Cabin FURvor (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 16)

by Patricia Fry

  “What happened?” Sam asked.

  Iris grimaced toward Savannah and Margaret, who sat across from her. And all four of the women continued listening.

  “Well, the kid—Amos—he must have planned it ahead of time, ‘cause unbeknownst to Frank, the boy took off in the night and massacred two of the local teens.”

  Iris gasped.

  “Good God,” Sam said. “With the hammer?”

  “Yeah, that’s what the authorities believe, although it was never found.”

  After a long pause, Sam asked, “So where’s the kid, in prison?”

  Andy shook his head. “They never found ‘im.”

  “What?”

  Colbi let out a hushed squeal and grasped tightly to Iris’s arm as the older woman exchanged wide-eyed glances with their tablemates. The four women leaned closer in an effort to hear what else Andy had to say.

  “No, there was a big storm that night and a lot of flooding. They found the body of one teen tangled in some timber downriver; the other one was never found, and neither was Amos Sledge. They think he must have been caught off guard by the rising water and drowned.”

  “Washed out to sea?” Sam asked.

  Andy nodded. “I suspect so, unless he somehow survived and went into hiding.”

  Margaret was the first at the women’s booth to speak. “Iris,” she asked quietly, “did you know about Amos?”

  “No,” she said, her face practically drained of color. “My God, I wonder if Craig knows about that. He would have been in college or maybe in the service by then.”

  “Yeah, does he know he has an ax-murderer in his gene pool?” Margaret asked.

  “A hammer killer,” Colbi whispered nervously.

  “I don’t know,” Iris said, obviously stunned. “It’s hard to imagine…”

  “Heck,” Savannah reasoned, “it could be a made-up story—an old local legend carried down through the years.”

  “I doubt it,” Colbi said. “It sounds like that guy was actually there.”

  “But he still could be making it up,” Savannah reasoned.

  Iris shushed her when the two men started talking again. It was Sam who asked, “Andy, were you a ranger then? Did you have to deal with the case?”

  “Yep, I was a strappin’ thirty-six-year-old, wet-behind-the-ears ranger and it was my first homicide. Boy, did I have nightmares after that. It also shook up a lot of the residents and vacationers, especially since the kid was never found. Nerves didn’t settle around here until a year or so went by.” He hung his head. “Now this happens.”

  “Are you saying what happened to that guy out there today could be related to the claw- hammer murders in the seventies?”

  Andy shrugged. “The thing is, Sam, this is the anniversary date that those teens were murdered. It happened forty years ago today.” He placed his fork on the plate. “Hey, did you see that dude? I only took a quick gander, but I’m not sure this killing is fresh. Looked to me like there’d been some decomposing. I guess the coroner will make a determination on that. It may be one of the young men who’ve gone missing up here over the years.”

  Taken aback, Sam muttered, “There’ve been other young men go missing up here?”

  “Yeah, ever’ once in a while, we’ll find another one dead or we can’t find ‘em at all. They come up here—or tell someone they’re comin’ up here—and they’re never heard from again.” Andy chuckled. “It’s as if they walk into a black hole out there somewheres. I suppose some of ‘em are eventually found. But I know for a fact, Sam, that there are half-dozen—maybe more—men who are still unaccounted for.”

  Just then the café door opened and Lawrence walked in with the ranger. The four women, still speechless, followed the pair with their eyes. After several minutes, Savannah said, “Well, isn’t that odd?”

  “What?” Margaret asked.

  Colbi and Iris waited for a response, as well.

  “It’s almost as if they’re celebrating. At a time like this? When they’ve just discovered a dead body?”

  Colbi twisted in her seat. “Gosh, you’re right, Savannah. That actor guy seems rather excited about something.”

  “Well,” Iris said, “the whole world is his stage, after all. Maybe he’s putting on an act for everyone.” She then said under her breath, “Cripes, he’s pointing at us. Are we suspects or something?”

