1 A Paw-sible Theory

by Anna Kern

  That settled, I told them the day had gone better than I had expected. The short article in the newspaper about Ethan’s release, and his statement about the part we played in solving the case had made me an immediate celebrity. Everybody knew I was the same Murfy that was mentioned in the article. As far as I could tell, most of the customers liked having me around.

  I told them about all the things to climb on, places to hide and perfect places for catnaps. I also told them the best part of the day was when customers dropped treats and toys in the big basket on the counter.

  I didn’t tell them that the first customer to spot me was not an animal lover. When she saw me curled up in a rocking chair near the checkout counter, she had snorted indignantly at the idea of an animal in the store, let alone one sitting on a piece of furniture she might want to buy. I heard her comments and didn’t consider her worthy of my attention, not even when she made a remark about animals keeping to their place. The little girl with her had similar sentiments. She sneaked up behind the rocker and pulled my tail. Infuriated by her action, my tail flicked wildly, my slanted eyes and flattened ears delivering a powerful message. The little girl instinctively ran off and joined her mother who had moved away. When that had happened, I wondered if I’d made a mistake forcing Alyx to bring me to the store, but I decided I just needed to choose my napping places a little more carefully in the future.

  “I like pigs. Pigs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”

  –– Winston Churchill

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: The Bodyguards

  The next day, Misty, Pooky, and I pushed our way out the door as Alyx was leaving and gave her a hard time herding us back into the house. After picking up a few more harnesses and leashes, she piled us in two carriers and we left, Pooky complaining all the way because she had to share her carrier with Misty.

  Maggie was right about having resident cats. Most of the customers loved the idea and started bringing enough treats to warrant a basket on the counter to hold all the goodies.

  For the most part, the other two stayed away from the customers. I preferred to stay close to the entrance and scrutinize the customers as they walked in. Every so often, someone came in who didn’t smell right and I followed that one around the store unseen. Bernice said that she thought cats had a sense of right and wrong, and knew when someone was not to be trusted and she was right. Unfortunately, that was really all I had.

  I found out from Pooky’s snitches, that the condominium deal between Dunne and Moresby was a legitimate business deal. Hunter vouched for Dunne’s honesty. I still didn’t trust Moresby. He wouldn’t give the woman’s name who he was meeting at the coffee shop when Alyx’s purse was stolen, so his story couldn’t be confirmed.

  Mid-morning, Alyx’s customer, Althea Burns stepped through the door and went straight to the slant-front desk she had admired earlier that week. The elderly woman expressed her disappointment at the “Sold” sign when Alyx greeted her.

  “I see you sold the desk already. I’m not surprised; it’s such a beautiful piece,” she said, lovingly running her hands over the top.

  “Actually, it’s not sold. I just decided to hold on to it for a while,” Alyx said, watching Althea’s peaches and cream complexion brighten at the news.

  “Since there isn’t much activity going on this morning, would you like to join me for coffee at the café next door? Do you have time? They have wonderful homemade muffins and all kinds of coffees and teas.”

  “Well, yes, that would be nice. I don’t drink coffee, but I would like to have a cup of tea.”

  “Great. Let me tell Charvette where I’m going and that I’ll be right back.”

  I followed discreetly behind the two women, slipping into the café alongside them. Novie greeted us warmly and led us to a booth overlooking the marina.

  “I see you have your bodyguard with you again,” said Novie.

  “Oh, yes; he’s put it in his head that he has to be with me every minute of the day,” said Alyx.

  Alyx then introduced Althea, and Novie said she’d send someone right over. After the women were served, Alyx got down to questioning.

  “Tell me about your desk, Althea. Where and when did you buy it?” asked Alyx, cutting her apple muffin in half.

  “My husband bought the desk for me on our honeymoon. We were married in London and honeymooned in Sierra Leone, Africa, where he had a job as overseer in a diamond counting house.”

  “What do they do in a counting house, count diamonds?”

  “In a fashion. A counting house is where they sort rough diamonds according to their size. My husband, Paul, was a collector of sorts and enjoyed going to auctions, which is where we found a desk just like the one in your shop.”

  “I understand your attraction. I feel the same way about that piece and some others I have in my home––pieces I don’t think I could part with.”

  “In my case, it wasn’t just the desk. It was the romantic story associated with it that touched a young bride’s heart. The story was that a poor young man had fallen in love with the daughter of a rich diamond mine executive, who forbade the relationship. They say the young man stole a diamond and brought it to her to let her know that now they had enough money to run away and get married. She held the diamond in her hand when the company guards burst in and killed him. They said she hid the diamond in a secret compartment built into the desk. She never married and kept the desk in her room till she died. My husband and I attended the auction where I saw the desk, and when I saw the same one in your shop, a flood of memories from that time came back to me. You see my husband just passed away four months ago.”

  “I’m sorry about your husband.”

  “Don’t be. He was very ill and it was for the best.”

  “Althea, if you want the desk, we can make arrangements for the payment.”

