Kitty Confidential. Terrier Transgressions. Hairless Harassment. Dog-Eared Delinquent. The Cat Caper. Chihuahua Conspiracy

Once Nan had finished calling every shelter in the region, she placed her phone in my hands and said,ďYou should keep mine until you can get a new one. You need it more than I do.Ē

I nodded and finished the coffee with a giant gulp, then tried to stand again. This time I didnít fall. Progress, at least.

ďLetís get out there,Ē I told Nan, reaching for the handrail to guide me safely down the stairs. ďI canít wait another moment.Ē

That was when the phone rang.

In my excitement to answer, I dropped it down the stairs.

Nan raced after it and managed to answer before the caller hung up. She faced me with wide, animated eyes as she spoke.

I stood at the top of the stairs and waited, trying not to get my hopes up too much.

A giant smile filled Nanís face as she said, ďYes, that sounds like our guy. Weíll be there on the first ferry over.Ē

She hung up and held the phone out to me as I raced down the stairs, stumbling as I went but not clumsily enough to fall.ďDid somebody find him?Ē

Nan nodded brightly.ďA small vetís office on Caraway Island of all places.

Caraway Island? How would he have gotten there? I know he wouldnít have braved that kind of swim, and the public ferry stopped running after eight oíclock.

ďSomeone definitely took him out there on purpose,Ē I said through clenched teeth. ďAnd Iím pretty sure I know exactly who did it.Ē

ďOh, dear.Ē Nan hummed a beat, then said, ďWhere are your priorities? First, letís bring our fella home, and then we can make sure those crooks pay.Ē

We had to wait a solid hour for the next ferry, but the trip out to Blueberry Bayís only local island was a quick one at least. The vetís office wasnít hard to find, either.

ďWe scanned his microchip and called right away,Ē one of the techs explained. Thank goodness I had updated the information to include both my number and Nanís after Iíd officially adopted him. Otherwise they would have gotten a dead number that belonged to his dead former owner. I also wondered whether my phone was still active and if the bad guys still had it with them.

ďWhere is he?Ē I asked, glancing around the small office anxiously. ďIs he okay? I canít wait to see him!Ē

Nan and I held hands while the tech returned to the back and then re-entered with a struggling Octo-Cat held in her arms.ďHeís got a bit of an attitude, this one,Ē she said with a laugh.

ďOcto-Cat!Ē I cried with relief. Yes,cried.I was crying yet again, but I was also far too happy to be embarrassed by it.ďI missed you so much!Ē

He let me pick him up and even purred as I cuddled him to my chest.

ďYou had us really worried there, old boy,Ē Nan said, giving him a scratch beneath his chin.

ďMeow,Ē he told her with a loving gaze. Nan always had been one of his favorites.

We thanked the vet and headed back to the parking lot. I couldnít wait to get the full story from Octo-Cat. As soon as we were all safely tucked within Nanís little red sports coupe, I placed him on my lap and said, ďTell us everything!Ē

He didnít answer; instead, he appeared tense as he stretched his head up carefully to peer out the front window.

ďOcto-Cat,Ē I said with a nervous laugh. ďStop being weird. We were so worried about you. Iím sorry about everything that happened, but Iím just so glad youíre okay.Ē

ďMeow,Ēhe said sullenly.

ďHey, I know youíre probably mad at me right now, but please, can you at least tell us what happened after the jewelry shop last night. You know, for Nanís sake?Ē I waited breathlessly. If he wanted to yell kitty curses at me, I would dutifully sit here and take it. After all, this was my fault. I deserved the worst.

Octo-Cat tilted his head to one side and meowed again.

That was when I realized the worst had already happened.

My cat could no longer understand me.

The magical residue that Moss had told me about had finally worn off. Iíd lost the one thing that made me special, and with it, the best friend I had ever had. Something important in me had died, and Iíd need a miracle to get it back.

Surely, there had to be a way.

I couldnít accept any other outcome.

We would fix this, Octo-Cat and me. We would fix everything.

Failure was simply not an option.

Chapter Nineteen

When we made it back home from our trip out to Caraway Island, a familiar Lexus sat waiting for us in the driveway. Iíd seen it pretty much every day for the better part of the year and had no doubt that it belonged to Bethany, my frenemy turned boss.

Iíd really thought weíd made great strides in our relationship. That is, until she hired Peter and refused to listen to any of my concerns.

She sat waiting in one of the rocking chairs Nan had added to the front porch earlier that summer. When we pulled up, she stood but didnít take any strides forward, instead waiting for us to join her on the porch.

ďTake him inside,Ē I told Nan, handing Octo-Cat off to her. I was afraid to leave him alone since weíd picked him up. True, heíd lost his voice and not a limb, but the associated pain cut deeper than I could have ever imagined. I wondered if he knew, too.

ďCome with your nan-nan, you sweet kitty boy,Ē Nan cooed as she disappeared into the house. Although she understood that he and I had lost our special connection, Nan had never been able to talk to him, anyway. As far as their relationship was concerned, everything was perfectly normal. I knew heíd be happy with her. Heíd always held a special place in his heart for Nan.

But without our ability to communicate, would he still hold one for me? I couldnít think like that. Weíd find a way to fix everything. I had to believe in that, had to believe in us.

ďWhat do you want?Ē I asked Bethany with a frown. I was both too exhausted and too devastated to play nice. I was also still more than a little miffed that she had been the one to bring Peter into my world.

ďIím assuming you heard about my cousin,Ē she said, sitting back down and crossing her ankles like some kind of grand duchess.

I joined her by taking a seat in the other rocking chair, mostly because I was too weary to keep standing on my own.ďWhat about him? That he got arrested? Or that heís responsible for the string of burglaries downtown? Oh, maybe you mean the fact that he can turn into a dog!Ē

Bethany sucked air in through her teeth. Her light blonde hair blew gently in the breeze, and she sat with one of her suit jackets draped across her lap, though it was far from chilly. Under any other circumstances, this would have been the perfect summer afternoon. As it was, though, this had become my own personal hell.

Just as Peter had promised if I pulled anything funny.

ďDid you know?Ē I demanded of Bethany. ďDid you know about all of this?Ē

She hung her head and nodded.ďYes, but I never thought he would hurt you, Angie. You have to believe me.Ē

ďI thought we were friends,Ē I said coldly. Her betrayal stung. I couldnít pretend that it hadnít.

ďWe were,Ē she insisted, looking like she wanted to say something more, but stopping herself. She sighed and added, ďStill are, I hope.Ē

I crossed my arms over my chest and refused to answer her either way. So much had already been taken from me that day. As much as I didnít want to lose anything else, I also didnít know if Iíd ever be able to forgive Bethany for the things Peter had done. They never would have happened if she hadnít hired him in the first place or if she would have listened when I shared my concerns.

ďWhy are you here?Ē I demanded, not caring that my voice sounded cold and uncaringóor that she was technically my boss now.

ďTo help,Ē she said softly. ďAnd to explain a few things.Ē

I made a dismissive motion with my hands.ďWell, go ahead and get it over with, then.Ē

ďI hired Peter because I thought having an honest job would help him. I never meant for you to get hurt.Ē She said so quickly it took me a moment to process.ďPlease, if you believe nothing else I say today, believe that.Ē

I considered this but kept quiet, waiting for her to offer more. I wasnít sure any explanation would ever be enough, but at least someone was finally giving me answers without threatening or hurting me in the process.

ďI knew heíd been hanging out with some less than savory characters, but I had no idea just how deeply he was involved. I had hoped it wasnít too late to save him, but apparently I was wrong.Ē Most of the women I knew would cry to gain sympathy, but not Bethany. She remained stoic to the bitter end. Always had.

ďDid you know about the magic?Ē I demanded.

ďYes,Ē she said emphatically. She clenched her eyes shut then admitted,ďBecause I have it, too.Ē

I stared at her with my mouth hanging open rather impolitely. Of course she did. They were cousins, after all.ďDo you use it to rob people, too?Ē I asked with a snort.

ďNo,Ē she insisted, shaking her head. ďI donít use it at all.Ē

ďWhat about the essential oils?Ē I mumbled, thinking back to all of the strangeness Bethany had exhibited since Iíve known her. As far as I knew, she was perfectly normal other than her obsession with mixing and matching scents each morning. ďAre those your potions or brews or whatever?Ē

I laughed bitterly at this, but Bethany remained firm.

ďIím not a witch,Ē she told me. ďMostly because witches arenít real.Ē

ďHow can I believe you, though? Up until a few days ago, I didnít even know that magic was real.Ē I paused a moment to let that sink in. ďWhere does it end? How do I even know whatís real and whatís made up now?Ē

ďYou canít,Ē she said sadly. ďAnd Iím sorry that youíve been pulled into this world. I never wanted that for you.Ē

ďThen what were you doing this whole time?Ē I couldnít take her at face value. Not anymore. Iíd seen too much to ever trust anyone at their word again. ďWere you lying in wait until the timing was right?Ē

She looked truly pained, but only a small part of me cared. Iíd been hurt, too. Burned. Damaged beyond repair.

ďJust trying to live a normal life, the same as you.Ē

ďBut youíre one of them,Ē I reminded her.

ďNot all magic people are bad.Ē

ďPeterís bad.Ē

ďYes,Ē she confirmed with a sigh. ďI wanted more for him, but I was too late to help.Ē

We sat in silence for a few moments as the wind blew the overgrown blades of grass in a wave across my front lawn.

ďHave you ever wondered why you can talk to your cat?Ē Bethany asked, her eyes full of unshed tears. She was still too tough to cry. That was another thing about us that was irreconcilably different.

I cried freely. Why even fight it anymore?ďYou know about that?Ē I asked, too exhausted to be shocked by anything now.

She nodded, then raised the suit jacket from her lap and tossed it to me.ďDo you recognize this?Ē

ďItís one of your ugly blazers.Ē

ďIíll let that slide, because I know youíre hurting right now,Ē she said, waiting.

I fingered the cool fabric, releasing the scents of juniper and lemon into the air.

ďDo you remember wearing it?Ē she pressed again.

I thought back to one of the many times Thompson had forced me to borrow clothes from Bethany to appear more presentable when an important client visited the office.

And that was when the final piece of this weekís horrible puzzle settled into place. ďEthel Fultonís will reading,Ē I said.

ďYes,Ē she said with a nod of affirmation. ďDo you understand what happened now?Ē

ďThe magical residue Moss mentioned. That was from you?Ē

She nodded again.ďIt was in my blazer. The electric shock strengthened it, transferred that energy to you.Ē

ďBut Iím not magical,Ē I said with a huff.

ďNo, not fully. Usually resonance disappears quickly. The fact yours didnít is my fault, Iím afraid.Ē

I turned to her with a hundred questions begging to be let out. A single word escaped my lips.ďWhy?Ē

ďI already told you, I donít practice magic. The energy has nowhere to go. A lot of it has built up over the years, packed in tight. That zap uncoiled all of it and created a reaction.Ē

ďBut I canít mess with peopleís minds or use glamor or change into an animal.Ē I felt so incredibly small and helpless as I reminded her of all the things I couldnít do. Ever since Iíd gained the ability to speak to Octo-Cat, Iíd thought of myself as having superpowers. What a joke. There were real super humans out there in the world, but sadly, I wasnít one of them.

ďYou got a small but powerful dose from that jacket,Ē Bethany explained, watching me carefully. ďThe cat got it, too.Ē

I searched her face while she struggled to find her words.

ďHe was close by and somehow it created a bond between you. I donít know why you only got the one ability or why it hasnít left you yet.Ē

ďOh, but Bethany,Ē I said, once again crying for all Iíd lost. ďIt has. Octo-Cat and IÖ We canít talk anymore.Ē

Then I realized something wonderful.ďCan you fix it? Can you make things how they were again?Ē

Bethany bit her lower lip and sucked a deep breath in through her nostrils.ďI donít use magic,Ē she said again. ďBut for you, Iím willing to try.Ē

Chapter Twenty

ďThe cruel irony is that the less one practices magic, the stronger she becomes,Ē Bethany explained as we settled into my home library side-by-side. Octo-Cat sat on my lap, but Iíd asked Nan to sit this one out. As much as I loved her, I felt this moment needed to be private.

ďItís all part of the great balance,Ē Bethany continued as I stared at the trees swaying in the gentle winds outside. ďIt helps to keep the power-hungry from becoming too powerful. Keeps the magic world hidden and safe.Ē

ďMoss mentioned some of this,Ē I said, nodding along as I recalled my time in the fishbowl.

ďAs I already said outside, the fact that Iím a non-practitioner makes my magic abnormally strong,Ē Bethany continued. ďBut Iím not an expert in harnessing it. I can try to transfer some of it back to you, but it might not work.Ē She swallowed hard. ďYou could also get hurt.Ē

ďItís worth the risk,Ē I said without hesitation, petting Octo-Cat as I spoke. ďIím ready.Ē

ďOur best chance at getting this to work right is to recreate the scene at the will reading as closely as possible. Thatís why I brought you the jacket.Ē She nodded toward the blazer which sat crumpled in my lap, then picked up the reusable cloth shopping bag sheíd brought inside with her.

The moment I saw what came out of that bag, I jumped to my feet in sheer terror.ďKeep that thing away from me!Ē I screamed as I stared at the old office coffee maker, refusing to so much as blink until it was safely put away. It had almost killed me the first time, and I didnít doubt it could finish the job today.

ďWe need to recreate what happened that day,Ē Bethany reminded me. ďIím sorry, but itís the most surefire way to get this to work.Ē

I shivered violently as I regarded the evil appliance. Could I do this? Could I face this deep-seated, albeit very rational, fear and live to tell the tale?

Octo-Cat meowed and rubbed himself against my ankles. When I reached down to pet him, I found that he was purring. He gave me a sandpaper kiss, then jumped back into the window seat and rubbed his head against the coffee maker, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

I smiled despite my fear.ďIf he believes this will work, then so do I. Um, do you mind if I close my eyes first?Ē

ďDo whatever you need to do,Ē Bethany said, situating the coffee maker near the closest outlet. ďI took the liberty of fraying the power cord some. Thought it might make for an easier electrocution.Ē

Oh, joy.

Octo-Cat mewled again. He believed in me, believed in us. Iíd do anything to protect that even if it meant walking head-first into dangerówhich, apparently, it did.

Bethany put both hands on my shoulders, and I felt a warm, pleasant sensation transfer from her to me through the blazer.ďAre you ready?Ē she asked, pulling her hands away.

I nodded, clenching my eyes tight as she guided me toward the coffeemaking death trap. Octo-Cat stayed at my side every step of the way, and when I couldnít find the cord with my eyes still closed, he pushed my hand in the right direction.

There was only one thing left to do.

With a deep breathóone I hoped wouldnít be my lastóI picked up the power cord and jammed it into the outlet. When the burst of electricity shot through my body, I collapsed and fell unconscious with a smile.

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

ďAngie? Angie? Are you okay?Ē Bethany asked, cradling my head in her lap as I came to.

ďWhat happened?Ē I asked. My mind feltÖ fuzzy.

ďDid it work?Ē she asked excitedly, disregarding my question entirely.

Bethany helped me sit up, and I glanced around the room. We were at my house in the library I had claimed as my own special sanctuary. But why?

Octo-Cat approached me carefully, almost as if he could catch whatever I had.ďYuck,Ē he said. ďYou still smell like that basement.Ē

Tears filled my eyes and suddenly I remembered everything.ďYou can talk,Ē I said, sobbing freely.

Bethany cheered and pumped a fist in the air.

Octo-Cat shook his head in amazement.ďOf course I can talk. Iíve always been able to talk. But now you can listen again. Oh my whiskers, I have so much to tell you.Ē

ďIt worked,Ē I sobbed. ďIím magic again.Ē

Bethany placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.ďI think youíve got it all wrong. Donít you see? Youíre not magic, but the bond you two share is.Ē

ďThis sounds like an episode of theCare Bears,Ē I quipped.

ďMy Little Pony would be the more recent reference,Ē Bethany said with a shrug. ďBut sure, Care Bears, yeah.Ē

I gave her a tight hug despite the fact sarcasm simply dripped off her.ďThank you so much for helping us.Ē

ďHey, donít get too friendly there,Ē Octo-Cat warned as he wrinkled his nose in disgust. ďSheís a dog, too.Ē

ďYouíre a dog? Like Peter?Ē I asked.

She nodded.ďI can become a pit bull. I did it a few times in my school days to scare bullies away.Bully breed, indeed,Ē she said with a dry chuckle.

ďSo what happens now?Ē I wanted to know.

