The Celebrity Cat Caper (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 6)

by Patricia Fry

  "I know you do. Let's make it a point to have her visit more often. She hasn't been here since Lily was born, has she?"

  "No. She's due." Savannah smiled. "She does love seeing the videos and pictures I send though, and we use your computer camera sometimes to visit. You knew I sent her a camera for her computer, didn't you?"

  Michael nodded while picking up Lily. He held her close. "Family is sure important, isn't it?" He looked over at Savannah. "I wish my parents were here. They died too young to know either of their grandchildren, or you. They would have loved you."

  ****

  Later that morning, Savannah had finished bathing and feeding Lily. She held the baby in her arms while reading a nursery rhyme out loud.

  Rap-rap. "Vannie?"

  "Come in, Auntie—door's open."

  Margaret pushed her way in, placed her hands on her ample hips, and scolded, "What have I told you about leaving your door unlocked, young lady?"

  "I knew you were coming."

  "Okay, then," she said, relaxing her stance. She rushed toward Savannah. "Awww, look how precious. You're reading to her?"

  "Yes, watch this." Savannah began to read and baby Lily stared up at her as if she were hanging on every word.

  "Pshaw! Old King Cole?" Margaret said. "How about the Three Little Kittens?"

  "Oh, she likes that one, too, and There Was a Crooked Man. She's not discriminating. She's a literary little thing."

  "Let me hold her—go get me a cup of that yummy herbal tea you make."

  "Okay," Savannah said, handing the baby over.

  "Got any muffins or brownies or cookies?"

  "As a matter of fact, peach pie. Interested?"

  "Yeowza!" Margaret said. She followed Savannah into the kitchen with Lily in her arms.

  "So tell me about your meeting with the filmmaker."

  "It went well. He laid everything out for us—what we can expect if we decide to do it…"

  "Yeah, I'll just bet."

  Savannah turned toward her aunt, a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"

  "There's always more to these things than they reveal."

  "Like what?" Savannah asked.

  Margaret's dark eyes flashed. "Oh, you never know until it happens. But don't you believe for a second that everything will run smoothly and on schedule, because that won't happen. There will be wrenches in the system—always is."

  Savannah squinted in her aunt's direction. "How do you know so much about filmmaking?"

  Margaret watched her niece begin to slice the pie before saying, "I've seen movies about filmmaking and I read. I once saw a reality show with these dudes who were making a movie together. You should have seen the problems they ran into." She bounced Lily a little in her arms and said as if speaking to her, "No, doing a movie is not always a slam-dunk activity." She paused, adjusted the baby in her arms, smiled down at her, and then said, "And your movie depends on the behavior and mood of a cat—a very opinionated cat, if you ask me."

  Savannah turned to face her aunt. "So you think we shouldn't do it?" she asked.

  "No, don't let me stand in your way. If you want to do it, be my guest. I just think you should know the reality of moviemaking, that's all."

  Savannah frowned while serving the pie. "Maybe it isn't such a good idea, after all."

  "Why, just because I pointed out a few negatives? Come on Vannie, it might be fun, and educational, and entertaining. Not to mention lucrative. They are going to pay you, aren't they?"

  Savannah's eyes lit up. "Yeah—a pretty good sum, actually."

  "Then why are you thinking of not doing it?"

  Savannah cocked her head and stared over at her aunt. "Uh, well…"

  "Oh, you've gotta do it, Vannie. What are your reservations?"

  Savannah narrowed her lips. "Well Auntie, you started with the negatives."

  "And you're gonna take me seriously? What do I know?" she said with a laugh.

  Savannah stared at Margaret and shook her head. She took in a deep breath and said, "Last night I was all gung ho. But this morning, I'm wondering if I want to subject our peaceful household to all that potential chaos. Will it freak out Rags and the other animals? How much of our time will it take? What exactly will be expected of us?"

  "Didn't the director…or producer…or whoever…explain all that to you?"

  "Yes, but, like you said, there can always be extenuating circumstances. Unforeseen things."

  Margaret stared at her niece. "And it's attitudes like yours that keep us from experiencing life and all it has to offer."

