by Patricia Fry
Love at First Purr
A Klepto Cat Mystery
Book 45
by Patricia Fry
Love at First Purr: A Klepto Cat Mystery
Book 45
Author: Patricia Fry
ISBN: 978-1-7348751-7-1
All rights reserved
© 2020 Matilija Press
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter One
"Hey! What are you doing? Get away from there!"
"What?" Savannah yelped. She glanced at Colbi, then looked in all directions. "Hello! Who is it? Where are you?" she asked apprehensively.
"Just leave," the male voice demanded. "Go on. Get away from here."
"We're trying to help an injured cat," Savannah explained. "Have you seen it? It's black with a little…"
"That cat's none of your business. Now go on back down the trail." When the women hesitated, the man bellowed, "Get going! I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it!"
Savannah swallowed hard, and asserted, "Not until we find the cat." She motioned to Colbi. "Come on." They'd taken a few more steps when they heard a loud pop. "Gadzooks!" Savannah hissed. "He's not joking. Let's get out of here."
"Right behind you," Colbi said, running to keep up with Savannah's long strides.
Once the women had descended the knoll and rounded the first two bends in the narrow road, Savannah stopped. She leaned over in an attempt to catch her breath. "What just happened?" she asked. "Did we get shot at?"
"Either it was a warning shot or the guy has bad aim," Colbi said breathlessly. She grabbed Savannah's arm. "Who was that? What's his problem? Do you think he lives in that old van we saw in the bushes?"
"Maybe," Savannah said. "I wonder if the Randolphs know about him."
"…and his gun!" Colbi exclaimed. She asked, "Did you see the cats?"
Savannah looked confused. "Back there? You saw cats?"
"Yes. While you were word—sparring with whoever that was in the brush."
Savannah chuckled nervously. "Word-sparring?"
"Yeah, I saw a couple of cats near the van."
"Any that we've seen before?" Savannah asked.
Colbi shook her head. "I'm not sure. I didn't get a good enough look."
After thinking about it, Savannah said, "It wouldn't surprise me. I mean look at all the cats converging on the Randolph place. If that guy has shelter and food, of course they'll find him and take advantage." She paused. "What else did you see, Colbi? I was so busy trying to get a glimpse of whoever it was snarling at us…"
Colbi rolled her eyes. "You mean roaring at us." She thinned her lips in contemplation before saying, "I think I saw an orange tabby looking at me through a fogged-up window in that van and a dirty white cat underneath it. We've seen an orange cat and one that was mostly white down below, but I couldn't tell you if these were the same ones."
"It didn't look like that van was operable. Did it even have tires on it?" Savannah asked.
"I'm not sure, but I saw an old bicycle lying in the brush. Maybe he uses that for transportation—you know, to get food and stuff."
"Or he doesn't actually live there." Savannah frowned. "But what would he be doing out here like this?" M/p>
"Hunting!" Colbi exclaimed. "That's probably why he had the gun. Do people hunt in this area? What, I wonder?" She shook her head. "He could be a homeless person, living in that broken-down van. Why else would he be so eager to protect the area?" She winced. "He sure didn't want us snooping around, but I'm worried about the injured cat. Do you think that guy has it or knows where it is?"
Savannah shrugged. "I don't have a clue."
"And a clue is exactly what we need," Colbi said. "We don't know where the cats are coming from, where they disappear to, and why they won't go into the traps after the…" she grimaced, "…aromatic food we leave for them."
"Maybe because there are so many wild animals around here. I mean, we've caught two opossums, one of the barn cats, and a skunk, so far." Savannah heaved a deep sigh. "Well, let's go back to the Randolph ranch and see if we can come up with a new plan. I refuse to be bamboozled by a bunch of wise-guy cats, or a grumpy, trigger-happy squatter."
As the women made their way down the dirt road Savannah thought back to when she became involved in this, the most convoluted and the most delightful feral cat rescue project she'd ever participated in.
****
Nearly a week earlier, on a Sunday morning, Savannah, her mother, and her two small children had just returned from church.
