Deadly Diamond: A Murfy the Cat Mystery

by Anna Kern

  “Yup, that’s the one, only it’s for sale now. The owner’s in a nursing home; his family is scattered, and they don’t want to fool around with it. It’s on the market for one-eighty. You think it’s a good price?”

  “Your uncle would be the one to talk to about that. He’s the real estate investor.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Dad said, too. He offered to help with the down payment. Can you help me out if I need a co-signer?”

  “I’ll be glad to. I know you’ve learned your lesson about financial responsibility. After you get your uncle’s opinion on the property and its value, I’ll talk to some lenders and see who offers the best deal.”

  When the lunch had finally ended and the conversation too, Ethan paid the check and dropped us off in front of the store.

  “I’ll call Uncle Tom and see if he can look at the place today,” said Ethan. “I’ll let you know what he says.”

  “Okay, sweetheart, and thanks for lunch.”

  “The smart cat doesn’t let on that he is.”

  ––H. G. Frommer

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Murfy, the Escape Artist

  Alyx was on the phone when I wandered into the workroom. I heard her greet Ethan on speaker phone and I didn’t hear a response. He went straight to the reason for his call.

  She looked amused. “Take a deep breath, Ethan. I can tell you’re a little excited; it’s not every day you buy your first home. I’ve already made some calls, and the bank we do business with offers the best interest rate. Colonial Bank is at the end of our block. If you can come to the store in about an hour, we can walk over.”

  I realized she was talking about the building where I had seen the man arguing in the alley enter. One never knows, though I was fairly certain that Alyx wouldn’t bring me with her to the bank, I patiently waited by the door for Ethan to arrive. I had been looking for a way to communicate what I knew about the man in the alley, whom I suspected was the diamond thief, and it couldn’t have worked out better. My only concern was that if he did work in the bank, she wouldn’t recognize him and––for that reason––it was imperative that I go with them. Also, while waiting I sent out a special call to a friend. When Ethan stuck his head in the door, Alyx grabbed her purse and followed him. Distracted by Ethan’s haste, she didn’t see me slide out the door on her heels. I trotted along, a cat on a mission, avoiding feet and other obstacles, careful to keep my humans in sight ahead of me.

  At the end of the block, I gave Alyx and Ethan some lead time before I followed them inside the bank before the door closed. I immediately hid behind a large flowerpot near the entrance, and when the opportunity presented itself, I came out from behind it and lurked behind a uniformed woman. Now and then, I nosed the carpet, my mouth open as I took in the scent of the most-recent visitors––none of them cats. I cautiously moved forward, staying close to the wall. The doors to the offices on either side of the foyer were open with no sign of Alyx or Ethan. In the main room of the building, there were three desks on one side of the room, and one desk on the other side next to a long counter, partitioned into six spaces.

  I hid under an upholstered chair up against the wall in the main area and surveyed the room. My humans sat at the first desk across the room. I could see them, but they couldn’t see me. The diamond thief sat at a desk next to the counter across the room facing his computer. I noticed that he kept glancing in Alyx’s direction without moving his head.

  The only way he was going to stand up so Alyx could notice him was if I scared him as I had done in the alley. Unfortunately, I couldn’t show myself with Alyx and Ethan in the room. Knowing that, I sent out another call to my special helper––one of Pooky’s outdoor friends to help me out. His name was Zipper, a black cat––chosen for drama and speed.

  Zipper had slipped into the bank after me and now was hiding under another chair. On my signal, he sprinted across the room at the speed of light, and I ran to the exit. No one was in the hallway; no one saw me leap to hit the handicap door opener.

  The ruse worked. Zipper said the diamond thief (his nameplate said he was called Merkley) practically jumped off his chair to get out of the way, but that’s all he could report. I didn’t know if Alyx noticed him or even recognized him; I had to wait for her to get back to the store and then hear what she had to say.

  Luckily, I left the bank unseen and returned unharmed to the store. I hoped Misty was on guard at the checkout counter. She ran to find someone to let me in when she saw me.

  Alyx came back from the bank a short time later, and I followed her to the workroom.

  Maggie ended her phone conversation when she saw Alyx walk in and asked, “How did it go? Is he getting the loan?”

  “Yes, no problem as long as I co-sign. I can’t believe my little boy is becoming a homeowner. I’m so proud of him, Maggie.”

  “I know you are, and you should be.”

  Maggie said she had an appointment with a man about reupholstering a chair, and mentioned my excursion. “By-the-way, I think Murfy had himself an exciting time while you were gone.”

  “What did he do now?” asked Alyx.

  “I think he followed you, or tried to.”

  “I didn’t see him get out.”

  Maggie shook her head and shrugged, “Well, maybe he followed a customer. All I know is that I heard Misty walking around meowing, and when she saw me, she bounded to the front door where Murfy was waiting outside. I didn’t even know he was gone until I saw him waiting at the door.”

  Alyx looked at me suspiciously and frowned.

  “Maybe this was a one-time adventure, an opportunity he couldn’t resist,” Maggie joked.

