“But she’s had her shots, right?” Colleen asked, suddenly no longer amused, but worried about Scout.
“Yes, she’s up-to-date on her shots, especially the rabies one. Bats carry rabies, you know.”
“Saw it on Animal Planet,” Colleen commented.
Katherine remembered how Colleen seemed to see everything on Animal Planet. “Are you addicted to that channel?” she asked.
“Guilty!” Colleen confessed.
Dr. Sonny came on the line and Katherine told him about Scout’s bat adventure. Since the bat hadn’t been caught for analysis, and might have been positive for rabies, he suggested that Katherine bring the cats to the clinic for thorough examinations. He then asked if any of the guests had been bitten.
“No, we were too busy running around and screaming to be bitten. I’m sure the bat was scared to death. Thank you so much, Dr. Sonny. I’ll bring my kids in right away.” She ended the call.
“Ma-waugh,” Scout disagreed and fled to the center of the house. This initiated a feline steeplechase race with Scout in the lead, Abra a close second, and Iris bringing up the rear. Katherine and Colleen burst out laughing as they heard the cats thundering up the stairs and then racing to the back of the house.
Chapter Five
Katherine sat at her computer in the back office. Checking her emails, she was delighted that everyone invited to the party, except Jacky, would be attending. For the first time in a long time, she felt excited and happy. Colleen came into the room, with Scout and Abra following. They darted in and out of Colleen’s path like porpoises in front of a moving ship.
“Katz, they’re truly trying to kill me,” Colleen complained. “I can hardly walk in my new shoes.”
With the mention of shoes, Katherine turned around and looked. Colleen was wearing a pair of hot pink, pointy toe, four-inch heel pumps. Not wanting to hurt her friend’s feelings, Katherine said sweetly, “The shoes are to die for, but carrot top, no one in Erie wears stiletto heels to a fish fry.”
“Oh,” Colleen blushed. “I guess that would be an Erie fashion faux pas!”
“Did you bring running shoes? I wear mine all the time,” Katherine suggested.
“Yes, of course. I’ll go up later and change. How about a bit of tea?” Colleen suggested, moving to the kitchen.
“Great. Let me save my document, and I’ll be right there.”
Colleen walked into the kitchen and gasped, “Katz, the cabinet doors are open!”
Katherine joined her and stifled a laugh. “The pink mansion has a poltergeist.” Then her face clouded when she remembered two similar events.
Colleen noticed the change of expression and asked, “Katz, what’s wrong?”
“Deja vu! Iris did this little cabinet door trick the very last time Carol Lombard visited, and right before she died in the fatal car accident.” Katherine leaned against the counter. “After I learned my student, Stacy, was brutally assaulted, I came home to find not only the cabinet doors open, but broken dishes scattered on the floor.”
Colleen tried to make light of the tense situation. “Are the cups broken, too? Should I look for Styrofoam cups for tea?”
“Either Iris did it, or the mansion really does have a poltergeist,” Katherine said, trying to regain her good mood.
“Eerie!” Colleen said. “Maybe I should go get the EVP to detect if a spirit is trying to communicate. It would take a tremendous amount of ghostly energy to open those doors.”
Abby chased Lilac into the kitchen. Lilac me-yowled loudly, sprang from the ceramic tile floor to the granite counter, to the top of the cabinets, then raced their full length. From the cabinets, she leaped onto the wood window valance and ran across it. Right before the edge, she flopped on her side. Abby did the same, except Abby flopped down the other way. They looked like a vintage ceramic cat lamp. “Chirp,” Abby announced proudly.
Colleen took her smartphone and snapped a pic of the two cats. “I’m sending this to mum. She won’t believe it!”
Grabbing the TV remote, Katherine took a seat at the table. “Not liking the idea of communicating with the kitchen spirit,” Katherine said. “How about I turn on the news while you fix some tea? There’s honey vanilla in the canister by the stove.”
Katherine punched the On button. The TV blared, “Breaking news from Brook County. Sheriff’s deputies have found what appears to be the fifth victim in the so-called Festival Murders. The body of a young woman was found dead at the side of a road outside the Erie town limits. The victim’s name has not been released, pending notification of relatives. We hope to have an update on the evening news at eleven.”
