He responded by blinking slowly in the sunlight, showing off his large eyes—one blue and one golden.
“You are a pretty little thing,” I gushed as I bent to pat him on the head.
He allowed it, but gave no indication whether he enjoyed that small bit of intimacy. His fur was shiny and well-kept, and he appeared neither too thin nor too fat. He also didn’t have a collar.
“Who do you belong to, little fella?” I asked, still mesmerized by those mismatched eyes of his.
He, of course, did not answer, being a cat and unable to speak English. Didn’t even give me a pity meow.
So what was I supposed to do now? Feed him? Bring him inside until I could locate the owners? Drop him off at the local animal shelter and hope for the best?
I really didn’t know what to do, but I did know just the person who might. I fished my cell phone from my cardigan pocket. Aunt Linda hated that I kept it there since it made the garment fall unevenly, but it was really the most convenient place, being that my skirt pockets were always far too small, if even present at all.
“Hello?” my cousin answered after the second ring.
“Angie, I found a cat, and I don’t know what to do,” I moaned, glancing up and down the street to confirm I was all alone with this strange visiting feline.
She laughed. “It can’t be as bad as you’re making it sound. What’s the problem? Did you find the cat from Pet Sematary?”
I knew enough to catch the reference to a horror film—or was it a book?—but that was about it. I far preferred sweeping regency romances to anything scary. Also, jokes didn’t exactly help with my real-life problem. “What do I do with him?”
“Does he have a collar?” Angie asked, sobering up and ready to help me, thank goodness.
“No.”
“Does he look scrawny and dirty like he could be a stray?”
“No.”
“Then I’d say take him to the vet and get him scanned for a micro-chip,” Angie concluded. My cousin really did have a way with animals that felt almost preternatural at time. She got on with animals, the way I did with my candles, which probably makes me sound pretty sad by comparison.
I flashed the cat a thumbs up so that he would know that the call had been a success. “Oh, good idea. Thanks.”
“I’ve gotta go. We just got our first paying case and I’m off to meet with the client at his office.” Angie sounded distracted, tired. I’d let her go now, but definitely check in on her later to see how it all had gone.
“Fancy. Good luck.”
After a quick goodbye, I shoved the phone back into my pocket and appraised the cat who had found his way to my doorstep. “I don’t even know what to call you, so I guess I’ll just go with Mr. Cat. There’s a fifty percent chance you’re a boy, right?”
He flicked his tail and sat staring at me from those gorgeous mismatched eyes. I could get lost in those things if I wasn’t careful.
“Right, well, Mr. Cat. I’m going to call my aunt in to watch the store and then the two of us are headed for the vet’s office.”
Mr. Cat let out a low growl. It was so low that I wasn’t quite sure I’d heard it at all.
“Not for shots or anything like that. Just to see if you belong to somebody, okay?” I reached out to offer a reassuring pet, but he jerked out of my reach.
He growled again, much louder this time, then hissed and ran off down the cobblestone street.
Shoot!
I ran a few steps after him, but he moved so quickly that chasing him would obviously be a lost cause.
Which meant that was it then.
Mr. Cat was gone, and I’d probably never see him again.
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More from Blueberry Bay
Welcome to Blueberry Bay, a scenic region of Maine peppered with quaint small towns and home to a shocking number of mysteries. If you loved this book, then make sure to check out its sister series from other talented Cozy Mystery authors…
Pet Whisperer P.I.
By Molly Fitz
Glendale is home to Blueberry Bay’s first ever talking cat detective. Along with his ragtag gang of human and animal helpers, Octo-Cat is determined to save the day… so long as it doesn’t interfere with his schedule. Start with book one, Kitty Confidential, which is now available to buy or borrow! Visit www.MollyMysteries.com for more.
Little Dog Diner
By Emmie Lyn
Misty Harbor boasts the best lobster rolls in all of Blueberry Bay. There’s another thing that’s always on the menu, too. Murder! Dani and her little terrier, Pip, have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time… which often lands them smack in the middle of a fresh, new murder mystery and in the crosshairs of one cunning criminal after the next. Start with book one, Mixing Up Murder, which is now available to buy or borrow! Visit www.EmmieLynBooks.com for more.
Shelf Indulgence
By S.E. Babin
Dewdrop Springs is home to Tattered Pages, a popular bookshop specializing in rare editions, a grumpy Persian cat named Poppy, and some of the most suspicious characters you’ll ever meet. And poor Dakota Adair has just inherited it all. She’ll need to make peace with her new cat and use all her book smarts to catch a killer or she might be the next to wind up dead in the stacks. Start with book one, Hardback Homicide, which is now available to buy or borrow! Visit www.SEbabin.com for more.
Haunted Housekeeping
By R.A. Muth
Cooper's Cove is home to Blueberry Bay's premier estate cleaning service. Tori and Hazel, the ill-fated proprietors of Bubbles and Troubles, are prepared to uncover a few skeletons. But when a real one turns up, they'll have to solve the mystery quickly if they're going to save their reputations--and their lives. Book one, The Squeaky Clean Skeleton, will be coming soon. Keep an eye on www.QuirkyCozy.com for more.
The Cursed Cat of Caraway
By F.M. Storm
Quiet, secluded, and most importantly, far away from his annoying magical family, Guy couldn’t wait to start a new life on Caraway Island. Unfortunately, he hadn’t counted on his four-year-old daughter coming into her own witchy powers early… or on her accidentally murdering one of the PTO moms. Oops! Book one, The Kindergarten Coven, will be coming soon. Keep an eye on www.QuirkyCozy.com for more.
ABOUT MOLLY FITZ
While USA Today bestselling author Molly Fitz can't technically talk to animals, she and her doggie best friend, Sky Princess, have deep and very animated conversations as they navigate their days. Add to that, five more dogs, a snarky feline, comedian husband, and diva daughter, and you can pretty much imagine how life looks at the Casa de Fitz.
Molly lives in a house on a high hill in the Michigan woods and occasionally ventures out for good food, great coffee, or to meet new animal friends.
Writing her quirky, cozy animal mysteries is pretty much a dream come true, but she also goes by the name Melissa Storm (also a USA Today bestselling author, yay!) and writes a very different kind of story.