by Patricia Fry
“Horsie!” Charlie shouted. “Horsie, Mommy!”
Leah picked up the three-year-old. “Yes, horsies. Let’s go see the horsies, shall we?”
“Hi, Charlie,” Savannah called. “Are you coming to see the horses?” She eased down out of her saddle and held onto the reins while Charlie petted Gypsy.
“Horsie,” he said. He imitated a whinny and laughed.
The others laughed as well.
“He doesn’t see horses come down our driveway very often,” Leah said, kissing her son on the cheek. “In fact, I think this is a first for him.” She jiggled him up and down. “Exciting, huh, Son? Do you like those horsies?”
“Charlie,” Savannah said, “this is Gypsy, and that’s Peaches.”
The child giggled. “Peaches,” he repeated. He pointed at Gypsy. “Apples?”
Savannah smiled at the boy. “Sure, you can call her Apples.”
“Just tie them there at the hitching post, if you want,” Leah suggested. She gazed into the sky. “They should have shade shortly.”
Savannah looked around. “Is there someplace where we can water them?”
Leah jumped a little. “Oh, yes. There’s a bucket in that shed around the back there and a spigot right here. Why don’t we fill the bucket and lead them to the water source?”
“Spoken like a modern-day farm girl,” Rochelle said. “Work hard, but work smart.”
Leah smiled warmly. “I try.”
Once Rochelle had dismounted, she hugged Leah. “Good to see you again.” She ran her hand over Charlie’s arm. “You too, sweet boy.”
Savannah smiled. “Leah, Rochelle has a little boy now too.”
Leah looked at her curiously. “You had a baby, Rochelle? I didn’t know that. Didn’t I see you a while back at the Iveys’?”
“Yes,” Rochelle said. “Our boy came full grown.” When Leah looked puzzled, Rochelle explained, “He’s a foster child—a boy of the streets whom we became acquainted with and decided to take in.”
“Oh?” Leah said, wide-eyed. “How’s that going?”
“Beautifully.” Rochelle added, “That isn’t to say there aren’t learning curves and do-overs, but all in all Peter and I adore Simon. It’s been wonderful watching him transition into such a great kid. I can tell you that his happiness has enriched my life.”
“What a sweet thing to say. How old is Simon?” Leah asked.
“Eleven. Yes, we’re really enjoying him.”
“Well, I know about parents loving a child that isn’t their own,” Leah said. When the others looked at her, she explained, “Savannah, you know Charlie isn’t Harrison’s, yet he fell in love with him from the get-go…” she smiled at her son, “…even though he knew Charlie has Down syndrome.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Savannah laughed. “I’d actually forgotten that you were pregnant when you met Harrison. Yes, he committed so completely to Charlie and to you, right from the beginning.”
Leah smiled. “Harrison is Charlie’s father, pure and simple. No one could love him as much as Harrison does and, I might add, vice versa. This little peanut adores his daddy. I’m the odd man out half the time.”
“Oh, I doubt that,” Savannah said.
“But it’s true.” Leah leaned toward the other women. “That’s why I’d love, love, love to have a little girl. I’m hoping so, so much for a girl that I might actually talk Harrison into adopting.”
“Really?” Savannah said.
Leah nodded. “I love my Charlie to pieces; I wouldn’t trade him for anything.” More defiantly she said, “Now I want a girl.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Rochelle said.
“So, Rochelle, are you considering taking in a foster daughter?” Savannah asked.
Rochelle shook her head. “I don’t think we’ll be doing that anytime soon, but if we don’t have one of our own at some point, we might.”
Leah stepped into the shed and pointed. “There’s that bucket.” She opened the door wider. “Wait! What’s that?” She stepped back, bumping into Savannah.
“What?” Savannah asked, trying to look around Leah.
“There!” Leah hissed.
Savannah squinted into the darkened shed. “Oh, I see it. Eyes.”
“Eyes?” Rochelle repeated, clasping her hands at her chest.
Savannah asked, “Do you have a flashlight or a lantern?”
“Just to your left there, on that ledge,” Leah instructed from outside the shed.
