Leann Sweeney - The Cat, The Professor and the Poison

He hung up, but I could have finished that question. What had he been thinking when he got involved with her several years ago? Miss Upstate Winnebago, as Lydia had once been titled, was a certifiable nutcase.

With all the rain, the South Carolina landscape was lush, and I was enjoying this ride. I’d brought several quilts to finish, but just when I was in a good stitching rhythm, it was my turn to receive a phone call-and thank goodness I’d practiced with the new contraption. The caller ID read ROBIN WEST, but it was Jack.

“Hi, Jack,” I said when I answered.

Candace gave me a puzzled sideways glance.

“I wanted you to know that my mom took your excellent advice. I even got to play in the mud.”

“That’s great, Jack. Are you off from school?” I said.

“Yeah. Spring break, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. My cat, Lucy, has new friends. Two of them. One is black-and-white and the other one is orange. Of course, Mom won’t let them in the house.”

“Two new cats? Did you go to Shawn and Allison’s shelter to pick them out?” I asked.

Candace said, “Ah,” while nodding.

“No,” he said. “They just showed up. Very smart cats to find shelter during that awful storm we had the other night. They’ve been staying in the barn, and they don’t seem to want to leave. And that’s fine with me.”

“How’s Lucy handling two new friends?” I said.

“She wasn’t thrilled at first. Lots of hissing and spitting the first day, since felines are very territorial. She’s coming around.”

“Yes, she’ll be best buddies with them soon enough,” I said. “I have three cats myself.”

“Are they house cats, or do they stay outside?” he asked.

“They’re indoor cats. But, Jack, glad as I am to hear from you, I sense a hidden agenda,” I said.

“Yes. I am determined to have an indoor cat myself. And since you did so well with my mother before, well…” His voice trailed off.

“You want me to convince her to let you have a cat in your immaculate house? That’s a tall order. Cats can destroy things, and your mom’s vacuuming, which I’m guessing is already very time-consuming, might increase a whole lot more.”

“Do your cats destroy things?” he said.

“No, because they have scratching posts and early on I trained them to behave.”

“Here’s my idea, though,” he said. “My mom needs to quit obsessing. A cat might be a way for her to realize that she can enjoy something without having to constantly clean around it. She does love animals.”

How did such a young kid get so smart? “Did you try to convince her with your logic?”

“I haven’t brought it up. I thought I’d let you do that part because she doesn’t listen to me.”

He sounded so hopeful, how could I turn him down? But this would be a challenge. “I’m out of town on a little trip today. Can I meet your new cats another day?”

“Sure. I’m off school all week.”

“I’ll call you, Jack. Take care,” I said.

“Bye, Miss Jillian. And thank you.” He hung up.

I looked at Candace. “Did you get the gist of that?”

“You honestly believe that Robin West will allow a cat in her house? I don’t think so,” Candace said.

“At least I can try. Plus, those cats that showed up will need their shots and should be checked for parasites and feline AIDS, like we did the night the professor-oh my gosh.”

“What?” Candace said.

“Ruth Schultz and Robin West don’t live that far apart,” I said. “Ruth had at least one stray that came from the professor’s property that we know about and probably a couple more. What if these two that showed up at Robin and Jack’s place came from the professor’s farm, too?”

“Do you believe some of the cats escaped the evening of the murder and weren’t carried off?” Candace said.

“It’s very possible. And if there are more, Shawn will have his hands full,” I said. “They’ll come his way eventually.”

“And he’s so overloaded now that Allison’s in school, we had to work a night shift,” Candace said. “Not that I minded. It was fun.”

“That seems so long ago now, doesn’t it? I have to volunteer more there,” I said. “He needs the help. I hate to even tell him about the microchip I found on Dame Wiggins this morning because he’ll have to make a trip to my place to scan her.”

“Chief Baca told me that lazy Chester called the station to make sure Shawn scanned the cats left at the house,” Candace said. “ Chester ’s looking for any reason to bust Shawn. Scanning rescued animals is the law.”

“Then we’ll make sure Chester doesn’t get Shawn in trouble,” I said.

We settled into silence. I so loved the South Carolina countryside. Focusing on the budding trees and blooming flowers along the way relieved the stress I feared would return full force once Candace started asking questions at Denman College. Everything about the VanKleet family seemed to be connected to stress with a capital S.

Denman is a tiny town, and according to what Candace told me, most everyone who lives there is connected to the college. We stopped at the police station first, or should I say the police shack. If I thought Mercy’s police headquarters was ridiculously small, I never could have imagined that police officers in this country would be forced to work out of what was practically one of those backyard storage sheds you can buy at Home Depot. Only one officer was present, Officer Dooley, and he told Candace she was welcome to question anyone she could find who wasn’t out of town.

“Courtesy call,” Candace said as we got back in her squad car. “Don’t want it to get around to any officers in town that I’m stirring up trouble on their turf. Let’s talk to the college president now. Maybe we’ll get new information about the professor from him. His name is Lawrence Johnson, by the way.”

“How will you explain my presence?” I asked.

“Since I’m not about to let you out of my sight, we’re back to Plan A, the one that started this whole thing. You’re a ride-along-taking one of those citizen police-academy courses.” She checked her small campus map and then put the car in gear.

“Me hanging around might make your job more difficult, though. I can wait in the car, or you can drop me at McDonald’s and I’ll get coffee. Every college town has a McDonald’s.”

“Nope. That’s not how this works. We are joined at the hip until this case is solved.”

I sighed. “All I’m saying is that we’re far from Mercy and any danger right now.”

“Ski Mask could have followed us-though I was paying close attention and didn’t pick up any tail. But who knows? Rosemary Bartlett might turn out to be more like Rosemary’s Baby,” she said.

“I give up. You’re the one in uniform, and I must obey,” I said with a laugh.

A few minutes later we drove onto campus, and Denman College turned out to be far different than I’d imagined. The buildings were a blend of very old and very new. We passed the infirmary, which obviously had been someone’s home at one time, but there was also a residence hall that looked modern and was about six stories high.

The administration building turned out to be a beautiful large redbrick structure with white pillars. The landscaping was well tended, with shrubs surrounding steps on both sides that led to the main wide set of steps. We parked in a spot marked RESERVED right next to the president’s parking place.

“Let them try and give a police car a ticket,” Candace said as we got out and headed toward the administration building.

A cement plaque set into the brick next to the huge oak double doors said BUILT: 1910.