PAWSitively Sinister (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 11)

by Patricia Fry

  Ruth nodded. “Yes, I’m aware of it. I’ve just learned to stay away from it.” She made eye contact with Craig. “Rochelle felt it.” She grimaced. “Yes, there is something here and it is not friendly.”

  After a long silence, Craig took a breath and leaned back in his chair. “Well, I don’t know about you all, but I’m ready to turn in. I just hope the ghosts will let me sleep,” he said, chuckling.

  “So what’s on tap for tomorrow?” Savannah asked, glancing around at the others.

  “It’s our last day of the sale,” Laura said. “Should be busy. Then we pack up and leave. We’ll probably need at least one semi to haul everything away.”

  “I’m going to check out this Julian guy,” Craig said. He turned to Savannah. “If I find him, wanna go along with me to talk to him?”

  “Sure, if I’m not needed around here.” She looked at Michael. “Can you keep Lily company?”

  “Yeah, I’m just going to relax tomorrow.”

  ****

  It was almost noon the next day. Savannah and Iris were taking the baby for a walk around the grounds when Savannah’s cell phone rang. “Hi Craig,” she said into the phone.

  “Hi. Well, I think we found Madam Randall’s partner in crime,” he said. “… still alive and living in a raunchy neighborhood in the city. I’m on my way back to the castle. Thought I’d join you all for lunch. Then want to go with me to see if we can find him?”

  “Okay,” Savannah said. “Sounds like fun. Michael ended up getting involved with Arthur on a man project. But Iris said she can entertain Lily, so I’m free… yes.”

  “Good. What’s for lunch?”

  “I heard through the grapevine it’s a hearty vegetable soup and cornbread.”

  “I’m in,” Craig said. “Be there in a few.”

  Savannah had just ended the call when her phone chimed again. “It’s Rochelle,” she announced to Iris. She quipped into the phone, “Hi, girlfriend. What’s up?”

  “Miriam is out of control—having a rough time. I’m on my way to get her now. I’m not sure what I’ll decide to do with her, but we might wind up out there. Is it okay?”

  “I’m sure it’s okay. I may not be here, but come on out. Craig and I are going into the city after lunch to try running down the former butler.” She paused. “What’s wrong with her?”

  Rochelle sounded exasperated. “I’m not sure, Savannah. She’s ranting and crying. It was hard to understand her—Ruth’s sister tried to explain to me that Miriam had a terrible emotional crash last night and was shouting in her sleep—things like, ‘I didn’t mean to.’ ‘Don’t punish me.’ ‘I won’t tell.’ Mattie said that when Miriam woke up, she became agitated, but didn’t remember any dreams and doesn’t know what the outburst was about.”

  “Good gosh, that poor tormented woman,” Savannah said, creasing her brow. “Will you be okay alone with her, or is Peter coming with you?”

  “No, I think I’m okay. Miriam’s not psychotic, just, as you said, tortured. We’ve gotta find those demons and help her get rid of them—whatever they are and wherever they came from. I still believe they’re remnants of her life in the mansion—memories that she has blocked for years and that want to be revealed. She’s having a struggle trying to release them, while at the same time trying to keep them hidden.” Rochelle hesitated before saying, “I’m almost at our meeting place. I may see you later.”

  “Take care, Rochelle,” Savannah said, weakly. “Be careful.”

  “Will do.”

  “Wow,” Savannah said upon ending the call.

  “What happened?” Iris asked.

  “Miriam is having some sort of meltdown—Rochelle may bring her out here. Hey, Craig’s coming for lunch, let’s go tell the kitchen crew.”

  ****

  An hour and a half later, Craig and Savannah were on their way to the last known address for Julian Fletcher.

  “This is it,” Craig said. “Now to find a parking spot.”

  “I saw one across the street up a ways, if you don’t mind walking,” Savannah suggested.

  “In Frisco, you might as well not have a car, you have to park so far away from where you’re going,” Craig said. After maneuvering his sedan into a space, he turned to Savannah. “Are you ready?” he asked before stepping out of the car. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

  “I’m ready,” she said, taking a deep breath.

