Лори Касс - Tailing A Tabby

“Oh. Well.” I shifted around in my seat, trying to find a comfortable way to accept undeserved praise. In a weird way, I felt as if I’d finally been able to help Mr. Herrington, my old boss. It didn’t make sense, but that was the way I felt and I would never share that feeling, ever. “Anyone would have done the same thing. I was just the first person to come along, that’s all.”

“Actually you were the fourth.” Her tone went a little flat.

I winced, then nodded at a passing waitress. “But Cade’s still doing well?”

“Much.” The happiness was back. “He’s been transferred out of the hospital and into Lakeview for a few weeks of rehabilitation therapy.”

“That’s wonderful!” The Lakeview Medical Care Facility in Chilson was not only a nursing home, but also a long-term and rehabilitation care provider. “So…” I hesitated. “Is he… I mean…”

Barb was willing to voice the frightening question that I was dancing around. “Is he going to recover enough to paint again? The doctors say yes, with time. Cade figures that means a month at most.” She laughed.

“Five weeks,” I said confidently, and waved at a pair of not-quite-elderly ladies on their way to be seated.

She laughed. “Minnie Hamilton, you are just what the doctor ordered. Anytime you want to stop by and see Cade at Lakeview, you go right ahead. He’s in a restricted-access room, but I’ll make sure your name is on the visitor list.”

A warmth spread through me. “If you think he’d like to see me, I’d be happy to stop by.”

“Minnie, he wants to paint you.”

Ack. “Then there’s no way I’ll stop and see him.”

She laughed again. “That’s the third time you’ve made me laugh in five minutes. I’m not sure I’ve laughed since the stroke except when you’re around. Forget Cade, stop by and see me.”

“With the bookmobile or without?” I asked, then stood to say hello to the cane-carrying Mr. Goodwin.

“Minnie,” Barb said, when I sat down. “Do you know everyone in this town?”

I smiled. “Only the ones who have a library card.”

The most elegant woman I’d ever met in my life paused at our table. “Good afternoon, Barb. And, Minnie, how are you?”

Once again, I stood. “Mrs. Grice, it’s nice to see you again.”

The very wealthy and widowed Caroline Grice smiled. “It wasn’t long ago that you were calling me Caroline. How is it that we’ve regressed so far?”

“Well, because I’m not that smart. Really I’m not.” Because if I’d had half a brain I would have guessed that Caroline, primary sponsor of Chilson’s Lakeview Art Gallery, would know the McCades.

Barb laughed. “Don’t believe a word of it, Caroline. Minnie here is one of the brightest young women I’ve met in ages.” The two women exchanged a few more pleasantries; then Caroline moved on.

“You can’t tell me,” Barb said, “that Caroline Grice has a library card.”

“Well, no.” She had recently made a nice donation to the library, though.

“Then you do know everyone in town.” When I started shaking my head, she covertly pointed to the front of the room. “How about her?”

I glanced at the hostess. “Cheryl Stone. She and her sister are trying to start a sheep farm north of town. I don’t know her sister’s name, though.”

“Still counts. And him?” She gestured to a man at the table nearest to us.

“One of the county commissioners.”

Barb solemnly held up her water glass. “To Minnie, the person to call if I ever need an introduction to anyone in town.”

I snorted out an unladylike noise and tinked my glass to hers. “To Barb, who is far too easily impressed.”

We both laughed, and I got the comfortable feeling that we were going to be friends for a long, long time.

• • •

Twice that week, I went over to Lakeview Medical Care Facility, but both times I stopped by, Cade was sleeping. Both times I wrote out a short note that said I’d stop again, and ended the note with a bad sketch of Eddie.

Then, late on Friday night, or rather, early on Saturday morning, my cell phone rang. As I’d placed it on the small dresser next to my bed, the ringtone made Eddie jump as high as I did.

I fumbled for the ON button and managed to say hello.

“Minnie? It’s Barb. I’m so sorry to wake you, but I didn’t know who else to call. You were so helpful when Cade had his stroke, and you know everyone around here and… oh, God, I’m so sorry. I must sound like an idiot. Go back to sleep and forget I ever—”

“Barb,” I said calmly. Or as calmly as I could after being jerked awake in the wee hours of the morning. “Talk to me. How can I help?”

“Oh, Minnie, you are a blessing.” She pulled in a small breath. “Do you know a good lawyer? A criminal lawyer? Because the sheriff is about to arrest Cade. For…” She stopped for another life-sustaining gasp of air. “For murder.”

Chapter 5

I threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. Eddie voiced his displeasure, but for once I didn’t explain anything to him.

“I’ll make some phone calls,” I told Barb. “Don’t worry. I’ll find somebody.”

“Oh, Minnie…”

“No crying,” I said firmly. “Not until later, anyway.”

Amazingly, she laughed. A small laugh, but still. “You’re right. No crying until later. Minnie, how did you get so smart while so young?”

“It’s not me,” I said. “It’s the Brontë sisters and Charles Dickens. Plus lots of Roald Dahl when I was young and impressionable.” I told her I’d be there as soon as I could and thumbed off the phone.

Through a yawn, Eddie squeaked out a “Mrr.”

“Sorry, pal, but I have to go.” I yanked off my sleeping shorts and pulled on what I knew to be clean and relatively free of cat hair. Though the county sheriff’s office was more formal than the much smaller city police department, considering the hour, jeans and a polo shirt would have to suffice.

I snatched up the phone and started pushing buttons as I hunted for a pair of shoes. “Hey, Kristen. Sorry to call at this hour, but I need your help and I don’t have time to answer any questions. Do you know any criminal attorneys?”

My best friend showed her true colors. “What’d you do, kill someone? Let me guess. You finally tipped over the edge and took out that Stephen—”

“Kristen!”

There was a short pause. “Okay, sorry. You’ll fill me in later. I know lots of lawyers, but they’re all municipal and family types. I can’t think of criminal guys. I could make some calls in the morning, if you want.”

“That might be too late,” I said tightly. “I needed one half an hour ago.” I kind of listened to what I’d just said and jumped in before she could ask the question. “No, it’s not for me. A… a friend needs one.”

Kristen said she’d think some more, and I started scrolling through my list of phone numbers. By this time I’d slipped on a pair of sandals and was in the kitchen looking for my purse. The light breeze that had cooled us earlier was gone, and the night was warm and sticky and still.

I dialed again. “Rafe? Minnie. Sorry to call at this hour, and please don’t ask any questions because I don’t have time, but do you know any criminal lawyers?”

Rafe Niswander gave a happy laugh. “You need a lawyer? Hot dog! What’d you do? Come on, tell me. Vandalism, I bet. Did you climb up the water tower to paint your name? Five bucks says you got caught before you got to the letter N. ”

Rafe and I often made five-dollar bets about everything from song titles to the top recorded speed of a cheetah, but not tonight. “Rafe, please.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t supposed to ask questions, was I? Criminal lawyer, you said. I know the prosecuting attorney. Does that help?”