Gone, Kitty, Gone

by Eileen Watkins

  “Or he’s nuts,” I finished quietly. “I really think that’s the only explanation. A sane person would know this approach isn’t going to get him what he wants, but a deluded person might not.”

  “And yet he’s been able to keep one step ahead of everybody who’s been chasing him.”

  “An organized sociopath.” I remembered the terminology from my research. “He’s convinced that Jaki is the answer to everything that’s wrong with his life, and nothing’s going to stand in his way. The rest of us are all just obstacles to be removed if we cause him too much trouble, and by any means necessary. He feels no shame, no embarrassment, no remorse.”

  Mark stared at me. “I know Bonelli has teased you about joining the Chadwick PD, but you sound more like you’re training for the FBI.”

  I winked. “Bet you thought those psych books in my apartment were just to class up the décor.”

  “I just hope that, if you admit this guy could be crazy, you’ll stay as far out of his orbit as possible from now on. I’m serious, Cassie. He sounds more dangerous than anyone you’ve ever dealt with before. Most of the others had something to lose, so they couldn’t afford to be too reckless. This guy could be living in a fantasy world where he thinks he’s invincible.”

  I couldn’t argue—as usual, Mark was making perfect sense. “I don’t plan to take any more chances. As I said, from now on it’s up to Bonelli, her officers, and the convention security to keep Jaki safe. I’m backing away.” I glanced at my watch; it was after one. “Right now, I’m literally fleeing the scene. Since I don’t need the van anymore, I think I’ll drive it back to the shop and pick up my CR-V.”

  “You’re coming back here?” He raised one eyebrow. “I thought you were staying far away.”

  “Mark, I have to at least see if Jaki performs tonight and whether they flush out the killer. Besides, I might get a free pass into a show that’s costing other folks three hundred dollars a ticket. Wanna be my date?”

  He frowned crookedly. “I think I’d better, if only to make sure you don’t take any more crazy risks.”

  Since he and Dave still had to pack their equipment into a pet ambulance and run it back to the clinic, we agreed to meet back at The Grove around six.

  A slightly melancholy mood had descended by now upon the wide concourse as the vendors dismantled their booths and packed up their cat-themed T-shirts, baseball caps, artworks, and home accessories. Back into crates went any unsold cat trees, beds, toys, fancy carriers, litter boxes, and cage drapery. I even spotted one of the “mascots” strolling off, still wearing most of her tuxedo-cat costume but carrying the head and paws. I guessed that they might hamper her driving home, and in case of an accident she probably didn’t want to have to explain her getup to a traffic cop.

  Though I still felt sorry for Jaki and concerned about the fate of Gordie, I made my way back to my gaudy grooming van with a little more spring in my stride. I had done everything possible to help, and to go any further might hamper Bonelli’s official investigation. She, like Mark, had told me in the strongest terms to stay out of trouble, and from here on that was what I intended to do. No matter what happened tonight, with all the security presence, Jaki ought to remain safe. Hector would never allow her to place herself in danger.

  If something bad happens to Gordie, it will be in spite of my best efforts. At least I think I got Bonelli and the others to take his peril seriously. They believe now that it’s important to keep him alive, if only as a bargaining chip that could be crucial to Jaki’s safety.

  Closer to the van, I spotted a folded sheet of white paper tucked under one windshield wiper. Jeez, I knew my time volunteering at the expo was technically over, but was security nagging me already to vacate the plaza? Well, with all the craziness going on, anything was possible.

  I yanked the paper free and unfolded it.

  STICK TO GROOMING CATS AND STOP

  PLAYING COP.

  IT BACKFIRED FOR TWO PEOPLE ALREADY.

  THINK YOU GOT NINE LIVES?

  THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT.

  WHAT HURTS MORE THAN LOSING SOMEONE

  YOU CARE ABOUT?

  A PET.

  A LOVER.

  A PARENT.

  Chapter 16

  The garlicky taste of the pizza rose again in my throat, and for a second I thought I’d vomit right there on the sidewalk. I hung onto the van’s rearview mirror until the plaza and its pedestrians stopped whirling around me. I wanted to crush the hateful note or tear it to smithereens.