  “It’s no palace, is it?” Craig quipped as he rang the doorbell. After waiting for a few minutes, he knocked. Just as he prepared to knock again, a neighbor peered out through the door of the attached duplex. “He isn’t home. I know, ‘cause his car’s gone.”

  Craig looked around.

  “Yeah, if he’s home, his Jag’s parked right there,” the man pointed.

  Craig raised his eyebrows. “Jag?”

  The elderly neighbor nodded. “Yup, black and sleek.”

  “Thanks,” Craig said as he turned and headed down the steps. Savannah followed. Before they reached the car, Savannah’s phone vibrated.

  “It’s Rochelle,” she whispered to Craig.

  She listened to what Rochelle had to say. “I’m with Miriam here in our apartment. There’s something I think the detective should hear. Where are you?”

  Savannah recited the address.

  “Can you come over here right away? You’re only about five miles from us.”

  After okaying it with Craig, Savannah assured Rochelle they would be right there.

  “And hurry, would you?”

  “Rochelle, where’s your apartment?”

  “Oh that’s right, you’ve only been to the gallery. We’re two doors up from the gallery—apartment seven—second floor. Hurry, Savannah. We have a situation here.”

  Chapter 7

  As Craig and Savannah approached Rochelle’s and Peter’s apartment, they heard what sounded like hysterical crying. The couple looked at each other, grimacing a little.

  “Rochelle,” Savannah called out as she knocked. She tried the door and it opened, so she and Craig entered cautiously. There they saw Miriam lying on a sofa, sobbing and wailing. Rochelle was applying cool cloths to the distraught woman’s forehead and Mattie was holding her hand.

  “Here are Mr. Sledge and Savannah,” Rochelle said to Miriam in a soothing voice. “Why don’t you sit up and let’s talk about what happened, shall we?”

  Miriam stopped sobbing and rolled her eyes toward the couple. She then sat up slowly and acknowledged them. When Rochelle motioned for them to take a seat, Savannah perched on an ottoman across from Miriam and said, “I guess you’re having a rough day. I’m sorry to hear it. Are you feeling calmer now?”

  Miriam nodded.

  Savannah motioned toward Craig, who sat on a straight-back chair to her left. “Mr. Sledge and I would like to hear what happened. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Miriam stared across the room for a moment. She took a ragged breath, then asked, “Could I have a canned soda?”

  Rochelle nodded. “Sure, Miriam.” Before going into the kitchen, she asked Mattie. “How about you? Care for a soda?”

  Mattie nodded and sat down on the sofa next to her friend.

  “… and you two?” Rochelle asked. “Thirsty?”

  Both Savannah and Craig shook their head.

  While the two women gulped down their sodas, Rochelle explained, “Miriam saw something during hypnosis that upset her.” She turned to Miriam. “Do you want to talk about it or would you like me to tell them?”

  Miriam looked down at her soda can. “I was punished for seeing something I wasn’t supposed to see.” She looked at Craig and Savannah through pleading eyes. “I didn’t mean to. I was just a child. I didn’t know it was wrong. No one told me.” She took a breath and continued in a monotone, staring off into space, “I was lonely. I had no playmates. I wanted my grandmother’s attention. She gave her attention to that cat and the people who came for readings, but not to me.” She pressed her lips
together, then continued, “One night there was no reading. Grandmother and Julian were talking in her reading room. I got tired of staying in my room and playing with my dolls and puzzles and all those damn toys they brought me. I wanted company!” she said, almost defiantly. “So I went looking for my grandmother. When I saw that she and Julian were having a meeting, I waited outside in the hall. Pretty soon, I saw him leave.” She took a sip of soda and swallowed hard before continuing. “Julian left the door open, so I went in and that’s when I saw her… disappear.”

  “She disappeared?” Savannah asked.

  “Yes,” Miriam said, staring at Savannah. As if she didn’t believe it herself, she said, “… right through the floor.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I… that’s what I got in trouble for… I… followed her.” Miriam leaned her head on her friend’s shoulder and wept rather dramatically.

  Savannah and Rochelle exchanged looks.

