The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo

by Linda Reilly

  “My God, for a minute you scared me,” Lara said.

  “Sorry,” Tina said sheepishly.

  Lara smiled at her. “Thank you for coming to my rescue today. But…how—?”

  Tina shook her head. “I can’t explain it, except to say that I woke up this morning with the craziest feeling. The pressure on my shoulder was like, nuts, you know?” She widened her eyes meaningfully. “It kept up, even at work, so I asked Valeria if I could have the rest of the day off.”

  “What made you drive to the funeral parlor?”

  Tina shrugged. “Again, I’m not sure. Intuition? I’m also kind of nosy. But I got a weird vibe when I saw you follow Felicia out of the parking lot. By then, the pressure on my shoulder was killing me.”

  Lara swallowed. “Jade?”

  Tina nodded. “I think so.”

  “Is it gone now?”

  Tina smiled. “Totally.”

  Lara told her about Blue knocking Jarrod’s picture off the sideboard.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Tina said.

  “Tina, how did you ever get past all the police at Felicia’s house?” Lara asked. “I was surprised they let you go upstairs.”

  “I told them Officer Jackson had requested my presence.” Tina quirked a smile. “Elliott and I…well, let’s just say we’re good friends. By the way, Lily is going to be okay. She’d been given several Benadryl—way too much for a dog her size. The vet’s going to keep her until she’s fully recovered. After that, she’ll need a new home.”

  “Thank God. What about…Felicia?” Lara said, unsure how much Tina knew.

  “I haven’t heard. No one’s keeping me in the loop.” Tina shook her head. “All this time, none of us suspected.”

  “I know. She seemed like such a sweet lady.” She was a sweet lady. “Tina, can I ask where the cat is?”

  Tina chuckled. “I knew you’d get to that. He’s at the vet, too, getting checked out. He wasn’t chipped, and he needs to be neutered, but the vet said he’s otherwise in sound health.”

  “Do you know when I can pick him up?”

  “You’re not going to pick him up.” Tina let out a breath. “Lara, unless you have a strong objection, I’d like to take him home with me. I’ve already named him Shamrock because he’s my lucky charm. We bonded almost immediately when they opened the carrier at the vet’s office. In fact, the vet thought he was my cat.”

  Laughing, Lara reached over and hugged her. “Then I guess he is. Hey, I have to get home, but thank you for everything. Keep in touch, okay?”

  “I will. By the way, your carrier is on your back seat, along with those gorgeous shoes you ordered. Have a great time at the wedding. And, Lara,” she added quietly, “this…thing you and I share, with the cats? Just remember, we’re not crazy. We proved that today, didn’t we?”

  Choked up now, Lara couldn’t speak. She nodded and hopped into her car.

  She wanted to go home.

  * * * *

  Gideon’s car was in the driveway.

  Swallowing hard, Lara shut off her engine, her heart lodged in her throat. She murmured a silent prayer as she climbed the porch steps. The moment she stepped inside her aunt’s warm kitchen, she was pulled into a hug that would put a grizzly bear to shame.

  “Thank God,” Gideon murmured, kissing her hair over and over.

  He finally released her to Aunt Fran, who also wrapped her in a hug, tears shimmering in her lovely green eyes. “Oh, Lara, we were so worried.”

  Released from her aunt’s grip, Lara sat in a kitchen chair. Her legs felt shaky.

  Munster and Panda padded into the kitchen, both angling for position on Lara’s lap. It was a welcome sight, reminding her that she was home, and she was safe.

  “How’s Uncle Amico?” Lara asked Gideon, rubbing Munster’s head.

  “He’s doing fine, but he’s worried about you. We’ll see him tomorrow at the facility, if you’re up to it.”

  “Of course, I am,” Lara said. “Maybe I can bake him something—”

  “I’ll do the baking,” her aunt lectured. “You need to take it easy for a few days.”

  Lara smiled and squeezed her aunt’s hand. “I’ll take you up on that.”

