by P. Creeden
“Good job,” her father said, eyeing her. “You look very nice today, by the way.”
She smiled through her tearing eyes. “Thank you.”
A glance at Colby showed her that her dad’s suggestion had caused her crush to take notice of her, too. He eyed her outfit like he was seeing it for the first time. She only wished that the allergies weren’t making it hard for her to appreciate the moment. She shook her head and tried to think of something else. “Oh yeah. Dad. I noticed the roses in the dining room were dead. George told me that they were just delivered yesterday.”
“They probably forgot to water them or give them the nutrient packet. That kind of flower is very sensitive to this kind of humidity and temperature and without the right conditions any fluctuations would kill them fast,” Colby said, glancing toward the house.
So, he noticed, too. Emma’s affection for the man swelled in her chest.
“How are you able to speak more about flowers than any of the scenes we’ve been on?” the Sheriff asked.
“It’s my mother’s hobby, sir,” Colby replied, a touch of pink colored his cheeks.
“Well, the flowers are dead,” Emma continued. “But there was also a melted box of chocolates. Denise said the shareholders had the chocolates and the flowers delivered yesterday.”
“That makes sense then, maybe the delivery truck left them out in the sun too long, or the cab was too hot, and they melted. It doesn’t take long for chocolate to melt,” Colby replied. His knowledge of the science amused Emma.
Her father grinned, equally amused. “Is that another hobby of yours? Mr. Chocolateer?”
“Just a hunch, sir.” Colby replied, the pink in his cheeks growing.
Emma sniffed. “My allergies are flaring up. I need to get rid of this cat. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” said both the Sheriff and Colby.
The old man raised an eyebrow at Colby. “What reason would cause you to need to call my daughter?”
“It’s Gabby, sir. I think the old girl has a cold. I might have worked her too hard outdoors the last few weeks.” Colby rubbed his hands together as though they were cold.
Her father’s amusement turned to concern as his forehead scrunched. “Uh huh. Well you just keep me up to date on your K9 partner. I don’t want her missing too many days of work. It’s bad enough she wasn’t here for this case. I could have used her,” the Sheriff said.
“Yes, sir,” said Colby.
Emma smiled and opened the back door of her SUV. She set Julius on the back seat and looked through the bars toward the back of the vehicle at the Saint Bernard. “I’m so sorry, Molly. That took much longer than I expected. We’ll let you get out of the truck when we get back to the vet hospital, okay?”
Molly’s tail wagged as though she understood and forgave her. Emma shut the door and headed around to the driver’s side, watching Colby and her father head back into the house with the medical examiner who had just arrived. As she sat in the driver’s seat, she rolled the window down completely and blasted the fan of the car, trying to clear her sinuses as best as possible with the cat in the backseat. The unbearable itchy eyes and itchy nose was starting to fog her mind as well. She hoped it wouldn’t impair her driving as she started back down the estate’s driveway.
Chapter Four
The dozen minutes of severe cat allergies made the drive to the animal hospital quite agonizing. Emma wasn’t sure if she’d take a job like this one again next time. Despite the hardship, she persisted knowing it wouldn’t be long before she could clear up her lungs and get some proper fresh air.
Once inside the hospital, Dr. Lawrence received the cat carrier and expertly handled the locking mechanism. With one hand, the cage door was open, and Julius was instantly affectionate towards the vet. Dr. Lawrence’s tall, thin frame was the opposite of George’s, so it wasn’t like the cat could have mistaken them, though they both had a deep timbre to their voices.
Maybe the cat likes men, she thought, remembering on the chase through the mansion earlier, and how quickly the cat showed the doctor some love.
The inspection procedure didn’t take long, and the old man had his assessment within a few minutes. Emma was off in the corner trying to regain her breath after the allergy attack.
“Allergies, huh?” the old man remarked.
“Yep and this cat has been the worst for my nose. I couldn’t breathe on the drive over.” Emma snuffled as though her head were underwater.
