The Cats that Walked the Haunted Beach (The Cats that . . . Cozy Mystery Book 10)

by Karen Anne Golden

  Stevie gently took Kate’s arm, Jake the other one. They walked her to the truck.

  Stevie advised Kate, “It’s gonna hurt like hell getting in, but grab the bar. When you say when, I’ll push you in.”

  Once seated inside, Kate said, “Steve, I need your phone to call the sheriff—”

  Stevie cut her off. “What you have to tell him can wait until I get you to the hospital.”

  Stevie shut the door and walked over to the driver’s side. He climbed in behind the wheel.

  Katherine, Colleen, Jake and Daryl had worried looks on their faces. They waved as the truck pulled away.

  ***

  After Stevie and Kate left, the group headed for the beach blanket and sat down.

  “We need to talk,” Katherine said to Jake and Daryl.

  Daryl spoke first, “Start from the very beginning.”

  “Oh, I can do that,” Colleen said and began talking about Mum’s wrong directions to the cabin.

  Daryl gently touched her arm, “Sweetie, I mean, when you found the body.”

  “Oh,” Colleen giggled. “Oops.”

  Katherine piped in. “Scout found it.”

  Jake asked, “How’d she get out of our cabin?”

  “She tore a hole in the screen,” Katherine said, then changed to a different topic. She ended by saying the sheriff didn’t take Colleen and her seriously. “He said the next time I call in a bogus crime, he was charging me.”

  Daryl said, “Colleen filled me in on that.”

  “There’s something cagey about the sheriff,” Katherine said.

  “Why do you say that?” Daryl asked.

  “Because he didn’t stay in Cabin Six long enough to check it out to corroborate our story.”

  Colleen added, “It seemed like he was there for only a few minutes, then he knocked on our door.”

  Daryl said, “It doesn’t sound like good police work.”

  “What are we going to do?” Colleen asked.

  Katherine finished, “At midnight, we’re going to take a walk on the beach. We’re going to approach Cabin Six from the dune-side and see if anyone is home. If no one is, we’ll go in and take a look.”

  Daryl countered, “Katz, that’s breaking and entering. In other words, it’s illegal.”

  “I know it is. I’m not serious, but we have to do something.”

  “I’ve got an idea. You guys stay here. I’m going to walk to the manager’s office and see if he’ll tell me who’s in Cabin Six,” Daryl said.

  “Why?” Jake asked.

  “Because if we know who it is, we can knock on his door, and see if he’ll talk to us. I want to ask him some questions.”

  “Oh, we already know,” Katherine said. “The cabin isn’t rented this weekend. Misty, the manager, told the sheriff that Arlo was there — in Cabin Six — for a little while because they’d gotten into an argument. He didn’t stay the night; he went back home.”

  “I’m confused. I thought Arlo was the manager,” Daryl said.

  “He’s the owner,” Katherine explained.

  Colleen added, “He used to manage the place, but he quit because of health problems.”

  “Well, then, there’s no need to ask who is staying in Cabin Six. Do you think this Arlo guy was playing the practical joke and not a bunch of teenagers?” Daryl asked.

  “If he was, he’s a good actor. He convinced Colleen and me that he was dead.”

  “I mean, maybe he thought his wife would come in and find him like that, to scare her, then they’d make up.”

  Colleen laughed, “Daryl, you can’t be serious.”

  “I’ve seen cases like this before. Husband gets drunk; wife gets mad. Husband leaves wife; wife finds him. Husband pretends he’s sick or injured—”

  “Or dead,” Katherine broke in.

  “The couple make up. End of story.”

  Jake offered his two cents, “Katz, you have to admit, it does make sense. That’s why when you two left Arlo, he simply got up and went back home.”

  “Jury is still out on that one,” Katherine said, then added, “Oh, I’m done talking about this. Let’s have some fun. Anyone want dessert? There’s some strawberry strudel left.”

  “Yes,” Jake said eagerly. He extended his hand to Katherine. “My lady?”

  “Yes, kind sir.”

  Daryl took Colleen’s hand, and the two couples walked back to the cabin.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A few hours later, Stevie and Kate returned from the hospital. Katherine, Jake, Colleen and Daryl sat at a picnic table in the back yard of their cabin. Scout and Abra were both on long leashes attached to a stake in the ground. They were busy rolling around in the sand, and making chattering sounds.

