The Secret Claws

by Patricia Fry

  He grinned at her. “I know.”

  “Hello,” Savannah greeted, entering the living area where Holly and Keith stood talking to an unshaven man of about forty-five.

  “This is Charles Rankle,” Holly said. “He came for the lamp.”

  Charles chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t know why my wife put it out at the curb.” He scoffed, “She thinks she’s going to be some big-time designer or something and she’s always getting rid of my things to make room for her stuff. I tell her she’s not going to make a living in this economy, but she thinks she should follow some sort of dream. Dreams are bull, I tell her. The only thing you can count on is hard facts that are in front of you—you know, like my disability check. Dreams are stupid for people at our age, anyway.” He grinned at Keith and added, “Unless you’re dreaming about a cherried-out hog.”

  When he saw the others staring at him quizzically, he said, “Well, I’d better take my lamp and be on my way. Hey, thanks for calling me.” He picked up the lamp and walked out the door, saying, “I really like this thing.”

  After Holly closed the front door, she grumped, “My patooty.”

  “What does that mean?” Keith asked.

  “He doesn’t like that lamp any more than I’m attached to my broom or my dust mop,” she explained.

  He frowned. “Why do you say that?”

  “He lacks sincerity. Don’t you think so, Savannah? You noticed that, didn’t you?”

  She nodded. “I agree. There was definitely something not quite right with that guy.” She stiffened her posture. “I especially didn’t like the condescending way he talked about his wife and her dream.”

  “Yeah,” Holly agreed, “the self-centered jerk.”

  “You psychedelic women,” Keith said, shaking his head.

  “Psychedelic?” Michael questioned when he joined them with Teddy in his arms.

  “Yeah, you know, they manufacture things in their head—make things up about people. I could see this guy liking his lamp. He probably needs it to read his motorcycle magazines from his thirty-year-old recliner chair while he collects his disability check.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “It’s the key,” Savannah said quietly. When the others looked at her, she continued, “The key is what he really wanted.” She grinned. “And we have that. I put it in the secret hiding place in our bedroom for safekeeping until Iris gets here.”

  “Secret hiding place?” Michael asked.

  She nodded and explained, “Where Rags and Dolly found Craig’s mother’s diary that time we girls stayed up here.”

  “Where is it?” Adam asked.

  “Yeah, where?” Cassie wanted to know.

  “Just never you mind,” Savannah said. She then asked, “So who’s going across the lake today?”

  “We’re going fishing again, aren’t we, Dad?” Adam asked.

  “Can I go fishing?” Cassie asked.

  “Sure, honey,” Keith said, “if you want to.” He looked at Holly and Savannah. “What are you gals going to do?”

  “There are some shops over there I want to spend more time in,” Holly said.

  Overhearing this, Bethany asked, “Can we go to the playground, Mommy?”

  “I want to swing,” Lily chirped.

  “Sure, honey,” Savannah said, “and we can go to the zoo, if everyone has enough energy left after shopping and swinging.”

  “There’s a zoo here?” Michael asked.

  “Yes, a small one featuring wild animals from the area that have been injured or for some other reason can’t be returned to the wilds. There’s also a little bookstore I’d like to check out. They may want to carry Rags’s books.”

  “Can Rags go with us today?” Bethany asked, petting him.

  “Yeah, Lexie’s going fishing with us,” Adam said. “Rags doesn’t want to stay home alone.”

  “Cats don’t like water,” Cassie reasoned. “He’ll probably be afraid in the boat.”

  Savannah tweaked one of the child’s pigtails. “Oh, he’s ridden in those boats before. He didn’t mind it.”

  Keith looked quizzically at her. “Really?”

  “Yeah, he takes things like that in his stride.”

  “So he’s going with us?” Michael complained.

  “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry about him. I’ll take care of him.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” Michael muttered under his breath.

  “What?” Savannah asked.

  Michael clapped his hands together and spoke more excitedly, “I said, ‘is everyone ready to go?’”

  “Yes,” several of them chanted.

