The Corral Cat Caper (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 7)

by Patricia Fry

  "Yeah, nearly five of it in either direction is trails overgrown with brush," Bonnie said.

  Elsie continued to stare at the two women. "I make do," she said.

  Just then, something caught Savannah's eye. She glanced to the right and spotted a medium-size dog walking on three legs. One back leg dangled from the hock. "That dog's injured," she said, concern in her tone.

  Elsie glanced at the dog and back at the riders. "He's okay," she insisted.

  "Looks like he has a broken leg. He's probably in pain," she said as she climbed down off her horse, handed Bonnie the reins, and started walking toward the dog.

  "It's none of your business," Elsie said. "Leave him be."

  Savannah turned to face the woman. "I'm a veterinarian. Please let me take a look at him. Maybe I can help."

  Elsie moved in front of Savannah and stood blocking her path. "I'd rather you just leave. I can take care of my own."

  "Savannah, let it go," Bonnie said. She checked her watch. "I really need to get back."

  Savannah looked at the terrier mix, glanced at Elsie's stern face, and reluctantly walked back to her horse. She lifted herself up into the saddle and the two women rode off in the direction from which they had come, Bella darting in and out between the two horses.

  After they'd ridden for a while, each with their own thoughts about their encounter, Bonnie broke the silence. "Barney went over our list of clients like the detective suggested and he flagged a couple of them."

  "Flagged them?" Savannah questioned.

  "Yeah, he's considering them possible suspects."

  "Really?" Savannah said, eyebrows raised. "Anyone I know?"

  "I don't think so. One is a spoiled kid whose mother has him taking roping lessons trying to keep him out of trouble. Barney doesn't get along very well with this kid. He can be a strict teacher—more so for someone who doesn't want to learn."

  Savannah frowned. "So he thinks this kid might be taking the animals for spite, because he's unhappy with Barney?"

  "Could be, I guess."

  "What about the other one—same kind of situation?" Savannah asked.

  "No, the other one is an older guy who has trouble paying his board bill. Barney told him a few weeks ago that he's fed up with his lackadaisical way of paying—or I should say—not paying. They had words."

  "Why would someone retaliate when they're the one in the wrong? He's getting the services and he owes the money," Savannah reasoned.

  "You know what it's like to be in business," Bonnie said. "There are some weirdos out there. This is one of those people who thinks he should get a free ride everywhere he goes. According to Barney, he made some threats—said he'd report us for animal abuse, withholding feed from his horse because he's late in paying, and things like that."

  "Holy cow, Bonnie," Savannah said, "that's awful. What's wrong with people? Is Barney going to tell Craig about this?"

  "He did. And Craig said he knows the guy—he has brought accusations like this to the department about some of his neighbors, and other businesses in town—a feed store and a massage parlor, would you believe?"

  "Hmmm. Does he have a record? I mean has he done anything to harass these other people?" Savannah asked.

  "I think so. The detective was vague, but he gave Barney the idea that this guy is capable of revenge." Bonnie thought about it for a moment. "I can't imagine him going to the trouble of taking these animals out this direction, though. But he might hire someone to do it."

  Savannah laughed. "Yeah, hire them and not pay them, probably, right?"

  Bonnie joined in with the laughter.

  "Well, let's hope Craig can find out if he's the culprit and stop him in his dang tracks," Savannah said.

  "Here-here!" Bonnie agreed.

  ****

  "Hi hon," Michael said when Savannah walked through the front door. "How'd the ride go?"

  "Good, but tiring," she said, smiling. "Whew, I'm probably going to be sore tomorrow. It's been a long time since I've sat in a saddle."

  "What did you find out—anything?" he asked.

  "Not really," she responded. She looked around. "Where's Lily?"

  "Taking a nap." He laughed. "I think I wore her out playing peek-a-boo-kitty."

  Savannah chuckled. "Peek-a-boo-kitty?"

  "Yeah, with Walter. I'd lift that blanket he sleeps under and he'd open his eyes and sometimes yawn, and Lily would laugh and laugh. Doesn't take much to entertain our little girl, does it?"

  "No. She is interested in the world around her." Savannah glanced at the clock over the mantel and said, "I'm going to take a shower and get the sagebrush and horse smell off me. Then I'll fix lunch."