  “Maybe so, we are new here,” Savannah reasoned. “And we’re staying at an infamous cabin.”

  “Yikes, the ranger’s coming over here,” Colbi said, trying to make herself appear even smaller than her already diminutive size.

  “Afternoon, ladies,” the ranger said, bowing his head briefly. “I’m Ranger Steve Strong. I’d like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

  “About what?” Margaret asked rather boldly.

  He looked at her from under his bushy eyebrows and pursed his lips. As the women continued to stare at him, he pulled up a chair and sat down. “Well, you see, we had a little trouble here overnight and we thought maybe you ladies could shed some light on what happened.”

  “Because of where we’re staying?” Iris huffed.

  “Ma’am?” he said, appearing confused.

  “Yeah, that happened forty years ago—none of us were even around then,” Colbi said. She glanced at Iris and Margaret, saying, “Well some of us, anyway.”

  “What do you mean?” Iris objected. “I was a mere child—uh, well, maybe a teenager.” She waved her hand in front of her face and flashed a scornful look at Colbi. “Never mind about me.” She focused on the ranger. “What is it you think we did, officer?”

  By then, the ranger’s rugged face had twisted into a frown. He looked from one to the other of the women. “I don’t know what you’re yammering about; alls I want to know is what did you see last night?”

  “I didn’t see anything,” Margaret responded quickly. “What about you, Vannie? Did you see anything?”

  Before Savannah could speak, Iris jumped in, nervously pushing some of her hair up into the loose knot at the back of her head. “Not me. I didn’t see anything—wasn’t anywhere near the lake…isn’t that where you found him…at the lake’s edge?” She stiffened. “You can’t accuse us of something just because of my name, so don’t even try it,” she warned. “Besides, we didn’t go out of the cabin, once we pulled in around eight or nine last night.”

  “That’s right, we were eating cold enchiladas and drinking wine out of jelly glasses and pickle jars,” Colbi said. “And we went to bed early…with the cats.”

  “Cats?” the ranger repeated, looking more and more perplexed.

  “Yes, we’re traveling with two cats. Is that okay?” Margaret asked. “No law against that, is there?”

  “Wait,” Savannah said. “Now just shush, Auntie. Let’s hear what the officer wants to ask us, shall we?”

  When the others had quieted down, Ranger Strong said, “Thank you, ma’am. I was getting dizzy. Now, Lawrence over there,” he motioned toward the store owner, “he says you ladies saw something on your way up here last night along the road.”

  Iris made eye contact with Margaret. “Ohhh,” she said. “Yes, we did, but we’re not sure what it was.”

  “Can you describe it?” the ranger asked.

  The women looked at each other and Iris said, “Well, it was skinnier than a bear…”

  “Black,” Margaret said, “…or very dark.”

  “Yes black,” Colbi agreed, “and big.”

  “Not that big,” Margaret challenged, “do you think, Iris?”

  “No, but kinda big.” She looked at the ranger. “Not as big as you are and skinnier.”

  “Maybe taller,” Colbi added.

  “Did you see his face?” he asked.

  “No,” Savannah said.

  “I saw his red eyes,” Iris admitted.

  The ranger stared at her for a moment. “So you don’t know if it was a person or an anim
al? Did it have arms and hands or paws? Was it standing upright?”

  The women looked at each other. “Yes, it stood upright,” Colbi said. “But it was too dark to see if it had hands or paws.”

  “We saw it in the headlights,” Savannah reminded the other women. “If it was a person, his face was covered, except for the eyes.”

  “Yeah,” Colbi said, “or it could have been an animal and that’s why it looked like the face was covered…know what I mean? It was covered in fur.” She grabbed Iris’s arm. “Or it could have been a dark-complexioned person, then we wouldn’t be able to see the features in his face at all.”

  “Okay, okay,” the ranger said, indicating for the women to settle down. “Now, where was this creature?”

  “On that bumpy, windy road coming in,” Savannah explained.

