by Patricia Fry
"What kind of history?" Michael asked, opening the fridge in search of the lasagna. "Were they involved in a demonstration together—fellow activists?"
"I don't know. All I know is that there was a flutter of recognition, and whatever she recalled about him was not especially pleasant."
As Michael placed the lasagna in the microwave, he said, "Maybe they got arrested together or he left her to take the rap." He faced Savannah, his eyebrows raised. "I know, it was a jewelry heist. She was the ringleader and he ran off with all the loot."
Savannah rolled her eyes. "Michael, be serious."
"I am being serious. What else could it be?"
Savannah took the salad dressing from the refrigerator and shook it before setting it on the table. "It probably has nothing to do with crime, for heaven's sake, unless…" She reached for plates and bowls.
"Unless what?" he asked.
"Well, maybe it was a cruelty to animals or a hoarding situation and she had him arrested." Savannah stopped abruptly and spun around. "Hey, that's my cell. I'll bet it's Auntie with a story about Lance." She smiled as she rushed toward the phone, which was charging on the buffet in the dining room. "Ooooh, I'll bet this is good…"
Savannah returned to the kitchen, cell phone in hand, just as Michael pulled the lasagna out of the microwave. "Was it her?"
"No. It was Iris asking about the shoot today. I told her I'd call her back," she said. "I'll call my aunt later, too. I just hope she wants to talk. I'm really curious now."
****
Two hours later, Savannah carried Lily up the stairs, placed her in a stroller, and wheeled her into Adam's bedroom. Rob and Lance followed. Cheryl was assigned the task of helping the second videographer, DeeDee, film the other household pets.
"So this is the cat's stash!" Rob exclaimed when Savannah opened the closet door.
"Yup. Well, he hides things in other places, too, but this is where we've found most of the incriminating evidence he's discovered over the last few years."
"Like what?" Lance asked, camera lens poised on Savannah.
"A letter that helped identify a dead woman, a business card that turned out to be crucial in Colbi's rescue, a bandana that led to an arrest, a baseball cap…"
"He can carry a baseball cap in his mouth?" Rob asked.
Savannah smiled. "Yes; just look at some of the stuff he's taken recently."
The cameraman zoomed in on the pile of items in the closet. "Is that a wallet?" he asked.
Savannah took a closer look. "Oh my gosh," she said as she picked it up.
Rob chuckled. "Whose is it?" he asked from across the room.
Savannah opened the small canvas wallet and peered at the name on the driver's license. She squinted pensively over at Rob. "It's yours. Robert Z. Willoughby," she read.
Rob quickly stood, patted his back pocket, then dug his hands into the front pockets of his cargo pants. "Well, I'll be," he said. "That little scoundrel must have sneaked it out of my jacket pocket."
Lance laughed out loud. "That's rich. Better count your cash," he said, making sure to keep the camera rolling. "The cat may have stiffed you."
Savannah sighed. "Yes, he actually likes money. We can't leave bills lying around." She began pilfering through the pile of Rags's things as the cat watched. Every once in a while, he'd step in and sniff one of the items.
"Get out of the way, Rags, I want to see if you have any money in here," she said, nudging him back with one hand. After a few moments, she turned toward the others, holding something in her hand. "Well, here's what's left of a dollar bill."
"So he shreds things, too?" Lance asked, laughing again.
"Not always. Savannah said. "Some things he leaves intact and other things he chews to bits. We don't know how he decides what needs shredding."
Rob took a last look at his wallet before stuffing it into his pocket. He shook his head and said, "I don't know how he got his paws on this."
"Savannah," Lance said, still laughing, "you should greet all your guests with chains so they can secure their wallets to their belt loops."
"Good idea," she agreed. "We do have a designated shelf for female guests' purses down in the dining room."
"Really?" Rob said, shaking his head in disbelief. "So what else is in his stash?"
Savannah looked over at Lily, who was currently interested in the mobile spinning around above her. She reached into the closet and pulled out a small stuffed bear. "As you can see, he brings some of the baby's toys up here. And, let's see…here's a potholder, a tea bag—he has a thing about tea bags—some of the pieces to Adam's farm set. Here's a horse, a tractor, a couple of chickens…" She turned to Rags. "Adam looked all over for these when he was here last time."
