Миранда Джеймс - No Cats Allowed

“Then he must have taken the other man with him,” Melba said.

I didn’t remember seeing a car come out of the side street that gave access to the parking lot. “They must have gone the other way. I didn’t see a car, did you?”

“No, I didn’t, and Stanley’s car was still parked on the street.” Melba handed Diesel’s leash back to me, and we stood there a moment, both puzzled.

Melba clutched at my arm suddenly and startled me. “Surely you don’t think he’s made Oscar go somewhere with him so he can execute him, do you? Maybe he’s a gangster.”

My old friend’s imagination really did run amok sometimes, and this was one of those times, I was sure.

“No, I don’t think he took Oscar away to execute him, but I do believe he has some kind of hold over Oscar. Surely if Oscar had been truly afraid for his life, he would have let me call the campus police when I offered to.”

“Maybe.” Melba looked doubtful. “But what if Oscar didn’t realize at first this guy meant to kill him?”

I couldn’t keep the exasperation out of my tone when I replied, “Melba, you’re getting a bit too carried away with all this. Obviously there’s something wrong between the two, but it doesn’t necessarily mean murder.”

She looked chagrined. “You’re probably right. I guess having that man sitting out on the street the past few days spooked me. He seems sinister to me.”

Diesel meowed and butted his head against her, his anxiety obvious. Melba reassured him with soothing words and rubs on the head.

“I think Diesel and I had better head home,” I said. “I’m sure Oscar will turn up before too long, acting as if nothing happened.”

“We’ll see.” Melba walked out of the lounge and headed for the front of the building. Diesel and I followed.

When we reached the entryway, she turned. “Sure you don’t have time to have a cup of coffee?”

I didn’t want any coffee, but I realized that Melba didn’t want to be on her own in the building, so I nodded. “Sure, that sounds good.”

“I’ll put it on and be right back. Only takes about six or seven minutes.” Melba smiled and hurried back to the kitchen to make the coffee. Diesel and I went into her office. I chose my favorite chair, and the cat stretched out on the floor by my feet.

I pulled out my cell phone and checked my e-mail. Nothing urgent, I decided after a quick scan. The phone went back in my pocket.

The front door was in my line of sight, and when I heard it open, I glanced that way. I didn’t think it would be Oscar, who would surely come in the back way from the parking lot.

Cassandra Brownley stormed into the entryway, accompanied by Lisa Krause and Delbert Winston at a calmer pace. She walked into Melba’s office and right by me without acknowledging my presence. She approached Oscar’s door—I had shut it before I searched the rest of the building—and jerked it open.

I had no chance to tell her Oscar wasn’t inside. She strode in while Delbert and Lisa paused, manifestly nervous, near me. Lisa greeted me softly.

Cassandra came marching out of Oscar’s office and addressed her companions. “The jackass isn’t there.” She finally appeared to notice me. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Melba and I have been wondering the same thing. If you don’t mind, can I ask why you’re so upset?”

Cassandra looked ready to tear the room apart. “Because the bastard fired all three of us this morning.”

NINE

“Fired you?” Melba said from the doorway, having returned from putting on the coffee. “What’s going on here?”

At the same time, I asked, “Exactly when did he fire you?” I wondered when he’d had the time to do it today. “Was it when I saw you earlier coming out of his office, Cassandra?”

“No, the jerk didn’t have the courage to tell me to my face.” She snapped out the words.

I felt a tug on the leash and glanced down. Diesel was trying to get under Melba’s desk. The poor boy didn’t like the loud voice of my irate colleague. I got up from the chair and moved to stand behind the desk so the cat could seek refuge there.

“I don’t understand.” Melba looked as bewildered as I felt. “How could he fire you if he wasn’t present when it happened? Who actually fired you? HR?”

“No, we all got letters in the campus mail a little while ago.” Delbert Winston spoke in a much calmer tone than Cassandra had done. He pulled a letter-sized manila envelope out of his jacket pocket and waved it for a moment before replacing it. “I didn’t think such a thing was legal.”

“I doubt it is,” I said. “If Oscar intended to fire you, he’d have called you all together at one time, in the same room, with an HR officer present, and then you would have been escorted off campus immediately.” I shook my head. “This reeks to high heaven.”

“If this is Oscar’s idea of a practical joke,” Lisa said, “I don’t think it’s funny. It’s downright cruel.” She appeared ready to burst into tears.

Melba and I exchanged a glance. I felt sure she was thinking the same thing I was. This looked like another prank against Oscar, but Lisa, Delbert, and Cassandra got caught in the crossfire.

“I think we’d better call Penny Sisson,” I said. “HR needs to know about this.” After a brief thought, I added, “The campus police, too.”

“Why the police?” Cassandra demanded.

I explained my reasoning without going into unnecessary detail. “Oscar has been the victim of several pranks recently, and given the circumstances of this so-called firing, I suspect this is another one. Unfortunately, it involved the three of you in a nasty way.”

“I’ll call Penny,” Melba said. “Y’all have a seat.” She waved toward an old sofa near the window and a second chair kept for visitors. “I’ll get ahold of the campus police, too.”

Lisa and Cassandra chose the sofa, and Delbert pulled his chair close to them. They all kept their eyes trained on me, Cassandra with her usual glower, and Lisa and Delbert with more hopeful expressions.

I pulled my chair closer to the side of Melba’s desk, facing my three colleagues, so I could keep an eye on my cowering feline under the desk. Now that the atmosphere was calmer, he peeped out from his hiding spot, and I reached down to rub his head. “It’s all okay, boy,” I told him in soft tones. “You don’t need to worry.” He inched his way out into the open about half a foot, until his head could rub against my shoe.

“Guess we scared your cat with all the commotion.” Delbert cast a sideways glance at Cassandra, the true source of the “commotion.” “Sorry about that, but we were all really upset.”

“Understandably so,” I said. “Diesel’s okay now, as long as nobody starts ranting again.” I stared pointedly at Cassandra, but she appeared not to notice.

“Penny’s on her way over,” Melba said. “Chief Ford, too. I’ll go make some coffee. More coffee, that is.”

“None for me,” Cassandra said. “I do not imbibe caffeine.”

“I’ll take some, and thanks,” Delbert said.

“Me, too.” Lisa rose from the sofa. “I’ll come with you.”

“Sure thing, honey.” Melba smiled at the younger woman.

I itched to question Cassandra and Delbert about their encounters with our mutual boss, but I figured I should keep out of it for now. I wondered where Oscar was, and whether he was okay. Where could the two men have gone? I would tell Chief Ford about the meeting between the two men. He had the resources to investigate.

Lisa came back with mugs of coffee for herself and Delbert, and Melba, with cups for the two of us, arrived seconds before Penny Sisson hurried into the office. Chief Ford was almost on her heels.