“The murders are in our jurisdiction,” Charlie said, “but the real estate swindles reach way beyond California. Oregon, three Midwestern states, North Carolina and Virginia. Max is turning copies of that evidence over to the FBI, everything on the laptop, and the papers from Hesmerra’s tin box. I expect our county DA will charge Kraft with multiple counts of real estate fraud, as well as two counts of murder—the investigation of Hesmerra’s death is still under way.” She glanced up as Billy came across the room. “See you next week,” she said, pretending to end the call.
Billy had been helping with the cleanup, with moving tables and folding up cages; he’d worked willingly all evening at various tasks, but now as he approached, his expression wasn’t happy, and he looked at Charlie forlornly. Away behind him, Perry and Esther Fowler stood watching.
He stepped close to the table, speaking softly. “They said . . . My aunt Esther said a person from Children’s Services will be at school tomorrow morning. To talk to me. To make arrangements for my placement . . .” He looked down, his voice faltering.
“Placement?” Charlie said, trying not to shout. “What placement?”
“To tell me what institution or foster home they’re going to put me in.”
“The hell they are,” Charlie said, scowling past him at the Fowlers. “They’re not taking you anywhere. Who are they sending, did you get a name? Did they say what time?” She looked up as Ryan came to join them, passing the Fowlers without speaking.
Billy said, “They didn’t say a name. Said first period, around nine.” The boy’s face was white, he was trying hard not to cry.
“Max and I will be there,” Charlie said, her voice low and measured with anger. “You’re not going anywhere, you’re staying with us. For as long as you like.” She looked up at Ryan. “If the Fowlers won’t cooperate, if they won’t sign the legal papers to let you live with us, I’m sure Debbie will.”
“Debbie will,” Ryan said. “Or she’ll be out on the street looking for a roof over her head.”
Billy tried to grin at them, but still he was pale and uncertain. Ryan hugged him, and Charlie said, “It will be all right, we’ll take care of it. Go on out and help Clyde with the rest of the tables.”
The boy walked silently past the Fowlers hardly looking at them. He didn’t stop, though they tried to question him. Watching him, Joe hoped a signature from Debbie would be sufficient. He wondered what other leverage Max would have, maybe with Perry Fowler, as well as his hold over Erik Kraft.
There’d been no mention of Fowler’s involvement in Kraft’s embezzlements, but Joe thought maybe Fowler wasn’t clean, maybe he and Esther had known all along, and looked the other way. If that was the case, Max might have plenty of information to use to help Billy.
He guessed the truth would come out when Max and Kathleen had all the loose ends wrapped up. Detectives Garza and Davis were, at this point, pretty much out of the loop. Dallas had started working another case, a domestic violence that had flared up noisily, night before last. And Juana was at home tonight, fasting, preparing for an early morning surgery. She had decided to go ahead with the knee replacement; Ryan had said Officer Brennan would be taking her to the hospital.
Joe thought about his strong and reliable friend having to deal with the pain of surgery and then with a mechanical knee, and he prayed that all went well. Charlie’d said Juana had taken her young cat over to the Firettis, to board, where he’d likely be spoiled just the way Juana spoiled him. Joe thought maybe Misto would play nursemaid, and spoil the little cat, too.
Out in the patio, as Billy helped Clyde arrange the tables, he watched a young couple leaving with their carrier, their new kitty peering out. Every cat had been spoken for, and those folks that the volunteers knew well had taken their cats with them. Others, not so well known, would wait while CatFriends checked them out, talked with their veterinarians, even visited their homes. Charlie said they weren’t going to rescue and doctor and nurture a cat, then not make sure it would be well cared for. Billy looked in at George Jolly’s two black-and-white adoptees, who waited in their carrier on a table near the kitchen. One reached out a paw to him, while the other rolled over for a tummy rub.
Charlie had told him the last one of George Jolly’s three elderly cats had, shortly before Christmas, been put down by Dr. Firetti because of painful liver failure. Charlie said Jolly was now, at last, ready for new housemates. When she described Jolly’s house, Billy knew the cats would like it. There were high shelves and all kinds of climbing places, and out in back, a lush garden, Charlie said, with an escape-proof fence. He guessed Sammie Miller’s two cats were, for sure, going to a happy home.
But his own cats had lucked out, too, Billy thought, with a whole hay barn full of mice to hunt. He didn’t know what made him think about Zandler just then. Except that the landlord had groused about his cats, said they were dirty. Well they were cleaner than that old man. He thought about Zandler prowling the burned house, and wondered again if Gran’s money was still hidden there—or if Zandler, or someone else, had found it. Maybe he’d never know, but he sure meant to keep looking.
As the remaining volunteers gathered for a good-night celebration, the scent of fresh coffee filled the patio and George Jolly brought out the anniversary cake he’d baked, setting it before the Damens: a three-layered confection iced in white, decorated with a red Valentine heart and a border of running cats. Everyone toasted the newlyweds, and toasted each other at the success of the auction. They had raised over forty thousand dollars, and every last stray had a new home, a more productive night than any of CatFriends had dreamed.
Charlie and Billy left soon after the boisterous toasts ended, Billy yawning, full of good food, sated with too many people talking all at once—and worried about tomorrow. Wondering if his friends could, indeed, stand up to the power of the county authority that meant to take him away. Now, tired and discouraged, he wanted only to climb into his bed, in his cozy stall, among his own furry family.
As Kit and Pedric and Lucinda left the party, Kit looked back over her shoulder hoping Pan would decide to come with them, but he didn’t, he only gave her a conspiratorial smile, and hopped into the Firetti van beside Misto. Wilma and Dulcie were leaving, too. Wilma, having done a background check on Emmylou Warren, had thought of asking her home with them, but Emmylou had already vanished; she hadn’t stayed long, a silent observer at the edge of the party, then had slipped out again into the night as was her way.
“Where will she go?” Wilma said, turning the car heater up as she and Dulcie headed home. “Keep on sleeping in her old car, among all the bags and boxes?”
“Or maybe off to look for Birely?” Dulcie said. “To tell him his sister has died?”
“How would she ever find him? Oh, but she has his cell phone number.” She glanced down at Dulcie. “What about Sammie’s house, now the police have released it? You suppose she left it to Birely?”
“What would he do with it?” Kit said. “A wanderer like Birely, settle down in one place? I don’t think so. Trapped by a roof and four walls? He’d be about as happy as a feral cat shut in a box.”
“I guess,” Wilma said. “Maybe she left the house to Emmylou, if she was Sammie’s only friend. That would be nice” She looked down at Dulcie and scratched the tabby’s ears. “You cats did all right,” she said. “Cats and cops together.”
Joe arrived home yawning, endured Rock’s wet licks across his face, gave Snowball a few licks of his own, and then was up into his tower stretched out among his cushions, staring up at the stars.