Bethany sighed and looked toward the door.ďUnfortunately, I need to go.Ē

ďOkay, but Iíll see you at work tomorrow, right?Ē

She shook her head.ďI have to leave Glendale, I mean. Now that magic has been exposed, it isnít safe.Ē

Iíd be sad to see Bethany leave but understood her position. ďWhat about Peter and Moss? Are they going, too?Ē

ďPeterís coming with me just as soon as I bail him out. Moss, on the other hand, willÖ Well, heíll be around for a while.Ē

ďWhy? What happened?Ē

ďPeter turned Moss in to the cops so that he could plea out of felony charges.Ē

ďFigures,Ē I scoffed, thinking of neither man-animal fondly now that the worst was over.

ďIím taking him to Georgia. Itís kind of like the magic capital of the world.Ē

ďAtlanta?Ē

ďNo, a much smaller town called Peach Plains.Ē

ďCan you do me a favor before you go?Ē

ďIíll help however I can, but remember, my magic isnít very focused.Ē

ďCan you do that memory thing on me?Ē I begged her to understand. This was the only option for me now.

Bethany stared at me in confusion.ďWhy would you want that?Ē

I shrugged even though Iíd already made up my mind and knew I wouldnít be changing it any time soon. ďI liked the world better when it made more sense. If the magic is leaving, anyway, then I think Iíd rather not remember it.Ē

Bethany thought about this for a second before nodding her agreement.ďBut you do understand that you also wonít remember why you can talk to your cat? And that if anything ever goes wrong again, you wonít know who to turn to for help?Ē

I considered this, but it wasnít enough of an argument to sway me. ďWeíve become good friends. Havenít we, Bethany?Ē

Bethany smiled at me and gave me a quick hug.ďOf course.Ē

ďThen just check in on us every so often. Make sure weíre okay.Ē

ďI can definitely do that,Ē she promised. ďNow, before I try this, youíre sure you want to forget all of it?Ē

ďAll the magic stuff, if youíd please.Ē

Bethany raised one hand and made the whirling hand gesture Iíd seen both Peter and Moss use before. Soon I wouldnít remember any of it.

I watched her fingers dance gracefully before me. Bethany had always been so delicate and dainty. It was pretty hilarious that she could secretly turn into a pit bull. I liked knowing that, even if it wouldnít last much longerÖ

ďThere,Ē Bethany said, blinking at me curiously.ďHow do you feel now?Ē

ďA bit light-headed,Ē I answered, wondering why I suddenly felt so dizzy. ďCan we open up the window and get some air flowing through here?Ē

ďSure,Ē she said, kneeling down on my cushy window seat and cranking the glass open. Funny, I couldnít even remember asking her over, let alone what weíd discussed during our visit so far.

ďAhh, what a beautiful day itís turned out to be,Ē Octo-Cat said, inhaling the sweet summer air.

We both stuck our noses out and took deep, contented breaths. I closed my eyes and let the sun kiss my face. What a perfect day it had been. I couldnít remember much about it, but knew I was happyóand also that I was blessed beyond measure.

ďWhatís that cat doing?Ē someone asked from so close it startled me.

ďDo you think heís going to eat us?Ē another voice wondered aloud.

ďStop asking questions and fly away to safety,Ē a third said.

I opened my eyes just in time to see a trio of gulls launch themselves off the roof.

I desperately wanted to ask Octo-Cat if heíd heard them, too, but Bethany still stood nearby and she didnít know our secret.

I knew one thing for sure, though. Those birds had talkedÖ

And Iíd understood every word theyíd said.

5. THE CAT CAPER

Chapter One

My nameís Angie Russo, and Iím a cat person.

Lately, that is the most important thing about me.

Not that Iím a part-time paralegal and also a part-time private investigator. Not that I live in a giant East Coast manor house or that my quirky nan is one of my best friends. Not even the fact that Iíve managed to rack up seven associate degrees due to my academic indecisiveness.

Nope.

The most important thing about me is definitely the fact that I have a cat.

But heís not just any ordinary feline, mind you.

He talks.A lot.As in hardly ever shuts up.

And if you think your cat is demanding, just imagine what my life looks like.

I have to feed him a particular brand of food in a particular flavor in a particular Lenox dish and at very particular times of the day. He also only drinks Evian. Iíve tried to trick him in the past to save on this ridiculous expense, butóI kid you notóhe knew the difference. And, boy, did I pay for that one.

In all honesty, I can spare the expense, though. You see, my cat also has a trust fundóa big one. His previous owner was murdered, and it was by pure dumb luck that he and I ended up together. That is, if you can call almost dying at the hands of a faulty coffee maker ďluck.Ē

I mean, I do.

I love my life and would change very little about it. I do plan to quit my paralegal gig soon to pursue detective work full-time. Naturally, my cat would be my partner in that operation. He watches so muchLaw& Order that he practically has an honorary degree in criminal justice, and heís got claws that he isnít afraid to use when we find ourselves in a tricky scrape.

Other than his sometimes gratuitous violence and over-the-top television addiction, he has plenty of other unique skills that make him an indispensable partner, too. First, thereís the fact we can communicate. Obviously, no one ever suspects that the curious-looking feline across the way is actually listening in on their conversations.

When you add Nan to the mix with her background in Broadway and knack for creating colorful characters and then flawlessly bringing them to life, we have quite the little operation.

So, go ahead and eat your heart out, Scooby Doo.

If youíre wondering about me and who I am outside of being a cat owner, Iíll make this real simple for you: Iím the Velma of the group. I love researching, learning, wrapping my mind around any and every puzzle that comes our way.

I have a near-photographic memory and a knack for mnemonic devices, but lately my brain has been a tad less reliable than Iíd like.

Usually, I remember everything without fail. Ever since this new guy Peter Peters started working at the law office, though, things have definitely gotten a bit fuzzy. I hated that guy almost instantly, and Iím pretty sure he has something to do with the fog thatís taken up residence in my headÖ But I just canít remember why.

Lucky for me, heíll be leaving the state very soon. Unluckily, heís taking his cousin Bethany, a former partner at the same firm, with him. She was a good friend, and Iíll definitely miss having her around. Still, I get the fact that she needs to be there for her familyóeven if this particular member of her family is the creepiest guy I have ever met.

Honestly, itís probably time for me to quit, anyway. Well, just as soon as I work up the nerve to let down my secret crush by handing in my two weeksí notice. Iíve had the hots for our senior partner, Charles Longfellow, III, ever since he moved here from California and began working his way up the ranksat our firm. Heís only a few years older than me, a legal prodigy and also someone whoís had a few lucky strokes like I haveóso no judgment, please.

Iíd probably have bitten the bullet and asked him out already, but he has a girlfriend now. By the way, I hate her, and not just because sheís standing in the way of what Iím convinced could actually be true love, but because sheís mean and bitter and has never shown me an ounce of kindness in our entire acquaintanceship.

At least sheís not a murderer, although I did suspect her of a double homicide a few months back. We solved that one, though, and got both her and her brother off the hook. We also solved the murder of a prominent senator who used to live right next door.

And as ready as I am to hang up my sign as a full time P.I., Iíd much rather be chasing white-collar criminals around town than the homicidal maniacs Iíve been dealing with as of late. Because thatís the thing about murderers: theyíre dangerous with a capitalD. It stands to reason that eventually one of them is going to want revenge on the crazy girl and her cat that got them arrested in the first place.

I just hope Iím ready when karma comes callingÖ

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

I almost ran straight into Nan when I returned home from work that sunny afternoon.

ďLook what I made for you today in my community art class!Ē she cried, completely unbothered by the fact Iíd almost knocked her into the antique stained-glass windows that flanked either side of our front door.

I took one giant step back and studied the sizable metal sign she held between her aged hands.

ďPet Whisperer, P.I.,Ē I read aloud, then grabbed the thing to take a closer lookóand almost dropped it as soon as the heft transferred to my hands. ďOof, this is really heavy!Ē

Nan shook her head and tutted at me.ďWell, itís not made of paper, dear.Ē

ďWhat kind of art class are you taking, anyway?Ē I said as I appreciated how the various scrap metals had come together to create something new and beautiful.

ďItís a little bit of everythingósculpture, welding, landscapes, still-lifes, nudes.Ē She winked at that last one, and I had no doubt that this meant the nudes her entire reason for signing up in the first place.

ďSounds like a good time,Ē I said with a laugh. My nan was always finding something new and exciting to occupy her time. Apparently, this included advertising my closely kept secret to all of Blueberry Bay.

Nan caught me studying the sign with a nervous expression and explained,ďItís for your business, dear. Seeing as Iím your assistant, I figured Iíd make myself useful.Ē

ďBut we havenít even officially opened yet,Ē I argued. I loved Nan and was excited she wanted to help, but the added pressure didnít make this big career transition any easier on me.

ďYes, you really do need to get on with it already,Ē my grandmother told me as she furrowed her brow in my direction.

I groaned even though she was one-hundred percent right about this.ďOkay, but I donít want people to know I talk to animals, remember?Ē That was the other weird thing about the last couple weeks.

My memory was a bit fuzzy, but also my mind seemed to be more open. I still didnít know how I could talk to Octo-Cat, but lately Iíd been able to hear other animals besides him, too.

First there were the birds on the rooftop, then a curious squirrel in my garden. Iíd even managed to listen in on a great big buck Iíd startled in the woods outside our manor house. My ability to understand other animals was touch and go, and also a brand new complication in my already crazy life.

It had always been Octo-Cat and only Octo-Cat, and I really didnít know how I felt about becoming a full-on Dr. Dolittle these days. If word spread among the animal kingdom that I could understand their needs, would they all start swarming me with their legal problems?

I was way out of my depth here, considering I was just a paralegal and had no great passion for the lawóother than choosing to uphold it most of the time in my day-to-day life.

ďWhereís Octo-Cat?Ē I asked, craning my neck to glance up the grand staircase but not finding him at the top. Normally, he liked hanging out up there this time of day because it was when the skylights dumped lots of warm sunlight in that exact spot.

ďHeís around here somewhere, Iím sure,Ē Nan answered dismissively as she took the sign back from me and studied it with a huge, self-satisfied grin on her face.

ďWhen did you last see him?Ē I asked, checking his other favorite nap spots. Maybe the sun wasnít following its normal, predictable pattern today. Perhaps cloud cover had interfered. I knew my cat well enough to know he hadnít voluntarily changed his routine.

Something was off, and the sooner I figured out what that was, the better Iíd feel going into the rest of the day.

Nan came over and gave my shoulder a little squeeze.ďI watched an episode ofCriminal Intent with him during my mid-morning tea. That was only a little more than two hours ago. Iím sure heís fine, dear.Ē

But I wasnít. Not at all.

Iíd already lost him briefly a couple weeks ago, when heíd ended up on Caraway Island as if by magic. I still had no idea how heíd gotten out there or why I couldnít remember going with Nan to pick him up. All I knew is I needed to find my cat, and I needed to find him now.

ďHelp me look for him. Would you?Ē I asked Nan.

She nodded and tucked the metal sign away in the closet, then together we conducted a thorough search of both the house and the yard.

ďWell, thatís strange,Ē Nan said, scratching her forehead. ďMaybe heís just out for a walk and lost track of time.Ē

Again, this was not how my cat operated. If I so much as tried to sleep in an extra minute, Iíd get an earful about how disappointed he was in me. He did use his cat door as Nan suggested, but he never strayed far.

At least not until today.

A swatch of white appeared at the bottom of the driveway, and I watched as the mail truck grew closer and closer.

ďBeautiful day, isnít it?Ē the mail lady, Julie, trilled as she rummaged through her sack. ďA light load today,Ē she said next as she handed me a stack of mail that had been folded together using a thin rubber band.

ďThank you, Julie!Ē I called after her, biting my lip as I quickly flipped through the junk mail, bills, and solicitations.

But then I found an unfamiliar envelope, one that had no return address and was addressed simply toďOctaviusĒ Fulton.

Yes, to my cat.

I swallowed hard and tore it open without even the slightest momentís hesitationÖ

Chapter Two

The date at the top of the letter had already passed two months ago. Not a good sign. Not good at all.

ďWhat is it?Ē Nan asked as I quickly scanned the legalese before me.

ďItísÖĒ I took a deep, shaky breath in an effort to avoid either screaming or breaking down in tears. ďItís an arbitration notice.Ē

Nanís face loomed closer, concern pinching at the edges of her mouth. ďAn arbitration for what?Ē she huffed with clear outrage.

After a deep, painful swallow, I forced my eyes to focus on the page and read the entire letter from top to bottom before I spoke again.ďThe other beneficiaries of Ethelís will are disputing Octo-Catís inheritance.Ē

ďOh, dear,Ē Nan said with a disappointed shake of her head.

ďIf he wants to contest, he has to appear in court by this Friday. Otherwise his agreement will be implied, and the arbitration will go forward.Ē Even as I spoke the words, I couldnít quite believe them. Why was this happening now? Or ever for that matter? Itís not like the others had gotten cut out of the will. Ethel had loved her cat dearly and wanted to make sure he lived the rest of his days comfortably. Knowing Octo-Cat as I did now, I totally understood. It wasnít exactly cheap to fulfill his demands for Fancy Feast, Evian, fine china, Apple products, andóohóa giant East Coast manor house.

I folded the letter back into thirds and sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose to stave off the rapidly building headache.ďNan, if this goes forward, he could lose his trust fund. We could lose the house. We could even lose him.Ē

I would not cry. Crying wouldnít fix this. It wouldnít bring Octo-Cat home. I needed to suck those tears that threatened to spill back in and approach both situations with a clear head.

Nan placed a hand at the small of my back and guided me back toward the house.ďWell, weíll just have to find him by Friday, then,Ē she ground out. ďFailure is not an option.Ē

My cat had only been missing for a few hours, tops, but already I was terrified for him. Heíd be devastated if he lost his inheritance and I could no longer afford to maintain his lavish lifestyle and expensive tastes. Worse still was the fact that he could be lying hurt in a ditch somewhere, and I didnít even know where to look.

Nan motioned for me to sit on our massively uncomfortable antique Victorian couch.ďYou wait here while I make tea,Ē she instructed softly. ďThe hit of caffeine will help wake up our brains. Weíll solve this. Yes, we will.Ē She hurried out of sight, singing to herself as she went.

That just left me sitting on my own in our large, empty living room. I hated it. Octo-Cat should have been there, complaining about something, questioning my life choices, or telling tasteless jokes that no one else found funny.

While I worked hard not to let fear cloud my normally rational brain, Nan continued to sing loudly from the kitchen. Apparently, sheíd already composed a ballad about our mighty victory over catnappers and arbitrations. I had no idea where she found the energy.

Could a catnapper really be to blame for Octo-Catís sudden disappearance? It was certainly a possibility, given how unlikely it would be for him to wander off on his own. But who would want to take my crabby tabby, and why?

Nanís gray, curly head popped out of the kitchen. ďYoo-hoo, Angie dear!Ē she called, waving at me.

I lifted my head and attempted a smile that wouldnít come.

ďWhy donít you give our good friend Charles a call? May as well update him on the situation and see if he can help.Ē As soon as sheíd said her piece, Nan disappeared from view and the singing started up again.

Charles.Would he know what to do? Nan seemed to think so, and the three of us had made a pretty good team more than once before. At the very least, heíd be able to walk me through this arbitration notice and help me formulate a plan for escaping unscathed.

The phone felt heavy in my hands. Placing this call meant admitting that something was wrong. That Octo-Cat was really missing. Could I maybe pretend for a few blessed minutes that everything was still okay? Would that be selfish of me? Stupid?

ďDonít dilly-dally, dear!Ē Nan trilled from her place in front of the stove, then switched to singing in a different language. I assumed Korean, given her newly discovered K-pop infatuation.

Not even the deepest breath I could muster filled my lungs with the strength I needed to make this call, to speak these dreaded words aloud. But I did it anyway. I did it for Octo-Cat.

ďAngie, everything okay?Ē Charles answered after a couple rings. He was still at the firm, of course. Heíd been putting in long hours ever since Bethany had put in her resignation notice. With her moving away to start a new life in Georgia any day now, that left Charles as the sole partner ata law office that had seen a veritable revolving door of attorneys these past several months.

Hearing his voice so full of concern, of kindness, set off the tears Iíd already been struggling to hold back. ďCharles, heís gone!Ē I cried. ďOcto-Cat is missing, and we canít find him anywhere.Ē

Charles sucked in a deep breath, then said,ďIím sure he just found a great new napping spot and will wander home when his belly starts rumbling.Ē

The way he rushed through this explanation proved that Charles didnít believe those words. And neither did I. We both knew my cat too well to believe he had willingly altered his routine.

ďThereís also this arbitration thing,Ē I added, knowing I should probably re-open the letter and read the exact wording. But I was already far too tired, too emotionally spent to read that horrible thing again.