“Well, if you ever get a cat, just make sure you bathe it regularly. Mrs. Van Horn brushed her cat regularly, but I can see she didn’t bathe him as often. Your allergies come from the pet dander, oils, and the loose fur.”
Somehow, Emma doubted she’d ever get a cat after today. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“This cat looks healthy, though. I don’t see any issues here. Maybe a bath and another brushing and we’ll have ourselves a precious little kitty! Won’t we?” The old man’s baby talk to the mature cat was a cute display of his affection for animals. It was a trait that Emma also shared, even with cats that sparked her allergies. The old man started pawing at the cat, enjoying the play.
“What kind of cat is it? I still don’t know all the breeds,” Emma asked.
“This is a lilac point Himalayan. It’s basically a cross between a Persian and a Siamese,” he said.
“Great, so now I know not to go to the Himalayas from fear of my allergies.” Emma joked.
“Nah, you’ll be alright. These cats are rare in the wild, but they’re definitely more of a house cat than an outdoor cat. Too much sun or heat is not good for any animal, but these…” He rubbed the cat’s belly. “Are definitely indoor cats. They love their AC!”
“Gotcha. So, what now? Do I have to take him back?” Emma frowned at the thought. Julius was certainly adorable, and she’d love to play with him, but she’d had enough of him for one day.
“Oh no, he stays here with me until the owner comes for him,” the doctor said.
“Well, unfortunately, Mrs. Van Horn passed away this morning. My dad thinks it was a heart attack.” Emma relayed the message with a tone of sadness in her voice.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the doctor reminisced, “they didn’t say she died when they called me this morning.”
“Typical.” Emma frowned eyeing Julius. “It’s probably best if the cat stays here anyway. I’m sure the examiner would like some privacy.”
“Oh certainly. When I…” Dr. Lawrence thought carefully about his words. “Never mind. Do you know if one of her heirs could come get the cat in a few days?”
“I’m sure George or Denise could, yea,” Emma replied.
“Great. I’ll just need one of them to sign the papers and we’re all set.” Dr. Lawrence’s attention was solely invested in playing with Julius. The love that man had for animals was inspiring to Emma.
“Okay. Great. I’ll see if I can’t convince one of them to commit to get him in a few days and sign the papers,” Emma said, her nose and eyes watering again. Dr. Lawrence’s playfulness with the cat must have stirred up the air in the examination room. Emma could deal with a runny nose and the itchy eyes, but the pressure she felt in the back of her head was too much. “Do you need anything else?”
“Nope. Just give one of them a call for me and we’re all set.”
Emma nodded and headed out of the office. Once outside, she took deep, slow breaths of the open air as she approached her SUV. Her high heels were digging into her ankles and her toes hurt from walking in them all day. She opened the rear hatch for Molly, holding her leash, so the fur ball could stretch her legs. The morning had turned to afternoon. The poor Saint Bernard had been in the back of her car most of the morning.
“Sorry, again, Molly. I didn’t mean for that to be the kind of day we’d have together.” Emma closed the hatch and gave the puppy a good rub down. Then she led her toward the front of the vehicle.
Emma sat down in the driver�
��s seat, ready to change out of her shoes. The agony of walking in heels was more uncomfortable than any comments she would receive for wearing sneakers with the skirt. Molly was ready to play and kept tugging at the leash to convince Emma to go to the play area next to the vet hospital.
“Just a minute, girl. I need to fix my feet first. Silly,” Emma cooed at Molly.
She felt better once she had the tennis shoes on. It was smart of her to bring the extra footwear that day. She sighed, hoping that she wouldn’t run into Colby again. But if he did say something, Emma thought of a few good one liners to change the subject quickly.
Letting Molly off the leash to run around the play area, Emma stood idly by watching the dog prance around. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Emma. Why is the cat okay, if the house was too hot? Would it have survived?
