Cat-Eye Witness (A Klepto Cat Mystery) Read online

  A Klepto Cat Mystery

  Book Two: Cat-Eye Witness

  by Patricia Fry

  ISBN: 0-9773576-9-4

  All rights reserved

  © 2013 Matilija Press

  Chapter One

  Savannah glanced up and saw her friend rushing toward her. “Iris, what’s wrong? You look pale. Are you okay?”

  “The money’s gone,” she said breathlessly.

  “What?” Savannah moved closer so she could hear her above the hustle-bustle of activity behind them.

  “The money’s gone,” Iris whispered loudly. “Someone took it.”

  Savannah froze in place, squinting her green eyes in disbelief. She motioned for Iris to follow her into the dining room, where they wouldn’t be overheard. “Are you sure? Could you be mistaken about where you left it? This is a big house, you know.”

  “No,” Iris hissed. “The box is there, but the money’s gone…” she wailed.

  Savannah stared at Iris for a few moments, then said, “Let’s go up and look around, shall we?”

  Iris sucked in a quick breath and nodded.

  They took a few steps toward the staircase when Savannah stopped. She rested her hand on Iris’s arm. “I’ll just be a minute—wait here.”

  “Excuse me,” Savannah said, acknowledging several guests who had gathered in her kitchen to chat. She addressed the tall, handsome veterinarian among them—the man who also happened to be her fiancé. “Michael, would you put ice in that bowl of lemonade and take it out to the refreshment table, please?”

  Before he could respond, Savannah left the room and headed back to the bottom of the staircase. She looped her arm through Iris’s. “Okay, now let’s go see if we can figure out what happened.”

  “I’m just sick,” Iris said as the two women ascended the staircase.

  Savannah squeezed her friend’s arm. “It’ll be okay.” Okay? How can it be okay that someone took the money we all worked so hard to raise for the neglected and abused horses? she thought. And how is it okay that there’s a thief among the guests in my home?

  Upon entering the room where Iris had left the money, Savannah noticed that the pastel green window sheers were blowing slightly in the breeze. “The window’s open and the screen’s gone!” she exclaimed.

  Both women rushed to the window and peered out. “There’s the screen—on the roof overhang. Someone climbed in and took the money. How could they do it without being seen?” Iris wondered. She glanced over at Savannah. “Don’t touch anything. We don’t want to compromise the crime scene.”

  Savannah pulled back from the window, chuckling softly. “You sound like Calleigh on CSI Miami. You still watch that show?”

  Iris grinned. “I watch all the crime shows.” Suddenly, her expression darkened. “But I don’t like being the victim of a crime, I can tell you that.” She walked to the other side of the room, stopped and turned. “Savannah, do you think whoever did this is still here? How did they know we had the money or where I put it? Was someone watching me?” She frowned. “Was this a premeditated robbery?” She looked over at the bedroom door. “And why was that door locked? I didn’t lock it—not on purpose, anyway.”

  “Iris, you’re babbling.”

  “I know. I do that when I’m nervous or scared.” She crossed her arms tightly across her chest and shuddered. “Right now, I’m both,” she said, tearing up again.

  Savannah pulled a tissue from a dispenser on the bedside table. She managed a weak smile as she handed it to Iris, but her focus was on the robbery. They had to figure out what happened. “Maybe someone saw you with the money and followed you. I knew I should have put a barrier at the bottom of the staircase to discourage people from coming up here today.” Savannah creased her brow. “But how did he get down?” She leaned out the window as far as she could.

  “Don’t touch anything!” Iris reminded, still dabbing at her eyes with the tissue. Then she had an idea. “Maybe we should go outside and look around.”

  Savannah turned to face Iris. “Yes! We’ll go out the front door. We don’t want to alarm any of the guests.”

  As the two women approached the area under the open window, Savannah said, “I’ll bet he climbed down that ladder.” She glanced over at Iris. “Makes sense. The gardener’s son Juan used it a few days ago to wash the upstairs windows. He must have left it here in the bushes. These tall junipers gave our thief just the sort of cover he needed to climb down without anyone seeing him.” She looked up at the window again, and said, “…and maybe up, too.”