ďWhat?Ē Charlesís voice came out low, hostile almost. ďWhoís requested an arbitration with you?Ē

ďNot me,Ē I corrected with another deep, weighty sigh. ďOcto-Cat. And itís the other recipients of Ethelís will.Ē

He was silent for a few moments as he contemplated this newest development in the everyday traumas of Angie Russo.ďDonít let that add to your worry,Ē he said at last. ďFor now, just focus on finding Octo-Cat. He canít be far. Besides, we both knew that the will would probably be contested eventually despite Richardís best attempts to prevent that from happening. Youíll have a chance to contest the dispute before the arbitration goes ahead, too.Ē

ďYeah, but the deadlineís Friday,Ē I said glumly. So far, Iíd managed to avoid going to court for any personal matters. The only reason Iíd ever stepped foot in the county court before was to offer on-the-spot assistance for the lawyers from my firm. Usually, Charles.

He balked at this.ďFriday? But thatís nowhere near enough time.Ē

ďYeah, I know.Ē I traced the intricate paisley pattern on the couch with my index finger, letting my vision go blurry but still refusing to let any tears fall. With a sniff, I informed Charles that, ďThe letter has a few different postmarks on it. Looks like it originally went to my old rental and then got turfed back as undeliverable until they finally found my forwarding address.Ē

ďBut they all know exactly where you and Octo-Cat are,Ē he protested. Charles had always been the sort to wear his heart right on his sleeve, and as such, I could tell that heíd become angry.Real angry.

I nodded, even though he wasnít there to read my body language. ďI know that, too.Ē

We both sighed in unison, and then I asked the question that had been plaguing me ever since the letter first arrived.ďDo you think they sent it to the wrong place on purpose?Ē

ďOf course I do,Ē he growled. I could hear something slam down on his end of the line. ďItís still okay. Weíll find Octo-Cat in no time at all. Meanwhile Iíll start putting together your grounds for contesting the arbitration, and weíll show up on Friday ready to kick some serious complainant butt.Ē

ďThank you. You always make me feel better.Ē That was Charles for you. He never hesitated to offer his help when I needed it, and that was a big part of the reason why heíd become my closest friend since he relocated from his home state of California in favor of the scenic Blueberry Bay region of Maine.

ďWant me to stop by after work to help you look for Octo-Cat?Ē he asked me after a brief pause. ďI could finish up early and offer a second set of eyes. Or third, rather, since Iím sure Nanís already on the case.Ē

I let out a weak laugh. He knew us too well.ďActually, I kind of could use a change of scenery. Weíve already been searching for hours, and heís clearly nowhere nearby.Ē

ďWant to come over to my place, then?Ē he asked without even the briefest hesitation.

ďYes, please,Ē I trilled.

Now that Charles was on the case, I knew everything would be okay. I had to believe that, because the alternative simply broke my heart.

If Octo-Cat were here, heíd no doubt yell at me to toughen up and do what needed to be done. And thatís exactly what I would do to bring him back homeóand to make sure we kept him here, right where he belonged.

Chapter Three

Charles invited me to come over for a quick dinner and epic brainstorming session at six thirty that evening. When I showed up at six thirty-three, however, the house stood dark and empty. Assuming heíd gotten delayed at work, I decided to let myself in using the key he kept stashed in the garden around back. At least it was a better hiding place than Nanís preferred placement under the front door mat. Itís a wonder she never got burgled even once in all her seventy-ish years of life.

ďHello!Ē I called as I pushed my way inside, just in case Charles was in the shower or something and hadnít heard me knock.

Nothing.

I shrugged, then made my way to the kitchen. The least I could do is set the table, since I assumed heíd be bringing takeout home with him. Neither of us were great cooks, but thankfully I had my newly awakened culinary genius Nan to make sure I always had something yummy on my plate. It was both a blessing and a curse, considering Iíd grown at least one pants size in the months since sheíd discovered this new passion of hers.

I marched through the house, turning on some lights as I went, knowing Charles preferred to keep the curtains drawn for some odd reason. It still felt incredibly odd, thoughóseeing the house that Iíd grown up in now set with all of Charlesís sparse, manly decorations. Nan had decided to sell her former home and move in with me when I came in possession of the big manor house we both resided in now, which meant putting this one on the market.

It all worked out kind of perfect in the end, considering Charles needed something a bit more permanent than the Cliffside Apartments, where he used to live. Cliffside was also host to a vast percentage of Glendaleís criminalsóor, at least the ones that got caught. Based on my own unique experience as of late, the more money a person had, the more likely they were to kill somebody to protect it.

Some people were just never happy, and I vowed never to let myself become one of them.

Feeling a bit more at home now, I grabbed a pair of plates from the cupboard by the stove, then turned to head back out to the dining room and almost jumped right out of my skin at the horrifying sight before me.

ďOh my gosh,Ē I cried, fumbling the plates in my shock, but thankfully not dropping them. ďYou scared me!Ē

Yes, it seemed I was no longer alone. Charles still hadnít put in an appearance, but his two Sphynx cats had appeared in the doorway and stood contemplating me with twin sets of glowing eyes. How had I forgotten about them?

ďHello, Jacques and Jillianne,Ē I said with a friendly smile. Hopefully, they couldnít see that I was internally screaming at that moment. J and J, as Charles had taken to calling them whenever discussing the cats as a pair, had no hair but lots of wrinkles on their exposed skin. If you try to picture what a brain might look like if it grew four legs, a tail, and a pair of glowing eyes, then youíd have a pretty good idea why I was so startled at the initial sighting of these two.

The larger of the animalsóJillianneóstepped toward me. ďA prince, a princess, and a paralegal walk into a kitchen. Which didnít belong?Ē she said, allowing me to hear one of the famous Sphynx cat riddles firsthand for the very first time. After all, it was only very recently Iíd gained the ability to talk to anyone of fur or feather other than Octo-Cat.

Jillianne flicked her tail and narrowed her eyes when I didnít immediately answer. ďOh,Ē I sputtered, suddenly feeling as if I were a contestant in the final round of Jeopardyóand that Iíd just bid all my money without having the slightest idea what the answer might be. ďIs the answer the paralegal? Um, because Iím here by Charlesís invitation, I swear!Ē

I raised my hand and crossed my heart, hoping it would reassure the suspicious felines. It did not. Little Jacques arched his back and let out a dry, hacking hiss.

I took two giant steps back and put out my hands before me.ďDonít you remember me? I took care of you, whenÖĒ Probably best not to bring up their recent trauma involving the untimely murder of their first owner. ďI helped solve the case and get justice for the Senator. Remember?Ē

ďAngie?Ē Charlesís voice sounded from the other room followed by fast approaching footfalls. ďAre you talking to J and J?Ē he asked when heíd made it to the kitchen. ďI thought you couldnít do that.Ē

Oh, crud.

I crossed my arms and scowled at him.ďHow is it that you are always the one to randomly discover all my secrets? Seriously, how?Ē

ďLucky timing?Ē he offered, lifting Jillianne into his arms and giving her a kiss on her forehead. And let me tell you, that cat went from threatening my life to contentedly purring within a matter of seconds.

I let out a giant, happy sigh. Well, at least I was safe now. I was also never going to let myself into Charlesís house with the spare key ever again.

ďSoÖĒ Charles said, drawing the single syllable into several long beats. His green eyes bore into me, and I found myself trapped in his gaze. ďYou can talk to all animals now? Because this development would have come in handy when we were working the Calhoun case.Ē

ďShut up,Ē I grumbled, trying and failing to look away. Even when he was irritated with me, Charlesís expression still held so much kindness. ďYou still won. And yes. I can talk to other animals now. I have no idea what changed or why, and Iíd prefer to keep it hush-hush for now, please.Ē

ďDo you hear that?Ē he asked the black hairless cat in his arms using an adorable baby voice. ďShe thinks weíre going to share her secret. Yes, she does.Ē

It was strange how hot I found it watching Charles baby and dote on his creepy cat. Obviously, my crush was never going away, no matter how many times I accidentally walked in on him kissing his horrible girlfriend, Breanne. Regardless of his bad taste inÖ well, many things but especially girlfriendsÖ Charles was the best guy I knew. Bar none.

He proved that further by coming in close and rubbing a calming hand on my shoulder.ďWeíre going to find Octo-Cat, and weíre going to dismiss this arbitration. Everything is going to be just fine.Ē

The friction from his touch gave me a little thrill that I quickly worked to stuff down. He was my friend, my boss, the most inappropriate choice possible. Not for me, at least not right now.

I let out a weary sigh. It had been such a long day already.

Charles set Jillianne back onto the floor and searched my face for a moment.ďYou do believe me. Donít you?Ē

ďYes,Ē I said without hesitation. Even though I didnít know what the future might one day hold for the two of us, I knew Charles would take care of everything going wrong in the present. I also knew that one way or another we would all be okay. Unfortunately, I didnít know what it might cost us in the meantime.

ďWhatís the real pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?Ē the smaller spotted cat Jacques asked me from his spot on the kitchen floor. Apparently, he wasnít as good at riddles as his companion, which is why he typically let her speak for the both of them.

Still, I couldnít help but wonder what the answer to this one might be. Was it important? Would it somehow help me find my missing cat?

ďDo you know what the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow really is?Ē I asked Charles as I rolled one of my hangnails beneath my thumbóa disgusting nervous habit Iíd given up on trying to overcome.

He blinked at me a few times, then burst out laughing.ďI donít know. A bowl of cereal. Weird question.Ē

I looked back toward Jacques, but heíd retreated back into the bowels of the house. Was he just messing with me, or had he tried to share something important?

Perhaps Iíd never know.

Chapter Four

ďI hope youíre in the mood for some fried chicken,Ē Charles said at the same moment I spotted the red-and-white containers stacked in the center of the table. ďIt seemed comfort food-y,Ē he added with a grin as the two of us moved into the dining room.

ďIt smells so good,Ē I cooed. Then I remembered the one time Iíd attempted to bring fast food chicken into the house while living with Octo-Cat. Heíd claimed the greasy smell bothered him so much that heíd swatted the still-full bucket off the edge of the table, sending wings, thighs, anddrumsticks cascading across the dusty floor and rendering my dinner plans obsolete.

That guy. He always did love making a scene.

Charles studied me carefully as he scooped a giant heap of mashed potatoes onto his plate.ďWhatís up?Ē he asked softly.

ďJust thinking about him,Ē I admitted, returning to that sad, anxiety-filled place inside of me. ďDo you really think heís okay?Ē

ďAngie, look at me,Ē Charles demanded, his stern expression brooking no argument. ďThat cat of yours could probably survive a nuclear holocaust if he wanted to. You know, heís kind of like a cockroach in that way. Nothing stands in the way of him and what he wants, and I guarantee he wants to get home to you. And he will. Okay?Ē

ďOkay,Ē I mumbled. Should I be offended that he basically just called my cat a cockroach? Octo-Cat certainly wouldnít like that comparison if he were here. But he wasnít here, and I was beginning to worry weíd never find himóespecially not in time to make his court date.

Charles gave me a few minutes alone with my thoughts, but the whole time his gaze didnít waver from my face. ďTell me you believe me,Ē he said at last.

ďYes, yes, I believe you,Ē I hurried to assure him. In some ways I did, but in others? It was hard to keep the faith when I had no idea what we were dealing with. ďItís still hard, though,Ē I added, unable to hide the emotional turmoil that raged on the inside. Had I somehow caused this? If so, I would never forgive myself.

ďEat,Ē Charles commanded, motioning to my plate, where the salty pile of comfort food still sat untouched.

Even though I knew Charles was just trying to help, my stomach churned at the sight of it. I twisted my face into a grimace and leaned away from the table, trying to gain at least a little distance from the nauseating aroma before me.

My thoughts immediately turned back to Octo-Cat.ďDo you think he has access to Evian and Fancy Feast wherever he is? What if heís starving or dying of thirst? What ifó?Ē

ďOkay, thatís it,Ē Charles said firmly as he set his fork down and pushed his plate to the side. ďYouíre officially not allowed to talk until you get something in your stomach.Ē

ďButóď I argued, unsure of how I wanted to finish this particular sentence. Luckily, I didnít have to.

ďBut nothing,Ē Charles huffed, folding his arms in front of him. ďWhile you eat, Iíll do the talking. Got it?Ē

I sat, staring at him with a furrowed brow, which elicited a deep sigh from Charles.

Both his voice and expression softened then.ďCímon. Iím trying to be a good friend here.Ē

Even though my gut still roiled with anxiety, I obediently picked up a chicken leg and smiled at Charles with wide eyes before taking a large, juicy bite. Instead of feeling worse like Iíd feared, something like relief settled over me. Maybe I really was hungry, after all.

ďThank you,Ē he said with a quick nod in my direction. ďNow, we have a couple of big issues to address. Letís start with the arbitration, because Iím assuming it will be easier for you to focus on your dinner while Iím yammering on about the boring stuff.Ē

I gave him a thumbs up and waited to see what heíd say next.

ďLike I said before, we should have Octo-Cat back by then, which means it probably wonít be a problem for us.Ē He held up his hand to silence me before I could even begin to offer another argument.

ďHowever,Ēhe continued emphatically.ďJust to make sure all our bases are covered, Iíll stop by the county court tomorrow to request a continuance. Meanwhile, I shouldnít need much to prepare your argument against the arbitration. Ethel Fulton made her will very clear in regard to how she wanted her assets divided and who she most wanted to see benefited by them. And while she was certainly the most generous with Octo-Cat, she didnít cut any of the family out, either.Ē

He paused to take a quick drink from his glass of tap water. Funny how my cat had more particular tastes than the senior partner at my law firm.ďNow, they might argue that Octo-Cat and his monthly trust fund payments should have remained with one of the members of their family, but that wonít be a problem, either. We have lots of evidence that youíre a fantastic pet owner. Many witnesses who would attest to that fact as well.Ē

I pushed my plate aside, already having eaten all I could stomach for the time being. I did feel better in some ways, but in others nothing had changed. And now my head swam with all the new information Charles had provided about how we were going to fight this arbitration.

ďWell, maybe Iwas a fantastic pet owner,Ē I murmured with a frown. ďBut now my pet either ran away or was stolen right out from under my nose.Ē

Charles waved his fork at me, sending a small lump of mashed potatoes soaring half way across the table. We both stared at the spot where theyíd landed for a moment without saying anything.

ďWeíre going to find him,Ē he promised again. ďAnd you know how youíre going to do it, right?Ē

I lifted my eyes to his with what I assumed must have appeared to be a blank expression, when inside my head was reeling with all the places we had yet to look, all the things that might have possibly gone wrong in the meanwhile.

ďUm, hello!Ē he cried, waving his hand between us with a flourish. ďYou can talk to other animals now. Thatís huge!Ē

ďJ and J werenít exactly thrilled to see me,Ē I hedged. Even though I could talk to other animals, I hadnít done much of that yet. I was still learning, and there was so much I needed to figure out, given that each species seemed to have its own personality, lingo, and set of social guidelines. Heck, I was still figuring out Octo-Cat more and more with each new day, and now I had an entire world of creatures I knew very little about. It wasnít as if I had anyone I could ask for advice on this particular issue, either.

ďNot them,Ē Charles said with a dismissive chuckle, referring to his two moody felines. ďIím sure there are at least a dozen forest animals that regularly hang out in your yard or in the woods by your yard. Maybe one of them saw something.Ē

ďOh my gosh, youíre right,Ē I said, suddenly eager to get home again. Even if I didnít know exactly how to act with them, at least I had my words. At this point Iíd try anythingórisk almost everythingóto find my missing friend again.

Charles simpered at me.ďDo you feel better now?Ē

I knew I wouldnít feel better until I had Octo-Cat safe in my arms again. Granted, he would probably scratch me like crazy, considering how hard I planned to hug his furry little body once I found him again. Even the sting a of fresh wound would be welcome right about now. Anything to prove that my cat was still here and that he didnít blame me for his sudden disappearance.

Actually, even if he did blame me, that would still be okay. Iíd have to work harder to make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

ďThanks for talking me off the ledge,Ē I said as Charles began to clear our plates from the table.

ďNo more ledges for you,Ē he said with a laugh. ďYou hear me?Ē

I knew he was just joking, but still I couldnít promise anything. If Octo-Cat needed me to walk a tightrope a hundred feet off the ground, I would jump at the chance to do it.

Anything to bring my number one guy home safe and soundÖ

Chapter Five

Nan was nowhere to be found when I returned home from Charlesís place. Her little red sports coupe was missing, too, which led me to assume she was out widening our search radius.