"What's that paper there?" Lance asked.
Savannah reached for it. She examined it for a moment. "Oh dear!" she exclaimed. "Michael's jury summons. I'll bet he forgot all about this."
Lance had to turn the camera off because he was laughing so hard. "That cat's a riot."
Just then Rags walked into the closet. As the trio watched, he stepped out, dragging something between his front legs.
"What the…" Rob started. "Hey is that a…"
Suddenly Savannah screeched. "Oh no!" She jumped up and took off after the cat, who was heading toward the open door.
Lance, not wanting to miss an action shot, contained his laughter enough to begin filming again.
"Turn that thing off!" Savannah shouted as she continued her pursuit.
Lance raced after her and the cat, camera rolling.
As Savannah entered the wide hallway, she saw Rags begin his descent down the staircase. At the same time, she spotted Michael on his way up. Lance was close behind Savannah, camera still running.
"Stop him, Michael!" Savannah shouted. "Stop him!" But she wasn't prepared for what happened next.
Michael lunged for the cat and grabbed him just before he raced between his legs. "Hey, whoa, boy," he said. "What's that you've got?"
"Never mind," Savannah said. "Just get it from him."
Michael gently released the cat's grip on the silky fabric and then held it up so everyone could see the intricate design of Savannah's sexiest bra.
Amidst a rumble of laughter, she rushed toward Michael and grabbed the undergarment from his hands, wadding it into a ball behind her. "Turn that thing off!" she shouted as Lance focused on her angry face.
Just then they heard Lily crying. "The baby," Savannah said, as she turned and rushed back up the stairs and into Adam's room to find their little cherub fussing. As soon as the baby saw her mommy, she kicked her feet and smiled.
"She was just lonely," Michael said as he walked up behind Savannah.
"She wanted to be in on all the fun," Lance said as he zoomed in on Lily's happy face.
"Are we finished up here?" Savannah asked rather impatiently. "'Cause I'm done."
"Sure," Rob said. "Right, Lance?"
Still chuckling, he responded, "I think we have what we want." He smiled at Savannah, "And more," he said with a wink.
Savannah shot him an exasperated look, pointed her finger at him and said, "Don't you dare use that in your documentary." She picked up Lily and headed out the door.
"What's wrong with her?" Michael asked.
"I don't think she likes her dirty laundry aired," Lance said, bursting out laughing again.
Michael ran his hand through his hair. "Well, you aren't going to use that, are you?" he asked.
"Naw," Rob said.
Michael looked from Rob to Lance and said sternly, "And I don't want you to use any footage of the baby, understood?"
"Sure," Rob responded. "I do understand. Not a problem." He turned to his cameraman. "Hey, let's go see what DeeDee got, shall we?"
"Okay. Meet you in the break tent."
Michael followed Rob down the stairs, which spilled out into the living room. He stood at the bottom of the staircase for a moment, looking in all directions. He walked throu
gh the dining room into the kitchen and peered in. She must be in the nursery, he thought, as he headed toward the downstairs hallway.
"Are you okay, hon?" he asked when he saw Savannah rocking Lily in the old rocker they kept in the nursery.
"Yeah, I guess. That was just embarrassing. My bra? Really?!! Darned cat!" Savannah spat.
Michael knelt next to his wife. "They're not going to use that footage. Don't worry about it."
"Well, I'm not worried, I just don't like people—men—seeing my underwear. It's…embarrassing," she complained. She looked down at Lily, who had her hands clasped in front of her as she looked up at Savannah. Savannah kissed her little fingers.
Michael brushed a curl from the baby's forehead with his hand and kissed her lightly. Lily looked up at him and smiled.
"Where are those…those men now?" Savannah demanded.
"Out in the tent."
"Good. I'll be glad when they're gone."
Michael frowned. "This isn't like you. What's really wrong?"
