The Trouble with Cupid

by Carolyn Haines

  Cami repeated her concern sotto voce to the U.S. Marshal, and he summoned two officers with a tilt of his head. Maybe the flustered woman was a pro, and her daughter was just part of the family business. Or maybe she had just ruined the woman’s already tough day.

  Trouble meowed and walked out of the restaurant. Cami followed. He sauntered back to the water fountain where they had first met Moses. Along the way, Cami kept a careful eye out for clues. Was Trouble suggesting that the pouch had been slit open before they went into the restaurant? If so, the list of suspects just tripled. That group could include somebody who had left the airport entirely. Or it could be one of the two girls who had made such a show of helping. Did all that giggling and helpfulness mask a sinister plan? Were they just pretending to help to get closer to the medals?

  Trouble walked to the family restroom door and sat down. Cami stared at the cat and then at the door. Moments later a sweaty businessman exited. He was mopping his brow with a linen handkerchief. His expensive suit was rumpled and his shoes needed a shine. Cami remembered him from the restaurant. He had become a little loud as the police questioned him. He didn’t seem to like answering questions, and kept asking when the passengers were going to be able to depart. He had one black leather glove hanging out of the pocket of his overcoat. Cami thought she knew where his other black glove was—in the hand of a little sprite named Pippa.

  Trouble walked into the family bathroom door just before it finished closing. Cami followed. The garbage slot had garbage pouring out of it and Trouble was staring at it and meowing. Cami shook her head.

  “I’m not digging in there.”

  Trouble meowed again, an angry sounding meow, and he stared up at the garbage slot. A very full diaper protruded, along with many paper towels. Cami smiled a wry smile. “I don’t suppose you have a pair of latex gloves on you.”

  Trouble’s next meow was insistent and he was pawing at the wall, so Cami wrapped a paper towel around her hand and started taking items from the garbage. She placed them on the counter beside the sink. The pile of paper towels wasn’t very large before a scrap of thick purple velvet thread caught her eye. Had it come from the velvet wrapper that protected the gold medal? Did the thief accidentally slice through the velvet cover when he or she took the medals? The police needed to see this nonetheless—and know that the sweaty businessman was the last one in there. But how would the thief get three medals past a metal detector? The passengers had been informed that they all must pass through the screening process again, and the agents were opening a little-used line at the terminal entrance. They planned to corral all the passengers and see if the medals could be located that way, to avoid an international incident.

  “I’m getting the Marshal, kitty. Don’t let anybody mess with this.”

  Trouble bobbed his head in what could only have been a nod.

  Cami almost bumped into the two college girls as she ran through the walkway looking for a policeman. “Don’t go in that bathroom, girls. I think I found something.”

  “Okay, but we’re going to hang around and wait for you to come back. We have a few questions for you.”

  I have some questions for you, too, Cami thought.

  The little girl Pippa was running circles around a pole outside the restaurant. Cami pulled her purse close to her and gave the child a wide berth. The little thing had sticky fingers, and she wasn’t taking any chances.

  It was then that Cami noticed that the Marshal was talking to a woman at a small table directly behind theirs. She remembered wondering if the woman was a New York model when she’d noticed her picking at a large salad with no dressing. Her platinum waves clung to the side of her face perfectly, and her makeup looked like it had been airbrushed on her porcelain skin. Her long red fingernails tapped on the table, and the diamond ring on her right ring finger sparkled. Cami had wondered if it was an engagement ring when she’d first noticed it. Then Cami remembered how the woman had stared at the purse Trouble rode in, almost with fear in her eyes. That was what drew Cami’s attention. The woman seemed afraid of her bag, and it made no sense. But then their food had been served, and Cami hadn’t given the woman another thought. The pizza smelled heavenly, and the four of them had polished it off quickly.

  The Marshal was writing down notes and Cami didn’t pause before interrupting him. “I’m sorry, but I think I’ve found something important in the restroom. Trouble is guarding it. Come quickly.”

