Chartreux Shock
Page 10
Tyrone staggered to his feet, plucking Houdini off his head and throwing him into a corner. The nimble kitten landed on his feet, hissing and arching his back like a bow.
“Get back down on the floor,” Regina ordered, holding a taser out, ready to fire. “If I have to light you up, I will.”
As multiple sirens heralded backup, Tyrone collapsed onto the floor, lacing his hands behind his neck as ordered. While Regina secured him with cuffs, Marjorie raced over to pick up Houdini, cradling his stiff body close.
Cecelia stared about her in wonder, a small frown creasing her face. “I just came over here to pay because no one was at the counter. Is this what goes on over here? I thought it was a massage place.”
Chapter Sixteen
Marjorie stood up and stretched out her back, feeling the knots in her spine pop into the right place, one by one. “It’s been a long time since I’ve scrubbed a floor,” she said in a mild complaint. “This is a younger woman’s game.”
Braden clambered to his feet and wrinkled his nose. “I’ve never done it before. I thought there were machines for this kind of stuff.”
“Machines to get massage oil off polished floorboards? That’s specific. At least it’s not as bad as what we had to get out of the attic.” Marjorie’s mouth twisted down at the corners. Fletcher’s weeklong stay had left an unspeakable mess.
“They should’ve made him clean up after himself as punishment,” Braden agreed, taking their buckets of dirty water outside to empty into the spouting drain. “Instead of just letting him go.”
“No one let him go,” Marjorie said in a slightly nettled tone. “He’ll have to complete lots of community service, just under a different name.”
“Yeah. Cleaning counts as community service, doesn’t it?”
“Drop it,” Marjorie said, laughing. “Honestly, we’re all alive and well, apart from a few bruised knees and aching backs. We got off lightly.”
There was a honk from outside, and Marjorie walked into the carpark to see Duncan grinning at her from the driver’s seat. He’d come through his kidnapping adventure relatively unscathed, although she wondered how well he’d sleep at night for the coming few months.
“I’d like to introduce you to my parents,” Duncan said, opening the back door so an older version of himself could emerge with a smiling woman at his side. “This is Marjorie,” he said to his folks. “She’s the real hero of the hour.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sheryl Byrne said, nudging her husband Allan in the ribs until he agreed.
“Lovely to meet you, too,” Marjorie replied, shaking their hands. “Although I’m afraid it’s not under the best circumstances.”
“Don’t need to say that twice,” Allan grumbled. “We spent twenty hours on a plane thinking our son was dead only to land and find out he’s a jackass.”
“Language!” his wife said, giving him a stern look as a reprimand.
“Ha! That’s nothing as bad as what I want to call him.”
“Fletcher seemed very nice outside of all the bad stuff,” Marjorie said, feeling upset she couldn’t teleport back to that time.
“Let’s hope he makes it back to that state,” Duncan said, then turned to his parents. “Do you want a cup of tea or coffee before we go? This place has the best pinwheel scones.”
“Oh, go on. Twist my arm.” Sheryl gave a nod to Marjorie and headed inside, cooing with delight when a kitten met her by the door.
“We’d better not end up with one of those in the next seat on the way home,” Allan growled. “You know your mother and animals.”
He stomped off after his wife, leaving Duncan making an apologetic face. “They’re usually easier to get along with. The flight’s knocked it out of them.”
“Not to mention, thinking their son was dead for the whole trip.” Marjorie touched Duncan’s upper arm. “They seem lovely. Why don’t you go in and I’ll catch up in a minute?”
“I’ll take that as my cue to leave,” Braden said, leaning over to give her a soft kiss on the lips before hooking empty buckets over his arms and grabbing hold of the broom and mop. “How about we plan something nice for this weekend? There’s a festival in Kaikoura I can get you back from in time for your afternoon bedtime.”
“Sounds good,” she said, rolling her eyes at the jest. “I’ll pack a picnic lunch for the trip there.”
As she waved goodbye, a familiar car pulled onto the road at the base of the hill. Esme and Jerry.
“What are you two doing back here so soon?” she asked as they pulled into the shared car park. “I thought you had another week booked away.”
“When Hanmer is heaving with excitement?” Esme jumped out and spun in a circle. “It doesn’t look any different from when we left but according to the police, it’s been non-stop action.”
“They called you?” Marjorie gave her friend a hug as she tried to cover up her disappointment. “And here I was trying to spin the whole thing into an amusing anecdote to tell you over dinner when you returned.”
“You can still do that,” Jerry said, shaking her hand and clapping her on the shoulder. “In fact, since I’ve lost my holiday, I might plan a few dinner parties. Are you still hooked up with that weird computer engineer or should I call around a few of my single friends?”
“I’m still with Braden if that’s what you’re asking,” Marjorie said with a laugh. “And please don’t introduce me to any more single men. One is quite enough.”
“Isn’t that your kitten making a run for it?” Esme said, pointing over Jerry’s shoulder.
“Houdini! You get back here right this minute!”
They gave chase, the kitten easily escaping their clutches until they could barely move with laughing. Duncan wandered outside, presumably to check where the café host was, and Houdini trotted straight up to him, nuzzling against the leg of his jeans like it was a long-lost friend.
“Are you causing trouble, little man?” he said, picking the Chartreux cat up and placing it against his chest. “You’re a scamp, aren’t you?”
“Have you been cleaning?” Esme asked, opening up the back door to the massage rooms and sniffing. “It smells like lemon and disinfectant.”
“That’s exactly right.” Marjorie walked over and steered her friend towards the café. “But come inside here, first. Have a seat and a coffee and we can talk all about what happened while you were gone.”
“Why’s the back door open while the front door’s locked?” Jerry asked, ever practical.