  Savannah was silent. "Yeah, Auntie, you're right about that. There are many wonderful things in my life that I might have missed out on if I hadn't taken a chance and walked into the unknown. Marrying Michael, having this wonderful child…"

  "It's true, Vannie. Everything is unknown until we experience it, right?" She then asked, "How does Michael feel about it?"

  "He kind of left it up to me." She thought for a moment and added, "You know, I think I'll tell Rob we'll do it. It will be an adventure and it could be kind of fun. Like Michael and I discussed, it might also be positive publicity for the reading program."

  "Good. Can't wait to tell everyone about my cat nephew, the movie star."

  "Oh. so that's it," Savannah teased. "You just want bragging rights."

  "Ouch, little one, that hurts Great Auntie," Margaret said as she gently untangled strands of her bobbed hair from the baby's grip. She then pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket and handed it to Savannah. "Here, take a picture of me and the princess so I can send it to your mother."

  Savannah took the phone. "Okay, smile." She looked at the picture and then at her aunt and said, "Auntie, have you lost weight?"

  "A little. Not as much as you have. You look just like you did before you gave birth to this angel."

  "Well, thank you. I think I'm just about there. Maybe a few more pounds."

  "Then you'll be too skinny. You look good where you are." Margaret studied her niece. "So what size jeans are those?"

  "I think they're nines. I used to wear eights. But what about you…how much have you lost? Are you dieting?"

  "Just trying to eat better. Max is dealing with a small health issue and needed to change his diet some. I decided to try it myself—makes grocery shopping and cooking easier if we're eating the same things." She stood up, cradled the baby in one arm, and pulled at one side of her jeans. "Yes, I guess they are getting a little loose."

  "Well, good for you, if that's what you want," Savannah said.

  "What I want is to be thin like you," she said. "But that's not going to happen. You're the only modern-day Brannon to get the tall, fair genes. Even your sister is dark and squatty like your mom and me."

  Savannah put her hand over her mouth and gasped. "Yikes, you'd better not let Brianna hear you call her 'squatty.'"

  Margaret set Lily in her infant swing and knelt down to her level. "I'll bet you're not going to be short and you certainly didn't get the Italian coloring, you sweet blue-eyed girl," she cooed.

  "Yes, the pediatrician says she is high average on the height scale. She predicts Lily will be over five-eight."

  Margaret looked up at Savannah, "So she'll outgrow the chubbies?"

  "I'm pretty sure, Auntie," Savannah said with a smile. "I've seen pictures of Adam when he was a baby and he was plump, too."

  "Now he's a miniature replica of his good-lookin' dad, don't you think?"

  "Oh yes," Savannah agreed. She then glanced at her watch and said, "I have a meeting this afternoon with Glenda Cathcart to talk about the reading program. Do you want to stay?"

  "When?" Margaret asked.

  "In a little over an hour. I need to feed Lily and get her down for a nap."

  Margaret thought about it for a moment. "I think I'll pass. I'll get out of your hair so you can get things ready. Sorry for taking up your time this morning." She bent down and tickled Lily's tummy. "I just miss this little girl—ne
ed to have my Lily fix. Isn't that right, pretty girl?" she cooed as the baby smiled, gurgled, and kicked her feet.

  ****

  An hour later, the doorbell rang and Savannah rushed to welcome Glenda Cathcart. "Come in."

  "Thanks," Glenda said, stepping inside. She looked around. "What a nice home. Always wondered about this place. What's the history?"

  "This is the old Forster home, built around 1900. My aunt married into the Forster family and she ended up with the house. When she married Max Sheridan, she moved into his place next door and Michael and I eventually bought this property from her."

  "Nice."

  "We really love the old place. Michael is a weekend renovation warrior, you know. So he enjoys the opportunities and challenges a place like this can offer. He's done some nice upgrades."

  "I didn't realize that. I know your husband, though, as a veterinarian. We've taken our Lab to him a few times."

  "Oh, small world."

  "Small community," Glenda said with a chuckle.

