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

by Patricia Fry

  "Hey, this is cool," Damon said looking around.

  Michael agreed. "I didn't even know it was here."

  "How many students do we have today, Glenda?" Savannah asked.

  "The same group of three. I thought it would be wise to invite the same children who are already comfortable in the program. I just hope they'll be able to relax in front of the film crew."

  "From what I understand, they'll be as inconspicuous as possible. The videographer is accustomed to shooting animals." Something caught Savannah's eye and she said, "Oh, here's Rob. Rob this is Glenda Cathcart, the librarian." She motioned toward Colbi. "You met Colbi yesterday, right?"

  "Sure did," Rob said, acknowledging her. He nodded in Glenda's direction. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for setting this up. Do we have permission slips from the parents?"

  "Yes, right here," she said, handing him a folder.

  Savannah turned and saw that Michael and Damon were on the other side of the courtyard and not paying attention, so she said to Rob, "Well, you met my husband. I'll introduce you to the local news reporter in a minute." She smiled at the man walking up behind Rob, noticed that he was laden down with what appeared to be camera equipment, and said, "This must be your videographer."

  "Hi, I'm Lance," he said reaching out for Savannah's hand.

  "Hello Lance; Savannah," she said, shaking hands with him.

  Colbi took his hand briefly in greeting as Savannah looked over at the small book shelf. Hmm, the children have read most of these, she thought. Without glancing up, she called out to Glenda.

  There was no response. She looked at the librarian and noticed that she was preoccupied, as she stood stock-still, her stare fixed on the cameraman. That's odd, Savannah thought. Does Glenda know him? It seems as though she's trying to place him. Savannah looked in Lance's direction and noticed that he was busy unloading his equipment, seemingly oblivious to Glenda's presence. He's good—looking in a schoolboy kind of way, Savannah observed. But it isn't a "he's hot" kind of vibe I'm getting from Glenda. There's something else on her mind. She sidled up to Glenda and quietly asked, "Do you know him?"

  Glenda jumped a little. "Uh…oh…I…" she stammered. She looked at Savannah briefly. "I thought I did, actually, but no, I don't think so," she said as she scurried out through the door to the main portion of the library.

  In the meantime, Michael and Damon stood on the south side of the courtyard, staring down at the cement steps. "Savannah told me about this oddity," Michael said. "It is strange to see stairs leading slam against a solid wall, isn't it?"

  "Yeah, sorta, I guess," Damon said.

  Michael studied the situation. "Hey, I'll be right back." When he returned, he said to Damon, "Just as I suspected—this is a free-standing wall. There's a deck on the other side." He scratched his head. "But why the stairs? Very odd construction."

  Damon turned and surveyed the open-air room. "Well, the wall almost matches the other three walls. Obviously, in order to secure this space, they had to put a wall here."

  "Yeah," Michael said, running his hand through his hair. "I get it. But why these stairs to nowhere? Doesn't make sense to me."

  "Michael," Savannah called, "the children will be coming in a few minutes. Do you want to find a place to sit or stand out of the way? We don't want any distractions."

  "Can I stand near the door in case Lily fusses?"

  "Good idea, depending on where the camera's facing." She addressed Lance. "Which direction will you be shooting?" she asked. "Do you need to take the natural light into consideration?"

  "How astute of you," Lance said with a broad smile. "Ever been a videographer?"

  Savannah blushed. "No," she said, waiting for his response.

  He stared at her, grinning for a moment and then answered, "Okay, how about if I shoot in this direction," he said. "But the lighting here is pretty good at all angles, so the kids and cats can settle wherever they're most comfortable."

  Just then the door opened and a plump woman in her fifties ushered Jasmine, Jerome, and Gloria into the room

  "Hi Dolly," Jasmine said, rushing over to the kitten's carrier.

  Janice scooted in behind her with her white angora in her arms and apologized for being late.

  "Hi Bayley," Gloria said, walking up to pet the cat.

  "Where's Rags?" Jerome asked.

  Savannah scanned the room and said, "Oh, I guess he's still in that carrier over there. Do you want to let him out?"

  "Sure," the boy said as he rushed toward the cage.