  “What?”

  “I was thinking that, unless the ladder was already leaning up against the house, he had to plan ahead and place it there either before climbing up to get the money or, if he went up the stairs, he needed it there so he could make his escape.”

  “Damn!” Iris said, kicking at the ladder as it lay on the ground partially hidden. “Damn! Damn! I just hate this. What are we going to do?” She fought the oncoming flood of tears, but some broke through her resolve. “I feel so…responsible,” she said, running the tip of a finger around her eyes to wipe away any mascara smears.

  Savannah lightly rubbed Iris’s upper arm in an attempt to comfort her and gave it a little squeeze. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re not responsible. What are we going to do? Well, right now, we’re going back to the party.” She turned Iris away from her and gave her a gentle push. “Now, you go freshen up and join us. The next glass of punch is on me,” she said with a forced laugh.

  Iris took a few steps away from Savannah, walking somewhat awkwardly in her high-heeled boots on the thick grass. She looked back.

  “Go on,” Savannah urged. “We’ll deal with this later, okay?”

  Iris nodded, sniffled a little, and continued on around to the front of the house.

  Savannah stepped around to the back. She spotted Michael, who was showing their young friend Charlotte how to walk his dog on a leash. Charlotte is such an adorable child, she thought, remembering the day she and her aunt Margaret met her at Dora Lipton’s cat foster and day care facility. She may have Down’s, but she’s sharp and boy, does she love animals. I so look forward to the days she comes here to play with Rags. She smiled to herself. It’s good for the cat, it’s good for Charlotte, and it does my heart good, too.

  Savannah walked up to the pair. “Sorry to interrupt the dog-training lesson, you two.” She put her hand on the girl’s arm, saying, “You’re doing great with her, Charlotte. Lexie sure does like you.”

  “Lekthi ith my friend,” she said, with the lisp Savannah found so charming. “I’m taking her for a walk.”

  “I see that. Good job.” She then turned to Michael. “Can I speak to you for a minute?”

  “Sure.” He glanced over at Savannah’s Aunt Margaret and Charlotte’s mother Reba, who had been watching the training session. Faking a pained expression, he said, “My honey has a honey-do for me.”

  “Where are you taking me?” Michael asked as Savannah led him by the hand away from the festivities. “What? You wanna make out or something?”

  “No!”

  “No? What kind of response is that for heaven sakes?”

  She laughed. “I mean, yes, but not right now.” Her voice took on a more serious tone. “We have a problem, Michael.”

  “Is the pregnant mare okay?” he asked, apprehensively.

  “Yes.”

  “Rags?”

  “The cat’s fine,” she said as she led him around to the east side of the house. Once assured they were alone, she turned to face him. She brushed a wisp of blond hair off her forehead, pressed her lips together for a second and then said, “We’ve been robbed.”<
br />
  “What?” He pinched the brim of his tan felt hat and pushed it back on his head while looking intently at Savannah.

  She couldn’t help but notice those stubborn straight strands of his hair fall down over his right brow. Sexy guy. She took a breath. Gotta stay on task here. “Michael, someone went into the upstairs guestroom where Iris put the money box and they took the money we collected today. It’s gone! I want to ask Deputy Jim to take a look around. But I don’t want to alert anyone else about this.”

  “Good Lord! Who would do that?” He shook his head. “No, we can’t let our guests know their donations aren’t going to the horses, after all.” He stood watching a dandelion as he moved it back and forth with the toe of his cowboy boot. Suddenly, he looked up and glanced around. “Iris. Oh my gosh, she must be sick. Where is she?”

  “She went in to freshen up. She’ll be out in a minute.” Savannah sighed, saying, “Yes, she’s pretty upset.”

  “Well, let’s do this…we’ll go back to the party and act as if nothing has happened. I’ll get Jim aside and ask him about filing a report.” Something beyond Savannah caught his attention and he said, “Hey, there’s Iris. I want to talk to her.” He took a step and then turned back. He peered into Savannah’s eyes. “You’re okay, aren’t you, hon?”

