Meow and Forever

by Patricia Fry

  Iris nodded. “Yes, her dog wouldn’t even continue on the walk. He stopped right before that gnarly tree and wouldn’t go any farther. She had to turn around and take him home. Another woman I talked to said that when she takes this path with her two small children, the kids always get cranky at that spot. She calls it their turn-around place. She’s learned to turn around before they reach the gnarled tree, although I’ve seen kids climbing it.”

  “Strange,” Savannah muttered.

  “Yeah,” Iris said thoughtfully. “I wonder what Rochelle could tell us about it. Or maybe I should talk to the water-witch guy who found the bodies at the inn when we were renovating it.”

  “Yes, that might be interesting,” Savannah said. “However, his dowsing sticks—or whatever they’re called—work with minerals, so…”

  “If it’s an electromagnetic field, the dowsing thingies might pick up on it,” Iris reasoned. She grinned. “Can’t you just see people flocking to the inn for a healing experience at this vortex?”

  Rather than answer, Savannah asked, “What does Craig think?” “Oh, the non-believing detective?” Iris grumped. “As you know, he isn’t into this fun spiritual stuff like I am.”

  Savannah chuckled. “Have you brought him out here?”

  “Craig go for a walk? Are you kidding?”

  Savannah faced her friend. “Listen, I think you should leave it alone.”

  Iris frowned. “Really?”

  “You have a good thing going at the inn. Why risk spoiling it by bringing in an element you know nothing about and that might freak out the typical guest?”

  Iris slumped. “I guess you’re right, dang it! And if it’s ugly energy, I sure don’t want to invite it into my beautiful inn.”

  “Of course not.”

  Just then they heard a man’s voice. “Hello, ladies.”

  “Oh, hi,” Iris said, jumping a little. “I didn’t see you there.”

  “Out for a morning stroll?” he asked.

  Iris nodded. “Yes. It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

  Savannah nudged Iris. “We’d better get a move on.”

  “Hey,” Iris said, jogging to catch up with her. “What are you doing?”

  “I thought we were out here to get some exercise,” Savannah said, glancing back at the man who’d greeted them.

  “Yeah, but I’m not into marathon running. Too much of me jiggles when I run or jog. Slow down,” she complained. Iris grabbed Savannah’s arm. “What’s wrong with you? Did the vortex scramble your brain or something?”

  Savannah glanced behind them again. “Yeah, maybe a little.”

  Iris followed Savannah’s glance. “What’s wrong? Do you know that man back there?”

  “Maybe,” Savannah said. “Or maybe I’m just being paranoid.” When Iris seemed to be waiting for her to continue, Savannah explained, “It’s his voice. Iris, I think that’s the guy who called and tried to buy Rags from me. He called again and said he wants to interview me for some big newspaper. I think it was the same man. That voice. I’m just sure that was him.” She faced Iris. “It’s a Boris Karloff or James Earl Jones voice.”

  “What?”

  Savannah attempted to explain, “Sort of deep and theatrical, you know.” She shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess I’m feeling kind of terrorized.”

  Iris turned and looked back again. “Well, he’s gone. You say he wants to give you money for your cat? How much, pray tell?”

  “Does it matter? It’s totally inappropriate. I mean, I said no, and he keeps calling me, and obviously now he’s following me.”

  “Or you’re imagining things. Savannah, what you’re saying doesn’t make sense. Who gets all hopped up about buying a cat? If you don’t want to sell yours, why wouldn’t he go find another one? There are free cats running around everywhere. Heck, I have cats I might sell for the right price. What did he offer?”

  “Two thousand dollars.”

  “Yikes! Do you think he was serious?” Iris asked.

  “I don’t know what to think, but the guy has me kind of scared.” She faced Iris. “Who is he? What does he actually want? And why is he suddenly following me around?”

  After thinking for a moment, Iris said, “He looks harmless to me with those baggy clothes and shock of white hair. He’s probably just some lonely old guy—a friendly, lonely old guy.”

  Savannah took a deep breath. “Yeah, maybe I am overreacting, but he sure sounded like the one who called me on the phone.”

