really want to go back to work to a place where her friend was murdered? The answer was easy. No.
The woman finished the manicure and Cynthia thought of getting a little snack before heading home. She would put all this behind her. After eating something she figured she would go home, watch a fun movie and not give a second thought to the spa, whether people are coming back to work or what mood Jeffrey is going to be in. She needed some alone time for herself and time for self pampering. The manicure had left her in a good mood.
After getting a snack Cynthia was in much better spirits. Tomorrow would be a better day. She got in her car and drove home. She parked the car and as she got out of her car, she wished she had found a parking space closer to her apartment building. The street lights had gone out on the whole block and apparently the city had not gotten around to fixing them. The only light came from different apartments with open windows. A dim alternative to the normal streetlights, she could just barely make out the sidewalk.
She continued walking towards her apartment building, being careful of cracks on the sidewalk. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and put an arm around her neck. With the other hand, they covered her face with a wet rag. She smelled a strong chemical on it, she couldn't breathe and she felt as though she would pass out any minute. In another moment the world went dark for Cynthia and her assailant dragged her to his car.
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning Mandy felt better than she gave herself any credit for. All she did was worry the whole night long, wondering whether a desperate intruder was going to come barging into her house. In spite of her misgivings, nothing happened during the night. As she looked out her windows now and then, she could tell nobody lurked outside and no one broke in during the night. So, whatever happened, it's very likely her imagination worked overtime and nobody followed her. On the other hand, if she did see the black car following her again today, she'd be calling Fred right away. He might think she's silly or whatever, but better be safe than sorry. Discretion is the better part of valor. Or words to that effect. She didn't remember who said that or why but it seemed like the kind of thing she should do.
Something else was at the back of Mandy's mind. Although she enjoyed having Lana staying with her, she wanted to get an idea of how much longer she would take care of her. She wanted to prepare herself mentally if these owners were going to take her today or tomorrow. She figured she'd call Cynthia after breakfast. Meanwhile, Roger and Lana were talking.
“Roger it's so great having somebody I can talk to regularly.” Lana said.
“I have to say, it never entered my mind before, but now that you're here, I seem to recall it's something that I used to do, but I don't remember with whom or why?” Roger said.
“Well, don't you remember talking to your siblings when you were a kitten? Or your mother speaking with you?” Lana asked.
“Now that you mention it, no. I don't remember anything like that. I just remember Mandy picking me up at the pet place and taking me home. And I've been with her ever since.” Roger said. (For those of you joining us for the first time, Roger is a special case. Roger is a reincarnated New York City detective. His guardian angel, Colin, made a deal where Roger lived out the rest of his life as a cat, because otherwise he'd have to spend many more years living the netherworld, a sort of purgatory. So, that's why he doesn't remember his time as a kitten. He was never a kitten. This is outlined in Chapter one of Book One “Murder at the Art Gallery".)
“That is so strange, I remember my mother and my other cat siblings. I was the only white cat in the litter, my brothers and sisters were mixed.” Lana said.
“Now and then I get glimpses of talking to others, I just don't remember who.” Roger said. (Roger got glimpses of his previous life, when he was a man, but he didn't know what those memories represented. Once he became a cat, he forgot he was a man.)
“Perhaps you had a traumatic experience, and that's why you wound up at a shelter.” Lana theorized.
“Oh, you mean the place with the animals.” Roger said, trying to understand.
“Yes, that's what they call a shelter. You don't get around much, do you?” Lana asked.
“No, I really don't. It's been Mandy and me for as long as I can remember and that's been my whole reality."
“Roger, I like you, but you are one strange cat.” Lana said jokingly.
“You think so?” Roger asked.
“Oh, I'm playing with you silly. As I recall, after they took me from my family, I was placed at a shelter myself. I made friends with cats there as well. Some of them were pretty strange. For all I know, I'm pretty strange myself and I don't even know it.” Lana said, amusing herself.
“Well, for me this whole experience is unusual. I've been living alone with Mandy and now that you're here, I realize that there is this whole other dimension to life, that it's not just Mandy and me. I'm wondering if you staying here is a permanent situation or are they going to take you away?” Roger said.
“I wish I knew, but I truly don't understand humans most of the time.” Lana said perplexed.
Roger continued thinking of things that Lana had said. He remembered people, not cats, in flashes of memory. He remembered talking to people. He also remembered that there used to be a girl that was very important to him, but she was not a cat. But each time he started thinking along those lines, they would go out of his memory as though he had amnesia.
