“You wouldn’t,” I said under my breath.
“Watch me.” Octo-Cat flexed his claws again and slowly moved the weaponized paw toward the unwitting doggie.
“Fine! One lobster roll per day,” I exploded, hating that he’d gotten the best of me by using such underhanded tactics.
“As many days as it takes,” he added, claws flexing once more.
“Yes. Fine. I agree. Now play nice up here.”
“Pleasure doing business with you,” Octo-Cat said, re-sheathing his claws and then licking his paw and beginning to groom himself as if that had been his true plan all along.
“Bye, Mommy,” Paisley called after me as I made my escape.
Back on the main floor, the auction had just come to an end, and the crowd was milling about, awaiting direction.
My direction.Crud.
Mr. Gable met me midway on the grand staircase.“Everyone, listen up!” he shouted over the din. Then to me, “You’re on, Angie.”
“Hi, everyone,” I said as loudly as I could without actually shouting. “Thank you so much for being here tonight. The next portion of our evening is dinner. Seating is already set up on the right-hand side of the house.” I motioned and smiled like a flight attendant. “The left side—” I motioned the other way “—will be ready shortly. Please find a seat at your earliest convenience, and let me know if you need help or have any questions.”
I marched down the steps and planted myself by the door so I would be easy to find. Searching for Nan, I glanced toward the left side of the house where Cal and his team of volunteers were moving in tables and chairs at lightning speed.
We’d opted for cheap card tables disguised with fine linen cloths. Nan had also gussied up the rented folding chairs by creating full length covers that fit over them perfectly. A tulle bow had been tied around the crook of each chair, providing extra elegance despite the inexpensive materials.
I briefly spotted Nan, chatting to a tall man in an impeccable tux at the edge of the kitchen. She wore an enormous smile and nodded her head vigorously the entire time. I wondered if she’d just found an especially generous donor to add to this night’s success. Of course, I couldn’t tell who the man was from this angle. His back was turned to me and he wasn’t someone I knew well enough to recognize in that way.
“Please, please, take a seat. Dinner will be served shortly,” Mr. Gable called over the crowd, drawing my attention away from Nan and her mystery guest. “I’ll be coming around to collect your vouchers. You should have received them when signing up for tonight’s event via the shelter. A complimentary dinner, of course, was included as a thank-you for your donations. You’ll also find fishbowl centerpieces. They’re empty because they’re for any additional donation you may like to offer to aid the animals. For those looking to add the perfect feline companion to your life, adoptions are being held upstairs for the entire night. We have nine wonderful black cats who would love to join your family. To meet them, just head straight upstairs and look for the door with the sign.”
He gave me an encouraging thumbs up and folded his hands before him as he waited for everyone to take their seats.
Nan’s voice came over the microphone Charles had been using to lead the auction. “In just a few moments, seating on the left side of the house will be opened. If you were unable to find a spot on the right side, head on over and my granddaughter Angie will find a place for you.” As she made thisannouncement, she walked over to join me and Mr. Gable in the foyer.
“We’ve got things over here,” Nan said, hanging onto the mic with one hand and lacing the fingers of her other with Mr. Gable’s. “Go direct the remaining guests on the left.”
I nodded and moved with the crowd over to the emptied-out side of the house.
Oh, if only we’d waited until warmer months to host this giant gala. Things would have been much easier had we been able to use our outdoor space. Nobody wanted to be outside on a late April night, however. The 5K was our only exception.
The left side of the house was our biggest interior area. Usually it held our living room and dining area, both spacious under normal circumstances. But tonight, the tables had been packed as close together as possible. Nan hadn’t wanted to turn away a single donor if having them all meant helping the animals—and I had to applaud her for that.
Despite the chaos, I liked how many had shown up in support. What I didn’t like was that Ms. Jessica Rabbit had installed herself right next to Charles at the table in the farthest back corner and was stroking his arm as she spoke.
To his credit, he kept moving his arm out of her reach, but she kept moving in closer and…
Oh, no. You’ve messed with the wrong girl’s boyfriend this time, Missy!
Chapter Five
I marched right over to Charles and his new friend. The tight sheath of a dress Nan had lent me made my hips waddle back and forth, but I didn’t care.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, trying to play it cool; unfortunately, my voice cracked, giving away my true mood in an instant.
Charles straightened in his seat.“Oh, um, Bonnie here was just telling me all about how she’s new to town and in the market for a lawyer.”
“I’ve heard you’re the best,” she said, not even acknowledging my arrival. “And I only work with the best. Only play with the best, too.”
I saw red—and not just the extremely revealing dress of the woman before me. “Charles,” I said between gritted teeth. “Could you help me get things prepped outside for the 5k please?Now.”
Charles jumped to his feet and had the good grace to appear apologetic. He even mouthed the word“sorry” to me.
Bonnie, however, tsked and rolled her eyes before finally allowing them to land on me.“Where I come from, they have a word for women who steal the pants from their man.”
I turned on her, shoulders tense, eyes wide.“Excuse me?”
She licked her lips and smiled smugly at Charles before returning her heated gaze to me.“You heard me. It’s a shame you won’t let your man be a man. Mark my words, you’ll lose him that way.”
“And who are you to—”
Charles put his hand on the small of my back and gave me a shove away from the table.“Let’s go check on that 5k, sweetie.”
I held my tongue, but the moment we stepped outside, I let it all out.“What were you thinking? Letting her fawn over you like that? It’s disgusting!”
I expected him to apologize. Maybe even explain a little, but he didn’t respond at all. He didn’t even look at me while I waited for his answer. Instead he stared straight ahead with unblinking eyes. His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
“Well, what’s your excuse?” I pushed. I trusted Charles, but this wasn’t like him. He’d also been very public about letting another woman flirt with him. “Are you really that hard up for clients that you need to let her treat you that way?”
He still didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his arm with a shaking finger and pointed into the yard.
I turned, expecting something awful, seeing how shaken up he appeared.
What I found was even worse.
The banner that Charles had only recently hung over the race’s starting line had been ripped down from the stakes holding it in place. One corner flapped in the soft breeze as if waving hello. The other side lay trapped beneath an unmoving body, the middle part wrapped tightly around his neck.