by Fry,Patricia
“Wonderful, thanks to you and your detective friend. Oh, Savannah, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“So you have your brother home? How’s that going?” Savannah asked.
“I think it’s going to be just fine. Mama is so happy. She can’t stop hugging him.”
Savannah asked more quietly, “Does he…has he…?”
“Remember us?” Gloria said. “He’s starting to. He spent a lot of time exploring his room, of course it’s changed a little since my girls have taken it over. But Mama insisted we leave his posters and things on the walls and his clothes are still in the closet. I think this helped him to remember. Oh, Savannah, do you know what he did the first thing?”
“What?” she asked.
“He went out back and sat on the swing. As a kid he loved just sitting on that swing and twisting around in it. Rather than swinging back and forth, he’d twist and spin. Obviously, he remembered that swing.” She laughed. “He doesn’t quite know what to think about Lilliana and Gwennie, though. It’s funny to watch him interact with them.”
“I’m just thrilled for you, Gloria. Do you think you can get your mom to move now?”
“I sure hope so. My husband has already found a place for her near our home in Orange. I told him it must have a swing set, so he’s working on that.” She paused, then said, “Oh, Mama needs help in the kitchen. I’d better go. Thank you again, Savannah, from the bottom of my heart.”
“You’re welcome, Gloria. Stay in touch, will you?”
“Absolutely.”
When Michael returned to the kitchen and saw Savannah’s fretful expression, he asked, “Did you call Iris?”
She shook her head. “I decided not to.”
“I think you should,” Michael persisted.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why?” he mimicked. “So you can relax and stop fretting about it.”
“Oh, you mean so I’ll quit bothering you by talking about it.” When he simply looked at her without commenting, she let out a sigh. “Yeah, maybe I should call her.”
“Good,” Michael said, picking up her phone from the counter and handing it to her. “I’m going to go read my paper.”
“Okay.” Savannah watched him curiously before she called Iris. “Oh darn—voicemail,” she said under her breath. Then, “Hi, Iris. It’s Savannah. Uh…just calling to chat. Hey, give me a call when you get a chance—no hurry. Uh…talk to you soon.” After pausing, she added. “I hope everything’s okay with you. Okay, later…” Reluctantly, she ended the call and went down the hall to the study. “Michael, she’s not answering her phone. There must be something wrong if she won’t answer her phone.”
Michael took a deep breath and laid the paper in his lap. “Maybe she’s out at a movie or dinner and doesn’t want to be disturbed. Could be she went to bed early and turned her phone off. Savannah, there are a million reasons why she isn’t answering her phone.”
“Or she could be upset about something,” Savannah said, staring off into space. Suddenly, her phone rang. “It’s Iris,” she said, putting it up to her ear and stepping out into the hallway. “Hi. I wondered where you were.”
In the meantime, Michael muttered, “Thank heavens,” and went back to reading his paper.
“Hi, Savannah. I’m sorry. Just didn’t get to the phone in time.”
“Oh? Busy, huh?”
“Not really.” When Savannah didn’t respond, Iris asked, “Everything okay with you?”
“Yeah.” She spoke more cheerfully. “Leah came by with the baby. It was sure good to see them. She’s come a long way since she arrived in Hammond homeless and pregnant, hasn’t she? I hear you saw her at Colbi’s this week.”
“Yes,” Iris said. “Yes, I did. Cute baby.”
“They both look healthy and happy.”
“Yes. Yes they do.”
“Iris,” Savannah finally said, “is something wrong?”
“Wrong? No, not really. We’re fine.”
“Liar!” Savannah said, a bit tongue-in-cheek.
“Huh?”
“Iris, something’s wrong. What is it?” When she remained silent, Savannah said, “If it’s something you’d rather not talk about—something personal—I’ll honor your decision not to tell me. I just want to be sure that you’re okay. Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
After hesitating, Iris said, “No, I don’t think so…it’s just that…Savannah, have you ever found yourself being drawn into a situation where you sense, in your gut, that something might be wrong, but your brain urges you on?”
“Uh…well…I’d be inclined to say no, but…” she chuckled. “…my aunt would probably say otherwise. What’s up? What is this push-me-pull-you issue you’re dealing with?”
Iris began speaking more softly. “It’s my new client and my dream job, Savannah. It could be a real feather in my cap. A building block to getting more of the work I truly love—remodeling upscale homes, you know.”
“Yes.”
“Well, it started out okay. I was enjoying the heck out of it, until…”
“What happened?” Savannah asked.
“Savannah, there’s something wrong in this house.”
“So you’re still there at the Kaiser place?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what it is, but it’s terribly wrong.” Before Savannah could respond, Iris said, “Oh. Oh no. Kiddo, I have to go. Let’s talk later.”
“Iris!” Savannah shouted. “Iris, wait.” When Michael walked into the room, Savannah was looking at her phone screen. “She practically hung up on me, Michael. She’s frightened.” She looked at him. “Something has Iris scared out of her wits and I think it has to do with her new clients.”
“Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit?” He lowered his brow. “I mean, those people are rather strange, but I doubt they’re dangerous.”
“You know the Kaisers?”