  "Yes, I want to hear more about your ride."

  Fifteen-minutes later, Savannah joined Michael in the kitchen. "Well, look at you," she said, scanning the table. "Isn't this nice?" She sat down and took a closer look at the plate in front of her. "What is it?"

  He set a glass of iced tea at each place and said, "A sandwich."

  "I can see that." She lifted one slice of bread and frowned. "What kind of sandwich?"

  "Ham, goat cheese, spinach, and raisin on pumpernickel with chipotle mayo," he said proudly. "Healthy, hearty…and maybe a little spicy," he added, winking.

  "How creative of you, chef Michael. Sounds yummy."

  "Well, I figured you needed more than a salad, so I put the salad in the sandwich," he explained.

  "Clever idea," she said. She took a bite. "And it's tasty. I'm impressed." She looked at Michael as he bit into his sandwich and asked, "Are you sure Max didn't have something to do with this?"

  Michael looked sheepish. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

  "Oh, I don't know—maybe because my aunt's husband is a former chef and I've never seen you even look at a recipe."

  "Well, he did give me the mayo dressing when Lily and I walked over for a visit this morning." He grinned and added, "And the idea."

  Savannah laughed. "Still a good job. Thanks for doing this, hon."

  "Sure. So you had a good ride, did you?" he asked.

  She set her sandwich down, threw her head back, and took in a breath. "Oh Michael, I so enjoyed being out in the wilderness on horseback again."

  "So the horse worked out okay? You were a little concerned about going without…your mare."

  "Yes. Wilson was a very good boy. I felt safe. He surprised me with his strength and endurance, though. I thought he was a sorta namby-pamby horse."

  Michael laughed. "Namby-pamby?"

  "Well, yeah. As I told you, he's the horse Charlotte and other disabled children ride. I didn't think he had…grit."

  "So it was a challenging ride? What did you encounter—shale, hills, cliffs?"

  "Not so much as thick brush, like no one or nothing has been through it for a long time. Next time, I'll wear chaps."

  "You'll be doing this again?" he asked.

  "I hope so."

  "Did you find any clues to the missing animals?"

  "No, darn it. Not a trace of them." She took a sip of tea and said, "But we met an interesting squatter."

  Michael choked a little on his tea. "A squatter?" he repeated.

  "Yeah, this elderly woman has taken up residence at an old abandoned place in the middle of the brush." She leaned forward and spoke with animation. "Michael, there are no roads in or out of that place. I didn't see any horses or mules there. She's like ten miles from civilization—except for Bonnie's place, which is maybe five miles away. What does she do—walk out to the highway and hitchhike, receive deliveries by helicopter? I still can't believe she lives out there."

  "Why didn't you ask her?"

  Savannah recoiled. "Well, she wasn't exactly cordial, if you know what I mean. She pretty much ordered us off the property." She leaned toward him. "Michael, she had a dog with a broken leg and wouldn't let me take a look at him. I might have been able to bandage it so the leg was stable, at least." She shook her head. "But she wouldn't let me on the pr
operty—wouldn't let me near the dog. Broke my heart."

  Michael wiped his mouth with a napkin. "That's odd. Who is this woman?"

  "She said her name's Elsie. That's all she would tell us."

  "Elsie?" Michael said in contemplation. "A woman named Elsie came in last week with an injured raccoon, of all things."

  "A raccoon?" Savannah said. "You didn't tell me about that."

  "Guess I forgot."

  "Was it wild? How did you manage?"

  "No," he said, "it was young and I guess a pet. It looked as though it had been attacked by a dog or another wild animal, maybe."

  Savannah stared at her husband. "What did this Elsie look like?" she asked.

  "She was about eighty, maybe."

  Savannah's interest was piqued. "How was she dressed?"

  "Oh gosh," he said, trying to remember, "I think she wore a dress and sport shoes. I believe she had on an apron, too. I remember thinking it was odd seeing sport shoes with a house dress and an apron. She evidently doesn't drive. When I walked out with her to the waiting room, she asked Scarlett to call her a taxi."

  "Did she have white hair?"

  "Yes, I believe so."

