by L A Morgan
After twenty minutes, their search ended when they saw the flashing lights of half a dozen police cars parked on the side of the road. Michael pulled over beside them. They both got out to find out what had happened. A few seconds later, an officer stopped them from approaching the house in which the activity was taking place.
“What’s happened, officer?” Laurel asked.
“This is police business, ma’am.”
“Could you just tell me if it has something to do with The Cat?” she persisted.
Michael stood slightly behind her with his hand on her shoulder.
“Yes,” the police officer tersely replied.
“Did you catch him?”
“Not yet. Are you folks from around here?”
“No. We’re on vacation.”
“Then I’m going to have to ask you to move along.”
Michael turned to go, but Laurel remained where she was. She felt justified in explaining how she happened to be there.
“My friend and I just came from the paddleboat cruise that passed this house, and we thought we saw The Cat on the shoreline here about an hour ago.”
This caught the police officer’s interest.
“What made you think it was The Cat?” he asked.
Laurel explained, “We saw him making his getaway from a house on the beach on Tuesday. We gave Sergeant Shaw a description of him.”
“Sergeant Shaw is inside the house right now. I think he might want to talk to you. Wait here. I’m going to get him.”
“We’ll wait.”
As the officer walked away, Laurel turned to Michael and said, “I think we’re close to the area where we saw that figure dressed in black. What do you think?”
“It’s hard to say, Laurel, but you could be right. It looks as though your hunch was correct.”
“Isn’t this exciting? I never dreamed that we’d get to see The Cat again!”
“It’s quite a coincidence,” Michael agreed.
At that moment, Sergeant Shaw walked out of the house and beckoned for them to join him by the door.
When they got there, Laurel said, “I’m surprised to see you here since you were working on Tuesday morning.”
“We work on rotating shifts, Miss Nelson. I was told that you saw The Cat again.”
“We thought so.”
“What did you see?”
“Do you want to tell him, Michael?” Laurel asked.
“You’re doing just fine,” the man assured her.
“Okay. We were on the paddleboat ride that docks near the Waccamaw Pottery center. About a half hour before our cruise ended, we were looking out at the shore, and we spotted a person that was dressed all in black, lurking in the bushes by the water. I immediately suspected that it might be The Cat.
“He looked to be about the same height and weight as the person we saw leaving Eatha Grant’s house on Tuesday morning. Besides that, I thought his movements looked suspicious.”
“Why didn’t you call in this information right away?” asked the sergeant.
“We tried to, but there was no telephone on the boat. As soon as we docked, I called the police station to tell them what we’d seen.”
“How long ago was this?”
“About twenty-five minutes ago.”
“He would have been gone by then anyway,” Sergeant Shaw assured her with a frown.
“I was afraid that would happen,” Laurel said with a smirk. “It was so frustrating for us to see him again and not be able to phone in the information.”
“I can imagine. Did either of you get a closer look at him this time?”
Michael shook his head, and Laurel replied, “Unfortunately, no.”
“Isn’t there anything else you could tell us? Did he walk in any sort of peculiar manner?”
Laurel considered this and said, “He was slightly hunched over, but he was hiding behind the bushes so he wouldn’t be seen from the house.”
“Did you see the color of his hair?”
“No. I think he might have been wearing that same black, woolen hat.”
“It was very dark and shadowy,” Michael added, “and we only got to see him for a few seconds as the boat’s lights illuminated the shore.”
“I see,” the sergeant commented thoughtfully.
“Has The Cat ever robbed any of the houses in this area before?” Laurel asked.
“Not in this immediate vicinity. This character really likes to jump around and keep us on our toes. If you’d been able to call us sooner, it might have been the best lead that we’ve gotten so far.”
Laurel shook her head in disgust.
Michael said, “Laurel called in a possible clue to the station house last night. Did you hear about it?”
Sergeant Shaw frowned in concentration for a moment and then asked Laurel, “Were you the one that called in to suggest that The Cat might be a mailman?”
“That’s right,” she agreed.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t notice the name on the report.”
“I got the idea from an article I read in the paper. They said The Cat sprayed a dog with repellant. Where I come from, all the postal workers carry them.”
The sergeant nodded and said, “It was worth checking out. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make any connections between The Cat and any of the local mail carriers. Thanks for the tip anyway.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t be more helpful.”
After Sergeant Shaw checked his report book, he said, “We have your names and addresses from the last time. If I think of anything else I might want to ask you, I’ll be in touch.”
“Good luck, sergeant.”
The police sergeant nodded and returned to the crime scene while Laurel and Michael went back to his car. After doing a U-turn, they headed back to the main highway that would take them back to their motel.
“Well, this has certainly been a busy day,” Laurel commented as they drove along.
Michael looked glum as he said, “I had hoped to have a quiet, romantic evening with you.”
