by Patricia Fry
“Find out if she knows where her brother is.”
“Oh. You want me to interrogate her?”
“No,” he said sternly. “I want you to ask, during a friendly conversation, if she has any contact with Tyrone.”
Savannah chuckled. “Yeah, I can probably do that. Not sure I’ll get an answer, but I’ll give it a shot.”
****
Two hours later, Savannah pulled into Gail’s driveway. “There’s Gail,” Savannah said to Lily. “She’s our new friend.”
“Kitties, Mommy,” Lily said. “I see kitties. A black kitty, a orange kitty…”
“Yes, Gail has a lot of kitties.” She lowered her window when she saw Gail walking toward her. “Hi. Ready to go shopping?”
“I think so,” Gail said, easing into the car.
“Hi!” Lily said from the backseat.
Gail turned and smiled at her. “Well, hi there. You must be Lily.”
Lily nodded shyly.
“I’m Gail,” she said. “Are you going shopping with us?”
Lily held up her little pink purse. “I have money.”
“I’ll bet you’re going to buy something today.”
The child nodded. “A toy.”
Gail buckled her seat belt. “She’s adorable. I’m glad you brought her.”
Savannah smiled and asked, “Did we catch any more cats overnight?”
“Your aunt was here earlier. I guess she didn’t find anyone in the little houses.”
“Little houses?” Savannah questioned.
Gail waved her hand in front of her. “I can’t stand to think of them being caught in those things, so I pretend they aren’t traps at all, but cozy little houses.” She faced Savannah. “How are Scooter and Buddha doing?”
“Very well,” Savannah said. “Michael says he’s pretty sure both of them are adoptable.”
“Oooh,” Gail yelped.
“What’s wrong?” Savannah asked, concerned.
“It’s just that I’ll miss them.”
Savannah smiled and spoke gently, “Sometimes we have to let go. We really want what’s best for the cats, don’t we?” She studied Gail. “You’ve already decided you want to keep two of the house cats, right? I mean, after they’ve weaned their babies and they’ve been spayed.”
Gail nodded. “Yes I do. But I’ll miss all the others.”
“You haven’t had cats for very long, have you?” Savannah asked. “I mean, I think you told me you just recently started feeding cats.”
“Yes.” She shook her head. “We were not a pet-friendly family. Animals weren’t allowed in our house when I was growing up. I didn’t even get to know anything about cats until…”
“Until when?”
“I told you about Ronnie. He was my first love—well, my only love—and he adored cats. He was a gentle soul. That was one thing I loved about him…and his commitment to cats.”
Savannah smiled. “He had a lot of them?”
“He fed some neighborhood cats, but there was only one that he considered his. That was Ebony.” She glanced around her property. “That’s why I feel it my duty and my pleasure to care for the cats that come here—you know, in honor of Ronnie.” She spoke more quietly. “In fact, when Blackie showed up, I believed it was a sign from Ronnie. He looked exactly like his cat, Ebony. How could I not take that as a sign?”
“So when was that, Gail? When did you start caring for these cats?”
“Not until my father died, so about a year ago.” Sheepishly, she said, “Oh, I’d started feeding the cats who wandered into our yard several years before that without Papa’s knowledge. He had dementia by then and was losing his eyesight, so he didn’t notice.”
Savannah glanced at the house. “Is that when you moved into the basement, when your father died?”
“No. He moved us down there. You see, by then, I’d moved in to take care of him. I’d been living with Adele, helping with her family. One of her daughters and a couple of grandchildren were living there and Adele was still working. I also did in-home care for other families now and then. When my father got to the point that he needed more help, I moved back in here with him. He insisted that we close up the house and move into the basement. He had become sort of paranoid by then. It seemed as though he thought someone was after him. I got the impression that we were hiding out. I mean, we had no phone, no automobile. He said we couldn’t afford those things and I believed him, but sometimes I wonder.” She shifted in her seat. “Like you and Dr. Brianna have pointed out, there’s money in the house. We could have sold it. But my father was strictly against that. I’ve taken care of quite a few elderly people, and I know that they can get set in their ways and come up with some funny ideas.”