  Over tea and sandwiches, Lara told them everything, even the part about Blue knocking over Jarrod’s photo. It was the one detail she’d withheld from the police.

  Reliving it made it all the more real, and her head began to throb. Aunt Fran gave her two ibuprofen. Lara gulped them back with water.

  Gideon’s face was still pale. He fortified himself with a sip of Aunt Fran’s strong tea. “Lara, if you hadn’t gone over to Felicia’s—Olive’s—after the service, Chad Walford would’ve ended up as her third victim. I have no doubt you saved his life.”

  Lara shook her head. “We don’t know that for sure.”

  “I do,” Aunt Fran said.

  “I think Olive knew the police were getting close,” Lara said. “All she had left to do was to poison Chad Walford. After that she was ready to do away with herself, and Lily.”

  That day, in the gourmet shop, when Blue cozied up to Lily—she was instinctively trying to shield her, to protect her…

  “In a way, my heart breaks for Olive,” Aunt Fran said. “She wasn’t in her right mind. She’d never gotten past her grief. At some point, revenge became a powerful motivator—it kept her going. We’ve seen it before, haven’t we?”

  Lara nodded, remembering. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

  After they cleaned up the dishes together, Lara pulled Gideon into her studio and closed the door. “Gideon, I know you’re disappointed in me. I promised you nothing would happen to me, and I broke that promise.”

  “Oh God, Lara.” He pulled her close, so close that she felt the beating of his heart. “You didn’t disappoint me. You never disappoint me.” He ran his fingers lightly over her cheek. “I get it now, I honestly do. In the future, no matter what you choose to do, I’ll be there to support you all the way. I would’ve been there today, except that Uncle—” He broke off and shook his head.

  “Except,” Lara said quietly, almost to herself, “that Olive had rescued a cat and she needed my help. She called it her final good deed.”

  Lara had hit on something—she was sure of it. She mulled everything over in her mind.

  Karen asking her to the service…

  Olive trapping the cat…

  Tina knowing instinctively that Lara would need help…

  What happened today was supposed to happen, exactly the way it went down.

  For a long time, they held each other in silence, Lara’s arms wrapped tightly around Gideon’s waist. He finally broke the spell. “I want you to get some rest, now. We’ll both feel better tomorrow, and we’ll go see Uncle.” He smiled. “As soon as I get home, I’m going to indulge in something a little stronger than your aunt’s tea.”

  Lara laughed. “Go ahead. You deserve it. Aunt Fran and I might just do the same.”

  “I love you, Lara.”

  Lara started to respond, but his deep kiss swept it all away.

  Chapter 36

  “Do you, Sheryl Ann Bowker, take this man, David Jeffrey Gregson, to be your lawfully wedded husband…” Pastor Folger’s voice, well-modulated from years of practice, filled the coffee shop.

  Lara’s eyes blurred, and she blinked back tears. They were happy tears—the best kind—but she’d promised herself she wouldn’t smudge her makeup, especially the teal eyeliner Sherry had persuaded her to buy.

  On the back wall hung a swag made of red roses wrapped loosely around a swath of ivory-colored tulle. In the far corner, a table draped with a white linen cloth boasted a three-tiered wedding cake. Instead of a bride/groom figurine, a cluster of roses crafted from cranberry-red frosting graced the top of the cake. Individual sugary roses
meandered down along the side, wrapping around to the silver tray at the bottom.

  Sherry looked radiant in a floor-length, pale blue gown that skimmed her curves as it fell from an empire waist to a scalloped hem. The cap sleeves and the yoke were semi-sheer, embroidered with floral appliques. Her raven-colored hair was pulled back and held in place by a cluster of tiny, white silk roses. Three short spikes of jet-black hair jutted from the roses. It was her hairstylist’s nod to Sherry’s original look—the one David fell in love with.

  The ceremony over, rings exchanged, the pastor closed his prayer book, then turned to the justice of the peace. She beamed and they clasped hands—they’d worked well together, alternating the reading of the passages Sherry and David had chosen themselves.