  Stevie parked behind Kate’s cabin and got out of his truck to help her inside.

  Kate waved at the group, but didn’t say anything. Stevie walked her to her cabin but didn’t go inside. Instead, he came over to the group at the picnic table.

  “How is she?” Katherine asked.

  Stevie answered, “No broken bones, but a large contusion on her right side.”

  “What’s a contusion?” Colleen asked.

  “A big-ass bruise,” Stevie said. “The ER doc gave her a shot for the pain. On the way back here, we stopped at the drug store and picked up several other meds.”

  Katherine asked, “Is she going to be okay?”

  Stevie smiled, “Yes. The doc said she’d live another day, but she’s to take it easy this week. Katz, can you check on her later? Maybe take her something to eat or change the ice in her ice bag,” Stevie fussed.

  “Where are you going to be?” Daryl asked in a tone that was slightly sarcastic. Colleen nudged him in the ribs.

  “I have to get back to Erie. Salina has been texting me like crazy. I was supposed to pick her up at Margie’s and Cokey’s an hour ago.”

  “They won’t mind. Shelly and Salina are best buds,” Jake said. “I’m sure the girls are having a ball.”

  “We’ll check on Kate. Don’t worry about it,” Katherine assured.

  Stevie started to leave, but Daryl stopped him. “Did Kate talk to the sheriff?”

  “Yes, she did. She gave her statement at the hospital. Weirdest thing, though. When Kate mentioned she thought the guy who attacked her was Arlo, the sheriff got his feathers ruffled, and said she should think more about that allegation before she signed her statement.”

  “That’s because Arlo and the sheriff are friends,” Katherine said derisively.

  “That explains it,” Stevie said, running his hand through his blond hair. “Anyway, got to go. You folks have a nice weekend. Catch you later.”

  Stevie left, and was only a few feet away, when Josh Williams, driving a GMC Sierra, pulled up behind Katherine’s SUV in Cabin Three’s parking space.

  Stevie stopped dead in his tracks. He recognized the vehicle that had stopped by at the pink mansion and the man driving it.

  Josh got out and rushed over to Stevie. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked angrily.

  “I could ask you the same,” said Stevie. “So, this is the cabins on Lake Michigan, the ones you told my brother Dave about?”

  “What of it? I manage the place.”

  “Manage the place,” Stevie said cynically. “That’s a good one. We both know that’s a lie.”

  “Who are you calling a liar?”

  “Let me give you a word of advice. You have a big problem with your love life.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Number one, she’s married. Number two, the old man she’s married to is not ready to kick the bucket. The dude is good with his fists. He particularly likes to beat up women.”

  “You’re full of it.”

  “Maybe I am, but the old man ain’t no geezer. I’m sure when he finds out you’ve been messin’ with his wife, he’ll kick the crap out of you.”

  Josh lunged at Stevie, but Stevie stepped aside and missed the blow.
Josh lost his balance and fell to the sand.

  Scout and Abra began shrieking their Siamese distress call. Katherine and Colleen ran to the stake they were tied to and unhitched their leashes. Then they grabbed the cats and rushed them inside the cabin.

  Simultaneously, Daryl and Jake ran over to break up the fight.

  Josh got up and threw another punch.

  Stevie moved aside and missed it. “I’ve got no quarrel with you,” Stevie said. “Back off.”

  “Yes, back off,” Daryl said in a voice of authority.

  “Who the hell are you?” Josh asked.

  “I’m a deputy in another county—”

  “But not this county, which means you ain’t got no jurisdiction.”

  Daryl grabbed Josh by the front of his jacket, and within a few seconds had him leaning against his pickup truck, wearing handcuffs. “Jake, watch him. I’m calling this in.”

  Stevie stepped over. “Don’t,” he said. “He’s on parole and he’ll go back to jail over this.”

  “It was assault,” Daryl said.

  “He didn’t hit me,” Stevie countered. “Do me a favor? Don’t call the sheriff. Let Josh go. I won’t press charges.”

  “Yeah, Mr. County Mounty,” Josh said belligerently.