  Savannah called after him, "Remember to move slowly around the cats, Jerome."

  "Excuse me."

  Savannah turned to face the woman who had accompanied the children. "Oh, hello."

  "Hi, I'm a library volunteer. The parents want to know when to pick up their kids."

  As Savannah contemplated the question, she noticed that the woman was focused on something across the room. Savannah turned and saw that she was staring at Lance as he worked to set up his camera equipment. Well for heaven's sake, she thought. What's the appeal? She glanced in Colbi's direction. She doesn't seem particularly interested in the cameraman. She took in a ragged breath, shook her head, and said to the volunteer, "In about an hour, I'd say."

  "Huh?"

  "The parents can pick up the kids in about an hour," Savannah repeated.

  "Uh…okay," the volunteer said.

  Savannah couldn't help but notice the woman taking one more glimpse at Lance before leaving the courtyard.

  ****

  "That was kinda fun," Michael said as the couple drove home from the library later that afternoon. "Rags gave them some good footage, don't you think?"

  "Yeah, I'm pleased. I think Rob was, too. I was surprised the children were so relaxed, under the circumstances."

  "It took them a while to get their minds off the camera and begin reading, but once they focused on the cats, they seemed to go off into another world," he said. "It was really interesting to watch." She sat next to him in the car this time because they had such a short distance to go. "He patted her leg and said, "Hon, you're doing a great job with your program. I'm impressed. And Damon is, too. He got a kick out of the cats and the kids. He took a few pictures with his phone, so there may be a nice spread in the newspaper this weekend."

  "Great."

  "So what's next on the filming agenda?" he asked.

  "The crew will be out interviewing more of Rags's friends and associates today and tomorrow."

  "Associates?" Michael said with a chuckle.

  "Sure, they've already interviewed Detective Craig and Colbi. They want to talk to Deputy Jim…also Auntie, and probably Charlotte. They'll be out at our house Saturday."

  "Good, I'll be there," Michael said…at least in the afternoon." He turned toward Savannah. "Did you know there's a storm headed our way?"

  "Well, I wondered. It's been kind of cloudy."

  "It's supposed to hit Friday and rain all weekend."

  "That shouldn't cause any problems, should it?"

  "Will they want to film Rags going outside?" he asked.

  "I don't know. But I'm sure we can work that out."

  The couple rode in silence for a while and then Savannah turned to her husband and said, "By the way, Michael, did you see that woman who came into the secret garden while we were filming?"

  "No, I didn't notice. Who was it?"

  "That old woman who drives the decorated golf cart around. You've probably seen her."

  "Oh yes, I know who you mean. She has flowers and bows and toys all over it."

  "That's her," Savannah said. "Well, she came in through the gate and just stood there for a while, watching. She was wearing the most god-awful hot-pink, paisley, polyester pants and a red, big-brimmed hat with huge sunglasses. I don't know how you missed her. I asked if she was looking for someone and she said, 'Not anymore.'" Savannah scrunched up her face. "I got to thinking later that was a strange thing for her to say."

  "Well, she
's not all there, is she?" he asked.

  "I suppose not." Savannah was silent for a few minutes. "I wonder what her story is," she mused, not expecting a response. She thought for a moment and then said, "You know, it appeared to me that she was focusing on the cameraman." She waved her hand in front of her. "Oh, that's ridiculous," she said. "I must be mistaken." She turned toward Michael, "But it sure seemed as though some of the other women were taken by him—so maybe she was staring at him."

  Michael lowered his brows. "I didn't notice that. Are you sure?"

  "Oh yes," she stated with certainty. "I caught Glenda staring at him. She actually became speechless when he arrived. The library volunteer couldn't keep her eyes off him, either. And yes, the more I think about it, I'm certain that the golf-cart lady was gawking at him, too."

  "What about Colbi and Janice Tuttle?" he asked, as if humoring her.

  "I didn't notice whether he was of interest to Janice, but, no…" she shook her head. "Colbi only has eyes for Damon."

  "So you think the women all thought he was good-looking or something?" he asked.

  "I don't know for sure. But somehow, I don't believe that's it." She thought about it for a moment and said, "No, it was more of a recognition thing…like they know him or knew him. Michael, I think he has a past."