  Pastor Folger turned to the bride and groom and said, “You may now seal this blessed union with a kiss.”

  And they did.

  The guests yelled and clapped, while Daisy and Loretta—the mothers of the married couple—cried and cheered together.

  Gideon slipped his arm around Lara’s waist and pulled her close. “I’ve never seen either of them so happy.”

  “I haven’t either,” Lara said, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “You said you had news. Can you tell me real quick before the celebration starts?”

  Gideon cupped her elbow and guided her to one side. “Had a long chat with the Bakewell police chief this morning. Olive’s been released from the hospital, but she’s being transferred to another unit where they can evaluate her further.”

  Lara knew what that meant. They needed to determine if she was competent to stand trial. “I still get sick every time I think of those tea bags she shipped to Chad Walford.”

  Gideon nodded. “They were delivered on his birthday to his Rhode Island home, just as Olive planned, but he’d already been warned by the police not to open the package. The tea bags have been analyzed. There was enough lily of the valley in them to kill five people. If he’d shared them with anyone, they’d have been poisoned, as well. Once the leaves are steeped in water, they make for a deadly potion.”

  Lara shivered. “What about that phone call to Chancer that Megan spied on? Was that Chad?”

  “It was. He found out Mulhaney’s mother was raising a ruckus over her son’s cause of death. She was demanding his body be exhumed and reexamined. Chad figured something was up. Last he knew, Mulhaney was clean—he’d totally kicked his drug habit. He called Chancer to warn him to be careful. He couldn’t prove it, but he suspected Olive might have had something to do with Mulhaney’s death.”

  “And all the time she was right there in Bakewell,” Lara mused, “running a gourmet shop and plotting to get rid of them both. What I don’t get is how Olive disappeared so thoroughly and reappeared as her sister. These days, isn’t that nearly impossible?”

  Gideon blew out a breath. “After her sister’s death, she quit her nursing job with only a day’s notice, sold her house and her car, and closed out her bank accounts. After that, she pretty much fell off the radar. No one was really looking for her. They think she lived on her cash for a while, until she found out Chancer had moved to Bakewell. She lucked out when the gift shop closed, and she was able to take over their lease. Her business was doing well, too,” he said ruefully. “Too bad she was so bent on revenge.”

  “It was like a perfect storm of everything falling into place for her, wasn’t it?” Lara said.

  “You could put it that way. Hey, I almost forgot. You know why you never saw Cutler at the memorial service?”

  Lara smiled. “I can’t even guess.”

  “Poor guy had the flu, big-time, couldn’t even get out of bed.”

  Again, the perfect storm of everything falling into place. If Lara hadn’t gone to Olive’s that day to rescue the cat…

  She shuddered. She didn’t even want to think about it.

  “I’m glad Karen took Lily in. I talked to her yesterday. She’s been in touch with the lawyer who’s handling Olive’s affairs. They’re still working out the details, but Karen is hoping to buy out Olive’s assets and take over the operation of the Peach Crate. Though she’s still in shock about Felicia—Olive, that is.”

  “I’ll bet. You texted me this morning that you had some news, too.”

  Lara nodded. “Nothing earth-shattering, just that Megan and her mom found a nice apartment near the Emersons.”

  Lara had spoken to Megan a few days earlier and was surprised at how happy she sounded. Megan was still looking for a job, but in the meantime her mom was paying the rent on their new place. After leaving her bully of a husband, Megan’s mom was determined to reconnect with her daughter and help her all she could. And with the Emersons living close by, they were truly a family now.

  “I’m really happy for her, Gideon. She sounded like a new person, ready to take on the world and make her place in it. Oh, and she and her mom have applied to adopt Panda. Aunt Fran and I are going to approve it as soon as we recover from the wedding festivities.” Especially since a certain Ragdoll cat has already given her blessing.

  Gideon pulled Lara close. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

  “Hey, you two. What gives?” Sherry stalked toward them and threw her arms around Lara.

  “Oh, Sher, you look”—Lara swallowed back tears—“so beautiful. And so happy.”