She found her way back into the examination room, and caught Dr. Lawrence still playing with Julius. He had the stick with a string and a furry mouse on the end of it. Julius’s curious eyes and pawing at the toy made her smile now that the pressure was gone from her head and she’d had a moment of fresh air.
“Hey, Dr. Lawrence?” Emma asked.
“Yes, dearie? Have you gotten ahold of an heir?” the doctor joked.
“No, I haven’t asked yet. I was thinking about what you said… about the cats being indoor cats.”
“Uh huh?” the doc was confused.
“Well, what would happen to a cat like this one,” Emma nodded towards Julius, “if it were outside too long?”
“It’s hard to say really, but cats are just like us. If I put you outside for too long in the summer sun, how would you feel?” The doctor was almost insulted.
“Well I mean, like what if it was temporary, and I brought it back inside after…” She thought a moment. “…after four hours?”
“Four hours? Four hours outside, in a hot sun? Are you an abuser? I would never—”
Emma cut him off. “What would the symptoms be?”
“Well a heart attack for starters. I’m sure dehydration would set in, liver failure, kidney failure, eventually leading to death. That’s the cruelest thing you’ve ever asked me!” He looked at the cat again. “Is that what that old lady did to you? Huh? It’s okay, you can tell me.” The doctor began his inspection of Julius again under the impression Mrs. Van Horn was mistreating the animal. “He looks okay and doesn’t appear dehydrated. Don’t plant those ideas in my head, missy!”
“I’m sorry, Dr. Lawrence. I was just thinking about something, that’s all. Don’t worry! I would never leave my animals in the heat like that. That’s cruel!” Emma was sure she had figured out a link between the chocolates, the flowers, and Mrs. Van Horn’s sweating.
“You’re certainly right that’s cruel! They lock people in jail for that sort of thing!” The old doctor was getting hyped up about the idea that maybe someone would be cruel to an animal. It was good for Emma to see his enthusiasm for animal rights; it reinforced her ideas about them.
Emma headed back outside and observed the oblivious Molly still pandering around the yard. Her itchy nose had been reduced. Julius needed a signor to release him from the vet. Emma thought it would be a good idea to have Denise take the cat, since George didn’t quite appreciate it as much. She didn’t have Denise’s number, so she called the station.
“Dispatch. Is this an emergency?” She blinked and looked at the phone. What was he doing answering the dispatch?
“Hi, Colby… it’s Emma. Is my dad there?”
“Oh. Hi, Emma. No, he’s not. I think he’s on a patrol. The M.E. has already taken Mrs. Van Horn’s body down to the morgue.”
“Right, okay. Thanks for that. Do you have a phone number for Denise Van Horn? I’m trying to get one of the family members to sign for the cat, Julius?” Emma asked.
“Uh, yea sure. Hang on a sec.” Colby could be heard putting the phone down. After a brief moment, he picked up again. “Hello?”
“I’m here.” Emma’s heart fluttered at the sound of his voice as he read off the phone number. She jotted it down. “Great, thanks. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. How’s your nose? You were pretty messed up earlier.”
Her heart warmed at the concern in his voice. “It’s all right now. That cat triggered my allergies pretty bad.”
“I saw, I saw. Well, I hope you’re fine now.”
“Thanks, I’ll be okay.”
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Emma dialed Denise.
The line sounded distant and hollow. “Hello?”
“Hi Denise, it’s Emma. I’m the one who picked up Julius this morning.” Emma watched Molly as she dug a bit in the grass near a plastic fire hydrant.
“Hi Emma. What can I do for you?” Denise asked.
“I’m at the vet’s office, and wondered if you might be able to stop in and fill out some paperwork for Julius?”
“Oh. I’m in the car right now, half-way to Richmond to talk to the shareholders. I won’t be able to do that today… and I planned on staying overnight.”
“Hmmm.” Emma wondered if the vet’s office minded waiting that long for the paperwork. She could ask Dr. Lawrence…
“You could ask George to do it. He’s probably not busy.” Her voice cut in and out slightly as the line was breaking up.