  Iris suddenly stopped. “Hey, maybe the vortex gave you some sort of deeper insight and the guy back there really is a bad guy—you know, a human trafficker or drug pusher or killer, even. Wow! Now that would be a real plus to offer at the inn, a vortex that gives you insight. She grasped Savannah’s arm and said excitedly, “Come to think of it, the last time I walked through the vortex, I came away with some great insight.”

  “You did?” Savannah said.

  Iris nodded. “Yeah, I went back to the inn and right away chose the perfect upholstery fabric for the sofas in the lobby. I’d been indecisive about the fabric for weeks. It was driving me bananas. One walk through the vortex and the decision was made.”

  “Oh, Iris, it was probably just the walk. You relaxed and got your mind off the project so you were fresh to make a good decision when you returned.”

  Iris was quiet, then said, “Well, you have a way of turning everything around, don’t you?”

  Savannah laughed. “ I do? I’d say you’re the queen of reverse thinking. You’re the one who took a perfectly normal pathway and turned it into something otherworldly.”

  After walking another several yards in contemplation, Iris announced, “Well, I think I’ll contact Rochelle; I’d love to get her take on this.” She asked more excitedly, “Will she be here for Teddy’s birthday party?”

  Savannah nodded. “Yes. They’re picking up Adam.” She smiled. “It’ll be so much fun to see the boys together again—Simon and Adam. I guess they’ve remained friends since our mountain vacation in December. They’ve visited each other a couple of times and they FaceTime fairly often.”

  “That’s nice. So Rochelle and Peter are doing okay with their new son?” Iris asked.

  “Everyone seems to be adjusting nicely,” Savannah said. “But yes, they’re coming in tomorrow, actually, and leaving Sunday, I believe. So you might want to contact her and see if she’d like to take a walk with you down Taser Lane while they’re here.”

  Iris smirked playfully at Savannah. “I look forward to discussing this amazing find with someone who can seriously grasp the importance of it.” She looked off into space. “Yes, Rochelle, in her infinite spiritual wisdom, will definitely share my excitement.”

  ****

  It was midafternoon Friday when Michael announced, “They’re here!” He was the first one out the door to greet Adam, who eagerly leaped from the Whitcombs’ car and ran into his father’s arms. “Did you have a good trip?” Michael asked.

  “Yeah,” Eleven-year-old Adam said enthusiastically.

  “I won the road-trip game,” Simon said, joining them.

  Michael invited a high five. “Congratulations.” He added, “My man!” preparing to fist bump.

  Simon looked at Michael sideways. “It wasn’t that exciting.”

  Peter and Rochelle laughed as they approached. He said, “Well, you were sure pumped there for a while, young man. I thought you’d share the news all over the Internet.”

  When the boy looked embarrassed, Rochelle tousled his hair. “Well, I was impressed.”

  “You have to be,” Savannah teased, catching up with Michael. “You’re the mom.”

  After hugs were shared and the luggage was distributed to the bedrooms, Adam asked, “Can we go give the horses a carrot?”

  “Sure,” Savannah said. “One each, okay?” Adam agreed. “Okay. Come on, Simon.” Seconds later the boys returned. Adam cradled Glori in his arms. “I found your new cat!” “I didn’t
know she was lost,” Michael quipped.

  “Oh,” Rochelle swooned, “isn’t she beautiful?”

  Adam walked up to Rochelle and she petted the calico, asking the Iveys, “You adopted her when you were in the city last week?”

  Savannah nodded.

  “How’s she doing?” Rochelle asked. “Was the move hard for her?”

  “Not at all,” Savannah said. “It’s like she’s always been part of our family. The transition has been seamless.”

  “Is that unusual?” Peter asked. “Are you saying cats don’t typically adjust well to change? Those kittens of ours sure didn’t seem to have a problem.”

  “That’s most likely because they’re kittens and there are two of them,” Savannah said. “Re-homing older cats can sometimes be tricky.” She smiled. “But Glori didn’t miss a beat, did she, Michael?”

  He agreed and added, “Neither did the other critters. They accepted Glori without question. We haven’t had any problems.”

  Gladys chuckled. “Except for the lizard fiasco.”