"Where's Daddy?" Lily asked. "I want my horsie and cow toys."
"Your horsie and cow toys?" Savannah questioned. "Where are they?"
Lily raised her hands above her head. "Way high up in my closet, Mommy."
"I'll get them for you. Daddy went with Damon and Colbi, remember? He's going to help Damon build a catio."
"A what?" Gladys asked.
Savannah chuckled. "A catio—a cat patio. They'll screen it in so Dolly and Lolly can go outside when they want to and be safe. Colbi has wanted one for a long time."
She motioned for Lily to follow her. "Come on, I'll get your game, then I'm going to change my clothes." Several minutes later when she returned to the living room, she asked, "Is someone knocking at the door?"
Gladys glanced up from the sofa. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't hear it. Teddy was singing to me."
"He did it all wrong," Lily complained. "That's not the way you sing it. We don't sing it that way at Sunday school."
Gladys smiled at her. "Your little brother's being creative. It's good to be creative sometimes."
"But it's wrong, Grammy," the child insisted. She scolded, "Don't sing, Teddy. You don't know how."
Ignoring her, or to antagonize her, the toddler sang even more loudly.
"No, Teddy!" Lily shouted. "That's not how it goes."
"Children," Savannah called from the front door, "let's use our quiet voice. We have guests."
"Oh," Gladys said, standing up to greet a woman of about fifty-five and a young girl.
"Mom," Savannah said, "this is Stella, Mrs. Randolph's sister, and Stella's granddaughter, Gabby. Ladies, this is my mother, Gladys, and my children, Lily and Teddy."
"Nice to meet you," Stella said, shaking hands with Gladys. She leaned over toward the children. "What dear little ones. How old are you?"
Teddy held up three fingers.
"You're three?" Stella asked.
"No, he's not," Lily criticized, attempting to fold one of Teddy's fingers down. He's two." She stood up taller and bragged, "I'm four."
"A big girl," Stella said. She asked, "And this is your grandmother?"
Lily nodded. "That's Grammy."
"Grammy!" Teddy shouted, poking Gladys with a finger.
Stella laughed. "You two are adorable." She put her arm across the shoulders of the child with her. "This is my granddaughter, Gabby. She calls me Grams."
Lily giggled. "Gabby?"
"Gabrielle," the child explained. "Gabby's my nickname." She smiled. "Is Lily your nickname?"
Lily nodded. "My big name is…" she turned to Gladys. "What is it, Grammy?"
"Lilliana," Gladys prompted.
"Lilliana," Lily repeated awkwardly. She wrinkled her nose. "I like Lily. That's my real name, Lily."
Everyone smiled, and Gladys asked, "How old are you, Gabby?"
"Twelve," she said. "I just had my birthday."
"Adam's eleven," Lily said. "He's my big brother. He has two houses."
When their guests appeared confused, Savannah explained, "He's my stepson. He lives here part time."
Stella nodded knowingly.
"Won't you sit down?" Savannah invited, shoving a few toys out of the pathway with one foot. "I'm eager to find out about your sister and her husband. Are they home from the hospital?"
Before Stella could respond, Gladys said, "Excuse me, can I get you something to drink? Iced tea, water, coffee? I made iced coffee this morning."
Stella's eyes lit up. "Iced coffee sounds lovely."
Gladys looked at Gabby, who shook her head. "No thank you."
"Can we interest you in a cookie?" Savannah asked, enticingly. "Grammy made ginger cookies yesterday."
Gabby nodded. "Yes, please."
"I want cookie," Teddy said, following Gladys out of the room. "Cookie, Grammy!"
"Yes," she said, taking his hand. "Want to help Grammy?"
"No," he said. "I want cookie."
"Me, too," Lily called, running after her grandmother. "I'll help you, Grammy."
"You have a cat?" Gabby asked when Glori sauntered into the room. "How pretty," she crooned. "I love calicos, especially fluffy ones. Can I pet her?"
"Sure," Savannah said. "She loves attention. Her name's Glori."