  "Pulled back in a tight bun?"

  Michael thought for a minute and said, "I only saw her that once. I don't really remember…oh wait, yes, I can visualize her. I remember not being able to see her face real well because of her hair. It was long, but kind of curly around her face."

  "Was she rude and unfriendly?" Savannah asked.

  "Oh no, she was most charming," he said. "…a sweet old gal who obviously loves animals."

  "Hmm," Savannah said, "not the same Elsie, I guess."

  The couple ate in silence for a few moments and then Savannah said, "Bonnie told me they have a couple of suspicious clients—people who might be suspects in the rustling."

  "No kidding?" Michael said. "How so?"

  "Well, one, in particular, sounds like a total jerk and maybe a scam artist. He's a relatively new boarder there and he doesn't seem to think he should have to pay. When Barney approaches him about the bill, he spews threats. Barney has Craig checking this guy out." She looked toward the counter where the baby monitor sat. "Sounds like she's awake. Goodie, I missed her." She stood and headed for the nursery. "Hi Buffy," she said when she encountered the Himalayan-mix cat walking toward her. She bent down and petted her lush fur. "Did you come to tell us the baby's awake?"

  ****

  Savannah had just finished bathing and dressing Lily the following morning when her cell phone rang.

  "Hi Savannah, I want to talk to you; is this a bad time?"

  "Oh hi, Bonnie." She looked at Lily who was propped up in her recliner chair watching Rags take a bath. "No, it's fine. What's going on?"

  "Well, we had a visitor last night."

  "What? What kind of visitor?"

  "It was around midnight. Bella woke us up. When Barney looked out the window, he could see a light—like a flashlight flickering near the chicken coop."

  "Oh my gosh, Bonnie. What did you do?"

  "Me? I shook in my boots—well, in my slippers," she said with a nervous laugh. "But Barney grabbed his shotgun and a flashlight and headed out the door with Bella. The dog took off like a shot toward the coop, Barney on her tail. Of course, the light disappeared. Barney couldn't see anything much because he had grabbed a flashlight that was about at the end of its battery life. They came back to the house defeated. Barney was furious. The chickens were all worked up—we didn't have many eggs this morning. Not sure if this guy took eggs or if the hens were too stressed to lay."

  "So you think he may have taken eggs?" Savannah asked.

  "Probably. We should have had nearly a dozen this morning and there were only three. And, as near as we can figure, two chickens are missing."

  "Did Barney get a look at the guy? Is it that deadbeat boarder of yours?"

  "No, he doesn't actually have a description. There are shoe prints in the area, but there's nothing unusual about them. He said that Bella took off toward the barn after the guy, but Barney called her back." Bonnie choked up. "He didn't know if the guy might have a gun or knife or something."

  "Darn it, Bonnie. This must have you really freaked out. But all he took this time were chickens and some eggs? No livestock are missing, huh?"

  "No, they're all accounted for. But I don't like that he's getting more brazen—coming closer to the house."

  "I don't blame you," Savannah said. "But hey, maybe Barney scared him away this time. Now that he knows you're onto him, maybe he won't come around again. It's probably some homeless guy out foraging for breakfast."

  "Could be, I guess. What do you suppose he's doing with the animals, though? Selling them to buy booze or something?"

  "Hmmm, I wonder," Savannah said. Then she changed the subject. "Hey Bonnie, how are you coming with your dog-boarding facility? Are you still planning to board small animals?"

  "Yes, Barney should have the pens completed in a few days, actually."

  "Oh good. Hey, we may need your services this weekend," Savannah said.

  Bonnie's tone lightened. "Really? Why? I mean, are you going out of town or something?"

  "Yes. We're taking Lily down to LA to visit her grandmother and I don't want to leave the cats and dog home this time. We would normally board them at the clinic; but I'd rather they have more company than they'd get there on a weekend. Besides, we're clearing out the kennels Saturday and spraying for pests. So could we bring you three cats and a dog for a three-or four-day stay?"

  "Sure. That would be great…only…"

  "Only what?" Savannah asked. "Is there a problem?"

  "Well, I sure don't want anything to happen to them under our care. I mean…with that creep coming around and all. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

  "I thought about that. It appears the guy is after livestock and food. I don't think he'd bother with cats and dogs, do you? Plus, you have the kennels and pens right there near your house and he hasn't been venturing in that close."