Now that the twilight hour had set in, the animals who normally scampered and flittered around my yard had all tucked in for the night. Some of the forest creatures were most definitely nocturnal, but I felt uneasy going into the dark woods without backup. Instead, as much as it pained me, I decided to head to bed early so that I could also wake up early to resume my search.

ďWherever you are,Ē I whispered, hoping somehow, some way Octo-Cat would hear or would at least know I was thinking of him, ďI hope youíre okay.Ē

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed at the first sign of dawn. The animals were up, and I needed to be as well. Nanís little red sports coupe was back in front of the house, but she herself wasnít up yet. She had, however, left a long and very detailed note for me on the kitchen counter:

My dearest dear,

I know you are eager to find our missing buddy, but make sure you grab a bite to eat first. Scones are in the ceramic container on the opposite side of the fridge. I also brought home some of those cold coffees that taste like chalk in case Iím not up early enough to make the brew.

As for the search, here are all the places I checked last nightÖ

What followed was a lengthy list of almost every place in Glendale. No wonder Nan was still in bed. She must have been out all night. Yet still, she hadnít managed to find ďour missing buddy.Ē More and more it was looking like foul play had been involved, and that made finding him all the more urgent. I grabbed one of Nanís scones and a chilled coffee shot from the fridge, planning to eat while I searched the woods.

Or ratherinterrogated the local woodland creatures.

The outside sun was bright and warm like a reassuring hug. Hopefully, the animals would be every bit as accommodating as the weather.

Then we might really get somewhere.

A little chickadee sat on the porch railing, tilting its head to the side as it studied me.

I stopped in my tracks and plastered on my best smile.ďHello, there,Ē I said around a very full mouth of scone.

The short, fat bird quickly became a tall, thin bird as it rose on its tiptoes and stretched its neck high in alarm.ďIt speaks!Ē he cried.

I nodded and swallowed down my food before speaking again.ďMy nameís Angie, and I was wondering if you could help me withóĒ My words fell away once the chickadee flapped its wings furiously and darted away without so much as a backward glance in my direction.

Well, then. It seemed clear I would need to find something a little less skittish than a bird. I already knew from my limited experience that almost everything seemed to set them off and send them flying away. Definitely not the most useful as far as witnesses went.

Leaving the porch behind, I made my way toward the edge of the forest that edged my property on three sides. Once there, I stood stock-still and listened to the morning chorus all around me. Much of it belonged to a cacophony of various birds singing in the trees, but Iíd already decided that Iíd only be questioning them as an absolute last resort.

A chittering sound came from above, and sure enough a hyper brown squirrel jumped from one branch to the next, singing a peppy little tune that seemed to be about all his favorite kinds of nuts.

ďOh, what a beautiful day for eating an acorn,Ē he belted out, then hummed a few beats before continuing his song. ďHey, itís always a great day to enjoy a walnut!Ē

ďHey!Ē I called in his general direction. I didnít know much about squirrels, but they definitely didnít seem to be the shyest of creatures. Perhaps I could use that to my advantage now.

The squirrel immediately stopped singing, stopped moving, stopped everything as he took me in with his shiny, black eyes.

ďI heard you like nuts,Ē I said, formulating my plan right there on the spot. ďBut do you like peanut butter?Ē

He sniffed the air with giant, exaggerated motions. It practically looked as if his nose could fly straight off his face. A second later, he zagged to the side and scampered down to the base of the tree.ďDo-do-do you have peanut butter?Ē

ďThat depends.Ē I crossed my arms and appeared to look both bored and non-threatening.

Luckily, Mr. Squirrel wasnít up on the latest human bribery techniques, because my hesitation to answer his question only made his eagerness grow. ďYou dooooo have peanut butter. Donít you?Ē He closed about half the distance between us and sniffed at the air again.

ďMy nameís Angie. I live in that house back there,Ē I informed him, hooking a thumb over my shoulder in the general direction of the manor house.

The fuzzy rodent before me nodded vigorously.ďIím Maple. I live about three trees back and five to the right.Ē Now that part of the squirrelís energy was being used to nod, its voice came out squeakier but also less hurried. Different. This was the point that I realized Maple was most likely actually a girl.

I didnít know how to politely ask, so I just did my best to avoid any gendered language as our conversation proceeded. ďIím trying to find my friend,Ē I explained. ďIf you can help me with that, then thereís a whole jar of peanut butter in it for you.Ē

Mapleís eyes grew even wider as she scrambled straight up to me and put both of her furry little hands on the toe of my shoe. ďReally? A whole jar?Ē she asked almost reverently, unwilling to take her eyes off me for even a second.

ďYup,Ē I confirmed with an earnest smile. ďBut I need help figuring out where my friendís gone first.Ē

ďDo you mean the other human? Or maybe the cat?Ē Maple reached one small hand up and scratched at her head. ďI donít think thereís anyone else in your drey is there?Ē

ďThe cat,Ē I said with a nod. ďAnd how do you know so much about myÖ drey?Ē I stumbled over the unfamiliar word, assuming this must be what a squirrel called its family.

ďI like to watch you sometimes from my tree,Ē Maple answered unabashedly. ďSometimes I even climb up onto the roof to get a closer look. Youíre a funny trio, you three are.Ē

I couldnít tell whether that was meant as an insult or some kind of strange compliment, so I just said, ďUm, thank you?Ē It was a bit creepy that Maple had made a habit of peeping in on us, but I tried to let that goóespecially if it led to information we could use to recover Octo-Cat.

ďYou are very welcome,Ē the squirrel said, sniffing at the air yet again. ďPeanut butter?Ē

ďFirst cat, then peanut butter,Ē I reminded her.

ďOh, Iím so hungry, just thinking about all that gooey, melty nut butter, but I promise I will try my very best to help!Ē

Clearly, it was going to be difficult to keep my new squirrel friend on task, so Iíd need to be quick and to the point with my questions. First, I needed to give her a little background on the situation.

ďOcto-Cat went missing yesterday during the late morning or very early afternoon,Ē I explained. ďWeíve been looking everywhere but havenít been able to find him. Weíre wondering if maybe someone took him. Did you see anything unusual happening around here at that time?Ē

ďUnusual? Hmmm.Ē Maple grabbed her tail and began to brush through it with her fingers. Her eyes darted from side to side as she thought. ďThe big buck was here. You know the one with lots of pointy parts on his antlers? He was hanging out near the edge of the forest, which I thought was weird since he usually likes to stay hidden. And my friend, Willow, said she saw the old human taking a nap in the sun.Ē

ďNan?Ē That definitely didnít sound like my active, vibrant grandmother, but who else could it be?

ďSure, I guess so.Ē Maple put her hands out to either side in an approximation of a shrug. ďI donít blame him, since sleeping in the sunshine is so nice. The only thing nicer is nutsóespecially peanut butter. Do you still have some you wanted to give me?Ē

ďNanís a she, by the way,Ē I said with a small chuckle. ďDonít worry about it, though. I know it can be hard to tell with humans. And, yes, I have that jar of peanut butter I promised you. But do you think maybe you can help me out with something very important, Maple?Ē

She spun in a slow circle, searching the woods around us. I looked, too, but didnít see or hear any other animals already.

Maple turned back toward me with her mouth ajar.ďDidnít I do that already?Ē

I had to make fast on my peanut butter promise. Otherwise Iíd lose the opportunity to get anything else from my first animal informant. ďYes, which is why Iím giving you the first jar of peanut butter. Iíll give you another if you can ask around the forest and see if you can learn anythingóanything at allóabout what might have happened to my cat.Ē

Maple saluted me, then ran off shouting into the forest. No idea where she learned that particular gesture or how screaming to all the animals at once was going to help anything, but I could at least keep up my end of the promise.

Now I knew that at least some of the animals kept a close eye on my house and family. Did that mean one of them saw what happened yesterday?

I returned home to raid my pantry for a fresh jar of peanut butter, hoping that when I returned, Maple might have more to tell me.

Each moment that passed by without my catís safe return had become agonizing for me, and I wasnít sure I could last another night without knowing he was safe.

Oh, Octo-Cat, where have you gone?

Chapter Six

Even though Iíd barely been out for half an hour, I returned home to find Nan both wide awake and wearing a full face of makeup. She also wore a lace-trimmed blue sundress that hit at the knees, which sheíd paired with hot pink tights and big dangling earrings.

ďHey, good morning. What are you all dressed up for?Ē I asked, eyeing her suspiciously as I clicked the door shut behind me.

ďDressed up?Ē Nan asked with a small frown as she scratched at her collarbone. ďAre you sure? I was worried it makes me look too much like an old fogey.Ē

I widened my eyes and shook my head. Nothing about Nanís ensemble aged her in the slightest, but I also knew better than to argue with her when it came to fashion. We both had a special flair for it but tended to prefer very different styles.

ďThe lace, dear,Ē Nan explained. ďDoesnít it feel a bit old-fashioned to you?Ē

ďI think you look nice,Ē I offered with a smile and shrug as I sat to join her. ďBut I still donít know why youíre all dressed up.Ē

ďOh, yes. Well, that nice young man, Brock, called and said he was coming by to do a bit of work.Ē Nan shimmied her shoulders and giggledóactually giggled.

This was weird. Even for her.

And especially for so early in the morning.

ďHe prefers to be called Cal now,Ē I pointed out. ďYou know, short for Calhoun.Ē

Nan studied her reflection in the antique mirror that hung near the doorway.ďAh, so he does.Ē

ďBut none of this explains why you felt the need to dress allÖĒ I stopped just short of sayingflirty and let out a big gasp. Of course.ďNan, you donít have a new crush, do you?Ē

She waved her hand and rolled her eyes, but the blush that now painted the apples of her cheeks was unmistakable.ďOh, pish posh. I donít think it can be categorized as a crush if I never plan on making a move. Besides, silly, Iíve already decided heís for you.Ē

ďFor me?Ē I shrieked. ďYou canít be serious?Ē

ďHeís single. Youíre single. You get along. I donít see what the problem isÖĒ A wicked smile lit up her face. ďUnless you maybe have romantic inclinations for another fella?Ē

Sure, there was no denying that Cal was an attractive man and somebody I got along well with, too. But to think about dating at a time like this? No way. Not until Octo-Cat was back home, safe and sound.

I groaned and cracked my neck to either side.ďThis is not the 1800s, nor is it the Deep South. We live in twenty-first-century Maine, Nan. And I can find my own boyfriend when Iím ready. Right now, Iím a bit more concerned about finding my missing cat, thank you.Ē

Nan remained completely unperturbed by my protestations.ďStill no reason to pass up a perfectly good opportunity when it just so happens to present itself,Ē she said. ďBesides, you say you can find your own boyfriend, but you havenít. Let your poor old nan help. By the way, is that what youíre planning to wear?Ē

ďThatís it!Ē I shouted, throwing both hands in the air and marching right past her. ďIíll meet Cal outside, and you can make yourself scarce. Preferably by continuing the search for Octo-Cat.Ē Even though I knew it was a touch overdramatic, I slammed the door shut behind me and practically ran straight into the handsome handyman on the other side.

ďOh, sorry,Ē I murmured as I tried to edge my way past him without losing my footing or brushing up against anything I shouldnít. I found myself even more aware of his good looks than normal now, thanks to Nan.

Calís brow furrowed in sympathy. ďIs everything okay?Ē

ďJust peachy,Ē I said, giving the thumbs-up and tossing him a wink for good measure. Ugh, why was I always embarrassing myself?

Cal stretched his hand across the back of his neck and glanced down toward the porch.ďYour nan called me a little bit ago and said you needed help installing a sign for your new business.Ē He glanced up again and his dark eyes locked with mine. ďI didnít know you were starting up your own business. If you need any advice or anything, Iíd be happy to help in whatever way Ican.Ē

Nan had said Cal called himself, but seeing as he had no reason to lie about things, I had to wonder why Nan would have intentionally misled me. What was she playing at, and why now?

ďThanks, Cal. ThatísÖĒ I stopped and cleared my throat, otherwise it felt like I might legitimately stop breathing. ďThatís really nice of you. Iíll definitely let you know if I need any help.Ē

He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet and glanced awkwardly toward the door before finally asking,ďSo, um, whereís the sign?Ē

ďOh, just a sec. Iíll go in and grab it real quick. Be right back.Ē I raced inside, clicking the door shut behind me so that Cal wouldnít try to follow. The last thing I needed was an added layer of embarrassment from Nan. I was doing a mighty fine job of that myself, thank you. I grabbed the metal sign and stepped back outside, where I handed it to Cal.

He laughed as he studied it.ďIím guessing your nan made this.Ē

ďYup.Ē I stared at the door, praying that Nan wasnít planning on bursting through it anytime soon.

ďSo youíre opening aÖ what exactly?Ē

ďA private investigation firm.Ē I bit my lip while he continued to stare at the sign with a furrowed brow.

ďAnd youíre a pet whisperer now?Ē His eyes snapped up and locked with mine.

I took a step back and forced a laugh.ďItís just a cute name Nan and my mom came up with.Ē

ďSo you donít talk to animals?Ē he asked, raising an eyebrow now. He didnít appear judgmental, just curious. Still. I really would have preferred a different name for my new firm.

I shook my head so hard, I practically got whiplash.ďNo, ha! Donít be silly!Ē

ďToo bad,Ē Cal said after making a gentle clicking noise with his tongue. ďI think it would be interesting to hear what they had to say.Ē

ďYeah,Ē I said with a laugh. ďIím sure it would be. Especially considering my cat turned up missing yesterday, and Iím worried sick about him.Ē

ďOctavius, right?Ē he asked. ďI remember that guy. Do you need any help searching for him? It should only take me a few minutes to hang this sign, and then I have the rest of the day free.Ē

I took a deep breath, suddenly feeling much better about Calís visit. Nan was only trying to help expand our search team. All the flirty stuff was just her way of adding a bit of dramatic flair, but not really the point. ďThank you, BrockóI mean, Cal. That would be really nice, if youíre sure you donít mind.Ē

A curtain rustled in the window, and I saw Nan poke her head into view wearing a giant, naughty grin. I, of course, shot her a death glare. Whether or not her heart was in the right place, sometimes her tongue ran away with her. Sometimes I needed to put my foot down, to remind her that meddling with my life wasnít an appropriateóor appreciatedóhobby.

Less than a minute later, Nan flung the front door open and pushed her way between us on the porch.ďDid I hear youíre going to help us search for our sweet missing kitty?Ē she cooed, batting eyelashes so long I had to wonder if sheíd applied fake lashesóor at least several extra coats of mascara.

ďYes, of course,Ē Cal answered, fixing her with a charming smile. I donít think Iíd ever met a single person who didnít immediately adore my nan. It was kind of like her own personal superpower.

ďOh, goodie,Ē she cried. ďAngie and I need all the help we can get. We are so worried about our little guy.Ē

ďThink nothing of it. Itís my pleasure,Ē Cal assured us both just as another vehicle pulled up the driveway and stopped in front of our manor house.

Well, Nan and I were certainly popular this morning. I, of course, recognized the dusty black sedan right away. Sure enough, Charles parked quickly and then lumbered over to join us on the porch.

ďNan,Ē he cried. ďI came as soon as I got your text. Is everything okay?Ē

Nan floated over to give him a hug hello, smiling at me as she did. Would every eligible bachelor in Blueberry Bay show up at my house this morning? Ugh, I sure hoped not.

Exactly two thoughts flittered through my mind then as the four of us stood awkwardly together on the porch.

One, I definitely regretted teaching my grandmother how to text.

And two, I was going to kill her.

Chapter Seven

Everyone except for Nan seemed a bit uncomfortable during our impromptu porch meeting. This was made incredibly clear by the fact that no one said anything for several moments.

ďAre you okay?Ē Charles finally asked Nan again, seeing as she hadnít given him a clear answer upon his arrival. ďYour text worried me.Ē

ďOh. Iím fine, dear,Ē she responded with a grandmotherly grin. ďIím just so worried about Octo-Cat. You know how it is. He didnít come home last night, and poor Angie is sick with worry, too. We could both really use some help and a friend through this trying time.Ē

Well, that at least was true. I pumped my head in agreement.ďSorry to call you out of work,Ē I muttered by way of apology.

ďThatís okay,Ē Charles said, placing a hand on my shoulder and giving it a quick squeeze. ďThis is important.Ē

Cal shifted his weight between his feet and took a small step back.ďHi, Charles,Ē he muttered.

ďBrock,Ē the other man said, clamping a hand on his shoulder now, too. ďGood to see you, man.Ē

Things seemed more than a little awkward between them, despite the fact that Charles had gotten Cal acquitted of a double murder charge not too long ago and had been dating Calís twin sister for the past several months to boot.

