Molly Fitz: Himalayan Hazard (Pet Whisperer P.I. Book 8)

“I don’t think it was a robbery,” she mumbled, proving that we were on the exact same page. “Otherwise, why would they leave this behind? There’s got to be thousands in diamonds and other precious stones in here.”

Each necklace, bracelet, and pair or earrings she held up was more dazzling than the last. Many of the pieces boasted gigantic sapphires. And again I wondered if she chose the blue to match her cat’s eyes.

“It’s all silver,” I pointed out. “But the necklace she wore when I met her in the dining car was gold and pearl.”

Mom searched the ornate box, shaking her head. “Well, there’s nothing like that in here.”

Grizabella spoke from across the bed. “The necklace she wore today was her most prized possession. An important family heirloom handed down from her grandmother to her.”

“So whoever took the necklace wanted the heirloom, but not the other, arguably even more valuable, pieces,” I summed up for the humans who couldn’t speak cat, rubbing my chin as I tried to make sense of all this.

“Or the killer struck for a completely different reason, saw an opportunity, and stole the necklace she was wearing but didn’t think to search the room for other valuables,” Mom ventured.

Dad nuzzled her from behind and kissed her neck. “I love seeing you in action. You’re so smart.”

“Not the time, guys,” I spat, quickly looking away. Despite being an adult, I still hated seeing my mom and dad’s flagrant and very public displays of affection.

“There is literally a dead body right there,” I motioned toward Rhonda, hoping my parents turned their light to me in enough time to read the disapproving expression on my face.

“Sorry. We’ll just keep searching,” Dad said as Mom turned to take the jewelry box back into the bathroom.

“Grizabella,” Octo-Cat said gently. “What can you tell us about your life with Rhonda? What kinds of things did you do? What kinds of places did you go?”

Good questions, especially since asking Grizabella who would have wanted her owner dead would likely cause the Himalayan to either close right up or get overly emotional again.

The cat answered with a smile in her voice. “Rhonda was a very kind mistress. We traveled constantly, usually by train. Sometimes on a first-class jet. Mostly we went to cat shows, but sometimes we went places simply to take pictures of me amidst new scenery. I think Rhonda had a hard time staying put in one place because it reminded her of how lonely she’d let herself become.”

Oh, this was good stuff. If Grizabella was willing to expand upon it, I was sure we’d learn something important.

“What do you mean?” I asked softly.

“I’ve been with Rhonda since I was a very small kitten. She’s all I’ve ever known for my five human years in this world. Still, in all that time, she’s never had visitors, never gone on dates, never done much of any of the things the humans do in television shows and movies.”

“I love watching TV, too,” Octo-Cat butted in. “Do you like Law & Order? It’s my favorite.”

“Heavens, no,” the other cat answered in disgust. “I much prefer love stories to those with blood and gore.”

Octo-Cat stumbled over his response. “Oh, yeah. Right. Have you seen When Harry Met Sally? I really like the part when she—”

“Octavius,” I interrupted, assuming he preferred his fancy name in the presence of our refined acquaintance. “This really isn’t the time for that. We need to hear more about Rhonda. That’s what’s important now.”

“Thank you,” Grizabella said, surprising me with her politeness and the fact she’d acknowledged I’d done something right.

“Normally I love speaking about such frivolities, but normally my human is safe and sound beside me. Oh, my poor mistress…” Her words fell away, but then she shrieked the same terrible cry that first brought us to this car.

“And oh no! What will become of me, now that she’s gone?”

I wished I had an answer for her, but unfortunately I knew even less than Grizabella did—especially if Rhonda had been as big a loner as she claimed.

Chapter Eleven

Grizabella yowled again.

“What’s wrong?” Mom and Dad cried in unison.

“It’s okay,” I assured them. “Well, I mean, it’s not exactly okay. She just realized she doesn’t know where she’ll go now that her owner’s passed.”

“Oh, poor sweet thing.” Mom crossed the room along the edge and then petted the mourning Himalayan. “A nice, gorgeous girl like you will find a new home in no time.”

Grizabella stopped shrieking but moved away from Mom’s attempts to pet her. “I don’t want a new home. I want my life with Mistress.”

My heart broke for the newly orphaned feline. Since discovering Rhonda’s body, we’d only worked toward solving her murder. None of us had taken any time to see how Grizabella was coping.

“Anyone could see how much Rhonda loved you. Heck, she even made a fan account for you on Instagram, and it has more than two-thousand followers.”

“Yes, but those are fans,” the cat responded with disdain. “I don’t know a single one of them personally.”

“Angela will figure something out,” Octo-Cat promised, purring to show her it would all be okay. “She always does.”

The doorknob rattled and then someone pounded against the door, bringing the tender exchange to an immediate halt.

“Hey,” Dan yelled in his squeaky, pubescent voice. “Why is this thing locked?”

The frantic pounding started again, and Dad ran over to let him in. “Sorry about that!”

“We didn’t want anyone stumbling in by accident,” I explained, leaving out the part about taking the extra measure to protect my secret. “What’s up? What did your bosses say?”

Dan looked back toward the door as if it had personally slighted him, then turned back toward us with lantern held high. “The police are on their way, but it could be a while given our remote location. Figures, right?”

“Yeah,” I said amicably as my eyes struggled to adjust to the brightness of his lantern-style flashlight again. “Anything else? Do they know what stopped the train?”

He shook his head sadly and in obvious fear. “Only that it’s been tampered with somehow. Whoever it was knew what he was doing, ensuring it would be next to impossible to get moving again without an expert mechanic familiar with this kind of train.”

Crud.

Dan’s expression lightened and he rocked his lantern playfully. “I do have good news, though.”

Octo-Cat climbed onto my lap, and I drew strength from his calming presence. Seriously, this case was so different than usual. We hadn’t fought one bit. Perhaps we were evolving.

“Well, out with it already,” Mom demanded. She only liked dramatic pauses when she was the one making them.

“The lights will be much easier to fix,” Dan said, properly chastised. “Someone cut a few wires, but we’ve already found a passenger who says he knows how to fix it. He’s working on it now.”

“That is good news,” Mom agreed, then flashed her phone at me. “And a lucky break for those who weren’t responsible enough to charge up before the journey.”

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. A migraine wasn’t exactly what I needed right now. “So at least our circumstances aren’t getting worse,” I reminded everyone.

“You girls stay in here,” Dad instructed, moving toward the door. “Dan, bring that big light of yours and come with me.”

I chased after him, refusing to be left behind. “Excuse me. None of that macho nonsense. Wherever you’re going, I’m coming, too. So spill.”

Dad sighed and placed his hand against the wall in defeat. “Why do you always have to assume it’s something like that? I chose Dan because he has the best light and we’re going to need it.”