  The woman’s icy stare stopped Cami in her tracks. It was almost a look of hatred. But why? The pizza had been vegetarian, and they hadn’t been obnoxiously loud as they visited. Surely the woman didn’t blame her for the search. She was only a passing acquaintance of the injured party, and the stranded passengers weren’t going anywhere any time soon with the blizzard raging outside.

  The Marshal nodded at the woman, and followed Cami from the restaurant.

  “I thought you should see this. Trouble found something in the trash.”

  “Trouble?”

  “My cousin’s cat detective.”

  “You smuggled a cat into the airport? And you think he’s a detective?”

  “Come look at this, please.” Cami knew there was no point in trying to explain. Trouble would convince the man.

  She led the way into the family restroom and pointed to the thread. “That looks like it came from the velvet cloth that the gold medal was wrapped in.”

  He picked it up with a pen and slid it into a plastic bag. “Or it’s a thread somebody tore from their clothes.”

  “It looks cut. Look again. Trouble has a nose for these things.”

  “And this famous cat detective is where?”

  Cami looked around, feeling the color rise in her cheeks as the man stared at her. “He was supposed to be watching the clue. I don’t know where he’s gone to, but it must be important for him to leave. What if somebody took him?” Her voice rose an octave as she considered the possibility.

  “Now, ma’am. There isn’t a flight leaving this airport any time soon. The snow has just stopped and the plows haven’t cleared the first runway. Besides, it could be that somebody figured the cat needed to be picked up for his own safety.”

  “He’s wearing a service animal vest.”

  “Really. What kind of service animal is he?” The man actually snorted. He was handsome for an older fellow, but at this point Cami was itching to slap him.

  “The kind that has keener senses than dogs. You’re obviously biased.” Her cheeks were flaming now, and Cami knew she’d better get herself under control quickly or she’d lose him completely. “I can show you newspaper clippings. I’m not making it up.”

  “I believe everything I read in the media.”

  Cami snapped her lips together. There was no point in continuing the conversation. “Sir, I don’t want to see Moses suffer either. Please let me help.”

  “We have all the help we can use. Trained officers, not medical personnel are who’s needed here. If those medals are still in the airport, they will be found.”

  By Trouble, Cami retorted silently. She wondered how the Marshal knew her profession. He must already have someone running background checks on everyone in this terminal.

  The Marshal pointed at a row of chairs. “I’ll need you to sit over there until the officers have time to escort you to the scanner.”

  “You won’t find anything of interest.”

  “If you can smuggle a cat into an airport, you can smuggle anything.”

  “Since you’ve done enough of a background check to know my profession, you must know that I have recently passed an FBI background check. I am often in close proximity to VIPs.”

  “And that means what exactly?”

  “You’re wasting your time.”

  “Maybe.” He spun on his heel and walked back toward the restaurant.

  Cami couldn’t resist yelling after him. “A sweaty man came out of that restroom before we found the purple velvet. He’s about six foot three with
a heavy trench coat and black glasses.”

  The Marshal never broke his stride.

  * * *

  There’s something about the look on that human’s face that makes me suspicious. I know I promised to watch the clue, but Cami will be back any moment. I’m going to follow the biped and see why that silver bag has caught my attention. It looks suspiciously like the bag Moses had his medals in, and color is easy enough to change. Maybe the thief is no accidental traveler, but has been following Moses throughout the tour, looking for the moment he’s vulnerable. Only a professional could escape my notice. A quick-handed chameleon—able to blend in with the surroundings and look innocuous. Somehow the biped sneaked a razor or other sharp instrument through the security check as well. Those three medals may not be worth more than a thousand dollars or so, but maybe the outrage at the theft is the goal. It is certainly going to be an embarrassment to the United States, and may cost Moses his life as well. Some leaders are not the most understanding of people, and that was the sole gold medal Ghana has earned, so I’m not going to let this one get away.

