The Secret in the Whiskers

by Patricia Fry

“There’s a lot to learn about cats,” Savannah said. “They’re intriguing animals.”

  Stan nodded, then said, “Say, Pam, I saw your nemeses drive by slow-like just now. I know you’ve been trying to find a way to get on her property to see what she has of yours. What do you say we drive on over to where she’s living? Do you know where that is?”

  “No, I don’t,” Pam said. “I’d love to go check out her place. I invited Rags here, hoping we can use him to learn what we need to know about Lorraine’s possible criminal activities. Yes,” Pam said excitedly. “Drive us by there, would you? Do you have the time?”

  “Sure I do,” Stan insisted. “I go home, and I’ll just have to finish cleaning the garage.” He snickered. “Been working on that for months. The wife wants to park her car in there. I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.” He walked out the door and returned with a small cherrywood desk. Once he’d placed it where Pam suggested, he asked, “Ready to go?”

  “Sure,” Pam said, picking up Angel’s leash, glancing around the store one last time, and turning out the light.

  Several minutes later Stan slowed the truck. He pointed. “Hey, there she is. She just pulled into her driveway. Looks like her man friend is going someplace with her.” He suggested, “Hey, I’m just going to drive on by. Watch where she goes, now. Maybe we can work a plan tonight.”

  Pam laughed. “Stan, you’re really getting into this, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “I believe that woman done your mom wrong and you girls, too. It ain’t right, and I’d like to help you catch her tail in the door.”

  Savannah laughed. “You have some interesting ways of speaking, Stan. I love listening to you.”

  Ignoring her, he said, “There she goes. Want to go in and see what you can find?”

  “Sure do,” Pam said. She looked at Savannah. “Ready?”

  Savannah shrank back a little. “Pam, I do believe you’ve come out of your shell since I first met you.”

  Pam winked.

  “I’ll park around back on that road that runs behind there,” Stan said. “You ladies can climb through that fencing, right?”

  “No problem,” Savannah said.

  “I’ll show you where she’s had me put the things I’ve delivered here. Like I told you before, Ms. Pam, I was sure then that some of that stuff belonged to Ms. Blanchard…your mama. It’s in that shed right there. Here, let me show you the way. I have a light; I never leave home without it.” He chuckled. “That’s ’cause I’m almost always out running around in the dark. My wife says I’m part bat.”

  Savannah grinned. She eased out of the truck with Rags and they followed Pam and Angel through the fence toward a small shed.

  “It’s locked,” Pam said, trying the knob. “Darn it.”

  “Oh, shucks,” Stan said, “I was afraid of that. Sorry ladies.”

  “Rags!” Savannah hissed, when he pulled against the leash. She followed him, saying, “Sometimes he finds a way in or out of a place that’s locked. Let me see where he’s taking me.” When the others heard her exclaim, “Oh, my gosh!” they joined her.

  “What?” Pam asked.

  “A doggie door. It’s for a pretty big dog, too,” Savannah said. She thought for a moment. “I wonder if this was a doghouse at one time. For a St. Bernard or a Great Pyrenees, maybe.” She pushed on the door and looked wide-eyed at Pam. “It’s open. Hey, you can fit in there, I’ll bet.”

  “You want me to break and enter?” Pam yelped.

  “It’s wide open,” Savannah repeated. “No breaking, just entering. Go in and see if you can unlock the door from inside.”

  “I got it,” Pam said moments later, pushing the door open. “Bring the light, Stan. I already see some of Mama’s things in here. Oh, she could so be arrested,” Pam snarled. “… only…”

  “Only what?” Savannah asked.

  “One of the things the police told me is that we need pictures or some other proof that these things were Mama’s and in her home.”

  “Now that don’t make sense to me,” Stan said. “You have to prove your innocence when you’re the one being victimized? Something’s all wrong with a system that protects the guilty.”

  “Sure is,” Savannah said. “Hey, there’s a small filing cabinet. Pam, is that from your mother’s house?”