Katherine pushed the Off button. “This is awful,” she said. “I feel so terrible for these poor women, and their families and friends.”
“What kind of a monster would do such a thing?” Colleen asked, putting the kettle on the stove top.
“Jake said it’s rare for serial murders to take place here. I’m terrified to go out at night.”
“Well, Katz, then I wouldn’t go out at night unless you have to.”
Iris came into the room and yowled softly. Scout and Abra followed. Abra hopped up onto Katherine’s lap and began kneading her arm.
“What’s she doing?” Colleen asked with a puzzled expression.
“She’s making biscuits.”
“Ahhh,” Colleen said in wonder. She was still a novice about cat behavior. Changing the subject, she said, “Katz, I can’t figure out your new stove. I keep turning the dial and all it does is make a clicking sound. Can you turn it on and watch the kettle. I’m going upstairs to change into my ‘ugly’ shoes. I’m sure to meet a handsome fireman with the ‘ugly’ shoes on!”
Katherine set Abra down and said, “Jake should be here in about five minutes.”
The doorbell clanged at the carport side of the house. “How about one second,” Katherine chuckled rushing to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Jake standing with his cousin Daryl. “Well, hello,” she said to Daryl with a smile. “Come in, you two.”
Jake said, “Daryl actually got tonight and tomorrow night off, so —”
“I’ll be able to come to the party,” Daryl finished. “I’ve been working around the clock with these awful murders. I was surprised the boss let me off. But the State Police is lending a hand. They’ve formed a special task force.”
“Come to the kitchen,” Katherine directed. “Colleen is upstairs changing her shoes.”
Daryl was staring in awe at the dining room furnishings and wall coverings. “It’s like a palace in here,” he admired. “I had no idea.”
Katherine said, “It looks even grander without the black crepe paper.”
Colleen walked into the room. “Oh, I didn’t hear anyone come in.” She broke into a wide, open smile.
“Colleen, I want to introduce you to Jake Cokenberger.”
Jake extended his hand. Shaking it, Colleen said, “Katz has told me so many wonderful things about you.”
Jake smiled and winked at Katherine.
“And, this is Jake’s cousin Daryl,” Katherine said. “Daryl is a deputy for the Brook County Sheriff’s Department.”
Daryl was speechless for a moment, then said, “I’m pleased to meet you.”
“‘Tis my pleasure,” Colleen said with a slight brogue.
Daryl asked, “Did I hear an Irish accent?”
Colleen threw her head back and said tartly, “No, I’m German.”
Daryl belted out the famous Cokenberger laugh, “We’re going to get along just fine.”
Jake said, “Okay, everybody ready? Let’s head to the big fry!”
Katherine looked at her watch and said, “But, it’s only six o’clock. I thought we’d hang out a bit. Colleen is making some tea.”
“Got to git there before them fish is gone,” he said in an exaggerated Hoosier twang.
“Seriously?” Katherine asked.
“Yep. If we go later, there’ll be a line like y
ou’ll not believe,” he explained.
“I’ll grab my bag,” Katherine said.
“Likewise,” Colleen called as she left the room.
Jake said, “We’ll head out and meet you fine ladies in front of the house.” He wore an amused grin on his face. When they left, Katherine shut and locked the side door.
Colleen came in with her cross-body bag wrapped around her shoulder. She sang a lyric from an Irish folk song, “He whistled and sang ‘til the green woods rang, and he won the heart of a lady.” Katherine joined in the chorus.
Colleen laughed, “Don’t give up your day job, Katz. You still can’t sing.”
Katherine faked a sad face, and then burst out laughing. “What’s with that German remark? The poor guy’s jaw dropped when he saw you. He could hardly speak.”
“Oh, it was a bit cheeky, but I liked the way he got my sense of humor. But Katz, why didn’t you warn me that Daryl is a gorgeous hunk?”
Katherine grinned. “Well, it’s the Cokenberger genetics.”
