“Hey, Pops,” Jonathan greeted him.
“I will swab it and run an analysis on that as well,” Harold said as Jacques came closer.
“You never said that you’d been hit,” Jacques said with concern as he inspected the pink bandage. “Nice.”
“You like it?”
“It’s a good color for you, oui?”
Jonathan pulled it off, turning his shoulder toward the bright light that the arrow was under. The cut was almost gone, the only sign it had even been there was a light line, and the flesh looked slightly pink around it.
“What makes you suspect that it has been drugged?” Harold asked as he peered at it.
“I felt dizzy for a minute afterward and have been–” he paused, thinking of his strange reaction to the librarian he’d rescued.
“Have been–” Jacques prompted.
“I felt a little light headed,” Jonathan said, leaving it at that. “Do you think we can trace it back to its maker?” he asked.
“We should be able to do precisely that.” Harold turned back to the arrow. “I should be able to have you some answers in a few hours.”
“Great,” Jonathan said as Jacques leaned across him to study the arrow.
“Have you ever seen anything like it?” Jonathan asked him.
“No,” Jacques said. “But I have learned not to underestimate the power of such things.” He looked over at Jonathan who had scooted the chair further away so that he could have a closer look. “I heard over the radio. They search for a man wearing a diaper, No?”
“Are you saying you believe in Cupid?” Jonathan scoffed.
Jacques leaned back on the counter with a grin. “I did not mention a Cupid.”
Jonathan put his shirt back on while Jacques chuckled.
“Honey, Dad, Jonathan,” Jessie called up through the opening. “Are you ready for dinner?”
“Be right there, dear,” both Jacques and Harold said.
“Hey,” Jonathan said to Jacques when they headed below. “I need you to come with me on a kitty search and rescue mission.”
“A kitty is in need of rescue?” Jacques asked.
“Yep.” Jonathan grinned. “Amber has a cat at the motel she wants me to retrieve.”
“But of course I’ll help,” Jacques said. “I cannot leave one of my own in despair.”
~*~
They pulled into the parking lot of the motel.
“Which one is it?”
“I’m not sure.” Jacques held up the plastic keycard. Other than the name Golden Key, it was unmarked. “Why did you not ask her?”
“I was afraid she’d ask me to take her back here for the umpteenth time,” Jonathan said as they drove into the parking lot.
“How did you get the key then—never mind I don’t want to know,” Jacques said. “Ah-there, number nine.” Jacques pointed.
“How can you tell?”
“Wild guess,” Jacques said as the lights of the car lit the window with the white kitty on the ledge inside.
“Ah.” Jonathan nodded. “I’m going to drive around back to see if there is anything suspicious before I park.”
“Wise choice.” Jacques nodded. “Do you wish me to vanish?”
“That shouldn’t be necessary,” Jonathan said as he drove around the building and stopped in front of the room again.
“That’s a pretty kitty, oui?” Jacques asked.
“I’m guessing a Persian,” Jonathan said.
“She looks Persian-Siamese.” Jacques nodded. “A dangerous combination if you ask me.”
“Why is that?”
“It’s like combining cranky and annoyed, and those are the good qualities.”
“Hmm?” Jonathan asked seriously. “That fits. Amber said she is feisty, hates men, and has a habit of scattering everything off the dresser when she’s agitated.”
“It is a good thing I brought the secret weapon.” Jacques smiled secretively.
“Why do I not have a good feeling about that?” Jonathan looked at him doubtfully.
“Do not worry,” Jacques said as he dangled a little play mouse in his hand, then held it to his nose and inhaled it deeply. “Aahh—catnip.” Jacques sighed.
“Let’s hope she likes it as much as you obviously do.”
“It has never failed.” Jacques lifted his brows. “It is the kitty version of a love potion.” He chuckled at the look he received from Jonathan. “Besides, I speak the universal language of love, oui?”
“Let’s just hope she understands it,” Jonathan said, looking back through the window at the kitty. “Let’s be quick about this.”