  Pam put her hands up to her cheeks. “It sure is.” She opened the top drawer, then the lower one and hissed, “Looks like her stuff’s still in here. Stan, help me take that out of here, will you?” She kneeled next to the cabinet. “This is probably the most valuable thing in here right now.” When the others looked at her, she said, “This is what’s going to prove ownership.”

  “What about the painting?” Savannah asked. “Do you see it anywhere?” She pointed. “There’s a painting of cats. Is that it?”

  Pam shook her head. “It has probably been put in a vault or a safe someplace. I doubt she’d keep it with other things like this. That is, if Mama convinced her it’s worth something. No, she’ll keep that safe, or maybe she’s sold it.” She shook her head remorsefully. “Oh, I sure hope she hasn’t sold it.”

  “What painting?” Stan asked. “I’ve seen some paintings in the stuff she’s had me move for her.”

  “That painting of the cats that Mama loved so much. It hung in her bedroom, last I remember.”

  “Those ugly black cats?” he asked. “I think I remember it. She sure did like that picture, your mama.” He thought for a moment and said, “She told me once that painting was the most valuable thing she owned and not for the reasons I might think.” He frowned. “I had to ponder that long and hard. Still don’t know what she meant. Looked like a very ordinary picture to me.”

  Pam stared at Stan. “Really? So she believed it had value?”

  “Hey,” Savannah said, looking from Pam to Stan, “let’s load that stuff up and get out of here.” She pulled out her phone and took a few pictures, explaining, “In case there’s any question about what she has on her property.”

  “This isn’t all, ladies,” Stan said. “She had me put some stuff inside.”

  “Damn her,” Pam spat. She glanced around the shed. “Keys. We need to get Mama’s car keys, storage unit keys, safe deposit box…Where might that witch put those keys?”

  Savannah looked around the room as Stan shined the light and she repeated, “Keys, keys.” She looked down at the cats. “Keys, Rags. Find keys.”

  Stan chortled. “Yeah, fetch, kitty-cats. Earn your keep.” He looked out the door and said, “Listen gang, I think we’d better get a move on. Those folks could be home anytime. And we sure don’t want to get caught on the criminal side of this thing.”

  “Wait,” Savannah called. “Stan, shine your light over there.”

  “Where?”

  “Where Rags is snooping around. I think he’s onto something.”

  “Looks to me like he’s hoping to find a morsel of food or a tasty rodent,” Stan said.

  “No, look. He’s interested in that little table. What is that, a nightstand?”

  “Yes,” Pam said. “You know what, I just might have a picture of that where it stood in the house. Oh, I’m glad we saw it. Thank you, Rags. Yes, that’s been in the house for as long as I remember. It was in Mama’s room. What’s he doing?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure. Let’s see if there’s anything in it.” Savannah pulled out a drawer and turned it over. “Nothing.” She pulled the stand out from the wall and ran her hand down the back of it, then felt underneath it, saying, “He has found interesting things taped to the bottom of a piece of furniture like this, but I don’t feel anything here.” She let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I guess he is just looking for a treat or something. We’d better get out of here.”

  Just then, Angel pulled Pam toward where Rags was rooting around. The Ragdoll jumped over Rags and dove under an old wood-burning stove.

  “Yikes,” Savannah said, grabbing her. You don’t want to get all di
rty. That thing’s probably full of ashes and…”

  “Ashes,” Pam said, opening the small door to the stove. Both Rags and Angel put their front paws up against the stove and peered inside.

  Savannah pulled them back. “Here, Pam, hold onto them. I’m going ash-diving.”

  “Ash-diving,” Stan repeated. “That’s funny.”

  She pulled up her sleeve and stuck one hand into the cold ashes. Her eyes lit up and she cried, “Bingo!” as she held up a set of keys. “Your mother’s?” she asked.

  Pam took them. “I believe they are. Yes!” She gave Savannah a high five. “Stan, this has been most productive. Thank you for bringing us here. I think now we may be able to make a case against Miss Hoity-Toity Lorraine.”

  “Someone’s coming,” he said quietly. He shuttered the light and everyone scrambled to exit the shed, closing the door tightly. They returned to the truck and Stan drove off, certain that they had not been seen.

