Donally, Claire - Cat Nap (A SUNNY & SHADOW MYSTERY)

“I was thinking he looked familiar.” Mike took another bite and chewed in thoughtful silence.

Sunny couldn’t stand the suspense and spoke up. “From where?”

Mike swallowed and gave her an infuriating shrug. “Dunno. Guess I must have seen him around town—maybe Judson’s Market, someplace like that. As I recollect, he was flirting with a girl behind a counter.” He frowned, rubbing a knuckle just above his bushy eyebrows as if trying to massage his memory. “I think maybe it was from before I got sick.”

“So almost a year ago?”

“Can’t say for sure.” Annoyed at his forgetfulness, Mike shot her a look. “Why are you cross-examining me about this guy? You’re seeing Jane tomorrow. Ask her then.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sunny said. What was the etiquette on situations like a wine-in-the-face farewell? “There really is such a thing as sticking your nose in where it’s not wanted—and maybe getting it bitten off.” That seemed very likely, especially considering the expression frozen on Jane’s features as she stalked away from her table.

“Hey, you’re a reporter,” Mike said with a proud smile. “If anyone can figure out a way to worm the story out of her, it’ll be you.”

*

Shadow awoke froma nap when he heard the sound of Sunny’s car pulling up. He leaped to his feet, ready to welcome her, and winced at the sudden throb of pain from his right forepaw.

Even though the paw slowed him up a little, he reached the front door while Sunny was still rattling her keys outside. Shadow’s greeting involved a bit less running around than usual. His approach was a bit more careful, especially since the scents he picked up included that sour stuff that made humans act silly. The Old One—Sunny’s father—carefully stepped around them while shedding the heavy cloth that the two-legs used instead of growing sensible fur. That was just as well. Shadow would only give him a cursory sniff at the best of times.

Sunny, though, went down on her knees, reaching out to him. He could feel the outside cold on her coat as he moved to avoid her arms—a little more complicated now, with his sore foot.

She finally gave up and rose, sighing. Shadow gazed up at her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be close and let her carry him around. It was just a bad idea to get that dependent on someone else. Too many times in the past, he’d been turned out of his home and found himself on the street. He didn’t think Sunny would do that to him—he really hoped not. But deep inside, Shadow knew he needed to be able to stand on his own four feet—even if one of them hurt. It was the only way he knew to survive.

Sunny took off her coat and joined the Old One in the room with the picture box. It showed people chasing one another and using those things that made loud bangs. Shadow had seen—and heard—those things up close. Frankly, he hadn’t liked them. What the pictures didn’t show was that, besides being hard on the ears, those bang-bang things made an awful stink.

Normally Shadow would have gone off to find a quiet place to rest and recuperate. Instead, he lay down beside Sunny, resting his head on her thigh to make up for squirming away from her before. After a while, her hand came down to smooth his fur.

Finally the chasing stopped, and a pair of people sitting behind a desk appeared on the box. That was quieter, but boring. Sunny and the Old One talked for a few minutes. Then they rose from their seats and headed upstairs. Shadow didn’t follow them—not right away.

Climbing the stairs brought new protests from Shadow’s sore paw and slowed him down. By the time he got to the top of the stairway, all the lights were off up there. Maybe I should have let her carry me, he thought.

Shadow crouched on the topmost stair, licking at the pads on the underside of his paw where the pain came from. Sometimes, that helped the hurt to go away. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much this time. Shrugging with his whole body, he set off down the hallway. Where a two-leg would have blundered around blindly, he easily navigated the route to Sunny’s room, even in darkness. She’d left the door slightly open—good.

Slipping a paw inside, he pulled the door open enough to accommodate his shoulders and slipped inside. Shadow made his way to the foot of the bed and leaped up onto the top, ignoring the twinge of pain on landing. Moving as delicately as if he were stalking a suspicious bird, Shadow advanced along the soft comforter, skirting the hill that was Sunny’s dozing form. Finally, he reached the head of the bed and slipped under the covers, breathing deeply as he took in her scent. When he leaned against her shoulder, she gave a deep, drowsy sigh.

Shadow snuggled closer. What had he been thinking, wandering away from Sunny like that? After so much roaming around and so many homes, he’d found a good place and a loving friend. He’d never, ever go off like that again.

Unless, of course, he actually saw a stupid squirrel standing around outside.

*

Sunny awoke thenext morning to find Shadow sleeping beside her. “How’re you doing, little guy?” she asked.

Shadow stretched and rubbed against her—but then immediately began licking at his front paw.

“We’re going to have that looked at in a little while,” she promised him.

There was no time for the usual lazy Saturday morning rituals. Jane’s office hours ended at noon. So after a quick breakfast, Sunny got out the cat carrier and set it down on the kitchen floor, adding the furry raincoat lining that Shadow had appropriated as a security blanket. She’d heard stories from other cat owners about wild chases and terrible battles trying to get cats off to veterinary appointments. But Shadow was very cool about it. After an exploratory sniff, he strolled right in, and off they went.

The Kittery Harbor Pet Hospital was a short drive away, on the edge of the town’s business district. Sunny entered the one-story brick building to find the waiting room empty and Jane’s receptionist, Rita Greene, standing behind her desk, pulling on a parka. Rita was in her late forties, her hair slightly tinged with gray. Like most old-line Kittery Harbor types, she didn’t fool around trying to color it.

“Dr. Rigsdale is in the back,” Rita said, gesturing down the hall to the examining room. “She asked me to hang on until you arrived.” Rita was having a little trouble getting the zipper started on her bright green parka; Sunny suspected that was last year’s coat, and that Rita had put on a few pounds. “I want to get a start on my grocery shopping today. We’ve got a storm coming, you know. Got to stock up, just in case it really turns into something and we get snowed in.”

Sunny had heard the news radio storm watch hoopla during breakfast. They’d hit all the main bases—the readiness of the county’s plow fleet, the sudden rush for snow shovels at the home improvement places, and of course, the emergency food purchases. The more she heard, the surer Sunny became that this prediction would be a big bust. Still, she thanked Rita and wished her good look on the shopping front. Then, making sure not to bang the cat carrier against the walls, she walked down the corridor to Jane’s domain.

Jane looked professional in her white coat, but she aimed a very personal smile at the cat carrier. “Good to see you again, Shadow.”

Sunny placed the carrier on the exam table and opened the door. Shadow stepped out onto the metal surface, heading straight for Jane. He sat back on his haunches and extended his injured paw to the vet.

“Pretty smart,” Sunny said. “And he certainly trusts you.”

Yeah, everybody loves beautiful Jane, that snarky voice from the back of her head piped up. Sunny fought to repress it. She had other things to worry about than old high school jealousies. Had Shadow really hurt himself this time?