What God and Cats Know

by Sheryl Nantus

  “Well, duh.” I tilted my head to one side, a sheepish grin on my face. “We usually don’t like to make headlines.” A shiver ran down my spine. “It’s pretty easy to discredit the odd photo here and there, make it out to be some sort of faked shot or some silly kid in a Halloween costume.”

  “Except I’m the one who started all this.” He collapsed into his seat, the dismay evident on his face. “I’m the one who published that photograph.”

  “Which was sent to you by the killer.” I omitted the part where he had been a viable suspect. “Who wanted you to publish it to show that we’re not invulnerable. And to try and bring attention to our kind.” Walking back to the light marble island, I picked up one of the folders. “And these were the three men who, in their Felis form, had a white streak down one side of their nose.”

  “Which explains why they look nothing like each other in those photos.” Bran murmured. “Not likely you’d keep that on file, eh?”

  “I don’t know.” I confessed. “All I know is that the Family has files on everyone but doesn’t give it out to anyone who’s not either on the Board or who’s got a darned good reason.” Jerking my thumb toward the garbage can I shrugged. “And all I had coming out of the Farm was three names. Ruth was the one who broke the rules and gave us the rest.”

  “They’re that tough?” Bran shook his head. “And here I thought getting info out of the government was bad.”

  “Worse.” I pushed the three bags of fur back into their respective folders. “And all hell’s going to break loose when they find out that I got hold of these.”

  “Even if it helps you catch the killer?” He rubbed the tip of his nose, frowning. Striding to the island, he picked up the small furry ball he had originally collected from my house. “I don’t mean to be judgmental here, but you’re talking about a murderer within your own community.”

  “I know.” I drew a deep breath, trying to put my thoughts into coherent words. “You have to understand that we really don’t have to deal with this sort of thing. Murder is just...” A hand waved in the air. “We fight. Oh Lord, we fight. But it’s more just challenges and all that. We’ve never had an actual murder of one Felis by another. Ever.”

  “So you’re fighting the system.” A weak smile crept across Bran’s face.

  “Basically.” I nodded. “The system works to protect us and keep us from the outside. Except now the outside isn’t the enemy.”

  “The enemy is us.”

  “Yep.” I couldn’t help shrugging. “Now you see the problem. Which is why I got nothing. It would have taken days or weeks for me to track down those three names without the files, and longer for me to actually determine who was and wasn’t a viable suspect.” I tapped the small fur sample with my finger. “And even longer to figure the genetic connection between this fellow Langley and the killer.”

  “Sounds to me like someone wanted to make your job as hard as possible. Go by the rules line by line, word by word.” Bran moved around the island to stand beside me. “Considering it’s an inside job, I’m not surprised.”

  “Whoa.” I held up one hand. “But they hired me to find the killer. It may be someone inside the group but we’re not talking anyone on the Board.” At least not now that I had cleared Dennis.

  Brandon leant in, his scent washing over me, threatening to derail my train of thought.

  “I guess they wanted you to have to work for it.” He laughed. “So, tell me, you were able to determine which batch of fur matched the one in the house by just smelling them?”

  “Well, it’s a whole series of sensory inputs.” I babbled, glad for the chance to manoeuvre the conversation away from internal politics. “When I was in the alleyway I could tell that it was one of the Family by the scent, but not who specifically. Then when he was attacking me I got a full whiff of him, allowing me to make a match.” My fingers moved over the table to the thick ball of black and brown coloured fur. “I expect if we went back to my place and grabbed that single strand, it’d match this one if we had it analysed.”

  “Except you don’t like to do that. Analyse the hairs, I assume.” His voice was low and soft, his mouth almost touching my ear.

  “It’s the first time a Felis has killed another, as far as I know. There’s never been a call for us to deal with a situation like this.” I swallowed, feeling the lump in my stomach flip-flop.” You’re not... uncomfortable with me? Knowing who I am?”

  “I knew who you were when I met you in the bar.” His lips grazed my earlobe, stopping to tug lightly on the delicate skin. “The fact that you could get a little... furry is a bit of a turn-on.”