“I can be very quick,” Jacques said as he got out of the truck. He handed Jonathan the card to swipe through the key pad. When he opened the door, they both stood for a moment, looking in stunned disbelief at the vision that greeted them. The room had been completely shredded. It looked as if the only things that hadn’t been ripped apart were the draperies. Their sights both came to rest on the kitty that now sat on the bed atop the blankets and torn pile of pillows licking her paw.
“She must have been very agitated, oui?” Jacques asked.
Jonathan put his finger to his lips and used his foot to open the door the rest of the way. He slowly stepped inside the ransacked room. Slipping a gun from his other pocket, he walked into the bathroom. Returning to the main room, he found the door closed and Jacques engaged in a hissing match with the cat. “All clear,” he said as he replaced his gun.
Jacques reached out to the kitty and received a warm welcome. “What a pretty kitty—ouch!” he said, sucking on his finger that the cat had just laid open with a claw. “This is not a nice pussy cat.”
“Funny, that doesn’t sound like the language of love,” Jonathan said as the cat growled and swiped at Jacques again.
“You are a naughty puss.” Jacques pointed at the cat who flicked her tail.
“We need to dust this place for prints,” Jonathan said.
“Hmm!” Jacques huffed, looking at the fluffy white Prima Donna on the pillows. Why don’t we just stuff the kitty into a pillow case, and let the police dust for prints?” He wiped the blood from his finger on his pants as he spoke.
“You would treat a kitty so?” Jonathan just looked at him in surprise. “What happened with not leaving one of your own in despair?”
“I was speaking of a cat, whereas, that,” Jacques looked at her, “is a demon!”
“Well, I for one wouldn’t like to be the one who explains to Amber how her kitty came to be stuffed into a pillow case,” Jonathan said as he looked around the room. “Besides, I am starting to think our little librarian is hiding something. And until I know what it is, we’d better gather our own intel on this.”
“Look at this,” Jacques said as he pointed out a droplet of blood on the sheet and then another. He looked at his own finger that was bleeding. “I think that my finger is not the only one she may have laid open tonight.”
Jonathan left and returned with a tool box. He opened it on the floor and withdrew gloves and several baggies. He tore away the part of the sheet with the blood drops and placed it inside the plastic.
Jacques tried a few more times to capture the kitty, even turned into one himself, which only caused more hissing and growling from the other feline. Even his invisibility didn’t work. The cat watched him move about the room, twitching her tail.
“See?” Jacques asked, reappearing at the foot of the bed with the toy mouse in his hand. The kitty swiped at it, growled, and leapt off the bed, going under it. “There is something strange about this kitty.”
“Are you saying this because she is not enamored with your charms?” Jonathan asked as he moved about the room, putting powder on several surfaces.
Jacques leaned under the bed and called, “Here, puss, puss. Here pretty kitty—Ow!” He pulled his hand away, pinching the area between his thumb and forefinger that she’d punctured, watching as Jonathan collected a print from the door handle.
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“Maybe you should say something in French.” Jonathan looked over at him.
“And maybe you should let me do that, oui?” Jacques prompted.
“Giving up so soon?” Jonathan asked him.
“Non, I just think she may prefer blondes,” Jacques said as he dangled the mouse over the side of the bed enticingly . . . his fingers far above the strike zone.
Jonathan grinned as he watched him. The great Jaguar Warrior, afraid of the little white pussy cat. He placed all the evidence inside the tool box as he spoke. “I’m done with the prints. We’ll get Miss Smith’s things and her kitty, and then we can get out of here.”
“Easy for you to say,” Jacques said.
Jonathan picked up her suitcase to see if it was still serviceable. Whoever had searched the room had certainly done a thorough job of it. The lining of her suitcase had been torn out, and even some of her clothing had been sliced through.
He stuffed all the personal items that he could find in the suitcase and closed it. “Ready?”
Jacques looked up from his position, dangling off the bed and said, “You are serious, oui?”
