Whether cats could be trained to track or not, Familiar seemed intent upon doing exactly that. He took off down a trail that led away from the playground and lakes and toward the botanical gardens and the wooded trails.
"Mimi liked to play back here," Eugene said. He motioned to the south. "Her home is just over there, a nice little subdivision. When she left me on the bench to finish my chapter, I'd assumed she'd gone home. She was always coming up unexpectedly in the park, and then going home." He tried not to show the worry, but it was evident in his voice and in the way he pushed his long white hair back. It was a gesture he used only when greatly worried.
"If she's hiding out in the woods, we'll find her." Jennifer tried to bolster Eugene. She didn't believe they could find anything the police had missed, and the newspaper story had stated that officers had searched the park, the woods and the surrounding neighborhood.
"Meow!" Familiar marched back to her and swatted her shin with a big black paw. He turned and hurried down the trail.
"I think he wants you to speed up a bit," Eugene said.
Jennifer was so surprised, she didn't bother to reply. She picked up her pace and followed the black cat as he wove through the trails as if he knew them by heart. Her only concern was that the cat wouldn't be able to find their way out when he decided it was time to leave. That very thought made her sigh. She'd turned over her destiny to a black cat that had hijacked her car and wormed a free breakfast out of her. What was happening to her life?
At a fork in the trail, Familiar hesitated. He took the left turn and hurried even faster. Jennifer and Eugene were breathing hard when he veered completely off the trail and disappeared into a thick wall of honeysuckle and scuppernong vines.
"Familiar." Jennifer got down and pushed the thick leaves aside. To her surprise she discovered a narrow passageway tucked among the vines. Familiar, only his golden eyes showing, was waiting for her to follow. "That cat's found a hidden trail." She crawled through the vines, not caring now that she snagged her pants or that leaves fell down the neck of her blouse. Eugene was right behind her.
The path ran only twenty yards and culminated in a small, vine-shrouded clearing that contained a flashlight, a book, a glass jar filled with water, a box of cookies that the ants had not yet discovered and an old quilt.
"So this is Mimi's hideout." Eugene looked around, impressed by the leafy green walls. "She did a good job. This is very private."
"She told you about it?"
"Several times. She used to make up stories about who lived here with her and tell them to me. She has a charming imagination, and she's a very lonely little girl."
There was something so solitary about the secret place that Jennifer felt her heart constrict. How sad that the little girl had to bring her fantasies into the woods, alone. "Did any of her friends know about this place?"
"I think I was the only one, because she knew I would never hunt it or try to use it. She needed something of her own, Jennifer. I think you can understand that."
"I do, but I don't like it." She picked up the cookies. The box was half full. She broke one in two with a snap. The humidity hadn't ruined them yet, either. "She was here yesterday, I'm sure." She had a thought that perhaps she shouldn't have touched anything.
"Meow!" Familiar's sharp cry drew their attention, and Jennifer decided that since she'd touched the cookies she might as well use the flashlight. She picked it up, flicked it on and surveyed the enclosure. She stopped when she found Familiar pawing at a small book. As she picked it up, she knew she'd found Mimi Frost's dairy.
"That's personal, my dear," Eugene said.
"It may lead us to where she is." Jennifer hesitated. She understood the violation of reading someone's personal writing, even that of a child. But the nine-year-old's safety was in question. She opened the book and read by flashlight, scanning the neatly printed passages as she looked for some mention of a plan to run away.
"She seems happy enough." Jennifer frowned. "There's no plans about running away." She closed the small book. Mostly, it was a journal about the stories the child was making up. She wrote about her characters and ideas. Mimi Frost would undoubtedly grow up to be a writer. If she grew up at all.
"Meow!" Familiar snagged the leg of Jennifer's trousers and pulled at them.
"What now?" Jennifer followed the cat, using the flashlight to search as she went. She stopped at the place Familiar indicated. A small transistor radio had been smashed to pieces, and beside it were signs of what looked to have been a struggle. The ground, damp and rich, was furrowed where fingers had clutched. And there was a small piece of cotton covered with violets. Jennifer found that her fingers didn't want to pick it up, but she did.
