Рита Браун - Pay Dirt

"Huckstep," he said aloud. "Huckstep." He punched in the code to review the account. It had been opened July 30 in the name of Michael and Malibu Huckstep, a joint account. Of course—the murdered man. He must have intended to stick around, if he opened an account. That meant he had an account card with his signature and his wife's. He was going to go downstairs to check the card files, but first the buttons clicked as he checked the amount in the savings account: $4,218.64. Not a lot of money but enough. He rubbed his eyes and checked his wrist-watch. Past twelve. Too late to call Rick Shaw. He'd call him first thing in the morning.

Meanwhile he'd go down and check those signature cards. He stood up, interlocked his fingers, and stretched his hands over his head. His knuckles cracked just as the bullet from a .357 tore into his shoulder. He opened his mouth to call out his assailant's name, but too late. The next one exploded his heart and he crashed down into his chair.

Back in the store, the cats heard the gunfire.

" Hurry !" Mrs. Murphy yelled as they both screeched out the kitty door. As they ran toward the bank, they heard through the dense fog footsteps running in the opposite direction, up at the corner.

" Damn! Damn !'"The tiger cursed herself.

"What's the matter?"

"Pewter, we should have gone around back to see the car."

" Too late now ." The smallish but rotund gray cat barreled toward the bank.

Arriving at the front step only a couple of minutes after the gunfire, they stopped so fast at the door that they tumbled over one another and landed on a figure slumped in the doorway, a smoking .357 in her hand.

" Oh, NO !" Murphy cried.

24

Kerry McCray lay slumped across the front doorway of the bank. A small trickle of blood oozed from her head. The acrid odor of gunpowder filled the air. The pistol was securely grasped in her right hand.

" We've got to get Mrs. Hogendobber ." Mrs. Murphy sniffed Kerry's wound.

" Maybe I should stay here with her . "Pewter kept patting Kerry's face in a vain effort to revive her.

" If only Tucker were here ." The tiger paced around the inert form. " She could guard Kerry. Look, Pewter, we'll have to risk that she'll be safe. It's going to take two of us to get Mrs. Hogendobber here ."

That said, the two sped through the fog, running so low to the ground and so fast that the pads of their paws barely touched it. They pulled up under Mirandas bedroom window which was wide open to catch the cooling night air. A screen covered the window.

" Let's sing , "Murphy commanded.

They hooted, hollered, and screeched. Those two cats could have awakened the dead.

Miranda, in her nightdress, shoe in hand, came to the window. She opened the screen and let fly. Mrs. Murphy and Pewter dodged the missile with ease.

"Bad shot! Come on, Mrs. H., come on!"

"Pewter?" Miranda squinted into the fog.

The tubby kitty jumped up on the windowsill followed by Mrs. Murphy before Miranda could close the screen.

" Oh, please, Mrs. Hogendobber, please listen to us. There's terrible trouble —"Pewter said.

" Somebody's hurt !" Murphy bellowed.

"You two are getting on my nerves. Now, you get on out of here." Miranda slid the screen up again.

" No!" they replied in unison.

" Follow me . "Murphy ran to the door of the bedroom.

Miranda simply didn't get it even though Pewter kept telling her to hurry, hurry.

" Watch out. She might swat ," Murphy warned Pewter as she snuck in low and bit Miranda's ankle.

"Ouch!" Outraged, Mrs. Hogendobber switched on the light and picked up the phone. As she did, she noticed the cats circling her and then going back and forth to the door. Their distress affected her, but she wasn't sure what to do and she was mad at Murphy. She dialed Harry.

A dull hello greeted her.

"Your cat has just bit me on the ankle and is acting crazy. Rabies."

"Mrs. Hogendobber—" Harry was awake now.

"Pewters here too. Screeching under my window like banshees and I opened the window and they jumped in and—" She bent down as Pewter rubbed her leg. She noticed a bit of blood on

Pewters foreleg and paw where the cat had patted Kerry's head. "Pewter has blood on her paw. Oh, dear, Harry, I think you'd better come here and get these cats. I don't know what to do."

"Keep them inside, okay? I'll be right over, and I'm sorry Murphy bit you. Don't worry about rabies—she's had her shots, remember?" Harry hung up the phone, jumped into her jeans and an old workshirt. She hurried to the truck and cranked it up. As she blasted down the road, she stuck some gum in her mouth. She'd been in too big a rush to brush her teeth.

In seven minutes she was at Miranda's door. As Harry entered the living room Murphy said, " Try again, Pewter. Mother's a little smarter than Miranda ."

They both hollered, " Kerry McCray's hurt ."

"Somethings wrong." Harry reached for Pewter's paw, but the cat eluded her and ran to the front door.

"Rabies." Miranda folded her arms across her bosom.

"No, it isn't."

"That tiger, that hellcat, bit me." She dangled her ankle out from under her nightdress. Two perfect fang marks, not deep but indenting the skin, were revealed.

" Come on ," Murphy yowled at the top of her lungs. She scratched at the front door.

"These two want something. I'm going to see. Why don't you go back to bed. And I do apologize."

"I'm wide awake now." Miranda returned to her bedroom, threw on a robe and slippers, and reappeared. "I can't go back to sleep once I've been awakened. Might as well prove that I'm as crazy as you and these cats are." With that she sailed through the open door. "I can barely see my hand in front of my face. How'd you get here so quickly?"

"Drove too fast."

" Come on. Come on ." Murphy trotted up ahead in the gray mists, then back. " Follow my voice ."

"Harry, we're out on Main Street and they're headed for the railroad tracks."

"I know." The air felt clammy on her skin.

"Is this some cat trick?"

" Shut up and hurry! "Pewter's patience was wearing thin.

"Something definitely is agitating them and Murphy's a reasonable cat—usually."

"Cats are by definition unreasonable." Miranda stepped faster.

The bank loomed in the mist, the upstairs light still burning.

The cats called to them through the fog. Harry saw Kerry first, lying facedown, right hand outstretched with the gun in it. Mrs. Murphy and Pewter sat beside her.

"Miranda!"

Mrs. Hogendobber moved faster, then she, too, saw what at first seemed like an apparition and then like a bad dream. "Good heavens."

Harry skidded up to Kerry. She knelt down and felt for a pulse. Miranda was now next to her.

" Is she all right?" Mis . Murphy asked.

"Her pulse is regular."

Miranda watched Pewter touch Kerry's head. "We've got to get an ambulance. I'll go in the bank and call. The door's open. That's odd."

"I'll do it. I have a funny feeling something is really wrong in there. You stay here with her and don't touch anything, especially the gun."

Miranda realized as Harry disappeared into die bank diat she'd been so distraught at the sight of the young woman, she hadn't noticed the gun.

Harry returned shortly. "Got Cynthia. Called Reverend Jones too."

"If this is as bad as I think it is, then I suppose Kerry needs a minister." Miranda's teeth were chattering although the night was mild.

Kerry opened her eyes. "Mrs. Murphy."

The cat purred. " You'll be fine ."

" After the headache goes away , "Pewter advised.