  “I think my cat is an escape artist, only he knows all the places he’s been.” said Alyx, unfortunately providing me with no information about whether or not she had recognized the diamond thief at the bank.

  “Cats can be cooperative when something feels good, which, to a cat, is the way everything is supposed to feel as much of the time as possible.”

  ––Roger Caras

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: A Predictable Plot

  Alyx made a fresh pot of coffee, poured two cups, and brought one to Maggie along with a plate of muffins she’d picked up earlier from the Café.

  “Take a break; I want to run something by you,” she said, setting the coffee and muffins in front of her.

  Maggie took a sip of the hot coffee, reached for a muffin and leaned back in her chair.

  “Okay, I’m listening.”

  “Remember the nervous guy I told you about that came in the store the day Hall’s was robbed?”

  Maggie answered with a blank look on her face.

  Alyx continued, “The one who stepped on Misty on his way out.”

  “Oh, yeah. You said you thought he was embarrassed because everyone was staring at him.” She laughed and took a bite of the muffin in her hand.

  “Well, I don’t know if I mentioned it at the time but he looked familiar, and now I know why; he works at the bank, our bank. His name is Mark Merkley.”

  “Who?”

  “Mark Merkley. The name plate on his desk said Mark Merkley.”

  The baffled look on Maggie’s face hastened an explanation. “I saw him today when I was there with Ethan. He was dressed in a shirt and tie, wearing the same brown shoes with tassels and no socks––the same as the man who stepped on Misty the day Hall’s was robbed. I didn’t recognize him at the time because when he was in the shop he was dressed casually and his face was hidden by a baseball cap and sunglasses.”

  “Alyx, don’t forget; you haven’t been in the bank since Bernice started making the deposits.”

  “That’s the truth.”

  “So what happened that made you look at this guy’s feet?”

  There was a moment of silence, and then Alyx continued. “I think he’s ailurophobic; he has an irrational fear of cats.”

  “And how do you know that?”

  “This is going to sound strange but hear me out �
�” She went on to recount what I already knew had happened. Then, they both looked down at me, frowning.

  “Okay, getting back to what I was saying … here’s what I’m thinking. What if he––this Mark Merkley––stole that diamond from Hall’s and hid it in the desk in our shop, intending to get it later when the heat was off, except we delivered the desk to Althea. He could have been watching and saw where it went.”

  “And he went back later to get his diamond and killed Althea in the process,” finished Maggie.

  “Exactly. So you think it could have happened that way?”

  “It could have, except it sounds too much like the predictable plot of a bad mystery novel.”

  Alyx bit her lower lip, “Yeah, I guess it does at that.”

  “Besides, how can you approach the police with just a theory? Don’t they have to have evidence before they can investigate?”

  Alyx shrugged.

  “Did you let on that you recognized him when you were in the bank today?”

  “Not outwardly. Don’t worry I’m not going to do anything foolish. Not where that’s concerned anyway. I’m going to tell Smarts about recognizing him, and about the behavior of the man who came in the store after the robbery and who I think he is. Right now, it’s just speculation on my part that he killed Althea, and Smarts may come to that same conclusion. No question though, I do think he stole the diamond.”

  Alyx then called Detective Smarts regarding Mark Merkley, the alleged diamond thief. He asked her to come into the station to file a formal statement. I was delighted that she decided to take me along.

  At the station, I expected a cool reception and wasn’t disappointed. Smarts practically hissed when he saw me trailing behind Alyx.

  “Why didn’t you give us this information about this Merkley character earlier, Ms. Hille?”

  “It didn’t occur to me then.”

  “What made you think of it now?”

  “I guess it was because of his behavior today in the bank for one. I used to make our bank deposits at least three times a week for more than two years, and he––this Merkley fellow––always said hello. I haven’t been making the deposits recently, so I haven’t been in the bank very often and therefore haven’t seen him. Today when I was there with my son, and I saw him, I remembered that he had been in my store the day of the diamond robbery. Secondly, you don’t usually see men in suits wearing dress shoes with no socks, and I remembered that the guy who came in the store after the robbery also wore brown shoes with tassels and no socks.”

  “So you think we should question him based on what you just told me.”

  “Look, I had information and I gave it to you. You do what you want with it.” She grabbed the purse she’d slung across the back of her chair and walked out, her cheeks red.

  Back at the shop, customers continued to trickle in all evening. I sat on the counter carefully monitoring the comings and goings, on the lookout for Mark Merkley.

  David Hunter called for Alyx and left a message on the answering machine in the workroom. The message was the same as the one he’d left on the answering machine at home and probably on her cell phone––asking her to call him.

  Alyx hesitated a moment, took a deep breath and then called him. I was close enough to hear him say he was hoping to have dinner with her and she could pick the place.

  “How about dinner at my house?” she suggested, “Nothing fancy. I’ll make spaghetti and a salad.”

  “Okay, I’ll bring the wine and, Alyx…did I tell you how beautiful you looked the other night?”

  Her eyes softened. “Yes, several times,” she said.

  The bright red-orange glow must have drawn Alyx to the screened porch. The western sky was ablaze with the setting sun. At first glance, one might have thought that the woods in the distance were on fire.