Was the sister thing what made them so tense around each other? And if so, might that mean trouble in paradise? Most importantly, though, why was I so darned happy about that possibility? I needed to quit daydreaming and get back to focusing on finding my lost fur friend.

ďI do have a bit of bad news, unfortunately,Ē Charles said just then, looking from me to Nan and back again. ďI exchanged some emails first thing this morning, and needless to say, we canít get a continuance for the arbitration.Ē

ďWhich means?Ē Nan prompted as she rolled her hand at the wrist impatiently.

Charles sighed.ďWe need to find Octo-Cat and find him fast. Thatís the only way weíll be able to contest, and believe me, youíll want to contest.Ē

ďWait,Ē Cal said as he lifted his hands in apparent confusion. ďThe cat is the one who needs to go to court. Not the two of you?Ē

ďThe cat,Ē Charles informed him, ďis the beneficiary, so yes, he does need to be present.Ē

Cal grabbed my hand and gave it a friendly squeeze, then said,ďDonít worry, Angie. Iím sure weíll find him today, and if we donít, how hard could it be to find a lookalike to take to court in a pinch?Ē

My jaw dropped open, and I was too agitated to speak. I wanted to rip my hand away from anyone who would suggest such an awful solution to our problems.

Then Cal burst out laughing.ďSorry, just trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor. I guess that joke flopped and flopped bad.Ē

ďIt was a big olí belly flop,Ē Nan told him with a wink. ďWhy donít you come with me, Cal? We can buddy up for the search. Charles, are you fine escorting Angie?Ē

I saved my breath rather than try to explain to Nan that I didnít need an escort for thisóor really anything else. It would be nice to spend some time with Charles, to have a partner in the search, especially since I was now losing hope at a depressingly rapid clip.

ďWe can pick up where we left off last night, or at least by doing what we talked about. Come with me,Ē Charles said, motioning for me to follow him toward the woods.

The woods!

ďJust a second,Ē I called, darting back into the house and straight past Nan and Cal as I dashed toward the pantry. I found an unopened jar of peanut butter and grabbed it for my new squirrel informant, Maple, making sure to hide it from view as I passed Cal. No need to invite any awkward questions if they could just as easily be avoided.

ďHave a craving?Ē Charles asked with a sarcastic smile when I returned to him.

Heat flooded my cheeks, but then I remembered that Charles knew everything, and I had absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.ďLetís just say I owe a squirrel a favor,Ē I said, making a clicking noise as we fell into step beside one another.

ďA squirrel, huh? Did he have any good leads for you?Ē He asked this as if it were a completely normal and rational development, and I loved him for it.

ďShe, and not really. But Iíve asked her to be my eyes and ears in the forest, provided she stops thinking about peanut butter long enough to pay attention to anything else.Ē

Charles chuckled.ďMaybe we need to find you a different animal helper. Who do you think would be good at playing detective?Ē He raised his hand to his chin and rubbed it while making a funny face. He even took on a fake British accent as he ran through the possibilities.

ďHow about a bird, darling? Or a deer, my dear? Ooh, maybe a mountain lion!Ē He lost his phony accent on that last one, but I was still ridiculously charmed by him.

ďHa, ha,Ē I said, willing my heart to stop beating so hard against my rib cage.

Charles bumped his shoulder into mine and sent that poor, overworked organ of mine galloping off at full speed again.ďNo, really. Who should we be looking for?Ē

ďWell, the birds wonít talk to me. Way too skittish,Ē I informed him, still very much aware of how closely we walked beside each other. ďIím not sure what else is in the forest, and Iíve never talked to any of them before, so I just really donít know.Ē

ďCímon,Ē he said, extending his hand to me as we reached the edge of the tree line. ďLetís go find out.Ē

My pulse quickened as I took his hand. I knew he was just being gentlemanly, but at the same time, Iíd been carrying a bit of a torch for the guy for the past several months. He didnít seem to have the slightest clue I felt how I did, given that he had a girlfriend and I was the one with the ace sleuthing skills.

But still. Still! My heart whomped wildly as I searched the trees and ground for any animal who might be willing to talk to us.

ďLetís go deeper,Ē Charles said, tugging me along.

ďIíve heard there are bears here if we go deep enough.Ē A shiver ran through me as I imagined coming face-to-face with the most fearsome predator in all of Blueberry Bay. For some reason, bears didnít strike me as the type to talk through their problemsóespecially not with a meddlesome human such as myself.

ďI ainít afraid of no bears,Ē Charles said in a sing-song voice. ďBoy Scouts taught me how to take care of that.Ē

I couldnít hold back the laugh that bubbled to the surface. ďRan into lots of bears in California, did you?Ē

ďTons,Ē he confirmed, giving my hand a quick, playful squeeze.

A twig snapped several feet away, and our eyes both zoomed to the location. A light brown doe stood ramrod straight and perfectly still, her dark eyes boring into mine. I could feel her fear, sense the internal debate that raged within her as she tried to decide whether it would be better to stay frozen or make a run for it.

ďWeíre not going to hurt you,Ē I whispered evenly, but that was enough to send her zigzagging through the trees and out of our view.

ďI wonít hurt you!Ē I yelled after her. ďI wonít hurt any of you. Please wonít somebody talk to me?Ē

Another twig snapped nearby. The leaves rustled under the weight of some kind of creature approaching us quickly from behind.

Charles stretched his arms out and blocked me with his body in a move so sudden it almost seemed as if he hadnít needed to think about it at all.

ďAre you sure youíre not afraid of bears?Ē I asked, trying to lighten the mood even though I was still more than a little frightened myself. Iíd been caught off guard in these woods before, and a strange man had grabbed hold of my arms and covered my mouth. Obviously, Iíd lived to tell the tale, but I didnít trust my chances if Charles and I really did run into the infamous Blueberry Bay bears.

Everything fell quiet.

Charles and I both waited in silence.

And then a blur of brown burst into view.

ďIs that my peanut butter?Ē Maple squeaked, jumping from tree to tree in excitement and leaving me to wonder how one little squirrel had managed to make so much noise.

ďYes, itís yours,Ē I said, squatting down to offer the jar. ďBut first I want to know what you found out for me.Ē

Maple bolted toward me, stopping just short of my knees.ďAbout what?Ē

ďUm. About my missing cat?Ē

ďYour cat is missing. Oh, no!Ē

I hoped squirrels werenít good at reading human emotions, because my disappointment was most definitely evident in that moment. Had Maple really forgotten everything weíd talked about already?

ďHere,Ē I said with a sigh as I unscrewed the cap of the peanut butter and handed the jar to the forgetful little squirrel. ďTake it. Itís yours.Ē

Charles and I both watched as Maple pushed the peanut butter onto its side and rolled it away with a series of euphoric squeaks and shouts.

ďCímon,Ē I said. ďI donít think weíre going to find what weíre looking for out here.Ē

I hated to admit defeat, but I also hated wasting time when Octo-Cat needed me. What was the point of explaining the situation to Maple when she would just forget again the second we said goodbye?

Maybe I should try to find that buck. If it meant getting my cat back, then it would be worth the riskÖ

Chapter Eight

ďBack so soon?Ē Nan asked when Charles and I trudged into the house an hour after departing. Even our brief outing, however, had seemed to take forever. Charles had insisted we give our forest investigation a solid effort before calling it a total bust. But even he could see we werenít makingany progress, despite the fact he couldnít talk with the animals himself.

ďYeah,Ē I grumbled, kicking my shoes off by the door. ďWe accomplished absolutely nothing. Howíd you guys fare?Ē

ďI sent Cal home,Ē Nan said with a dramatic sigh, anger flitting across her normally controlled features. ďHe lost at least ten points in my book when he suggested we find an Octo-doppelg?nger. Talk about a terrible idea!Ē

Well, I couldnít disagree with her there. Joke or not, what Cal had said hurt us both, and it would have enraged Octo-Cat had he been around to hear it.

Nan now sat alone in the living room with a giant sheet of poster board sprawled across the floor in front of her. A row of colorful Sharpie markers lay nearby, and she clutched an angry-looking red one tightly in her hand.

ďWhat are you doing?Ē Charles asked, moving in for a closer look.

ďAnd where did you get all these crafting supplies?Ē I added as I trudged along after him.

Nan kept her attention on the spread before her as she explained,ďI always keep a stash nearby. You never know when youíre going to need to papier-m?ch? or pottery wheel your way out of a disaster.Ē

ďOh, yeah. Well, of course,Ē I said, making sure Charles caught my giant eyeroll. I loved Nan dearly, but sometimes her priorities seemed a bit out of whackólike deciding to play matchmaker when we had a missing cat to find.

She lowered the marker to the bright yellow poster board and began to write while she mumbled,ďIím gathering all the facts we have so far in one place and all our suspicions, too. Consider this poster board command central. Now, look here. Red is for the things we know for sure. Blue is for the things we arenít quite sure of yet.Ē

ďAnd black?Ē Charles asked as he reached for the last marker.

ďBlack are ideas weíve already eliminated. Things we know for sure arenít true,Ē Nan said, bobbing her head as she continued to write in large, looping letters, then stopped to yank the Sharpie away from Charles. ďThatís mine, thank you very much.Ē

ďNanÖĒ I warned. Even though she had raised me, sometimes I felt like the mom in our relationship.

Charles just laughed it off. When heíd finished, we both stood in silence watching as Nan completed her project.

ďOkay, kids. Itís time to get serious here,Ē Nan said a few minutes later after sheíd finished making her list and recapped the final marker.

ďWhat do we know so far?Ē I asked. The poster board had remained depressingly light on text, showing just how far we had yet to go.

Nan straightened up tall and folded her hands in her lap.ďOcto-Cat is missing.Fact,Ē she began.ďHe disappeared between the hours of ten and one yesterday.Fact. He may have been taken against his will.Suspicion. A letter also arrived yesterday announcing the arbitration thingy.Fact.It could be related.Suspicion.Ē

ďI donít see any black,Ē I said, doing my best to read Nanís teeny tiny handwriting on the bright poster board but coming up short. ďWhat have we been able to rule out?Ē

ďNothing yet,Ē she announced with a frown. She spun the black marker between her fingers, and I could tell she desperately wanted to use it for something.

ďChin up,Ē Charles said, gracing us both with a mega-watt albeit super-fake smile. ďWeíre making progress. Even if it feels slow.Ē

ďOh, letís make a list of all the places weíve checked,Ē Nan shouted with glee and began to push herself up off the floor.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and shook my head.ďYou already gave that to me this morning with your note. Remember?Ē

ďYes, but itís not on the poster board with all the other case info yet,Ē she moaned.

ďHang tight. Iíll go get it for you.Ē I decided to just go with whatever Nan wanted in this case. At least she was getting us organized. All Iíd done so far was go in circles around the forest, making myself both dizzy and frustrated in the process. I was also down one jar of peanut butter.

After retrieving the note from the kitchen, I read Nan the list of places sheíd checked last night. She chose a green marker to note the places weíd already explored. Finally, the poster board began to look a little fuller, although I suppose that wasnít exactly a good thing. It meant we were running out of options.

ďWeíll find him,Ē Charles assured everyone for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, and while I appreciated his optimism, I also kind of wished heíd just keep quiet already.

ďDid you ask the neighbors?Ē he asked us.

Nan clucked her tongue.ďOf course we asked the neighbors. That was the first thing we did yesterday afternoon.Ē

ďWell, what aboutó?Ē Charles began, but was cut off by the unexpected buzz of our electronic cat door lifting open in the nearby foyer.

Could it really be? Had he come home all on his own?

ďOcto-Cat!Ē I cried, pushing myself to my feet and stumbling as fast as I could toward the door. His cat door had been programmed to open whenever it sensed the little chip on his collar, which meant it could only be Octo-Cat trotting through the door now. I began to cry softly as tears of relief pricked at my eyes.

Maybe he had just stayed out too late, or perhaps heíd strayed too far and then had a hard time finding home again. Oh, he had some major explaining to do, that kitty boy of mine.

I thrust a hand on my hip as I took the last few steps toward the door, ready to go full-on angry pet parent on his furry behind.

I turned the corner, and sure enough, the first thing I saw was that familiar striped tail of his. It seemed puffier than usual, which meant that he was also upset and scared.

Next I spotted a pair of fat gray haunches, which definitely did not match my brown tabbyís fur. Thatís when I realized it wasnít Octo-Cat making his triumphant return. No. Instead, we had an imposter.

But how? How could it have possibly gotten inside without the special collar that interfaced with the pet door?

I was still puzzling over this when the creature turned around and stared at me from deep, masked eyes. A raccoon!

In one hand, he held Octo-Catís broken collar and in the other an empty can of Fancy Feast. Where had this intruder come from, and why did he have my catís things?

ďYou have some serious explaining to do!Ē I shouted, realizing too late that my anger may cause him to flee. Despite my anger and fear in that moment, this raccoon was our best lead. I had to play it nice, even though I wanted to keep screaming until I got the answers I craved.

The raccoon wasnít afraid of me in the slightest. He held tight to both items and then stood on his hind legs, tilting his head to the side as he studied me. ďDid you just talk?Ē he asked with a quizzical expression.

A brief moment of silence passed between us. I could feel Nan and Charles at my back, but neither said anything as the three of us stared the trespasser down.

Suddenly, our raccoon visitor burst out laughing a high-pitched, squeaky giggle that immediately grated on my nerves.ďAww, you can talk! Thatís so cute!Ē

I hated to think what might have happened next had Nan and Charles not each grabbed one of my arms and held me back. It would have been a very low moment, indeed, if Iíd gotten into a fight with a raccoonóespecially since I was pretty sure that I would have lost.

Chapter Nine

I rounded on the beady-eyed intruder. Perhaps I should have been afraid of rabies or some other random infection, but in that moment I was just too angry to care about anything other than finding some answers.ďWhy do you have my catís collar?Ē I demanded, unwilling to back down.

The raccoon bared his teeth, then took far longer than I would have liked in deciding whether he wanted to talk to me or to bite me.

ďOctavius Maxwell Ricardo Edmund Frederick Fulton is his own animal,Ē he said at last, enunciating each word carefully. ďHe canít be owned by you or anyone else.Ē

Whatever answer Iíd expected, it had most definitely not been this. ďYou kn-n-now him?Ē I stuttered, dropping to my knees so that I could look the animal in the eye.

He laughed nervously, all his bluster having disappeared in an instant.ďKnow him? No! I wish I knew him! Even to be standing in his home right now is such a tremendous honor. I canít even begin toóĒ

ďYou broke in,Ē I snapped at him in frustration. ďThereís no honor in that.Ē

The raccoon hung his head and wept. I couldnít tell whether his tears were fake, but this ring-tailed bandit definitely gave both Nan and Octo-Cat a run for their money in the drama department. No matter what I did or where I went, I was always surrounded by thespians.

ďEnough blubbering,Ē I blurted out, more than ready to get on with it. ďTell me who you are and why youíre here. Are you some kind of weird Octo-Cat fanboy?Ē

ďHe prefers his full name, Iíll have you know,Ē the raccoon actually had the audacity to correct me. ďAnd Iím not just some random fanboy.Ē He shook his head adamantly, then bared his teeth again in a creepy smile that sent me stumbling backward to put a bit of distance between us. ďIím his biggest fan. Numero uno, baby!Ē

There werenít many moments in my life when Iíd done an actual facepalm. This, however, was one of them. ďI didnít know house cats could have fans,Ē I admitted, still in utter disbelief.

The raccoon shot forward and positioned his face mere inches from mine as he cried,ďHeís not just any house cat, lady! He is the ultimate in animal sophistication.Ē

Okay, it was probably time to move the discussion to finding out whether he had any leads as to where Octo-Cat had gone, but I desperately needed to know how my cat had landed himself such an enthusiastic follower.ďWhy do you like him so much? How did your, um, fandom get started?Ē

The raccoon stood higher on his haunches and swept his hand in front of his face theatrically.ďIt all started one dark and starry night. I was going about my business as usual, spying on some humans, raiding some trash cans, you know, the works. When lo and behold, I found something new and shiny. It caught my eye right away. Not just because it looked valuable, but because the smellÖ Wow, what an aroma!Ē

He scooped the empty Fancy Feast can heíd brought in with him up from the floor and held it out to me. ďIt was the most succulent delicacy Iíd ever tasted in all my life, and then to find that each day there was more! Wow, I was the luckiest trash panda in all of Blueberry Bay.Ē

I had to fight hard not to explode with laughter.ďDid you just call yourself a traóyou know what? Never mind. Go on.Ē

ďWell, naturally, I needed to learn more about from whence this heavenly food had come. So I started to watch. Observe, if you will. And thatís when I first saw Octavius. Being the intelligent creature that I am, I realized the food was his and that I was feeding off mere scraps. Made me wonderwhat other wonderful things he knew about, so I watched some more. Soon Iím learning about Evian and Apple, sun spots, and a million other amazing things. Naturally when I found his collar here, I knew it was the ultimate king piece for my collection. And in I came to see what else I might find or ifófor the love of the great raccoon in the skyóI might actually get the chance to meet the great Octavius.Ē

ďWhatís your name?Ē I asked skeptically. For the first time since Octo-Cat had gone missing, I was actually glad he wasnít around to hear this. Iíd always assumed his ego couldnít get any largerÖ until now.

