The Cats That Told a Fortune
Karen Anne Golden
Copyright
This book or eBook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, persons or cats, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Edited by Vicki Braun.
Cover design by Christy Carlyle of Gilded Heart Design.
Copyright © 2014 Karen Anne Golden
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1500268305
ISBN-10: 1500268305
Dedication
To my mom, Mildred Maffett Golden
&
My grandmothers:
Eulah Orvenia Sowers Maffett
&
Pearl Elizabeth Golden
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Prologue
Mid-October
It was a crisp fall evening in the small town of Erie, Indiana. The full moon bathed the eastern side of the pink mansion – a Queen Anne Victorian built in 1897 – in a cool, bluish light. On Lincoln Street, the remaining maple trees that survived the tornado clung to the last of their brilliantly colored leaves. The sidewalks and street were littered with them, and the front drainage ditch was full. The surrounding neighbors’ front porches were seasonally decorated with bales of hay, scarecrows and Halloween carved pumpkins. Katherine Kendall, the young heiress to the Colfax fortune, joined the fun and moved her late great aunt Orvenia’s cast-stone gargoyles from the attic to either side of the front porch landing. She’d tied orange and black bows around the ornate, winged beasts, which now graced the mansion with a Halloween spirit.
During the day, tourists walked up and down the street, snapping pictures of the historical homes and autumn leaves, but mostly of the pink painted lady that had become known as the “pink murder house.” Because of the Colfax mansion’s history, and the crimes committed in the house, Erie was attracting more sightseers than usual – mostly out-of-towners heading south on U.S. 41 to attend the Covered Bridge Festival in Brook County.
After the tornado severely damaged the mansion, Katherine rented a restored bungalow. She and her cats clung to living there as long as they could, but were forced by the terms of her great aunt’s will – a relative she had never met – to return to the pink mansion in late July. It had been repaired and restored to its former glory. The reconstruction of the porte cochere or carport was nearly complete. Margie, the wife of the estate’s handyman, Cokey Cokenberger, was finishing the detailed painting of the balusters to match the four-color paint scheme.
But life inside went on as usual. Katherine and her cats had finally settled in. Abra, the tall, svelte seal-point littermate of Scout, had been performing with a famous magician in the Catskills when she was stolen years earlier and later abandoned at an animal shelter. Now she was miraculously reunited with her sister. Abra was adjusting well to the other felines, but still had an occasional spat with Abby, the Abyssinian, who hadn’t quite gotten used to the hyperactive newcomer. Scout and Abra were joined at the hip like Siamese twins and didn’t leave each other’s side. Katherine tried to change Abra’s name, but the stubborn former Hocus Pocus performer didn’t want any part of it. So, Katz nicknamed her Shadow, but mostly called her Abra. Lilac was happy as long as her bear was within reach. The lilac-point Siamese was Abby’s best friend. Visitors could usually find Lilac and Abby basking together in a sunny spot on one of the mansion’s many windowsills, or up high on one of the carved-wood window valances. However, Iris, affectionately known as Miss Siam – a dark blue-eyed seal-point from a swanky cattery in Manhattan – was a different story. When Abra arrived, she became depressed. Katherine took her to the vet, Dr. Sonny. He suspected Iris resented Abra because of her connection to Scout, who rarely made time for her old buddy. As a result, Miss Siam became clingy to her human, and followed her everywhere.
After great uncle William’s bones were interred in the Colfax mausoleum, the mansion seemed to be at peace with itself. There were no ghostly intrusions in the middle of the night. No wafts of cold, icy air when certain rooms were entered. The cats were no longer startled by unseen forces.
But Katherine was still troubled by a sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen. In four months, she would inherit millions from the Colfax estate. She was well on her way to meeting the requirement of caring for her great aunt’s cat, Abby. She should be on top of the world. Close friends were okay. The cats were fine. She was dating a wonderful man. Yet she was overcome with apprehension.
* * *
Earlier that evening, somewhere south of the pink mansion, Brook County sheriff’s deputies found the lifeless body of a young woman. She was the first victim of a serial killer. More would follow in what became known as the Festival Murders.
Chapter One
On this cold fall evening, in the pink mansion’s living room, Katherine and Jake sat in matching wingback chairs. It was their weekend movie night. Katherine had picked the last movie, so it was Jake’s turn. He chose a recent release zombie movie. Katherine wasn’t too keen on watching it, but cradling Iris in her arms made it easier. Jake sat holding two cats, one in the crook of each arm. Every time the volume got louder and the action grew more violent, Abby and Lilac would bury their heads in his arms. Scout and Abra were elsewhere in the mansion, doing their routine reconnaissance to explore every nook and cranny of the old house. They had already made one sweep, but began all over again, trotting shoulder-to-shoulder and looking like mirror images. A nearby kitchen timer went off, which announced intermission and snack time.
When Jake started to get up, Lilac and Abby jumped to the floor. They both stretched, then launched from the floor to the fireplace mantel to the window valance, where they watched their persons below.
