by Linda Reilly
Aunt Fran spoke first. “Ms.—I mean, Deanna, you don’t need to explain. Your feelings are fully understandable. And, as it turns out, your timing is excellent.”
“Three weeks ago,” Lara said, “someone left a cardboard cage on our front porch. No note, no explanation—just a shy mama kitty and three very hungry kittens inside.”
“The kittens are about fourteen weeks old,” Aunt Fran explained, “so they’re definitely ready for adoption. We’ve already approved an application from a woman who wants to adopt the mom and one of the kittens. As soon as the woman’s recovered sufficiently from her hip surgery, she and her daughter are going to pick them up.”
Deanna’s gray eyes beamed. “So, the other two are still available?”
“They are,” Aunt Fran confirmed. “They’ve both had their vaccinations, but they’re due for a second round in a few weeks. We’ll give you a referral to our preferred vet, who will also do the neutering and spaying when each one is ready.”
Lara couldn’t suppress a smile. “They’re predominantly white, but the male has two black stripes above one paw that make him look like he’s wearing an armband, and the female has a brown, diamond-shaped mark next to her right eye. We’ve been calling them Noodle and Doodle, but of course you can name them anything you’d like.”
Deanna clasped her hands together. “Oh, I can’t wait to see them.”
Lara rose from her padded seat just as the elusive Ragdoll, Blue, slipped onto the vacant one. Blue set her chin on the table and gave a slow blink, her gaze coming to rest on Deanna. From the cat’s expression, Lara saw that she approved of the woman.
“I’ll get them for you,” Lara said. “Last I saw, they were napping on the cat tree in the large parlor.”
She scooted out of the room, returning a minute later clutching the kittens to her chest. Lara handed the male kitten to Deanna. Munster sniffed the kitten’s tail but didn’t vacate his comfy lap space.
“Oh, they’re absolutely angelic.” Deanna nuzzled the male kitten against her cheek, smiling at the female tucked under Lara’s chin. “They’re perfect,” she declared. “I promise to give them a loving home.”
“We do have an application that needs to be filled out,” Lara said carefully. She didn’t want to risk offending the actress, but anyone wanting to adopt had to be approved. It was part of the process designed to give their feline residents the best homes possible.
A noise from the large parlor drew Munster’s attention. He leaped off Deanna’s lap and went off to investigate. Lara set the female kitten in Deanna’s lap.
Deanna bit down gently on her lower lip, then curled her free hand around the female kitten. Her voice grew soft. “I wasn’t sure about coming back to Whisker Jog,” she murmured, a pained look dimming her eyes. “But you’ve both made me feel so very welcome. I’m glad I’m here, and I’m grateful to both of you for giving me a private appointment. I know you’re not normally open on Thursdays.” She laughed. “Application process? Good! Bring it on. I assure you that once you check me out, you won’t have any reservations about letting me adopt.”
“Excellent,” Aunt Fran said.
The kittens had gotten antsy, so Deanna set them down. Their mom appeared suddenly and sat watching them from the doorway. Her other kitten hovered behind her.
“Here’s mama now,” Aunt Fran said. “We’ve been calling her Catalina and her other kitten Bitsy, but her new owners will probably change that.”
All white with one black ear and one black forepaw, Catalina looked up at Deanna. Her tail curled around her feet as she assessed the newcomer.
“So that’s the mama kitty,” Deanna said with a smile. “What beautiful markings.”
Bitsy, slightly smaller than her sibs, padded over to Deanna and sniffed at the toes of her purple sneakers.
“I think she’s checking me out.” Deanna winked at Lara.
Catalina was clearly comfortable around the actress. Deanna reached down and stroked her head, eliciting a soft purr from the cat. The kittens immediately went over to their mom. Introductions over, Catalina turned and strolled from the room, Bitsy, Noodle, and Doodle following in her wake.
After that, Deanna seemed to relax. She began regaling Lara and Aunt Fran with tales from her early days in Hollywood.
“Do you ever get tired of people intruding on your privacy?” Lara asked. “I’ll bet people are always trying to take selfies with you.”
The warmth in Deanna’s expression cooled, and her eyes narrowed. “You’ve hit the nail on the head, as they say, Lara. You can’t imagine how many times I’ve wanted to hide, to disappear. How often I’ve wanted to seek out a place where no one can bother me or hurt me.” Her thin nostrils flared slightly.
“I’m sorry,” Lara said. “I shouldn’t have asked. I didn’t mean to pry.”
The actress’ smile instantly returned, as if prompted by a cue card. “Don’t be silly. It was a fair question.” She swallowed the last of her iced tea, then pulled her cell phone out from the tiny purse she’d brought with her. “By the way, you’re both coming to the reception on Sunday, right?”
“Reception?” Lara asked.
Aunt Fran piped in. “I saw something in the paper about it. The Whisker Jog Ladies’ Association is holding a welcome tea and reception for Deanna this Sunday afternoon at the historical society. I’m not a member, so no, we’ve not been invited.”
“Bummer,” Lara said.
Deanna waved a hand. “Never mind that. You are invited, because I’m inviting you. I’ll speak to Evelyn Conley, the coordinator. Besides, I fully intend to support your shelter, and I want to make that known to everyone attending this little shindig.”
“Oh, that’s so kind of you. Thank you,” Aunt Fran said.
Lara’s mind instantly flitted to her wardrobe. As a watercolor artist, she spent most of her days working in paint-splattered T-shirts and denim. She had no idea what to wear to an event like the one to which Deanna had invited them.
But that got her thinking. Gideon, the local attorney she’d been seeing for a few months, had asked her to dinner the following Saturday at a new restaurant just outside the town limits. She’d planned to splurge on something summery to wear, but hadn’t had a chance to shop. Maybe she could find something that would fit the bill for both events.
“Yes, thank you, Deanna,” Lara said. “I’d love to attend.”
“Fine. I’ll see that invitations are hand-delivered to you by tomorrow. As for that application, is it something you can send to my private email address?”
“It sure is,” Lara said. “If you give us your email address I’ll get it right off to you.”
Deanna’s smile was genuine. “I’m so pleased that I came here today. You’ve both been gracious and lovely. And I promise, those kittens will have a wonderful home.”
About the Author
Photo by Harper Point Photography
Raised in a sleepy town in the Berkshires, Linda Reilly has spent the bulk of her career in the field of real estate closings and title examination. It wasn’t until 1995 that her first short mystery, “Out of Luck,” was accepted for publication by Woman’s World Magazine. Since then she’s had more than forty short stories published, including a sprinkling of romances. She is also the author of Some Enchanted Murder, and the Deep Fried Mystery series featuring fry cook Talia Marby. A member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, Linda lives in New Hampshire with her husband, who affectionately calls her “Noseinabook.” Visit her on the web at lindasreilly.com.
Here, killer, killer, killer…
For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She wants to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Fran, who’s having some difficulty looking after herself—and her eleven cats. Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping Fran from
being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard. The wealthy builder has his sights set on Fran’s property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.
Then Lara spots a blue-eyed ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet. Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran’s yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play. To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat’s clues in search of a killer. Is Blue’s ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?