The raccoon set the empty can of cat food back onto the floor and attempted to place Octo-Catís collar around his neck. With another off-putting, sharp-toothed smile, he asked, ďWould it be too much to ask you to call me Octavius? If I could pick any name thatís the one Iíd choose. Definitely.Ē

ďYes, definitely way too much.Ē I needed to be firm with this one, else weíd never get anywhere. At least he seemed smart and like heíd remember our conversation after the fact. Perhaps heíd even want to help. ďWhatís your actual name?Ē

He pouted a lower lip and looked down at his feet.ďPringle.Ē

Okay, that was adorable. So why did he seem embarrassed by it?

ďNice to meet you, Pringle. Iím Angie.Ē I reached out and shook his paw, and the raccoon knew just how to return the friendly gesture. He was definitely smart and definitely familiar with human and cat customs alike.

ďSo, Pringle. Howíd you get a name like that?Ē Iíll be the first to admit this little guy had me enamoredóhopeful, too.

ďWell,Angie,Ēhe began with zero hesitation.ďItís a long story, but basically when my mother was carrying me and my littermates, Pringles were her number one favorite trash snack. Me being the first born, Pringle became my name. Hey, actually itís not that long of a story, after all. There you have it. The end.Ē

I allowed myself a small laugh before regaining my composure and sharing a bit of information I knew my new friend would not like.ďOkay, Pringle. Thanks for the back story, but Iíve got bad news. Our dear Octavius has gone missing. Itís been close to twenty-four hours now, and we have no idea where to find him.Ē

The raccoon lifted both of his tiny black hands to his face and gasped.ďOctavius, noooo!Ē he shouted. ďYou were far too young and perfect to meet such an untimely end.Ē Pringle then fell backward in a mock faint, and I wondered if he might also be watching a bit of television on the sly when he spied on us during the day.

ďHey. No, none of that!Ē I cried, nudging him until he sat back up. ďNot dead! Why do you jump straight to dead?Ē

Pringleís eyes widened and began to shine with gaiety. ďThen heís alive! Our dear Octavius is alive!Ē

When I nodded my confirmation, he jumped at least a foot in the air and pumped his fist enthusiastically. What an odd little creature.

ďStop jumping to conclusions and just listen, okay?Ē A smile snaked across my face when I realized exactly how I could get through to the hyperactive raccoon. ďOctavius depends on it. Actually, he depends on you.Ē

ďYou had me at Octavius,Ē he said, taking a bow, although for the life of me, I didnít know why. ďAnd now you have my rapt attention.Ē

I nodded.ďGood. Come meet the rest of the Octavius fan club, and weíll catch you up.Ē

ďIím still the president, because Iím the number one fan,Ē he said, eyeing Charles and Nan with a newfound aggression as we approached.

ďOf course you are,Ē I assured him. ďYou are definitely his biggest fan. I donít think any of us are going to challenge you for that honor.Ē

Pringle smirked as if heíd just won some hugely desirable prize.

Charles waved hello to the newest member of our party. Nan held up her poster board, and I caught the raccoon up on everything we knew so far. Could his passion be the key to cracking this case wide open?

Oh, I sure hoped so.

Chapter Ten

Pringle paced from one side of the living room to the other. Half the time he walked on his hind legs, and the other half he hobbled along on all fours. The entire time, however, he talked and talkedÖ and talked.

I barely had time to translate for Nan and Charles before heíd cut me off to continue with his monologue.

ďWhoever took Octavius, weíre going to make him pay. Weíre going to make him pay big.Ē The raccoon pounded his tiny black fist into his open palm for emphasis. ďI wonít rest until heís brought home safely. I wonít eat a singleóActually, okay, Iím going to have to eat. A raccoonís gotta keep his strength up if heís going to rescue his cat pal from clear and imminent danger.Ē

ďUm, excuse me?Ē I said, raising my hand to draw Pringleís attention my way. ďHave you ever even met Octo-Cat?Ē

The raccoon sighed and heaved his furry shoulders.ďNot yet, but I assume youíll introduce me once heís home again, yeah?Ē His eyes grew wide, and for a brief moment he stopped pacing and started shaking instead. I assumed it was with excitement.

Although I was tempted to reach out and pet him, I didnít know how heíd take to such an intimate gesture. ďI can promise heíd love nothing more than to meet the president of his own personal fan club,Ē I said with a huge grin. ďThank you for being so willing to help us with this.Ē

Pringle stretched on his tiptoes and spread his arms out wide as he boomed,ďOf course. This is what I was put on this earth to do. Octavius is a legend, but heís not yet ready to be a memory. He must live another day to inspire animals both near and far.Ē The raccoon pounded his fist on his chest and then kneeled and bowed his head reverently.

Not knowing what to do, I patted him between the ears and said,ďThank you for your service.Ē

He lifted his head but kept his fist held firmly to his chest.ďIt is an honor to serve him. What is my first assignment?Ē

Uh-oh. Had I just unwittingly knighted a trash panda?

I blinked hard at the creature who remained kneeling before me. This whole scene would have been hilarious if I werenít so worried about Octo-Cat.

Pringle cleared his throat.ďLady Angela, my assignment?Ē

ďOh, oh, yes.Ē It took me a second to snap back to reality. So what if the creature before me was half-medieval knight and half-screaming fanboy? He had pledged his service to finding Octo-Cat. We now shared a passion and a cause. Hope sprung anew as I racked my mind for a list of tasks I couldgive Pringle to keep him busy.

ďI need you to talk with the other animals around the forest. Find out if they saw or heard anything that could be useful. After night falls, come back here and keep an eye on things around the house. If you see anything suspicious, be sure to let us know.Ē

ďOn my honor.Ē Pringle gave me one last lingering look before racing back out through the cat door and, presumably, setting to work.

ďHopefully heíll be more successful than we were,Ē Charles said, reminding me that I wasnít alone. Sometimes when I got deep into a conversation with an animal, I forgot about the humans nearby.

ďIf nothing else, at least it will keep him busy,Ē I said with a shrug.

Nan flipped the poster board over and uncapped a purple marker.ďNow, dear. I know this wonít be easy, but itís time we discussed you a bit more. Or more specifically, who might have it out for you.Ē

A fresh wave of panic bubbled inside me.ďDo you think someone kidnapped Octo-Cat to get back at me?Ē

ďWell, itís not like he had any enemies of his own, so I guess itís a possibility.Ē Charles scooted up to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I laid my head on his chest and tried not to feel as if Iíd somehow signed my best fur friendís death warrant. When it came right down to it, though, we had no proof he would ever come home againóor that he was even still alive.

ďNow, dear. Who hates you most in this world?Ē Nan asked, completely oblivious to the emotional river that raged within me. She was never one to use a gentle word when a stronger one would do.

Hate, wow.There were people out there who actually hated me. That was, indeed, a tough pill to swallow.

ďBut also knows you well enough to know that taking your cat would be a huge punishment,Ē Charles added softly.

ďOh, excellent point,Ē Nan said with a giggle. She spied Charlesís hand on my shoulder and tossed a wink my way, enjoying this whole mess far too much for my liking.

ďHateís a really strong word,Ē I hedged as I shook free of Charlesís arm. Immediately the cold took his place and sent a shiver rushing down my spine.

ďItís a strong feeling, too,Ē Nan agreed. ďI know itís hard to think about, but Iím almost certain the folks you put in prison arenít too happy with you about that.Ē

I got up and walked across the room, then sank down onto the sofa with a groan.ďOkay. First of all, I didnít put them in prison. Their crimes did that. And second, theyírein prison. How could they have possibly taken Octo-Cat even if theyíd wanted to?Ē

ďSheís right,Ē Charles told Nan, and they let out matching sighs. It was eerie how well we all knew each other and had even started to pick up some of each otherís mannerisms. ďWe may be working against a two-man operation here.

ďOr a two-woman gig. Girls can be bad, too, you know.Ē She seemed to take perverse pride in this observation. Now that was a really messed-up form of girl power.

ďThat Peter guy who worked with us briefly certainly didnít like you much,Ē Charles added, referring to Bethanyís creepy cousin who had worked as a paralegal at our firm. Weíd even been forced to share the same desk. I was definitely happy heíd moved down to Georgia, putting a comfortable number of miles between us.

ďYeah, and didnít another fella get fired after you complained about sexual harassment?Ē Nan quickly interjected. ďBrad, was it?Ē

ďYes and yes, but both those guys were skeezy,Ē I whined. Was my proud feminist grandmother really giving me a hard time about standing up against inappropriate advances? Unbelievable.

ďBrad sexually harassed everyone and should have been fired a long time before I finally complained about him. And by the way, Iím not the only one who complained, either. Meanwhile, Peter seemed to have it out for me from day one. Thank goodness theyíre both gone now.Ē

Nan frowned and fiddled some with her markers.ďIím not trying to upset you. Just trying to help bring our buddy home.Ē

ďLook. I can see weíre not really getting anywhere with this line of questioning, so letís back it up,Ē Charles said, jumping graciously to my rescue.

ďYes, and Angie seems quite worked up now, too.Ē Nan came to join me on the couch and placed one aged hand on my knee.

ďItís not fun making a list of people who despise you,Ē I told them both. It seemed like this day just kept getting worse and worse. ďYou should try it and see.Ē

ďOh, nobody dislikes me.Ē Nan fluffed her hair and wiggled in her seat. ďIím just a quirky old grandma.Ē

ďUh-huh.Ē I smirked. At least weíd moved on from compiling our Angieís-worst-enemies list.

Charles came over and sat on my other side.ďMore and more this looks like it must be tied to Ethel Fultonís estate and somebody who was unhappy about how the inheritance was doled out.Ē

ďHeís right,Ē Nan said, leaning back into the hard antique cushion. ďThe timing is too suspect to be anything else.Ē

ďAnd weíre sure he didnít just wander off on his own?Ē Charles raised one eyebrow and waited.

ďNo way,Ē Nan and I cried in unison.

He pressed his lips in a thin line and made aharrumph sound.ďThen that narrows our pool considerably. Since Ethel used our firm for her will, I should be able to get a copy. Youíll have to catch me up on all the key players and what we know about them so far, though, since this all happened before I moved to town.Ē

ďShould we call Officer Bouchard and let him know?Ē Nan asked. Sheíd had a crush on this particular member of local law enforcement for close to a year now. Jeez. Between me and Nan, we were crushing on practically everyone in our small town. Not that either of us ever went out on any dates, but still.

Charles shook his head and frowned.ďLet him know what? Unfortunately we havenít got any proof.Ē

ďYou know what that means, then.Ē Nan pressed down hard on my knee and pushed herself back onto her feet. ďWe need to go find some.Ē

Chapter Eleven

Nan stayed back at the house while Charles and I headed to the law firm so we could grab a copy of Ethelís will along with a list of its beneficiaries.

ďThere are like thirty people on this,Ē I said with a sigh as I ran through the lengthy legal document a second time. ďHow do we know which one took Octo-Cat?Ē

ďLetís make a list of addresses and last known contact info,Ē Charles suggested, pulling up a fresh document on his laptop. ďThen we can probably eliminate anyone out of state and take things from there.Ē

ďIím going to see what I can learn about our suspects on social media, too.Ē I fished my phone out of my pocket and waved it between us with a mischievous grin. ďPeople are amazingly transparent when they think nobody is paying attention. Maybe weíll find out whoís unhappy about the will or having money problems. Someoneís gotta have a clear motive if we dig deep enough.Ē

ďI like how your mind works. Have at it,Ē Charles said before turning his full attention toward his computer.

We passed a few hours in this way. I took a page from Nanís book and placed color-coded marks next to each name on the list of beneficiaries, depending on what we learned about that person and how likely it was they might be our catnapper.

ďThe blue checkmarks are for those people I remember seeing at the will reading,Ē I explained once weíd both completed our research. ďGosh, that feels like it happened forever ago.Ē

My life had changed astronomically since that day. I still remembered coming into the office and getting hounded by Thompson for not having on suitable attire. I borrowed a jacket from my friend Bethany, even though we werenít quite friends yet at that point, then I got electrocuted by the coffee maker, woke up able to speak with Octo-Cat, andóboyóthings really escalated from there.

Now I had a talking cat for my best friend, lived in one of the swankiest manor homes in the entire state, and was on the verge of opening up my own private investigation firm.

That is, once I got up the nerve to hand in my resignation notice to Charles.

I swallowed hard and continued walking him through my list of suspects.ďThe black X means either their profiles are set to private or I couldnít find them. I drew the red circle next to the names of people I thought seemed suspicious or like they could kidnap a cat.Ē

ďBut almost everyone has a red circle,Ē Charles pointed out with a chuckle that sent a knife straight through me.

ďHey, donít laugh. This is serious.Ē I glowered at him until he quieted down.

ďYouíre right. Iím sorry.Ē

ďWhat did you find?Ē I asked, hoping desperately that heíd narrowed down the pool a little better than I had.

ďWell, only a handful live nearby, so theyíre probably our most likely suspects.Ē He turned his computer toward me so I could see the list of names and addresses, which appeared to be organized by distance with those closest to us up at the top.

ďGreat,Ē I said, rising to my feet, ready to go. ďPrint that out for me, and Iíll swing by to check them out now. Wait, actually, Iíll just grab a picture real quick.Ē

I picked up my phone and navigated to my camera app, but Charles pushed his laptop lid down with a click.

ďNo, you wonít,Ē he said, keeping his hand firmly on the laptop as he waited for me to back down. Ugh, he was so irritating sometimes. ďWhoever took Octo-Cat will definitely recognize you and probably Nan, too.Ē

ďSo, what?Ē I demanded, stomping my foot like the overdramatic teenager I once was. ďIím just supposed to do nothing?Ē

A smile lit up his handsome features, putting me at ease.ďI didnít say that. Iíll go and check things out myself.Ē

I couldnít help but smile. I loved how heíd taken real ownership in this case, too. ďGreat, letís go,Ē I said, reaching toward the laptop so I could snag a photo of those addresses.

Charles held up an index finger and wagged it at me.ďNo, Angie. Youíre not coming. Trust me with this, okay? I want him back just as much as you do. Iím not going to mess this up. But I do have a court appointment this afternoon, so Iím not going to be able to check out these leads until after work.Ē

I hung my head and tried really hard not to sigh. I knew he was right, but it didnít make the waiting any easier. ďThank you,Ē I murmured at last with great difficulty.

ďYouíre welcome,Ē Charles said. ďNow, címon, let me take you back home. Maybe Pringle will have discovered something helpful while we were gone.Ē

One could only hopeÖ

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

Of course, Pringle hadnít found anything worthwhile in my absence and neither had Nan.

ďI wonder what Ethel would have thought of all this hullabaloo if she were still alive to see it,Ē Nan drawled over dinner that evening. Sheíd busied herself by cooking up a storm in the kitchen, so dinner was a strange yet satisfying combination of dim sum, gnocchi, and empanadas.

ďYou would never kill me to get to my fortune,Ē Nan asked as she bit into a steamy dumpling and trained a wary eye on me. ďWould you?Ē

I dropped my fork and stared at her, slack-jawed. Luckily, Iíd just swallowed a mouthful of pasta, otherwise it would have fallen straight down onto the table. The things my nan said sometimes!

ďKidding,Ē she sang with a merry little titter. ďStill, though. Poor Ethel. Betrayed by those she loved most, both in life and in death. She only wanted her beloved feline companion to live out the rest of his days in comfort, but that, too, has created difficulty. The old broad just couldnít win.Ē

She shrugged and took another bite, chewing thoughtfully as we sat in silence. I understood why we were talking about the late Ethel Fulton, but it still made me tremendously sadóespecially since in some ways, I was living her life now, or at least in her house. To think, even though Ethel had died with lots of money, it was clear sheíd been missing something important in life.

Like love, family, respect.

Nan said nothing more about it, but the woman Iíd seen only at her funeral last year remained solidly at the front of mind. I owed it to her to make sure her cat maintained his lavish lifestyle, that he was brought home safe and sound. So what if other people didnít exactly understand.

