Cat Red-Handed
Page 5
“My dear, departed wife—Esme—had tucked it away for a rainy day. I used to have a problem with gambling—” the boss man chuckled, appearing to be amused by the use of the past tense “—so she often tucked away cash when I had it on hand. After she died, I presumed that she must have just spent it on housekeeping and suchlike. Then this little fellow found it upstairs this afternoon.”
Philip held me out to the pawnbroker as though that was evidence to his tale. The man just nodded and jotted down another sum.
“I’m willing to go out on a limb and believe you,” he said. “For my troubles in getting this converted, I’ll offer you the full amount less 20% off the top.” He glanced down at his watch again. “I can let you think about it, but if it goes past six o’clock then it’s 30% off the top, so I recommend you hurry.”
The boss man didn’t seem to appreciate being told to hurry, but when the pawnbroker handed over his calculations, his eyes widened, and he nodded. “It’s a deal.”
“How much?” Philip asked, cradling me so close that I had to struggle for room to breathe. He craned his neck over to read the figures on the notepad, then his entire body sagged with relief.
“Thank goodness. So, that squares off my debt?” Philip asked the boss man, who grudgingly nodded.
“It does.” The fat man grinned. “Until the next time you drop by the poker table.”
Philip shuddered, closing his eyes as the big man struggled to his feet and gathered up some papers.
“I’ll get somebody to come by and collect the rest of them.”
“I can take them,” Philip offered in a rush. He bent over to let me down on the floor, then looked around. “What else is yours?”
The boss man issued directions, and when he’d finished, Philip labored under the weight. The last thing that he collected was the check from the pawnbroker. “Just in case I don’t see you again downstairs.”
The boss man snatched it off him, suddenly discovering that his limbs could carry one more thing.
We trooped downstairs, me leading the way to clear it of impediments. While the two of them loaded up a gleaming black sedan, I sat close to the roadside, wondering how long it would take for Philip to arrange a fresh delivery to Old Man Jack’s including my tea.
“There you go!” a voice suddenly exclaimed while a hand grabbed the scruff of my neck. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
I turned my head to see the half-glaring half-dancing eyes of the bus driver as he dangled me in the air.
Chapter Eight
“Hey, what are you doing with my cat?” Philip asked, dropping the last of the boss man’s belongings in the trunk of the sedan in one bunch and hurrying over.
“Your cat?” The bus driver’s face crumpled in confusion. “Are you certain? I was pretty sure this was the fellow who stowed away on my bus earlier today.”
“Stowed away?” Philip looked at me with raised eyebrows. “This guy seems to get into all kinds of adventures, I guess.”
The bus driver was still waiting for an answer, and Philip slowly shook his head. “No, he’s not actually mine. It was just that he turned up out of nowhere today and helped me out. Somewhere along the way, I just got used to the thought that he’d be coming home with me.”
“Hey, boss!”
The voice called Philip’s attention away, and he smiled broadly as he appeared to recognize the man headed his way.
“Gary!” Philip pulled him into a man hug. “How did you know to come in so quickly?”
Gary tipped a big wink in Philip’s direction. “I have my ways and means. Heard that you might need a new set of drivers on tonight.”
“That would be great. Can you do a run up to Hanmer Springs tonight? I’ve got some overdue items, and I wanted someone to check in on Agnes and make sure that’s she’s okay.”
“It’d be my pleasure,” Gary said, then turned to the bus driver and me. “What’s going on here, then? You moving into selling pets?”
“You’re headed to Hanmer?” The bus driver lowered his arm and cradled me to his chest instead. “I think that’s where this cat comes from. I’m not going back there until tomorrow morning, but would you be able to drop this guy at the bus station?”
Gary turned to Philip who nodded. “It appears that I can do that. Is he friendly, or should I wear my claw-proof gloves?”
“He’s friendly,” both Philip and the bus driver said in tandem, then burst into laughter.
Dusk was softening the harsh light of the day as the delivery van crossed the bridge on the way to Hanmer Springs. My heart filled with happiness—a mix of anticipation at my homecoming along with the satisfaction of having finally sorted out my food.
I didn’t like to weigh the joy I’d feel at seeing my human against the fulfillment of a good meal, but they tussled around inside my mind, anyway. I decided as the delivery van pulled up outside Old Man Jack’s dairy that they could use up as much of my affection as they liked—I had room enough for both.
Agnes gave a squeal of recognition as I climbed down from the passenger seat. She reached out to tickle me under the chin while Old Man Jack had to settle for second place in her attention.
“Lucky that you found him,” Old Man Jack told Gary. “If he hadn’t turned up I think his owner would have gone quite mad. He’s already stopped by twice tonight, checking to see if this was where he’d ended up. I’ll have to give him a call as soon as we’re settled up here.”
Gary gave a deep chuckle and shook his head. “I found him in Christchurch if you can believe it. Or rather my boss did, and he handed the cat on to me. You know his owner well, then?”
“I do of late,” Old Man Jack said with a laugh. “Although if it hadn’t been for the past few days, I’d have placed him level with everyone else in town. He has been making a nuisance of himself lately.”
The words were said with such affection, that it was impossible to take them at face value.
“I hope you’ve got a nice supply of ‘Divine Dining’ cans in the back of that van, young man.” Old Man Jack slapped Gary on the shoulder. “Otherwise, this cat is not going to be happy at all.”
The sudden stillness that fell over Gary’s former jocular expression signaled immediately that something was wrong.
“What is it?” Agnes asked. “Don’t you have our order?”
“I do,” Gary said. “But not that part of it, sorry. It’s the only thing that’s on the list that we couldn’t fulfill. I’m afraid that the manufacturer’s shut down at the moment. Some violation or other. They reckon it’ll be six to eight weeks before they can deliver again.”
I was sure that Philip back in Christchurch could have heard my resulting howl.
Thanks for reading!
I hope you enjoyed the second outing of Thor and his mates (and enemies) in the beautiful township of Hanmer Springs.
If you’d like to read the next story in the Food Bowl Mystery series, then please click on the book cover below. You can also follow me on Amazon and they’ll let you know whenever a new cozy mystery is available in store. I promise it won’t be too long :)
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About the Author - Katherine Hayton
Katherine Hayton is a middle-aged woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and resides a two-minute walk from where she was born.
For some reason, she's developed a rich fantasy life.
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Strawberries and Suffering (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Cupcakes and Conspiracies (Sweet Baked Mystery)
The Only Secret Left to Keep (Ngaire Blakes Mystery)
The Second Stage of Grief (Ngaire Blakes Mystery)
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (Ngaire Blakes Mystery)
Christchurch Crime Thriller Boxset
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Found, Near Water (Christchurch Crime)
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