  * * *

  “That cat gives me the willies.” A man with perfect blond hair except for a v-shaped cowlick at the crown of his head and a wool coat over his arm sat next to Cami. “Can you tell me your disability, please? You look just fine to me.”

  His flirtatious manner would have been insulting if he hadn’t seemed so earnest.

  “Sir?”

  “You have an animal with a service vest on, and I’m wondering what service he provides.”

  “Detecting.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “In my family, we seem to run into all manner of larceny and murder. So we often travel with Trouble. He has a knack for solving crimes.”

  “And what kind of crime do you think will happen in an airport surrounded by all manner of security?”

  “You would be surprised. Security is a feeling, and it’s often mistaken.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. My name is Roger Sunshine, by the way.”

  “I’m Cami. Are you part of the Sunshine bread family?”

  “Yes, but not directly. I’m in sales. Toy sales, actually. What do you do for a living?”

  “Physical Therapy. I’m like a traveling nurse, but my job is to give people a workout after surgery.”

  “I bet they love seeing you coming.”

  “You have no idea. I’ve been cussed by the sweetest looking old ladies you’ve ever met, little kids, and even one priest.”

  The man’s laughter drew stares, and Cami felt silly for making small talk when there was so much at stake, and so little time to figure out the puzzle. She looked down at his case and wondered just what type of toys he sold, but didn’t want to waste any more time talking when she could be searching for the medals. She looked up just in time to see the two giggling girls slipping into chairs on either side of the man.

  “We couldn’t help overhearing. What kind of toys do you sell?”

  “How can a traveling salesman compete with online sales and still make a profit?”

  “What’s in the case?” Blue-hair Betty continued. The unmistakable smell of whiskey was even stronger than before, but Cami didn’t remember seeing the girls purchase any alcohol.

  The blond man smirked. “That’s a secret. Suffice it to say that these are the toys everybody will be fighting over for Christmas. Who are you?”

  “I’m Paula and this is my friend Alicia.” The skinny blonde girl stuck out her hand. Alicia, Cami reminded herself, and mentally repeated the name until she was sure she would remember it.

  “Your bracelets are unique,” the salesman quipped, and the girls started to giggle again.

  “I’m an inventor,” Alicia said. “I’m a master at hiding things in plain sight.”

  The salesman leaned forward and sniffed. “You smell like a distillery.”

  Alicia took off one of her tube-like bracelets, held it over her lips, and allowed a few drops of liquid to drip into her mouth. “We’ve already drained our necklaces and most of our bracelets, but I still have my boots. Care for a shot of Jack Daniel’s?”

  Paula had pulled two shot glasses from her purse, and Alicia was unscrewing the substantial heel from her boot. “We were saving this for the flight, but I’m ready for something to wash down that horrid pizza.”

  Cami had seen each girl eat three large slices, so she wondered at the comment. But Paula had removed the heel from her boot and was dumping whiskey into the shot glasses.

  “Care to sample?”

  “Your boots are full of whiskey?” The salesman looked impressed.

  Paula nodded. “And there’s a bladder inside the lining of my purse that has enough to get this party started. You see, I figured a long time ago that when they screen the bags, agents are looking for something out of place, like in those hidden picture games. If the shape of what is concealed fits with the item being checked, it doesn’t stand out. Alicia and I hate to fly sober, and we’re not paying five dollars a shot, so we concocted this little scheme.” She turned to Cami. “Just like your family does with that cat. Hide him in plain sight.”

  The salesman looked angry. “Why are you telling me this? Trying to make me complicit?”

  “No reason. Just making conversation,” Paula said, adjusting the headband covered in garishly large daisies on her head.

  The man stood up and moved several rows behind them. He suddenly became extremely engrossed in his phone.

  “What an odd duck,” Alicia said. “You’d think we insulted his mother.”

  Trouble was purring and circling Cami’s leg. He looked from the girls to the salesman and back again several times. Then he walked back and sat right beside the man’s large black travel case.