  “What happened, Gladys?” Peter asked, amused.

  “Well, all four of them—Lexie included—got in a scuffle over a lizard,” she explained.

  “Really? Who came out on top of that heap?” Peter asked. “The lizard,” Michael said. “But Glori ended up with it. Buffy took it away from Rags and Glori got it from Buffy.” Michael laughed. “It was pretty funny to watch.”

  “Can she walk on a leash?” Adam asked. “Can we take her outside with us?” After thinking about it, Savannah said, “You know what? Why don’t you boys pay attention to one species at a time?”

  Simon frowned. “Huh?”

  “Go see the horses, then you can come back in and play with the cats if you want to,” Savannah suggested.

  “Okay,” Adam said, lowering Glori to the floor. “Let’s go, Simon.”

  As an afterthought, Michael called. “Take Lexie with you.”

  Rochelle smiled after the boys as they bounded out of the room, then asked, “So, Savannah, what’s up with Iris? She called yesterday and asked if I’d take a walk with her. She said she wants to show me something. I told her we could do it this afternoon if you and Michael don’t have plans for us. What do you think?”

  Savannah nodded. “Yes, that would be okay.”

  “Want to join us?” Rochelle asked.

  Savannah winced. “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, go on, hon,” Michael said. “Peter and I’ll hold down the fort here.”

  Savannah looked suspiciously at him. “You want to take charge of four children and put the finishing touches on the dinner?”

  “Dinner?” he repeated.

  “Yeah, the salad’s made, but you’ll have to put the enchiladas in…”

  “Never mind,” Gladys said, “I’ll do that. You girls go visit. What time do you want to eat?”

  “Six?” Savannah suggested.

  The women were just about to leave the house when Rags walked into the room. Savannah stopped and looked down at him, finally saying, “Why not?”

  Puzzled, Michael asked, “What?”

  “Iris wants to see how he reacts to…” She glanced at Rochelle. “Um…I think I’ll take him with us. Let me get his pack and his harness.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure,” Michael said. He chuckled and said to Peter, “Most people take their dogs out for a walk; not around here. Oh no, we walk the cat.”

  “Usually only when there’s a reason,” Savannah said.

  Michael frowned. “And what’s the reason this time?”

  Savannah grinned. “I’ll tell you about it later. It’s a sort of experiment.”

  “Using Rags in an experiment?” Michael said, shaking his head. “Well, good luck with that.”

  Chapter Three

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Iris said, greeting Savannah and Rochelle as they climbed out of the Iveys’ SUV. “Rochelle, you aren’t going to believe what I found! I’m so excited to show it to you.” Iris nodded toward Savannah. “She wasn’t impressed.”

  “Heck no,” Savannah said. “It’s spooky as all get-out.”

  Rochelle looked from Iris to Savannah. “What is it, Iris?”

  “She didn’t tell you?” Iris asked.

  Rochelle shook her head. “No. She said something about an experiment.”

  Iris did a double-take when she saw Rags out of the corner of her eye. “Oh good, you brought the cat.” She approached Rags as he was about to jump out of the car, and took his face in her hands. She looked into his eyes. “Rags, I expect you to…”

  “To what?” Savannah asked, grinning.

  Iris admitted, “I don’t know. I guess we’ll find out, won’t we? Shall we go?”

  The women had taken a few steps when they heard a voice behind them. “So, you gals are off on another perilous adventure, are you?”

  “Hi, Craig,” Rochelle greeted. She asked hesitantly, “Perilous?”

  “I hope not,” Savannah grumbled.

  Iris waved dismissively at her husband. “We’re just going for a walk, babe; we’ll be back before dark.”

  “You’re going to leave me here with that plumbing problem all by myself?” Craig complained. “Who’s going to hand me my wrench and…” He said more loudly, “Iris, Rupert’s gone this week.”

  “Good grief,” Iris muttered. She called over her shoulder, “Ask Mattie. She’ll help you. See you later.”

  “You have a plumbing problem?” Savannah asked, following along behind Iris with Rags on his leash.

  “Yeah, a small one. No big deal.”

