Claws for Celebration

by Linda Reilly

  “Maybe you were the closest baby born that day. Or maybe the cat saw your future with your aunt and all her cats.”

  Lara laughed. “I don’t know if we can extrapolate it that far. But I guess if a ghost cat is possible...”

  “Then anything is possible,” Kayla finished. “Can I see the obituary?”

  “Of course.” Lara fetched her tote from her studio and returned with it half a minute later.

  Kayla read through it, then dug her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. She tapped at a few keys, and then sucked in a gasp. She held out her phone to Lara. “Lara, could this be Blue?”

  Lara stared at the photo on Kayla’s phone, and then choked out a cry. “Oh my Lord, Kayla. How did you find that?”

  “It’s her, isn’t it?” Kayla said softly.

  Lara nodded, and a lump filled her throat.

  “All I did was Google Eugenia Thryce. First off, it’s kind of an odd name, so I lucked out that way. And with all her family dough, I figured she might have had her picture in the paper a time or two.”

  Lara took the phone from Kayla and enlarged the pic. A proud-looking senior with a wide smile, her hair secured away from her face with two elaborate combs, sat holding a stunning Ragdoll cat. The caption beneath it read: Eugenia Thryce with Angelica. The photo accompanied an article about a fundraiser for cats for which Eugenia had helped raise thousands of dollars. She’d then matched the funds with her own contribution, making it a whopping donation. The article had appeared in a newsletter published by one of the area animal shelters. Given the time frame, Lara was amazed that the article had popped up on the internet.

  With a shaky hand, Lara gave the phone back to Kayla. “I’m not sure what to think,” she said.

  “Well, you’re definitely tied to the Thryce family, in some strange kind of way.” She looked at Lara. “Do you suppose...I mean, could that Todd Thryce guy have been involved in his grandmother’s murder?”

  It was the question Lara had been asking herself since she left the nursing home. According to Wanda, Todd was about the only visitor Eugenia had ever received there. That is, if you didn’t count the nurses and the aides, and the mystery woman named Rosalba.

  What about Gladys Plouffe? Had she ever visited?

  Rosalba. The name bugged Lara. It reminded her of something, someone...somewhere.

  “Kayla, at this stage I’d say anything is possible. I hate to think of him that way, though. He has such a kindly smile and a nice way about him, plus he did give us that big fat check for the shelter.”

  “He can well afford that donation,” Kayla scoffed. “And a lot of psychopaths have a pleasant smile and good manners.” As an aficionado of true crime, Kayla had read a lot about psychopaths. She’d been saving articles about crime since she was a kid.

  A buzzer sounded at the door to the back porch. Kayla bolted off her chair. “Lara, someone’s already here for adoption day.” She looked down at the chair beside her. “Is...Blue still here?”

  Lara glanced over at the vacant chair. “No. Not anymore.” For now.

  She leaped off her own chair, and they both scrambled into the meet-and-greet room. They hadn’t even had time to attach the blue collars to the three in-house cats.

  Kayla got there first and unlocked the door to the back porch. Lara saw her stumble to the side, and then she realized why.

  Todd Thryce stood on the doorstep, beaming at them with a pleasant, friendly smile.

  Chapter 28

  For a few seconds, Kayla stood frozen in place, but then her well-honed manners kicked in. “Um, hello,” she said with a smile. “Welcome to the High Cliff Shelter for Cats.”

  Todd took off one leather glove and offered his hand to Kayla. “Good afternoon. Todd Thryce, at your service.”

  Kayla gave him a funny look. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Kayla Ramirez.” She shook his hand, then moved aside quickly to let Lara take over.

  Outside, the sleek black limo idled in the shelter’s parking lot, its tail end spewing exhaust into the frigid air.

  “Lara, so good to see you again,” Todd said as if he hadn’t seen her for a year. “Hey, am I a bit too early? Is it too soon to come in?”

  Lara wanted to bop herself on the head. She’d totally forgotten that he’d made noises about visiting the shelter on Friday. She’d been so upset over Sherry’s meltdown that day at the coffee shop, she’d pushed it off her mental calendar.

