by Hanson
“Buela!” she cried out. “We’re going to the park tomorrow.”
“Only if the weather stays this nice,” Rafael cautioned. “The weatherman says it will, but he can be wrong.”
“Will you come too, Buela?” Izzy asked. “I want to feed the ducks.”
“If they’re there,” her father warned.
Elena was pretty sure there would be plenty of wild ducks to feed. Many of them wintered in Deerford because a portion of the pond never froze, thanks to water that rushed in from upstream.
“I’ll see if we have some stale bread for them,” she said.
“They’ll eat fresh bread too,” Izzy seriously informed her. “Can my mama come?”
“If she isn't busy. You can call her.”
“What do you want to do besides feeding the ducks?” she asked her granddaughter.
“Swing,” Izzy said. “I want to go as high as the sky.”
Elena smiled. She remembered feeling the same way when her biggest worry in life was avoiding the bully who liked to pull her hair on the playground. It saddened her that Izzy's big concern was getting her mother to come along. It comforted Elena that the two parents were starting to work together for their daughter's benefit.
The pet detective's van was parked in front of the house when James got home from work. He wasn't pleased that Mimi Zonn was inside talking to Fern. He’d hoped to avoid getting her hopes up, but he had to admit that sometimes he underestimated his wife.
She’d made tea in the kitchen and was chatting with the detective at the table in the breakfast nook as though they were old friends.
“Mimi has a new idea about finding Sapphire,” Fern told him.
“Let's just keep it between you and me,” the statuesque woman said in a confidential tone. “Don't want your hubby to be disappointed if my idea doesn't work out.”
She was wearing a brown suede jacket that looked as if it had about fifty years wear on it. Her jeans were flannel lined, if the faded green plaid cuffs were any indication; and she’d pulled her hair back under a greasy baseball cap with a Milwaukee Braves logo, a franchise that had migrated south to Atlanta years ago.
James wanted to say that she could refund the big fee he’d paid if she didn't want him to be disappointed, but he refrained. It was worth the money to see the happy expression on Fern's face. Apparently she had more faith in the pet detective than he did.
Mimi wrapped half a dozen chocolate chip cookies in a paper napkin and stuck them in her jacket pocket.
“In case I get hungry,” she said. “Solving this case may take a while.”
Fern graciously walked to the front door with her, using her cane instead of the walker she used on days when her MS was particularly troubling.
“She has a very positive attitude,” Fern said after closing the door. “After talking to her, I tend to believe she’ll find Sapphire.”
“Sapphire's been gone a long time,” James said, worried that his wife's optimism would only lead to more disappointment.
“Dear, don't look so grim,” she said. “I have a very good feeling about your pet detective.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said, quickly going out the door in the hope of catching up with Mimi.
Her van was still there, but he didn't see her anywhere. Where could she have gone in such a short time? He went around to the backyard on the chance that she was looking at the place where Sapphire had last been seen. Maybe that was something that only helped detectives on television crime dramas because she certainly wasn't investigating in his yard.
He was about to go inside when he caught a glimpse of her in a neighbor's backyard two houses down. She was moving fast and, he thought, furtively. If she expected to find Sapphire wandering around so close to home, she was a worse detective than he believed her to be.
“What is she doing?” Fern asked when he went back inside.
“Going through the neighbors’ backyards. I hope she's good with dogs. I wouldn't want to surprise the Doberman down on the corner.”
“I wonder why she's doing that,” Fern mused. “Oh well, it's her business. I expect she knows what she's doing.”
James wasn't at all convinced of that, but at least if Mimi failed, Fern might give up on ever finding Sapphire. He liked the idea of getting a kitten for her. This would be a good time, while the boys were still at home to help her with it.
“I was so interested in talking to our pet detective that I almost forgot our good news. The house passed inspection, and the sale is going to go through. We should be able to close on it in a week or so.”
“That is good news. It will be great to be a one-house family again.”
After dinner, Gideon and Nelson both had plans of their own. James was glad they wouldn't be there when the pet detective returned. Fern was going to be terribly disappointed when she returned empty-handed. He would have to comfort her, and he didn't want the boys to give her any false hope. If Mimi didn't find their pet—and he was almost certain she wouldn’t—he would have the hard job of convincing her that Sapphire would never be found.
As it happened, the boys came home and went to their rooms, and there was still no sign of the pet detective. Her van was still parked in front of their house, making him wonder whether she’d been arrested as a trespasser for walking through people's yards at night.
Fern looked tired. Her eyes had dark shadows, and she’d given up all pretense of reading.
“Why don't you go to bed?” he suggested. “I’ll wait up until I hear something from Ms. Zonn.”
“I’m sure I couldn't get to sleep. I have a feeling that we’re going to get good news.”
James doubted that there would be any news at all. It had been a long day at work and a longer evening waiting for the pet detective to return. His eyes were drooping, and he was too sleepy to stay awake much longer. The best he could do was nap in his easy chair. Then he would be sure to hear Mimi if she actually came back to their house.
