A Very Meowy Christmas

by Patricia Fry

  Savannah hugged the cat to her. “Oh, Rags, you poor baby.”

  “Careful, hon, he could have some bruising,” Michael suggested. “Go easy on him.”

  He reached out and ruffled the fur on Rags’s head. “You’re one lucky son-of-a-gun.”

  Craig shook his head. “Rags, you did it again, didn’t you, boy?”

  “What?” Alicia asked.

  Craig rattled the satchel. “He led us to this.” He looked at the cat. “You didn’t have to be so melodramatic, there, Rags, diving into the well to show us where it was.”

  Everyone chuckled softly, and Craig heaved a deep sigh. “Well, we got what we came for, shall we split?”

  “Yeah,” Michael said, walking alongside Craig toward the car, “who was that shooter? Do you know? Where’d he come from? I thought you said this place was vacant.”

  Craig grimaced. “Yeah, I thought it was. That was old man Barston. I thought the place was in foreclosure, but maybe he still owns it or believes he does and he hangs out here when he thinks no one’s looking.”

  Michael shook his head. “Well, that was a close call. Sure didn’t expect that.”

  “None of us did,” Craig assured him. He chuckled. “It’s interesting, though, Michael, how that unfortunate incident led us to the satchel. That was quite a piece of luck, if you ask me.”

  “Now what?” Alicia asked seconds later when she saw the look on Craig’s face as he ended another phone call.

  “I just learned that we have Ronald Jasper Mullen in custody,” Craig said. “They’re holding him at the station for questioning related to those harassing and threatening notes you’ve been getting.” When Alicia seemed surprised, he explained, “I’ve had someone watching the post office for him to claim some mail. It looked like those foreign cigarettes you can buy online. When he showed up, they detained him.” He held up the satchel. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to know we have this in our possession. Hopefully he’s going to tell us exactly how this is going to incriminate his friend in that murder he was convicted of.” When he saw the look of concern on Alicia’s face, he said, “I don’t think you’ll be having any more trouble with that guy. He’s getting what he was after. There’s no need for him to bother you again. Now, you go home and enjoy your family and become a good cop, will you?”

  Alicia smiled and hugged Craig around the neck. “Thank you,” she said.

  ****

  “Who’s ready to go camping?” Michael called out the following morning.

  “I am!” Adam shouted.

  “I am!” Simon said.

  “Me!” Lily cried.

  When Michael saw Teddy slapping the high chair tray joyfully, he playfully poked him in the tummy. “Looks like you’re ready, too.” Before sitting down at the breakfast table, Michael put an arm across Gladys’s shoulders. “Are you ready to hit the road again so soon after your Southern California adventure?”

  “I hope so,” Gladys said.

  “Yeah, let’s go easy on Mom, guys,” Savannah said. “She needs some down time before she starts vacationing again.”

  “Speak for yourself, Vannie,” Gladys quipped.

  Michael laughed and hugged his mother-in-law. “So what was your best memory from the trip with Maggie?” he asked.

  “Oh my,” she stalled. “We did so much. We were on the go every day. I did enjoy getting to know some of my nieces and nephews better, and spending time with our sister, Rose, was wonderful.” She smiled. “Janet fit right in with the family, even though she’s the new kid on the block.”

  “How so?” Rochelle asked.

  “She found us on one of those genealogy sites,” Savannah said. “Actually, Mom found Cousin Janet. The two of them hit it off so well that it’s as if she’s a cousin Mom has known all her life.”

  Gladys smiled. “That’s right. I guess one of my favorite memories was when just us sisters spent the day at Janet’s place. We walked on the beach and ate at an out-of-the-way café. We sat and talked for hours.”

  “Sounds really nice,” Savannah said. “You probably needed a quiet day where you weren’t running around sightseeing.”

  “I sure did and so did Maggie, although she wasn’t about to admit it.”

  “Well, we want you to be the queen bee at least for the next few days,” Savannah said. “You don’t need to lift a finger.” When Gladys gave her daughter a sideways glance, Savannah said, “Really, Mom. You just relax and enjoy the kids and the trip.”

  “That’s right,” Rochelle agreed. “You should try to ease back into the hurly-burly of things.”