  "I guess you're right," Bonnie agreed. "He hasn't bothered our barn cats. Let's see how the rest of the week goes. I won't blame you if you change your mind; but if you decide you want to board them here, certainly I would love to have them."

  "Good. Let's talk later in the week."

  "Savannah," Bonnie said, "thank you."

  "For what?" she asked.

  "For trusting us—for being a friend."

  "Of course, we trust you. And Bonnie, I do believe we'll get to the bottom of the thefts and that I will get my horse back. In fact, today I plan to contact all the local horse clubs and veterinarians, the livestock transport company over in Straley, and some of the ranchers we know, alerting them to be on the lookout for Peaches."

  "Good idea," she said.

  "I'll also let Craig know about the visit you had last night. Maybe he can have someone investigate the homeless camps in your area."

  "Thanks, oodles. Enjoy your day."

  ****

  "You did what?" Michael shouted.

  Savannah turned to face her husband. "I made arrangements to board the animals at Bonnie's for the weekend."

  He walked past her to the other end of the living room and back again, running his fingers through his straight brown hair. Stopping in front of her, his blue eyes piercing hers, he asked, "Why, Savannah? What were you thinking?"

  "We need a place for them. Bonnie's trying to get her kennel going…" She paused, tilting her head, her blond hair flaring across one shoulder. "Michael, she's a friend."

  "A friend who's being robbed…someone is taking animals—animals!" he said, accentuating the word. "He took your horse, for God's sake, Savannah…" He began pacing again. "I just don't know why you would do this."

  "Well calm down, come over here, and I'll tell you," she said.

  Michael perched on the edge of the sofa next to her.

  "Think about it, Michael," she said. "Whoever is doing the rustling i
s after livestock, not cats and dogs." She laughed. "Who would take ordinary cats and dogs?"

  "Excuse me," Michael said, staring into Savannah's face. "May I remind you that your own cat was kidnapped last year?"

  She said, "I know, but…"

  He interrupted. "And what about all the cats that creep Russell Bray and your aunt's relative took a couple of years ago?"

  "Oh Michael, you weren't there when Bonnie, Barney, and I met with Craig. We figured out that whoever is taking the livestock is staying away from the house. The kennels and cat pens are close to the house." She frowned. "I asked about that decision. I mean, what if the dogs bark at night?" Savannah smiled and shook her head. "Do you know what Bonnie said? She said she'll just bring lonely dogs inside."

  Michael let out a sigh. "You're not convincing me, honey."

  "Let's do this, Michael," Savannah said quietly, "it's not dark yet, let's go over and take a look at the Teagues's facility, shall we? If you still don't think it's a good idea, we'll figure out something else." She enticed him to make eye contact with her and said, "Deal?"

  He grimaced. "Okay, I'll go that far. But, Savannah…"

  She stood and pulled him up by one hand, which she wrapped around her waist. She put her hands on the back of his neck and looked into his eyes. "No buts. Let's call Bonnie and see if we can go out there and look around." She glanced at the clock over the fireplace. "Lily should wake up in a few minutes. Oh look," she said. "Here comes Buffy. She must be awake now."

  Michael kissed Savannah. He then released her and picked up Buffy in one swoop and held her to him. "You're quite the little babysitter, aren't you, Buffy," he murmured while petting her lush cream-and-brown fur.

  ****

  "Hi guys," Bonnie greeted when she saw Savannah and Michael stroll toward the round corral where she was lunging a filly. She commanded the young horse to stop and then patted her on the neck. "Good job," she said.

  Michael walked closer to the corral. "She's a beauty," he said. "Is she yours?"

  "No, I'm working her for a client. He wants to show her in the confirmation class at an upcoming show. He hopes to take her on the circuit and he needs a well-behaved horse." Bonnie stared at the filly. "I think she's going to do well in the ring. She's willing and seems level-headed." Bonnie turned and looked past Michael and Savannah, calling out, "Hey, Raul, would you cool her down and put her in the corral out back?" Before Raul led the horse away, Bonnie said, "Be sure to lock the gate."