  “Yeah, well, this isn’t my usual getup, but I guess it works for today, right? And I am happy, more than I ever thought possible.” She beamed at David, and he kissed her soundly.

  They all laughed, and Gideon hugged the bride, and then David hugged Lara. It was a hug-fest all around.

  Aunt Fran came over with her arm linked through the chief’s. She looked almost like a bride herself, her handsome suitor at her side.

  Kayla joined them. She’d decided to attend solo, despite Sherry having invited her to bring along a friend. She looked stunning in a knee-length, royal-blue chiffon dress with a swirly hem. “Hey, you guys, they’re passing out champagne.” She lifted her bubbly-filled flute. “This stuff is good!”

  Servers had been hired to serve champagne and to set out Daisy’s fabulous array of goodies. They were also going to perform post-wedding cleanup so that Daisy could reopen the coffee shop in the morning.

  Lara and Gideon joined Daisy and Loretta at the bride and groom’s table.

  Champagne flowed, and food was piled on plates. After everyone had eaten their fill, Sherry and David materialized with a large basket stacked with delicate, die-cut boxes. They strolled among the tables, handing out the favors. The guests marveled at the oversized fortune cookie they found nesting inside each of their boxes. Each cookie had been hand-dipped in white chocolate, and then again in red sugar hearts.

  “Mine says I’m going to meet a mysterious stranger!” Lara heard Kayla giggle.

  Lara smiled to herself—she couldn’t help it. The coffee shop—the same place where Sherry first met David, where their love sprouted and blossomed—rang with the sounds of joy and laughter. She was glad Sherry and David had insisted on having the wedding there. They’d known it was where they needed to be on the day they exchanged their vows.

  Her mind skimmed over the events of the past few weeks. Despite all the challenges, and the worries, so many things had fallen into place.

  Jeannie Jennings had picked up Sienna, who was loving her permanent digs with her new bestie, Bunny. Aunt Fran had joined an active online writing community and was making new friends every day. Holly and Noella had taken a keen interest in Twinkles, who’d been enticed off Aunt Fran’s bed long enough to play with their new catnip mouse.

  A warm wave of sheer happiness washed over Lara. Maybe it was the champagne, or maybe it was the company. Probably a little bit of both.

  The bride moved toward Lara and Gideon, a wicked gleam in her eye. “I saved you two for last,” she told them, handing them their fa
vor boxes.

  Gideon cracked open his cookie. His face flushed a deep red, and he winked at Lara.

  “What does it say?” Lara prodded.

  “Uh, tell you later. Open yours.”

  “Hmmm.” Lara snapped open her cookie and pulled out the fortune. Smiling, she showed it to him, and he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

  You’re next, cat lady!

  Keep reading for a special excerpt of CLAWS OF ACTION, a Cat Lady Mystery by Linda Reilly!

  Purr-suing a killer…

  The only thing that could make the High Cliff Shelter for Cats even cozier is a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a furry feline and a book. But as Lara and Aunt Fran prepare for the reading nook’s official opening, the health inspector in their New Hampshire town, Evonda Fray, decrees that the shelter qualifies as a “cat café,” thanks to the free snacks it serves to visitors—and that it must be shut down.

  When Evonda’s body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran. But there’s a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda’s buildings who’d been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more. Now Lara—with some help from her aunt and her spirit cat, Blue—has to pin the tail on the right suspect…

  Look for CLAWS OF ACTION on sale now!

  Chapter 1

  Lara Caphart could hardly believe it. The official reading room of the High Cliff Shelter for Cats was completed.

  She swung the new storm door back and forth, then pushed it closed. It clicked into place with a soft snap. “Perfect,” she proclaimed. “I know it sounds silly, but I am so thrilled with this door!”

  One chunky hand resting on his hip, Charlie Backstrom—the contractor who’d built the cat shelter’s addition—stood back and inspected his work. “Looks good,” he agreed. “Now, remember, when the cold weather gets here, you gotta lower the screen and—”