  Hunter arrived promptly at six. He uncorked the wine and filled two glasses, while Alyx served a simple dinner of mixed salad greens, spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce and garlic bread sticks.

  She let him do most of the talking during dinner, telling her funny stories about other masked balls and charity events he’d attended. Their conversation touched mostly on the surface of things. They finished dinner, and Hunter deposited the dirty dishes in the sink while Alyx put away the leftovers. He refilled the wine glasses and carried them to the living room. Alyx followed and sat next to him on the couch. For a moment, neither one seemed to know what to do or say.

  Alyx spoke first. “David, I agreed to see you because what I have to say needs to be said in person… I think you know I’m attracted to you.” He took her hand, and she pulled it back. “The relationship with your wife…”

  “Ex-wife,” he interjected.

  “Your relationship with your ex-wife isn’t over, and I don’t want to be involved in a triangle.”

  She told him about the encounter at the ball.

  “Alyx….”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry David––there can’t be anything serious between us with a third party still involved.”

  He reached for his glass, “Joann and I have known each other since grade school; we dated exclusively in high school, and married while still in college. She’s been restless for a long time. She doesn’t want me––she just doesn’t want anyone else to have me. Believe me, Alyx, it’s over between us.”

  “That’s just it; I don’t believe it is. You have too much history between you. I’m truly sorry, but I can’t deal with it.”

  “So, that’s it, we’re finished?”

  “We can see each other as before.”

  “Yes, we can do that; see each other once or twice a month for coffee. How long do you think we can do that without giving up?”

  “For me, it’s until you’re truly free.”

  There was nothing left to say. He nodded silently, his eyes dark with displeasure, maybe a little anger, surely not at her. He drained his wine and stood to leave. She walked him to the door and said goodnight. Closing the door behind her, she leaned her back against it. She turned and quickly pulled the door open expectantly but he was gone.

  “A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”

  ––Ernest Hemingway

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: One Less Suspect

  The sun streaming in the bank of windows in the kitchen warmed the chilly tile underfoot, making it comfortable enough to sit and watch Alyx eat her breakfast––a bowl of oatmeal and a handful of vitamins. It wasn’t unusual for the temperature to fluctuate dramatically, and according to the weather forecast, it would rise to the low eighties by noon.

  The phone rang; I jumped on the chair next to Alyx and heard Maggie’s excited voice.

  “Alyx, have you read the paper, yet?”

  “No, I haven’t. Why?”

  “Mark Merkley was killed last night.”

  “How?” she asked, as she unfolded the paper and scanned each page until she found the article.

  “Someone shot him. A neighbor heard the shot and called the police. Read the article and I’ll see you at the store this afternoon.”

  “Okay, sweetie, thanks for calling.”

  By late afternoon we were all at the shop and Alyx had more information on the shooting. A neighbor of Merkley’s had heard shots fired, and when he looked out the window, he saw a car pull away. He didn’t get the license plate number, only the make and color of the vehicle. Other neighbors said they saw that same car parked in front of Merkley’s house several times during the week, and didn’t see anyone getting in or out of the car.

  “I heard that the police interviewed his girlfriend,” Alyx was saying to Maggie, “and she told them he was a gambler, got into a high-stakes poker game here in town, suffered a heavy loss, and borrowed money from a loan shark to pay his debt. Word on the street is that he was killed because he didn’t pay them back.”

  “That makes sense,” said Maggie. “How much di
d he borrow?”

  “Thirty-thousand,” replied Alyx, “and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that it’s the same amount the stolen diamond was worth. I was thinking about Mark Merkley after I read the short blurb in the paper about him and the thought suddenly struck me that if he got killed because he didn’t pay his gambling debts, then he didn’t kill Althea for sure.”

  “So you’re thinking the diamond must still be in the desk, if that’s where he hid it.”

  The women trotted out the door before Maggie finished her sentence, and I trotted over to Misty. I asked her to guide Alyx to where she saw the thief hide the diamond, and she was thrilled to lead the parade.

  Alyx, however, didn’t make it to the desk. A round, pasty-faced, man with thick, red hands stopped her.

  In a booming voice, he asked if she worked there. “Yes, I do. How may I help you?”

  “I’m looking for an old desk that has lots of cubby holes to hide stuff. You know what I’m talking about?”

  It was clear to me that Alyx had no intention of selling the desk, so she’d placed it in an out-of-the way spot in the shop, up against a wall, not easily seen unless you were looking for it.

  “I know what you’re looking for,” Alyx said to the man, “but we don’t have it. There are two other antique stores down the street, you might try there.”

  “A friend of mine said she saw it here the other day,” he insisted.

  “I’m sorry; the desk she saw is not for sale,” she said as she edged away.

  His face turned red, sweat appeared on his brow. “I’ll pay whatever you want. The desk is for my wife. It would mean a lot to her.”

  “I’m really sorry; it’s not for sale.”

  “Look, you don’t understand; I did something I won’t be forgiven for unless I make it up to her big. I need to buy that desk,” he pleaded.

  Alyx shook her head, and she repeated firmly, “It’s not for sale.”