“Could I get his phone number from you?” Emma asked, already pulling her car door open to grab her pen again. She wrote the number on her hand while Denise said them into the speaker phone. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I’m nearly at my exit, so I’ll let you go. Feel free to give me a call later if my cousin gives you a hard time.”
“Thanks. And good luck at the shareholder’s meeting.”
Denise sighed. “Thank you. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.” Emma pressed the end call button and added Denise to her contacts. Then she dialed George.
When she asked if he could come fill out the paperwork, George explained, “Actually, my townhouse is at the other end of town and I’m expecting a package today. Would you mind bringing the paperwork over here and I’ll sign it for you?”
Emma frowned. People react differently, she thought again. She agreed to meet him on the condition that he would be nice to the cat if he took possession of him. George agreed.
Chapter Five
Emma pulled up into the visitor’s space immediately in front of the address George provided. Molly was still at the vet’s in the play area. The poor dog was cooped up all day in the back of the car and Emma didn’t want to do that sort of thing to her twice in one day.
On her walk to the front door, her foot stuck to a piece of gum. Eww! Gross! She used her car key to scrape off the waste. But as she continued her walk, the sound of ripping Velcro could be heard every other step. The sticky gum she removed must have been quite fresh.
“Still, better than heels,” Emma murmured.
A moment after she knocked, George greeted her at the door and led her inside. The townhome was very disorganized. The man had stacks of computer parts, posters with brilliant designs, and all kinds of technology debris everywhere. Immediately, Emma’s allergies started in motion. Her nose started itching and her eyes become red.
“Do you have a cat?” she managed to ask, before sneezing.
“No, I don’t. But maybe it’s because of my clothes. Let me change real quick,” George replied. As he left to change, Emma started viewing the apartment as though it were an art gallery. The surplus of paintings and mixed digital artwork everywhere were extraordinary. The guy was talented. He had full pieces with only organic lines, and some with very stern contours. The colors were vibrant in some and muted in others. The black and white pieces were her favorite.
As she explored the paintings, the subjects of each changed between pieces. His muses seemed to come from many places. When she reached the corner of the room, her curiosity led her to shuffle through some of the mixed art leaning against the wall. As she moved through them, she dropped her pen
.
He just needed the papers, I’m sure he already had a pen. Why did I bring a pen? Of course, I would drop it. Upon retrieval of her pen, she found tiny rocks on the floor. They reminded her of the pebbles in the bottom of the fish tank she had as a young child.
Continuing her viewing session, each new piece reminded her of memories she had. The artwork was unlocking memories she hadn’t thought about in a very long time. Each of the paintings had their own personality and use of color to covey mood. Emma picked up on his style immediately. She found a portrait of an old man and a young girl fishing off a pier. The perspective was from behind the two of them, and their bodies were silhouettes against the backdrop of the setting sun. The singular image reminded her so much of the relationship she and her father shared. It was beautiful.
Seeking more emotional pieces like that one, Emma browsed further. She stepped over a stack of computer equipment and found herself wondering if George had the kind of skills to hack his family’s security system. Surely he’s not responsible. Was he? The artwork was quite voluminous… how could he have learned hacking skills? The answer to the puzzle fit, though. George could have done it.
But what about Julius? Emma was confident she had found the solution, but the cat didn’t make sense.
George returned to the living room in a new outfit. “Do you like my art work?”
“It’s amazing. You did all of these?” Emma gestured to the pieces around the room.
“Yep. All me. I can’t sell any of them, though.” He bashfully looked away.
“Why’s that? No buyers?”
“Oh no! No, no.” George laughed. “I just feel like they’re a part of who I am. I can’t sell them. It would be like giving up a piece of myself.”
“That’s a shame. These are really good! Like, really really good. I would definitely enjoy seeing these in a gallery. They’re breathtaking!”
“I’m glad you like them.” George beamed.