  Amused now, Michael said, "A past? Well, hon, we all have a past."

  "Sure, but the way everyone looked at him, I think his could be…maybe sinister."

  ****

  Saturday morning, as predicted, it was raining. A few men from the film crew had arrived at the Iveys' the day before to set up a ten-by-twenty pop-up tent with panels on all four sides. "This is our break tent," the older man, known as Crank, had told Savannah. "We bring in fans for hot weather and a heater for cold weather," he had said. He assured her that they would run the electrical off of a generator that "purred like a kitten." She noticed later that they'd outfitted the temporary shelter with a large ice chest, ashtrays, a trash can, and a table and chairs.

  "How many of you will there be?" Savannah had asked Crank and his helper, James.

  "Dern near ten," Crank had said. When Savannah looked surprised, he explained, "Well, you got yer lighting people, the editor, clean-up people—we don't wanna leave a mess here for ya—camera guys, Rob's assistant, and some of them bring guests."

  "Guests?" Savannah asked.

  "Husband, wife…some bring their girlfriends instead of their wives. You know how it is," he said with a wink.

  "Uh, I guess I don't," she admitted.

  By ten that morning, it was raining pretty hard. Rob had instructed Lance to walk around with Savannah and shoot video of Rags doing what he typically does. He assigned his assistant producer/editor Cheryl, to accompany Lance and take notes. Introductions were informal. She doesn't leave much to the imagination, Savannah thought, unable to ignore the fact that Cheryl was wearing skin-tight jeans and a low-cut, breast-hugging mint-green top, covered only partially by a cropped denim jacket that looked two sizes too small.

  That's more cleavage than I've seen since I left Los Angeles, Savannah thought. "Pretty scarf," she said, referring to the small floral scarf Cheryl had tied around her neck.

  "Thanks." Cheryl reached back and lifted her long, blunt-cut dyed-black hair off her neck, then adjusted the scarf. "I like the fifties look—you know, Fonzie, "Happy Days," and all..."

  "This is Julie," Lance said, motioning toward a stout but solid woman who, like Cheryl, appeared to be in her thirties. She had bleached-blond hair, too much eye makeup, and a colorful tattoo showing just above her low neckline. "She helps me with the lighting," he explained.

  "Nice to meet you," Julie said. "Great house!"

  Savannah reached out and shook her hand. "Thanks."

  After a few hours of filming, Rob joined the group in the service porch, where Savannah was trying to lure Rags into a cupboard for a reenactment scene. Rags wasn't in the mood, but he did jump up on the kitty shelf Michael had installed for the cats so they could look out the large kitchen window. Lance got footage of that. He also filmed Rags interacting with Lexie, which was a rare occurrence.

  "Are they friends?" Cheryl asked.

  Both Savannah and Cheryl were outfitted with portable microphones, and Savannah responded by saying, "Not really, at least in Rags's mind. He allows the other animals to live here, but he knows he's kingpin. Lexie, on the other hand, considers the cats hers. She and Walter were best friends when Rags and Buffy moved in. Lexie doesn't understand why the other two cats won't play with her like Walter does. She's actually kind of a mother hen. She likes knowing where the cats are and what they're up to."

  Cheryl laughed. "So you have the kingpin and the mother hen. How would you describe Walter's and Buffy's roles within the household?"

  "Well," Savannah said, "Buffy is pretty much the little princess. She's the oldest at around ten years old—so maybe she's the queen bee. She knows her place and demands it, but always in a sweet, non-confrontational way. She's a favorite of any guests who love to have a cat curl up in their lap. As for Walter…" she said, stopping to think about her next sentence. "Walter is kind of a loner. He's dependable. You know just about where he is at any time of the day or night. He still loves Lexie. He's the only one who will allow her to lick him. The other cats don't want any part of Lexie's grooming attempts. I guess you'd say that Walter is an all-around good boy. He's gotta be to put up with the likes of Rags and Lexie."

  At that, Rags made a leap down from the kitty perch.

  "Does he always jump down like that? Doesn't he use those steps?" Rob asked.

  "No, he likes to make the jump. He's pretty athletic."

  "He's into extreme sports, huh?" Lance said, laughing.