He dreaded seeing her van still parked on the street in the morning. She looked like a woman who could take care of herself in almost any situation, and Deerford wasn't the south side of Chicago. Still, he was uneasy. She’d been gone too long.
When Fern finally dropped off to sleep on the couch, he napped in his chair.
Suddenly he was wide awake and rushing to the door. He was sure the doorbell had penetrated his dreams, and he hurriedly switched on the porch light and opened the door.
He had to be dreaming, but he heard Fern's voice behind him. This was real.
Mimi was standing on the porch with her arms full of fur, familiar silvery gray and smoky black fur.
“You’ve found her!” Fern actually squealed with pleasure.
James stepped back so the pet detective could come in. She put the cat on the floor, and Sapphire strutted toward the kitchen, as much at home as if she’d never gone missing.
“How?” James was as close to dumbfounded as he’d ever been. “How on earth did you find her?”
“I found a cat lady about ten blocks away from here.”
“A cat lady?” Fern sounded as puzzled as he felt.
“You folks wouldn't have a bite to eat, would you? I ran out of cookies hours ago.”
James would have emptied the fridge and freezer to hear what she had to say, but it was Fern who offered sandwiches with some sliced turkey they had on hand.
“Splendid!” Mimi said, making herself at home in their kitchen.
“Tell us,” Fern prompted while James made several sandwiches liberally covered with mayo.
“It came to me all of a sudden,” the pet detective said, stringing out her story for maximum effect. “I’ve run into a few cat ladies in my time.”
“Do you mean women who own a cat?” Fern asked.
“Not a cat. Hoards of cats. I’m talking about people who take in so many strays that they can't even keep track of them. My instinct told me there had to be a cat lady in your town.”
“We put up fliers everywhere,” James said. “Sapphire wasn't a stray. She's a pampered pet. Why would anyone think otherwise?”
“That's what stumped me for a long time. Don't think I haven't been on the case, even when I wasn't in town.”
“Please, tell us,” Fern said, watching with pleasure as Sapphire wandered the room getting reacquainted with her home.
James thought she was being overly mysterious, but she’d earned the right to tell the story her way.
“I walked backyards looking for cat doors. It got a little risky once I had to use my powerful flashlight. A couple of dogs got a bit testy, but if you’re not afraid, they usually back off.”
“But what did you expect to find?” James was getting impatient now.
“Cat doors.”
“Cat doors?”
“Cat ladies usually have cat doors.”
“We had one at our other house,” Fern said.
“They’re convenient with one cat, almost essential when you’re living with dozens and dozens. I found a couple of red herrings.”
“False leads,” Fern said, leaning forward on her chair.
“Exactly, but finally I found what I was looking for—a cat lady.”
“With a cat door?” James said, still not sure where this was going.
“Yes, but she wasn't an ordinary cat lady. Sweet as pie, but blind as a bat.” Mimi bit into one of the sandwiches.
“A blind cat lady?” James wondered if he was still dreaming and then Sapphire brushed against his leg, and he had to believe what Mimi was saying.
“Apparently your kitty wandered that way and got confused and then went through the lady's cat door.”
“She must have thought it was the cat door at our other house,” Fern said.
“Or else she smelled other cats and was curious,” James said.
“Well, this lady had no idea that she had someone's pet. In fact, about all she can see these days are shapes and movement, so she hardly noticed that she had one more cat. Sapphire has been fed like a queen, along with thirty or forty others. She apologized for causing you folks so much worry; but as I said, she didn't even know she had an extra guest.”
Fern lifted Sapphire onto her lap. “I don't know how to thank you.”
“Ordinarily I charge extra for night work, but since it took me so long to latch onto the solution, we’ll just call it even. You wouldn't have more of those cookies, would you?”
“We have some brownies in the freezer. It will only take a minute to thaw them in the microwave,” Fern said.
“Happens I like them frozen,” the pet detective said.
“Perfect.” Fern grinned widely.
“Thank you, Mimi,” James said. “If I hear of other lost animals, I’ll be sure to recommend you.” He couldn't believe his own words as he stroked Sapphire's head.
Chapter Twenty-Two
ELENA WOKE UP BEFORE SIX, EVEN THOUGH Saturday was her day off. It took her a few moments to realize why. Rain was beating on the roof, a bad sign for an outing in the park.
“Why are you up?” Cesar mumbled as she stood at the window looking out through a watery pane.
“It's raining.”
“Come back to bed. There's nothing you can do to stop it.”
“I’m just disappointed for Izzy's sake. She was really looking forward to the park.”
“It will still be there tomorrow.”
“That's not the point.”
“My mother always said: ‘rain before seven, clear before eleven.’”
“She also said that toads cause warts, and you should never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
“Um, I think a fellow named Ben Franklin said that second thing.”
“Whatever,” Elena said, slipping back into bed. “Izzy really wants to feed the ducks. Rafael is going to bring home a big bag of stale tortillas from the restaurant.”
“If they’re stale already, they will keep another day.”
“Maybe I’ll pack a picnic lunch.”
“It's raining,” he said with a groan.
“Rain before seven—”
He rolled over and pulled the pillow over his head.