  Cami said, “What if Moses is using the metal in his chair to conceal the theft of the Olympic medals? Maybe he doesn’t want to return to Ghana after the tour is over. Maybe he likes being in the States.”

  Paula snorted. “After two days in our airport living on water and donated packs of peanuts? I don’t think so. But I like the way you’re thinking.”

  “He seems nice enough, but your ‘hide in plain sight’ theory has me wondering.” Cami slipped a pen and a napkin from her purse and started to draw a diagram of the restaurant. “There were many people around our table at the restaurant. We were so caught up in watching that adorable little sneak thief that we didn’t notice much.”

  “Maybe we were meant to watch her,” Paula said. “Maybe ‘Mummy’ is in on it.”

  “Don’t forget the fashion plate at the table behind us that hates us,” Alicia said. “Or you, anyway.”

  “I think she hates people in general,” Cami said. “Her glare could stop traffic. But I noticed a couple of families in our area that we can cross off the list, and the sweaty businessman wasn’t sitting far from us, now that I think of it. That cute girl stole one of his gloves. Could she have done it while he was getting the medals?”

  “That blond toy salesman was only a couple of tables away, too.” Alicia nodded toward the young man sitting two rows behind them. “And I noticed that boy with the greasy brown hair. He walked by us a couple of times. I thought he was just trying to get my attention, but I could be wrong.” Alicia absently ran her hand through her hair.

  “That Marshal is coming back. Don’t say anything to him about our theory. He doesn’t want to be bothered with us nonprofessionals. I wonder where Moses is?”

  “Where is Moses?” Alicia asked the Marshal.

  “He’s in a special lounge until we can load him onto the plane. The man is quite beside himself. But I want all of you to listen to me.” Several officers converged on the group of people, many of whom Cami recognized from the restaurant. “You are the next group to be screened. Please follow the officers, and be prepared to remove your shoes.”

  Paula snorted and screwed her heel back onto her boot.

  Cami motioned for Trouble to return to her bag, but he shook his h
ead at her from his spot beneath the chair of the blond salesman. The thin woman from the table behind them at the restaurant stalked up to Cami.

  “You keep that animal far away from me. I’m deathly allergic to cats, and I find your little ‘service animal’ game highly insulting. Do you understand me?”

  Cami blinked. “Are you allergic to cats, or do you just have an affinity for gold?”

  The woman’s face was a porcelain mask. She never twitched though her eyes smoldered. “If you want to keep your cat, he stays away from me. Is that clear?”

  Cami nodded. The two girls glared at the woman as her stiletto heels clicked across the floor behind the Marshal. Cami looked at the bulging leather briefcase on the woman’s shoulder and wondered what the agents would find when they searched it.

  Trouble was still sitting under the toy salesman’s chair. The sweaty businessman was seated next to him, and both men were engrossed in their phones. Cami wondered if they were working together.

  “I’ll be right back, ladies. Don’t get searched without me.” Cami wasn’t certain she could scratch them off the suspect list, but there was something about the men, and Trouble’s proximity to them, that made her want to rattle their cage.

  “Can I see your toys?” Cami smiled sweetly.

  “I’m sorry, but we’re about to be lined up and searched. You can see them when the agents do if you’re that interested.” His tone was friendly, but his eyes were ice.

  “And have you found your black glove, sir?” Cami asked the other man.

  It was then that Pippa’s mother took a seat behind them. Her little girl was sleeping in the stroller, a picture of angelic innocence.

  “How did you know it was missing?” The man looked her over.

  “I saw it in the restaurant.”

  “Are you the one who turned it in? If so, I must thank you. These gloves were a gift from my wife, and I’d be in hot water if I lost one.”

  Cami didn’t have the heart to tell the man that he’d been the victim of an adorable sneak thief. “No, but I’m glad you found it. The weather isn’t getting better any time soon.”