The woman looked at him in surprise.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t realize that my enthusiasm about catching The Cat was spoiling your plans.”
“There’s no need to apologize. If you had been the means of catching that thief, I’m sure we’d be celebrating right now.”
In spite of these words, Laurel felt Michael did not appear to be completely satisfied with what had happened.
“I had a wonderful day, Michael,” she assured him. “You planned everything so perfectly, and the cruise on the paddleboat was a real treat for me. I loved every minute of it.”
“Did you?”
“Absolutely! Thank you so much for everything.”
Michael appeared to relax a bit as he allowed himself a small smile.
“I’m glad that you enjoyed yourself,” he said softly. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve dated anyone, and I’m trying very hard to make everything turn out right.”
“I can see that,” Laurel assured him. “You’re a rare person and a rare date. I’ve never met a man who’s as thoughtful as you are.”
“Thank you,” Michael humbly replied.
“The evening is still young,” the woman commented suggestively.
“We may not celebrate, but we can still sit on the balcony and talk.”
The smile that Michael gave her now left her in no doubt that he would be fully satisfied with that arrangement. As they continued their drive home, Laurel realized that she had never before felt this happy. The waves continued to crash along Myrtle Beach’s sandy shore, but the tide, as always, would turn.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A light wind ruffled the leaves of the palm tree by Laurel’s poolside lounge. Drowsily, she turned over, allowing the sun to send its penetrating warmth against the front side of her body. Her tan had now mellowed into a deep, golden hue.
She had not seen Michael that day. Before they parted last eveni
ng, he had mentioned that he would like to get together with her in the afternoon. Laurel wondered what he did when they were apart, but she did not feel she had the right to question him.
The time they had spent together had been very enjoyable for the most part. Laurel would have been happy to spend every waking moment in Michael’s company; however, she realized that Michael was a private person. He felt a need to keep a certain distance between himself and others. If she wanted to stay with him, she had to respect this aspect of his personality.
Before this vacation ended, Laurel hoped that he would feel as deeply in love with her as she had come to feel about him. It was disturbing that he continued to give her the impression they would not be seeing each other after they left Myrtle Beach. If he did not change his mind about this before they left for home, she decided she would broach the subject herself.
Laurel could not imagine what her future would be like if it did not include Michael North. In these past few days, she had come to rely upon his company and the joy that he brought her. She refused to believe that this vacation would be the total extent of their relationship. For Laurel, it was only the beginning. It simply had to continue.
Never before had she felt such deep trust and affection for any man that she had dated. Romance had been like a game, having no more importance in her life than a spicy item of gossip in the office. What she now felt went far beyond that.
Michael’s maturity and depth had shown Laurel what she had been missing in her past relationships. His quiet thoughtfulness and generosity had inspired her to womanly emotions she had not known she possessed. She loved for the first time without even having the satisfaction of knowing that her love was returned.
The warmth of the sun soon lulled her back to sleep. Some minutes later, Michael walked around the side of the motel and approached her lounge. His black knit slacks and vertically striped cotton shirt accentuated his leanness and height. He stood beside the sleeping woman in silent thought for several seconds.
Seeing that she was not about to awaken, he bent over and kissed the tip of her nose. Laurel shifted in her sleep and smiled. Still, she was lost in her dreams.
Michael watched her fondly and then kissed her again, this time, on her lips. Her eyelids fluttered as she slowly came back to awareness.
Straightening up, the man softly said, “You make such a pretty picture, lying there like that. Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
Laurel opened her eyes. Michael’s shadow shielded her from the rays of the sun, so there was no need to squint. She looked up at him with an expression of lazy satisfaction.
Groggily, she whispered, “I was just dreaming about you.”
“Nothing bad, I hope,” the man replied, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Not at all,” Laurel assured him with a sensuous shake of her head,
“Would you like to tell me about it?”
The woman smiled to herself and whispered, “I wouldn’t dare.”
“Why not?”
“Some dreams are too private, Michael.”
He laughed heartily when he heard this. Laurel sat up and, with a graceful movement, stretched out her arms to release the lassitude of sleep. Michael sat down on the lounge beside her.
“This dream sounds very intriguing,” he coaxed.
“Oh, it was,”
“Do you believe the words to the Disney song, a dream is a wish your heart makes?”
Laurel regarded him coyly from beneath her heavy lashes. She enjoyed his flirtation immensely.
“If I did,” she replied, “what part would you want to play in my dreams?”
“Don’t tempt me to answer that, Laurel.”
“Then, what would you like me to tempt you to do?” she responded with a hint of innuendo.
“If you’re not careful, you’re going to find out.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Mr. North.”
“Maybe you should be.”
“Whatever you do, I hope you remember we’re in a public place,” Laurel cautioned and encouraged at the same time.
“That’s the only thing that could have saved you,” Michael smiled back.