“But why did you stay in that lifestyle after he died—you know, in the basement room?”
Gail thought for a moment. “I guess out of habit. He had me scared. I don’t know what I was supposed to be afraid of, but when you live with someone who’s so suspicious of everyone and everything, it sort of rubs off on you.”
“Mommy, let’s go shopping,” Lily chirped.
Savannah smiled at her daughter. “Of course, honey. Let’s go.” She spoke to Gail. “There’s a toy store near the phone store, so we can take care of our task and Lily’s pretty much at the same time.”
“Sounds wonderful,” Gail said.
Savannah started the car, pulled out of the driveway, and drove slowly past Gail’s house, remarking, “It’s really rather magnificent. I’d love a tour of it.” When Gail remained quiet, Savannah suggested, “In fact, maybe I could help you fix it up so it’s livable. Wouldn’t you like to live in that larger space with your cats?”
Gail shook her head. “Oh, I can’t afford that. I’m not supposed to spend my inheritance. Papa told me that if I spend it I won’t have anything for my old age.”
“Is that all you’re focusing on, Gail—your old age? My gosh, girl, you’re youthful, you own this great property, and you live like an elderly, poverty-stricken woman. Wouldn’t you like to breathe clean air, see the sky through the windows, watch it rain, feel the warmth of the sun, take a lingering bath, cook a real meal? I don’t imagine any of that’s possible where you live now.”
“You’ve got that right,” Gail said. “And I guess I’ve become accustomed to it.” She spoke more quietly. “At least I’m safe, and…”
Savannah interrupted. “Is someone after you?”
Gail was quick—maybe too quick—with her answer. “No.”
“So you really did fall the other day? No one attacked you?”
“Yes, that’s right. I started to go down into the room from outside when I heard a crash. Then I thought I saw someone out the corner of my eye. I think I sort of misstepped. I’m pretty sure I tripped over one of the cats and I fell pretty hard.” When Savannah remained quiet, she continued, “I thought maybe someone was after me, which is why I was rushing. I think it was the fact that I was trying to hurry that got me into trouble.”
“But no one was after you?”
Gail shook her head. “I guess it’s just the fear my father passed along that makes me sometimes think I’m in danger.”
“So there’s no real reason other than money that you haven’t moved into the house. You’re not actually hiding out from anyone.”
“No. And I have money. I’ve just been taught not to spend it.” She looked at Savannah. “Kind of crazy, isn’t it?” She chuckled. “Actually, I’ve never really dissected the elements of my life and the choices I make. I’ve just followed what I know—what I’ve learned, mostly from my father.” She sat up straighter and cocked her head. “So, no, I’m not hiding from anyone. I have no enemies and no rational fears of my own.” She lifted her face to the heavens and said sarcastically, “Thanks a lot, Papa, for the legacy you left me.”
Both women laughed guardedly.
Gail said cheerily, “Savannah, you’ve inspired me. Yes, when we get back, let’s go inside the hous
e and see what it would take for me to create my living space there.” She shivered with excitement. “Oh, am I ever happy that I met you! You’re really turning my life around—at least my way of thinking about my life.”
Savannah smiled.
****
“Mom, can I bring Lily home for her nap?” Savannah asked into the phone a couple of hours later. “We’ve had lunch and she’s sleepy. Gail and I have something we want to do this afternoon, if you don’t mind.”
“Certainly not. Yes, bring her home.”
Savannah turned to Gail. “Okay if we stop by my house? I want to put Lily down for a nap.”
“With my new makeup, Mommy?” Lily chirped.
“You want to nap with your makeup?” Savannah asked. “Well, I guess you can.”
Gail smiled at Lily from the front seat, then said to Savannah, “I’d love to take another look at your home; it might give me some ideas for my place.” She narrowed her eyes and asked, “How far do you think $300,000 would go toward fixing it up?”