  “Yeah, he was moving through the brush and ran in front of our car—hey, Lawrence’s son might be able to identify it. He was closer to it than we were,” Margaret said.

  “He was?” the ranger asked, looking in the direction of the store proprietor. “How do you know that?”

  “We became stuck,” Savannah said, “and Ernie stopped to help us. Then he drove up the mountain a ways and stopped.”

  “And it was about that time that the thing ran out of the trees and across the road,” Margaret added.

  “Interesting,” the ranger said, making a note on a small tablet.

  “So how far away from here did you see the figure and Ernie?” he asked.

  The women looked at each other, then Savannah said, “I’d say ninety minutes.”

  He gave her a sideways glance. “Ninety minutes?”

  “Yes, we were about ninety minutes away from the cabin, but I was only going around twenty-five miles an hour—so what does that make it, maybe thirty-five miles?”

  “Why are you asking all these questions?” Margaret asked. “Do you think the thing killed that guy?”

  He looked askance. “Just trying to see where all the pieces fit in.” He smacked his lips and focused on each of the women. “So you’re staying in the Sledge cabin, are you?”

  “Yes,” Iris said, suddenly raising her hackles. “Is there a law against it?”

  “Well, no,” he said, “it’s just that…”

  “What?” Margaret asked, fear in her eyes.

  “Yeah,” Iris chimed in, “are you profiling us because of what happened forty years ago?”

  He cocked his head. “I’m not sure what you’re referring to, ma’am.”

  When Margaret started to explain, Savannah raised her hand, “Never mind. It’s not important, is it, Auntie?”

  “No,” Margaret agreed. “No, not important. Sorry I brought it up.”

  “Well officer,” Savannah said, “if that’s all you need us for, we’d better go. Our cats will be wondering where we are.”

  “Your cats, huh?” he said shaking his head. “Okay, yeah, that’s all. Will you be around for a while?”

  “We’re leaving tomorrow,” Iris said.

  He looked at them. “Maybe I’d better take down your names and phone numbers.”

  “Ha,” Margaret said, “phone numbers? Lotta good that’ll do you. You could only call us if we’re standing out there in that open spot.”

  “Yeah, well, unless you head for home, then I can reach you,” he said. Once he had written down the information he needed, he thanked the women, then walked up to the counter and ordered a coffee to go.

  In the meantime, the women sat silent, each with their own thoughts until finally, Colbi picked up her purse, dug out some money, and placed it on the tabletop. “I’m going to call Damon before we head back across the lake. He’s following that story I was working on yesterday. I want to find out what else he’s learned, if anything.”

  “Are you going to tell him what we just learned?” Iris asked, rolling her eyes.

  As the others pulled bills from their pockets, Savannah said, “I’m still trying to digest all of it. It’s just too weird.”

  “Yeah, it’s sensory overload for me,” Iris admitted.

  As the women left the café, Savannah put her arm around Iris’s shoulders. “Why don’t we sit here in the sun for a few minute?”

  “Good idea,” Margaret said, lowering herself onto a short rock wall west of the buildings.

  “Ahhh, feels good,” Iris said. She then squinted toward Savannah. “What just happened in there? Was that real or did we just step out of the Twilight Zone?”

  Savannah and Margaret chuckled hesitantly and Margaret said, “Yeah, let’s assume that’s it—we somehow stumbled into a Rod Serling vortex.”

  At that, Iris quickly focused on Margaret. “Vortex…Maggie, where did you learn such a term?”

  “From you, probably.”

  The women had changed the subject by the time Colbi returned to the group. As she approached, Iris smiled at her. “How’s my son?”

  “Good. He had lunch with my brother at the culinary school in Frisco. People can go in by invitation and eat some of the food they prepare. Yesterday, they made pasta dishes. Damon said some of them were really delicious.” Colbi giggled. “Harrison got special recognition for his. Damon said he was so pleased.”

  “Cool,” Savannah said. “So the two of them are getting along now that Harrison has changed his lifestyle?”