Savannah found the flashlight and shined it toward where she’d seen the eyes.
“What is it?” Leah asked, sounding a little panicked.
“Just a kitty-cat,” Savannah said. “Hi there, kitty.”
“A cat?” Leah repeated, moving closer. “I wonder how he got in here.”
“I wonder if he’s your thief,” Savannah said, picking up the bucket. “Hey, let’s water the horses, then I want to hear more about what’s been going on.”
After the horses drank their fill, Savannah and Rochelle tied them to the hitching post, and joined Leah on the porch. “Help yourself to an iced tea,” she invited, motioning toward tall glasses of tea she’d placed on a small table.
Savannah watched Charlie play with a little dump truck for a few moments when she saw Rochelle staring into the distance. She glanced in the same direction. “What is it? Do you hear something?”
“Yeah.” She pointed. “There are a couple of guys on bicycles coming this way.”
Leah turned to look. “Oh, those are our helpers.” She giggled. “Harrison calls them our ranch hands. They even have appropriate names.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked.
“Gibbs and Colt,” Leah said.
Rochelle chuckled. “Seems fitting for a couple of ranch hands. I wonder if they made them up.”
“What?” Leah asked.
Grinning, Rochelle explained, “When they work as pizza-delivery guys they call themselves Kevin and Brandt. When they work for a hardware store, they might be Ernie and Clyde.”
Savannah laughed, then asked, “Leah, what do they do for you?”
“Mend fences, take down dead trees, organize the outbuildings, do some of the heavy gardening….”
“So they’re good workers?” Savannah asked.
Leah chortled and spoke more quietly, “Probably not as good as your gardener. What’s his name, Anthony?”
“Antonio,” Savannah corrected.
“They’re kind of goofy, if you ask me, and they don’t always seem to understand what I want them to do.” She chuckled. “Maybe they just don’t want to do it, but they’re cheap, and they stay out of my way. They aren’t underfoot. I don’t need another body underfoot.”
“Where’d you find them?” Savannah asked.
Leah winced. “Harrison picked them up along the road not far from here. One of them had a flat tire, and they were walking their bikes toward town. Harrison gave them a ride to a bicycle shop, but they said they didn’t have money for a new tire, so Harrison gave them some money and hired them to work it off. They’ve been with us for just three days.”
“Are you working?” Savannah asked.
“Yes. Part time at the library, and I still help at Charlie’s day care. I enjoy my adult time almost as much as I enjoy my mommy time.”
“Is Harrison still working as a chef at that fancy restaurant?”
Leah nodded.
There was a lull in the conversation as the women watched the ranch hands drop their bikes and walk slowly to an outbuilding, where they retrieved some gardening tools.
“They’re going to prune those out-of-control shrubs today,” Leah said.
“Is something wrong?” Savannah asked, staring at Rochelle.
Rochelle jumped a little. “Huh?” She wrapped her arms around herself and said, “Leah, watch yourself.”
Leah frowned. “What? What do you mean?”
Rochelle glanced at the workers again and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I g
et a bad vibe from those two. Just be wary, will you?”
“Sure,” Leah said, staring apprehensively at the two young men, who were, at that moment, bantering loudly with one another. Leah grimaced. “Yeah, they aren’t very refined, but Harrison says it’s not easy finding someone reliable to do the kind of work we need done around here.”
Leah stared at the men again and said, “Thank you, Rochelle. Yeah,” she admitted, “they make me feel a little uneasy at times. I figured it was just their lack of manners.” She winced. “They’re a tad uncouth, but hopefully they’re harmless.”
“Just keep your guard up.” Rochelle said. She looked into Leah’s eyes and tried to lighten the mood. “As we all should any time we hire a stranger, right?”
Savannah took a swig of iced tea and asked, “So, Leah, what happened today? Colbi told me that something or someone has been leaving you little presents. How long has this been going on?”
“Just a few days. Harrison thought it was birds—you know, ravens, or maybe squirrels dropping their treasures during their nighttime excursions. But we had to wonder where they were getting this stuff. Then we began thinking about Rags and decided maybe it was a cat or a dog.”