Roger continued to reflect on what Lana said. She is able to remember her siblings and her parents, all he remembered was Mandy. It's as though nothing had happened before meeting Mandy. Roger continued to speculate on his past. Could it be possible he had a traumatic experience, whatever that meant, as Lana said and that's why he couldn't remember his family?
In the middle of Roger's thinking, Colin, Roger's guardian angel, appeared nearby, but out of sight of Roger. He sensed Roger remembering his time as a man, and knew the
ensuing disaster resulting from leading the life of a man trapped inside a cat's body, if he realized the truth. Right now, in his present state, Roger believed he was a cat, and only knew cat things. He never considered anything else but his daily cat life. Still, in the presence of a female cat, his memories of his former girlfriend stirred. Colin stifled those memories for the time being. He concentrated on Roger's mind and filled it with fun cat things, fun times with Mandy, and going out to the park. Things that are important to a cat, happy cat thoughts.
Roger started to think about cat things and forgot his introspective state. He grabbed his favorite toy and started to play with it. Soon Lana joined him and both were tossing and chasing the toy around the room.
Once Colin was satisfied that Roger no longer teetered on the verge of discovering he was really a man and grew interested in cat like things again, he left. The danger had been subdued and undone. For now.
*****
Mandy remembered that she had an astrology session that day with the client coming over soon. She started to get ready for that and put aside the Lana issue for the time being. The great thing was, Roger and Lana were like two peas in a pod. When they were together, they'd either play well together and when they were not playing, hanging out on the sofa seem to be perfectly fine for them. Couldn't ask for two better animals.
The client arrived, Sara Woods. Sara worked at the local coffee shop around the corner and Mandy had been getting her morning coffee there for years. When Sara learned that Mandy was an astrologer she hired Mandy to do an astrological chart for her. Mandy said sure and now the day had come for her appointment. With all the activity of the last two days, she had forgotten this appointment, she felt glad that she had remembered at the last minute. The bell rang.
“Oh hi Sara, come in."
“This is so great, I'm looking forward to getting this started. I understand that you can gain a good personal insight from your astro chart.” Sara said enthusiastically.
“Well, the great thing about an astrological chart is that it shows directions in your life and where your strengths are. It also shows your weaknesses. That's not always a bad thing, because all that means, you've discovered the parts of yourself that you have to work on.” Mandy explained.
“So, what do we work on today?” Sara wondered.
“Well, today's session is going to be exploratory. I'm going to ask you for your natal statistics, when were you born, down to the hour and minute. From that information, I'll be able to form a basic chart that shows what are your Sun and Moon sign as well other basic characteristics.” Mandy explained.
“What's a Sun sign?” Sara asked.
“Well, a person can be born during a time period and be for instance, a Pisces, but the sign that is under your Sun will predispose what your personality will be. So, as a generality, if you have Leo in your Sun, vanity and a desire to get attention will be a couple of Leo traits associated with you. In addition to that, you will also be strong and determined in other ways. Whereas, Pisces by itself doesn't have those qualities. So just because you are born under an astrological sign, it doesn't mean that's all you are.” Mandy further explained.
“Well, that explains a lot because I've never associated fully with what I read about Pisces on the web. There were other aspects of me that didn't fall under the Pisces sign.” Sara said.
“Well, most of the astrology you read about out there is generalized astrology. People are complex individuals and there are many determinants that create a person. But at no point are any of these fixed in stone. Everything is malleable and everything is changing. There is no such thing as destiny or fate, however, one does have an aptitude for specific lifestyles. But if that lifestyle isn't working for an individual, they can always change. Astrology provides a key to show what may be causing somebody to be stuck.” Mandy said.
“And that's really what I want to find out. I can't continue working as a coffee barista for the rest of my life, I need to discover why I'm afraid to change and what can I do to go forward in my life.” Sara said, with a bit of desperation.
“Don't worry Sara, in a week or so, I'll be able to show you the variables which are contributing to this person that you call you.” Mandy said smiling.
Mandy got all the information she needed from Sara and told her basic things about her.
“Well, it seems you have a Sun in Scorpio and a moon in Pisces. So, that's possible why you didn't identify with the Pisces all by its lonesome self in the past.” Mandy said.
“Well, I don't know what that means now, but I understand that I can have more than one sign influencing me.” Sara said.