  But no, that wouldn’t be smart.

  I glanced up. There didn’t seem to be any security cameras pointing in the direction of this plaza. With so many strangers milling around out here, there would be no point in asking if anyone noticed someone leaving a note on my windshield any time within that past two hours. But in at least one way, luck was on my side; Bonelli stood conferring with a couple of her officers about ten yards away. I hurried over.

  I waited at a polite distance for her to finish her conversation, but when she noticed me, she seemed to cut it short. Maybe my wide-eyed pallor caught her attention.

  “Yes, Cassie?”

  “I just found this on the windshield of my van.” I passed her the sheet of paper.

  She scanned it and cursed under her breath.

  “Looks like it came off a standard printer,” I commented. “I don’t know if it would be any good for fingerprints.”

  “Unfortunately, this bastard hasn’t left prints on anything he’s handled so far,” she said. “But we’ll check it. Are you going home now?”

  I nodded. It wasn’t a lie.

  “Good. Where’s your mother and Harry?”

  “Still down at the cat show. Looli’s got a shot at Best in Show.”

  Bonelli wrinkled her nose, as if she had no idea who Looli was and doubted the prize was worth the two of them risking their lives. “Tell them to leave as soon as the show’s over and not to take any chances in the meantime.”

  “Listen,” I told her, “Mark and I had one more idea. Could Jaki reply to one of the stalker’s e-mails, and tell him that Gordie has a health problem and needs special food and medicine? If she could set up a time and place for the guy to pick them up, it might give you a chance to nab him.”

  The detective sounded skeptical. “Possibly . . . if the cat’s even still alive at this point.”

  Her statement chilled my blood. If anything had happened to Gordie, the stalker might well go on pretending he was still fine. “Jaki could ask to see a video, for proof. That might even give you a hint as to where he’s hiding out. And meanwhile, you’d be buying time.”

  “Could be worth a try,” Bonelli said. “I’ll mention it to Jaki, though we don’t have much time left before her show.”

  We sat on the plaza’s brick retaining wall to talk more confidentially. “Did you ever make contact with Alec MacMasters?” I asked.

  “We did. He admitted hiring the PI. Said he figured we’d be concentrating on the dead guard, and he hoped in the meantime his man could find Gordie. He knew how upset Jaki was about the cat—guess he really does still care about her. He told the detective not to get in the way of the cops, just look for the cat. Guess that was enough, though, for our stalker to see him as a threat.”

  Maybe he was getting too close, I thought. Without Gordie, the stalker has no leverage.

  I thought aloud. “How was that PI able to get into that restricted area? And were there any security cameras inside that might have recorded what happened?”

  “Both the door lock and the nearest camera had been disabled. Electronically, so the tampering wouldn’t have been obvious to anybody passing through.”

  “Yikes.” I sagged back against the retaining wall. “This guy thinks of everything.”

  “He does,” Bonelli agreed. “And unfortunately, now he’s got a gun, which ups the stakes. Hector Natal and I have been trying for the past hour to talk Jaki out of performing tonight. If thi
s guy happens to be a good shot, he could pick her off from anywhere.”

  “But he doesn’t want to kill her,” I argued. “Not as long as he still has any hope of meeting her. Don’t you see? He thinks this will be the high point of his life, that she’ll realize they’re soul mates and it will all have been worth it.”

  Not for the first time, Bonelli eyed me suspiciously. “You sound like you know this creep.”

  “I absolutely don’t, but he fits a certain profile all the way down the line. Well, except in one way—he doesn’t sound like the typical freewheeling coder. But I’m sure there are exceptions to every rule.”

  “Yeah, don’t get too cocky. You don’t know what this guy is capable of, and neither do we. We’ve got to be prepared for anything, especially if our prima donna insists on giving that concert tonight.” The detective laid a firm hand on my shoulder.

  I shook my head, feeling helpless. “I was going home to change, but how can I possibly leave here when my mother could be in danger?”