  Savannah smirked knowingly. “We’ve had those before—the no-big-deal kind. Many hours later, we have to call a plumber anyway.” She shook her head. “Michael can do a lot of things around the house, but plumbing isn’t his forte.”

  Iris frowned. “I hope that won’t be the case—I mean that we’ll have to call a plumber.” She brightened. “Anyway, this excursion is much more important.” She looped her arm in Rochelle’s. “This discovery could open up a whole new source of income and maybe even fame for me.”

  Rochelle looked suspiciously at Iris. “Really? I can’t imagine…”

  “Well, I’m going to let you see it, or I should say experience it for yourself,” Iris said. She instructed, “Savannah, no coaching.” She looked down at Rags. “I want to see if Rochelle and Rags are aware of it. No hinting, now.”

  “No problem,” Savannah said. “I still don’t know what that was or is or…”

  “Never mind,” Iris carped, waving her hand in dismissal.

  The women had been walking for several minutes, chatting, when Savannah yelped.

  “What?” Iris asked.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said. “Rags stopped and caught me off guard. He was walking along so nicely, then…”

  Rochelle gazed at Iris, who said, “Well, I don’t think there’s anything of interest here. Come on,” Iris urged, “we need to keep walking.”

  “Hey, there’s something here that interests Rags,” Savannah defended. “What is it, Rags?” She followed him toward a weathered picket fence where he stopped, sat down, and tilted his head as if listening. “Oh, I hear it, Rags,” She said quietly. She listened more intently and squinted into the shadow of a large tree.

  “What is it?” Rochelle asked, walking closer.

  Savannah whispered, “It’s a little boy. See him over there in that yard next to the tree trunk?” Savannah said to the boy, “Hi. Are you all right? Is something wrong?” The boy, who appeared to be about seven years old, took a ragged breath. “I can’t get my kitty down. He’s stuck up there.”

  Savannah looked overhead. “In the tree?” The boy nodded.

  Iris huffed impatiently, “Hey, we’re going to lose daylight pretty soon.”

  “Wait, Iris,” Savannah said. “We can’t leave his kitty in the tree. Let’s see if we can help.” She moved closer to the child. “Where is your kitty?” She looked up amidst the tree bran
ches. “I don’t see him. Are you sure he’s still up there?”

  The boy nodded. “I threw him up and he never came back down.”

  Aghast, Savannah repeated, “You threw your kitty into the tree?”

  Rochelle gasped.

  “He’s right there,” the boy said, pointing. “I threw rocks and some sticks, but I can’t get him to come down.”

  “You threw rocks at your kitty?” Iris asked.

  Just then Rochelle began to laugh. “Oh, I see your kitty.”

  “Where?” Iris asked concerned.

  “Yeah, where?” Savannah wondered.

  Rochelle pointed. “Caught in that clump of leaves right there.”

  “Ohhh,” Savannah said, relief in her voice. “A toy kitty.”

  “My gramma gave it to me,” the boy said. “She died and went to heaven and I was trying to show her I still have the kitty. I thought she caught it, but she never threw it back down here. Then I saw it hiding like that in the tree.” His eyes wide, he said, “Maybe she tried to throw it down and it got all stuck.” He glanced toward his house. “I’m not allowed to climb the tree.” More quietly he added, “But I know how. When Mama was at the hospital getting a new hip, my uncle showed me how.”

  “Shall we call the fire department?” Iris joked. “Do they rescue stuffed kitties?”

  Savannah and Rochelle grinned. Savannah said, “I doubt it, but Rags might be able to get it for him.” She asked the boy, “What’s your name?”

  “Liam,” he said, wiping his eyes with his shirt sleeve.

  “Well, Liam, this is Rags.”

  The boy looked over the fence. “It’s a cat. You’re taking your cat for a walk?” Savannah nodded. “He’s going to try to get your kitty down for you, okay?”

  The boy stood up straighter and stared more intently at the cat. “He is?”

  “Yes.” Savannah lifted Rags and tried to point out the toy to him, but he was more interested in the boy. The cat looked everywhere except up into the tree.”

  “Toss something up there so he’ll look up and maybe see it,” Rochelle suggested.