“Do you want pizza or chips?” Jake asked. “I brought one of those mini-pizzas I can nuke.”
“Chips would be nice. I’d help you,” Katherine said, then added innocently, “but I’m very busy right now with Iris.”
“Oh, I can see that,” Jake said with an amused glint in his eye. He walked to the kitchen and returned with potato chips, French onion dip, nachos and melted cheese. “Here’s a pop,” he said, handing her a Diet Coke. When he put the nachos on the side table, Iris bolted off Katherine’s lap, snatched a chip, and ran out of the room.
“Hey, you rascal, come back here,” Jake called to the feline thief.
Katherine giggled. “She doesn’t eat it. She just licks the salt off. I’ll get it tomorrow with the Hoover,” she said, then asked, “Before we go back to the movie, can we talk about the Halloween party?”
“Oh, good idea,” Jake said, sitting down. “What day is it?”
“October 25th – it’s a Saturday.”
“Well, that’s good, because I may have to proctor an exam on the 24th.”
Katherine smiled, happy that Jake was back doing what he loved – after taking a sabbatical from the university to deal with his late wife’s fatal cancer – and was now getting back on track with his life.
“I hope Colleen and Mario are coming, so I can finally meet them,” Jake said.
Katherine took a sip of her drink. “Colleen is coming, but not Mario. They broke up. She’s bringing her brother
, Jacky.”
“When did that happen?” Jake asked curiously.
“Just a few days ago. I didn’t mention it because I thought they were just having a lovers’ quarrel.”
“Sounds like drama. What happened?”
“Without warning, Mario announced he was moving back to Italy. He asked Colleen to go with him, but when he didn’t propose, she said ‘no.’ Without a wedding ring on her finger, Colleen told him she didn’t want to leave the States. She’s devastated.”
“The fool should have asked her to marry him,” Jake commented. “Who else is on the invitation list?”
“Cokey and Margie. Professor Watson.”
“Oh, Wayne asked if he could bring his new girlfriend.”
“Is she into metal detecting, too?” Katherine asked, remembering the tall professor who was a dead ringer for Buddy Holly, and how he found a million dollars in gold coins.
“I haven’t met her, but he talks about her all the time. Her name is Leslie. I’ll get her address for the invitation.”
“Perfect! I also have Michelle Pike, from the library, on the list. Since Beatrice is behind bars, we’ve become good friends.”
“It’s just my opinion, but should it be boy-girl, boy-girl? How old is Colleen’s brother?” Jake asked.
“Boy-girl? I’ve never heard of that before,” Katherine said, slightly amused. “Jacky’s in his early thirties.”
“Well, that leaves Michelle out, because she’s too young.”
“What are we running here – a dating service? Michelle is older than she looks. She’s twenty-four. Sometimes women like older men,” Katherine said, tongue-in-cheek.
“Oh, that’s a good one,” Jake teased. He pointed at William Colfax’s portrait hanging next to the fireplace. “Wasn’t he eighty-something when he married your great aunt Orvenia? And wasn’t she seventeen?”
Katherine smirked, “Yes, Professor.”
“It’s not like we’re pairing them off, but my cousin from Shaleville would love to come. You’ll meet him next week when we go to the Covered Bridge Festival in Brook County.”
“What’s his name?”
“Daryl. One of the many Cokenbergers in this neck of the woods.”
“Does he look like you?” Katherine inquired with a sly smile.
Jake reached over and pinched her arm. “Daryl’s twenty-five. He’s got blond hair and blue eyes.”
“He sounds handsome.”
“The women love him,” Jake said enticingly.
“Oh, really?” she asked, “and why is that?”
“Because he’s a Cokenberger,” Jake announced, having fun.
“Too funny. I know Colleen is beside herself in boyfriend drama, but keeping with your boy-girl equation, maybe they’ll hit it off, or just be friends.”
“Matchmaker,” he teased. “Speaking of friends, are you inviting Mark?” Jake asked.
“I’m not sure yet. Last time I talked to him, he said he was super busy with his law practice. I haven’t seen him since the last distribution from the estate,” she said, then hesitated. “He’ll probably want to see Colleen while she’s in town.”
“How long is she going to stay?”
“This I don’t know. I hope a couple of weeks.”
A loud crash came from the adjoining room.
Katherine flung herself out of the chair and hurried to investigate. Jake followed her. Scout or Abra – probably both – had knocked off a box of Halloween party decorations that was on the marble-top curio cabinet. Abra had tugged out a cat-size purple cape and was racing around the room with it clutched in her V-shaped jaw. Scout chased after her, but wasn’t fast enough to catch the fleeing feline.
Jake was too busy laughing to catch Abra, who flew up the stairs lickety-split.
Katherine said, “This would be a great picture for the cover of the invitation!” She grabbed her smartphone and began snapping photos.
Jake said, “I’ll grab her and put the cape on her.”
“Good luck,” Katherine said, under her breath.
The incredibly fast Siamese ran from room-to-room with Jake at her heels. Finally he caught her and held her for a minute, talking to her in a soft voice. “Raw,” Abra replied sweetly.