“Who said I wanted to be saved?”
“If you knew what I had in mind, you might run away as fast as your bare, little feet could carry you.”
He emphasized this comment by slowly licking his lips.
“In that case, Michael, why don’t you tell me exactly what you have in mind?”
“Would you really like to know?”
“I think I could stand to hear it.”
“It might be best if I showed you, rather than told you.”
“It’s your idea. You’re the one to decide how to put it into action.”
“You’re positive you want me to do this?”
“Positive.”
Laurel waited expectantly as Michael got up from the lounge. He slid one arm beneath her knees and the other beneath her shoulders and pulled her close to him. The woman closed her eyes, certain she was about to be kissed passionately.
Instead, Michael swept her up in his arms and arose. With a few swift steps, he carried her to the edge of the pool. Laurel opened her eyes in surprise.
In sudden realization, she cried out, “You wouldn’t dare!”
“But, you’ve already dared me, my dear,” Michael assured her with a wicked grin.
Saying this, he dropped her into the tepid water of the motel’s pool. Laurel screamed in indignation.
As soon as she got to her feet, she brushed the drenched hair from her face and shouted, “How could you be so mean?”
Michael did an admirable job of stifling his laughter.
“I thought you needed a dip,” he told her with a straight face, then added, “I’m afraid you’re going to have to do the cooling off for both of us.”
Laurel made a grab for his leg, but he swiftly moved out of her reach.
“I’m going to get you for this, Michael!” she hissed, trembling with angry disappointment.
“You can try.”
“Men!” Laurel cried out for lack of a better word.
As she started to swim toward the steps, Michael started to back away toward the motel.
“I think it might be best if I waited inside while you continue to cool off,” he wisely stated.
“You’d better run,” Laurel warned him.
Taking her advice, he left her, only to appear moments later on his balcony. Deciding that she liked the feel of the water, Laurel was doing some laps across the pool. When she took a break, she spotted Michael. He was leaning against his railing, watching her.
“That was a nasty trick you pulled,” she told him, although her anger had been expended with her swimming.
“It seemed to be an appropriate thing to do at the time. I wouldn’t have done it if someone else had been around. Do you forgive me?”
“I’ll have to think about it,” Laurel teased to keep him in suspense.
“How would you feel if I asked you to have dinner with me?”
With her elbows propped up against the poolside, Laurel tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the cement.
After a moment, she said, “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“Okay. The rides in the amusement park will be open tonight. “If I took you there, would you forgive me?”
“Only if you go on the roller-coaster with me.”
“That’s an unfair demand!” Michael exclaimed in mock fear.
“It’s that or nothing!”
“All right. You win.”
“Where do you plan to take me for dinner?”
“To show you how sorry I am; I’ll leave the choice entirely up to you.”
Laurel rubbed her hands together in supposed greedy expectation.
“Now is my chance to make you pay,” she hissed through her nose, reminiscent of the style of old-time movie villains.
An hour and a half later, Michael was pleasantly surprised when Laurel directed h
im into the parking lot of her favorite cafeteria. During her vacation, the woman had become addicted to their homey, delicious food. Michael appreciated the fact that she did not take unfair advantage of his expenses.
When they were finished eating, they drove to the amusement park and parked in a nearby lot. The area was comparatively empty since it was off-season. Michael bought their tickets and they walked inside.
The center was dominated by the imposing, white skeleton of the rollercoaster. Several young people shrieked in excitement as the string of cars took a sudden downward plunge.
“Doesn’t that look like fun?” Laurel asked to torment her penitent companion.
“I haven’t been on a rollercoaster since . . . I can’t remember when, but it’s been years,” he replied, watching the cars careen along the tracks.
“Would you like to start there?” Laurel suggested with a devilish grin.
“I’m tempted to say yes, just to get it over with, but after that large meal we just ate, I think I’d prefer to work up to the momentum of the rollercoaster.”
“Okay, but don’t forget you promised to go on it with me.”
“Believe me; I would never forget something like that.”
The couple wandered idly about the park for a few minutes, until they spotted the bumper cars. The idea of jolting into Michael’s car appealed enormously to Laurel. She had not altogether forgiven him for her afternoon dunking. After a minute of persuasion, he agreed to go.
Once the cars were in motion, Laurel smacked and jostled the man’s car with unrestrained delight. Michael did not have the heart to pay her back in kind. He heaved out a sigh of relief when that ride was over.
Michael then suggested they should take a ride on the carousel. Laurel agreed to this in amusement. She selected a grand, white horse, and the man chose the black charger next to hers. All of their tension was released as they once again relived their childhood joys.
After they went on six other rides, Laurel announced it was time to brave the rollercoaster. Michael was not really afraid to do this, but he continued to tease Laurel about it until she dragged him over to the ride. They were first in line. As soon as all of the last passengers had exited, they took their seats.