  Before they could gather up their things, however, there was a knock at the door.

  “Must be a door-to-door salesman,” Keith quipped.

  “Answer it and see what he’s selling,” Holly suggested while she helped Bethany with her sweatshirt.

  “I’m not cold, Mommy,” the child said.

  “It’s chilly this morning in the shade,” Holly reasoned.

  “And on the lake,” Savannah said, slipping Teddy’s jacket on him.

  “That’s right,” Michael said. He exaggerated a shiver. “I’m going to wear my sweatshirt for the boat ride.”

  Just then they heard someone shout, “Well, you’d better damn well find it!”

  Michael dropped the tackle box he’d just picked up and joined his brother at the door. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Oh, hello, Mr. …um Rankle, right?”

  “I want that key, that’s what’s going on, and your clone here tells me he doesn’t know what I’m talking about.”

  “Key?” Michael asked, playing dumb.

  “It’s one of those keys people have been finding around town. We got one wrapped in our newspaper addressed to my wife, actually, and I…I mean she wants it back.”

  “What makes you think we have it?” Michael asked.

  “Because…” he started. He looked at Michael, then Keith, and glanced into the room at the others before lowering his voice. “Because I put it in that lamp for safekeeping. And now it’s gone.”

  “Oh, so that wasn’t your favorite lamp after all.” Michael chided. “Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Rankle. Possibly it fell out of the lamp when it was being moved.”

  “I’ve already looked around on the street where my wife stupidly put the thing, and I can’t find it. It has to be here someplace or maybe in the car that transported the lamp up here.”

  “Or,” Keith suggested, “someone found it on the ground in front of your house and they picked it up.”

  The man ran his hand through his hair and looked menacingly at the brothers. He took a couple of quick breaths and spouted, “Well, you’d better not be lying to me or I’ll…”

  “You’ll what, Mr. Rankle?” Keith challenged.

  He huffed and puffed a couple of times in frustration, then started to leave. He suddenly turned back. “Listen, the scuttlebutt is that whoever got the keys will receive something valuable—like maybe money or a car or a house, and I can sure use something like that.”

  “Yeah?” Michael patronized.

  “Yeah. I’ve been wanting a new bike—you know, a hog, and I don’t know anyone who deserves it more than I do for all that I’ve gone through these past years—you know, disability pays peanuts. I haven’t had the cash to do anything, except sit in front of my fifty-five inch TV all day and eat frozen pizzas and burritos.”

  Keith narrowed his eyes. “I thought that key was addressed to your wife.”

  “Oh, um…well, you see…” he stammered.

  “Never mind,” Michael said. “Say, we need to get going. If we find that key, we’ll sure let you know. Want to leave your phone number?”

  Michael punched the number into his phone as Charles Rankle recited it, then he closed the door behind him.

  “I don’t like him,” Holly complained.

  “Why?” Keith asked. “Because he’
s arrogant and pushy?”

  “Yes, and because of his attitude about his wife.”

  “Of course,” Keith said, smiling.

  “It sounds like it’s her key,” Holly explained, “and if there’s money involved, she should get to follow her dream to design clothes or do home décor or whatever it is that she does.”

  “How do you know that’s what she wants to do?” Michael asked.

  “He told us that yesterday when he came to get the lamp.”

  “Sandwiches are packed,” Gladys said, handing a small canvas cooler to Adam. “There’s one for each of you, plus apples, pears, and cookies, and an extra sandwich in case someone is extra hungry today.”

  “Thanks, Grammy,” Adam said, taking the cooler from her.

  “Yeah, there’s no chance of us going hungry when you’re around,” Keith said, pulling her to him affectionately by the shoulders.

  Gladys grinned and blushed.

  ****

  “That little girl’s crying, Mama,” Bethany said after they’d stepped out of the boats on the other side of the lake. She tugged on Holly’s jacket sleeve. “Mommy, what’s wrong with that little girl?”

  “Have a good day!” Savannah called as the men prepared to motor off in one of the skiffs with the older children and Lexie.

