A Whisker of Truth

by Patricia Fry

  A Whisker of Truth

  by Patricia Fry

  A Whisker of Truth

  A Klepto Cat Mystery

  Book 36

  Author: Patricia Fry

  ISBN: 978-0-9980367-9-3

  All rights reserved

  © 2019 Matilija Press

  Chapter One

  “Are you excited about your trip?” Gladys asked. “Or are you so worn out from packing and preparing that you’d almost rather stay home and rest? That’s how I feel sometimes.”

  “Yeah,” Savannah said, “I’m kind of tired tonight and a little nervous. I’ve never done a book fair before.”

  “What exactly is a book fair?” Michael asked.

  Savannah shrugged. “According to Rob, it’s a trade show for books. Authors and publishers have booths where they display their books, and the public’s invited to browse and buy.” She took a quick breath. “I just hope I get along with Tina.”

  “Rags’s children’s-book author?” Gladys asked.

  “Yes. This will be my first time meeting her.” Savannah cringed. “And we’ll be stuck in a booth together for two whole days.”

  “Oh, hon,” Michael said, “you get along well with people. You’ll do just fine.”

  “Unless she’s bossy or super negative,” Savannah complained. “I’d rather not spend time with negative people. It’s a downer.”

  Gladys laughed. “What a thing to fret about.”

  Savannah placed her hand on her mother’s arm. “Isn’t that the truth?” She laughed at herself. “Here I am, borrowing trouble with negative thoughts myself. I’d better change my mind; hopefully that will change my experience.”

  “That’s the attitude, Vannie,” Gladys complimented. “And that’s exactly what I’d expect from you. You’re a positive thinker.”

  “Your biggest worry will be your cat,” Michael said.

  Savannah grimaced. “Don’t remind me.” She added, “I wonder if Rob will bring little Miss Kitty.”

  “Rob will be there?” Michael asked.

  “He said he’ll try to make it. As Rags’s agent, he usually shows up at these events when he can.”

  Michael shook his head. “I can’t imagine that he’d take that kitten, though. She’s still pretty young.”

  “Probably not, but if Cheryl comes with him they might, I guess.” She smiled. “Rags would like that. He enjoys spending time with his kind.”

  “He has a kind?” Michael asked, chuckling. “I wasn’t aware that Rags has a kind. He’s one of a kind.”

  “Well, cats,” Savannah explained. “He likes other cats—especially kittens.” She slumped in her chair. “I’ll sure miss the kids.”

  “But…” Gladys prompted.

  “Huh?” Savannah asked.

  “Sure you’ll miss the kids,” Gladys said, “but you’re going to have a really good time being with grownups—you know, talking to authors and selling books and seeing what’s going on outside our ordinary life here in Hammond.”

  Savannah noticed the faraway look in her mother’s eyes. “Are you getting the travel bug, Mom?”

  “Maybe,” Gladys said. “Karl mentioned taking a trip the other day and it got me a little travelsick.”

  “Travelsick?” Michael questioned, grinning.

  She giggled. “I made it up. It’s the opposite of homesick. But yes, sometimes I miss traveling.”

  “Did Karl invite you to go someplace with him?” Savannah asked. “Where’s he going?”

  “He’s talking about Spain.” She insisted, “No, he didn’t invite me along. We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, and...”

  Before Gladys could continue, the doorbell rang.

  Michael looked at his watch and grumbled, “Who is that so late?”

  “It’s only eight thirty—not late for some people,” Savannah remarked.

  Gladys chuckled. “Probably trick-or-treaters. It is Halloween, you know.”

  “I doubt that,” Savannah said, walking toward the door. “We don’t usually get goblins and pirates and ghouls out here.” However, when she opened the door, she stepped back, startled to see two ghosts looking back at her.

  “Trick-or-treat,” they said in unison.

  Savannah stared at the wicked faces drawn on the sheets and tried to identify the wearers. “Goodness, aren’t you a little old for trick-or-treating?” She frowned. “Actually, I didn’t plan for…I don’t think we have any…”

  Before she could finish, one of the ghosts removed his sheet, smiled, and said, “I’ll settle for a piece of pie or a brownie.”

  “Craig!” Savannah squealed. “What are you doing out running around in a sheet, for heaven’s sake?” She looked suspiciously at the second ghost and asked, “Iris, is that you?”

  “Of course it is, Vannie,” Gladys said from behind her. She pointed. “See those designer shoes she’s wearing?”

  Iris removed her sheet and reported proudly, “Ten ninety-five at the Secondhand Barn.” She showed off the shoes. “Don’t you just love them?”

  “Stunning,” Savannah said flippantly. With more enthusiasm, she invited, “Come in, guys. Actually, we do have some berry pie left, don’t we, Mom?”

  “Yes, I’ll make coffee,” Gladys offered. She asked their guests, “Or would you rather have tea?”