  “Of course not, Todd. It’s great to see you. Come right inside and have a seat.”

  Todd helped himself to a chair and pulled off his other glove. He set both gloves on the table. “Wow, I’m impressed already,” he said, bouncing his gaze all around. “But this can’t be the whole shelter, right?”

  Kayla piped right in. “No, the shelter is actually the entire home. That’s what’s unique about it. The cats have full run of the house. No cages, fresh water all the time, top-quality food. And all the kitty litter boxes get scrubbed thoroughly and often.” She held out both arms as if conducting a tour. “This is only our meet-and-greet room, where people and cats discover each other, and hopefully meet a great match.”

  Impressive, Lara thought. Kayla was not only terrific with the cats, but she was getting to be pretty good at public relations.

  “Well, that’s a great intro,” he said, clapping his hands lightly. “I love this place already. I have two monsters of my own, you know—both Siamese. Little devils, but I’m nuts about them.” He pulled out his cell phone from the depths of his coat pocket, then brought up a color pic of a pair of slender Siamese cats. “Meet Rambo and Lacey.”

  “Oh, they’re adorable!” Kayla squealed, taking the phone from him. “Look at those faces.” She gave Lara a telling glance. “And those blue eyes.”

  Lara peeked over Kayla’s hand at the phone. “They’re so sweet-looking. Do they live up to their names?”

  “Rambo does,” Todd said, taking the phone from Kayla. “Thinks he owns my townhouse. Struts around like he’s got a shotgun slung over his shoulder.” He smiled and touched the pic with a forefinger. “Lacey’s a dainty little creature. But she doesn’t hesitate to give me a solid swipe if she doesn’t like what I’m serving for din-din on any particular day.”

  The guy’s a charmer, Lara thought. Is he for real? Or is he one of Kayla’s sociopath types?

  “You’re so lucky to have them,” Kayla said. “You’re a real cat person, aren’t you?”

  He cocked a finger at her. “You got me there. Can’t help it, though. I was raised that way. My mom and dad both died when I was young and my uncle Tate traveled all over the globe, so I grew up with my gran. Man, that lady loved her cats.”

  “What kind of a cat did she have?” Kayla said.

  “Mostly she had Siamese, like mine. Her last cat—the one she had right before she died—was a Ragdoll. Gorgeous baby. Looked somewhat like a Siamese, but her coat was fluffier. Had a more docile personality, too. A real lovebug.”

  “I’m familiar with Ragdolls,” Kayla said, looking directly at Lara. “Was she sort of a cream color?”

  “Exactly!” Todd was animated now. “But her ears, and I think her paws, were kind of a dark brown. Prettiest little cat—” He stopped himself abruptly. “Well, anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me ramble on about my boring childhood,” he said, in a more serious tone. “I came because I wanted to say goodbye before Alice and I left for New York. I have some things to finish up in town, and Alice wanted to spend some time with her brother. We’re leaving tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Oh, so Alice still has family around here?”

  “Actually, only the brother—he’s a game warden. Alice’s mom and dad were in their forties when they got her, and they’ve long since passed. They were nice folks, too. Salt of the earth. Anyway, I was greatly relieved to learn that Daisy Bowker’s no longer considered a su
spect in Gladys Plouffe’s death. I knew the police were wrong. I’m glad they finally saw the light.”

  “I was relieved to hear it too,” Lara said, twisting her hands in front of her. “Daisy and Sherry are like family to my aunt and me. We never doubted Daisy’s innocence for a moment. What about Alice? Did she have an opinion on it?”

  Todd hesitated. “Alice has opinions on most things. Frankly, they don’t often mirror mine. Which is okay, they don’t have to. But I think she was suspicious of Daisy from the start.” He fidgeted on his chair.

  “She came here early in the week to deliver your very generous check,” Lara said. “I had the sense she wasn’t the cat lover you are.”

  He nodded. “One of the many things we don’t have in common. I think that’s why I was so touched by your letter, wanting to add a pet-friendly category to the cookie competition. There was a time when I actually tried to bake cookies for cats.”

  “Tried? Or did?” Kayla said sharply.