Jonathan chuckled at him as he rolled off the bed and handed him the mouse. “Since you are the one who is impervious to her—uh—charms, I nominate you for the task.”
“Good thing I brought the real deal,” Jonathan said, pulling out a hypodermic needle from his pocket. “Can you say tranquilizer?” He twisted the cover off and flicked it with his finger.
“Where did you get this?” Jacques asked.
“Jessie,” Jonathan said.
“This does not sound like the Jessie I know,” Jacques said. “Does she know she gave it to you?”
“Ah—no,” Jonathan said with a grin as Jacques shook his head with a sigh.
“You get to be the one that gets to explain that one,” Jacques said.
“That is the beauty of the plan,” Jonathan explained. “We’ll keep it on a need to know basis, and there will be no reason to tell, so she won’t have to know.”
Chapter 4
Jacques stood ready with a blanket as Jonathan bent to pick up the bed. He tested it. “Good, it’s not bolted down.” He lifted it slightly. “You ready?”
“Oui.” Jacques nodded.
“Okay, go!” Jonathan said as he flipped the mattress and box spring over. As soon as the mattresses went up, the blanket floated down.
“Did you get her?” Jonathan asked, still holding the bed up.
“I am not certain.” Jacques waited to see where the blanket bulged.
“What would make you more certain?” Jonathan asked as Jacques followed the running bulge.
“Ye-ow!” Jacques yowled, threw another blanket down, and came away with something that looked like the laundry. “Got her,” he said triumphantly.
“Maybe we don’t need the shot.”
The blankets growled and hissed as a white paw poked out the side. “Ow,” Jacques said as her claws dug into him. “Get a pillow case.”
“I’ll do one better, I’ll get the needle,” Jonathan said. “Hold her tight now,” he said as she squirmed out.
“Non!” Jacques said, and as she slipped away, the needle stuck in his palm.”
“Sorry,” Jonathan said apologetically. “I thought I had her.”
Jacques pulled it out and read the side label. Handing it back to him he said disgustedly, “It says it’s for equine use only.”
Jonathan looked at it. “I guess it’s a good thing I missed the kitty then, isn’t it?” he asked, slipping it into his pocket as the cat darted into the bathroom.
Jacques shook his head slightly.
“Are you okay?” Jonathan asked. “I thought tranqs didn’t affect you.”
“That was before I became flesh and blood again.”
“A horse would have been out by now, so I guess you’re good,” Jonathan said matter-of-factly as he walked toward the bathroom door. “I’m going in,” he said, closing the door behind him.
Jacques waited a moment, listening to what sounded like World War III going on in the bathroom. Jonathan emerged smiling with what looked like a kitty wrapped in a breakfast burrito.
“Here.” He held the cat out.
“Oh, non!” Jacques picked up the keys. “This time you hold the kitty.”
~*~
Amber luxuriated in the bubbles of the old fashioned claw foot tub. Her toes peeped above the rim on the other side. Her red toenails glistened in the soft light. . . . It was the one thing she dared to indulge in and the only area on her body she allowed to be beautiful. Anything else was inviting trouble!
She leaned her head against the back rest and closed her eyes, letting the warm water soothe her. Her mind drifted to a beautiful beach where the ocean’s waves slowly rolled. She imagined squishing her feet in the sand, stepping along the shore until she was running joyously right into the water. She was totally immersed in the fantasy when her imagination threw a hard muscled physique into the waves with her. Their bodies were entwined on the sand, the water lapping at their limbs. She looked up into the face above hers. . . . It was him!
Amber’s eyes flew open. It had been so vivid. She shook her head with a shaky sigh, deciding bath time was over.
~*~
Jonathan slowly climbed the stairs to the second floor. He certainly didn’t want to agitate the hellcat in his arms. It was no doubt amusing Jacques who felt he had something coming to him since he’d been the one to put the needle in his hand.
The drive home had been nerve-wracking to say the least. What with the fuss ball of furry on his lap and his unlicensed grandpa driving, he was more than ready to pass this hot potato to the next player.