  “Hurly-burly?” Gladys said, chuckling. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard that term.”

  “What is that?” Adam asked. “I never heard of hurly-burly.”

  Simon laughed. “Me neither.”

  “It’s like hustle and-bustle.” When the boys still looked confused, Gladys suggested, “Chaotic, hectic, high activity…”

  “It describes this household every morning since you boys got here,” Michael said.

  Adam looked at Simon and said, “Crazy fun!”

  “Yeah,” Simon agreed. “Crazy fun!”

  Peter put his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “You got that right. And that’s what Grammy Gladys doesn’t need right now.”

  “Or Rags,” Savannah said quietly.

  “How is he?” Rochelle asked.

  “Yeah,” Adam said, “that must have scared him a lot to fall into a well.”

  “Does he know how to swim?” Simon asked. Before anyone could respond, he added, “That would have been worse if the well was full of water and he didn’t know how to swim.”

  Michael looked at Savannah. “I don’t know. Have you ever seen Rags swim?”

  Savannah nodded. “I’m afraid so. Yeah, he can swim, but I doubt he can tread water.”

  “Do what?” Simon asked.

  “Tread water,” Savannah repeated. She stared hard at Simon. “Do you know how to swim?”

  The boy took a deep breath and scrunched up his face. He glanced around the room.

  Rochelle asked, “Do you, Simon? Can you swim?”

  “Well, not exactly. But I like playing around in water as long as I can touch the bottom with my feet.”

  Peter asked, “We have life vests, don’t we?”

  “They always have them on boats, so if we rent a boat we’ll have them,” Michael said.

  “We’re going in a boat?” Simon asked, wide-eyed.

  “Maybe,” Michael said. “If you want to.”

  “Wow!” Simon exclaimed. “I’ve been doing more new stuff in just three weeks than I did in my whole life.”

  Savannah smiled at Simon, then said, “To answer your question, Rochelle, Rags seems to be okay, but I’ll want to keep a close eye on him for the next several days.”

  Michael choked a little on his coffee. He coughed and repeated, “The next several days? How?” When he saw Savannah’s grin, he sat back in his chair and complained, “Oh, no.”

  “What, Dad?” Adam asked. “Is something wrong with Rags?”

  Ignoring his son, Michael said, “Savannah, you aren’t planning to take…”

  “I can’t leave him here,” she asserted. “He needs…”

  “He doesn’t need to go on vacation,” Michael interjected.

  Adam’s face lit up. “Rags is going with us?”

  “No,” Michael asserted. “No, he’s not. There’s not enough room.”

  “Oh, Michael,” Savannah said, “there is too room. He’ll be fine. He needs us right now. We can’t just go off and leave him after what he’s been through.” She winked. “I think he should stay in close contact with his veterinarian. Just in case…”

  “What’s wrong with your dad, Adam?” Simon asked quietly. “Doesn’t he like Rags? He acts like he doesn’t like Rags.”

  “Sometimes he acts that way,” Adam explained, shrugging. He spoke up. “I’m glad Rags gets to go with us. He’s cool.”

  “Ye
ah, he’s cool,” Simon said. “I’ve never seen such a cool cat.”

  “See,” Savannah said airily, “it’s unanimous.”

  “Lordy, lordy,” Michael muttered, “there goes my peaceful vacation.”

  “Good morning, all,” came a cheery voice.

  “Well, Maggie,” Michael said, standing to give her a hug. “Welcome back. How are you?”

  “Great.”

  “Auntie,” Savannah said, also hugging her. She pulled back. “How was the trip? I hear you had a really good time.”

  “Sure did,” Margaret said. She glanced at Gladys. “We should do that more often.” After greeting Peter and Rochelle and the small children, she focused on the two boys. “Now, I know that’s Adam, but who’s this handsome young man?”

  Peter smiled. “This is Simon. He lives with Rochelle and me now.”

  “We’re a family,” Simon said.

  “Simon, this is Savannah’s Aunt Maggie.”

  “Hi,” Simon said quietly, taking a bite of his toast.

