Fenella jumped and then looked over at her aunt. “Maybe you could try coughing or something so I know you’re here,” she suggested.
Mona laughed. “What fun would that be?” she questioned.
Fenella looked at her again. “You look different,” she said. She hadn’t turned on any lights when she’d come in, relying on the ambient light that came in through the large windows that faced the sea, but now she switched on the closest lamp and stared at her relative.
“I know, I look older,” Mona said. “I thought I’d try twenty-seven as a good random choice. What do you think?”
“It suits you better than nineteen did,” Fenella said. “Or maybe you just look more like I remember you.”
Mona nodded. “I feel more comfortable now,” she said. “My late twenties were happy years for me.”
“Mine were, well, not my favorite years,” Fenella said.
“You’ll have to tell me about them one day,” Mona said. “When we’ve run out of other things to discuss. For now, though, watch out for Donald Donaldson.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, be very careful of the man,” Mona said.
“You know him? Or knew him?” Fenella asked.
“I knew his father very well,” Mona replied. “And he couldn’t be trusted. I doubt the apple has fallen far from the tree.”
“He seems very nice,” Fenella argued. “He’s offered to take me to Castle Rushen on Saturday.”
“You’ll be fine as long as you don’t trust him,” Mona said.
“I don’t trust anyone at the moment,” Fenella replied.
Mona nodded. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think Donald murdered anyone. He may even be trustworthy when it comes to his business dealings, I don’t know. I just wouldn’t trust him on a personal level. His father cheated on every woman he ever spent time with.”
“Including you?”
Mona shrugged. “I went out with a number of men over the years. The older Donald wasn’t really any worse than most of the men I knew.”
“Apparently you had quite a reputation on the island,” Fenella said slowly.
“I refused to conform to established standards for women,” Mona replied. “I lived an unconventional life and that led to rampant speculation about everything I did. I will tell you that I had a fabulous life, but it wasn’t nearly as licentious as everyone seems to think it was.”
Fenella laughed. “I’m fascinated,” she said. “Tell me more.”
“I’d rather not,” Mona said with a yawn. “I’m sure a lot more will come out gradually over time, but there’s nothing so boring as recounting your life story in tedious detail to someone.”
“I don’t think your life story would be boring,” Fenella countered.
“Yes, well, you’ll hear more of it as time goes on, I’m sure,” Mona told her. “For now, I want to know what Donald wanted. Why did he take you out for drinks?”
Fenella sank down in the nearest chair and thought back over the conversation she’d had with the man. “I don’t really know,” she said after a while. “He asked a few questions about the two bodies, but I couldn’t tell him anything. Mostly we just talked about nothing much.”
“He doesn’t do anything without a motive,” Mona said.
“So why is he taking me to Castle Rushen?” Fenella asked.
“What did he say when he asked you to go?”
“That he wanted to share the island with me,” Fenella said, blushing.
“I can think of two possible motives, then,” Mona told her. “One is that he thinks you know something about the two deaths that he wants to know and he’s determined to find out about it.”
“But I don’t,” Fenella said.
“Then he’ll be wasting his time.”
“What’s the other possible motive?” Fenella had to ask.
“Oh, he might want to take you to bed,” Mona told her.
Fenella felt herself blushing bright red. She and Jack had been together for so many years that their lovemaking had become almost perfunctory. If she was honest, that aspect of their relationship had ended some years before the rest of the relationship did. The thought of going to bed with the handsome and sophisticated Donald Donaldson terrified her.
“I think I need to get some sleep,” Fenella announced loudly.
“You drank too much wine,” her aunt said.
“Maybe,” Fenella said. She checked that she’d locked the front door and then headed into the master bedroom. Mona seemed to have disappeared, which was good, as Fenella wasn’t comfortable with the idea of changing clothes in front of other people, even ghostly relatives. She made a face at herself in the mirror and then washed her makeup away. When she’d crawled into bed, she let her mind replay the evening with Donald. She had to admit to herself that she was attracted to the man, but more importantly, thinking about him just about kept visions of Mark Potter’s body at bay.
Friday morning was bright and sunny and Fenella woke up feeling happy to be alive. Firmly pushing all thoughts about dead men out of her brain, she showered and dressed and then decided to find her way to the Manx Museum. It was high time she started learning about the history of her new home. She was a historian, after all.
She hadn’t used her laptop since she’d arrived, but now she turned it on. The museum had to have a website and no doubt that would provide an address and maybe even directions. Her email server opened automatically and she frowned as it began to download hundreds of messages. She should have been checking them daily, but she hadn’t bothered, and now she had to wade through the plethora of advertisements and junk mail just in case there was something important buried in the sludge.
Only two messages were from real people who didn’t want her to buy anything. She quickly deleted the message from Jack, which just reiterated how much he missed her and complained about how he couldn’t find anything. That left a note from a former colleague, asking her for a letter of reference.
Fenella frowned. Over the years her circle of friends had shrunk, especially once she’d started dating Jack. He hadn’t liked any of her friends and in the early days of their romance, she’d been willing to sacrifice them in his favor. But now, so many years later, she realized what she’d been missing.