  “I’d love a spot of tea,” Iris said, feigning a British accent.

  Craig grinned at his wife. “Coffee sounds great.” He took Gladys’s arm before she walked off, and asked quietly, “Do you have any vanilla ice cream to go on that warm slice of berry pie?”

  Gladys smiled sweetly. “Of course, Craig.”

  When Savannah followed after her, Gladys waved her off. “You go visit. I’ll get it. Do you want pie, Vannie? Michael?”

  Savannah thought before saying, “No, but a cup of herbal tea would be nice.”

  “Coffee for me,” Michael said. He then invited, “Come sit down, guys. What brings you out so late—I mean, this time of night?”

  “Just wanted to wish the famous author a successful event,” Iris said, handing Savannah a small package.

  “Really?” Savannah responded. “How sweet. You remembered I was going.”

  “Yes.” Iris feigned a pout. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Now you’re leaving again. When, tomorrow?”

  Savannah nodded.

  Iris pointed at the package. “I ordered that for you a while back and thought this would be a good time to give it to you.”

  Before sitting down, Savannah hugged her. “You are so thoughtful. Thank you.”

  “Open it,” Craig urged. “You don’t even know if you’ll like it, yet.”

  “I love it because of the thought put into it,” she countered.

  “Well, I think you’re going to love it for other reasons, too,” Iris said. She urged, “Open it. Open it.”

  “Wait for me,” Gladys called from the kitchen. “I want to see.”

  Everyone laughed, and Savannah and Iris joined Gladys in the kitchen to help her serve the dessert.

  “Okay,” Iris said after everyone was seated in the living room, “now open it.”

  “I hope your gift lives up to all this hullaballoo,” Craig muttered.

  Iris slapped at her husband playfully. “Of course, it will.” She clasped her hands together. “Open it, open it.” When she saw Savannah looking around on the floor in front of her, she frowned. “What’s wrong? Did you lose it already?”

  Savannah moved a couple of children’s books across a small tabletop, then stood up and felt along the chair cushion. “Yes, I guess I did. Where’d it go?” She looked at Michael, then Craig. “Did one of you pick it up?”

  “What?” Michael asked.

  �
�That little box Iris gave me. I set it right here on the table.”

  “I didn’t take it,” Michael said. “Is it in your pocket?”

  She patted her jeans pockets, and reported, “No.”

  “Don’t look at me,” Craig said, holding up his hands. “Your husband and I were talking business.”

  “Business?” Iris questioned. “His or yours?”

  “Both.” When Iris looked askance, Craig said, “Michael tells me there’s detective work in being a veterinarian.”

  Michael acknowledged Craig’s comment, then asked suspiciously, “Hon, where’s your cat?”

  “Here’s a sweet cat,” Iris cooed. “Come see Aunt Ris-Ris,” she said, picking up Buffy and snuggling with her. “I just love this cat. What kind is she again?”

  “She’s part Himalayan,” Michael said, “but that’s not the cat I was talking about. Buffy doesn’t know how to cause trouble, although I know a cat that does.”

  “Are you talking about Rags?” Savannah looked around. “Did he come in here while I was in the kitchen?”

  Michael shrugged. “Might have, I guess. When something goes missing, he’s usually to blame. Find him and I’m pretty sure you’ll find the box.”

  “Darn it,” Savannah griped. “Raaags!” she called. “Rags, where are you?” She started to walk toward the hallway when Iris pointed.

  “Look! There’s the ribbon. See the polka-dot ribbon on the step there?”

  Savannah took the stairs two at a time to reach the place where the ribbon lay. She picked it up and called again, “Rags!” She said to Iris, who had followed her up the staircase, “Certainly he can’t carry a box in his mouth. She looked around. “Where’d it go?”

  “Here it is,” Gladys said from below. “He must have dropped it over the side. And here he is, too,” she chuckled, “in case you want to have a talk with him.” Before Savannah could respond, Gladys scolded, “No, Rags! Oh, Vannie, whatever it was in the box, he took it. Looked like a necklace. He ran off with it.”

  “Darn him!” Savannah complained, racing down the stairs. She stepped over the empty box and into the hallway. “Rags,” she hissed, not wanting to awaken the children. When she saw him sitting on the bed in the master bedroom, she demanded, “Give that to me before you break it, whatever it is. Give it to me, Rags. Drop it.”

  She walked up to the cat. “Where is it? What did you do with it?” When Gladys and Iris entered the room, Savannah asked, “Mom, are you sure he had something?”

  “Yes, I saw it dragging behind him. Looked like a chain.” She gazed at Iris, who nodded.

  Hands on hips, Savannah glanced around the room. She moved the cat and checked where he was sitting, then insisted, “Okay, where’d you put it? I want my gift, darn it.”

  Rags simply stared back at her.

  Iris chuckled. “He sure looks innocent.”