“Oh,” Savannah said, patting Gail’s knee, “if you’re lucky, all it will take to get your family home livable is a paint job, a couple of new windows—I noticed some are broken—and whatever repairs need to be done to floors, doors, and the like. Is there any furniture in there?”
“Oh yes—quite old, probably very dirty furniture and drapes.”
“Well, we can assess it this afternoon. In fact, would you mind if I invite a friend to join us if she’s available? You remember Iris from the cat alliance meeting. She’s a home decorator and her forte is decorating beautifully on a shoestring. With Iris helping, I imagine you won’t put much of a dent in your savings. And remember, you’re increasing the value of your property, so it’s a win-win situation.” When Gail looked puzzled, Savannah explained, “When and if you ever want to sell the house, you’ll probably get back at least twice what you’ve put into it, plus the original value. Is there a mortgage?”
Gail shook her head.
“So you could conceivably refinance the house to get the money for repairs and refurbishing if you wanted to go that route.”
“You have to spend money in order to make money, right?” Gail quipped.
“That’s how it is,” Savannah agreed.
“This is a wonderful place,” Gail said later as she walked toward the Iveys’ home with Savannah and Lily.
“You’ve been here before,” Savannah reminded her.
“Yes, I know. But I was still a little shaky and dim-witted that day, and I didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings.” She smiled. “Seeing this old home restored so nicely gives me hope for my place.”
It took Savannah a while to get Gail back on the road, as she wanted to explore every nook and cranny in the Iveys’ home. The first thing Gail did after buckling her seat belt was to place a call to her cousin. “Delli,” she said, “I’m calling you on my new phone. Wait, I’ll give you my number.” She turned to Savannah. “What’s my number again?”
Savannah smiled. “Adele will see it on her phone screen. She already knows what your number is. Remember, we called her earlier.”
“Oh my gosh, it’s magical,” Gail said.
“Have you been drinking?” Adele asked her cousin.
“No, I’m just happy. I know you haven’t seen me this way in a long time. But this is the best day ever and I wanted to share it with you.”
“Well, thank you. I’m happy for you. In fact I’m real happy. Where are you?”
“With Savannah on our way from her house to my house. Delli, I’m going to move into the big house!”
“The big house?” Adele questioned.
“My home,” Gail said.
Adele’s voice tone had changed when she asked, “Are you sure, honey?”
“Yes, I think so. Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It just seems as though you were so adamant against ever going back in there again…”
“That was then,” Gail said cheerily, “and this is now. I think I can do it. I really want to try. Savannah and I are going in there this afternoon.”
“Okay. I’m glad Savannah’s with you. Have fun, Gail. Be careful.”
“Of what?” Gail asked.
“Oh, I don’t know, glass from the broken windows, maybe worn-out rugs, all the dust that must have accumulated in there by now, difficult memories…things like that.”
“Don’t worry,” Gail said. “I’ll be careful. Talk to you later.”
“Yes, call me afterward will you? I want to hear how it went.”
“Okay, I’ll call with a full report this afternoon. Bye, Delli.”
“So your cousin has reservations about you going into the house?” Savannah asked as she parked her car in Gail’s driveway.
Gail shrugged. She looked wide-eyed at the place, took a deep breath, and said, “Let’s go.”
“Do you have a key?” Savannah asked.
“Oh, yes. I suppose I do. I’ll go down to my place and see what I can find.”
While Gail went to the basement, Savannah walked around the yard, checking the traps and trying to spot some of the cats and kittens that were still hanging out there. When Gail returned, Savannah said, “I’d like to take the two mother cats and kittens you have inside there to Michael this afternoon, since we haven’t caught any of the others this time. Let’s remove the traps…” Savannah grinned, “…I mean the little homes, and just concentrate on those two cat families for a couple of days, shall we?”
Gail thought about Savannah’s suggestion. “I guess so; whatever you think.”