  “Oh, this is the most fun I’ve had in ages,” Pam said. “Thank you, Stan. Thank you, Savannah, and thank you, God for showing us the way.”

  Savannah chuckled. “The way to a felony charge?”

  Pam waved her hand in the air. “Don’t say that. Erase, erase.” She then said, “Hi, Angel, what’s wrong, girl?”

  “Something’s wrong?” Savannah asked.

  “I don’t know, she just seems a little antsy or something—nervous, maybe.”

  Savannah laughed. “Yeah, she’s never been on a break-and-enter adventure before.” Suddenly, she gasped. “Wait. Where’s Rags?” She felt around the seat and at her feet. “Is he up there with you?”

  Stan said, “No, I don’t think so.”

  “I saw you carry him into the truck,” Pam said confidently. “He has to be in here someplace. Look under the seats. Where’s your flashlight, Stan?”

  “He’s not here,” Savannah wailed. “What happened? Darn, he must have jumped out before we closed all the doors. Stan, we have to go back,” Savannah begged.

  “To get a cat?” he asked.

  “Yes, to get a cat,” she said sternly. She leaned forward. “Please, Stan.”

  He let out a sigh. “Okay, I guess, but I’m not driving onto the property.”

  “That’s okay,” Savannah said. “He’ll probably come to me when he sees me. I’ll go look for him.”

  “And what if Lorraine sees you?” Pam asked.

  Savannah thought for a moment. “Well, she doesn’t know who I am. I’ll just tell her I lost my cat and I thought I saw him go onto her property. That’s innocent enough, don’t you think so?”

  Wide-eyed, Pam said, “Yeah, that might work. Okay, here we are.” She patted Savannah’s back as she climbed out of the truck and whispered, “Good luck.”

  “Rags,” Savannah called quietly as she approached the shed. “Rags. Kitty-kitty.” She listened and watched. Nothing. She walked closer to the shed and called, “Rags. Here, boy—kitty-kitty.” She slumped. Darn it. Where is he? She looked all around the yard, using the light Stan had given her. What’s that? she wondered. Is that... “Rags,” she hissed, realizing how close she was now to the house. “There you are,” she whispered when she saw him walking toward her. “Now what do you have?”

  Just then a light came on and flooded the front yard. Savannah quickly scooped up the cat and dashed into the shadows. She could feel her heart pounding as she stood stock-still, but Rags began to squirm and wriggle. She did her best to hold him, but he was evidently on a mission and wasn’t going to be deterred. What does he want? He acts like he’s after something. What is it? Keeping her hold on the cat, she looked around on the ground in front of her. That’s when she saw a small pouch near her feet. He had that in his mouth. What is it? She heard a man and woman talking around the front side of the house, so she took a chance and picked up the pouch, then scurried back to the property-line fence. Pam met her there, took Rags from her, and held up the wire for her to shimmy through. The two women jumped into the truck with Rags, then Stan, who had been holding Angel, slowly drove away.

  “High five!” Pam said, slapping Savannah’s hand jubilantly.

  Both women laughed.

  Stan chuckled. “You’re one gutsy gal. You don’t think she saw you?”

  “I doubt it,” Savannah said, “but Rags almost blew our cover.” She held up the pouch she’d found on the ground. “He tried to jump out of my arms to get this. He had dropped it.”

  “We saw you diving for something,” Pam said. “That was awesome. We could see that she and that man were just around the corner from you. What is that, anyway?”

  “I don’t know,” Savannah said, examining it. “Does it look familiar? Did your mom keep things in little pouches like this,” she cringed, “or did Rags take something belonging to Lorraine?”

  “Well, let me see it,” Pam suggested. She took the pouch, poured the contents into her hand, and gasped. “Oh, Savannah, this was Mama’s.” She held it to her heart and choked up. “Daddy gave it to her just before he died, and she never wore it after that, but she would take it out and look at it and reminisce. You see, Daddy never had much—he didn’t make much money. Then his business began to flourish and he bought her that as a symbol of their blessed good fortune.” Pam sighed deeply. “That didn’t last long—I mean, their newfound wealth. Dad died shortly after that. She was wearing it the day he died, and she swore she could never wear it again, but she adored it.”