The rain turned to a gentle drizzle by nine o’clock, and by eleven it had stopped completely. A weak sun came out, and Izzy was totally convinced that everything would dry out by the time her father got home from working the breakfast shift.
When Elena warned her that the ground would still be wet, she got out her bright yellow boots and wore them around the house.
By noon she was glad she hadn't mentioned a picnic to her granddaughter. Although the sun was stronger, it was still winter coat weather. The log picnic tables in the park would be too damp, but fortunately Izzy wanted to feed ducks, not herself.
As expected, Cesar begged off going with them.
“Spring is nearly here,” he said. “I have to take the lawn mower in for servicing and do a dozen other things.”
“And watch the basketball game,” Elena hissed at him when Izzy was out of hearing.
He grinned. “A man's gotta do what—”
“No, no! Enough with the sayings.” She grinned back, glad her husband was in a good mood.
Izzy was so focused on ducks that she wouldn't miss her grandfather. The big question was whether Sarah would be joining them. Elena decided not to bring up the subject, not even when Rafael came home with a big sack of food for the ducks.
“I’ll drive,” he said as he handed the day-old tortillas to his daughter. “You’ll have to tear them into smaller pieces. Ducks don't use knives and forks, you know.”
Izzy thought that was hilarious, but Elena was a little on edge wondering whether Sarah was coming too.
She suggested that Rafael drive her car. It was smaller than his van, but there was still room for a fourth person. Neither Izzy nor her son mentioned Sarah, but he drove directly to the street where her apartment was. She was standing outside by the curb waiting for them.
“Mommy, look what I have to feed the ducks!” Izzy said when Sarah slid onto the backseat beside her. “I have to make little pieces so the ducks won't choke.”
“Why don't we start tearing them up now?” Sarah suggested. “Then you’ll be ready to feed the ducks.”
After Rafael parked the car, the four of them walked down to the pond that was home to an ever-increasing flock of ducks. They were the only ones there, although Elena knew that people in town made regular visits to feed them through the winter.
All the ice had melted off the pond, but most of the ducks still congregated in the area that was their winter haven. Izzy hurried toward them, and that was all the invitation they needed. A noisy throng started swarming toward her, and Elena worried that the onslaught would overwhelm Izzy.
“Here, ducky,” she cried out, quickly throwing bits of tortilla at the more aggressive ones.
One drake came up close, and for a moment Elena thought he would peck her granddaughter. Sarah quickly reached into the bag and tossed a piece directly at him, causing Izzy to laugh when he caught it in midair.
“They’re really hungry!” she cried out. “Do you think we have enough for all of them, Daddy?”
“I have a small bag of bread crumbs in my purse,” Sarah said, opening her big shoulder bag and taking it out.
“Why are some of them pretty and others not so pretty?” Izzy asked.
“The ones with shiny green heads are the boy ducks,” Sarah said. “The plain brown ones are the girls.”
“That's funny! Why are the boy ducks prettier than the girl ducks?” she asked.
Sarah and Rafael exchanged a look and both laughed.
“The boys look good so the girls will like them,” Rafael explained.
“Then why didn't you wear your new green jacket so Mommy will like you?” Izzy asked.
“That's only for playing with the band,” he said.
“You should wear it,” Izzy insisted.
Both parents laughed,
and Elena was happy that they could be together without the high level of stress or resentment that often clouded their relationship. Perhaps they were past all that tension.
She’d stopped expecting them to become a couple again, but for now she was proud of the way they were working together for their daughter's benefit.
Izzy developed a strategy for feeding the overly eager ducks without any prompting from her parents. She threw the food far enough to keep them from rushing at her.
After throwing the last morsel of food at a drake that was probably too well fed for his own good, she retrieved her mittens from her father's pocket and started backing away from the aggressive birds.
“Can I swing now?”
“I don't know why not,” Rafael said, looking at Sarah for confirmation, a gesture that pleased Elena.
She hung back and watched as the three of them raced down the path to the play equipment. She’d taken Izzy there many times, sometimes with Rafael or Cesar, but this was a special outing for her granddaughter because both parents were with her.
Just as she started to follow them, she heard a familiar ringing. It was the cell phone in her purse, and she dug down to the bottom to answer before it stopped.
“You got a call from the hospital,” Cesar said. “It sounded important, so I’m coming to pick you up and take you there. Where are you now?”
“Just leaving the duck pond to go watch Izzy swing. Do you know what's up?”
“No, only that you’re wanted in ICU whenever you can get there. Watch for me.”
She hurried over to the play area where Rafael was pushing Izzy on a swing and Sarah was cheering them on.
“I just got a call from your father,” Elena said. “He's coming to pick me up. There must be some emergency at the hospital. They want me to come in.”
“I could take you,” Rafael quickly offered.
“No, he's on the way. Izzy’s having too much fun to leave yet.”
“I hope everything turns out okay,” Sarah said with concern.
“So do I.” She immediately thought of the specter of flu hanging over the hospital. It was so unusual for her to be called on her day off that this must be something serious, a major accident or disaster. Her heart pounded with anxiety, and she was glad Cesar was on the way.
