by Sofie Kelly
She took a step toward me and she smiled at Hercules. “I like your cat,” she said. “Maybe I could keep him when you’re gone.”
She reached out to take him and the gun dipped toward the floor. I started to tell her not to, but the words died on my lips.
Hercules yowled and slashed one paw at Kate. His claws caught the back of her hand and drew blood.
She yelped, grabbed her hand, and the gun hit the floor, skittering along the tile.
Hercules launched himself out of my arms.
“Run!” I yelled and we both bolted down the corridor and around the corner. We made it out to the main hallway and I realized the mistake I’d made. I should have gone the other way, past Kate, toward Harry and safety.
It was too late now. I pulled an office door a tiny bit ajar and hoped that would distract Kate for a few seconds.
Hercules was all the way at the end of the hallway. I could just barely make him out. We needed to get to the other set of doors, the one with the alarm. I realized the best way to do that was to go through the kitchen. I could feel my way there in the almost total darkness.
I felt my way past more offices, all of them locked. We made it to the kitchen and I worked my way around the room. The door that led to the back corridor that would take me to the main doors was blocked—probably for security reasons.
Hercules rubbed against my ankle. I knew Kate wasn’t very far behind us. We had to find somewhere to hide.
I pictured the layout of the kitchen There was a closet on the left side of the room. It was filled with supplies like birthday candles, muffin cups and parchment paper but it was too small for me to fit inside. So was the pantry cupboard stacked with flour and sugar and other supplies at the other end of the long counter.
I felt a bubble of panic expanding in my chest. Standing in the middle of the room the way I was made me an easy target.
I bent down and picked up Hercules. He nuzzled my neck. I looked around. I could just make out the table where I’d found Kassie’s body. A stack of what looked to be folded tablecloths was at one end. Part of the table extended into a small alcove. It was better than nothing. At least I’d be out of sight when Kate opened the door. I scrambled onto the table and pressed myself into the back corner.
I knew Kate was coming. I could hear her opening office doors. She was methodical, careful. That bought me a little time.
What I needed was a distraction, something else like Hercules attacking so we could run back the way we came in. What my mother, when she was on stage, called smoke and mirrors.
There was a recycling bin next to me, pushed against the end wall of the alcove.
Smoke and mirrors.
I had an idea. I felt around inside the plastic bin and found a glass mayonnaise jar. That would work. I patted my pocket. I still had Marcus’s gum along with his lighter. I set Hercules on the table. “Stay here,” I whispered. I slid along the tabletop, leaned over and managed, somehow, to open the pantry door and grab the side of a bag of flour. At least that’s what I hoped it was. I teetered on the edge of the table and almost lost my grip on the bag. I stuck my foot out to brace myself against the counter but I’d misjudged where I was and instead I hit the edge of the bottom cupboard. My foot turned in and a sharp pain sliced through my ankle. I bit down hard on my tongue to keep from making any noise. Somehow I managed to roll onto my side still clutching the flour, then righted myself and crawled back to my corner.
I tried to breathe through the pain. I kept one arm hooked around the bag of flour. This wasn’t good.
Hercules crawled onto my lap.
I still needed one more thing. I should have climbed down and gotten the flour. I should have slipped over to the other cupboard first. I swiped a hand over my face. I wasn’t going to give up now.
“I need you to get me a birthday candle,” I whispered to Hercules. “They’re in the other closet.”
Did he know what a birthday candle was? I was certain he knew what birthday cake was. I reminded myself that Hercules was smart, smarter than the average cat because he wasn’t an average cat. I set him on the table beside me. He jumped silently to the floor.
I fished a piece of gum out of my pocket and started chewing. I wasn’t going to think about the possibility that this wasn’t going to work. I also had Marcus’s tiny key-chain knife in my pocket. I used it to open the top of the flour and make a slit about a third of the way down the front of the bag. As soon as I picked it up the flour would go everywhere. Which was exactly what I wanted.
Flour and some other carbohydrates can explode if they’re hanging in the air as dust. All I needed to do was ignite that dust and I should be able to make enough of an explosion to distract and maybe momentarily blind Kate.
I felt Hercules land on the table beside me. He bumped my arm with his head and spit two small birthday candles into my lap. I pressed my face next to his. “Good job,” I whispered.
I managed to reach the stack of tablecloths. I pulled one off the top of the pile. Then I got to work.
I used the gum to fix the birthday candle inside the jar. The flour, which was a special organic brand, had a foil liner between the two layers of the bag. I’d noticed that when Rebecca was using it. I tore off enough to cover the top of the jar. I figured I had maybe fifteen seconds maximum after I covered the opening to throw the jar and have it break before the candle went out. I lit it now with the stolen lighter and hid the jar by my leg. The pain in my ankle had subsided to a steady throbbing ache. As long as it would hold me we were good.
I held Hercules with one arm and arranged the tablecloth over the two of us. I gripped the flour sack with my other arm. I let my legs hang over the edge of the table and I waited. I didn’t have to wait long.
I’d estimated that I had less than ten seconds for Kate to find the light switch. I hoped it was enough time.