Savannah thought about it for a minute and said, "I don't actually know. They just made me so mad making fun of me like that and invading my privacy."
"Invading your privacy?"
"Well yeah," she said, looking up at him. "That was my private bra."
Michael started to laugh.
Savannah stared at him for a moment and then she chuckled a little. Soon both of them were engaged in laughter. Lily looked from one to the other and then she began to chew on her hands and fuss.
"Is she hungry?" Michael asked.
"Yes, probably," Savannah said, as she prepared to feed her.
Michael sat on a stool across the room. "What's up with that lighting gal and Cheryl?" he asked.
Savannah tilted her head. "Uh, Julie? I don't know; what happened?"
"Well, when I walked through the living room earlier, DeeDee—that's the camera girl's name, right?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"She was packing up and Julie walked in. Well Cheryl came from the other side of the room and began snapping and snarling at her."
"At DeeDee?"
"No at Julie—the plump one," Michael said. "DeeDee tried to calm her down, but the busty one—Cheryl—huffed and rushed outside. It was tense in there," he said.
"Gosh, I don't know, I've been with Lance and Rob upstairs. I can tell you, being in the limelight is exhausting. Kinda fun, though, when they aren't photographing my undies."
"So you are having fun?"
"Yeah, I think so. And Rags is eating it up. Do you know if they got any good shots of the other animals down here this afternoon?"
"Yeah, DeeDee told me they got some footage of Buffy sleeping. She woke up and yawned. They thought that was cute."
"Speaking of Buffy, here she comes. She does love being with Lily."
"Oh, by the way," Michael said, lowering his head, "I called Marci and we decided it isn't a good idea for Adam to visit this weekend. I know he wanted to see the filming, but the weather is so bad." He looked up. "I don't think any of us should travel unless necessary."
"I'm glad you made the decision, Michael. I was worried about the driving conditions, too." She asked, "Do you know what the forecast is?"
"More rain, hard at times," he said.
"Oh." She frowned. "Rob said something about a barbecue."
"In this weather?"
"He said they usually do a sort of party after a filming and he wondered where we would suggest doing it. We would be invited, along with Craig and Iris, Damon and Colbi…everyone who was interviewed, from what I understand. It's part of the deal." She smiled.
"Gosh, it sounds like a lot of people. How many could we accommodate here?" he asked.
"Oh, here? Um, well, we had what…nearly twenty here at Christmas. There would be about that many for the barbecue, right?" She thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, we could have it here—they have that nice toasty tent out there. Crank and James can bring in more chairs. There's a heater in it, did you know that?"
"So who's doing the cooking?" he asked.
"They're having it catered. I suggested that barbecue place at the strip mall. They do a good job and they're close." Savannah fastened her nursing bra and said, "I'm thirsty. I'll put our sleeping angel to bed and let's go get some iced tea."
The Iveys were seated at the kitchen table when Rob entered through the side kitchen door. "Hi, you two," he said. He looked sheepish as he addressed Savannah. "Are you still mad at us?"
She waved her hand in the air. "No. No harm done." She looked up at Rob. "All I can say is guys sure have a weird sense of humor."
Rob bowed deeply. "Well, I apologize for my part in embarrassing you. Didn't mean to. But that cat of yours…he is a character."
Meow.
"Oh, there he is. Hi Rags. Hey," he said, trying to get a better look at the cat, "what's he got there?"
Just then there was a light rap at the door.
"It's Lance," Michael said. "Come on in, Lance."
"Where's your camera?" Rob asked. "The cat's got something."
Lance started to laugh. "I hope it isn't an unmentionable." Savannah shot him a disgusted look and he said, "Sorry." He stifled a chuckle. "I really am."
"Yeah, I can tell," she said, unable to conceal her disapproval.
"It's a little sock…what's it called?" Rob asked, "…a bootie."
"Darn it, Rags," Savannah said, jumping to her feet and heading for the cat.
"Get it, hon?" Michael asked when Savannah reappeared.
"Yeah, he dropped it halfway up the stairs." She fondled it before placing it on the edge of the kitchen table. "Mom made those booties. I don't want him tearing them up."