“Shut the door! Cokey isn’t that hot.”
Katherine grinned. “Perhaps he inherited the recessive genes.” Heading to the office, she said, “My bag’s on the desk. I’d better log off the computer.”
Colleen followed and squinted at the web page on the monitor. “Why did you do a search on Mr. Clean?” she asked.
Katherine gave a curious look. “I didn’t. It must have been one of the cats.” Iris came from behind the monitor and yowled innocently. Katherine picked her up and held her. “Miss Siam, I didn’t know you surfed the web. Are you trying to tell me something? Maybe something to do with your litterbox?”
“I think we should set up a camera. We could catch who’s doing it and put it on YouTube. We can send it to Animal Planet,” Colleen said excitedly.
“I believe we’ve had this conversation before. No way,” Katherine countered. “I’ve already got the looky-loos walking by the pink murder house. I’d really have a problem if they knew my cats surfed the web.” Logging off, Katherine observed, “You know in a strange way, one of my students looks like Mr. Clean. My friend Michelle invited him as her guest to the party.”
“That’s funny. Have the cats ever seen him?”
“During my first lesson, Abra and Scout came into the classroom and saw him then. I guess maybe while we were in the kitchen, Scout or Abra did some cat surfing. Probably Scout. I wouldn’t think Abra would have learned that trick so soon. She’s only been here a few months.”
“‘Tis a mystery! Shouldn’t we hurry up? The guys are waiting for us.”
“I’m done,” Katherine announced, getting up from her chair. “Last one to the front door pays the bill.”
“Who says? That’s ridiculous!” Colleen said, darting in front of Katherine.
“Not fair! I’ve got to shut the door.”
Colleen ran down the front steps and joined Jake and Daryl on the sidewalk.
Katherine locked the front door. “Cheater,” she called jokingly to Colleen.
Cokey, Margie, and the two kids pulled up in Cokey’s new Dodge Ram crew cab. He yelled out the window, “Hey, are you guys going to the fish fry?”
Jake yelled back, “Yep. Save us a spot at the table!”
“Will do,” Cokey said driving away.
Katherine asked, “Which car are we going to take? Obviously, not the Jeep.”
Daryl piped in, “My Mercedes is parked in front of the yellow brick house.”
All eyes turned in that direction. Colleen said enthusiastically, rushing to the vehicle, “For the love of Mary, you own a ’67 Chevy Impala!”
Daryl said, “I’m impressed. How did you know it’s an Impala?”
“I watch Supernatural. I can see Sam and Dean Winchester spill out of it any moment. It’s even black!”
Katherine had never seen her friend so animated. She knew Colleen frequented classic car shows with her four brothers, but she’d never joined them.
Daryl beamed with pride and admiration for Colleen.
Jake offered, “Daryl had it painted. It was originally white.”
Colleen gushed, “A four-door sedan. I love it!”
Daryl opened the passenger door for Colleen and she got in. While he was walking over to the driver’s side, Jake opened Katherine’s door. She slid over so he could sit next to her.
After arriving at the fire station, Daryl was particular about where he parked the classic car. Finally, he decided on a spot two short blocks away. “Got to protect my baby,” he apologized.
Colleen said, “Can’t blame you.”
The four got out and walked to the fish fry. They passed a historic church that was built in the 1840s. They admired the stained glass windows.
“Can we do a selfie in front of it?” Colleen asked. “I want to send it to my mum.”
“Sure,” Katherine said, leaning into Jake while Colleen did the same with Daryl.
“Perfect,” Colleen said, taking the picture. She took a few more pictures, then put her smartphone away.
The Erie fire station was a large, corrugated-metal building of a pole barn design. The fire department comprised both full-time employees and volunteers, who received pay only when actively taking care of an emergency. The volunteers were summoned to duty by a town-wide siren that sounded different from the tornado siren. The fire trucks had been backed out and lined both sides of Main Street. The annual fish fry was the grand finale of the Covered Bridge Festival, and residents of the town came out in droves.
The fish fry serving line was beginning to curl around the side of the building.