"That's a piece of the dress Mimi was wearing." Eugene's voice was troubled. "I remember clearly she was wearing a little sundress because she was telling me how she was going to plant violets at her grandmother's next week."
Jennifer tucked the material into her pocket. Like it or not, she was going to have to take this information to the police. And she'd never make Chief Bixley believe that she and Eugene had been led to the hideout by a black cat from Washington, D.C. She turned the problem over in her mind. Eugene was going to look twice as guilty— why hadn't he told the police yesterday about the hideout? That was going to be Bixley's primary focus. She had to think of a counter-ploy before they got downtown.
"She could have torn her dress on that thorned vine." Eugene pointed to the two-inch barbs on a bamboo vine hidden among the honeysuckle.
"Yes." Jennifer didn't believe that and neither did Eugene.
"What now?"
"I think there's no doubt Mimi has been taken away, and I'm afraid it was by force." She swung the light back to the finger marks in the dirt. "She fought hard."
"Oh, dear." Eugene put his arm around Jennifer. "She's okay. I can't help but believe that. We can't give up hope of finding her, Jennifer. We're all she has, the people of this town who won't give up on her."
"You're right, of course." Jennifer replaced the flashlight. "Let's go to the cops. Maybe they can take some fingerprints and all of that. You know, modern forensic science." She swallowed back the feeling of defeat. Eugene was correct. They had to keep the faith— and keep searching.
Even Familiar was silent as they hurried back to the car and to the police station. When Familiar followed them inside, Jennifer discovered that she took great comfort in the cat's presence. As if he understood, he curled around her ankles and gave her a gentle bite on the shin.
"No pets allowed." The young desk sergeant Jennifer had talked to before was glaring at the cat.
"Tell him," Jennifer said flippantly. "We have to see Chief Bixley. We have new information in Mimi Frost's disappearance."
"No pets— "
He didn't get to finish the statement as Familiar hopped onto his desk and casually knocked over a foam cup full of coffee, spilling the contents down his uniform front.
"Hey! Cat!"
The resulting noise brought police officers from all over the building, including Chief Bixley.
"What the hell is going on in here?" Bixley, a slender man with a perfectly groomed mustache, said as he stepped into the room. All noise ceased. Even the desk sergeant muffled his cries of dismay as he mopped at his shirt with paper towels.
"Well?" Bixley pinned the young man with a glare like burning torches.
"The cat knocked coffee all over me. It was hot." With each word, the desk sergeant's voice faded.
"Cat?" Bixley's gaze swept the room, ignoring Jennifer and Eugene. "What cat?"
"Meow." Familiar walked up to the man and sat down, his golden green gaze mesmerizing.
"Get that animal out of here." Bixley's blood pressure rose with his voice. "Eugene Legander, this is some of your foolishness. Everyone knows you're cat crazy." He waved his hands at Familiar. "Scat. Get out of here." He looked up at Eugene. "I hate cats. Get him out of here."
Familiar walked past the fumin
g Bixley and went straight into the chief's private office.
"Watch your coffee," the desk sergeant advised.
Before Bixley could say another word, Eugene swept past him, dragging Jennifer by the arm. "We need a word with you," Eugene called over his shoulder.
When they were inside the private office, Eugene closed the door. Jennifer pulled the cloth from her pocket and gave Bixley a succinct rundown on what they had discovered in the woods. "I touched the cookies and the flashlight," she admitted before she yielded the floor. She could see the anger in Bixley's eyes. Mobile's finest had searched the woods and found nothing. Now an old man, a publicity flack, and a black cat had discovered vital evidence. He was furious.
"Don't you find this situation a little…convenient?" His voice registered his sarcasm.
"I find it reprehensible that your men didn't discover the hideout. It was easy to find." Jennifer crossed her fingers behind her back. She'd never have seen it without Familiar's guidance. "I'd say this reflects more on the lack of ability of your men than it does on my tracking abilities." She could see that she'd scored a direct hit.