  "Would you like a cup of tea?" Savannah asked. "We can sit in the dining room."

  "That would be nice."

  Once the tea was poured, Savannah set a plate of fruit-filled cookie bars on the table and the two women sat down. "Apricot and plum filling from our orchard," she said, motioning toward the cookie bars.

  "They look scrumptious. So you're into home-canning?"

  "Yes. Ever since we brought the old orchard back to life, I feel obligated to use its gifts. So I can fruit and make jams. I also freeze some of the fruit."

  "You do all of that with a baby?"

  "She's a marvelously good baby, but we haven't had a harvest since she was born. I hope she likes watching me do canning this summer." Savannah laughed. "Maybe she'll want to help someday." She glanced toward the doorway and said, "There's one of my greatest obstacles when it comes to getting things done around here."

  "Oh, look at this. Isn't he regal? Is this Rags, the therapy cat?"

  "Yes," Savannah said. "But he's also a kleptomaniac, so guard your purse. He's a thieving snoop," she said with a laugh.

  Glenda chuckled. "Should we run a background check on him before allowing him on the library grounds?"

  Savannah shook her head. "Wouldn't do any good. He's now considered one of the team down at the sheriff's office." She leaned toward Glenda and lowered her voice. "He's their favorite snitch."

  "I've read about him. That's hilarious," she said. "Does he have accomplices or is he an only pet?"

  "No, we have Walter…he's curled up under the afghan on that dark-plum chair in the living room. He's black and easy to miss. Buffy is part-Himalayan. She's probably in with the baby—loves the baby."

  "Gasp! Isn't that dangerous?"

  "No, it's not dangerous for a cat to be with a baby, unless a large cat were to lie across a tiny baby, perhaps, or scratch the baby. But Buffy isn't interested in getting in the crib. She doesn't actually pay much attention to Lily. She just likes being in the room with her, especially when she's sleeping. When Lily wakes up, here comes Buffy to let us know naptime's over."

  "How cute," Glenda said.

  "We also have a dog. She's out in her pen enjoying the sunny day. Do you have children?"

  "Yes, a boy, eight and a daughter who's thirteen."

  Savannah leaned forward. "Tell me how you came to be a librarian."

  Glenda took a bite of a plum-filled cookie bar, then swallowed a sip of tea. She said, "I've been working within the library system for about ten years. I started out as a volunteer. I've always loved books and being around them. I knew, by the time I was in college, that I'd either be a librarian or I'd own a bookstore. I was assistant librarian at another library branch when Leslie got…sick. I was asked to take her place temporarily and it worked into a permanent position." Glenda looked at Savannah. "Did you know Leslie Sparks?"

  She shook her head. "My aunt knows her. She said she was librarian for a long time and then she just disappeared. Is she still living?"

  "Oh yes, I think so. She had a breakdown of some sort. As far as I know, she's still in a care facility."

  "What a shame. How old is she?"

  "About my age, actually—maybe thirty-eight or forty."

  "I wonder what caused her breakdown," Savannah mused.

  Glenda placed the cookie on a napkin and folded her hands in front of her. "Her husband disappeared, you know. Some think he met with foul play. There was something mysterious going on around that whole thing. Leslie was a very pretty woman." She laughed. "Not your typical librarian," she said, pushing her large-framed glasses up on her nose. "In fact, she was stunning. Could have been a model or an actress. I didn't know her well—we attended some of the same functions, and I worked with her a few times before taking over her position. From my vantage point as an employee in the library during that time, I could see that she had some drama going on in her life—you know—personally. When her husband disappeared, things got pretty crazy at the library. Strange people were coming in at odd hours and doing odd things and boy, were the rumors flying."

  Savannah frowned. "Strange people doing odd things? Like what?" she asked.

  Glenda rested her chin in her palm and spoke more softly. "Renovation."

  "Renovation?" Savannah looked confused. "Why would that be odd?"

  "Well, I don't think the workers were…you know…sanctioned by the library system, and they were coming in at odd hours—after hours. I don't even think most of the employees and volunteers and—certainly, patrons—knew it was even going on. I came in early and stayed late in those days, trying to take up the slack for poor Leslie. She was terribly overwhelmed."