  “Well, hi,” Margaret said. “Nice to meet you. I’ll bet you boys will have a blast camping in the mountains.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said, “and Rags gets to go with us.”

  Margaret quickly faced Savannah, who nodded to confirm. “He got hurt last night and I want to keep an eye on him. I hope you’re okay with that.”

  “Okay?” Margaret said, grinning widely. “I’m thrilled not to have that responsibility…”

  “Never mind,” Savannah carped. “But you’ll still feed Buffy, right? Oh, and you’re taking the kittens to your place?”

  Margaret nodded. “Yes. Kittens, but no Rags. I’m super happy. What about the horses?”

  “We left them at Bonnie’s yesterday. She’ll board them at the stables until we get back.”

  “And you’re taking the dog?” Margaret asked.

  Savannah nodded and petted Lexie as the dog greeted Margaret.

  “Gotta have a camp dog,” Michael said.

  Margaret nodded. She winced. “So Buffy will be here all by herself? Does she seem to miss Walter? Those kitties were together for quite a long time.”

  “Yeah, but they weren’t that close. Walter was a loner and Buffy is a people-cat.”

  “Can I take her to our place for a visit with Layla?” Margaret asked. “She might like the company. What do you think?

  “Sure you can try it,” Savannah said. “Whatever you think. If she seems lonely, by all means take her home and give her a lap. She’ll love that.”

  Margaret shimmied. “Okay, let me see the kittens.”

  “I’ll show you,” Simon said. “I might get to keep them—you know, when we get back

  from camping.” He pointed. “That one’s Minnie and this one’s Blossom.” He called out, “Savannah, where’s their special kitten food?”

  She smiled. “Got it all packed up for Auntie.”

  They are so dang cute,” Margaret gushed.

  “They like company,” Adam said.

  Simon nodded. “Yeah, and playing and getting petted and sleeping in your lap…”

  “Oh, they won’t get lonely,” Margaret said. “Around our place kittens get a lot of attention.”

  “Don’t be adopting them out,” Michael cautioned. “Simon has dibs on them.”

  “Yeah, but we haven’t decided…” Peter started.

  Michael glanced at Simon and told Peter, “I hate to break it to you, but your vote doesn’t count. Don’t you know that? Us guys don’t get a say in these things—not when our wife and kids’ emotions get involved.”

  “But two little cats?” Peter complained. “I know what they become—two big cats.”

  Rochelle put her hand on his arm. “Oh, Peter, cats are wonderful pets.” When he gazed at Rags, who had just sauntered into the room, she laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ve had several cats over time and none of them have displayed the traits Rags has.”

  “Like what?” Simon asked. “I think Rags is a cool cat. What’s wrong with him, Rochelle?”

  She hesitated, then said, “Well, I must say I haven’t seen all of these things for myself, but I understand he can be a handful—you know, sneaking out of the house, taking things that don’t belong to him—including money—secretly stowing away in the car… He once rode a bus to a fish market all by himself.”

  “What?” Simon squealed.

  Michael added, “Taking food off your plate, spilling things, breaking things…”

  Savannah broke in, “Saving people, helping the sheriff’s department with criminal investigations, protecting other animals and children…”

  “So you’re saying he’s unique?” Peter asked. “Not all cats behave like that one does?”

  Almost everyone nodded.

  Margaret picked up a small cat carrier she’d brought in. She asked, “You boys say you found these kittens up in the hills?”

  “All by themselves,” Simon said, opening the door to the pen. “Someone on a motorbike left them there for the coyotes.”

  Margaret grimaced. “Damn idiots.” She picked up Minnie and snuggled with her. “What’s wrong with people?”

  From the kitchen Michael shouted, “Everyone aboard who’s going aboard! Are teeth brushed and toothbrushes packed?”

  “We’d better get ready,” Adam said, quickly running into the hallway. Simon followed.

  “Need a carrier?” Savannah asked, joining her.

  “Got one.” Margaret faced her niece. “Oh, Vannie, they’re so stinkin’ cute.”

  Savannah smiled. Once Margaret had transferred the kittens to the carrier, Savannah called, “Michael, want to tear down the pen and load it into the car?”

  He shook his head, but said, “Yes, dear.”