Stella frowned. "Poor thing. Gabby absolutely adores cats, but she can't have one right now because her mother's living with a man who's allergic."
"Mom says he's not really allergic," Gabby reported. "He just doesn't like cats. That's why I can't have one."
Stella watched as Gabby sat down with Glori on her lap. "I know honey, and you love cats so much."
When Gladys returned, Stella took her iced coffee, thanked Gladys, and continued, "She had a lovely cat when Kayla moved that man in."
Gabby pouted. "He scared her away. I looked for her everywhere and we never could find her." She rubbed her face against Glori's fur. "I sure do miss Franny." She looked at the others. "That was her name, Franny. She was a long-haired tortie—you know, orange and black." She ran her hand over Glori's fur. "Like her, only without the white."
"I'll bet she was pretty," Savannah said, "but what a shame. I can't imagine what it's like to be deprived of the pets you love most."
"Yeah, Harley said I can have a snake." Gabby made a face and explained, "Harley's my mother's boyfriend. Or I can have a tortoise, but no cats." Sarcastically, she added, "The only dog he'll allow in the house is a pit bull. I don't want a dog, I want my cat," she wailed.
Stella clenched her teeth. "Why that daughter of mine chooses him over her own child…"
Savannah winced. "Hard to understand." Changing the subject, she asked, "Stella, how's your sister?"
"That's what I came to tell you." She chuckled. "And to thank you and your incredible cat." She ran her hand over Glori, who lay comfortably on Gabby's lap. "Is this the cat that found my sister and brother-in-law?"
Savannah shook her head. "No."
Lily moved closer and petted Glori, saying, "Her ears were broken."
When the others looked at Savannah, she explained, "Glori's a rescue who came to us with a pretty severe hearing problem. Thankfully, it's much better. She can hear well enough to stay safe—you know, when Teddy chases her with his trucks or something." She glanced around the room and asked, "Lily, do you know where Rags is? Gabby and her grandmother might like to meet him."
Lily nodded and pointed. "In Buffy's bed." She ran into the dining room and peered into one of the pink canopy cat beds. "Hi, Buffy," she said. She looked into the other one and called out, "Here he is. Want to see Rags?"
When Glori jumped off Gabby's lap the child walked to where Lily was and peered into the cat bed. "His name's Rags?" Gabby asked.
Lily nodded. She wrapped her arms around the large grey-and-white cat. "Come on, Rags. Come see Gabby."
Rags, however, wasn't ready to get up, nor was he interested in meeting new people at the moment.
"Just leave him alone for now," Savannah said. "He'll be up snooping around soon enough." She asked Stella, "So they're home?"
"Yes," Stella said. "They're still a little dopey from whatever drug they were being given." She scowled. "Those low-life crud-balls. They could have killed my sister and her husband." She raised her eyebrows. "In fact I'm sure that was their plan all along—after they got what they wanted. They were after the ranch, you know. They tried to steal it right out from under them."
Savannah nodded. "I'm so glad they're home and doing well. That was sinful what happened to them. Were they able to identify the..." she laughed, "…the crud-balls?"
"I believe so," Stella said.
Gladys asked, "Will Mr. Randolph resume ranching?"
Stella raised her eyebrows. "Yes! They actually found some of their herd and they'll be able to get them back."
"Really?" Savannah said. "That's great. And his horse? My husband, Michael, said he had quite a special horse."
"Darla came home," Gabby said, returning to the living room. "…and the chickens and the bunnies."
Stella nodded. "Yes, Randy found out where the small farm animals had been taken and the folks were more than happy to return them once they knew the story—you know, about those men illegally taking over the ranch and kidnapping Loretta and Randy and all."
"Cool," Savannah said. "And what about the ranch hands?"
"Randy was able to reach two of them," Stella said. "He was worried that they'd met with foul play. One of Randy's and Loretta's biggest concerns now is their personal identification. Those weasels who tried to finagle the ranch away from them destroyed most of their papers. They'll have to start fresh with their insurance company, driver's license—you know... That's one reason why Gabby and I are here. We'll stay with them for a while and help them get back on their feet and rolling again." She smiled. "Gabby wanted to take a break from her home, so I talked my daughter into letting me have her maybe for the rest of the summer."