  “I don’t Change anymore.” I gasped as he bit down just a bit, catching the skin between his teeth. “I may have manifested the claws during the fight, but that’s all.”

  “You sure?” The whispered words sent a chill down my spine. “Not that I mind. I’ve been scratched before.”

  “Not like this.” I couldn’t help smirking. “I could mark you for life.”

  One hand crept around my waist, the other pulling my shirt free of my jeans. “I hope so.” The fingers paused. “I shouldn’t be looking for a tail or something, should I?”

  I chuckled. “No, no tail. Not now, anyway.”

  “Good.” The hand slid lower, squeezing slightly. “Not that I’d be offended...”

  The breath caught in my throat. “You don’t find me... disgusting?”

  He pulled back, moving around to stare at me, nose-to-nose. “Why would I?”

  “Well...” I swallowed, his scent whirling around me like a F5 twister. “I’m not exactly your normal human.”

  Bran nodded. “No, you’re not.” A soft smile appeared on his face. “Doesn’t matter if you got fur in strange spots or not you’re still a pretty cool woman.”

  “Pretty cool?”

  “Okay, hot.” His head dipped down to snatch a quick kiss. “And, frankly, I don’t feel like talking right now.”

  “An investigative reporter who doesn’t want to talk?” A moan escaped as his lips began to work along the side of my neck, nipping and tugging at my exposed skin.

  “If I recall my Animal Planet shows accurately, offering yourself up in such a vulnerable position shows that you trust me.” The whisper threatened to shatter what little reserve I had left as he pulled my shirt over my head, tossing it out of sight as I fumbled with his own shirt, fingers numb with anticipation.

  “Maybe. Okay, yes.” I ran my hands over his chest, pleasantly surprised at the light fur covering his skin. “Maybe you’ve got a little Felis in you after all.”

  “Maybe. Does that mean I get to be on top?” A tingle ran down my spine as he drew his fingers leisurely down, stroking the scarred skin before expertly snapping my bra open. “Or do I have to wrestle you for it?”

  “Maybe. Yes. I don’t know.” I let out a sigh, surrendering to the mixture of emotions, exhaustion and plain old lust drowning me. “Shut up and keep touching me.”

  * * * *

  Bran rolled onto his back an hour later, wheezing slightly. “Dang. I’m exhausted.”

  “Liar.” Putting my hand on his bare chest I ran it slowly down his skin, under the comforter. “Looks like you’re not totally done.”

  “You bring out the best in me.” He leant in to capture my mouth in a deep kiss.

  “And you bring out the worst.” I groaned as I twisted to one side, feeling unused muscles protest. “I’m not sure but I think I’ve just broken one of the union rules.”

  “Union?” Bran frowned.

  “Sleeping with a potential suspect. Or not. Or just a witness to the crime.” I waved one hand in the air. “I’m sure it’s in the handbook somewhere.”

  “Ah.” Reaching out, he grabbed my hand, placing it back on his chest. “I’m sure there’s an exception there under ‘interrogation’ or something like that. Always a loophole somewhere to exploit.”

  “And yet…” I sighed. “Will you call me in the morning?�
� A tremble crept into my voice, unbidden. It was one thing to have a one-night stand, another to have a lover who knew all about me. And if it was the first then there would be repercussions that would extend far beyond this encounter…

  “Sure. And in the afternoon and in the evening.” Leaning forward, Bran placed a kiss on my forehead. “I’m not a casual sex type of guy.” He locked eyes with me. “I’m not going to tell you I’m ready for a commitment beyond what we’ve got right now but I can promise you that I’ll keep your secret right here.” Pulling my hand free he placed it further up his chest, over his heart. “Forever.”

  “Thank you.” Tears came to my eyes, threatening to spoil the moment.

  Bran kissed the tips of my fingers before curling his hand around mine. “However, and I do hate to say it, we should get back to work. All play and no work... whatever.”

  I let out a deep sigh, withdrawing my hand. “Spoilsport. And here I thought you men were made of stronger stuff.”

  “Oh!” Sitting up, he grabbed at his chest in a mock heart attack. “You wound me!”