  "Did you ask her about the construction projects?" Savannah asked.

  "Sure, of course, but I never got a straight answer. By then, Leslie was pretty well off in that fog." She thought for a moment and added, "She could have been taking some sort of drug. And suddenly she was hospitalized and the rumors really revved up. I haven't thought about all that in a long time."

  Savannah sighed deeply. "I guess we just never know what's going to happen to us, do we?" She stood and picked up the teapot off the warmer on the buffet. "Here, let me warm up your tea and we'd better get some business done before the baby wakes up and before you have to head back to the library."

  Glenda smiled widely. "Yes, good idea. But I've enjoyed the chatting. I don't get out much with female friends, anymore. My world is kind of one-dimensional." She patted Savannah's hand. "This has been fun."

  Savannah smiled. "Yeah, I've enjoyed it, too." She placed the teapot on the warmer, sat down, and asked, "So, how did the school district respond to our idea?"

  "They love it!" Glenda said with animation. "They'd like to receive a formal proposal and then we can move forward."

  "Is there any chance that we can test the program in the meantime?" Savannah asked.

  Glenda hesitated, brushing strands of her thick brown curly hair from her face. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea, actually."

  "It would be useful from our point of view—to learn which of our cats will work for this program, how long the various cats can go before they need a break, how to help students relax with the animals so they both stay calm, and so forth."

  "I get it. Yes, let me see about pulling together some of our homework students for a couple of reading sessions."

  "Homework students?" Savannah asked.

  "Yes, they come to the library after school and hang out until their parents get home from work," Glenda explained.

  Savannah sat back in her chair. "Sounds good. So when can we start?"

  Glenda thought about it and said, "How about Thursday? School's back in session after spring break. I'll get maybe four students to participate and you can use the secret garden."

  "Is it secure?" Savannah asked. "I mean, cats can't escape from there, can they?"

  "No. It's all enclosed—just open to the sky on top. It's quite charming. You've never seen it?" she as
ked.

  "No, I'm sorry to say. But I'm sure I'll be bringing Lily to enjoy the library in a few years." Savannah looked over at the baby monitor. "Speaking of our cherub, it sounds like naptime's over." She stood and headed toward the nursery. "Yup, here comes Buffy, like clockwork."

  "What a beautiful cat," Glenda said when she spotted the small fawn-and-brown cat. "Is she friendly?"

  Savannah bent down and ran her hand over Buffy's fur. "Very—she loves attention and a warm lap. I'll be right back," she said as she continued down the hallway.

  "Sure."

  When Savannah returned with Lily, who was wearing a fresh diaper under her lavender-print bloomers and matching baby dress, she noticed a lot of kitty activity around Glenda. "You've attracted the whole menagerie there," Savannah said with a laugh.

  "I guess so. I lifted Buffy to my lap and then Rags and Walter decided to join us."

  "Uh-oh," Savannah said. "Rags has found something interesting in your purse."

  "Oops, what is that?" Glenda tried to get a look at what he was walking off with. "You know, I think it's just an old receipt. Nothing I need. Let him have it," she said.

  At that, Rags stopped, dropped the piece of paper, and headed back toward Glenda's purse. Both women began to laugh.

  "Well, for heaven's sake," Savannah said. "I've never seen him do that. He heard you say you didn't want it, so neither does he. He'd rather dig up something you can't live without."

  "No, no!" Glenda said, lifting her purse off the floor and quickly zipping it up. Rags wasn't so easily deterred, however. He continued to stand on his hind feet and reach for the purse with his front paws. Glenda frowned as if in disbelief. "This is the cat you want to bring into the reading program?"

  Savannah laughed out loud. "Doesn't appear to be very well-behaved and docile, does he?"

  "No, he's rabidly going after my purse." She chuckled. "Will the children be safe with this animal in the building?"

  Savannah laughed.

  Glenda looked down at the cat in her lap. "Will you bring this sweet thing?" she asked.