  The detective frowned in sympathy and pulled out her radio. “I’ll send one of my guys down right now to keep an eye on her. How can he find her?”

  By now I knew the number of Looli’s booth, and although Bonelli had met my mother, I gave her a full description of both Mom and Harry. She got one of her officers on the radio and passed all of this information on to him.

  “He’ll stick close to them for the rest of the show,” she promised me, after signing off. “Now you should take your van, go home, and lay low until all of this is over!”

  Again, I only nodded. No sense making any promises I might have to break. Especially not to the police.

  I did drive home, feeling reasonably sure that, other than brown water in my pipes, I wouldn’t find any nasty surprises there. Unless the killer cat thief had an accomplice, I doubted that he would go out of his way to harass me when the chief object of his obsession remained holed up at the Bradburne Hotel. To keep track of her every move and leave her notes, he couldn’t leave the premises for very long.

  Did he have a room in the hotel? Live nearby? Or maybe he’d found a secret hiding place of some kind. I thought of the door that I’d seen the PI enter. It sounded as if his body had been discovered somewhere on the other side. How far had the cops searched after finding him? Maybe not quite far enough to find the killer’s lair....

  In spite of Bonelli’s warning, I had to go back to the Bradburne tonight. First, I needed to be sure my mother was safe, and second, I had to find out if Jaki’s plan worked and her stalker finally got caught. So I parked my van on the street. At least the road crew had not left anything too obstructive in front of my shop, though a ditch now ran along the curb and I’d still have to drive over a steel plate to get into my rear lot.

  As I unlocked the shop and turned on the lights, I told myself that I needed to get my mind off the killer-cat-thief case, which really wasn’t mine to solve. Right now I had to tend to four boarders and my own three cats. I’d told Mark I would meet him at The Grove at six, and I intended to keep that date.

  I had gotten away from setting my alarm system every time I left the shop, but I sure as hell would do that tonight.

  I’d just scooped out the last boarder’s litter pan when my cell phone rang. I stuck the pan back into the cat’s condo, peeled off my vinyl work gloves, and answered the call.

  Perry, sounding apologetic. “Cassie, I hate to bother you again. Are you still at the hotel?”

  “I came home to take care of a few things, but I was planning to go back tonight. Why?”

  “Jaki’s going to have a brief rehearsal for her show at five, and before that she wants to talk to you again. You put an idea in her head today, when you asked about people from her past who might still have issues with her. She and Mira have been on the phone since then with her mother and her brother, and I guess they want to run a few things by you.”

  I glanced at my watch. I’d have to give my cats very slapdash attention if I was going to get back out to the hotel by five. “Can’t they brainstorm with Bonelli?”

  “Yeah, I asked that, too. But the detective’s off running down some leads of her own. Anyway, you know how Jaki is—she wants to bat around ideas with somebody who’s simpatico before she takes anything to the cops.”

  I sighed. I could have used a shower before dinner, but right now my pipes offered only water that might have come from the muddy Mississippi, and I hated to impose on Dawn twice in one day. Maybe just a change of clothes and a spritz of cologne would be enough. “Yeah, I can do that. When does she want to see me?”

  “Can you meet us in the convention center theater, about four-thirty? Know where that is?”

  “I think so. Big double doors, halfway down the concourse from the hotel?”

  “That’s it. There’ll be a guard at the door, but he’ll have your name.” Perry paused again. “Cassie, I realize this is asking a lot. None of this is your affair, and if you told me to forget it, I would completely understand. But Jaki trusts you. She seems to think you’re the only one besides her who cares what happens to Gordie.”

  “It’s okay,” I told him. “How are you holding up? You sound beat.”

  A strained chuckle. “I’ll survive, but it’s been a rough afternoon for everybody. I finally got MacMasters on the phone this afternoon, and he is one unhappy spaceman.”

  “Over what happened to his private eye?”

  “Can’t really blame the guy. He hears Jaki’s cat was stolen, so he hires a PI to look for it. Trying to do this hush-hush, so she won’t blow up at him for interfering. But of course Alec didn’t know about the dead security guard. So he’s outraged that his guy walked into a much more dangerous situation than he was prepared for, and got killed, too. Now Alec is joining the chorus of people trying to persuade Jaki to get out of Dodge while she’s still in one piece. But our darling diva won’t budge.”