“Oh, no.” Marjorie put a hand over her mouth as it dropped open in horror. “I never got the key back off Fletcher. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, honey. Don’t worry. After what the police told me, I’ve already ordered a locksmith to meet me bright and early tomorrow morning.” Esme glanced back at her business. “I’d also ordered a cleaning crew, but it appears somebody beat me to that task.”
“It’s the least I could do.”
Inside, Duncan played catch the feather with Houdini while Cecelia pressed a napkin to the corners of her mouth, finishing up with her mid-morning treat.
“I told you, it’s on the house,” Marjorie protested as she sidled up to the counter with a strange expression on her face. “After your help with Tyrone, I need some way to pay you back.”
“Oh, it would’ve all turned out okay,” Cecelia said, dismissing the thanks with one hand while her pleased smile accepted the compliment. “And I was after a form if you’ve got one handy.”
“I do.” Marjorie passed over a clipboard and pen, trying not to show her astonishment.
“This isn’t a promise or anything,” Cecelia warned, wiggling the pen up and down. “But I thought it would be nice to see if I meet the criteria. If I ever want to.”
“Sure.” Marjorie nodded as though trial-runs happened every day. “And you know, once I have a passed inspection on file from the SPCA, it’s not a final obligation.”
“Exactly,” Cecelia agreed, turning and sp
eaking to Chaplin. “It’s just a possibility if we both think we could work together.”
It was the first time owning a kitten had been phrased as work, but Marjorie couldn’t help glowing as the prim woman sat down with the clipboard, taking each question with studious concentration.
“Here you go,” she said a few minutes later, taking plates of goodies out to the Byrne family. “Are you staying in town long?”
“No longer than we can help it,” Allan muttered darkly, pulling a black coffee close and stirring in five sugars in quick succession.
“Dad!”
“Well, we’re not.”
“You don’t have to put it like that. It’s hardly the town’s fault Fletcher is an idiot.”
“Duncan!” This time it was Sheryl’s turn to protest. “Speak nicely about your brother or don’t speak about him at all.”
“That’ll mean no one ever mentions his name again.” Allan took a sip of coffee and followed it up with a huge bite of a pinwheel scone. “Oh, these are good.”
“Told you.” Duncan appeared as pleased as if he’d baked them himself. “And what are you staring at me for, little fellow?”
Houdini put his front paws on the young man’s leg, taking two goes before he could jump up into his lap.
“Oh, isn’t he sweet?” Sheryl squealed.
“Six months quarantine,” Allan said, munching through the rest of his treat as though it had done him a personal injury. “That’s what you’re looking at for importing animals.”
“Not for a little kitten, surely.”
“You’re not to adopt a cat! Do you hear me?” Allan sat back, draining the rest of his coffee, though it must be hot enough to burn his mouth. “They have cats in Europe.”
“Not this one,” Duncan said, lifting him up and rubbing his nose. “But I agree. You don’t need a kitten. And neither do I.”
He set the Chartreux down on the floor and set to work on his own scone and coffee. After a minute of being ignored, the kitten mewed plaintively and jumped into Duncan’s lap again.
“Why’re you looking at me like that for?” Duncan asked, raising his eyebrows. “I’ve already told you I’m not adopting a kitten so you can drop the attitude.”
Houdini mewed again, then curled into a ball and fell asleep while Duncan’s stern expression melted into one of pure love.
Marjorie reached under the counter for another adoption form. No matter the protestations she could tell when a kitten had stolen a man’s heart.
Thank you for taking the time to read Chartreux Shock.
If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author's best friend, and much appreciated.
Thank you, again. Katherine Hayton.
Also by Katherine Hayton
Chartreux Shock (Marjorie’s Cozy Kitten Café)
Calico Confusion (Marjorie’s Cozy Kitten Café)
Charity Shop Haunted Mysteries – Books 1-3
Miss Hawthorne Sits for a Spell (Charity Shop Haunted Mystery)
Mr Wilmott Gets Old School (Charity Shop Haunted Mystery)
Mrs Pettigrew Sees a Ghost (Charity Shop Haunted Mystery)
A Bed for Suite Dreams (A Hotel Inspector Cozy Mystery)
A Stay With Reservations (A Hotel Inspector Cozy Mystery)
A Job of Inn Dependence (A Hotel Inspector Cozy Mystery)
The Double Dip (Honeybee Cozy Mystery)
The Honey Trap (Honeybee Cozy Mystery)
The Buzz Kill (Honeybee Cozy Mystery)
Tea Shop Cozy Mysteries – Books 1-6
Hibiscus Homicide (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Keeping Mums (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Orange Juiced (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Deathbed of Roses (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Berry Murderous (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Pushing Up Daisies (Tea Shop Cozy Mystery)
Food Bowl Mysteries – Books 1-3
You’re Kitten Me (Food Bowl Mysteries)
Cat Red-Handed (Food Bowl Mysteries)
An Impawsible Situation (Food Bowl Mysteries)
The Sweet Baked Mysteries - Books 1-6
Cinnamon and Sinfulness (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Raspberries and Retaliation (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Pumpkin Spice & Poisoning (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Blueberries and Bereavement (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Strawberries and Suffering (Sweet Baked Mystery)
Cupcakes and Conspiracies (Sweet Baked Mystery)
The Only Secret Left to Keep (Detective Ngaire Blakes)
The Second Stage of Grief (Detective Ngaire Blakes)
The Three Deaths of Magdalene Lynton (Detective Ngaire Blakes)
Christchurch Crime Thriller Boxset
Breathe and Release (A Christchurch Crime Thriller)
Skeletal (A Christchurch Crime Thriller)
Found, Near Water (A Christchurch Crime Thriller)
About the Author
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 currently resides a two-minute walk from where she was born.
For some reason, she's developed a rich fantasy life.
www.katherinehayton.com