"I'll have the crime scene guys over there within half an hour." He picked up the material that Jennifer had deposited on the desk. All thoughts of the cat in his office had completely left his mind, and Familiar had taken a seat beside Eugene's legs.
"Mimi was a favorite of Eugene's," Jennifer said as she leaned over the desk. "He loves children, especially those from Mobile. Let's keep that one thing clear between us, Chief. You know how easily a town can be torn up by ugly rumors."
Bixley's gaze stared directly into Jennifer's. He understood her totally. "I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm going to speak with Mimi's friends," Eugene said as he prepared to leave. "If I discover anything, I'll call you."
"It would be better if you allowed the law to handle this." Bixley squared his shoulders. "We have the training…."
"Save your breath," Eugene said, completely unruffled. "You might consider the fact that these children trust me. I've spent hours and hours with them, listening to their ideas and dreams. They'll talk with me faster than they'll even confide in their parents. If they know anything, I believe I can get them to tell me."
"As usual, Eugene is right." Jennifer dared the chief to deny it. "If you refuse his help and the girl is injured in some way, the public is not going to be forgiving." Rumors could work in both directions, and she wanted to remind him of that.
Bixley nodded. "Go ahead. But don't get in our way." He waited until Eugene, the woman and the cat were out the door before he spoke again. "And remember, Mr. Legander, I have serious doubts about you in this matter. Serious doubts."
Chapter Four
Jennifer sat in her sun-room and held the portable telephone at least six inches from her ear. Nonetheless she could still clearly hear Maji Call's twangy voice going on and on about how critical it was for Jennifer to keep the story of Mimi's disappearance— linked to Eugene's name— away from the national media.
Jennifer's mind was on the local media, and a conversation Eugene had had with the very interesting James Tenet. James had called Eugene and proposed a guest column regarding the influence of literature on young minds. Jennifer had supported the idea, but Maji had given a firm veto. It was a dead issue, but still, Jennifer couldn't stop thinking about James's motivation. Was he trying to stir the pot? Or was it a legitimate ploy to give Eugene the same advantage that Crush Bonbon had— accesss to public opinion? James was a man to watch!
"Jennifer! Jennifer?"
Maji's sharp voice brought her back to the present. "Yes, Maji?"
"Eugene's reviews are excellent. The best ever. The Children's Guild review has acclaimed him as the finest living writer of children's stories. They find his work has 'depth and compassion for children, with sage advice and the wisdom of an adult who has retained the innocence of a child."' Maji liked to quote directly from the reviews. "Jennifer, it's your job to see that some dreadful child in Mobile, Alabama, doesn't ruin this for us. If the big papers even get a whiff of what that moron on the radio is saying, it could be dreadful. Dreadful." She took a deep breath. "Worse than dreadful. Especially for you."
"Right, Maji." Jennifer was used to the publisher's dire threats. Grand Street Press was a small operation by most standards. They produced quality books, and Uncle Eugene was their symbol of excellence. His loyalty to Grand Street showed that mutual respect between writers and publishers still existed— and could be profitable for both. Eugene was the most important element of the publishing house. That was why she'd been assigned full-time to promote, and protect, the author's career. It was a fact that Eugene was the best living writer of children's fiction. It was a fact that he was wise and kind and generous. So up until Mimi Frost's disappearance, Jennifer's job had been a piece of cake.
"The local paper has played all of this down," Jennifer reassured Maji. "Most people in town realize Crush Bonbon is a bigot, an idiot and a fool." Most people, but that didn't mean Bonbon couldn't stampede the masses into a mob mentality. She just wasn't going to mention that to Maji. She'd learned not to fan the flames of Maji's pending-disaster complex.
"Well, make sure that no one pays any attention to that wretched radio person."
It was time for a change of subject. "We have a reading at the library. Eugene is going to try out the manuscript for his new story, The Lizard King." Jennifer found it fascinating that Eugene tried his work on live audiences of children as he honed and polished the final draft. The author liked to watch the children's reactions. Few living writers were willing to risk so much, but Eugene was a perfectionist.