  Tone it down, Lara silently pleaded.

  “Tried. I wanted to make them for my gran’s cat, right before she passed on.” He made a face. “They came out awful. One thing’s for sure, no one could ever mistake me for a cook.”

  “Did you dream up a recipe on your own?” Lara asked sweetly, with all the innocence she could muster.

  “You know, I can’t remember. Back then I thought I was smarter than everyone, so yes, I probably did.”

  Lara looked over at Kayla, who was shaking her head.

  “Alice mentioned that you’ve known each other since you were kids,” Lara said, trying to dig for more information.

  Todd didn’t smile. “That we have. There was a time when I thought we would be husband and wife one day, but I guess it wasn’t in the stars.” His voice flattened. “I was twenty-two when I first settled in New York. Alice was only nineteen, but we were so crazy about each other. Her dad didn’t want her to leave home that young, but she wanted out of Whisker Jog, bad. And I wanted her with me—equally bad, if not more.”

  A pang struck Lara’s heart. Could she and Gideon end up like that one day? Together, but not together. At odds over little things—or big things—like having kids? Or having too many cats?

  Or would they be like Aunt Fran and the chief—happy to live separate lives, getting together only when it was convenient?

  “So, you live separately now?” Lara prompted.

  He nodded. “We have been for about eleven years. She makes a fabulous salary at the company, so she can afford her own place. And, since she lives in my building, it’s almost like we’re living together. Plus, she has a bunch of allergies, and over the years they started to get worse. After she got her own place they improved dramatically.” He sighed heavily. “Periodically she goes through stages where she’s sure I’m seeing someone else. It’s not true, it never was, but I can’t make her believe that. She’s her own worst enemy, I’m afraid.”

  Lara felt for the guy. With all his wealth, he didn’t seem terribly happy. “Did you ever think you might be better off separating completely?” she asked.

  Why am I asking these questions? I’m being way too nosy!

  “Oh, I’ve thought about it. Dozens of times. The truth is, I don’t want anyone else in my life. It’s always been about Alice, even though she never wanted kids.” His face crumpled, as if the sadness overwhelmed him. “At the company, Alice is my rock. I’m not sure I could run it without her anymore. She’s so smart, and so capable.”

  Lara felt like a fool for having asked him such personal questions. “Todd, please forgive me for prying. I didn’t mean to be so nosy.”

  He smiled and waved a hand. “No worries, Lara. It’s cathartic to talk about it once in a while. Might save me some shrink fees.” His gaze suddenly shifted to a point near the floor. “And who is this little guy?” he asked as Munster strolled toward him.

  Lara breathed out a sigh. She realized that until now none of the cats had been curious enough to check out the visitor.

  Todd patted his lap. “Well, you come right over here, little fella.”

  Munster kindly obliged and hopped onto Todd’s knees. Todd pulled him closer and rested his cheek on Munster’s orange head. A loud rumble issued from Munster’s throat. “Oh, what a nice cat this is. I’m surprised no one’s adopted him yet.”

  “He’s actually not available for adoption,” Lara replied. “He’s one of my aunt’s three original cats.” She didn’t bother to explain about the blue collars—the ones they hadn’t yet had a chance to attach.

  “Ah, okay. I get how this works.” He continued stroking Munster as if he had all the time in the world. His limo, meanwhile, still idled out in the shelter’s parking area.

  Kayla stared hard at Todd. Lara could almost see the wheels in her head spinning, trying to decipher his actions. Friend or foe? Good guy or demon?

  And then, in a move so quick it barely registered, Blue leaped onto the table next to Todd. Slowly, the Ragdoll edged closer to him, until one chocolate-colored paw touched his arm.

  Did Blue recognize him?

  Lara felt her feet wobble a bit. She looked over at Kayla and saw fear etched on the young woman’s face.

  “You okay?” Kayla mouthed silently.

  Lara nodded. Was her face that pale? Did she look as if she’d seen a ghost?

  Probably, because she had seen a ghost.

  Todd was oblivious. He patted Munster amiably, smiling and cooing at the cat as if the world had dropped away, leaving him alone with his new feline friend.