  “No, dear; I don’t buy things on credit, especially sentimental things. I’ll have the money soon enough. It won’t be long before everything is settled.”

  Alyx was fascinated by the stories about Althea’s life in Africa and told her she would invite her business partner Maggie to join them the next time she stopped in.

  “Thank you so much for this unexpected treat. Novie is a lovely woman, and her muffins are everything you said they were. Mostly, thank you for spending a little time with an old lady. I truly enjoyed myself.”

  “You’re an interesting woman, and I enjoyed talking to you.”

  When we returned to the store, David Hunter was standing at the checkout counter. He looked a little nervous and I wondered what was going on. I hoped he hadn’t come to tell Alyx he couldn’t make it to dinner. That would disappoint Alex.

  Alyx was wearing jeans and a simple, unadorned T-shirt. She smiled when she saw Hunter and his face lit up as if he’d received the best gift ever.

  “Hello, David. It’s good to see you. Are you still coming to my dinner party?”

  “Yes, definitely. I’m looking forward to it. It will be good to see Ethan again with a smile on his face, I’m sure.”

  “I was really worried about him, David. I was happy that you were able to get his case dismissed so quickly.”

  “I’m glad it all worked out.”

  “What brings you here today, work, or pleasure?”

  “Definitely pleasure,” he answered, maybe a little quickly. “The last time I was here, I saw a bronze statue I thought would look good in my office, if you still have it.”

  “The scales-of-justice?”

  “Yes, you still have it?”

  “I think so,” she said, looking around.

  He followed her to the other side of the store and carried the bronze back to the checkout counter. Alyx wrote out the sales slip and David took out his credit card.

  “Is that it for today?”

  “There’s just one more thing. I have a small collection of law books, and I was wondering if you could help me locate a rare first edition book I’ve h
ad trouble finding.”

  “Books are not my area of expertise, but I know a book dealer, Joe Borando, owner of The Book Room, a large store that deals in antiquarian, rare, and collectible books.

  She grabbed a small pad of paper from the end of the counter and reached for a pen, poised to write down the information.

  “Here, let me write it down for you,” he said taking the pen from her.

  “It sounds fascinating,” she said tongue-in-cheek when she read what he’d written.

  “What makes it even more scintillating, it’s a landmark of jurisprudence,” he answered in kind.

  The transaction completed, she handed him the wrapped package. “I’ll let you know if I find that book you want.”

  “I know this is short notice, but are you free for lunch as an advanced thank you for helping me find the book? If you’re busy, we can do it another time.”

  “Lunch sounds great,” Alyx said. “You want me to meet you somewhere?”

  “How about that new place, Angelo’s? I hear the food is excellent.”

  “I haven’t been there, but they have take-out, and I agree the food is excellent. The restaurant is actually owned and operated by a real Italian, unlike most of the other Italian restaurants in the area.”

  “Alright then. Is one o’clock a good time?”

  “One thirty would be better.”

  “Great. I’ll see you then, Alyx.”

  “Yes, you will,” she said.

  Hunter left without further ceremony. I happened to catch Charvette looking at her, and what I saw in her eyes made my fur stand up. Alyx must have seen it too. She told Charvette she’d be in her office doing some catchup chores and to come get her if it got busy.

  “If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word much.”

  ––Mark Twain

  CHAPTER FORTY: Search for First Edition Law Book

  The next day, Maggie stopped in to pick-up something she had forgotten and needed for a client.

  “How did lunch with David go yesterday?” she asked. “Did he clarify what he meant about a wife or a girlfriend?”

  “How do you know I had lunch with David?”

  “I called while you were out and Charvette told me.”

  “Our impromptu lunch turned out to be a very pleasant affair for the most part. The conversation flowed easily, with neither of us running out of things to say. We kept the conversation on a general level, deliberately staying away from discussing anything personal, but by the end of the meal, I felt the tension that had built up in just sticking to general conversation. Then he said something I don’t know how to take. He apologized for offending me for what he called an unprofessional lapse––referring to our first meeting when he had put his hand over mine, barely making contact, and then removing it as if burned. He said he did it because I looked so sad he just wanted to bring me comfort.”

  “Were you offended?”

  “No, I took it as he meant it––a kind gesture. So what’s the big deal, do you suppose?”

  “Maybe it meant something else to him––maybe he never does that no matter how sad and vulnerable his clients may look.”

  “Anyway, we shook hands at the store’s door. He said he enjoyed lunch, and looked forward to seeing Ethan at my dinner party, and that was it.”

  “You didn’t ask if he’s married?”

  “Like I said, we didn’t talk about anything personal. He said lunch was an advance thank you for helping him find a first edition book he wants for his collection; it didn’t seem appropriate to ask.”

  The rest of the day was uneventful. Customers were few and Alyx spent most of her time in the office. She called someone using her laptop and I could see him on her screen. After chatting for a few minutes, she asked the man to locate the book David had wanted.

  “You don’t happen to have it on your shelves, do you?”

  “No, not that one. I do have a couple of other law books, though. It would make me very happy if I could interest him in one of them.”