“Another reason for a new start,” she reminded herself. “You can make new friends here.”
Keeping that thought in mind, she searched for the Manx Museum and found their website. She used a mapping site to find the easiest walking route from her apartment to the museum and was pleased to discover that it wasn’t much more than ten or fifteen minutes away. After writing the directions down on a sheet of paper, she switched her laptop off and grabbed a light jacket. Maybe she’d treat herself to lunch somewhere nice, she thought as she picked up her handbag. Everyone deserved a treat now and then.
She opened the door to the apartment and jumped as something raced into the apartment. “What the devil?” she gasped. Her hand hesitated as she debated whether she should shut the door to stop anything else coming in or leave it open to encourage whatever it was to leave. Before she’d made a conscious decision, she found she’d pushed the door shut. Now she just had to find whatever it was that had run into the apartment.
As soon as the door was shut, a small head peeked up from under one of the chairs. Fenella took a few slow steps forward, keeping her eyes firmly pinned on the little head. When she was almost within grabbing distance, the head disappeared.
“Oh, now, don’t do that,” she said in a coaxing voice. “Come on out and say hello.”
The head reappeared and two eyes seemed to study Fenella.
“Come on, you can come out,” she said softly.
After seeming to consider it for a minute, the small black kitten slowly made her way out from under the chair. She took several small steps toward Fenella.
“Meeeoooowww,” she said plaintively.
“Well, hello there,” Fenella said. She
stretched out a hand and the kitten sniffed it before allowing the woman to pet her gently.
“But where have you come from?” she asked the kitten. The kitten made another soft noise.
“Well, that doesn’t really help,” Fenella exclaimed. “I don’t speak cat, you see.”
The kitten studied her for a moment and then nodded.
“I suppose you’re hungry,” Fenella said.
The kitten nodded again.
“Are you going to nod at me, no matter what I say?” Fenella asked.
The kitten narrowed her eyes and then turned and walked away.
“I haven’t any cat food,” Fenella called after her. “I suppose I could go and get some, but someone must be looking for you, mustn’t they?”
The kitten jumped up onto one of the chairs and walked around the seat several times. Finally, she stopped and curled up in the exact center of the cushion and shut her eyes.
“You can’t just come in here and go to sleep,” Fenella said, feeling a bit helpless. “I haven’t the first clue what to do with you. And you must have a family that’s missing you, as well.”
The kitten didn’t reply. Fenella shook her head. “I’ll have to put up a sign or something,” she said to the animal, who yawned at her. “You’re a beautiful little thing and a Manx cat at that. Someone will be missing you for sure.”
She thought about simply scooping up the tiny kitten and putting her back outside of the apartment, but that seemed a mean thing to do. A quick walk to the grocery store would allow her to get everything she needed for the animal, and then, when she found the kitten’s rightful owner, well, maybe she’d get another cat for herself. Jack had hated animals, so she’d never considered a pet, but this was a whole new beginning. If she wanted a cat, she could have one.
“But just one,” she said aloud.
When she opened the door to the apartment, she looked up and down the corridor. There was no sign of anyone looking for her lost kitten and she didn’t see any other stray animals, either. She shrugged. The Manx Museum was open until five. She had plenty of time to go grocery shopping first. The kitten hadn’t moved, so Fenella headed out, leaving the animal sleeping in her favorite chair.
The shopping didn’t take long, even though Fenella wasn’t sure exactly what she should buy. In the end, she selected a range of different types of food along with all of the other necessities that her new friend would need. It was all quite heavy when it was packed into bags and Fenella spent most of the walk home wondering just how much a little shopping cart on wheels might cost. She’d seen several elderly ladies in the shop pulling them around, and they looked quite convenient. What she didn’t want was for people to think she was old.
Back at her apartment, she opened the door slowly. The kitten didn’t appear to have moved while Fenella had been gone. It took Fenella several minutes to set up everything she thought might be needed. Once that was done, she poured some dry food into a small bowl and set it on the ground next to a bowl of water.
The kitten wandered in, ate a few mouthfuls and drank some water, and then strolled away again.
“I wonder if you still need milk,” Fenella said to her back. “Maybe I should take you to a vet and have you checked over.”
When she didn’t get a reply, Fenella decided to wait twenty-four hours. By that time, someone was bound to claim the kitten and then she wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore. On her way back out of the building, she stopped at the management office desk.
“Good morning,” she said brightly to the young woman behind the desk.
“Yeah,” the girl replied.
“Has anyone reported a lost kitten?” she asked.
“You’ve lost a kitten?” the girl replied.
“No, I’ve found a kitten,” Fenella explained patiently. “I was wondering who lost her.”
“Probably just a stray,” the girl said. “Did it have a collar?”
Fenella frowned. “No, she didn’t,” she replied.
The girl shrugged. “Someone probably didn’t want kittens and just dumped them outside. Not sure how one of them got into the building, but I suppose it could have come in with anyone.”
“Can I put up a sign about her down here?” Fenella asked.