"Promote that angle heavily. And for God's sake, don't let any more of those little snot-nosed brats disappear."
"Yes, Maji." Jennifer couldn't help smiling. If anyone in the media heard Maji Call talk about children, they'd think she might have kidnapped Mimi Frost.
"Keep me posted."
"Sure thing." Jennifer replaced the telephone. It had been a long and stressful day. None of the children she and Eugene had interviewed had known anything about Mimi. And she got the feeling they weren't lying to Eugene. There had been a frantic call to Eugene about the cat, Familiar, from Amanda Adams. Familiar had disappeared from the Adamses' luxurious accommodations and Amanda was worried sick. Jennifer smiled. The big black rascal had taken up residence at Eugene's and had refused to leave. He seemed to have been completely charmed by Eugene's youngest female, AnnaLoulou. Jennifer had been amused at the goofy expression on Familiar's face as he'd watched the young female strut and flick her tail. Eugene was right— there were definite signs of interest between the genders, no matter the species.
As if her thoughts were telepathic, the telephone rang and she answered to discover James Tenet on the other end.
"I know I'm risking decapitation or something worse at your hands, but I was wondering if I might get a press pass to Eugene's reading at the library tomorrow?"
Jennifer heard the amusement in his voice and knew instantly that Eugene had been right. James Tenet intended to needle her. He liked to get her riled— to see what outrageous things she might say next.
"I'd be delighted to arrange a press pass." Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. She'd die before she'd give him the pleasure of losing her temper.
"Why, Ms. Barkley, you sound as if someone spanked some manners into you."
Jennifer's high-minded resolve flew out the window. "You arrogant pencil pusher. I wouldn't give you a press pass to hell. I— " She caught herself when she heard him laughing. Damn! He'd done it to her again. "But I would be glad to invite you to the reading as my special guest." She recovered herself as best she could, even though her ears were burning with her chagrin at being so easily tricked by him.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a split personality. One second you're delightful and the next you're calling me names and threatening me with dire destinations."
"You bring out the best i
n me," Jennifer said sweetly. It crossed her mind that James Tenet didn't have to call and ask for a press pass to the reading. It was a public reading. Anyone could attend. He knew that, so he had to have some other reason for calling. The idea gave her a tiny chill of pleasure.
"I've been at the paper all day, and now that that deadline's over, I wanted to get a bite to eat. How about joining me?"
Even though she'd anticipated it, the question startled Jennifer. Less than twenty-four hours before she'd declared she'd have nothing to do with the man, even if he asked her. And now…
"I have something I want to discuss with you, Jennifer. Something about Eugene, and you aren't going to like it."
"What?"
"Meet me on the causeway. The Calypso. Say, in about thirty minutes?"
Jennifer automatically checked her watch. Where James Tenet was concerned she had no idea whether she should meet him or not. Every time she heard his voice it was as if her brain went on the fritz. Was he asking her on a date and using Eugene as a ploy, or did he really have something to tell her? Or, worse yet, some plan to trick her into acting like a fool?
James sensed her hesitation and realized that, once again, he'd bungled the situation. In more than one instance he'd been considered better than smooth with the ladies. But Jennifer Barkley had the most infuriating effect on him. He took everything just a little too far— his teasing, his seriousness, his thoughts. Lately he'd discovered that he was sitting at his computer staring at a blank screen and visualizing Jennifer's eyes or lips. It was a terribly distracting habit to form at the ripe age of thirty-five.
"Jennifer, I'm asking you to dinner, and I also have something to tell you about Eugene." There. He'd straightened it out with simple directness.
Jennifer responded in kind. "I'll meet you at the Calypso in half an hour."
"See you there." James was grinning as he replaced the telephone. But the grin faded as he scanned his computer screen. He'd pulled up the state wire to see what stories were breaking across the nation, and much to his surprise, he'd come upon a very brief reference to the developing feud between radio host Crush Bonbon and children's writer Eugene Legander.
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