  “Just out of curiosity, how much?”

  “They’re both first editions, one is five hundred dollars and the other is one thousand dollars.”

  “Wow, I had no idea.”

  “You think that’s a lot of money, there’s an Internet site that lists law books with prices ranging from one dollar to ten million.”

  “What is a first edition, anyway?”

  “A first edition is a copy of a book printed from the first setting of type. It’s the first time the text appears in public in that form.”

  “And how do you know it’s a first edition?”

  “Well, that can be one of the most difficult aspects of collecting. One of the keys is to verify that the book is at least a first printing. A number line on the copyright page often indicates this, with the lowest number being the printing.”

  “I know you deal in both antiquarian and rare books. What’s the difference?”

  “Antiquarian refers to collecting older/antique books. The age of a book has very little to do with its value, by the way. Dealers and collectors consider factors like intrinsic importance, condition, and demand.”

  “Do you think it will take you long to find this particular book for my friend?”

  “It depends, if my usual sources don’t have it, I’ll try the Internet. Sometimes I can have it in a week and sometimes it takes months for a book to turn up.”

  “Well, he’s been looking a long time for it, and I’m sure he won’t mind waiting a little longer.”

  “Hey, not to change the subject,” said the man on the screen with a saucy tip of his head, “but changing the subject, I’m going to be out your way on business in a couple of weeks, how about getting together for dinner?”

  “You ask me that every time I talk to you. I’m truly flattered but I don’t think I can,” said Alyx.

  “And that’s what you say every time I ask.”

  “So why do you keep asking?”

  “I keep hoping you’ll change your mind.”

  “Call me when you find the book, and I’ll let you know about dinner.”

  I already knew what her answer was going to be. She had asked Ethan once what he thought about her dating a younger man. He said it would only bother him if the guy were close to his own age. Although it’s difficult to tell someone’s age these days, this guy didn’t look a lot older than Ethan did, maybe ten to fifteen years older.

  After this Internet chat, I figured Alyx was safe in the office for a while, so I went back out on the floor to make my rounds and check on my housemates who were also on the lookout for anything unusual. I expected foul play from one of three suspects: Rupert Moresby, Dan Ramsey, or Charvette.

  After Pooky’s friend Jemma had reported that according to James Dunne, Novie had decided not to sell, I figured one of them was going to make a move soon.

  “It always gives me a shiver when I see a cat seeing what I can’t see.”

  ––Eleanor Farjeon

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: The Cats Help Prevent a Murder

  The next day, Alyx moved a couple of pieces of light furniture away from the entrance and unlocked the door before Charvette arrived. Maggie had taken a couple of well-deserved days off to spend with George and Bernice had called in sick, so it was just the two of them and the three of us in the store. I instructed the girls to be on the lookout for a walrus mustache, and black button eyes, although I wasn’t sure of what or even if anything was going to happen. That meant no napping. They didn’t like that and I had to remind them that our job was to help our humans.

  “The weather report I heard before I left the house said nothing about rain today…it sure looks like rain to me,” said Charvette, sounding a little angry about it.

  “Personally,” said Alyx, “I think the weather people try to put a positive spin on the weather so as not to scare the tourists from going out and spending money.�
��

  “I think it’s silly when they say there’s a twenty percent chance of rain and its pouring outside,” laughed Charvette unusually loud.

  The day was slow, giving Alyx the time she needed to work on the projects that had fallen behind. A few regular customers had come in during the day to check for new merchandise and bring goodies for the cats, and we rewarded with loud purrs.

  The threatening storm clouds swirling overhead all afternoon had gathered into a serious thunderstorm by early evening, releasing torrential rain with no sign of letting up. Charvette was with a customer when Rupert Moresby walked in and stood by the counter. Pooky let out a yowl and ran off somewhere, the reason unknown to anyone. Misty chased after her, and I took an Egyptian cat pose on the checkout counter. Charvette acknowledged Moresby’s presence with a clandestine nod and he left. Then, she left for her dinner break as soon as she finished with her customer.

  On Friday evenings, employees had two hours for dinner. They could go whenever they chose as long as they were back by eight o’clock. Both Alyx and Maggie felt very strongly about two people always being in the store for closing, not because there had been any trouble but only because they wanted to play it safe.

  While she waited for Charvette to get back, Alyx kept busy looking for the perfect place to hang the latest item George had dropped off that morning––a child’s chair turned into a shelf. The last customer had left half an hour earlier. Tired and bored, Alyx broke the store’s rule of always having two people in the store at closing, locked the front door, and started to close out the cash register.

  She had just put the cash in a zippered bag and was stepping out from behind the counter when the back door opened and shut with a thud. She called out a greeting to Charvette, proceeding towards the office to secure the money in the safe until she could get it ready for deposit.

  Suddenly, there was a sharp crack of thunder from above followed by another sound, a loud pop. My natural instincts forced me to run for cover. A bullet whizzed by me and lodged in the back of the wing chair to Alyx’s right. Confused as to the direction of the shot, she dropped behind the couch in front of her.