  Colbi’s eyes lit up. “Yes. I’m so, so happy to have my brother and my fiancé on good terms now.” Suddenly, her tone changed. “Oh, Damon said that missing-woman story might bring him up here.”

  “Up here?” Iris repeated.

  “Yes, they have a lead that’s pointing them in this direction. If they get it validated, he may come up here on assignment. If Craig’s on the case, we might see him up here, too.”

  “Oh,” Iris said, her demeanor suddenly sullen.

  “What’s wrong?” Savannah asked. “Don’t you want to see your husband?”

  Iris thinned her lips. “Well, I have mixed feelings.” When she noticed the others waiting to hear more, she whined, “I love spending time with my son, and my husband, but I was so looking forward to an all-girl adventure with my BBFs.”

  The other three women laughed and rushed Iris, enveloping her in a group hug.

  “Hey you guys, lay off,” Iris squealed. “You’re going to knock me off this wall.”

  Savannah pulled back. “Awww, Iris, even if the guys do come up here, we’ll still have fun.”

  “Yeah, no man’s going to spoil our weekend,” Colbi said, “even if they are my fiancé and my future father-in-law.”

  “Pshaw,” Margaret said. “No man in his right mind would hang around this group of women for very long.”

  “Hey,” Savannah said, scanning the area with her eyes, “want to go for a hike before we motor back to the cabin?”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs,” Colbi agreed.

  Iris nodded. “Sure. I think there are some trails that go along the river a ways.”

  “Into the forest?” Margaret asked. “With wild animals? What if I get a blister? I’m not used to walking in these shoes.” She sat back down on the wall. “Maybe I’ll just stay here and wait for you.”

  Savannah grabbed Margaret’s arm. “Oh no you don’t, Auntie. You’re going to have the full all-girls weekend experience. Now come on.”

  “Against my will?” she grumbled, as Savannah pulled her along toward the path into the dense forest.

  The others giggled as they followed behind.

  ****

  “You did really well,” Savannah said to her aunt a couple of hours later when the foursome returned to the boat dock. “You didn’t get any blisters, did you?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” Margaret smiled. “That really was fun. Sure is pretty back in there along the river. Reminds me of camping trips we took as kids.” She swooned a little. “Great memories.”

  “You sure didn’t remember how to skim a rock, though,�
�� Iris said. “I thought you were a champion rock skimmer, Maggie.”

  “I was.” She pouted. “Just couldn’t find the right rock out there, that’s all.”

  “Where did you learn to skip a rock so expertly, Iris?” Savannah asked.

  “You gotta know stuff like that when you’re both mother and father to boys.”

  “Where’s our boat?” Margaret asked, glancing around the area. “Someone took our boat.”

  “It’s okay, girlfriend,” Iris said. “We’ll just wait for the next one.”

  “We can do that?” Colbi asked. “We aren’t responsible for the one we had?”

  Iris nodded. “Yeah, you just jump into any boat and leave it on the other side for the next person.”

  “There’s a boat coming this way.” Margaret noticed. She shuddered. “I hope they hurry; it’s going to be dark soon.”

  “Afraid of the dark, are you, Maggie?” Colbi teased.

  “Hey, Colbi, there could be a killer running loose, remember?”

  “But you heard the ranger. He said that guy might have been dead for a while.”

  “But they never caught the killer, so he could still be lurking around,” Iris reminded her. “Yes, I’m eager to get back to the cabin, too…where it’s…” She chuckled. “I started to say, ‘where it’s safe.’”

  “You don’t think it’s safe?” Savannah asked.

  “You heard that old guy. The cabin has a…stigma.”

  “Oh, is that what you call it?” Margaret said. She laughed a little hysterically. “Rags is in a cabin with a stigma? Lordy, I’m almost afraid to go back there.”

  “Okay, here’s the boat.” Iris noticed.

  As the women waited for the couple to step out of the skiff, they overheard their conversation. “It looked more animal than human,” the young woman said, while her companion tied the boat to the dock.