Софи Келли - Faux Paw

“They worry too much, Kathleen,” Harrison said. “We’re meeting in a public place and I’m going to that meeting with my eyes wide-open. I know my lady friend could be a bald fella in sweatpants, but I don’t think she is. All I can tell you is when you’re looking at life from my end of things, it looks pretty damn short.”

“All right,” I said.

“All right?” He looked surprised. “That’s it?”

I smiled at him. “You didn’t see that coming, did you?”

He gave a snort of laughter. “No, I did not.”

“You have good judgment, Harrison,” I said. “I don’t think you’re going to do anything stupid.”

“I had a whole argument worked out, you know,” he said. His eyes were twinkling.

“And I’m sure it was a good one,” I said, taking the last bite of my own cinnamon roll. “I’ll listen to it if you’d like.”

His shook his head and fingered his white beard. “I should have known I didn’t need an argument for you. You’re pretty much the most sensible person I know.”

I got up to get myself more coffee and squeezed his shoulder as I passed behind his chair. “More like I know what a waste of time it is getting into any argument with you.”

He put his hand on mine for a moment and laughed. “Are you trying to say I’m a bit stubborn?”

“A bit?” I countered.

Harrison laughed. “There are damn few perks to being as old as I am, Kathleen,” he said. “Having my own way is one of them and I’m not about to let it go.”

We spent the rest of our time together talking about what was going on around town. When Young Harry arrived to pick up his father, the old man got to his feet and gave me a hug. “Always good to see you, Kathleen,” he said. “Come out to the house sometime for supper. It’s been too long.”

“I’d like that,” I said.

He looked at his son.

“I’ll set it up,” Harry Junior said.

Harrison headed for the porch door. “I’m going out to the truck so you two can talk about me behind my back.”

“Yeah, we appreciate that, Dad,” Harry said drily. Once we heard the outside door close he turned back to me. “You didn’t have any luck, did you?”

I shook my head. “You know what he’s like. He has his mind made up and nothing is going to change that.”

Harry swiped a hand over his neck. “That’s pretty much how I figured things would go. Thanks for talking to him.”

“I didn’t mind. I like spending time with your father,” I said.

“I’ll call about supper,” he said. “The old man will be like a dog with a bone until I do.”

I laughed. “The way things are at the library right now, my schedule is pretty open.”

“Marcus getting anywhere on that?”

I sighed. “The drawing that was stolen might be worth a lot more than anyone knew.”

“Which means there could have been even more people who wanted it,” he finished.

“Exactly,” I said.

“Larry said she was a nice woman,” Harry said as we headed out into the porch.

I knew he was referring to Margo. Larry had worked well with her because he didn’t mind her perfectionism. He was a bit of a perfectionist himself.

“But you know, I think his head’s been turned by that new artist who’s working with Ruby.”

“You mean Rena Adler, the painter?” I asked.

Harry pulled off his Twins ball cap and smoothed a hand over his bald pate before putting the hat back on. “That’s the one. I pulled up to the library the day before the robbery. Larry was supposed to be making some last-minute changes to a few lights. He’s in the parking lot in the van checking his hair in the rearview mirror.”

He laughed. “I tapped on the window and almost gave him a heart attack.”

“Has he asked her out?”

Hercules had followed us out to the porch. He’d jumped up onto the bench and seemed to be intently following the conversation, head tipped to one side. I reached over and stroked his fur.

Harry shook his head. “Lord no! He’s the opposite of the old man. Larry pretty much moves at a snail’s pace when it comes to women. But I’m thinking she might like him. He said they spent a lot of time talking. She even brought a cup of coffee down to the basement to him while he was working.”

I thought about all the cups of coffee Marcus and I had shared while we were getting to know each other. “It sounds like she might be interested,” I said.

“At least she’s real,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “And we know she’s a woman.”

“Your father’s not going to do anything stupid,” I said.

“I hope you’re right, Kathleen.” He smiled again. “I’ll call you about dinner.”

I nodded.

Hercules watched Harry disappear around the side of the house. Then he looked at me and meowed. I leaned down and picked him up, heading back into the kitchen.

Before I could set him down the phone rang. I went back to the living room to answer it. It was Marcus.

“How was the rest of your afternoon?” he asked.

“Good,” I said. “I have every program from the library relocated, and Harrison came for coffee. By the way, did you know Thorsten got a piercing?”

“You’re kidding.”

The seemingly straitlaced caretaker of the community center didn’t seem like the type for a piercing.

I dropped onto the footstool, still holding on to the cat. Hercules kneaded my lap with his paws and stretched out. “No, I’m not.”

“I just saw him about an hour ago. I didn’t notice an earring.”

“That’s because it wasn’t in an ear,” I said, struggling not to laugh.

“Well then, where was— No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

I did laugh then, picturing him holding up one hand and shaking his head even though I couldn’t see either gesture.

“Okay, let’s change the subject,” I said. Hercules was eyeing me as though he was trying to figure out what was so funny. “How was the rest of your afternoon?”

“I went out to The Brick,” Marcus said. “Mary’s in Red Wing so I couldn’t confirm Solomon’s alibi with her. Did you know they record their amateur shows?”

“No,” I said slowly.

“Solomon wasn’t lying,” he said. “Let’s just say I’ve seen way more of him and Mary than I ever wanted to see.”

“Oh, I know what you mean,” I said. I heard him laugh on the other end of the phone. “So now what?”

He sighed and I pictured him running one hand back through his hair the way he did when he was frustrated. “I don’t know. It looks like we’re back to square one.”

15

I’d planned to sleep in Saturday morning, but Owen had other ideas. He’d swatted my face with a paw and grumbled because I didn’t seem to be getting dressed fast enough for him.

“Do you have plans this morning?” I asked as I followed him down to the kitchen.

“Merow!” he said loudly.

Owen had already started his breakfast when Hercules wandered in, yawning. He came over to me, leaned against my leg and eyed his brother curiously.

“He has plans,” I said, reaching down to scratch the top of Herc’s head.

I put half an English muffin in the toaster and scrambled an egg with onions, pepper and tomatoes. It made a very good breakfast sandwich—not quite what Eric served but delicious just the same.

Owen finished breakfast, washed his face and then headed toward the back door like a cat with a purpose. At the door he looked back over his shoulder and meowed sharply at me.

“I’m coming,” I said, padding across the floor to let him out. I paused with my hand on the doorknob. “I didn’t hear any ‘please.’”

“Murp,” he said, much to my amusement.

I opened both doors and let Owen out onto the back step. He headed down the stairs and I wondered if he was going to Rebecca’s.