  Daryl unlocked the handcuffs. “Have it your way.”

  Jake asked Josh, “What are you doing here, anyway?”

  “I came to see about fixing the water heater.”

  Katherine came back outside. “It’s fixed, thank you very much, but aren’t you a bit late?”

  Jake motioned Katherine to go back inside.

  Katherine gave Josh a disapproving look and returned to the cabin.

  Josh brushed the sand off his jeans and got in his truck. He peeled out, which caused a cloud of sand dust to descend on Jake, Daryl and Stevie.

  Stevie called him a jerk, then stopped to answer his phone. Speaking into it, he said, “Yeah, it’s okay. You can stay over. I’ll pick you up tomorrow around noon. Okay, baby cake? All right, then. Have fun. Daddy loves ya. Bye.”

  Jake was surprised at how quickly Stevie could change from an angry man about to do battle to a sweet father talking to his child.

  Stevie put his phone back in his pocket. “Change of plans. Salina is staying one more night. Tell Katz she doesn’t need to check on Kate. I’m staying the night.” He walked away, throwing a wave goodbye.

  Daryl called after him. “I didn’t know you studied martial arts.”

  “There’s a lot of stuff you don’t know about me,” Stevie said, stepping inside Kate’s cabin.

  ***

  A little before midnight, Katherine, Jake, Colleen and Daryl left their cabin and walked down the path to the beach. Jake and Daryl lugged two retro aluminum lawn chairs each, while Katherine and Colleen carried the Siamese.

  “Scout, stop squirming,” Katherine scolded. “It’s hard to hold on to you.” Scout wore a blue collar that matched her deep blue eyes. Abra wore a red one.

  “Waugh,” the Siamese sassed.

  “I appreciate the full moon,” Colleen said.

  “Raw,” Abra answered. Colleen kissed the cat on top of her head.

  “Yeah, I’m glad it’s bright so we can see where we’re going,” Jake chuckled. “I wouldn’t relish falling down this dune.”

  “Like Katz did,” Colleen laughed.

  “No comment,” Katherine said.

  Jake wouldn’t let it go. “Katz, you fell twenty feet—”

  “I slid on my behind. The sand cushioned the fall,” Katherine answered, embarrassed.

  Colleen said, excitedly, “I’ve got an idea. Maybe we should borrow Kate’s firepit and make s’mores.”

  Jake teased, “We could have done that but your fiancé ate all the chocolate bars.”

  “You didn’t,” Colleen said, laughing.

  “Guilty,” Daryl confessed.

  Katherine said, “I’m nixing the firepit idea. I don’t want the cats to get near it and singe their fur.”

  On the beach, Jake and Daryl set the lawn chairs in the sand. Daryl patted one of the seats for Colleen to sit down.

  The Siamese became very excited and wanted down. “Waugh!” “Raw!” they called in shrill voices.

  “Hurry up, Jake. I can hardly hold her,” Katherine said, holding a determined-to-get-down cat.

  Jake screwed in the pet stake — with a fifteen-foot tie out cable — in the sand, then tested to make sure it was secure.

  “Make sure they can’t get in the water,” Katherine advised, thinking she didn’t want a replay of Scout jumping in and doing a little late-night fishing.

  Jake answered, “Swimming in Lake Michigan isn’t allowed until Memorial Day. The water’s too cold.”

  “I know that, Professor,” Katherine teased, “but Scout doesn’t play by the rules.”

  “Rules? You mean, we can’t go jump in the lake?” Colleen teased.

  “Sure, go ahead, if you want to get hypothermia. In April, the average lake temperature is between 37 to 46 degrees,” Jake commented.

  “Cuz, are you planning on getting a job with the park service? You sure do know your facts,” Daryl teased.

  Colleen laughed. “Scout has a fur suit. I’m sure she wasn’t too cold after she dove into the lake.”

  Once Jake had attached each of the cats’ leashes to the staked cable, Scout lunged to the very end of her leash and pulled the cable taut. Abra planted her feet in the sand and began crying.

  Katherine moved over to the Siamese. “Don’t you like the beach?”

  Abra reached up to be held.