  “Can you tell us where your grandmother went?” Savannah asked. She glanced at Craig, who seemed to be disinterested.

  “I don’t know… my grandfather was there and other people I knew… Abe… some of the hobos. They were all there.”

  “The people who had gone missing,” Craig said, now interested, “… you saw them?”

  She nodded. “Grandmother sat down at a table with them and took out her deck of cards. She didn’t see me. But he did,” she said, gritting her teeth. “He caught me and pulled me away from the cage and back up the stairs. He screamed at me and threatened to torture and kill me if I ever told.” She looked up at the others. “Hell, I didn’t even know what I was seeing. I didn’t know what I’d done wrong. After that, I wasn’t allowed in that part of the house anymore. They hardly let me come out of my room. I was like a non-person… a prisoner.”

  She became quiet, then spoke softly. “That’s when Grandfather started coming to me at night. He had left us when I was about eight years old. Grandmother had said he took a trip and never came back. But after I was punished, he started coming to me in the night.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “He always had blood running down one side of his face.”

  “Like a scar?” Savannah asked.

  She shook her head slowly. “No, fresh blood running down the side of his face.”

  “What did he do or say when he came to your room?” Rochelle asked.

  “He just stood there and stared at me. He looked sad. He didn’t talk. Just stared.”

  “How old were you then?”

  “Maybe ten years old.”

  “Which room was your grandmother’s reading room?” Savannah asked.

  “Um, it’s not there now. Before I left, they covered it up.”

  “Sealed it?” Craig asked, frowning.

  “Yes, that’s what they did—they sealed the room.” She squinted her eyes in contemplation. “I think it’s behind the wall at the end of the hall down in the boy’s rooms in the basement.” She took the last drink of her soda, looked at Rochelle, and asked, “Can I go now?”

  “Certainly,” Rochelle said. “I can take you back.”

  Miriam shook her head. “Mattie can call our friend in the cab.”

  “Okay, if you’d rather.”

  Once Miriam and Mattie had left to wait outside for the cab driver, Rochelle and Savannah let out a deep sigh and rolled their eyes at each other. Rochelle said, “Boy, that got intense. I didn’t know what she was going to do. I’m just glad Mattie was here. I think she’s a calming factor for Miriam.”

  “So what now?” Savannah asked. “What do you think her story means?”

  Rochelle shook her head. “That when she was a mere child, she tapped into a bunch of spirits, perhaps? Children are great vessels for spirits and it can be frightening. But this punishment thing… I don’t know what that’s about.” She thought for a moment and added, “What she recalls might be a combination of something that happened in the physical world and something she experienced in the spirit world.”

  “Do you think there is a chamber in the place where the sinister things happened?” Savannah asked. “… like maybe Madam Randall held those missing people prisoner?”

  “But why, Savannah?” Craig asked. “It doesn’t make sense. What was the purpose?” “Extortion?” Savannah suggested. “Maybe she was stealing from her clients and she was afraid they’d rat her out, so she locked them up.” Savannah seemed to get a second wind. “Or she stole their identities in order to sell them to criminals. Gads, who knows?”

  “Come on, Savannah,” Craig said. “How many secrets can one castle hold?”

  “Well, you’ve gotta admit we’ve found some pretty tangible evidence of something odd going on there. Stolen property, personal documents from missing people… Miriam’s recollections… ” Savannah said.

  Craig mulled over Savannah’s words before saying, “It’s for certain that something’s not right at that place.” He smacked his lips. “Let’s see if we can find Julian Fletcher and then decide what to do.” He looked at Savannah. “From the sounds of it, we might need some of Michael’s carpentry expertise.”

  “Well, that was an experience,” Savannah said as the couple left Rochelle’s apartment and climbed back into Craig’s car.

  “Wasn’t it?” Craig agreed. “We didn’t get quite what we wanted, but we did get a whole lot of other stuff that seemed to just muddy up the mix.” He chuckled. Looking at his watch, he said, “Where do we go from here? What are we actually looking for? A band of thieves, mystic scammers?”

  After riding silently for several miles, Savannah asked, “Hey, did you check to see if Pamela and Gordon Randall had a record? Were they ever arrested? Were there any complaints against them?”