“I see what you mean,” Colleen said.
Daryl gently took her arm and said, “Let’s run for it.” And, much to Katherine’s amazement, Colleen did just that. Katherine thought, Good thing I suggested the running shoes. She wouldn’t have been able to do that with the stilettos.
“Well,” Jake said. “Want to join them?”
Katherine smirked. “Not thinking so. I’ll walk. They can save us a place in line.”
The line moved quickly. Once inside, Katherine observed rows and rows of long tables set up, covered with decorative orange plastic tablecloths. Each table had a loaf of bread and a tub of butter in the center. Volunteers dished out the food. Katherine’s eyes grew big when a woman in her forties handed her a Styrofoam plate with two giant fried fish patties, a large scoop of creamy coleslaw, and a similar size scoop of baked beans. A second table held the drinks and numerous slices of pie and cake in different varieties. When it came to selecting a dessert, she had a hard time narrowing her choices.
Jake helped, “Don’t see any coconut cream pie, but German chocolate has coconut. Hey, Colleen, you’ll like this. It’s German cake.”
Colleen laughed and said, “Hilarious!”
Cokey’s son, Tommy, ran over to the group while they were paying. “We’ve saved ya a spot.”
Holding large orange trays, Katherine and Jake followed him to the table.
“I want to sit by Jake,” Tommy’s sister Shelly insisted.
Jake winked and said, “Okay, sweet pea, but Katz sits on my other side. I want to be in the middle of my two favorite girls.”
Shelly giggled.
Colleen and Daryl came and sat down.
Cokey said, “Hi, Colleen! I believe the last time I saw you it was in the dead of winter.”
Katherine thought, I hope he doesn’t bring up the awful events of that day when his lover killed my boyfriend.
Instead Cokey said, “I want you to meet my wife, Margie.”
“Glad to meet ya,” Margie said, leaning over Cokey to shake Colleen’s hand. “Katz talks about ya all the time.”
Colleen said, “I hope it’s the condensed version.”
Margie smiled.
They had barely sat down when a fireman came over armed with a large platter of fried fish. “Can I top you off?” he asked the group.
“Not yet,” Cokey said, “but keep em’ comin’.”
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Tommy scooted next to his father and said, “Gee, Dad, are you starving or something?”
Shelly snorted like a pig. And, launched into another fit of giggles.
The group was halfway through their meal, when Mark Dunn spotted them, came over, and stood behind Katherine. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I approved the Sanders boys hauling away the scrap metal. I told Stevie to call Cokey to schedule a time.”
“Why Cokey?” Katherine asked.
“I want Cokey to be there when they show up. Listen, I know I RSVP’d for the party, but something has come up and I can’t attend. Will you forgive me?” he asked.
Katherine was surprised. “No problem. We’ll miss you, though.”
Mark moved over to Colleen’s side of the table. “Hello. Katz told me you were coming. How are you?”
Colleen smiled, “I’m just fine, Mark. How are you?”
“Still doing the lawyer thing,” he said. “How long are you staying?”
“I leave on Monday.”
“What time? I have to drive to Indy for some errands and a noontime seminar. Maybe I can take you to the airport.”
“‘Twould be grand. My flight leaves in the morning. I think ten o’clock.”
“Perfect! I’ll pick you up at seven. That will give us plenty of time.”
“Super, Mark,” Colleen said thankfully.
“We can catch up,” he said, eyeing Daryl curiously. He said his goodbyes and left.
Katherine caught Jake and Daryl look at each other questioningly. She wondered if they thought Mark and Colleen had a thing for each other. Then she followed Mark with her eyes. She was curious about whom he was with, but he vanished into the crowd. Once she thought there might be something between them, but after meeting Jake, she knew that wasn’t going to happen.
Jake sensed her mood and put his arm around her. “What do you think of the fish fry?” he asked happily.
Before Katherine had time to answer, Barbie Sanders walked by, carrying her tray up high and very close to Katherine’s head. She was dressed in a long-sleeved, leopard-printed jumpsuit and matching spiked heels. She pretended to trip, but caught herself.
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