He frowned down at her. “We don’t have time to play with that. I need to get you home and fed pretty quick so I can get to the hospital.”
“Meow.” Pandora nodded her head, trying to convey that she understood. She didn’t want to play, anyway. The toy was for another purpose.
“Oh, so you want to take that with you?” The human was smarter than he looked. That was exactly what she wanted.
He scooped her up in his arms, locked up the store, loaded her into the brown and tan Crown Vic sheriff's car and then drove to Willa’s house.
Striker gave her special attention while he prepared her food, even taking an extra five minutes to brush her. Pandora knew he was trying to be nice so she wouldn’t be so upset at Willa’s absence and the change in their usual routine. Striker was a good guy and Pandora especially appreciated the big bowl of food he set out for her. She made a mental note to somehow convey the message to Willa that Striker was ‘a keeper’.
Good guy or not, Pandora was grateful that Striker didn’t stay too long and that he forgot to latch the cat door on his way out. Pandora had an important job to do and she didn’t want to be late.
***
Once Striker was out of sight, Pandora slipped out the cat door. She’d previously arranged to meet Sasha just outside her secret exit at the back of the house. They were meeting the rest of the clan in the woods at the edge of Willa’s yard but, since Sasha was one of those unfortunate cats who are immune to catnip, Pandora needed Sasha to carry the catnip spider.
Of course, Pandora hadn't known that Willa wouldn’t be home and that she would be able to just go out the cat door when she'd made the plan. She thought she’d have to sneak out her secret exit tunnel after Willa was in bed. It worked out well because they’d made the rendezvous for later in the night and Striker left just at the right time.
The stars were bright and Pandora used them to navigate to Hope’s house, following the handle of the big dipper most of the way out there. Sasha kept a good distance from the rest of them as they made the trip quietly, serenaded by the chirping of peepers and watching the light show of fireflies that randomly sparked up along the way.
They stopped just short of Hope’s house.
“Is this where the chimera is?” Inkspot’s deep voice ruffled the leaves in front of them.
“Yes,” Pandora answered.
“And the evil cat is here, too,” Otis added. He always had to be such a party pooper.
“Hopefully, our plan to deal with Fluff will be successful.” Inkspot slid his eyes over to Sasha, who was still holding the cat-nip toy.
“Then let’s get this show on the road,” Pandora said. She didn’t see any reason to sit around staring at the house. She needed action. She glanced at Inkspot for the go-ahead and when he nodded, she padded off toward the screened porch, sticking to the shadows of the shrubberies in the hope that Fluff wouldn’t notice her.
Pandora crawled on her belly under the rhododendron and past an azalea bush to the edge of the porch. Slowly, she peeked up over the edge of the floor, her eyes searching the porch for Hope.
“So, you’ve come back.” Hope’s green eye blinked at Pandora from the corner where she was curled.
“Yes, I brought some of my friends. We wanted you to know that you are not alone. And we are hoping you will join our clan.”
Hope moved closer to Pandora and she could now see the chimera’s full face. Pandora had to admit, it was a little disconcerting … like looking at two cats at once. Which eye should she look in—the green one or the blue one? Probably it didn’t matter.
“I would like to meet your friends but be careful. Fluff is around,” Hope said.
“We have a way of taking care of Fluff.” Pandora made a low guttural noise—a signal for the others to approach.
The others appeared around Pandora, slowly and quietly so as not to scare the young cat. Introductions were made and Hope crouched down, apparently sizing them up. She turned to Inkspot. “You are the leader, are you not?”
“Yes, I am. We hope that you will join us. I hear your human keeps you locked in here?”
“Yes. I am confined to the porch. But I don’t think that will be for long.”
Inkspot’s ears flicked. “Really? Why not?”
Hope shook her head. I don’t know, but my intuitive instincts seem to be getting stronger and that is what I feel.”
“It makes sense,” Inkspot said. “You are growing to maturity. You are a little over a year old now, are you not?”