“How large are the things it’s bringing?” Rochelle asked.
“Let me show you.” Leah glanced at Charlie, then walked to the other side of the porch and pulled a basket out from under a stack of plastic chairs. “We found these eyeglasses on our door mat one day.”
She pulled something else out of the basket. “Here’s someone’s ID. Well, a sliver of what looks like a driver’s license, maybe.” Leah held out her hand. “Here’s a piece of a map. Oh, and we find receipts blowing around here lately. They’re all from fast-food restaurants and other places in Southern California.”
Rochelle pointed. “What’s that?”
Leah picked it up. “I think it’s a bicycle lock. Isn’t that what it is?”
“Oh, maybe,” Rochelle agreed.
“That black thing looks like an arm or leg brace,” Savannah speculated.
“That’s what I thought,” Leah said, “but Harrison says it’s to wrap around your pants leg while you’re riding a bicycle.”
Savannah nodded. “Oh, yeah, I’ve seen those.” She picked up something else. “Gauze for bandaging, maybe.” She laughed when Rochelle held up a small bag. “Snacks?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Leah agreed. “An empty peanut bag and this little bag of mixed nuts.”
Rochelle stood up and looked around. “So the little klepto knows someone who rides a bike, has an injury, goes shopping, and loves to snack.”
Savannah looked through the eyeglasses. “And has poor eyesight.” She asked Leah, “What happened today? You said something happened today.”
“Yes,” Leah said, sitting down and taking Charlie onto her lap. She motioned to the others. “Grab a chair.”
Once everyone was seated, she took something out of her pocket and handed it to Savannah. “I think someone’s in serious trouble.”
“With the police?” Rochelle asked.
“No, with their health,” Leah said.
Savannah studied the document. “My goodness.” She handed it to Rochelle.
“Oh,” Rochelle muttered. She read, “Mr. Alexander, please return to the clinic immediately. We found an abnormality that may require immediate attention. Please do not disregard. Dr. Drew Batiste.” She looked up. “He’s a cancer doctor in San Francisco.”
“You know him?” Leah asked.
“No. Just of him,” Rochelle explained.
“So the plot thickens,” Savannah said eerily. She leaned forward. “Leah, I think you should call Craig—or I can call him. We need to find out if there’s a missing person by this name. The police probably should be trying to find this guy.” She glanced down at the document again and said, “Wait, this isn’t the name on that driver’s license. That was Bruce something?”
“Yes, Bruce Lang,” Leah confirmed. “We’ve found a couple of things with his name on them.”
“But the name on this letter is Jim Alexander.” Savannah looked around. “Do you know if there’s a homeless camp near here? Maybe a feral cat is taking things from transients and delivering them to residents. Is anyone else around here getting stuff dropped at their door?”
“No.” Leah chuckled. “As you can see, we’re kind of isolated out here, but I did check with some folks up and down the lane east of us and no one is having this experience. Just us, it seems. And no, we aren’t aware of a homeless commune, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one along the river in all that mess of trees and brush. That’s a long walk for a small animal, though. How far do you think a cat, for example, would walk in an evening?”
“It depends on their motivation,” Savannah said. “Cats have been known to travel many miles to return to their home when they’ve been displaced. They’ll walk several miles to find a cat in heat. But is this a cat?” She picked up a couple of things from the basket and examined them. “These sure could be cat teeth marks.” She shrugged. “Or squirrel or badger, I guess.”
“Are squirrels or badgers apt to carry things around from one place to another?” Leah asked.
“Not that I know of,” Savannah said, “but a magpie and a raven will, although I think they take things to their nest. They don’t have the generous nature that some cats seem to have.” When the others appeared perplexed, she said, “Well, I think it’s generous when a cat wants to share his treasures with you.” She laughed. “However, while I like to think of Rags’s habit as a show of love, feline behaviorists tend to believe it’s related to the cat’s hunting instincts.”
“Really?” Rochelle said. “How’s that?”