  Savannah smirked playfully at him and continued to prepare for their departure.

  “Is everyone accounted for?” Michael asked holding the front door open.

  “Yes,” Savannah said, squeezing through with Rags in her arms. Lexie trotted alongside her.

  “Lordy, lordy,” Michael muttered good-naturedly as he locked the door and followed her and the two animals to their car.

  ****

  “So, Adam, what are we going to do first when we get there?” Simon asked an hour later as the two boys sat in the backseat of the Whitcombs’ car.

  “Um…” Adam said, thinking, “maybe skim rocks or go rock-hopping or make a lizard noose.” He looked at Simon. “There are horned toads in the mountains. Have you ever seen a horned toad? They’re way cool. I mean, rad.”

  Simon tilted his head. “Horned toad? A toad with horns?”

  Adam laughed at the image. “No. They’re kind of like a lizard, but different—sorta like a turtle, but they don’t have a hard shell. I’ll show you a picture on my dad’s phone later. Or maybe we’ll see one when we get there.”

  “What’s rock-hopping and, what did you say—skim rocks? What’s that?”

  Peter chuckled. “Adam has a lot to teach you, grasshoppah.”

  Simon scrunched up his face. “Huh? After sitting quietly for a while, he said, “I’ll bet I could show you some things, too.”

  “We have two grasshoppahs,” Peter quipped.

  Adam rolled his eyes, then asked Simon, “What? What can you show me?”

  “How to build a tent out of your clothes, how to tell time by the sun, how to find the best food to eat in restaurant trash bins. Do you know how to do any of that?”

  Adam shook his head, his mouth agape. “No, do you?”

  “Sure,” Simon said.

  “Why?” Adam asked. “Didn’t your parents let you sleep in the house? Didn’t they have a refrigerator or a clock?”

  “Hey,” Peter said, interrupting the boys, “do you see that bridge up ahead? How many miles do you think it is from here to there?” When no one spoke, he added, “Whoever’s closest to the right answer gets a prize.”

  “A prize?” Simon asked. “What prize?”

  “Yeah, what prize?” Pe
ter asked Rochelle.

  “Oh, um, how about a snack bag of peanuts?”

  “Okay,” Adam said, “I guess twenty miles.” He asked, “Hey, how will we know who’s right? How will we keep track? On your phone?”

  Peter chuckled. “No. Cars have what’s called an odometer that keeps track of how many miles you travel.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” Adam said, feeling a little embarrassed. “Then I say twenty miles.”

  “No way,” Simon said. “It’s more like four miles, isn’t it, Mr. Peter?” He then asked, “What’s your guess, Mr. Peter?”

  “I’d say five and a half.”

  “Oh,” Adam said, “maybe I want to change my guess. I’ll say four and a half.”

  “Can he do that?” Simon complained.

  “Well, we didn’t lay down any ground rules, so we’ll let him this time,” Peter suggested.

  For the next several minutes, the boys sat up and peered at the bridge ahead. “How far have we gone now?” Adam asked.

  “Three miles,” Peter said.

  “Maybe I want to change my guess,” Simon said. “I say six and a half. Want to change yours, Adam?”

  “I don’t think so. We’re almost there. How far have we gone now?” he asked.

  “Three and three quarters.”

  Within minutes, Simon cheered. “We’re here. We’re on the bridge. How many miles was that?”

  “Four and a quarter miles.” Peter looked at Simon through the rearview mirror. “Too bad you changed your guess.”

  “Well, I was almost right the first time, so I want to keep that guess.”

  “Both of you boys won, then,” Rochelle said, handing them each a bag of peanuts.

  “Why?” Simon asked.

  “Adam guessed four and a half and you guessed four,” Peter reminded him.

  “Yeah,” Adam said, “four and a quarter is between your guess and my guess. We’re both winners. But you might not win the rock-skimming contest.”

  “What is that?” Simon asked. “How do you skim a rock?”

  “You’ll see,” Adam said. “It’s hard to explain.” He sat up straighter. “Hey, can we guess how far it is to that big rock up there?”

  “Big rock?” Peter questioned.

  “Yeah, see it over there? It’s up above us and around some corners.”