  Katherine picked her up. “Okay, you can sit with me.” She unhooked Abra’s leash and placed the Siamese on her lap. Abra curled up and snuggled against her.

  Jake sat down on the lawn chair next to her. “Katz, I think we should buy a vacation, home-away-from-home, cabin or house in this area. I love the lake.”

  “Not a bad idea. Do you think our other cats would love it here as much as Scout and Abra do?”

  Scout trotted back. “Na-waugh.”

  Daryl chuckled, “Did that cat just say no?”

  Scout nudged Jake’s knee with her face. Jake picked her up. “Not liken’ the sand?”

  Scout sat on Jake’s lap and faced the lake. Small waves were lapping against the shore.

  “It’s getting breezy,” Katherine noted.

  Jake asked, “Is this the time you saw the ghost?”

  “Spirit,” Colleen corrected. “Yes, it was a little after midnight.”

  “Where did you see it?”

  “Over there,” Colleen pointed to the very edge of the water.

  Daryl asked, “What did she look like? Could you see her face?”

  “No, she was walking . . . I mean gliding . . . down the beach, away from us,” Colleen answered.

  “How did you know it was a woman?” Daryl persisted.

  “She had long hair that was blowing in the breeze.”

  “Breezy, like right now?” Jake asked, looking around.

  “Exactly,” Katherine answered. “When I first saw her, she was a translucent shape, then she changed into the figure of a woman.”

  “What kind of clothes did she have on?” Jake asked.

  “A long, black dress. Why do you ask?”

  Jake, always the historian, said, “If she was wearing Victorian clothes, that would date the scene.”

  Both Katherine and Colleen shook their heads.

  Colleen said, “I was really concentrating on her face—”

  “But we didn’t see her face. At least, I didn’t. She was walking away from us.”

  “We didn’t have time to investigate . . .”

  “Boo,” Daryl shouted.

  Katherine startled. “You scared me half to death,” then to Abra, “It’s okay, my treasure. Daryl was just kidding.”

  Scout jumped off Jake’s lap and growled.

  Colleen said tartly to Daryl, “Very funny. I’m not amused. I know you don’
t believe in the paranormal, so cut it out, already.”

  Daryl shot his hands up. “I’m innocent until proven guilty,” he chuckled.

  “Kate said the spirit only appears when there’s going to be a murder in Seagull,” Colleen said.

  Katherine added, “Two years ago was the last sighting. There was a murder on the beach, this beach.”

  “If that’s the case, I hope we don’t see her,” Jake said.

  Daryl got up from his chair. “Who’s there?” he asked.

  “Not again,” Colleen scolded.

  They turned in their chairs and looked at the path to the beach. Someone was walking toward them, shining a flashlight. The beam from the flashlight was shaking erratically.

  “It’s me,” Stevie called. “What are you folks doing?”

  Jake joked, “We’re waiting for a ghost. What are you doing?”

  “Kate’s a sound asleep, so I thought I’d take a long walk on the beach to get my steps in,” he said, shining the light on his pedometer watch.

  “Good idea. Enjoy your walk,” Katherine said.

  “Thanks, Katz. Good evening.” Stevie passed them and trudged on the sand.

  Scout followed to the length of the cable. “Waugh,” she cried after Stevie.

  Stevie reached down and petted her. He whispered to the Siamese, “Take care of your mommy.”

  “What did you say?” Jake asked.

  “Oh, I was telling Scout how pretty she is.”

  “Aw, that was sweet,” Katherine said.

  Stevie left and soon the couples lost sight of him.

  Abra jumped off Katherine’s lap and joined Scout. They stood in the sand, and began swaying back and forth, in a macabre dance.

  “Mir-waugh,” Scout screeched. Abra caterwauled a shrill, wailing sound. The Siamese continued their dance, arching their backs and hopping up and down like deranged Halloween cats.

  Katherine was the first one off her chair. She darted over to them. “Come to me, my treasures. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  “Look,” Colleen screamed, pointing.

  A glowing translucent shape glided down the beach in front of them. It moved over the sand and headed in the direction where Stevie had just walked. When the shape touched the sand, it materialized into the figure of a young woman. She turned to the group and gestured with her hand to follow her.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Colleen said. “She’s trying to tell us something.”