“Yes. Mrs. Melody Plumb and her brother Melvin live in the Hill tract. They back up to a eucalyptus grove evidently full of cats they take care of. They have quite an array of them inside and out…mostly older and ailing cats. The two of them are always bringing me a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Well yeah, they want me to set up hospice programs for some of the cats and we’ve arranged for specially-made apparatus for disabled cats and those who can no longer climb up onto the bed.” He grinned and leaned forward. “A few months ago, they brought in a cat to be tattooed.”
“Oh, a white cat with ears sensitive to sunburn?”
“No,” he said. “The cat had lost a lot of fur from severe malnutrition and they wanted to—get this—build his self-esteem by making him more attractive.”
“With a tattoo?”
“Yeah, they wanted a red heart with his littermate’s name on it.”
“So did you do it?”
He shook his head. “I advised against it, but gave them the name of the tattoo artist we use for white cats and horses, just in case they decided to ignore my recommendation.”
“Well, they don’t sound scary.”
“No, just a little off kilter, I’d say.”
“Then what has Iris so upset, do you think? Do you know anything else about the Kaisers?”
Michael was quiet for a moment, then said, “Not about them, per se, but there was a rumor.”
Her eyes lit up. “A rumor?”
“As the story goes, it’s something that happened years ago—a mystery that was never solved. Some believe it remains in the house.”
“What? What does that mean? A ghost or something?”
“No,” he shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. But I’ve actually talked to people who are aware of it or who know something about it. You know me, Savannah, I’m not as curious as some are to delve into other people’s business. And as I understand it, this is private.” He looked at her. “But if Iris was invited into that place with those people and i
s involved in exploring the depths of it, as I imagine she’d have to do if she’s there to help with a remodel, it’s entirely possible that she has become caught up in whatever malevolence oozes from the crevices of that place.”
“Michael,” Savannah said sternly. “I’ve never heard you speak that way. So you believe there’s something evil in that home, do you? Do you think Iris is in danger? How do you know about this…oozing malevolence? Michael, you’ve been in that house, haven’t you?”
Unsmiling, he nodded. As if his mind were a million miles away, he said, “Yes. I’d pretty much forgotten. I did my best to push the memory of it out of my mind. But it’s evidently…you know…one of those things that, well, it kind of attacks or attracts your very essence.”
“Michael, the look on your face. I’ve never seen you look so…”
“So what?” he asked suspiciously.
“Well, sort of vacant-like.” She shuddered. “It sounds creepy as all get out. And for whatever it is to have affected you that much—I’m really concerned for Iris.”
“Yeah, after making myself remember,” he said quietly. “I’m a little concerned about her, too.”
“Gads, Michael, we’d better see what we can do to get her out of the clutches of those people.”
“And that house.”
Stay in touch with Patricia Fry, author of the Klepto Cat Mysteries
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Other books in the Klepto Cat Mystery series
Catnapped (Book 1)
When Savannah Jordan agrees to help her aunt while she recovers from a broken foot, she doesn’t expect to walk into a mystery, become part of a not-quite-legal surveillance team, be kidnapped by a deranged stranger and meet a steaming hot veterinarian.
Beloved neighborhood cats are missing—the community can only guess at their fate—and Aunt Margaret’s life is being threatened. Is it because she has a clue to the missing cats or is it something more sinister? Of course, as in all of the Klepto Cat Mysteries, Rags, an ordinary cat with a most unusual habit, has a paw in saving the day.
If you like light mysteries with only a little terror, if you’re infatuated by interesting cats and if you love a love story, you must read this book.
Available at Amazon.
Cat-Eye Witness (Book 2)
Savannah and Aunt Margaret open the old Forster home to the Hammond Cat Alliance for a fundraiser to help rehabilitate the abused horses rescued months earlier from the catnappers.
Before the afternoon is over, the collected funds go missing and someone is murdered in an upstairs bedroom.
Suspicion surrounds Iris, a local waitress and Savannah’s new best friend. The only witness to the murder is Rags, Savannah’s cat. With the assistance of a cat psychic and Rags’s good friend, Charlotte (the young girl with Downs), the cat helps to “paw” the killer… but not before an attempt is made on Rags’s life. The case is solved only after Rags comes face-to-face with the killer for the second time.
Detective Craig Sledge is new to this book, as is Damon, Iris’s errant son. Sledge finds this to be one of the muddiest cases he has ever worked, with inconsistent clues and no apparent motive. He’s constantly surprised, perplexed and impressed by the cat’s uncanny ability to come up with clues he has missed. His fascination with the attractive Iris Clampton also mystifies the detective.
In this story, one of the rescued horses goes into labor and there’s a night of high drama at the ole corral as veterinarians Savannah and Michael work to save the foal. This experience renews Savannah’s deep interest in horses and riding, which ultimately serves to help her bond with a very important surprise character who finds his way into her life and Michael’s just as they prepare to say their wedding vows.
While Rags is the animal star, he isn’t the only animal featured in this story. Layla is back in all of her tangerine feline beauty. And Rags makes friends with Buffy, a perky almost Himalayan cat and the inseparable duo, Walter, an all black cat and his sidekick, Lexie, a charming Afghan mix dog. Savannah’s new ride, Peaches, also debuts in this story. An incident with this mare adds another dimension to Savannah’s and Michael’s relationship. Can he hold her with open arms?