“Yes, planets and things such as aspects and orbs can also affect your life. During this week I'll be working on the chart for you and then come up with an interpretation of everything.” Mandy said.
“Wow, that sounds great. I can't wait till I learn what else you discover.” Sara said.
“It's always interesting. One thing to remember is that you have to take what I discover calmly because nothing is written in stone. It's simply a snapshot of you, and all the things that make you an individual at this point in time. But people, like the universe, are always in a constant state of flux, so, it's a beginning. It points to a direction, not a destination.” Mandy explained.
“Ok, I'll stay calm till you finally tell me what's in the astro chart. When can I call you?” Sara asked.
“Check with me on Monday. By Wednesday, Thursday, we should be able to meet again and I'll give you the whole picture.” Mandy said.
“Great. Looking forward to it.” Sara said.
Sara left, and Mandy made notes of her initial impressions of Sara. She would compare that with what she found out later.
Chapter Eighteen
After finishing with Sara, Mandy checked in on Roger and Lana. Lana slept on the sofa and Roger was in the kitchen, eating. She gave Cynthia a call. Her phone rang the customary four times, and then she heard the by-now familiar voicemail message. No Cynthia. Perhaps she was busy or at the spa? She figured, she'd call later, no use bothering her if she's in the middle of something important. She speculated that if Cynthia had any info regarding Lana's owners, she'd hear about it. But it didn't hurt to touch base with her.
Mandy liked Cynthia. She said to herself 'well, I lost Karen, but I gained a new friend with Cynthia'. Although Mandy had many friends, she always valued every new one because as she learned the hard way, they don't always stick around, usually because of circumstances beyond their control, like death. That reminded her of Karen and she told herself that now was not the time to think of that.
She decided to go to the mall and shop for things for the house. She got her car keys, picked up her bag. She said to Roger, “Now Roger, I'm going to go to the store, sorry I can't take you hon. Lana can't be left alone, so you gotta take care of her while I'm gone. Ok?”
She didn't expect an answer from Roger, but he looked at her and blinked his eyes, as though he understood what she said. She wondered if Roger ever understood what she said. But he definitely picked up on her moods and definitely knew when danger lurked or when people were alright. So, he had great instinct.
Mandy got in her car and headed in the direction of the mall. After five minutes of being on the road, she noticed something she didn't like. It seemed that black car was following her again. She saw it one car behind her. Is this her imagination overacting or was this car really following her, she asked herself. Anyway, no need to take unnecessary chances. Since the police station was right by the mall, she considered stopping by and telling Fred her suspicions. Let him laugh if he thought it silly. But this had been going on now for three days and it's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, she hadn't seen Fred since the break-in and maybe she'd learn something new regarding that.
Mandy parked her car in the parking lot of the mall and crossed the street over to the police station. Once inside, she asked if Fred had time to talk to her. Receptionist checked what was
going on, then said go right in.
“Hi Fred, how are you doing today?”
“Well Mandy, what a surprise, to what do I owe this pleasure in the day?”
“I wish I could say that I came by so you could tell me of your singing lessons but there's something going on and I figured I'd tell you, even if you think I'm being childish.”
“Ok, what's going on?” Fred said suspiciously.
“Well, ever since the day of the break in, I've seen this black car following me. At first I chalked it up to my imagination, but now it's going on three days since the break in and I saw it again today. It's always a car or two behind and when I park it keeps driving. But then when I leave, I notice it after a while again.”
“And this has been happening right after you left the apartment?” Fred said concerned.
“Yes. At first I felt foolish because I couldn't tell if it was my mind playing tricks on me. With all that has been going on, I'm the first to admit that perhaps I am going a little nutty. But I'm pretty certain there's a car following me, and it's beginning to freak me out.”
“No Mandy, I'm glad that you told me about this. You were at the scene of a crime, at the domicile of a murder victim. Somebody escaped as you and Cynthia arrived. There are plenty of reasons to be concerned. It's possible the person who broke in fears you can identify him. Find out from Cynthia if she's seen anybody following her or anything strange is happening. One murder victim is enough and the prospective murderer is still at large. We don't know if it's Allen, but we still don't have a lead on that guy. And he's nobody to mess with from what I hear of his description.” Fred explained.
“Absolutely. But don't you think that if he wanted to make contact, he would have done so by now? He's had plenty of opportunities.” Mandy said.
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