  “Yeah,” Savannah snarked, “he has that look down pat. Trouble is, he never is. Innocent, I mean.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, everyone spread out and start searching for my gift.”

  “Where?” Iris asked, releasing Buffy onto the floor.

  “Everywhere,” Savannah retorted. “Under furniture, in open drawers, in his water bowl…” She remembered something. “Oh, oh, oh…the toilet. He once dropped something in the toilet.” She thought for a moment. “I guess that could have been Teddy, but…”

  “He dropped Teddy in the toilet?” Iris shrieked.

  Savannah laughed. “No, Teddy dropped something in the toilet.” Something else occurred to her. “My shoes!” she exclaimed, darting toward her closet. “Yup, the door’s open enough for him to…well, I’ll be,” she said, backing out of the closet. She held up a chain with a pendant and asked, “Is this it?”

  When Iris nodded and smiled, Savannah looked at it more closely. “It’s adorable.” She admired it for a few seconds, then hugged Iris. “I love it. How thoughtful.”

  “What is it?” Michael asked from the doorway. Craig joined him.

  Savannah held it up for them to see. “It’s a pendent necklace, and look! It’s a cat with a book. Oh my gosh, it’s so cute.”

  Iris smiled. “For your first book fair, and it’s a late congratulations on becoming an author. We’re proud of you, girl.”

  “How sweet,” Savannah said, showing the gift to her mother. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

  “Yes,” Gladys said. “Where in the world did you find this?”

  “Actually,” Iris revealed, “I had it designed. One of my guests at the inn is a jeweler and he made it. That’s a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry there.”

  “I love it, guys,” Savannah said as she fastened it around her neck, then admired it in her dressing-table mirror. “Thank you so much.” She hugged Craig. “Thank you both.”

  “You’re welcome,” Iris said, smiling from ear to ear. “Glad you like it.”

  “So your cat had it?” Craig asked.

  Savannah glared down at Rags. “I guess he did. He opened the box and hid this in one of my shoes.”

  Iris laughed. “Maybe he thinks it’s Easter.” She ran a hand over Rags’s fur. “You’re not supposed to hide things on Halloween, guy.”

  Michael addressed the cat. “Yeah, on Halloween you’re supposed to transform into something else, like maybe a well-behaved cat.” He chuckled along with the others, then said, “Well, it appears the excitement’s over. Let’s go finish our dessert.”

  “When are you leaving for the big city?” Craig asked Savannah.

  “Bright and early—well, maybe it won’t be so bright, but early tomorrow morning. I’ll be staying with Peter and Rochelle, so that’ll be fun.”

  “And she’s meeting the author of Rags’s children’s books for the first time,” Michael announced. “They’re sharing a booth.”

  “Cool,” Iris said. She winced. “I hope you like her.”

  Savannah addressed Michael, “See, Iris knows where I’m coming from.”

  “What?” Michael asked innocently.

  “You scoffed at me for being concerned that I might not get along with Tina.”

  “Oh yes,” Iris said, “that’s always a possibility. Sometimes women just don’t click. How long will you be sharing the booth?”

  “Two long days,” Savannah complained. She perked up. “Or two wonderful days, which is what I’m counting on.”

  Iris smiled. “Good for you.”

  “And the cat’s going with you?” Craig asked. When Savannah nodded, he rolled his eyes. “Good luck with that.”

  “Now don’t you start,” Savannah teased. “He’ll be just fine.”

  Craig snickered. “After the behavior we witnessed earlier, you have some sort of delusions that he’ll be just fine?” When Savannah didn’t respond right away, he continued, “Well, in case he isn’t, I want to give you something—and this, young lady, is more valuable than ten of that necklace you’re wearing.”

  Savannah caressed her pendant. “How can you say that, Craig?”

  “Because this is something you might desperately need.” He shuffled through a handful of business cards, then handed her one. “Now I hope not, but take this and keep it handy.” He watched her turn it over a couple of times in her hands before explaining, “That’s my friend and colleague, Detective Phil Martinez. Hold onto it just in case.”

  “In case what?” Savannah insisted.

  “You know.” He nodded toward Rags, who had just walked into the room. “In case he gets you into some sort of trouble. I told Phil you and the cat were coming.”

  Michael started to laugh. When the others looked at him, he said, “So the San Francisco Police Department is on high alert because Rags will be in their city?”

  Savannah gave Craig a sideways glance. “Are you serious?”

  “Only partly.” He winked, then said more seriously, “But I suggest you carry that with you.”

  Iris glanced at Craig, then Savannah, saying, “Well, we’d better go and let these folks get som
e sleep.” She stood up and hugged Savannah. Pulling back, she whined, “I’ll miss you. We haven’t had any girl fun in a long time—you’ve been so busy traveling and entertaining guests.”

  “And you’ve been busy running a business,” Savannah said. She perked up. “Hey, let’s plan some girlfriend fun when I get back, okay?”