"Hey, if you ever decide to get rid of that cat, I'll take him," Rob said.
"Well, there are times…" Savannah threatened. "But no, we've been through a lot with him. I think we'll hang in there for the long term." She turned to the two men. "Did we tell you about the time he was kidnapped?"
"Colbi and Damon told us about that. Would love to hear your side of that story," Rob said. "I also want to hear about when you used to let him out and how he'd bring home things from the neighbors."
"Well, sit down. Want some iced tea or coffee?"
"Yeah, coffee, thanks," Rob said.
"Sounds good," Lance said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
He asked Savannah, "Did he really take things from the neighbors?"
Savannah nodded and smiled. "True story," she said as she moved over to the counter and began pouring the coffee.
"No Rags!" Michael called out, lunging for the lanky cat.
Savannah turned in time to see Rags trotting off with the bootie, again. "Darn it!" she said, rushing after Michael who was tailing the cat.
Just then the door opened again. Julie leaned in and addressed Lance. "Hey, give me your car keys."
"Why?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.
She walked toward him, holding out her hand. "I want to go into town, that's why," she said. "Gimme, gimme."
Lance studied her for a moment and then reached into his pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and slapped them into her waiting hand.
"Thanks," she said as she leaned down and kissed him.
Lance participated in the kiss, but when Julie left, and he noticed Rob staring at him, he raised his hands and said, "Just friends. Just friends."
Rob shook his head. He noticed that the Iveys hadn't returned yet and he said to Lance, "Man, you get around. I thought you and Cheryl…" Rob cocked his head. "Oh I get it, now I see why you recommended Julie for this job. How long have you known her, anyway?"
"A while. Worked with her in Glendale one weekend. We sorta hit it off, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Rob said, shaking his head in disgust. He leaned toward Lance and asked in hushed tones, "But why would you bring her here? You knew Cheryl was working this job, right?"
Lance squirmed in his chair. When he saw
Michael and Savannah return, he said to Rob, "Yeah, yeah. So let's talk about the cat, shall we?" He addressed Savannah, "He used to prowl the neighborhood and steal things—he was a cat burglar?"
"Yes," Savannah said, placing the cups of coffee on the table. She sat down. "I lived in a suburb in Los Angeles, and Rags was allowed to go outside. Nearly every night, he'd come home with things he'd found in people's yards—bathing suit tops, flip-flops, toys… I always marveled when he'd bring dog toys home—I had to wonder where the dog was when Rags ran off with his toy."
"Maybe hiding out from the cat burglar," Rob suggested. The producer pulled out a small pad and pen. "What was the oddest thing he ever brought you?" he asked.
Savannah thought for a moment and then said, "Probably jewelry. He came in one night dragging a pearl necklace."
"Someone left a pearl necklace lying around outside?" Rob asked.
"Or did he take it off some unsuspecting neighbor as she enjoyed an evening on her patio?" Lance suggested, laughing.
"Worse," she said. "He broke into her home.
Both men doubled over with laughter. "Really?" Rob said. "How?"
"Well, this was a hot summer night and it seems that this gal left her window open. He climbed right in and took the necklace off her dresser. Luckily, I found the rightful owner. She had screens put on her windows after that incident."
Rob shook his head in disbelief. "A pearl necklace," he said. "Imagine that."
"Imagine this," Michael said, "Savannah tells me that, on weekends, she would load a wagon with everything Rags brought home, and pull it through the neighborhood in search of the owners."
"And Rags would walk along with me," Savannah added.
"No kidding!" Rob exclaimed. "That's rich," he said as he wrote something on his tablet. "Man, I'd like to have a shot of that."
"So you don't let him out anymore?" Lance asked.
"Not unattended," she said. When Rob and Lance looked confused, she added, "There are too many predators here."
"More predators here than in LA?" Rob laughed.
"Good point," Michael said. "But she means of the furred and feathered varieties—coyotes, owls, eagles, and an occasional wolf or mountain lion."
Savannah laughed. "Yup, so now he just frisks guests."