“I still say we should have used the pillow case,” Jacques said from down below.
“Shhh. She’ll hear you,” Jonathan whispered as he looked through the banister at him. Jacques, who was still a little woozy from the tranquilizer, crashed into the bureau as he carried the suitcase.
“Be careful with that,” Jonathan said as he slowly made his way to the Betty Boop suite.
“Why?” Jacques asked, looking at the shredded luggage in question. “Are you afraid I might damage it?”
“Good point,” Jonathan said as he stood outside the door to the Betty Boop suite. “Amber,” he called. He thought he heard her soft footsteps pause before the door on the other side, but it was hard to tell with Jacques stumbling up the stairs behind him.
“I have something for you,” Jonathan said.
“Something?” Jacques snorted in laughter. “You mean hellcat!”
Jonathan gave him an annoyed glance.
“What did I say?” Jacques asked as Jessie walked into the foyer and looked up at him.
“Jonathan,” she said. “What did you do to my husband?”
“Why, chéri,” Jacques grinned down at his wife, “it is on a need to know basis.”
“What don’t I need to know?” Jessie asked, using her doctor voice.
Jonathan rolled his eyes at Jacques as the door to Amber’s room opened a few inches and she peeked out.
Jonathan turned his attention to the woman who had a turban style towel wrapped around her head, and was wearing a pair of Minnie Mouse pajamas and house shoes. She peered up at him through thick rimmed glasses, and he wondered why the hell his heart flip flopped.
Spying what he held in his arms, Amber threw the door open with a cry and took her kitty from him. “Kisses,” she whispered hoarsely as she held her close.
“Kisses?” Jacques asked in disbelief as he leaned on the wall next to Jonathan. “I would think Shredder, Biter, or Destroyer would serve as a better warning, oui?”
“I didn’t realize you’d left. I would have gone,” Amber said. “Was she difficult?”
“Oh, no,” Jonathan said.
Jacques added, “Non, that would be the understatement of the year.”
“Jonathan,” Jessie said as she came down the hall. “Did you take him drink
ing again? You know he hasn’t had a drop in. . . .” She paused. She’d been about to say two hundred fifty years, but with Amber now looking curiously at her, Jessie ended with, “A while.”
The kitty in Amber’s arms jumped down and ran directly to Jessie, rubbing herself on her leg.
“Hello,” Jessie said as she picked up her cat. “What a gorgeous kitty.”
Jonathan and Jacques both stared in shock.
“Watch out. She can be feisty,” Jonathan said.
“She happens to love feisty kitties.” Jacques chuckled as he watched the cat in her arms purr.
Amber took one look at the luggage that Jacques held and asked, “What happened?”
“It looks like someone ransacked your motel room before we arrived,” Jonathan answered.
Amber gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
Jonathan watched her closely. “I know you’ve had a hell of an evening so far, but if you could tell me anything about this it would help.”
Amber glanced at the three faces of the people in front of her and knew that telling them would endanger them. She didn’t want to lie, but had to. “I had an old boyfriend that I hoped would never find me.”
“Was the man tonight your ex?” Jonathan asked.
At Jonathan’s close scrutiny of her, she nudged her glasses up. “I—don’t think so,” Amber said. “I never actually saw him.”
“You know you are safe here,” Jonathan said. At her nod he looked away, took the luggage from Jacques, and placed it on the heart shaped bed.
“Oh, that just breaks my heart to know you’ve been subjected to a stalker,” Jessie said as she walked further into the bedroom. “We’ll make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near you,” she added as she placed the kitty beside it on the red silk coverlet.
“I—know,” Amber lied again, knowing that not only was she not safe, but neither were they now. She faked a yawn.
“You must be tired,” Jessie said. “I hope you can get some rest knowing that you are safe here,” she continued as she went back to the door to gather up her own kitty.
“I will,” Amber said. “Goodnight.”
Cupid's Treasure - Mystery of the Golden Arrow Page 4