  “Sure. Just a little unnerved, that’s all.” She patted his chest. “Yeah, I’m okay. Go talk to Iris.”

  As Michael walked away, Savannah noticed Charlotte coming toward her with Lexie. “Hey Thavannah, watch thith,” the girl said. “Lekthi turnth when I turn and thtopth when I thtop.”

  “She sure does. Just like magic.” She acknowledged Charlotte, but her eyes were on the couple in the distance.

  “Oh Michael, I’m so sorry.” Iris began to cry as soon as he put his arms around her.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” he said. “We’ll find out who did this and get that money back. Now let’s go enjoy the party, shall we?”

  “I’ll try.” She started to walk at Michael’s pace. “Thank you for being so understanding,” she said with a weak smile. She waved her hand in front of her face as if to stop the eager tears. Then she turned and quickly disappeared into a group of spectators who had gathered to watch the makeshift arcade games.

  ***

  An hour later, Savannah spotted Iris from across the spacious lawn. Looks like she has just finished talking to Deputy Jim. She called out to her.

  “Oh hi, Savannah. Hey, need help there with that punch bowl? Looks heavy.”

  “No—but you can help me make more lemonade, if you’d like.”

  “Sure,” Iris said as the two headed along the stone pathway toward the wraparound porch.

  Savannah glanced over at her friend. “How are you doing, girl?”

  Iris managed a strained smile. “Okay, I guess.”

  Savannah nodded as she passed a couple seated with their toddler on the striped canvas porch swing. She entered the kitchen through the open door; Iris followed her and watched as Savannah placed the large punch bowl in the sink.

  “Oh!” Iris jumped a little as she reached into the pocket of her black designer jeans. “Almost forgot,” she said. “Here’s your key.”

  Savannah stared down at the key. “Thanks.” She looked up at Iris, an attractive, slender, redhead in her late fifties, who was one of only a few women she’d met who stood eye-to-eye with her. In fact, she was a half-inch taller than Savannah’s five-nine-and-a-half height. “I still wonder why that room was locked, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I guess to hide the crime.”

  Savannah walked over to the pantry and hung the key on a peg. “Well, maybe Deputy Jim will figure out why it was locked and who took the money.” She then laughed a little. “You know, there was a time when we had to lock the door to any room we didn’t want Rags in or out of.”

  “Why’s that?” Iris asked.

  “Well, when I came here earlier this year to help Auntie Marg after she broke her foot, she had those lever handles on practically every door, and my crazy cat could open them.”

  Iris grinned. “He could?”

  “Yeah, he would just jump up and pull on them—voila—the doors opened up for him.”

  “He’s quite the ingenious cat, that’s for sure.”

  “Yup. He’s one-of-a-kind. Now for the lemonade,” she said, opening the oversized refrigerator door and retrieving a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemon juice. She set it on the counter and washed her hands.

  “It’s a good turnout, don’t you think?” Iris walked over to the large window on the south wall. “You just never know how a fundraiser’s going to pan out. There’s gotta be eighty people out there. And there’s something for everyone to do. Look at all the people gathered around Dr. Mike.”

  Savannah wiped her hands on a towel and joined Iris at the window. “Yes, his pet-wellness demonstration is a favorite and Lexie seems to be enjoying the attention.” She straightened the blue grosgrain ribbon on one of her pigtails.

  “What kind of dog is she again?” Iris asked.

  “Probably an afghan mix. She’s a character.” Savannah smiled. She loved Michael’s dog, but her eyes were on the handsome veterinarian. He still causes my heart to flutter, with his lean, yet buff build and those great blue eyes of his. Can’t wait for everyone to leave so we can be alone together this evening. How I love being in his arms.

  “Earth to Savannah,” Iris quipped.

  “What?”

  “I said, this is such a great place for an event like this.”

  Savannah smiled self-consciously—a little embarrassed to be caught fantasizing about Michael. “Oh yes, it is, isn’t it?”