I did, and this was my job. It was also something I cared deeply about and would fight to put right again.

Octo-Cat was coming home, no matter what it took.

Thankfully, updates from Charles started coming in via text shortly after weíd finished dinner. He messaged after each visit he made to one of Ethelís heirs. At first his messages came relatively close together since he was visiting those who lived in our own Glendale, but eventually they became fewer and farther between.

I lay in bed with my phone beside me, eagerly awaiting each one.

Until I fell asleep.

I dreamt of the early days with Octo-Cat, back when we lived in that tiny rental he hated and were still finding our way around each other. I revisited all my favorite memoriesólike giving him his very own iPad and eating grilled shrimp together, the day the paperwork came in and I officially adopted him. Weíd lived through so many important moments together and had so many more that were yet to come.

Weíd caught killers and thieves. We could catch a catnapper, too.

The happy memories quickly gave way to the scary ones. To high-speed car chases and ominous staircases, visiting a friend in maximum security and staring straight into the eyes of someone who wanted me dead.

A bang sounded from across the room, and I jumped into a sitting position before Iíd even had the chance to fully wake up. The image of a shiny pistol flashed behind my eyelids. Iíd been threatened by a gun more than once this past year, andó

BANG!

It was coming from the other side of my closed door.

No, itwas my closed door.

Someone was knocking on it as if their very life depended on me answering and answering fast.

ďNan?Ē I called as I padded hesitantly over.

ďOpen up! Open up!Ē a familiar squeaky voice shouted. ďThereís been a development.Ē

I flung the door open, and in came Pringle.

He clambered right up onto my bed, blinking hard when I flipped the light switch on.ďAhh, Iím blinded by the light,Ē he said, rubbing at his eyes. ďDoesnít that thing have a dimmer?Ē

ďSorry.Ē I switched off the overhead and turned on my bedside lamp. As I came closer, I noticed that he had a piece of white paper with small colorful blocks pasted on one side.

ďWhereíd you get that?Ē I asked, pointing.

ďThatís what Iím trying to tell you. Someone just slipped this under the front door. I came running, but I wasnít fast enough to see the personís face. Definitely a human, though. Definitely a human.Here. Take it.Ē

My hands shook as I took the paper from Pringleís outstretched paws.

ďItís a ransom note,Ē I said in disbelief as I looked over the hasty arrangement of letters that had clearly been cut out from a magazine. ďWhy go to all this trouble? Why not just type what they wanted to say?Ē

ďClearly somebody has a flair for the dramatic,Ē Pringle said, baring his teeth and rolling his eyes. ďSo, whatís it say? Huh? Huh?Ē

I moved the paper closer to the light and read,ďYou donít belong here. Give up the house, or I kill the cat.Ē

I gasped and dropped the letter as if Iíd been burned.

ďNo way, no way, no way!Ē Pringle shouted as he jumped on my bed. ďNobody threatens Octavius and gets away with it. What do we do now?Ē

ďI donít know,Ē I answered with a sob. ďThey didnít give us any directions or tell us a place to send our response.Ē

Iíd give them the house if thatís what it took, but how? I felt more helpless than ever as I stared into Pringleís dark eyes, praying he had the answer.

Chapter Twelve

ďCímon,Ē I told my raccoon accomplice after several moments of tense silence passed between us. ďLetís go get you some Fancy Feast.Ē

I took a picture of the ransom note with my phone and forwarded it to both Charles and Nan, then headed for the pantry to prepare a late-night snack for both me and Pringle. Iíd already made it about halfway down the stairs when I realized he wasnít following me.

Instead, Pringle stood at the top of the narrow stairway with giant, glistening tears in his dark eyes.ďFancy Feast? For me?Ē he crooned.

I smiled at the sweet but bizarre forest creature.ďI can also throw in some Evian if that helps to sweeten the deal.Ē

Pringle scampered down the stairs as fast as his four feet could carry him and attached himself to my leg in what I assumed was a grateful hug.ďThis is the best day of my life,Ē he whispered into my plaid pajama pants. ďThe very best day.Ē

ďJust wait until you meet Octavius,Ē I said with a chuckle, picturing the scene unfoldóthe look of unadulterated joy on Pringleís face, the likely irritation on my catís. ďI have a feeling heís going to love you,Ē I said anyway. It was true; once Octo-Cat got past the raccoonís enthusiasm, heíd love having someone in his life who appreciated him as much as he appreciated himself.

Pringle stopped in his tracks but quickly started moving again. I absolutely loved how easy it was to make his day. Once I prepared a late-night meal of Fancy Feast and Evian for himóserved on disposable dishes rather than Octo-Catís preferred Lenox setóand grabbed a granola bar for myself, I went to wake Nan with news of the ransom note.

Before I could reach her bedroom, however, my cell phone buzzed in my hand. The call came from a number I didnít recognize, which seemed especially odd this late at night.

Could it be the catnapper calling to talk terms? Iíd happily pay whatever he wanted if it meant getting my cat back.

ďHello?Ē I asked, a quiver of anticipation racing through me.

ďAngie, why didnít you call me earlier?Ē The speaker sounded quite angry, so it took me a moment to place her.

ďB-B-Bethany?Ē I stuttered, finally recognizing my friendís voice. ďWhere are you?Ē

ďPeter and I made it down to Georgia earlier tonight, and Charles just called to catch me up on everything that happened since we left. First tell me, are you okay?Ē

ďYeah,Ē I lied for some reason. Iíd grown to love Bethany, even though our relationship hadnít always been an easy one. Still, as much as I trusted her, I didnít want her to know how destroyed I was by this latest turn of events. She didnít know my secret, and I planned to keep it that way.

ďDo you have any idea who could have wanted to take Octo-Cat?Ē I asked, my voice shaking.

Bethany didnít hesitate in her response. ďClearly, this has something to do with Ethelís will. Remember how angry everyone was that he got anything at all, let alone that huge trust fund?Ē

Iíd already been thinking along these same lines myself, but there was a part of it that still made absolutely no sense to me. ďYeah, but that was months ago,Ē I added. ďWhy act on it now?Ē

She hummed a few beats, then asked,ďHow long has it been since you moved into Fulton Manor?Ē

ďA couple months,Ē I mumbled as I slipped one of my fingers into my mouth and began to bite at the scraggly fingernail. ďThink that has something to do with it? I did get this ransom note that specifically mentions it.Ē

ďOf course the house has something to do with it,Ē Bethany exploded after I caught her up. ďThereís one thing that doesnít quite make sense, though. If the catnapping was supposed to keep you from contesting the arbitration, then why send a ransom note at all? I mean, without Octo-Catísmonthly stipend, you wouldnít be able to afford the house and would have to give it up, anyway. Right?Ē

I groaned, suddenly feeling like I might pass out.ďThanks for reminding me of just how much is at stake here. But yes, I canít afford my mansion on a part-time paralegalís salary. This isnít House Hunters.Ē My joke fell on deaf ears.

ďIím thinking,Ē Bethany mumbled without giving me even a pity laugh.

ďLike thinking you might know who did it?Ē I chanced. It killed me that I hadnít been able to figure this out yet. Was I missing something big due to my panic? Could my shrewd and logical friend catch something I hadnít been able to?

ďNot yet,Ē she answered with a sigh. ďBut I do know the Fultons a bit better than you do. I may be able to connect some of the dots if I puzzle over this long enough.Ē

ďAnything you can do would be very helpful,Ē I said politely. ďThank you, Bethany.Ē

ďHey, I owe you one, anyway.Ē Now she let out a little chuckle. I had no idea what she was talking about, though.

ďYou do? Why?Ē

ďUm, never mind,Ē she said with another nervous laugh. ďGotta go. Bye!Ē

Well, that was weird. Bethany was right about one thing, though. The arbitration notice and the ransom note did seem at odds with each other. The note might even establish grounds for delaying the arbitration a bit longer. Could the catnapper mastermind really be so shortsighted?

Charles would know better than me.

I glanced at the tiny digital clock on my phone. It was just past twelve thirty. Since I knew Charles regularly burned the midnight oil, I decided to try giving him a call.

ďHello?Ē a womanís voice answered coldly.

ďOh, um, Breanne?Ē I chanced a guess. It gutted me that she had answered his phone at this hour.

ďWho else would it be? And why are you calling my boyfriend in the middle of the night.Hmm?ĒWell, apparently, it bothered her just as much that I had reason to call so late at night. Charles was my friend before he was ever her boyfriend, though, and I was willing to bet I knew him better and cared for him more.

ďGive me that,Ē I heard Charles say before presumably yanking the phone free of his girlfriendís hands.

ďSorry,Ē I muttered. ďI didnít mean to interrupt anything.Ē

Charles sucked air in through his teeth.ďYouíre not interrupting. Breanne just stopped by to say a quick goodnight since weíre not going to be able to see each other tomorrow.Ē

Yup, uh-huh. Likely story.

Even though I myself was a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, I knew how the world worked. It made me want to throw up everything in my stomach, but still I understood.

ďCharles!Ē Breanne hissed from the other end of the call. ďI havenít got all night to wait around here.Ē

ďIíve gotta go,Ē my friend said, and he even sounded a little sad about it.

ďBye,Ē I whispered after heíd already disconnected the call.

ďHumans are weird,Ē Pringle informed me as he waddled his way over to my side.

ďWe are,Ē I agreed. ďBut raccoons are kind of weird, too.Ē

He laughed and used his hands to groom himself following his decadent feast of canned cat food.ďYouíve got that right.Ē

ďDo you think heís okay out there?Ē I asked, not bothering to clarify who I meant.

ďListen, babe. I canít live in a world that doesnít have my boy Octavius in it. You better believe heís okay and that whoever did this is gonna payóand pay big-time.Ē

I reached over and stroked Pringleís fur. If I closed my eyes, it almost felt like he was my missing friend. Instead of purring, he made a soft chattering noise.

ďYou know,Ē he said after a while. ďIíve been thinking that perhaps we should start planning Octaviusís welcome home party now. That way weíre ready whenever he turns up.Ē

ďThatís a good idea. Why donít you think it over and then get back to me with what we need?Ē

ďIt would be my pleasure.Ē Pringle showed me his toothy, slightly scary smile and then hobbled out through the cat door to begin his preparations.

I clutched the ransom note to my chest and sent up a prayer for Octo-Catís safe return. There were so many peopleóand animalsówho loved him, who missed him, and needed him home.

Chapter Thirteen

I couldnít sleep for the rest of that night. Instead, I hung out in the living room with all the lights off as I watched the yard, hoping our mystery ransom note writer might make a second appearance.

I must have nodded off at some point, because the next thing I knew, Nan was pressing a warm mug of coffee into my hands and telling me toďSit up and catch me up on whatever it is I missed.Ē

ďWhat? Oh.Ē I struggled to straighten myself on the stiff couch, but everything hurt. If the catnapper had made another appearance last night, then Iíd surely missed it. Darn me and my biorhythms.

ďSomeone slipped this under the door,Ē I informed Nan after finding the letter on the floor near my feet and handing it to her.

She clucked her tongue and shook her head.ďWell, someone isnít playing very fair. Are they?Ē

Suddenly, I couldnít keep it in any longer. Iíd tried so hard to be strong, and for what? My stiff upper lip wasnít bringing Octo-Cat home.

And so I cried.

Nan took my coffee mug away and set it on the end table, then wrapped me in a hug and made soft shushing noises.

ďDo you think theyíd really do what theyíre threatening?Ē I sobbed, letting all my worry and anxiety overtake me at last. ďThat theyíd kill Octo-Cat?Ē

Nan stroked my hair as she spoke. Her words came out soft but determined, true.ďIn my many years on this earth, Iíve learned one very important lesson, and Iíve learned it more than once, Iím afraid.Ē

She sucked in a deep breath, and I pulled away from her embrace so we now sat face-to-face.

ďCrazy people will do anything if they think it will help them reach their crazy goals,Ē she said sagely.

This was not the answer Iíd wanted to hear.

Nan reached forward and brushed her wrinkled fingers against my cheek, picking up a tear on one of her fingertips.ďIíve learned another thing, too. People will do anything to save their own hides. And I bet that goes for cats, too. Donít count that cat of ours out yet. Heís a survivor.Ē

ďYeah, and he still has four lives left. At least according to him,Ē I added with a sad chuckle, pressing my face against her soft sweater and allowing it to offer some measure of comfort in this painful moment.

ďThat he does,Ē Nan said as she squeezed me with surprising strength. One day I endeavored to be as fit as my nan. Just maybe not today. ďSo whatís the plan? What do we do next?Ē

Iíd had a lot of time to think about our next steps as I staked out the living room last night. Ultimately, I realized that even if the forest animals didnít know what had happened to Octo-Cat, they might still be our best chance of finding him again. Whoever had taken him probably didnít knowI could speak with animals, so they wouldnít be on the lookout for my special crew of furry helpers.

ďI know that look,Ē Nan said with a huge, relieved grin. ďYou already have it all worked out. So go ahead. Catch your dear old nan up.Ē

ďI havenít worked everything out yet, but I do have a pretty good idea,Ē I said, twisting my back to try to rid it of the kinks Iíd developed last night. ďCímon, Iíll tell you all together.Ē

We both slipped on shoes and charged out of the house toward the forest. Nan didnít even question it. Perhaps a part of her already knew what Iíd decided.

Maple found us as soon as we reached the tree line.ďHey, itís the peanut butter lady!Ē she cried from her perch on a low tree branch. ďHi, peanut butter lady!Ē

I bit my lip and widened my eyes, then exchanged a look with Nan while waiting for Maple to calm down enough to talk to her.

ďHi, Maple,Ē I said with a quick, friendly wave. ďMy nameís Angie by the way. You know, in case you forgot. Have you seen Pringle around this morning?Ē

Her little squirrel nose twitched and then she hopped onto another nearby tree branch.ďPringle!Ē she screamed. ďThe peanut butter lady needs you! Maybe she has more peanut butter to give us.Ē

Maple raced back toward the thick tree trunk and scampered down to the ground at lightning speed.ďDo you have more peanut butter?Ē she asked, pushing both hands down onto my shoe again and again, almost like she was performing CPR on my toes.

ďI might,Ē I answered in a sing-song voice. ďBut first bring me Pringle, please.Ē

ďRoger that!Ē Maple bounded into the woods, leaving me and Nan waiting at the edge of the forest.

ďWhat did that cute critter say?Ē Nan whispered once Maple was out of view.

I chuckled. Despite her faults, Maple was growing on me as well. If she actually managed to carry out this plan and help us get Octo-Cat back, then Iíd make sure I hooked her up with free peanut butter for life. ďShe wants peanut butter,Ē I explained, ďand everything she says pretty much traces back to that one thing.Ē

Nan gasped affectionately.ďOh, then why didnít we bring some with us?Ē

I shook my head and kept my eyes focused on the trees before us.ďBelieve me, Iíve already made that mistake once. As soon as she has her peanut butter, she forgets everything else in the world. I need her to focus long enough to help with our plan. She can have her treat after.Ē

Sure enough, Maple appeared again and zipped past us, running back toward the house.ďBe right back!Ē she cried in an excited squeak.

We watched as Maple approached our front porch and then stopped right in front of it. A big gray fluffball climbed out from underneath and blinked in the sunlight.

ďI didnít realize he lived so close to us,Ē Nan said as we both watched the wily squirrel lead the dazed raccoon over to us.

ďNeither did I,Ē I grumbled. He must have chewed a hole somewhere to get under there, and I was not happy about the unexpected damage to my already hard-to-maintain house.

ďBlessed morning, Lady Angela,Ē Pringle crooned once he and Maple had made their way back to us. So we were still doing the whole medieval thing. Okay.

Even though I preferred reading mysteries and true crime, Iíd worked my way through enough fantasy novels to emulate his grandiose speaking patterns.

ďAnd good morrow to you, Sir Pringle.Ē I paused and gave a quick curtsy. Oh, brother. ďWe come to you today with a most noble quest.Ē

ďWhy is the peanut butter lady talking all funny?Ē Maple squeaked but was quickly shushed by the raccoon who was still doing his best to remain in character.

ďYes. Octavius.Ē Pringle confirmed his understanding with a nod.

ďItís time we brought him home. Are you and your squire up to the task?Ē I shifted my gaze toward Maple. As flighty as the little squirrel had proven to be, I was hoping Pringle could do a good job keeping her in line. Weíd need both animals to carry out my plan.

ďMight I choose my own squire?Ē Pringle asked with a faltering grin. I couldnít say I blamed him. The raccoon appeared to be of near human intelligence, while the squirrelÖ wellÖ She sure was cute!