  When I spied a few deep scratches on his arms and exposed skin, I winced. “Not quite, but I’ll be gentler next time.” Tossing the blanket back I padded naked toward the kitchen, picking up various pieces of my clothing as I went along. “Coffee or tea?” It was quite a relief to not have to hide my back from him. The scars had faded over time but they weren’t totally out of my consciousness. Still, my shirt was the first and only piece of clothing that went back on.

  “Any Chinese food left?” Bran yelled after me. “I seem to have worked up quite an appetite.”

  “Don’t know why. I was doing most of the work.” I pushed around the containers. “Probably enough for a plate or two, if we’re not greedy.”

  He appeared at the marble island, pulling his t-shirt back on and hopping from one foot to the other as he stepped into a fresh pair of underwear. “Wait a minute. I’m not, like, sworn to you now or something strange like that, am I?”

  I grinned at him, my head cocked to one side. “Oh, now you ask. What, you afraid that now you’re part of a secret male sex slave harem?”

  “Ooh!” He rubbed his hands together, a wide childish grin on his face. “Promise?”

  “Only in your dreams.” I dumped the contents of the containers out onto two fresh plates, mixing them into a heap. “You reheat. I always burn this sort of stuff.”

  “Right.” Stepping around the island, he gave me a quick peck on the cheek before retreating to the microwave with the two plates.

  Suddenly my ears caught the low trilling ring of my cellphone. My eyes went to the three folders sitting on the table where we had left them. Striding across the room, I dug my cellphone out of my leather jacket’s pocket.

  “Reb, we need to talk.” Jess’s voice was harsh and low.

  “Langley. I need to know what relatives he has, what kids are out there.”

  The silence on the line hung between us for a few minutes. “Ruth’s dead.”

  The cellphone fell from my numb fingers, bouncing along the hardwood floor for a few feet before skidding to a stop. Bran raced over, dropping to his knees and catching me as I collapsed. Snatching up the phone he barked into the receiver. “What happened?”

  “Who is this?” Jess roared, so loudly that I could hear her. “Where’s Reb?”

  “She’s right here. What did you say to her?” He ignored the question, hugging me close. “What did you say?”

  “Who are you?” The response came, louder this time. I plucked the phone away.

  “What happened? Who did it?” I ground my teeth, my anger growing with every second.

  “No one killed her. She fell and broke her neck, in the barn.” A crack in Jess’s armour showed, a sob breaking loose. “Damn it, Reb... She didn’t deserve this?”

  “Who does?” I leant into Brandon’s warmth, closing my eyes. “Are the cops coming out?”

  “What for? It was an accident.” The words came through clenched teeth. “She fell off the ladder and broke her neck while trying to get to some of the barn cats. She always had a soft spot for the kittens.”

  “Have they moved her body?” I knew they had already, but I had to ask. The thought of Ruth’s lifeless body lying on the barn floor was almost unbearable. Bran’s eyes went wide when he realised who I was talking about.

  “Of course they did. She’s already at the funeral home. She had no living family, so gonna be buried out back, where she wanted to be.” Her voice cracked again. “Damn it, girl... I’m gonna miss her. She was one fine woman.”

  My gaze went to the folders sitting in the kitchen, just out of sight. “She was. We’ll be there tomorrow for the funeral. Set up the guest room for me and Bran.”

  “The reporter?” The ice crept back into her tone. “You can’t bring him here again! Things are going to be tense enough, you don’t want to bring a firebrand to a pool of gasoline!”

  “No one will do anything to him. Not unless you call for it and if you do, the whole deal’s off.” My jaw tightened, the low growl escaping with unfamiliar strength. “One hair on his head gets out of place, I rip some throats out.”

  “Hardly a threat you can carry out.” The retort was sharp and fast.

  “I have as much right to be there as anyone else.” I let my breath out slowly. “Jess, she would have wanted me to be there, no matter what. You know that.”

  “Granted.” She grumbled.

  “Are you sure it was an accident?” I winced inwardly, dreading the explosion about to erupt. “Ruth... Ruth gave me some files that I think she wasn’t supposed to give me.”

