“Oh, just a guy I’m seeing.”
“You’re seeing a guy?”
“Yes, I’m seeing a guy. Can’t I see a guy? You’re seeing a guy.”
“I’m not seeing a guy.”
“I saw you kissing that cop.”
“That was… nothing.”
“If that was nothing I’d like to see what something looks like.”
She pressed her fingers to her brow. “So you were opening Leo’s present?”
“Yeah, a nice cashmere sweater. Not sure why he would buy me a cashmere sweater in the summer, unless it’s to tell me he wants me to cover up more, but from the way he’s all over me every time we go out I can tell that’s not it. So that’s a mixed message right there. Anyway, I guess there’s no accounting for taste.” She paused. “What was I talking about?”
“You opened the present and something strange happened?”
“That’s right. There was a note inside the sweater.”
“A note? What note?”
“I didn’t see it at first. I just saw it when I cut off the label. I always cut off the label. It just pricks my skin. I hate it. Don’t you hate it? They should make it softer. Like velvety soft. I’ve got delicate skin, so—”
“Gran…”
“So I cut off the label and there it was, neatly folded inside the label, a little note. I had to put on my glasses to read it.”
“What did it say?”
“Wait—where are my glasses? They keep stealing them from me. Oh, they’re on top of my head. Hey, not so fast! Sit down and wait. The doctor will be with you soon!”
Gran was obviously at work, at Dad’s doctor’s office, bullying the patients into submission as usual. “So what does the label say?”
“Hold your horses. Not so fast. Lemme just put these on and… ‘WE PRISONERS! PLEASE HELP PLEASE!’ Notice how it says Please twice? Whoever wrote this has got good manners. Want me to read it again?”
“No, I think I got it,” she said, holding the phone away from her ear. Gran had shouted the message so loud her eardrum was still buzzing. She watched as three cats came trudging up to her. They were Max, Dooley and Brutus, and they looked like they had some very important news to impart. “Is it all right if I drop by later? I’d like to take a closer look at this note.”
“Sure thing, honey. I’ll be here all day. Sit down, buddy—this is my final warning! SIT! Like I said, I’ll be here all day, helping these nice people.”
Odelia disconnected, and wondered what this was all about. She’d heard about people finding messages in their clothes or household devices. Stuff made in developing countries, where working conditions were appalling. This was probably such a case. It just hurt her heart when she heard stories like that.
“Hey, you guys,” she said, lowering her head to the three cats. “Any news?”
“Yes,” Max said. “The new cat? Diego? He’s got to go. He’s bad news.”
Chapter 5
“That cat’s got to go,” I repeated, in case Odelia hadn’t heard me the first time.
“Yeah, he’s a terrible, horrible animal,” Dooley chimed in.
“He took Harriet away from me,” Brutus said. “Just like that.”
“Hold it, you guys,” said Odelia, laughing. “What are you saying? That you don’t like Diego?”
“That’s exactly what we’re saying,” I said. “He called me fat and orange.”
“And he called me short and dumb,” said Dooley.
“And he put the moves on Harriet,” Brutus finished our lament.
“Oh, and don’t forget he called you fat, too,” Dooley said.
“She doesn’t have to know that,” Brutus said in a low voice. “I may have gained some weight, but not much. And I still work out every day. I climbed a tree just this morning. And I got down all on my own, too.”
“Look, you’ll just have to learn to get along,” Odelia said. “You can’t expect me to kick out Diego. I just told Chase I’d take care of him.”
“You can put him up for adoption,” I suggested. “I bet there are plenty of people out there who’d love to take him in.”
“Unless they have other cats—Diego doesn’t play nice with others,” Dooley said.
“He doesn’t play nice with males. He’s fine with females,” said Brutus.
“A little too nice,” Dooley added.
Odelia shook her head. “What can I say?”
“That you’ll kick him out?” I asked hopefully.
“I can’t do that, Max. I’m afraid Diego is here to stay.”
Dooley, Brutus and I voiced our disagreement loud and clear, but to no avail. Apparently Odelia was set on keeping this Diego in our lives, whether we liked it or not. Just then, Chase returned, and Odelia immediately shut up.
Chase laughed. “You know? It almost looked like you were talking to those cats of yours. It’s the funniest thing.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Sometimes I almost feel like I know what they’re trying to say.”
He studied us. “So what are they saying?”
“I’m not sure, but I think it might have something to do with that cat of yours.”
“Diego? What about him?”
“I think they don’t like him very much.”
He laughed again. “That’s ridiculous. They’re cats. There’s no question of liking each other. They just act on instinct.” It was obvious he’d never given a moment’s thought to the fact that cats might have feelings, too. Just like humans. And that maybe some of us were nicer than others.
“Cats are a lot more like humans than you might think,” Odelia said. “They have likes and dislikes, just like we do.”
“Nonsense. This has got nothing to do with ‘feelings.’ This is about territory. Max is probably upset that a new cat has arrived and he’s going to have to share his space, his food and his litter box.”
I goggled at the man. I hadn’t thought about that. Share my food? And, even worse, share my litter box? No way! “Odelia! I can’t share my litter box! That’s my litter box! Diego can’t go doo-doo in my litter box! That’s just… wrong!”
She ignored me, and asked Chase, “What do you know about Diego?”
He shrugged. “He’s a cat, Odelia. What’s there to know?”
“I mean, about his past, his parentage, his medical history?”
“I’d have to ask Mom, but as far as I know she got him off the street.”
“So he’s a street cat. Did she give him his shots? Is he fixed?”
“I have absolutely no idea.”
She nodded. “I’ll take him to the vet tomorrow. Have him checked.”
“Of course. And I’ll pay for it. Look, I’m sure Max and Diego will get along fine. They just have to get used to each other. I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.”
“Well, I do worry about it. If I’m going to take Diego into my home, I need to know who I’m dealing with.”
Well spoken, I thought, and I was cheering for her. Maybe this Diego had a violent past, or some other deep, dark secret that he was hiding. Maybe he was like those adopted kids that turn out to be horrible serial killers. I’d seen the movies. I knew it was a thing.
“Look, if you don’t want him, I can always take him back,” Chase offered.
I was practically yipping now, hoping Odelia would take him up on this wonderful offer. This was her chance to get rid of the pest!
“No, that’s all right,” she said, much to my horrified surprise. She stroked my back. “Max will just have to get used to having a new friend. I know it took him a while to get used to having Brutus around, and now look at them. They’re like buddies.”
Odelia and Chase looked down at Brutus and me, sitting side by side, like a couple of chumps. “I think they’re talking about us, Max,” Brutus said.
“Yeah, they seem to think we’re best buds or something.”
Brutus snorted. “As if.”
“Yeah—how ridiculous, huh? Humans are clueless.”
We shared a quick look, then Brutus said, “I liked how you stood up to Diego, by the way. That took guts, Max. I’ve got to hand it to you. You defended hearth and home from that intruder—just like you used to do with me.”