Рита Браун - Pay Dirt

7. Feels superior to the rest of us. Fed media disinformation about the Threadneedle virus and then watched us eat it up.

8. Can ride a motorcycle.

At six Harry picked up the old black wall phone and called Susan* Tucker. Murphy sat on the legal pad. The cat couldn't think of anything to add unless it was "armed and dangerous."

"Susan, I'm sorry to wake you."

"Harry, are you okay?"

"Yes. Fair's asleep on the couch. He found Norman Cramer strangled early this morning."

"What? Wait a minute. Ned— Ned , wake up." Susan shook her husband.

Harry could hear him mumble in the background, a pair of feet hitting the floor, then the extension picked up.

"Harry."

"Sorry to wake you, Ned, but I think this might help Kerry since you're her lawyer. Fair found Norman Cramer strangled in his car in front of the Del Monte plant. About three-thirty this morning. He didn't know he was dead. He opened the door and Norman keeled over onto the pavement. Fair said huge bruises around his throat and the condition of his face pointed to strangulation."

"My God." Ned spoke slowly. "You were right to call us."

"Is everyone crazy? Is the murderer going to pick us off one by one?" Susan exploded.

"If any of us interfere or get too close, I'd say we're next." Harry wasn't reassuring.

"I'm going to call Mrs. H. and Mim. Then I've got to wake up Fair. How about we all meet for breakfast at the cafe—seven-thirty? Umm, maybe I'd better phone Blair too. What do you think?"

"Yes, to both," Susan answered.

"Good enough. We'll see you there." Ned paused. "And thank you again."

Harry called Mrs. Hogendobber, who was shocked; Big Marilyn, who was both shocked and angry that this could happen in her town; and Blair, awakened from a heavy sleep, was in a daze.

She fed the horses, Mrs. Murphy, and Tucker. Then she woke Fair. They freshened up.

"Mrs. Murphy and Tucker, this is going to be a difficult day. You two stay home." She left the kitchen door open so the animals could go onto the porch. She left each of them a large bowl of crunchies.

" Take me with you , "Tucker whined.

" Forget it , "Mrs. Murphy said impassively. " As soon as she's down the drive, I've got apian ."

"Tell me now."

"No, the humans are standing right here."

"They don't understand what you're saying."

"Better safe than sorry."

Harry kissed both pets, then hopped in the old truck while Fair climbed into his big Chevy truck. They headed for the downtown cafe'. He had called the clinic. The horse was doing fine, so he decided to join the group for breakfast.

" Follow me ," Murphy commanded once the truck motors could not longer be heard.

"/ don't mind doing what you ask, but I hate taking orders ," Tucker grumbled.

"Dogs are obedient. Cats are independent."

"You're full of it."

Nonetheless, Tucker followed as Mrs. Murphy scampered through the front meadows and the line of big sycamores along the creek diat divided the pastures.

"Where are we going?"

"To Kerry McCray's. The fastest way is to head south. We can avoid the road that way too, but we'll have to cross the creek."

"You get your paws wet?"

" If I have ft"was the cat's determined reply.

Moving at a sustained trot, the two animals covered ground rapidly. When they reached the big creek, Murphy stopped.

"It's high. How can it be high with no rain?"

Tucker walked to a bend along the bank. " Here's your answer. A great big beaver dam ."

Mrs. Murphy joined her low-slung friend. " I don't want to tangle with a beaver ."

"Me neither. But they're probably asleep. We could run over the dam. By the time they woke up, we'd probably be across. It's either that or find a place to ford downstream, where it's low."

" That will take too long ." She inhaled deeply. " Okay, let's run like blazes. Want me to go first ?"

"Sure. I'll be right behind."

With that, Mrs. Murphy shot off, all fours in the air, but running across a beaver dam proved difficult. She had to stop here and there, since heavy branches and stout twigs provided a snaggy surface. Murphy could hear movement inside the beaver lodge. She picked her way through the timber as fast as she could.

"Whatever happens, Murphy, don't hit the water. They'll pull you under. Better to fight it out on top of the dam."

" I know, I know, but there are more of them than us and they're stronger than we are . "She slipped, her right front leg pushing into the lodge. She pulled it out as if it were on fire.

Slipping and sliding, Murphy made it to the other side. Tucker, heavier, was struggling. A beaver head popped up in the water at the other end of the dam.

" Hurry!" the cat shouted.

Tucker, without looking back, moved as rapidly as she could. The beaver swam alongside the dam. He was closing in on Tucker.

" Leave her alone. She's trying to cross the creek. We mean no harm , "the pretty tiger pleaded.

"That's what they all say, and the next thing that happens is that men show up with guns, wreck the dam, and kill us. Dogs are the enemy."

" No, man is the enemy . "Mrs. Murphy was desperate. " We don't belong to a person like that ."

" You may be right, but ifl make a mistake, my whole family could be dead . "The beaver was now alongside Tucker, who was almost to the creek bank. He reached up to grab Tuckers hind leg.

The dog whirled around and snarled. The beaver drew back for an instant. Tucker scrambled off the dam as the large animal advanced on her again. On terra firma both Tucker and Mrs. Murphy could outrun the beaver. They scorched the earth getting out of there.

At the edge of the woods they stopped to catch their breath.

" How are we going to get back?" Mis . Murphy wondered aloud. " I don't want to travel along the road. People drive like lunatics ."

"We'll have to find a place to ford far enough downstream so the beaver can't hear us. We can't swim it now. The lodge will be on alert."

" It's going to take us over an hour to get home, but we'll worry about it later. We can be at Kerry McCray's in another ten minutes if we run ."

"I've got my wind back. Let's boogie."

They dashed through the fields of Queen Anne's lace, butterfly weed, and tall goldenrod. A small brick rancher came into view. Two squad cars were parked behind Kerry's Toyota. Its trunk lid was up.

" Ihope we're not too late . "Murphy put on the turbocharger.

Tucker, a speed demon when she needed to be, raced next to her.

They made it to the cars as Kerry was being led out of her house by Sheriff Shaw. Cynthia Cooper carried a woven silk drapery cord with tasseled ends in a plastic bag.

" Damn !" Murphy snarled.

" Too late ?"Tucker, having lived with Mrs. Murphy all her life, figured that the cat had wanted to explore before the cops arrived.

"There's still a chance. You jump on Cynthia when she reaches to pet you and grab the plastic bag. I'll shred it as quickly as I can. Stick your nose in there and tell me if Kerry's scent is on the rope."

Without answering, Tucker charged Cynthia, who smiled at the sight of the little dog.

"Tucker, how did you get over here?" Tucker clamped her powerful jaws on the clear plastic bag, catching Officer Cooper by surprise. "Hey!"

Yanking it out of Cooper's hand, Tucker raced back to Mrs. Murphy, who was crouched back in the field, where Cynthia couldn't see her.

The minute Tucker dropped the bag under Murphy's nose, she unleashed her claws and tore for all she was worth. Cooper advanced on them, although she didn't know Murphy was there.