  He doesn’t act like a murderer, Lara mused. But then, the other murderers she’d encountered hadn’t either. Like a sudden blast of energy, a thought came straight out of the ozone, piercing Lara’s brain.

  What if Gladys Plouffe had been the one who’d murdered Eugenia Thryce in the nursing home? What if they’d had a falling out? By Lara’s estimate, Gladys would’ve been somewhere in her thirties when Eugenia died. Was she still sewing for her, even then? What if Eugenia had criticized her work and sent the testy seamstress into a murderous snit? Or maybe she’d owed Gladys money for her services but refused to pay.

  If Todd suspected or found out, or even witnessed the murder, he might have wanted revenge for his gran.

  A cold chill washed over Lara. Had Todd written the letter that dropped out of the library book? Had he tucked it inside the book as a means of confessing what he’d seen?

  But that would mean he’d also committed an act he was afraid of someone discovering. She tried to recall the phrasing in the letter: I cannot go to the police. If they look into it, they might do their testing on her and figure out what I did. My future would be over.

  There was more than that, Lara recalled, but that was the gist of it. Whoever had written the letter feared the discovery of something he, or she, had done wrong.

  Lara recalled an expression she’d once heard, that revenge was a dish best served cold. Could Todd have waited nearly thirty years to exact revenge on Miss Plouffe? Did he bide his time, waiting until the perfect opportunity arose? With all the visits the seamstress had made to the Thryce home, he could have easily learned about her deadly shellfish allergy.

  If Todd had killed Miss Plouffe, he was a patient man. He’d waited nearly thirty years.

  A furry form brushed Lara’s shoes. She looked down to see Valenteena rubbing against her ankles, meowing for all she was worth. Lara snapped out of her daze and lifted the cat into her arms. “And this,” she said to Todd, “is Teena, our little valentine cat.” She tilted the cat’s chin to show him the kitty’s heart-shaped marking.

  Todd’s face broke into a huge smile. “My gosh, look at her.”

  Munster watched with disinterest as Todd took Teena in his arms and pulled her close to his neck. Todd gently kissed her whiskers and she nuzzled his face. “Oh, little cat,” he said, his voice burdened
with sorrow, “how I wish I could take you home to my own valentine.”

  The pain in his voice nearly broke Lara’s heart.

  Chapter 29

  Todd stayed for a while longer and got acquainted with more of the cats. He claimed that since he hadn’t been home for a week, he needed his “feline fix.” Kayla excused herself and disappeared into the house, saying she had grooming and kitty litter chores to attend to.

  “I’d better go,” he said finally, setting Snowball down on his chair. “Alice wants to take the limo to the outlet shops in Tilton this evening.”

  “With all the great stores in Manhattan?” Lara laughed.

  He shrugged. “A bargain’s a bargain. She never stops reminding me of that.” He pulled his checkbook out of his shirt pocket. “I’m giving you another donation, Lara. The other one was from the company. This one’s from me.”

  “Todd, you don’t have to—”

  “Nope.” He held up a hand. “Seeing what you and your aunt are doing here seriously impresses me. The least I can do is help out a little.” He tore out the check and handed it to her.

  Lara gasped when she saw it. “All I can say is thank you. I’m glad you paid us a visit.” Unless you’re a murderer.

  She thanked him again, then gave him two of Daisy’s cookies to take along with him.

  Shortly after his limo pulled out of the parking area, an elderly woman arrived, accompanied by a male friend. The woman was hoping to find a kitten she could present as a Christmas gift to her four-year-old granddaughter.

  Lara invited them both inside and sat them down at the table, offering each one a glass of spiced cider and a cookie. After describing the cats currently ready for adoption, she explained why the shelter didn’t have any kittens.

  In the Northeast region, kitten season typically began in early spring, when female cats were most likely to breed, and lasted throughout the summer. During those times, shelters were often overloaded with kittens. It was a challenge to properly care for them, or even to find enough homes able to foster. Over the summer, the High Cliff Shelter had taken in a number of kittens. Lara was thankful that, except for Snowball, all had been successfully adopted.