  Iris grinned at her new best friend and shook her head. “Ah, to be thirty again, beautiful, and madly in love,” she said.

  Savannah felt herself blush. She changed the subject. “So glad someone donated those canopies so folks can get out of the sun.”

  “Yes, and they make the place look festive. The decorations committee outdid themselves.”

  Just then, two women strolled in through the open kitchen door and stopped to see what Iris and Savannah were looking at. Savannah put her arm across the shoulders of the one standing closest. “And if it wasn’t for these wonderful women, we wouldn’t have attracted so many people, nor would we have all those goodies to offer them. Dora,” she said, giving her a little squeeze, “your brownies are decadent. Everyone wants the recipe.”

  The petite, white-haired woman dug her hands into the pockets of her red gingham apron and lowered her head. “Well, I’m glad they’re a hit.” She peered up at Savannah over her granny glasses. “As I told you that day we met, I’m out of practice when it comes to baking.”

  “You would never know it,” the other woman said. “Your Bundt cakes are delicious.”

  Savannah acknowledged the second woman, who held two aluminum trays in her arms. “Edie, this wouldn’t be such a success without yours and Charles’s expertise with publicity. You two are amazing.” She raised her arm in a sweeping motion. “Just look at all those people out there, and they’re all smiling.”

  “Well, we’re enjoying ourselves, too,” Edie said, hooking a strand of her blunt-cut, salt-and-pepper hair behind one ear. She took her companion’s arm and urged, “Come Dora, let’s cut more goodies and get them on these serving trays.” Before walking away, she leaned into Savannah. “Love your pigtails.”

  “Thanks. Love your calico print skirt.” Savannah giggled. “Isn’t it fun to play dress-up? And Western is my favorite.” She confided, “I think I’m a cowgirl at heart.”

  Edie winked. “A darling cowgirl.”

  Iris pointed off to the left. “Hey look, even my boys are having fun over there in the arcade. What a great job for them.”

  Savannah, who wasn’t at all accustomed to viewing such a hustle-bustle of activity where she lived, smiled. “Very cool. And we couldn’t have asked for better weather.” Suddenly, something outside caught her attention. “Oh,
here comes my fiancé. He probably wonders where the lemonade is. Will you excuse me?”

  “Sure,” Iris said.

  Savannah started to move away, then stopped. “Wardrobe malfunction,” she said pointing a finger at the front of Iris’s fitted, blue bandana-print blouse.

  Iris looked down. “Oh, I wish I’d fixed that darned stretched-out buttonhole. My boobs keep coming out for fresh air.”

  Savannah laughed before asking, “Want a safety pin?”

  Iris thought about it for a moment, shrugged and said, “Naw, I’ll live dangerously.” Suddenly, she noticed Edie and Dora struggling to pick up some large dessert platters. She rushed toward them. “Here, let me help.” She chuckled. “I’m what you might call an expert at carrying trays.”

  Dora looked up at her. “Oh that’s right. You’re a waitress.” She shook her head. “Now that’s one strenuous job. I did it when I was younger—wasn’t for me.”

  Iris smiled down at Dora. “I rather like it. After all these years as a server, I guess it’s in my blood. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” She winked. “And the tips are good.” She picked up one of the dessert trays, and rolled her eyes for effect before saying, “Love my tips.” She leaned toward Dora as if sharing a secret. “That’s how I can afford all my crazy costume jewelry and snazzy shoes,” she said while displaying a wrist full of blue and gold bangles.

  Iris moved toward the open kitchen door, now holding the tray with both hands, just as Michael was about to enter. With a tip of his hat and a nod, he backed out of the doorway allowing the three women to exit. They smiled and continued on their way.

  “Hello there,” Michael said as he entered the kitchen and enveloped Savannah in a bear hug. “I’ve missed you.” He then pulled away. “Gosh, you’re cute with pigtails. You look like Annie Oakley or Calamity Jane or...”

  Make up your mind, cowboy.” She reached up and tweaked the brim of his Stetson and said, “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you in Western garb.” She cocked her head. “Didn’t even know you owned a pair of cowboy boots.”