“Yes. I am and I—“
Hope stopped talking abruptly and Pandora felt her hair stand on end. From the way that others were acting, they felt it, too. The bushes rustled and a puff of white fur appeared. Fluff.
Fluff leveled his amber gaze at Inkspot and the two cats stared at each other, their eyes narrowing to slits.
“So, you dare come here. It’s too bad. Even though there are many of you, you are no match for my power,” Fluff growled.
“The power of good will always prevail,” Inkspot replied.
Fluff snorted. “You will not take the kit. I am grooming her for the dark side.”
“I don’t think so. We are many and you are but one.”
Fluff humped up his back and hissed. “You are a fool.”
Pandora knew that Inkspot was just keeping Fluff talking to distract him. They had already planned out how to immobilize the white cat. Fluff was so fixated on Inkspot that he didn’t notice Sasha up in the dwarf weeping cherry tree almost directly above him. Pandora held her breath as she watched Sasha lower down the catnip spider.
She watched as Sasha dangled the spider expertly so that its legs brushed against the top of Fluff’s head. Fluff’s eyes rolled upwards as if to see what was up there. Sasha dangled the spider further down so one leg dipped down over Fluff’s amber-colored eye.
Fluff jerked his head upward, his eyes widening when he saw the giant spider. From his view in the dark underneath the toy, he must have thought it was real. Then again, Fluff was no Einstein. Sasha, hidden from Fluff’s view by the leaves, lowered the spider onto his back.
Fluff jumped sideways, humped his back and hissed. “Get it off! Get it off!”
The white cat leaped around, clawing at the catnip toy try to dislodge it. His claws were large and sharp. The toy ripped open and catnip spilled out, getting caught in his long fur and falling on the ground. Pandora held her breath. She hoped Fluff was not immune to catnip or it could spell trouble for the rest of them. She didn’t know what he would do to take his revenge.
But Fluff was not immune. The catnip took effect immediately. He rolled onto his back, wriggling in the pile of dried-up leaves and twigs. He moved back and forth, grinding the catnip into his fur and spewing the leaves in the air with his paws and mouth. Then, as they watched with their mouths open, he promptly passed out.
Pandora felt a glow of satisfaction. She’d known that spiders were Fluff’s weakness and had hoped the extra dose of catnip she’d snatched out of Willa’s filing cabinet would knock him out. She'd had to fill the mouse a little at a time over the previous day, so that she didn’t get knocked out herself. It was tricky business because she couldn’t let Willa catch her—the human had no idea she knew how to open the filing cabinet and Pandora did not want her to know. It gave her an advantage to keep things like that from the human. Pandora sat back on her haunches and smiled—the risk had paid off.
Inkspot turned his attention back to Hope. “Sorry, we don’t have much time. Fluff will only be out for a short while.”
“We must figure out an escape route for you. Your human does not need to know. We all have them,” Snowball said.
“Then you will be able to meet with us. We know you are special,” Kelley added.
Hope nodded slowly. “Thank you. But I do not think that is necessary. As I said before, my time of freedom is coming. I am safer here now, until I am stronger.”
Inkspot thought for a while, then nodded. “We
will wait, then. We will be back to visit. In the meantime, is there anything we can do for you?”
Hope’s face softened. “There is one thing, if it is not too much trouble.”
“What is it?”
“Since I am not allowed outside, I have not been able to honor my human … my first human, that is. The one who died protecting me. It would be much appreciated if someone could go to the site of the fire and pay their respects for me. I hear the young man that used to help her goes sometimes, but I feel a cat presence is needed as well. So that my human’s spirit knows I did not forget her.”
Man? What man? Pandora wondered.
Inkspot’s face turned thoughtful as he considered it.
“I will go,” Pandora said before Inkspot could make a decision. For some reason, she wanted to be the one to check out this place where the fire had happened. Her curiosity had been piqued since she’d first heard the story in the bookstore.