She stepped into the kitchen and I swung the flour bag in a huge, satisfying arc, sending flour everywhere. It hung like a cloud of dust in the air. I jammed the scrap of foil on the jar and threw it toward the flour cloud with every ounce of strength I had.
Kate yelled something. The jar smashed on the floor. There was a second’s pause, maybe less than that, and the flour ignited and exploded.
I jumped from the table, sucking in a breath as my foot hit the floor. I pulled the linen cloth further over my head and ran through the sparks to the door. I dropped the tablecloth in the hall and kept moving. Pain shot up my leg with every step but I kept on going.
I ran headlong into Harry as I came around the last corner. He caught me by the shoulders. His ball cap was skewed sideways and I could see the concern etched in the lines on his face.
“We have to get out of here,” I said. For all I knew, Kate and her gun could be right behind me.
I took one limping step and Harry put his arm around my shoulders. I leaned against him and he half dragged me down the corridor and down the stairs.
“What happened?” he said.
Police cars with sirens screaming and lights flashing were pulling into the lot as we came out the door. We were safe.
“I made a bomb,” I said.
Marcus skidded to a stop right in front of us. I set Hercules on the hood of his SUV and leaned against the front bumper to catch my breath. Marcus got out of the car, leaving the driver’s door wide open.
“Are you all right?” he said.
I nodded. “Yes.”
Hercules meowed loudly.
“Him too,” I said.
Marcus shifted his gaze to Harry. “What about you?”
“I’m fine,” Harry said. His eyes flicked to me and his head bent slightly in my direction. “I think she may have hit her head. She said she made a bomb.”
“Kate killed Kassie,” I said. Hercules was leaning against me and I put my arm around him.
“I
know,” Marcus said. He gestured to a couple of police officers and they made their way into the building. He put a hand on my shoulder. “Elias figured out that she had to have copied his key. He got here early this morning and she was in the kitchen. He called me. Then Maggie called and said you hadn’t shown up for tai chi. I listened to your message and I was worried. Right after that Abigail called to say you didn’t make it to the library, either. When she told me where you were I knew you were in trouble.”
I held up my free hand. “How did she know where I was?”
“She heard Russell Perry talking to you.”
He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “What happened?”
“Kate had a gun,” I said. “She tried to kill us but Hercules and I made a flour bomb.”
The cat meowed his acknowledgment.
Marcus frowned. “You know how to make a bomb?”
“I’m a librarian,” I said. “I know all sorts of things.”
chapter 20
Things were a blur after that. Kate was brought out in handcuffs. Even though she’d held me at gunpoint, all I felt was sad. She was lost and broken and part of that was because of Kassie.
“You need to be checked out by the paramedics,” Marcus said.
I waved away his words. “I’m fine.”
He looked down at my leg. The ankle was so swollen the top of my shoe was cutting into the skin of my foot. “Yeah, you look fine,” he said with an eye roll.
One of the paramedics was walking toward me.
“Hi, Ric,” I said.
He smiled. “Hi, Kathleen. You know, when I heard the words ‘flour bomb’ I had a feeling I might see you.” He caught sight of Hercules. “And you,” he said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out half a piece of beef jerky.
The cat’s eyes lit up.
Ric gestured at Marcus’s SUV. “How about we put him in the car and then you can sit on the driver’s seat and I can get a look at that ankle?”
“That works for me,” I said. I picked up Hercules and hobbled around the car door, holding on with one hand while Marcus hovered. I set Hercules on the driver’s seat and he hopped over to the passenger side. Ric leaned around me and handed him the piece of beef jerky. He murped a thank-you and began happily chewing.
I dropped sideways onto the driver’s seat with my legs sticking out the open door. Ric crouched at my feet and began feeling my ankle with gentle pressure.
I looked at Marcus. “Go do police stuff. I’m fine,” I said.
Ric looked up at him. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ve got this. She’s not going anywhere with that ankle.”
Marcus caught my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll be back,” he said.
In the end, Ric decided my ankle was likely just badly sprained. “You really should have it x-rayed just to be safe,” he said.
I pulled a hand back through my hair and flakes of flour floated down around me. “Tomorrow, I promise,” I said. “I just want to go home and have a shower.”
“First thing tomorrow.” He pointed a finger at me for emphasis. “I know where the library is. I will come find you.”
I made an X on my chest. “First thing tomorrow I’ll go.”
Ric wrapped my ankle, then he checked my lungs and the small burn on the back of my hand. Marcus came back as he was finishing the dressing on my hand.
“She’s good to go,” Ric said. “She needs to get that ankle x-rayed in the morning.” He shot me a look. “First thing in the morning. And that dressing will need to be changed. Otherwise she’s fine.” He smiled at me. “Kathleen, as my grandmother would say, you’re as tough as a boiled owl. I’m glad you’re all right.”
Marcus helped me into the backseat since Hercules was settled on the passenger side and didn’t seem in any rush to move.
“Don’t you need to stay here?” I asked.
He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I need to get you home,” he said. “Right now that’s the only thing that matters.”