  Keith called, “Wish us luck.”

  “Good luck,” Holly said.

  The women and small children, with Rags on his leash, waved from the dock as Keith navigated the boat across the lake.

  “Mommy, that little girl’s sad,” Bethany said.

  “Where, honey?” Holly asked, looking around.

  Bethany pointed. “Under that table.”

  “Oh dear,” Savannah said, frowning. “I don’t see anyone with her or who seems to be looking for her.” She strapped Teddy into his stroller, glanced to make sure Gladys was holding Lily’s hand, and tugged on Rags’s leash.

  Holly hastened her pace. “Yeah, we’d better go see what’s going on.”

  As they drew closer to the child, Rags became aware of her and he began pulling on the leash, seemingly toward the little girl. In fact, he was first to approach her. When she saw him, she reached out and petted him and he sniffed her face. By the time the others had caught up, Rags was sitting on one of the girl’s legs and she had her arms wrapped around him.

  Holly leaned down so she could see the child. “Do you like the kitty? His name’s Rags.” She smiled. “He sure likes you.”

  The little girl nodded and held fast to the large cat.

  Savannah crouched next to Holly. “Where’s your mommy or daddy?” she asked. “Do they know where you are?”

  The girl shook her head.

  “Will you come out here so we can talk to you?” Savannah asked. When the child didn’t react, Savannah took Lily’s hand and led her closer. She motioned for Bethany to join them. She told the little girl, “This is Lily and this is Bethany. They’d like to play with you.” Hearing no response other than an occasional hiccup, Savannah asked, “What’s your name, honey?”

  The child took a ragged breath and said, “Shelby.”

  “Shelby, would you and Rags like to come out from under there and see Lily and Bethany?” Savannah reached in for Rags and lifted him out, hoping the child would follow, and she did. When Savannah released the cat, he sat down next to Shelby and looked up at her.

  Holly kneeled to the child’s level and asked tenderly, “Shelby, what are you doing out here all by yourself?”

  “Mommy and Daddy are mad at me,” she said, inhaling a flutter of breaths.

  “And you ran away?” Savannah asked.

  Shelby nodded.

  “Why are they mad at you?” Holly coaxed.

  “Because I…I…” she stuttered, “I lost the key…” she wailed. “I didn’t mean to. I don’t know how it happened.”

  Suddenly they heard a voice behind them. “Shelby, what’s wrong, dear? Are you hurt?”

  “Oh, good morning, Jennie,” Savannah greeted. “She says she ran away from home.”

  Jennie frowned. “Oh my.” She looked around. “Listen, she looks cold, why don’t you bring her to my house and let’s get her warmed up. I wonder how long she’s been out here like this. She’s probably hungry, too.” Jennie took the child’s hand. “Let’s go make you some cocoa and toast. Want some hot cocoa with baby marshmallows floating on top?”

  “Can he come with us?” Shelby asked, nodding toward Rags.

  “Of course.” Jennie took a double take, then asked Savannah and Holly, “Is that your cat?”

  Savannah nodded.

  Jennie was quiet for a moment, then she muttered, “A cat on a tether. Amazing. Quite amazing. Well, come along, everyone. Let’s get to the bottom of Miss Shelby’s escape.”

  The child took Jennie’s hand and the others followed them to Jennie’s home. Once the children each had a cup of hot chocolate, Jennie sat down next to Shelby and said, “Now, honey, tell us what happened.”

  Shelby looked up through round brown eyes. “I lost Daddy’s key. He and Mommy started yelling at each other and I got scared. I went outside so I couldn’t hear them.” She began to tear up. “I didn’t know what to do.”

  “That wretched key,” Jennie said under her breath. Suddenly she thought of something. She instructed, “You wait here with Lily, Bethany, and…” she hesitated, “Mr. Cat, okay?”

  “Okay,” Shelby said, taking another sip of the cocoa. When she reached down to pet Rags, the cocoa in her hand tipped and Holly grabbed it before it spilled. She smiled at the child and suggested, “Shall we put it over here on the table?”

