Миранда Джеймс - No Cats Allowed

“You’re right.” I sighed. “I have to stifle this impulse I have to rush in and try to make things better. The good Lord knows this situation doesn’t need any more complications.” I went back to the oven and checked the casserole. It looked ready, so I grabbed oven mitts, pulled it out, and set it on a trivet on the table.

“Do you have time for a bite?” I asked. “One of Azalea’s specialties, chicken and mushrooms with rice.”

Sean gazed hungrily at the casserole, then shook his head. “Much as I’d love to, I’d better get back to the office. Alex and I have a little more work to do, then I’m taking her out to dinner.” He picked up his bag. “Take care, Dad, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Diesel, you try to keep him out of trouble.”

The cat chirped, and Sean grinned as he headed to the door. I called my good-bye and good wishes after him, and the door shut behind him.

After I prepared myself a bowl of salad and poured a glass of water, I sat down to eat. Diesel sat beside me and tapped my leg a few times in hopes of snagging a treat. I had to deny him, however, because the casserole contained onions—truly bad for cats. Also, I wasn’t too sure about the mushrooms.

While I ate my delicious meal, and occasionally gave attention to the always-famished feline by my leg, I mulled over the prank played on Oscar. Surely there were other possibilities besides my library colleagues.

Besides my library colleagues . Of course, you idiot.

Why did the culprit have to be a library staff member? Why couldn’t it be someone from the finance office, where Oscar had been working before he was transferred?

SEVEN

Yes, I decided, I shouldn’t limit the suspects to library staff. Surely, unless his current behavior was a bizarre aberration, he had caused similar turmoil among the staff in the financial department.

I did not know anyone personally who worked in that area, however. Even though I knew it was Chief Ford’s job to uncover the culprit, I couldn’t help my overlarge bump of curiosity. I wouldn’t call it overlarge myself, but Sean and Laura often did.

Then I remembered Melba saying she intended to scrape up an acquaintance with a young woman who worked in the finance office. Perhaps she wouldn’t go through with that, however, since she planned to file a complaint.

After I finished my meal, I cleaned up the small mess I’d made and put my dishes and utensils in the dishwasher. I checked my watch and saw that I had another four hours to wait before I could call Helen Louise. I didn’t like to call her at work and usually waited until I figured she was home. That meant not until ten. The bistro closed at nine, and Helen Louise and her staff had to balance out the registers and perform a few other tasks before they all went home.

Television didn’t appeal, and I had plenty of books, so I headed upstairs with Diesel to read. Soon my cat and I lay in comfort on the bed. Diesel stretched out beside me, head on his own pillow. His eyes regarded me groggily for a few minutes while I read. Then he fell asleep.

I awoke later when the insistent ringing of my cell phone roused me. I put aside the book that had lain across my chest and fumbled for the phone. My eyes registered the time, ten fifteen, and the caller’s number a moment before I answered.

“Hello, love.” I couldn’t hold back a yawn.

“You fell asleep reading again, didn’t you?” I could hear the smile in Helen Louise’s voice. “I figured you had when you didn’t call right on the dot at ten.”

“Yes, I did, sorry. Told myself that for once I wasn’t going to do it.”

Diesel was awake now, too, because he knew that one of his favorite humans was talking to me. He warbled.

“Diesel sends his greetings,” I said.

“I heard,” Helen Louise replied. “Scratch his head for me. How was your day, love?”

“Eventful,” I said. “Nothing earth-shattering, so no need to worry. I’ll fill you in on the details tomorrow night.” We had plans for dinner, just the two of us. Diesel warbled again, as if to remind me that there would be three, not two.

Helen Louise laughed, a sound I loved. “No need. Melba came by on her way home from your house to pick up dinner. She filled me in on all of it.”

“I hope she didn’t alarm you over any of this,” I said.

“She didn’t alarm me, but naturally I’m concerned,” she said. “I find it curious that he waited this long to complain about Diesel. Surely, if he were that allergic, he would have mentioned it the first day.”

“Of course he would,” I said. “Another reason I’m sure he’s lying about it. He claims he’s getting proof from his doctor, but whatever the so-called doctor says, I won’t believe it. The man apparently lives to antagonize people.”

“Sounds to me like one or both of his oars aren’t hitting the water.” Helen Louise laughed again. “I’m curious now to see this guy for myself.”

“I don’t have any plans to introduce you,” I said in a wry tone. “I’ve applied for a leave of absence from the archive, but since Oscar has to approve it, I doubt I’ll get it. I may end up quitting so I don’t have to put up with his craziness.”

“I’d hate to see you quit a job you love so much. I want you to stay busy so you don’t have time to run around town, chasing other women.” She laughed.

“Oh, I could fit it in if I really wanted to,” I said in an arch tone. “But why do that when I’ve already found you?”

She laughed again, and after that, the conversation turned a bit soppy, as Sean would have called it during his teenage years. A few minutes later we said good night, I turned out the light, and Diesel and I went back to sleep, me with a huge smile.

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast cooked and served by Azalea, I decided to take Diesel for a morning walk. This wasn’t one of my workdays at the archive, and I felt restless. Diesel chirped happily when he saw the harness and leash in my hands. He enjoyed these little rambles as much as I did, for we invariably ran into at least one or two of his admirers in the neighborhood.

The air had a cool, crisp edge to it, and I wore a light jacket as we started out. I would probably shed it before we returned home. Diesel liked to trot along at first, eager to encounter his friends, and I had to walk briskly to keep up.

By habit, Diesel turned onto the sidewalk in the direction of the college. I thought about turning to go the other way, but I decided I wasn’t going to let the possibility of an encounter with Oscar spoil our morning. I checked my watch—a few minutes past nine. Oscar should be safely in his office by now.

We met two neighbors along the way, and I stopped to chat while Diesel received the attention he enjoyed. By the time we neared the campus and the library administration building, it was almost nine thirty. Now a bit too warm, I shed my jacket and slung it over my shoulder. Diesel continued toward the library building, because we didn’t usually come this way unless we were headed for work.

“Not today, boy.” I halted, and Diesel stopped to look up at me with what I called his interrogative expression. “We’re not working today.” He meowed in disapproval. He was no doubt eager to go inside to see his buddy Melba.

In my peripheral vision I caught a blur of motion. I turned my head slightly to observe a tall man extricating himself gingerly from a small car.

He had to be the man Melba talked about yesterday. I had forgotten about him until now, but, my curiosity piqued, I started walking toward the library, even though I knew it would confuse the cat.

“Good morning,” I called out when Diesel and I were about ten feet away from where the man stood by his car. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”