  Rob addressed Lance. "Is it a good time for us to go over the footage you got today?"

  "Sure," Lance said, turning off the camera. He packed up his equipment and then reached for his dark-blue flannel shirt he'd left draped over a wooden chair before heading out the side kitchen door.

  "Savannah, we'll get back to you in an hour or so and let you know what's next," Rob said. He winked and suggested, "Now go relax."

  She nodded, saying, "Thanks."

  Once the crew had left, Savannah poured herself a glass of water. She carried it into the nursery, where Margaret had been entertaining Lily. "Hi," she said.

  Margaret put a finger up to her lips in a shushing gesture and smiled down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Savannah smiled, as well. She whispered, "Want me to put her to bed?"

  Margaret hugged Lily to her, kissed the top of her head, and answered, "If you must."

  Suddenly, the two women heard a new voice. "So this is where everyone is."

  "Shhhhhh," Margaret and Savannah shushed in unison as Savannah lifted the baby and started to lay her in the crib.

  "Wait," Michael whispered loudly. He bent down and kissed Lily, smoothing her soft brown curls before Savannah laid her down.

  "So how's it going?" Michael asked, as they walked together down the hallway and into the living room.

  Savannah took a few sips from her water glass before responding. "Been a busy morning. Rags got a lot of attention. A whole crew followed him all over the house with their camera, recorder, and fancy lighting."

  "Recorder? Was he being interviewed?" He laughed. "What did he say?" He stopped and turned quickly toward Savannah. "He didn't tell any of the family secrets, did he?"

  "Pshaw," Margaret scoffed. "Family secrets? What family secrets?"

  Rob had just stepped into the kitchen when the trio entered. "We're going to get out of your hair for a while," he told Savannah and Michael. "We're heading downtown for something to eat. When we get back in about two hours, we'd like to shoot some footage upstairs with you, Savannah, Rags, and his…what do you call it… stash?"

  "Okay," Savannah said. "I'll fix us some lunch, let Rags have a catnap, and we'll be ready when you return."

  "I'd recommend the diner," Michael said a
s Rob turned to leave.

  Rob looked back at Michael. "Oh?"

  "They have pretty good food."

  "Where is it?"

  Lance had just walked into the room behind Rob. "I know where it is."

  "Oh, that's right, you used to live here," Savannah said. She turned to Margaret…glanced in Rob's direction. "Rob, you met my aunt this morning. Lance, this is Margaret Sheridan—used to be Forster. Auntie, this is Lance...uh…I'm sorry…"

  "That's okay," he said. "It's Grayson." He offered his hand to Margaret. "Nice to…uh… meet you."

  Margaret stood as if a statue and stared at the man.

  "Auntie," Savannah said, in an attempt to get her attention.

  "Oh," she said, jumping a little. "Hi," she greeted, reaching out and shaking his hand. "Are you back to stay?"

  Lance studied Margaret's face, frowned, and said, "Not sure. The jury's still out."

  Margaret stared at the man for a few more minutes and then abruptly turned and said, "Gotta go guys, if you don't need me anymore."

  "Sure, you're excused," Savannah said, "…unless you'd like to have lunch with us. There's leftover lasagna and a green salad with that raspberry vinaigrette you like."

  Margaret's face brightened for a moment. Then she glanced at the two men who were leaving through the side kitchen door. "I think I'll take a rain check. I'd better go make sure my man gets his lunch. Thanks anyway." She headed for the front door, opened it, and said, "Holy cow, it's really coming down out here."

  "Be careful, Auntie. Do you need an umbrella?"

  "No. I'm okay," she said as she disappeared through the opening, closing the door behind her.

  "Well that was odd, wasn't it?" Savannah said as she looked from one door to the other.

  "What?" Michael asked.

  "My aunt's reaction to the cameraman."

  Michael thought about it for a moment and then said, "Humph, I guess I didn't notice. What did she do?"

  "Well, nothing really. She just…well, I think she knows him."

  "Didn't seem like it to me. She wasn't very cordial."

  Savannah pointed her finger at Michael. "Bingo, that's just it. She knows him, but she doesn't like him. I think she has some sort of history with him."