Maggie pulled up in front of the house as we turned into the driveway. Rebecca was with her. Marcus helped me out of the SUV. Hercules got out on his own. “Are you all right?” Rebecca asked.
“I’m fine, really,” I said. “Ric checked me out. I have a little burn on my hand and I sprained my ankle. That’s all.”
“That’s enough,” Maggie said, leaning down to hug me.
“Thank you for calling Marcus.” I suddenly had a lump in my throat, thinking about what might have happened if she and Abigail hadn’t guessed that something was wrong.
“I knew something wasn’t right when you didn’t answer your phone.”
“Kate took my phone,” I said to Marcus.
“I’ll find it,” he said.
We made our way to the back door, Hercules leading the way, Marcus with one arm around me and the other holding my hand, and both Maggie and Rebecca close by. He eased me onto a kitchen chair. “I have to go back to the crime scene for a while,” he said, leaning over me. “But I will be back.” He kissed me. I put a hand on his chest for a moment before he straightened up.
He looked at Maggie and Rebecca. “Don’t let her do anything.”
Rebecca reached over and patted his arm. “Don’t worry, dear,” she said. “We’ve got this.”
And they did. They fed me tea and toast and Maggie got me in and out of the shower and somehow managed to wash my hair without flooding the bathroom. Once I had my pajamas on she helped me into the bedroom. Rebecca came in with another cup of tea for me, trailed by both cats. They smelled like fish. I decided to pretend I hadn’t noticed.
I wasn’t tired, but Rebecca insisted I at least stretch out on the bed. Maggie sat cross-legged at my feet. Rebecca took the chair. Owen and Hercules sprawled on the floor.
“That poor child,” Rebecca said.
“This means Elias is in the clear,” Maggie said. “Ruby will be happy.”
“That’s one good thing, at least,” I agreed.
* * *
It was pretty much the only good thing as far as the show was concerned. The revival of The Great Northern Baking Showdown was over. At least for now. Sunday afternoon Rebecca and Everett threw a farewell party on the set for the cast and crew.
“Thank you for everything you did for Elias,” Ruby said, taking both my hands in hers. She glanced at Marcus. “Both of you.”
“I’m just glad that Kate didn’t hurt anyone else,” I said.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Ruby asked.
“She’s in jail for now. A judge will order a psychiatric evaluation,” Marcus said. “I don’t think there will be a trial.”
Ruby nodded. “I’m glad. I don’t mean what she did was okay but she isn’t a bad person. She just got knocked down one too many times.”
Over the course of the afternoon I talked to everyone. Russell and Stacey were going to continue their relationship. The way they looked at each other made my heart smile. Richard sent his regards to my mother, of course. Caroline promised to send me the recipe for her banana pancakes and I promised the stinky cracker recipe in return. She and Ray stayed away from each other the entire afternoon and I crossed my fingers that relationship had run its course.
Ray had resigned from the co-op. To his credit he had come clean with Ruby and Maggie and the other members before I said anything. He wished me well and I returned the sentiment. I was never going to know for sure, but I still suspected he’d used the serendipity of Kassie being one of the judges on the show to help secure himself a place, not that it had ended up benefitting him. I wasn’t sure if Ray had learned anything from all of this. I hoped he had.
Charles had already left. He was auditioning for another cooking show. I hoped things worked out for him.
Marcus was talking to Everett, and Eugenie came to join me. “I�
�m very happy you’re all right,” she said. “I’ve very much enjoyed getting to know you.”
“I feel the same way,” I said. “Now that this show is over, what are your plans?”
She smiled. “I already have another job on a show that’s quite similar to this one. I had to turn down their offer before because I’d made a commitment here. Luckily they were still interested.” She pushed her glasses up her nose. “You could have the job as my researcher if you’d like it. I’m sure the library would give you a leave of absence. We worked very well together.”
“We did work very well together,” I said. “And your offer is hugely flattering but I have to say no. Mayville Heights is where my heart is. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
“I understand,” Eugenie said. “If you change your mind let me know.” She made her way over to Elias.
Rebecca came up behind me. “I heard what Eugenie said. The board would give you a leave of absence, you know.” She bumped me with her hip. “I have an in. Are you sure you don’t want the job? It’s a wonderful opportunity, and it could lead to better things.”
I looked around the space at all of the people I cared about. Susan and Eric, Abigail, Mary and Ruby. The Taylors. Burtis and Lita. Everett. Rebecca standing there beside me. Roma and Eddie. Maggie and Brady.
Marcus.
I put my arm around Rebecca and smiled. “There isn’t anything better than this.”
acknowledgments
The first Magical Cats mystery was published almost ten years ago and here we are with an even dozen books in the series. This would never have happened without so many wonderful, supportive readers. Thank you all for sharing your love for Owen, Hercules and Kathleen.
My agent, Kim Lionetti, is part advocate, part den mother. I’m deeply grateful she’s on my team. Thanks, Kim! Thanks goes as well to my editor, Jessica Wade, who makes every book better and lets me get the credit for her hard work.