As tired as I was, I waited for Alyx to come home. And as tired as I was, I thought I’d sleep all night; but I didn’t. In the quiet hours of the morning, after the night owls had gone to bed, and the day workers hadn’t yet arrived, I decided to sit out on the screened porch for a while. Alyx kept the pet door locked at night and when she wasn’t home during the day––I knew how to unlock the pet door and was out on the lanai within seconds.
I heard a sound, and my ears swiveled to identify the location of the sound. I stood on my hind legs at the screen door for a better view, and the fur on my back stood up when I saw a rustling of the tall ferns surrounding the small brick patio outside the door. A low growl, deep in my throat warned the intruder. Suddenly, the ferns parted, and Simon landed directly in front of me. I had no idea how he knew where we lived and when I asked, he smiled a secret smile and let me know that I had a lot to learn about our kind. He beckoned me to follow him where we could talk. He understood my reluctance to disobey my human, and at the same time, I saw the wisdom in distancing ourselves from the house next door when Smoochie, the Pomeranian, decided to reveal his presence with several loud successive barks.
The locked screen door that posed a problem for me was not a problem for Simon. He slyly unsheathed his front claws ready to slit the screen. Naturally, I was shocked at his destructive suggestion. Simon arched his back and rubbed his side against the doorjamb. He reiterated what he’d said before about learning what our kind could do for our humans. He convinced me it was necessary, and I suggested he do it in the corner, behind the larger potted plants, where it was a less noticeable. I winced as he sliced a clean straight line down the screen, all the while unable to resist watching his efforts.
Soon, I heard scampering behind me, and looked over my shoulder to see Misty and Pooky lurking in the shadows of the potted plants in the lanai. The half-moon in the clear sky lit up the yard giving the two ladies a clear view of Simon and me.
Among the three of us at home, Misty slept the least amount of time. Keeping everyone––humans and cats––company, kept her too busy to nap during the day. She usually made up for lost sleep at night. That night, she was still awake in the lanai when I returned. I deliberately ignored her as I sauntered past, and she meekly followed me inside.
Simon had given me a lot to think about––and a big decision to make.
The next morning, Alyx tried to roll out of bed, and couldn’t move. Pooky and Misty had her trapped under the covers. She reached out to the closest cat, which happened to be Pooky stretched along her hip, and tried to push her aside. Pooky didn’t budge.
Alyx squinted at the bedside clock, yawned, and went back to sleep until we decided it really was time for her to get up. I followed her to the kitchen where the other two felines waited for their breakfast. She refilled their food and water bowls, made coffee, and sat at the kitchen table watching us while she waited for the coffee drip cycle to finish.
“Pooky, there’s no question about it; you’re getting too fat, and we have to fix that; it’s not healthy for you, kitty-cat.”
The gurgle of the coffee maker told her the coffee was ready. She filled her travel mug, took it to the living room, and watched the local news.
Breakfast nibbling over, the felines ran to the living room, playing hopscotch on the way, and draped themselves on the back of the couch and chair. An hour later, Alyx was ready for work and so were we. She refilled her travel mug, and we filed out to the truck, all set for another day at the store.
Alyx, who was the first to arrive and busy setting up, didn’t hear Nelda noiselessly walk up behind her.
“Good morning,” Nelda said rather loudly.
Alyx jumped, and my housemates scattered. “Nelda, you startled me. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Sorry; next time I’ll be sure to slam the door,” she kidded. “I see all your kitty-cats are with you, or I should say they were until I scared them away.”
“I don’t know what got into them; they all insisted on coming––and here they are,” she said, stepping aside as Nelda rearranged a couple of chairs that were deliberately blocking the entrance.
“Well, judging from the treats the customers bring them, they sure like having them around. These cats have enough to keep them fat and happy for a year.”
Alyx reached for a plastic bag under the counter. “Thanks for reminding me. My cats don’t need all this food, especially Pooky, and I can’t give the other two a treat and not her. What I’m going to do is bag what’s here and bring it to the animal shelter around the block.”
It was a noble gesture on her part, yet so disappointing for us to see the basket empty.
“Any cat that misses a mouse pretends it was aiming for the dead leaf.”
––Charlotte Gray
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Family Portraits Arouse Suspicion
Alyx and Maggie were having breakfast, and Maggie asked when they were going to start evaluating Althea’s things.
“I was thinking of going over there tomorrow for a preliminary inventory. Her niece made it very clear she wants this wrapped up as soon as possible,” said Alyx.
They discussed what they were going to do and decided to buy the antique pieces and conduct an estates sale for the rest of the items on the premises. Alyx said she would mark the pieces accordingly.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, I think I can handle it alone.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind being there by yourself?”
“I’ll be fine. Besides, you have plans for the day. You don’t need to be spending your time babysitting me.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. Too bad her cat never turned up.”
“Yes, it is. I hope someone found him and gave him a home. He’s a handsome cat, and I know you don’t usually hear this about cats, but I thought he had an intelligent look in his eyes.”
“I think a cat is a cat except for Murfy––he’s something else––my imagination doesn’t take me farther than that.”
That observation of my special skills was fine with me––the less people suspected, the better I could do my job.
First thing the following morning, Alyx drove to Althea’s condominium with me riding along in my carrier. Althea’s car was gone, so Alyx parked in the driveway. I assumed someone had moved Althea’s car into the garage––more than likely, her niece had sold it.
As Alyx headed for the front door with me in tow in my carrier, she greeted an elderly man sweeping his driveway.
“No one’s home,” he said as he leaned on his push broom and squinted at Alyx. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you a relative?”
“No, I’m a friend. I’m the one who found her body.”
“I heard she was murdered. Why would anyone want to kill her? I don’t know. This is such a crazy world; can’t trust anybody, no more. Most residents living here are over 65-years old, you know, and this has us all scared. I don’t like it when you have to be suspicious of everybody.” He shook his head, “No, sir, I don’t like it one bit.”
Alyx stepped over the strip of grass separating the two driveways and introduced herself to the stooped gentleman who had a full head of white hair and cloudy blue eyes––remnants of a once young, handsome face.
“My name’s William, William Emmett. You can call me Bill.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Bill. How well did you know Althea?”
He shrugged his bony shoulders, “She wasn’t very friendly, kept mostly to herself except for when that cat of hers ran out. That’s when she’d talk to the neighbors––when she went looking for him.”