Inkspot nodded. “Fine. But do not go alone.” Inkspot turned to look at the others. “Who will go with Pandora?”
Otis shrank back into the shrubberies as if to make himself invisible so he didn’t get chosen. That was fine with Pandora. She didn’t want to suffer his company on the trip.
Kelley, the Maine Coon cat, stepped forward. “I’ll go.”
Inkspot nodded his approval. “Then, you best get going.” He turned to Hope and bowed. “Take care until we meet again, little one.”
***
Hope told them where the site of the fire was and Pandora and Kelley headed in that direction while the others returned to the barn, leaving Fluff lying at the foot of the rhododendron in a catnip-induced daze.
Pandora chuckled to herself, imagining how mad Fluff was going to be when he sobered up and realized how they had pulled the wool over his eyes. Sasha had taken the catnip toy away and promised to drop it on Pandora’s porch on the way back. Pandora didn’t see any sense in wasting a good toy.
The site of the fire was not far, at least not for cats that could run as fast as Kelley and Pandora. They raced through the night, enjoying the breeze on their fur as they covered the distance in a full speed run.
They slowed as they approached the hulking mass of charred wood. It was secured within a chain-link fence, but something as flimsy as that could not keep the cats out. They scurried underneath, their nostrils wrinkling at the acrid smell that still hung over the site, even a year after the original fire.
“I wonder were the spot is,” Kelley said.
They stopped at the edge of the debris, panting as they caught their breath. Pandora scanned the area, digging deep inside for some sort of signal or feeling about where they should go.
“Over here.” Pandora walked toward the southwest corner.
“Someone comes here.” Kelley nodded her head toward to a dead rose that lay on top of a burned board.
“Probably the man that Hope spoke of. The one that helped her human.” Whoever that was.
They approached the rose and sniffed. A feeling of sadness, then overwhelming peace filled Pandora. Both cats bowed down, their front legs extended out in front of them in a position that conveyed their deepest respects.
They observed a moment of silence.
“I guess we should leave. The night is almost over,” Kelley said.
Pandora nodded her agreement, her eyes sliding over to a rusty dumpster that sat against the fence. She caught a glimpse of something shiny beside it. “I want to check that out, first.”
She padded over, her stomach sinking as the object became clearer the closer she got. It was a black pickup truck, and from what she remembered, it was suspiciously similar to the one that had run Willa down in the alley.
Chapter Twenty
"Good thing she has a hard head. I think she'll be fine."
The voice, which sounded like Gus, came out of nowhere and interrupted my sunbathing on the pristine white sand beach. I shaded my eyes from the hot tropical sun and looked down the length of the beach, but Gus was nowhere to be seen.
"I hope so. She took a good knock."
That one sounded like Striker. Who were they talking about and why couldn't I see them?
Oh, because my eyes were weighted shut. Maybe they were crusted shut with saltwater. It felt like I'd been swimming. I tried to force them open. No dice.
I tried to drift off to the sound of the ocean, but it suddenly changed from the soft sound of the waves lapping at the shore to a steady beep.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I tried my eyes again. They opened a slit to reveal off-white walls, tubes and a white board with stuff scribbled on it. No palm trees. No blue sky. No ocean. Just Gus hovering over me.
"She's awake," Gus decreed.
I closed my eyes again and struggled to get back to the beach. But it was no use. I opened them again. Where was I?
Then it all came clear. I was in the hospital. My memory flashed back on the black truck.
I'd been hit!
I took inventory of my limbs. Wiggled my fingers and toes. Everything seemed fine except my shoulder hurt like heck and my head felt all fuzzy. Not to mention the massive headache that was knocking on my skull, trying to get out.
"How long have I been here?" I asked.
"Overnight."
Overnight? Cripes. My eyes shot open. "Pandora!"