“I’ve already talked to a foster cat mom who has room for the two litters. This gal’s quite the expert at placing kittens.” When Gail eyed her suspiciously, Savannah added, “…in wonderful homes. Oh yes, she’s picky about who she adopts them out to. Now didn’t you say you want to keep the two mother cats?”
Gail nodded. “Yes, Arial and Lady. Arial’s the long-haired tuxedo cat with the colorful litter—calico, orange, and that adorable white one. Lady’s kittens are all various shades of black and gray tiger-striped.” She shivered. “Oh, how I love those babies.”
Savannah put her hand on Gail’s arm. “I know how hard it is to let a cute, cuddly batch of kittens go. But we have to think of their future. You really don’t want to turn them loose out here for the rest of their life, or to have ten or fifteen more grown cats to care for do you? Cats that will, by the way, reproduce a bunch of litters themselves, if we don’t spay and neuter.”
Gail shook her head. “That’s right. They start out small and helpless and oh so precious, but they become cats that need love, attention, care, food…”
“And a safe place to live,” Savannah added.
“Right,” Gail agreed. “It all seems so simple now that you’ve explained it to me—especially the facts about a cat’s reproduction potential.” She raised her eyebrows. “That’s mind- boggling.”
Savannah smiled. “Did you find the key?”
“I think so.” Gail looked up at the house. “Shall we go in?” she asked, leading the way slowly up the front porch steps. “One, two, three, four…” she counted, until she got to seven. She stopped. “I used to count them when I was a little girl.” She giggled. “I sometimes made up rhymes. One, two, buy blue shoes; three, four, at the shoe store; five, six…” she laughed. “I’ve forgotten that one. And then, something, something, seven, wear them in heaven.”
Savannah laughed. “Cute. Sounds like you had a playful imagination when you were a girl.”
“I suppose. There was no one out this way for me to play with—no neighborhood children. So I was pretty much left to my own devices. Oh, some kids lived up the hill there, but they didn’t come over this way. I think their family did a lot together. That wasn’t the case here, with both Mama and Papa working all the time at the furniture store.” She winced. “Then Mama got sick.”
“You had a brother. Do you have any other siblings?”
“No.
My brother was a lot older than me. Practically the only time he paid attention to me was when he was telling me what I should or shouldn’t do and with whom.” She mimicked him, “‘Don’t drag no cats or dogs home, the folks will flip out.’ ‘Go practice your violin someplace else. All that screechin’s bothering me.’ ‘Don’t hang out with that kid…’” She took a deep breath and said, “Well, let’s go inside shall we?” Gail revealed a handful of keys. “I’m pretty sure it’s one of these.”
However, she tried key after key without success. When Savannah saw that Gail was getting a little frustrated, she turned the knob and the door opened.
Gail looked surprised and took a few steps back. “What does this mean?” she asked.
Savannah shrugged. “Maybe that whoever was last to leave neglected to lock it or you actually unlocked it with one of those keys you have there.”
“You don’t think someone’s in there?” Gail asked quietly.
Savannah grinned. “Let’s go in and see.”
Gail hung back a little.
“When’s the last time you were in here?” Savannah asked once they were inside.
“Like ten years, I’d say—maybe more. As I told you, when I moved back in to help my father, he insisted we move down below. He had some guys he knew help us move the stuff we wanted, which was minimal. And they put the boards over the windows.” She looked at Savannah. “Do you suppose they forgot to lock the door?”
Ignoring the question, Savannah asked, “Have you been paying the electric bill?” She flipped a switch on a lamp.
“Yes, I sure have. Of course, there was nothing running except down in my place, so it was cheap. But, yeah, there should be electricity here.”
“The bulbs are probably no good,” Savannah said when the first two lamps she tried didn’t work. She pulled a heavy, very dirty drape away from a large window that was broken and missing a plywood panel. She coughed and complained, “Dusty.”
“Just pull them down, if you can,” Gail suggested.
“Off the walls?” Savannah looked above the window. “You don’t want to yank the rods out of the walls. That would mean a lot of extra patching work.”
