Клэр Донелли - Hiss And Tell

That ignited a spark of interest in de Kruk’s predatory eyes.

Sure, Sunny thought, he always was a publicity hound.

“I wouldn’t have expected that, Priscilla,” Augustus said. “Such an interesting idea. Which media outlet do you report for, Ms. Coolidge?”

“The Harbor Courier , a local paper,” Sunny replied. “Because first and foremost, this is local news.”

“Mmm-hmmm.” The interest in de Kruk’s eyes blinked off as if a switch had been flicked when he heard that Sunny didn’t represent a national media outlet.

The Senator’s wife decided the moment had come to offer some concrete hospitality. “We have a little light meal prepared,” she offered. “Or, if you would prefer to freshen up after traveling—”

Her polite speech was interrupted by a near shriek from Augustus de Kruk. “What—what is that animal doing here?” His famous rumble came out more like a falsetto, and his hand trembled as he pointed over everyone’s head.

Like everyone else Sunny swiveled to see what had upset the big man. Then she had to stifle a large gulp.

“That animal” was a cat, peering down with interest from the top of the fieldstone wall.

And that cat was Shadow.

14

At the firstsign of trouble, Lee Trehearne had come at a run, then he halted, staring back and forth, struggling with how to resolve the situation. Augustus de Kruk kept cowering back, shouting, “Shoot it! Somebody shoot it!”

That seemed a somewhat extreme reaction to a cat that was doing nothing more aggressive than staring at him. Sunny kept her mouth shut, however. She had a strong suspicion that things wouldn’t go well for her if de Kruk discovered that the animal causing his apparent nervous breakdown was her cat. And knowing Shadow, he was just as likely to seal the deal by leaping down into her arms. Still the situation seemed surreal enough that Sunny couldn’t believe the cat was in real danger.

Trehearne tried to reach up and grab Shadow, but the height of the wall left the cat just beyond his grasp.

“How about climbing up on one of the bags?” Cale pointed to the luggage that had just been unloaded with the de Kruks.

“Yes! Please! Just get it!” Augustus didn’t sound much like an emperor. He was begging.

Looking dubious at the whole process, Trehearne lugged a large hard-sided case up to the wall and hoisted himself on top of it. As soon as he began to draw level in height, Shadow strolled casually along the top of the wall, keeping slightly more than an arm’s length away. Sunny could have told the security chief how this was going to end. Instead, she bit her lip as Trehearne stretched after the cat, who remained just tantalizingly out of reach. She could hear muttered swear words as the man reached a precarious balance at the edge of the bag. He stretched yet again, ramming an angry hand more in a punch than a grab at the cat, who responded by hissing and arching his back. That didn’t deter Trehearne, who leaned back and then suddenly lunged to catch Shadow, apparently intending to grab the cat and make a landing.

Instead, Shadow hissed and met Trehearne’s groping hand with a set of claws. With a yell of pain, Trehearne jerked his hand back, sufficiently distracted enough to blow his landing and collapse in an ungainly heap at the foot of the wall. Trehearne got himself up on his hands and knees to find the cat in almost the same pose above him, yowling cat curses down.

Staggering upright, the security chief got out his radio. His face was brick red from exertion and fury—and embarrassment over the smothered laughter from some of the onlookers. The last thing he wanted to do was call in reinforcements over a cat. But he had to admit the need for them, especially with Augustus de Kruk sobbing and shouting for cat blood.

Several black-jacketed security men arrived in response to his call. They moved with military precision to surround and subdue the intruder. One team advanced on the wall with a ladder. Another climbed onto the wall where it was lower, proceeding along the top on foot. A third force blocked the way to the house and advanced from there.

Sunny began to take the situation seriously enough to consider what kind of plea she’d have to make to keep Trehearne from wringing Shadow’s neck. But just as the forces of humanity closed in for the capture, Shadow moved like greased lightning. He jumped down onto the head of the security man on the ladder, slid down his back, and bounced off the guy steadying the ladder. In an instant he was on the ground, breaking into evasive maneuvers on the run.

The man on the ladder nearly toppled off after making a belated grab, much like Trehearne. Augustus de Kruk let out another howl as Shadow darted past, about five feet away from his expensive shoes. With the glare Lee Trehearne sent after the cat, Sunny was surprised the lawn didn’t burst into flames.

The whole welcome event dissolved into chaos. Magda, Augustus’s latest blond wife, half-supported him as he tottered toward the house. She was quickly joined by Carson and Beau, who got the elder de Kruk inside and into a chair. Beau had a hand on the older man’s chest and then checked his pulse. “Are you short of breath?” he asked in his best emergency room manner.

“He should be okay now that the cat is out of sight,” Carson said. Apparently he’d seen his father react like this before.

“Augustus has this very strong reaction to seeing cats,” Magda explained. Her accent made the “this” sound like “zis,” and “cats” became “catza.” She patted her husband on the shoulder. “Many famous people have had it: Julius Caesar, Shakespeare, Napoleon, even your President Eisenhower.”

“Ailurophobia,” Sunny muttered to herself. Having done some research on the subject, she wasn’t exactly surprised that Mrs. de Kruk had skipped over a few of the other famous historical sufferers—like Genghis Khan, Hitler, and Mussolini. She recalled a story about Napoleon being found in a room, pale and trembling, stabbing into a wall tapestry with his sword. When the guards arrived they found a kitten hiding behind it.

Obviously, his brush with Shadow had been a shattering experience for Augustus. He no longer looked like a bold bald eagle, but more like a hoot owl caught in strong daylight. His piercing eyes blinked, he shivered, and his face was covered in sweat.

The Senator simply stared, lost for words—in fact, completely at a loss as to how to deal with his guest. After all, Augustus de Kruk was a master of the universe. How did one talk to him after seeing him dissolve into gibbering, irrational terror?

Luckily, the Senator’s wife stepped into the breach. “I think after all this confusion, a little rest is called for,” she said gently. “We can show you to your room now.”

“Are you sure, Julia?” the Senator asked.

“Yes.” Her voice was definite. “I believe we can wait on supper for a little bit, until our guests are settled.”

Carson and Beau helped an almost pathetically grateful Augustus up to the guest bedroom.

Sunny took advantage of the intermission to go outside. Maybe she’d be able to spot Shadow. Maybe he’d come back. He had to have seen her.

But when she came out the door, she saw black-jacketed security guys all over the compound, searching for the renegade cat. Her heart squeezed a little. Oh, Shadow, what have you gotten yourself into this time?

Her worried thoughts were interrupted by muted laughter. Cale Kingsbury sat on a lower part of the wall, disregarding any threat to his good suit. He looked up at Sunny, his bad-boy grin threatening to split his face. “Un-be-lievable!” he chortled. “The all-powerful Emperor Augustus, brought low by a pussycat! You should have been using your camera, Sunny. A guy like de Kruk would pay through the nose to keep that meltdown off the Net. A couple of pictures, and you’d be set for life.”