Savannah explained, “Some believe a cat considers his human inept when it comes to finding food.” She laughed. “Our cats think we don’t know how to hunt, so they’ll bring us a mouse or maybe other things they find. It could be a latent innate behavior in some cats. But why has this cat, or whatever it is, chosen you, Leah, to lavish his gifts upon?” She squinted toward the shed and added, “As a thank you for allowing him to shelter in your shed?”
Leah leaned forward. “But the bigger question is; where is the animal getting this stuff? Who does it belong to and where is he or she?”
“Under a piece of old farming equipment,” Rochelle said quietly.
“What?” Leah yelped.
Rochelle shook her head. “Oh, I’m sorry. Sometimes I just speak what comes to me. As Savannah was talking, the image of an old tractor flashed in my mind’s eye. I sense that someone is stuck there. For some reason he can’t leave. Oh, and I see a bicycle.” She put her hand on Leah’s arm. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what it means if anything, but it sure came in strong.”
“Do you know of a piece of farm machinery abandoned around here anywhere?” Savannah asked.
Leah shook her head slowly. “No. Not that I recall.” She asked Rochelle, “Can you see what sort of creature is bringing us this stuff?”
“I think Savannah’s right. It’s a cat. I don’t know how accurate this is, but I see a long, lean tiger-like cat.” She looked around. “And I sense him close by.”
“Yeah, there are cats that come around once in a while.” Leah laughed. “Well, there’s one in the shed as we speak. You know, Harrison’s sister, Colbi, was feeding strays when she lived here and we’ve sort of taken over her job. We’ve trapped a few and had them neutered. Charlie and I have made friends with some of the cats. When they’re tame enough, we deliver them to a shelter for adoption. Your aunt has taken a couple of them, Savannah. We really don’t want the responsibility of so many cats, and we think rehabilitation is the way to go. We’re down to four.” She looked at Rochelle. “No striped ones, unless the one in the shed is.”
Savannah shook her head. “No. That one’s a fluffy grey cat—solid grey.” She faced Leah. “Well, kiddo, I think Craig Sledge would like to know what’s going on out here. It sounds a little…um
…maybe ominous. Someone may be in trouble—you know, sick or lost or something. Craig might know if anyone with either of those names is missing or has been robbed.”
“Okay. That’s what I’ll do, then,” Leah asserted. “Thank you. You ladies have been helpful. I’ll ask Craig about a camera, too.”
“And a wearable camera,” Savannah said.
“What?”
“For the cat or whatever animal you think is doing this. Once the surveillance camera identifies the culprit, you can trap him and fit him with a body camera. That may be the only way you’ll find these people, if there is someone in trouble or if they’ve been robbed.” Savannah added, “At the least, the cat may lead you to where he’s getting this stuff.”
“Good idea,” Leah said.
Rochelle chuckled. “Savannah, you’re becoming quite the sleuth. Leah, she just returned from a harrowing mission with the detective. She and Rags saved a man who had been entombed in an old icehouse.”
Leah raised her eyebrows and exclaimed, “You did?”
Savannah nodded. “Yes, but it isn’t me Craig wants on his team; it’s Rags.” She chuckled. “In fact, if you get Craig involved out here, he’ll probably think of a way to use Rags in his investigation.”
“That would be interesting to watch,” Leah said.
“Well, he’d better hurry,” Savannah said, “because we’re taking Rags to Oregon next week to see his mother.”
“Didn’t he just see her in LA?” Rochelle asked.
“Yes, but Angel’s owner, Jeannie, has moved to Oregon to live with her sister.”
“Her cat’s sister?” Leah asked.
“No, Jeannie’s sister. Jeannie and Pam are opening an antique shop, and they want us to bring Rags up for the grand-opening celebration.”
“So it’s a cat-friendly business huh?” Rochelle asked amused.
“I guess it has a sort of cat theme,” Savannah explained, “and they want some real cats in the shop to greet visitors.”
Leah chuckled. “Hey, if they’d like more cats, I can donate a couple or four.”
Savannah shook her head. “Oh, no. I think we’ll be just fine. I’ll have my hands full with Rags and the kids. I sure don’t need more cats in the car all the way to Oregon.”