The last time I'd seen her, she'd been in the bookstore. She must be frantic by now. And mad. I pictured the store full of foam from the couches and chairs that she'd probably shredded to pieces by now.
"Don't worry," Striker soothed. "I took her home and fed her."
My heart flooded with warmth and I turned in the direction of his voice. Striker sat in an uncomfortable-looking blue plastic chair. His face was haggard. He had a day’s worth of stubble as if he'd been sitting there all night. Had he? I wanted to ask, but all I could manage was a weak, "Thank you."
Striker smiled. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay."
"Good. I was worried. I hope you didn't go to these great lengths to get out of our date," he teased.
I managed a weak smile. "No way. I was looking forward to it."
"Do you remember what happened?" Gus's voice was softer than usual.
I nodded. "I got run over."
"You were in the alley beside Paisley's photography store," Gus said. "What were you doing over there?"
"I saw someone in the store. A flashlight."
Striker's eyes narrowed. "And you went over to investigate?"
I nodded, then winced. Nodding made my head hurt. I'd have to remember not to do that. "I thought someone might be trying to rob the store."
Striker leaned forward in his chair. "Did you see who was driving or what kind of car it was?"
I closed my eyes and tried to remember. I hadn't seen the driver but I remembered it was a black truck. And someone else had been there … or at least I thought so. "It was a black truck. I didn't see who was driving, but there was a man. I saw him running toward me and then I blacked out."
"That explains the anonymous 911 call we got," Gus said.
"The guy didn't stick around, though, so we couldn't get any details from him."
"But why would someone try to run me down? It doesn't make any sense." I noticed Striker and Gus looking at each other like they knew something I didn't know. My eyes narrowed. "Does it?"
"Didn't you think it might be dangerous to go over there?" Gus asked, skillfully avoiding answering my question.
I frowned. "No. You already have the killer in custody, don't you?"
Gus and Striker exchanged a look which made my stomach tighten. Which made me nauseous. I'd have to remember not to do that, either.
"You did arrest George, right?"
"We didn't actually arrest him. We brought him in for questioning," Gus corrected.
I sat up in the bed. My head was better now and I was feeling at a disadvantage, lying there in my hospital gown while the two of them hovered over me in their sheriff
uniforms, obviously privy to some information I didn't have.
"Well, he is the killer, right?" My eyes ping-ponged from Striker to Gus. They exchanged another look. I pushed myself up further in the bed. "Well?"
Gus's face creased with concern. "Should you be sitting up like that? I better get the nurse."
"Forget about the nurse," I said. "What is it that you guys aren't telling me? Don't tell me you had to let George go on some technicality?"
Gus chewed her bottom lip and glanced at Striker. "Not exactly. George did confess to setting fire to Paisley's shop, but we had to release him this morning. He'll get a court date and be sentenced eventually."
"What? Why? I can't believe it's police procedure to let a killer walk the streets."
Striker put his hand over mine. "George wasn't the killer. He did burn Paisley’s shop that morning but Paisley wasn't killed that morning. Her time of death was the night before at nine thirty … and George has an airtight alibi for that time. He was at a town meeting having a heated debate with Earnest Schmidt in front of fifty witnesses.
Chapter Twenty-One
It took forever for the nurses to get the paperwork together for my release. Striker offered to come home and sit with me all day, but I assured him I didn’t need babysitting. Plus, I wasn’t actually going to sit at home all day. He didn’t need to know that, though.
Gus got called out to a crime scene. I was happy to see her go because she was clucking over me like a mother hen and it was disturbing. I did want to go home and see Pandora, so I let Striker drop me off at my car which was still at the bookstore, then follow me home. I appeased him by letting him make me a hard-boiled egg, then I shooed him out. I might have given him the impression I was staying home all day to rest in front of the TV.
Pandora seemed happy to see me—at least she let me pet her a little longer than usual before digging her claws into my arm and jumping off my lap.
A Mew to a Kill Page 14