Abra was used to being dressed up in costume, so she didn’t resist when Jake put the cape on her. Instead of fleeing the scene like the other cats would have, she stood tall, with her triangular, wedge-shaped face pointing up in a regal manner.
Katherine hurriedly snapped several more photos.
Scout became jealous of Abra getting attention, so she muttered something in ‘Siamese’ and snatched the cape off Abra.
Katherine took a picture of that as well, and then picked up Scout and gave her a kiss on the back of her neck. “Magic cat,” she said affectionately.
Scout wriggled out of her arms and hopped back into the Halloween party box.
“Scout, I really need to put the box away,” Katherine mildly scolded.
“Waugh,” Scout complained. Pawing through the box, the inquisitive Siamese found a deck of Tarot cards. She clenched the deck in her teeth and leapt out. As Scout shook the box, the cards spilled out. With lightning speed, Abra started scattering them on the floor. The glossy cards slid easily on the carpet, so Scout and Abra launched into a game of card hockey. Lilac and Abby heard the commotion, launched from their valance perch, and joined in the fun.
Jake stifled a laugh, “I guess this means you need to hire a fortune teller.”
“Where am I going to find a fortune teller in Erie?” Katherine wrinkled her nose and smiled.
Jake shrugged. “Angie’s list? Google search?”
Scout dropped a fang-punctured card on Katherine’s shoe.
Reaching down, Katherine picked it up and observed, “It’s the Wheel of Fortune card.”
“Does that mean you’re going to be on TV?” Jake asked facetiously.
“It looks like it has a sphinx on it,” she said to Jake, and then to Scout, “Is that why you picked it, sweetie, because of the sphinx?”
“Ma-waugh,” Scout said indifferently.
“I’ll have to go online and look up what it means,” Katherine said. “Okay, let’s get back to the movie.”
When Jake and Katherine walked into the living room, they gasped. Iris had dumped the bowl of nacho chips and spread them throughout the large room.
Iris sat innocently on Katherine’s chair.
Jake joked, “I guess she had her own game of hockey.”
Katherine said, “I’ll get the Hoover!”
“I’ll get more chips,” Jake answered.
Chapter Two
It was the first day of computer training at the pink mansion. Although Katherine had proposed the classroom design the previous spring, the project had run into various snags. Windows were ordered, didn’t fit, and had to be shipped back. The electrical work was not up to code and had to be rewired. The new HVAC was difficult to install. But now in October, the new classroom was finally ready for the first group of students.
Katherine had poured over numerous applications. It was difficult to select four candidates for the first course, so she wrote their names on tiny folded cards and dropped them in a large crystal bowl. Scout and Abra were eager to help with the selection. They fished out a card, played with it for a while and then pierced it with a fang mark – sometimes with multiple punctures. Scout preferred to clutch the card in her brown paws and chew on it, while Abra daintily bit the corner. Katherine selected five fang-marked cards, the fifth being a backup in case one of the other students failed to complete the course.
Katherine had decided to first teach the basics of computing. The class would meet twice a week, with the second session devoted to practice. The course would last four weeks. Students would be introduced to various hardware, standalones, laptops, notebooks, and tablets, then move on to keyboarding, word processing, and creating spreadsheets. Each workstation was equipped with a large-screen monitor and
a pull-out shelf for a keyboard and wireless mouse. A printer was connected to each station, and a desktop computer was tucked below, on a shelf. Katherine was a pro at designing efficient, comfortable workspaces, because one of her tasks in Manhattan had been to make each work cubicle an efficient place to work – from the height of the keyboard, to the ergonomic design of the office chair.
Katherine was excited about the first day, but also a little bit nervous. Her last training session at her old job in New York had been eight months ago. After she unlocked the classroom door, she made sure each desktop copy stand held the day’s lesson. Realizing she’d forgotten to add paper to the tray on her printer, she left the room to walk into the far part of the basement where she kept office supplies. She was busy removing a ream of paper from the case when someone quietly walked up behind her. With the ream in hand, she turned and screamed, dropping the paper on the floor.
“What do you want?” she asked, frightened.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m your new student, Glen. I was looking for the restroom,” he apologized.
Katherine felt her heart pounding and said firmly, “It’s located right outside the classroom.” She didn’t move until the student left.
Creepy, she thought. How strange I didn’t hear him. He was practically right on top of me.
Returning to the classroom, she found two students sitting at their workstations, making small talk. Glen strolled in and took a seat. Katherine was loading the paper in her printer when a voluptuous woman in her early thirties stormed in loudly. She wore a low-neck sweater, with cleavage that would rival any geologic fissure. Dressed entirely in pink, she sported enough “bling” to cause temporary blindness. She threw a haughty glance around the room, spotted Katherine behind her desk, and laughed, “Oh, ha! Ha! Sorry, I’m late, Teach.” She threw her large Coach handbag on the floor and noisily sat down. “I take it this is where I’m supposed to sit,” she smirked.
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