  Sounded like chaos, and I almost dreaded stepping back into the midst of it. “She’s a very strong-willed lady and very loyal to her pet. I can’t promise, Perry, that even I can change her mind.”

  “That’s all right, Cassie. I don’t expect miracles. Just do what you can, okay?”

  “I will,” I promised him. “See you at four-thirty.”

  I was gauging how much time I had to get ready for the evening, and how best to manage it, when I heard a knock on my glass front door. I’d locked it behind me and kept the sign turned to CLOSED—plus it was Sunday—so I doubted that it would be a customer.

  Bonelli? Dawn?

  I crossed the playroom and, through the screened wall, glimpsed a chubby apparition with a halo of pink hair. Adele Kryznansky refused to gray gracefully, which was fine, but whatever dye she used didn’t penetrate very well, so it came out a sickly salmon. I briefly hoped that the semitransparent walls of the playroom might have been enough to keep her from spotting me, but when she waved through the front window, I knew I wouldn’t get that kind of a break.

  Oh, well, my neighbor’s eagle eyes had helped me monitor suspicious activity around my shop on more than one occasion, so I guess I owed her a few minutes of my time—whatever it was that she wanted.

  I unlocked the door, and she toddled briskly in without waiting for an invitation. I guess she’d been chilly out there in her pilling wrap cardigan, gray sweatpants, and fluffy bedroom slippers. Close up, I smelled a taint of cigarettes on her breath. I subtly retreated behind the sales counter.

  “Sorry to bother you, Cassie,” she said, at least. “I saw your van was back, and I figured you might not be busy on a Sunday afternoon.”

  “Actually,” I said, “I’ve got to go out again at four. I need to clean up a little, and I’m wondering how I’m going to do it, with our water issue.”

  “Isn’t it awful?” Adele squinted behind her gold-rimmed glasses, as if in real pain, and her thin lips scowled. “I don’t know how much more of this they expect us to take! I’ve had a migraine almost continuously since they star
ted. First it was the jackhammers, not just the noise but those damned vibrations. And now they’re dropping those big chunks of concrete into the Dumpster. . . . I jump out of my skin at every bang!”

  “Tell me about it. I’ve got a shop full of other people’s cats—luckily, only four right now—but it’s making them restless and off their feed. That isn’t going to please my customers.”

  Uninvited, she hopped onto one of the stools in front of my sales counter. Since Adele is barely five feet tall, it took quite a spring on her part. “The folks downstairs from me in the insurance office are at their wits’ end. Some days their clients can’t get into their parking lot, or else can’t get out of it, or have to park way down the street. And when they do get inside the office, I guess they can’t have a sensible business discussion with all of the noise going on.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it’s difficult for them, too.” I stole a glance at my wall clock, aware of the minutes ticking by.

  “I phoned you yesterday, but you were out in the van, I guess. Your assistant took a message, though. Sarah, isn’t she? Lovely woman! Anyhow, I know you’re friendly with the police, with the things that’ve gone on since you opened your business. Isn’t there something you can do about this, someone you can talk to—?”

  “I doubt the police can help, Mrs. Kryznansky. Nobody’s doing anything illegal. You’d probably have to contact the town hall, maybe Public Works.”

  “I tried that, but they just brushed me off. The fella I spoke to was very rude and said if they didn’t take care of this now, soon we’d have the water lines failing all over town, so I’d just have to put up with a little inconvenience. I’d call this brown water more than a little inconvenience!”

  Adele looked like she was settling in for a nice, long bitching session, which made me shift nervously on my feet. I had visions of Mom and Harry at the cat show, unaware of the danger, probably packing up by now to leave. Maybe Bonelli’s guard would look away, for just a second....

  “Mrs. Kryznansky, I don’t mean to be abrupt. But I really need to go upstairs now and get changed as best I can. I’m involved in that weekend cat expo out at the Bradburne, and the big windup is tonight.”