  Craig shook his head. “That’s the first thing I checked. Nothing showed up. Now, if I had their fingerprints we might have a different story—or their DNA. Randall could have been an alias.” He then slowed the car and said, “Well, there’s Julian Fletcher’s place—still no Jag.”

  “Well, you’re right about one thing,” Savannah said. “The situation just keeps getting muddier and muddier. Maybe we need to sit together tonight with the others and organize what we know and what we think we know and sort of figure out what our priorities are as far as our next step. What do you think?”

  Craig grinned in Savannah’s direction. “I think you’re a genius, Investigator Savannah.” He looked at his watch, “Two thirty-three. Are you ready to head back to the palace of the unknown evil?”

  ****

  That night at dinner, Ruth was eager to ask Laura about something that had happened late that afternoon just before closing. “Who was that man? Why were you chasing him through the mansion?”

  “Oh, that peculiar man?” Laura said. “Did you see him?”

  “Yeah, what did he do, try to run off with something?”

  Laura shook her head. “No. It was kind of odd. First that crazy granddaughter showed up with your sister.”

  “Yes, I saw them come in, but they did not stay long.”

  “No, they didn’t. When the granddaughter saw the old guy hobble in with his crooked cane, she turned white as a ghost.”

  “Wow!” Savannah said. “Did the guy see her?”

  “Yes. He saw her reaction and he came to me to ask who she was. I told him she used to live here a long time ago when she was a child and that’s when he went berserk.” She chuckled. “Well, as berserk as a guy his age and in his condition can get. When he saw the two women standing near the front door, he fled through the yellow tape into the restricted area, and that’s why I was chasing him. I didn’t know where he was going or what he would do. Nor did I know what I would do if I caught up to him.” She grinned. “Of course, he really wasn’t moving very fast, but what was I going to do, tackle a ninety-year-old man?”

  Once the laughter had subsided, Craig asked, “Where did he go?”

  “I can tell you he ran through the kitchen,” Arthur said. “Suzette and I were coming in for a b
ite to eat and he almost knocked her down. I yelled at him to watch out and he just kept on going.”

  “Where’d he go?” Craig asked.

  Suzette’s face lit up. “He left in a snazzy black Jag.”

  “You probably didn’t get a license number, did you?” Craig asked.

  “Craig,” Iris said, “you’re going to arrest a poor old man for running through a restricted area in a private home? Come on. Maybe he peed his pants and was in a hurry to get to a bathroom.”

  Everyone snickered and smirked at Iris’s remark.

  Craig grinned at his wife and asked Suzette again, “Well, did you get a number?”

  “Sure did,” Suzette said, proudly.

  Craig looked surprised. He smiled. “Hey, a girl after my own heart.”

  “It was personalized: s-p-r-t-b-g-o-n,” she spelled.

  “What?” Craig asked, making a face.

  “I’d say, Spirit Be Gone.”

  “Hmmm,” Craig muttered as he jotted something on a pad he’d removed from his pocket. He looked at Suzette and winked. “Hey thanks, kiddo.” He addressed the others. “I’m going to make a few calls—see what I can find out about him.”

  Just then, Craig looked down at his feet. “Oh, hi there, Rags. I wondered who was bumping me in the calf.” He reached out and petted the large cat as he walked away toward Koko.

  “What are you two up to tonight?” Arthur asked, ruffling Koko’s fur as she wrapped her slender body around his ankles.

  “They seem to enjoy their evenings carousing together, don’t they?” Savannah said, chuckling, as everyone watched the two cats stroll toward the atrium.

  The door chimes abruptly interrupted the mood and everyone was surprised to see Rupert usher in Rochelle and Peter.

  “Hi,” Savannah greeted. When she saw the look on Rochelle’s face, she asked, “Everything okay?”

  Rochelle nodded. She then put her hand on Savannah’s arm. “I want to go in there.”

  “In where?” she asked

  “Where I felt the spirits. I can’t stop thinking about what created that vortex of spirit activity. I want to spend more time there and see if I can pick up anything useful to Miriam.”