Rita Brown - Cat of the Century

That means profit. Inez noticed the volume of trucks taking the exit to Zion Crossroads. Dear God, how this place has changed. Zion Crossroads.

Twenty years ago you couldnt give it away.

Oh, you werent sentient twenty years ago. Inez crossed her arms over her chest, pressed at her elbows, and released.

Made her tight back feel better.

No, but I listen to those who were. She accepted the teasing comment. Thats why I listened to Flo.

I did, too. She piloted our board through smooth as well as treacherous financial waters. Always timely with her updates, always willing to listen, always had something interesting to say.

A tear rolled down Lizs cheek. I guess I know it was Mariah who killed her.

Innocent until proven guilty, yet she did have a clear motive. You know, Liz, I will never understand why people steal. It takes so much effort, planning, execution. Wouldnt it be easier to apply that to legitimate business?

Liz slowed, because the car in front of her had swerved to the right. Its wheel caught the asphalt edge, and the driver overcorrected.

Wonder what hes on?

Could be exhaustion.

Thats the truth. Were all working ourselves to death, and I really think part of the drug epidemic is to keep awake, keep alert.

Or to escape. Wind down. But back to Mariah. It boggles the mind.

It does, but you asked why people steal when they could put the effort into honest enterprise. One word, Inez, one word: taxes.

Inezs eyes widened; she turned toward Liz. I never thought of that.

I promise you. There will be more and more white-collar crime, drug cartels, more petty cheating. Taxes are out of control. You want to throttle initiative, growth? Raise taxes.

History makes that point abundantly clear. For many reasons, Inez was glad she was at the end of her life, not the beginning; one was that she wouldnt be crushed during her most productive years by unjust taxation.

Some days Tim and I swear were going to chuck it all and move to Costa Rica.

But youre okay.

For now. Do you have any idea how many hours we waste filling out government forms or forms sent to us by Fast Grow, she named an agricultural giant, which are generated ultimately to protect against lawsuits?

So you think Mariahs goal was to keep the fruits of her labors?

Of course. Shed make a much greater profit by selling the fakes. Sure, shed pay taxes on that profit, but it wasnt as though she was taking the risk of selling OxyContin.

I see. Inez viewed the flattening of the land, recalling when, as recently as in her eighties, shed fly across it on the back of her beloved mare, Countess.

Where did the time go?

Liz pulled down the pea-gravel drive to Inezs house, passing the clinic and its attached stalls for horses needing intensive care. Behind the main clinic was a wire center-aisle barn with sixteen stalls for

horses requiring other types of care. A covered arena containing a swimming pool for horses was screened by Leyland cypress.

Business holding? Liz asked.

Blanca says its fair. She gets serious cases, but people are trying to do their own doctoring on lesser ones. Blame the Internet for that. More lame and sick horses. Inez sighed. An owner reads about symptoms that they think their horse has. They may be right, but even if they are, Liz, they dont understand what may surround the injury. They know nothing about the chemicals in the equine system, the proper amount of red cells in blood, synovial fluidyou name it. Oh, well, Im bitching and moaning like an old lady.

For Tim and me, weve seen all these reasonably bright peoplelawyers, salespeople, you name itcrash and burn as day traders. Same difference.

I can imagine.

Liz pulled up and parked. Let me carry your bag.

Thank you, dear, and thank you for driving me.

My pleasure. I was glad to talk about everything. I mean, I still feel awful, but I know Im not alone. When Tim gets off the plane tonight, thats when Ill burst into tears.

Im sorry. As Inez unlocked her front door, the faint odor of cinnamon tantalized her nostrils.

Cinnamon-scented pillar candles were in each room, and even unlit, they gave off their distinctive fragrance.

Youll be okay?

Ill be fine. Inez smiled at Liz. I keep forgetting to thank you for tending to my account over the years. I know Flo was your mentor, but Im sure youll go forward. Dont worry. I wont close my account.

Thank you. Liz hugged her.

An hour later, Kenda Shindler saw the envelope icon flash on her computer screen at work. Shed been waiting for repair quotes for the

water-heating system in an older classroom building. Anything like that went to the treasurers office and to the presidents as well.

She opened her electronic mail to read, Youll never catch me. Mariah DAngelo.

Inez and all the board members received the same message, except for Liz. Hers read, You insufferable brownnose. What are you going to do now? Mariah.

T

he next day Harry sat as a passenger for the first time in her new Volvo station wagon, with Fair driving. Old blankets filled the back so the animals could snuggle up. Eventually, someone would crawl over into the second-row seat. Mrs. Murphy, never one to miss action, bypassed the back and the second seat to sit in Harrys lap. She liked to watch the road, often commenting on what she observednot that the humans got it, but it made her feel better.

Boy, the roof is sagging on Mitchs hay shed,

she noted as they passed a neighbors house.

Fair commented, How long do you give it?

Two more years. Harry laughed.

Three.

Mrs. Murphy knew they werent responding to her observation, but she felt the process of communicating with humans might lead them in the correct direction.

A roof that size, shingles, eight thousand, Fair figured.

Given the Depression, I bet he could get it for six, if he shops around. People added a lot of fat to their labor over the years. Squeezed out now, she ruefully noted. Thats the nature of capitalism. Im a believer that its the best system, even when its painful. If you shave off the valleys, then the peaks are shaved, too. Government intervention is destructive and antithetical to capitalism. Either youre a capitalist or youre not.

People dont have the stomach for it anymore. Fair said this without malice.

Honey, all people know is the nanny state. The point being, those in government think they know better than we do how to take care of ourselves. The arrogance is horrifying to me. Harry bit her lip slightly. I guess to a lot of people, in government or out, things are black and white. Life really is shades of gray, isnt it? Harry mused.

I think maturity is the ability to tolerate ambiguity.

She turned to face him, stroking Mrs. Murphy, who purred like a Mercedes on full throttle. Youre a more philosophical person than I am. Its one of the things I love about you. I learn something from you every day. You know me, honey: Im nuts and bolts, bread and butter.

Nothing wrong with that. I learn something from you every day, too, you know.

I cant imagine.

The different types of sunflowers, the oil content in the seeds. What birds like to eatsome seeds, some bugs, and some fruit. Youre a true farmer. Im not. I mean, I can tell you the nutritional value of alfalfa versus endophyte-free fescue, but thats about it.

Thats okay. Your brain is crammed with scientific data: patients, their owners. You dont need to know the stuff I do. Thats really why you picked me, isnt it? You needed someone to identify a thrushs call, tell you the hello chirp from the true birdsong. And all this time I thought it was me.