Анна Керн - A Paw-sible Theory

Apparently, Tim had also spoken to the store manager regarding Alyx’s purse snatching and the manager said that a long-time employee had dropped off the purse at the Customer Service counter. He spoke to the woman and she said she had found the purse on the floor, in the produce aisle on her way to the break-room. She said she didn’t give an explanation to the Customer Service clerk because the girl was busy and she didn’t want to use her break time waiting for her. She meant to tell her later but just forgot. The woman who had found the purse was seventy-years-old and had worked at that store for ten years in food demonstration.

According to Pooky’s informant, Tim requested and received a copy of the video from the store’s security office. The first time Tim and Hunter viewed the video, the surveillance camera panned the parking lot and store entrances and focused on the grocery store entrance. They saw Alyx enter the store with her purse, and leave empty-handed a short time later, but didn’t see anyone suspicious or known to them. The two men viewed the video a second time and saw a man with a walrus mustache––Moresby’s trademark––enter the coffee shop minutes after Alyx entered the grocery store. Since the coffee shop is part of the grocery store and the two places open to each other, Hunter said he would discuss it Moresby.

Tim said he had spoken to several sources and did some record-checking on George Lucas. It turned out that he had been sort of involved in a scandal a few years back. That is, Lucas wasn’t personally involved, but the antique dealer he did business with was indicted for fraud and sentenced to prison. The police report said they were on an anonymous call, so George could have been the whistle blower on the case.

I commended Pooky’s friend Jemma for a job well done. Pooky reported that Jemma said she liked being a snitch and had offered to stay on the case for as long as it took. I didn’t particularly like the role I had been thrust into (that of inducing young felines into a life of espionage), but I was honor bound to do whatever needed to be done to keep my human safe.

“Cats are notoriously sore losers. Coming in second best, especially to someone as poorly coordinated as a human being, grates their sensibility.”

–– Stephen Baker

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Attack Cats

I panicked when Maggie walked in and found us all on the screened porch. It had cost Alyx a bundle to have the cat door installed on the glass patio door. She would be very upset if she found out it was for nothing. Fortunately, Maggie focused on Pooky and didn’t seem to suspect anything, or didn’t show it if she did.

“Well, my goodness, the prodigal cat has returned. I’m glad you decided to come home, Pooky. Alyx would have been really disappointed not to find you here.”

“You must have had quite an adventure out there, but this better be the last of your outdoor excursions. The outside can be a very dangerous place for a kitty.” She stood still for a second, her head cocked, and my heart stopped.

“How did you all get out here, anyway? I don’t remember unlocking the cat door.” She shook her head and gave Pooky another hug, brought her in and cleaned her up as much as Pooky would allow.

I felt intense relief when she didn’t pay any attention to the screen door and left it propped open. I took a moment to catch my breath, and followed Maggie as she went about her established routine, one of which was to return calls to mutual friends, bringing them up to date on what was happening with Alyx and Ethan, while the other felines kept track of the activity in the back yard. After refilling the food and water bowls, Maggie went from room to room opening windows.

Her cell phone started playing the catchy tune Ethan had downloaded for her. It was Alyx calling, and I reached up with my paws, meowing and purring. She understood and hoisted me over her shoulder.

“Murfy wants to say hello; here he is,” she said putting the phone to my ear. I heard Alyx talking and pretended nonchalance as expected. Maggie pressed the phone to her ear then, and Alyx said the doctor usually made his rounds at eight o’clock in the morning, and she would call after that to let her know what time to pick her up. Elated to hear that Alyx was coming home, I launched myself out of Maggie’s arms and skidded across the tile floor to let the girls in on the good news.

The morning light squeezing through the partially closed shutters revealed the party atmosphere of the previous night: toys scattered all over, pillows knocked on the floor, and scatter rugs scattered. Too excited to sleep during the night, we had chased each other and a lizard all over the house. The lizard had lost his tail as a result. Lucky for him, we were too happy to take the hunt seriously.

I thought the girls could help with putting their toys back in the basket, work together to straighten the kitchen rugs, and put the pillows back on the couch. The tail, however, had to be disposed of immediately. For some reason not quite clear to me, humans reacted very badly to finding animal parts in a house. Alyx’s shriek the first time I brought her a piece of lizard––was not soon forgotten. I picked up the tail with my teeth and dropped it in the wastebasket under the kitchen sink, the cabinet doors no problem.

I always hoped Alyx would toss bits of food into the garbage can, but she almost always disposed of any leftovers in the noisy contraption visible under the sink. By the time Maggie arrived, there was no sign of the previous night’s celebration.

Maggie had arranged to have the front door lock re-keyed and the young man from All-Locks finished the job around ten. Maggie handed him a check and accepted the two keys he offered. I followed her as she closed and locked the windows. The phone rang before she got to Alyx’s bedroom and I heard the one-sided conversation.

“Of course, I’ll be there. I’m at your house now. Anything special you want me to bring you tomorrow morning?”

Maggie gathered Alyx’s clothes; put them in a canvas tote bag and left. I divided my time between catnaps, and watching the street in hopes that Alyx might come home that day. Every time I heard a car in the distance, I sat tall in anticipation only to be disappointed when it wasn’t Maggie.

That evening, I saw the same vehicle I had seen twice during the day slow down as it passed the house. I didn’t recognize the driver or his passenger and warning bells went off in my head.

Sometime late into the night, a loud yowling outside rudely awakened me. The bully I had fought earlier that week had been taunting me since. I was sorry I hadn’t hurt him more than I did when I had the chance.

I meandered to the front door and sat watching the scruffy stray, thinking I should go out there and force him out of the yard once-and-for-all, when the cat bounded away as fast as he could. I had no idea what had made the cat run away. I didn’t think it was another animal or human because I hadn’t heard any other sound. I stepped away from the glass, hid a little behind the door and continued to watch with interest.

There was no direct light illuminating the front porch, just the streetlight filtering through the branches of the large magnolia tree. Two men dressed in dark clothing, wearing dark wool caps approached from behind the azalea bushes.

The men were both at the front door; one of them crouched next to the wicker chair, the other one apparently trying a key in the lock. I couldn’t believe what was happening and came out in full view as the man unsuccessfully tried to unlock the door. The man swore quietly as he motioned to his partner to check the windows. Misty and Pooky joined me growling and hissing at the intruders as we ran from window to window. Misty wasn’t sure what was going on but she didn’t let that stop her.