  Shelby nodded, then swiped her arm across her face to wipe off her chocolate-and-marshmallow moustache. She dropped to the floor and enveloped Rags in her arms, laying her head on him. Seconds later, she sat up and asked, “What’s his name again?”

  “Rags,” Bethany said, petting him. “He’s a smart cat.”

  When Jennie returned, she handed Shelby a small metal box. “Here, honey, take this to your daddy. It’s one of those keys. Tell him you found it or whatever you want to tell him. Give it to him and say you’re sorry. They must be so worried about you. When did you leave, anyway? Last night?”

  “No. While Mommy was fixing breakfast.”

  “Where does she live?” Savannah asked.

  “On the other side of the Timber Café. I just phoned her dad and he’s on his way over to get her.”

  Before Savannah could respond, there was a knock at the door. “Miss Jennie?” a man called.

  “Yes,” Jennie said, walking to the door using her cane. She opened it and invited the man inside. “She’s just fine, as you can see. A little chilly, is all. She forgot to take her sweater with her when she went out to play this morning.”

  Shelby looked up at her dad. She handed him the box. “I found the key. Here’s your key.”

  “What?” he asked, taking the box. “So you did take it outside to play, did you? Where was it, at the school playground?”

  She shook her head and watched as he looked inside the box.

  He smiled and patted her head. “Good girl, Shelby. That’s Daddy’s girl.” He looked around briefly at the others, then took the child’s hand. “Shall we go home, now?”

  “Okay,” she said. She lay across Rags and embraced him, murmuring, “Goodbye, Rags. I love you.”

  Savannah and Holly smiled at one another and Holly said, “Goodbye, Shelby. It was nice meeting you.”

  The child waved at the group, then left the house with her father.

  Savannah put her hand against her chest and said, “What a sweet child.”

  “Yes she is,” Jennie agreed, her stare lingering several seconds after the child. “Yes, she is.”

  “That was awfully generous of you to relinquish your key to her,” Holly said. “Aren’t you curious about why you were given a key?”

  “Sure I am. But it means mor
e to me that Shelby is safe and if that’s what it takes, oh well.”

  “What’s their story?” Holly asked. “I mean, why would he and his wife become so uptight about that key as to cause their child to run away?”

  Jennie sat down. “Well,” she said, “Shelby’s mother was diagnosed with cancer last year and then her daddy got laid off from his job. It’s been rough. His parents left them a nice home down the mountain when they passed, but the kids lost it because of her expensive treatments. I guess they’re looking at that key as a possible life raft that will save them from drowning in debt. From the sounds of it, they’re putting a lot of stock in the possibilities around that key.” She grimaced. “I sure hope they’re not disappointed again.”

  “Is he working now?” Gladys asked.

  “Yes, for peanuts. He’s a hard worker, but he’s had to stick with a low-paying job in order to stay close enough to help out with Shelby and her baby brother on those days when Darlene’s too sick to function.” After a moment of silence, Jennie smiled at the others. “So what do you ladies have planned for today?”

  “We have quite an itinerary,” Gladys said.

  “Yeah,” Bethany interjected excitedly, “the zoo, the toy store…”

  “Swings,” Lily added.

  Jennie smiled at the children, then cocked her head. “Toy store?”

  Holly laughed. “Oh, I think she means the general store. She saw toys in there.”

  “Of course,” Jennie said.

  “What are you doing today?” Savannah asked.

  “Oh, probably not much; just watching over this village to make sure all is well with everyone.”

  “So you’re the gatekeeper?” Gladys asked, smiling.

  Savannah chuckled. “The palace guard of the mountain?”

  Jennie nodded. “You might say that.”

  “How about joining us for lunch later? Are you available?” Savannah asked.

  “Yes,” Holly agreed. “Good idea.”

  Jennie thought for a moment. “You know what? I’d love to do that. Which of our limited cafés do you prefer?”

  “You choose—you’re more familiar with them,” Holly suggested.

  Jennie’s face lit up when she asked, “Have you been to the Bear’s Den?”