Some say this is a love story with a mystery in the background. And it’s a story of family and friendship as newlyweds Margaret and Max continue to be a meaningful part of Savannah’s and Michael’s world.
Available at Amazon.
Sleight of Paw (Book 3)
In this story, Michael Ivey, the local veterinarian (Savannah’s new husband) is attacked by an enraged client and then later accused of this man’s murder. The evidence quickly stacks up against Michael, until Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat, starts digging up clues implicating the unlikely suspect.
Coinciding with the details of this challenge is the discovery that the old house, which the couple purchased from Savannah’s aunt, is cursed. Is this why the couple has not been blessed with a child?
Savannah’s sister Brianna comes for a visit. She teams up with the Iveys’ vet tech, Bud, to discover how to break the gypsy spell and they fall hard for each other. Will their courtship be strengthened or weakened by a frightening carjacking incident?
Detective Craig Sledge is prominent in this story as the lead investigator in the murder case. As usual, he engages in some creative tactics to get the information and the confessions he’s after. He has also become embedded in Savannah’s friend, Iris’s family. He’s dating Iris and helping with her son, Damon’s rehabilitation in prison. If you read the 2nd in the series, you know that Rags (the cat) helped to put Damon in jail.
Available at Amazom.
Undercover Cat (Book 4)
A popular local journalist goes missing just before she has the opportunity to turn in her story exposing unscrupulous cat hoarders. Not only is Colbi a friend of Savannah’s and Michael’s, Damon (now out of prison and employed by the local newspaper) has a strong personal interest in her. In fact, Damon breaks some rules and some trusts in his search for Colbi.
Is this a love connection? It’s doubtful because Colbi is a strong advocate for the feral cat population and Damon hates cats—or so he believes.
Colbi’s rescue is almost too late. She needs time to heal both physically and emotionally. So the Iveys invite her to recuperate in their home. Just when Colbi begins to feel safe, a body is discovered in the Iveys’ orchard and Rags (their kleptomaniac cat) goes missing. Can someone in a nearby homeless camp shed some light on the evolving mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Colony Cat Caper (Book 5)
Savannah Ivey, a veterinarian out on maternity leave; her aunt Margaret, the founder of the Hammond Cat Alliance; and Colbi Stanton, a reporter for the local newspaper take on a cat colony at an old, abandoned building. Odd activity around the place makes them wonder if it actually is vacant; some believe it’s occupied by something other-worldly.
When a stranger comes to town and suggests the Alliance open the old building to a fund-raiser, everyone gets involved, including Rags, Savannah’s kleptomaniac cat. He finds something that day that stirs a lot of people—both law-abiding and crooks—into action. Are the feral cats and their caretakers in serious danger? What (or who) lurks inside the old building? What secrets does it hide? And who has the key that unlocks the mystery?
Available at Amazon.
The Celebrity Cat Caper (Book 6)
Rags, the kleptomaniac cat, opens up a whole new bag of tricks, when he becomes a therapy cat in a children's reading program. A documentary film crew arrives to capture the cat in action and they get more than they bargained for. Find out how Rags handles his sudden celebrity status.
In this story, Savannah and Michael Ivey invite strangers into their home during a torrential rainstorm and learn that one of them has a sinister past. Someone
is murdered, Savannah is stalked, Michael's life is threatened, and Rags helps to uncover an old mystery that, until now, has everyone baffled.
The Iveys' baby Lily is three-and-a-half-months old and, along with nine-year-old Adam, provides some sweet and warm moments throughout this fast-moving story with many twists and turns.
Avalable at Amazon
The Corral Cat Caper (Book 7)
The Corral Cat Caper features a lot of horse energy. It's rich in adventure of the feline as well as equine sort. In one scene, Rags attempt to save their sweet kitty, Buffy, from a catnapper and Savannah helplessly watches this drama unfold via a surveillance camera app on her phone.
This story is full of sweet and evil surprises, unexpected twists and turns, and plenty of action and adventure.
Available at Amazon
The Gallery Cat Caper (Book 8)
An old friend of Michael’s, who has become a successful artist, invites the entire Ivey family to his beach house. But their vacation is not all fun-and-games. It appears that someone is out to get the artist; and the Iveys and their friends keep stumbling upon clues to the tangled mystery.
Rags is up to his old klepto tricks, and it’s a good thing because, not only do his uncat-like antics prove to be amusing, he manages to save two lives.
Join the hilarity and suspense as this mystery unfolds. Enjoy some of your favorite human and animal characters as well as a few new ones, all of them giving this story a light and rich quality.
Available at Amazon
Mansion of Meows (Book 9)
Rags's documentary is scheduled to debut. The showing will take place at the investor's San Francisco mansion, where the Ivey family and film crew will stay. Of course, the mansion holds secrets and Rags is instrumental in letting the cats out of the bag.
Savannah and Aunt Margaret share another daring adventure and, of course, find themselves in deeper than they expected.