“Management doesn’t like signs,” the girl said. “You can take the thing to a shelter. They’ll find it a good home.”
“I’d rather find her proper owner,” Fenella said. “She’s a beautiful little thing. Someone must be missing her.”
“Word gets out that you’re taking in strays and you’ll have people leaving cats at your door all the time,” the girl said.
“I’m not taking in strays,” Fenella told her. “I’m just looking after this one until her owner claims her.”
“Yeah, I hope you like cats,” the girl said. “Because you have one now.”
Fenella sighed and turned away. She would keep the kitten if the owner didn’t turn up, but she was certain someone was missing Katie. And you’ve gone and given her a name, she chided herself. You mustn’t get attached. Katie belongs to someone. Someone who didn’t bother putting a collar on her, a voice said. Still, maybe she had a microchip. A trip to the vet was definitely in order.
Feeling as if she needed to figure out what to do with Katie before she could do anything else, Fenella headed back up to her apartment. When she opened the door, Katie rushed toward her and greeted her with a cacophony of sound.
“What’s wrong?” Fenella asked. “I was only gone for a few minutes. Did you run out of food or water?”
In the kitchen, both dishes were empty. Fenella refilled the water bowl and then sat back down at her computer. A quick search showed several veterinarians within easy walking distance. Choosing one at random, she called and was happy to get an almost immediate appointment.
“We just had a cancellation,” the woman on the other end of the phone told her. “We’ll see you shortly.”
“Katie,” she called to the kitten after she’d hung up the phone. “We’re going on a visit. Come here, please.”
Katie walked into the room and looked at her.
“Come on, we need to go and see someone,” Fenella said coaxingly. “It’s for your own good.”
She held out a hand and the kitten walked over and let Fenella give her a gentle pat. Then Fenella scooped her up and held her close. “Please don’t fuss,” she told the animal. “It really is for your own good.”
Katie blinked at her and then wiggled a bit as if getting comfortable. Fenella relaxed her grip slightly and Katie snuggled in. Grabbing her handbag, Fenella headed out yet again.
“You’ve already caused me a great deal of trouble and cost me quite a bit of money, as well,” she said to the cat as they rode the elevator to the lobby. “But maybe the vet can find out who you belong to and get you safely home.”
The day was still bright and sunny. Fenella felt a bit foolish walking down the street holding a kitten, but she hadn’t thought to buy any sort of carrier for Katie. Luckily her destination wasn’t very far away. The forty-something woman behind the desk handed Fenella a clipboard with several sheets of paper attached.
“You’ll just need to fill these out while you wait,” she said.
Fenella sat down and sighed. “You are an awful lot of trouble,” she told Katie before setting her down on the seat next to her. Katie looked around the room at the handful of other people and their pets who were scattered throughout the space, and then yawned and curled up on the seat. Fenella was sure the kitten was fast asleep before she’d managed to answer the first question.
As she knew nothing about the cat or where it had come from, she couldn’t answer many of the questions on the forms, but Fenella did her best. She was hoping the vet would be able to fill in more of the blanks than she could.
“Ms. Woods?” the woman at the desk called. “Mr. Stone will see you now.”
Fenella stood up and picked up the kitten. She followed a young woman down a short
corridor. The woman opened the door to the last room on the right. In her arms, Katie began to shiver as they walked into the exam room. It was very white and cold and Fenella hugged the tiny kitten close to her as they waited for the vet.
“Good morning,” the young man said as he walked into the room. “It is still morning, isn’t it? I do tend to lose track.”
Fenella smiled. “It’s only eleven-thirty,” she said.
“Is that all? Right, who have we here?”
Fenella explained about the kitten running into her apartment and then handed an obviously nervous Katie over to the man. He began by petting her and speaking softly to her, so that by the time he set her down on the exam table, she was purring and didn’t seem at all worried. After several minutes, he looked up at Fenella.
“She’s a lovely little thing,” he told her. “She’s around ten to twelve weeks old and she’s been very well looked after thus far.”
“So someone should be looking for her,” Fenella mused.
“I would expect so,” the vet replied. “I can keep her here for a few days if you don’t want her.”
“Oh, no, she’s okay with me,” Fenella replied.
“If someone doesn’t claim her in the next few days, we should talk again,” he suggested. “We don’t have any way of knowing whether she’s had her vaccinations, and she’ll want to be spayed in a few months, as well.”
Fenella nodded. “It’s a lot to think about,” she said.
“And not something you were planning on having to deal with,” the man added. “I’ll send out an email to all of my colleagues on the island. Maybe one of them has treated her and will know where she belongs.”
“That would be great,” Fenella said.
“Her tail has healed nicely, which leads me to believe that someone on the island must have treated her at some point.”
“Her tail?”
“Did you think she was a Manx?” the man asked. He pointed to the tiny stub where Katie’s tail should have been. “She isn’t. She must have had some sort of accident that injured her tail. It’s already healed quite nicely, so it must have happened when she was very young.”
“Oh, dear, poor little thing,” Fenella said.
An Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy Collection - ABC Page 11