Savannah smiled. "Very nice." She asked, "Gabby, have you seen the cats at your uncle's ranch?"
More excitedly the child said, "Yes. There sure are a lot of cats, but most of them I can't touch. They're fraidy cats. The barn cats will let you come a little close, but they aren't pets either." She frowned. "Can you imagine having all those cats around and you can't cuddle with any of them?"
Savannah chuckled. "Oh, that would be painful."
"You've seen them?" Gabby asked.
"Yes, when Rags and I were over there trying to find your aunt and uncle. There were a lot of cats and yes, they were frightened. I'd like to see about helping your aunt and uncle manage those cats—you know, make sure they're healthy, and maybe find homes for them."
"Who's going to want a wild cat like that?" Stella asked. She shuddered. "They look ferocious to me."
"That's because, as Gabby said, they're afraid," Savannah explained. "Often, cats in a feral colony come from homes. They've become lost, or their family moved without them, or they escaped while traveling. Some cats are purposely discarded in unfamiliar territory. Each of them has a story, and most of the stories will tear at your heart."
"That's sad," Gabby said. "No cat should be without a home. I'd take them all home if I could."
Savannah smiled at her.
Stella said, "When your mother kicks out that cabbage head, then maybe you can have a cat again."
"She's going to kick him out?" Gabby asked, wide-eyed.
Stella grinned. "I'm sure she will. She always does. Well, you know how many so-called stepfathers you've had."
Gabby nodded. She took a deep breath. "I wish I could just stay with you all the time, Grams. It's so calm with you." She smiled. "And I could have my own cat."
"Yes you could, my love," Stella said, "but that's not the reality right now. We have to do the best we can with what we have at the moment."
"Where's your dad?" Gladys asked. When Gabby hesitated, Gladys apologized, "I'm sorry. That's none of my business."
Stella waved a hand in the a
ir. "Oh, it's okay. Roland was a wonderful father to Gabby. She doesn't remember much about him because my daughter moved with Gabby when she was a toddler and left no forwarding address. I was sworn to secrecy, but I knew that wasn't right." She looked at Savannah, then Gladys. "All Kayla wants from Roland is the child support. He contacts me from time to time to ask about Gabby." She shook her head. "I just wish he'd grow a backbone and fight for his child."
"He's awake," Gabby said. "Look, Rags is coming out of his bed. Can I pick him up?"
"Sure," Savannah said, "he likes children, especially big girls like you are."
Gabby carefully lifted Rags, and carried him to the sofa where she sat down with him. She laughed. "Oh no. What's he doing?"
The others laughed as well. "He's playing with the ribbon on your pigtail," Savannah said. "He likes pigtails. Lily and I have pretty much given up wearing ribbons in our hair because of him."
"He pulls my hair and steals my ribbons," Lily complained.
Gabby smiled at the child, and began wiggling one of her braids for Rags. She hugged him. "He's cute and funny. I like funny cats." More seriously, she asked Savannah, "How will you catch the cats at the ranch? Do you know how many there are? You can't pick them up like I just did with Rags. Will you wear big gloves like people use when capturing bald eagles?"
Savannah chuckled. "Bald eagles?"
Gabby nodded. "I watch those animal rescue shows on TV. A scared wild cat can be as dangerous as an eagle or an owl."
Savannah smiled. "I belong to a group that works with feral cats."
"You do?" Gabby prodded.
"It's called the Hammond Cat Alliance," Savannah explained.
"And you tame feral cats?"
"Well, we try to educate people about the care of cats and the importance of spaying and neutering. We do fundraisers to help cat shelters…"
"Do you do TNR?" Gabby asked.
Savannah grinned at her. "You are well-informed, aren't you? Yes we do, and we might arrange for a cat to be fostered in order to…"
"Teach her how to be happy living with people?" Gabby asked.