  Savannah petted Rags. “Good boy, for finding that special piece of jewelry.”

  “Yes, Auntie Pam is going to give you a yummy treat tonight.”

  “Hear that, Rags? You get treats for good behavior, even though you were naughty to jump out of the truck like that.”

  “Well, he wanted to go back and get that thing,” Stan offered.

  “I guess he did,” Savannah said. She asked, “Pam, do you know where your mother kept that? It might help us know what else Lorraine has.”

  “And in your police report,” Stan interjected. When the women didn’t respond, he explained, “Knowing where he got it might help in your police report.”

  Again Pam gasped, and said wide-eyed, “Savannah, I just remembered something. She taped that pouch with the pendant on the back of that painting. The one she thought was so valuable.” More excitedly she said, “I remember her saying that those were her two most prized and valuable possessions—the painting and this pendant.”

  “So Rags might have found the painting,” Savannah said.

  Pam frowned. “Or that witch separated the two and sold the painting.”

  “If she was going to do that, why didn’t she sell the jewelry, too?” Stan asked. He shook his head. “I doubt she’s unloaded that stuff yet. She’s more like a cat.” he glanced briefly at the others and snickered. “I mean sneaky and cunning and calculating. She has a plan. I’d bet she hasn’t quite drummed up the courage or doesn’t have the smarts to pull it off, and she knows it. Only…” he started.

  “Only what?” Pam prompted.

  “Only the guy she’s hooked up with—maybe he’s the brains. Could be that he’s the one calling the shots now. I don’t know him, so I don’t know what he might do, but the fact that she picked him is telling. Don’t you think so?”

  Savannah put her hand on Stan’s shoulder from the backseat. “How do you know so much about human nature?”

  He winked at her in the rearview mirror. “Didn’t Pam tell you? I’m a psychologist. The wife wants another baby, which means we need to add onto our home, so I’m doing some moonlighting.” He grinned. “I didn’t know that doing odd jobs for people would also help keep my professional senses sharp.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Who’s going to the shop today?” Jeannie called out the following morning as everyone gathered for breakfast.

  “Do you need any manpower?” Savannah asked, glancing at Michael. “The kids could play in your playroom there if you need Michael’s help with moving stuff around.”
<
br />   “You have a playroom at your shop?” Michael asked. “How big is it, anyway? I thought your shop would be a small space crowded with interesting pieces.”

  Pam laughed. “No, it’s pretty big, but it’s not on the main drag or in one of the fancy malls, so we could afford the rent. Plus the property owner was a friend of Mama’s, so she’s giving us a break.” She glanced around at the others. “Jeannie’s going to take care of some banking and other business this morning, now that we have the safe deposit key and we know which bank it’s in.”

  Jeannie cringed. “I sure hope we don’t find that thing empty.”

  “Oh, they probably knew your mom at the bank,” Savannah said. “They wouldn’t let just anyone open the box just because they have a key.”

  “Yeah,” Michael said, “how long has this gal had access to your mother’s things?”

  “Well, she was her caregiver for several months. It’s possible that she became familiar with Mama’s personal business over that time,” Pam said. She patted Savannah’s arm. “Oh, guess what we found in that file drawer. A very different agreement Mama signed with Lorraine—along with other things with her signature.”

  “So there was a partnership agreement?” Michael asked.

  Pam winced. “Not exactly.” She looked at Jeannie. “It appears that Mama thought she was signing a document allowing Lorraine access to her storage unit for the purpose of storing and removing items from the unit for Mama. Her copy says nothing about a partnership in her inventory.”

  “You said you have an attorney?” Savannah said.

  “Yes, and now we have something for her to make a case out of,” Pam said, “although…”

  “Although?” Savannah questioned.

  “Yeah, I don’t think she’s going to relish the fact that we broke in and took things last night.”

  “We didn’t break in,” Savannah reminded her. “The doggie door was wide open.”

  Both women laughed.

  “Pam,” Michael said, placing his fork on his plate, “the painting you’re so concerned about—has it been appraised? Is it by a famous artist?”