  “What?” Instead of yelling, her tone went into a calm, mellow tone. This scared me even more.

  “She gave me a pie on the way out. In the box were the Pride files on the three names you gave me.” Holding the phone away from my ear a few inches, I waited a second before continuing. “It’s likely that the killer found out and made sure that she didn’t pass anything else.”

  “Hmm.” I could almost see her nodding, her expression thoughtful. Jess loved to solve logic problems. She could work her way through one of those cheap volumes from the corner store within a day when she put her mind to it. “We assumed it was an accident since she’s never had an issue with anyone. You know everyone loved the old gal.”

  “Well, I think someone did have an issue.” I glanced at Bran. “But I wouldn’t tell the rest of the Board yet.”

  “Why?”

  “Because this might involve them.” I plunged ahead, not caring about how it might sound. “Jess, Davis wasn’t at the meeting. You told me that he wasn’t keen on me having any access to the files, not even for you to give me names. You cut a deal to give me just the names, I’m guessing.”

  “Davis wasn’t there because he had a business meeting to attend in Midland. He approved of our decision. He suggested we just give you the names.” The steel voice returned. “I wouldn’t have given you anything.”

  “And let the killer go free for the sake of keeping me in the dark? Keeping these damned secrets from me just because I can’t Change?” I shook my head. “I’m not going to go into this again. Just make everyone aware that I’m coming tomorrow and I’m bringing Brandon Hanover. Period.”

  “I’ll alert them that due to...extenuating circumstances we’re allowing an outsider there. Just make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” She growled, sounding more like the Jess I knew and feared years ago. “Like fall in love with you.”

  I flipped the phone shut, cutting the connection. Bran looked at me. “Guess I’m not the most popular human out there today, eh?”

  Sliding sideways, I let him cradle me in his arms. “Right now I’ve probably got that spot. Let’s just say that it’s not all that acceptable for us to mingle with the common folk.”

  He chuckled, dropping kisses into my dishevelled hair. “They don’t know what they’re missing.”

  “Yeah. Missing.” I let out a sob, the r
eality sinking in that one of my oldest friends was gone and that I could possibly have contributed to her death. Turning toward Bran, I buried my face in his chest, letting the tears flow.

  “Tell me about her,” he whispered, running his fingers through my hair. “Tell me something you remember.”

  It was my first solo Hunt, the brisk morning air burning my lungs as I leapt over the low fence and dashed through the tall grass. The rabbit’s scent was hot in my nostrils as I tried to remember all the tips and tricks the others had told me.

  Suddenly the ground fell out under me, my left foot disappearing into a deep hole while I continued forward. With a scream I fell to the ground, reaching out to grab something, anything to break my fall. But it was useless, my ankle was broken and now I had more to worry about than just failing in the Hunt. So I did what I did best and what Ruth had encouraged me to do, improvise and adapt.

  It took two hours in pain and silence, not moving an inch, before the rabbit hopped close enough for me to reach out, to grab the curious lapin. Snapping the neck with a growl, I tore into the hot meat. At least I wouldn’t starve before someone found me.

  “So this is how you repay me. Late for dinner.” Ruth appeared out of the brush. Downright beautiful in her Change with red highlights in her tawny fur, she crouched by me, clucking her tongue as she examined my ankle. “Broken, that’s sure. Let’s get you back to the house and I’ll set it up.” She grinned, taking the rabbit corpse out of my hands. “And I’ve got fresh apple pie for dessert.”

  “So she carried you back.” Bran wiped away a tear, drawing his fingers across my face. “And you passed?”

  “With flying colours.” I sniffled. “The Board was impressed that I could work ‘outside the box.’ At least, then they were.” My words hardened as I remembered the circumstances that had brought me to this place and to Ruth’s death.

  “How about a bit of a rest?” Bran rocked me back and forth. “Let’s grab a fast meal and head back to bed.”

  “We’ll eat then I’ll need your computer for a bit.” I wriggled free. “I want to do some research on Langley before we go up there tomorrow. Besides...” I tapped him on the tip of his nose. “I believe you need some time to regain your stamina.”