ďGoodly Maple will serve you well,Ē I said with a curt nod, then brought one hand up to my mouth and whispered, ďBesides, I happen to know sheíll do anything for peanut butter.Ē

The squirrelís ears perked up at this, but she remained blessedly quiet.

Pringle bowed his head, whether in defeat or humble acquiescence I couldnít quite say. But he said, ďThen reveal your plan to us, and we shall make it so.Ē

Okay, it was show time.

Letís hope my harebrained plan was enough to bring our boy home safe.

Chapter Fourteen

Nan and I sat down cross-legged in the grass, and the two animals settled down across from us.

ďOkay, hereís what Iím thinkingÖĒ I said, then launched into a winded explanation of my new plan.

ďOh, we should get a pet GPS tracker,Ē Nan added. ďIíve heard, uh, good things about them.Ē She beamed at me as if Iíd just crowned her Ms. Maine. Weird.

ďSure, we can pick one of those up this afternoon,Ē I conceded. It was a good suggestion, but also pretty high tech for a woman whoíd only just begun to send and receive text messages.

ďAlso get some peanut butter while youíre out,Ē Maple suggested rather unhelpfully.

ďFirst results, then rewards,Ē Pringle scolded his squirrel squire. Yup, this raccoon was definitely a keeper.

I reached out and gave him a high five, and thanks to his constant human surveillance, Pringle knew just what to do. He may have worshipped Octo-Cat, but he clearly knew more than the idol of his affections.

ďThatís right,Ē I said, exchanging my goofy grin for a granite jaw and narrowed eyes. ďNothing is more important than bringing Octo-Cat home. Nothing. Not even peanut butter.Ē

Maple gasped.

Pringle cheered.

Nan looked confused but still quite enthusiastic.ďWhatís my role in all this, dear?Ē she asked, once everyone had quieted again.

This was the tough part. I didnít technically need Nan to carry out my plan, but I knew better than to exclude her.

ďYouíll keep running command central, and you can help me stay awake tonight, too. Also wardrobe. Youíre definitely in charge of wardrobe.Ē

She appeared pleased by this.ďIíll make cocoa and call the guys.Ē

Ugh, not this again. Why couldnít she have become obsessed with my lack of a love life some other time? Itís not as if I were newly single. It had always just been me against the world.

I shook my head emphatically.ďThe guys?No. We donít need Cal and Charles for this.Ē

Nan elbowed me in the ribs.ďTheyíre nice distractions, though. Eh?Ē

I just rolled my eyes rather than dignify her ill-timed matchmaking efforts with a response.ďDoes everyone understand what they need to do?Ē

ďYes,Ē Nan and Pringle said in unison. Both looked ready for action.

Maple, however, raised her tiny brown hand.ďUm, I forgot,Ē she squeaked meekly.

ďItís okay, kid. Come with me and Iíll catch you up.Ē Pringle stood on all fours and motioned for the squirrel to follow him back to his under-porch apartment. It looked like we were done playing knights of the round table nowóand for that, I was very thankful, indeed.

ďI do love a good stakeout,Ē Nan confided in me as we made our way back to the house. ďYou get the GPS tracker, and Iíll head to the supermarket to pick up some snacks and drinks for our little get-together tonight.Ē

I stopped walking and stared at my grandmother.ďAre you really going to invite the guys? This isnít exactly a social event. At least it shouldnít be.Ē

Nan traced her way back to me and wrapped me in a hug.ďI know that, dear, but it helps to have good friends by your side when the going gets tough.Ē

Well, I couldnít exactly argue with her there. ďOkay,Ē I said, hoping I wouldnít be too embarrassed by whatever she had planned for the evening.

Then again, this was Nan we were dealing withÖ

Of course I was going to be embarrassed.

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

Our stakeout party began at ten that night. Pringle had explained the plan to Maple at least a couple dozen times, and theyíd even run test drills both with and without the pet GPS.

Charles and Cal came over right at ten, taking care to hide their vehicles around back. Our entire plan hinged on the ransom note writer coming back that night, and we needed him to assume that the house lay quiet and empty, which meant our party was now taking place in the pitch dark without even a candle to light the room.

We kept our voices low, too, as we whispered and conversed with each other. The whole thing was strangely intimate. We all wore comfortable black sweatsóprovided by Nan, of courseóand sipped warm thermoses of hot cocoaóalso provided by Nan.

ďAre you sure the person is going to come back tonight?Ē Cal asked from my left.

ďHe has to, since he didnít leave any way for Angie to get in touch,Ē Charles answered from my right.

They both sat close enough for me to feel their body heat as it crashed into mine. It didnít escape my notice that these were the two most handsome men I knew nowóor had ever known, really. One had brains for days while the other was all brawn. Both had huge hearts, but there in the dark, without their good looks to distract me, I knew there was only one man my heart craved.

And he was the one who was already taken.

Because thatís how my life worked. Darn.

ďAre you nervous?Ē Charles whispered in my ear.

ďMore excited than nervous,Ē I answered, wondering if he felt little zips of electricity jump between us, too.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. We were so close that I felt the vibrations, too.ďItís Breanne,Ē he said, pushing a button to send the call straight to voicemail.

A small, petty part inside me did a cartwheel. He was choosing me over her. At least for this. At least for right now.

Around eleven thirty, a sound from outside drew everyoneís attention toward the window.

ďShhh,Ē I reminded them all.ďWe have to hang back, stay out of sight, and trust in the plan now.Ē

ďYes, the plan will set us free,Ē Nan whisper-yelled.

Poor Cal still didnít know I could talk to animals. He thought the plan involved high-tech video cameras and a sophisticated booby trap. Little did he know that one nocturnal raccoon was watching carefully from his spot beneath the porch, and one forgetful but lithe squirrel was already equipped with a GPS and ready to hurl herself into our mysterious catnapperís car the moment the raccoon gave the okay.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Pringle charged through the cat door to alert us that the plan was underway.

ďCímon, Cal. Why donít you help me in the kitchen?Ē Nan guided him away before he could set sights on the newly arrived raccoon visitor holding a second ransom note between his paws.

ďGood work, Pringle.Ē I grabbed the note and patted him on the head, then Charles and I burst out into the night. Weíd already agreed that he would drive, and Iíd navigate by following the tiny tracking dot attached to Maple, who had already stowed away in the car and was now being driven to who knew where.

As curious as I was, I didnít even glance at the new ransom note. Instead, I focused on following that blinking dot, hoping it would take us to Octo-Cat and end this whole terrible ordeal once and for all.

Charles drove effortlessly as I called out each turn. We werenít far behind the catnapper now. Soon the three of us would come face-to-face, and Iíd be able to demand answers to my many, many questions.

ďThis is weird,Ē Charles muttered as we pulled into a sleepy suburb. ďI know someone who lives here.Ē

ďYeah, well, Glendale is a pretty small town. Most of us do,Ē I said, staring at the phone so that I wouldnít miss a single beat.

ďCharles,Ē I shouted in excitement. ďThe dot stopped!Ē

This was it. We were getting our boy back, and we were getting him back now.

ďWhere?Ē he asked, a darkness I didnít understand overtaking his features.

ďJust a few driveways ahead. Looks like itís theóĒ

ďYellow Cape Cod?Ē he asked at the same time he pulled into the driveway and transitioned us to park.

ďYeah, howíd you know?Ē I asked in shock. Was he just a good guesser, oró?

ďThis is Breanneís house,Ē he revealed with a low growl from deep in his throat.

Uh-oh.

Chapter Fifteen

I jumped out of the car before Charles even had time to put it fully in park. I caught up with the redheaded realtor on her porch step and yanked on her purse strap until she was finally forced to turn around and face me.ďWhereís my cat, youÖ? YouÖ YouÖBreanne!Ē

ďDonít touch me,Ē she snapped back, foisting her designer purse from my grip.

Oh, I wanted to do a whole lot more than touch her. I wasnít really a slapper, but I would have happily ground her expensive, showy purse into the mud. I only held back due to the urgent need to get to my cat. Was he inside? Had Breanne had him this whole time? So many questions.

ďWhere is he?Ē I boomed, taking great satisfaction in how rattled my nemesis looked in that moment. If I kept pushing, sheíd crack, easy. ďGive him to me right now and nobody gets hurt.Ē

She took a step back and pressed herself against the door.ďWhat are you talking about?Ē she ground out, looking at me as if Iíd gone crazy even though all of this was most definitely her fault and not mine.

I took a step closer and got right in her face, so close I could smell her cloying lip gloss. Gross.ďDonít play dumb. I know itís you whoís been slipping ransom notes under my door. We followed you here, too. Didnít we, Charles?Ē I turned back toward my friend, who remained standing by his car, seemingly unable to speak.

ďLet me in!Ē I screamed. ďLet me in right now!Ē

But Breanne stood firm with both arms crossed over her chest.ďNo. Go away!Ē

Thankfully, Charles finally snapped out of whatever funk he was in and marched right over, then stepped around us and pushed the door open.

ďHow could you?Ē he asked his horrible, no-good girlfriend, but I didnít stick around to hear her answer.

Once inside, I began to shout for my cat at the top of my lungs. But even after tearing through the entire house, I still couldnít find him. ďOcto-Cat! Octo-Cat! Are you here? Come out! Itís safe!Ē

When no answer came, I rounded on Breanne once more.ďWhere is he? Why did you take him? How could you?Ē

ďI donít have your stupid cat, and I donít owe you anything,Ē she answered with a sniff and looked away, almost as if she might feel a little guilty. Yeah, right. I was most definitely not buying that.

ďI think you owe me some answers, though,Ē Charles interjected. ďDid you really steal Angieís cat and send her threatening letters? Why would you do that?Ē

ďYou both need to calm down,Ē she muttered through clenched teeth. ďI donít have the cat. Okay?Ē

ďSorry. Iím not buying it. You delivered the letters. We caught you in the act,Ē I exploded.

Breanne narrowed her gaze, looking past Charles so she could focus all of her venom and hostility right on me.ďFine. Iíll admit it. That was me. But Iím not the one who wrote them.Ē

ďWho did? Stop stalling, and tell me what you know,Ē I demanded. Why wouldnít she just come out with it already? Itís not like either of us treasured spending time together, and this was serious.

Breanne shook her head.ďI donít know.Ē She took a step back when Charles stepped back so that we now stood side-by-side. Now we were united against her, and that seemed to break her. Apparently, sheíd expected him to take her side in all this.

ďHow could you not know?Ē I couldnít see Charlesís face as he spoke, but his disappointment came out loud and clear. ďWhy would you ever agree to be a part of this? And then to not get all the answers?Ē He cleared his throat before continuing. ďI thought you were smarter than that, Bree. Kinder, too.Ē

ďI didnít,Ē I spat.

Breanne had never liked me, and Iíd never liked her. I wasnít surprised sheíd want to hurt me, but it did startle me that she was involved in this terrible thing. Breanne had absolutely no link to Ethel Fultonís estate, so why would she even get involved in the first place?

ďItís not a big deal,Ē Bree cried. ďSo, seriously, calm down. You know my income has been down ever since my brother was branded a murderer. So when an anonymous client turned up and promised me a big commission in my future plus a generous cash infusion now, how could I say no? Itís not like Iím hurting anyone. We were just trying to spook you out of that house of yours.Ē

ďYou threatened to kill my cat!Ē I shook with rage now that I had someone to blame but still had zero idea where my cat might be.

ďNo, I didnít do that. I didnít write the letters. And seriously, who would kill a cat? Thatís taking things a little too far.Ē She seemed to be losing steam by the minute but still wouldnít admit sheíd done a single thing wrong.

ďBut extortion is just fine,Ē Charles grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at Breanne. ďReally, Bree. I thought I knew you.Ē

ďYou do know me, which is why I thought youíd understand,Ē she pleaded. ďYou know how hard things have been lately.Ē

ďBut youíre working through that,Ē he argued. ďHonest work. Not blackmail and threats.Ē Despite my anger, it struck me as a bit funny that Charles was berating his girlfriend for blackmailing me when heíd done the same thing to get my help on a difficult case. Granted, he never would have actually hurt me. Breanne, on the other handÖ

ďNo,Ē she insisted. ďIím trying to, but not succeeding. And you know why? Everyone thinks my brotherís this monster, even after he was acquitted, and itís all her fault.Ē She raised a shaky finger toward me. If looks could killÖ

Charles tightened his grip on my shoulder.ďShe helped me get him acquitted. How have you conveniently forgotten that little part of the story?Ē

Breanne shrugged.ďHer mother, though. That news anchor woman. Sheís the one who convinced all of Blueberry Bay that Brock was guilty, and even after he was proven innocent, theyíve had a hard time changing their minds. Oh, and donít think Iíve missed the fact that youíre trying to steal my boyfriend right out from under my nose.Ē

ďJeez, what is wrong with you?Ē Charles yelled. ďAngie and I are just friends. And that doesnít even really matter anyway, because you and I are officially through.Ē

ďCharles, baby. Donít be like that,Ē Bree begged, approaching him with hands raised in supplication.

He turned from her and strode toward the front door.ďIíll wait for you in the car,Ē he informed me before disappearing outside.

ďDo you really not know who was sending the letters?Ē I asked gently. As much as I hated Breanne, she had just been dumped and seemed pretty upset by it. Besides, yelling at her wasnít getting any of the answers I needed, but maybe a bit of kindness would.

ďI really donít know,Ē she said with a sniff. ďNow pleaseÖ JustÖ Just go away.Ē

I studied her for a moment before finally turning away and following Charles outside. I found him behind the wheel of his car with this head down and tears spilling down both cheeks.ďAre you okay?Ē

He sat up straighter and cleared his throat.ďI should have known better. Iíve been so stupid.Ē

ďIím sorry,Ē I said, because it seemed like the best response given the situation. ďDo you want to talk about it?Ē

ďHonestly,Ē he said, pulling the car back out of the driveway. ďI kind of want to forget it ever happened. I canít believe I wasted so many months of my life on her.Ē

I found myself torn between wanting to be a good friend to Charles and wanting to screamI told you so from the top of my lungs. Iíd always known Breanne was a bad egg, but Iíd never known just how rotten sheíd become, never would have suspected sheíd go to such drastic lengths to make my life miserable.

ďIím so sorry she did this to you,Ē he said, keeping his eyes glued firmly to the road ahead. ďI wanted to find Octo-Cat before, but now it feels like itís my duty, like somehow this is partially my fault. I know Iím a big part of the reason she hates you, and itís up to me to make things right.Ē

ďCharles, none of this is your fault.Ē

ďIt feels that way, though.Ē

I put a conciliatory hand on his forearm.ďI accept your help, but not because you owe me anything. Thank you for being such a good friend.Ē

We drove back to my house in utter silence. Had Charles meant it when he told Breanne we were only friends? Or had he also been harboring a secret crush on me all these months?

I pushed these questions from my already overcluttered brain. Only one question mattered now, and it needed all our focusÖ

Where was Octo-Cat?

Chapter Sixteen

Back at my house, Nan and Cal were waiting for Charlesís and my return with every light on the main floor at full blast.

Cal popped to his feet when we entered.ďDid you find him?Ē

ďNo,Ē I said, accepting a fresh mug of cocoa from Nan, who was clearly enjoying her role as stakeout hostess.

ďDid you find who was leaving the notes?Ē she asked with large eyes.

ďYeah, we did.Ē I bit my lip, not wanting to be the one to break this news to Breanneís twin brother, especially since sheíd used his unfairly earned bad reputation as an excuse for getting involved in her shady dealings.

ďIt was Breanne,Ē Charles answered for me. His voice brooked no arguments. Iíd never seen him so livid about anything in all the months Iíd known him.

ďYou mean, your girlfriend?Ē Nan looked from one man to the other and frowned. ďAnd your sister?Ē

ďSheís my ex now,Ē Charles said with a sigh.

Nan didnít even try to hide her happiness at this news. She even wrapped an arm around me and squeezed me to her side. ďGood. She wasnít right for you anyway.Ē

I about died when she shot me what she must have assumed was a surreptitious wink.

Charles saw it plain as day, but at least it made him smile.

Cal, however, seemed to be the most upset of everyone.ďWhy would she do something like that?Ē He sank down onto the couch and dragged both hands through his hair. ďOh, wait. Itís because of me. Isnít it?Ē

ďItís not your fault you got framed for murder,Ē I pointed out gently.

ďIt sure feels like it, though.Ē

ďCharles is blaming himself, too,Ē I said. ďBut, believe me, this is nobodyís fault except Breanneís.Ē

ďOkay,Ē Nan shouted, drawing everyoneís attention to her. ďEnough with the pity party. We have work to do.Ē

ďWhat work? We reached a dead end with Breanne. She says she doesnít know who was paying her to drop off the letters.Ē Charles paced around the living room like a caged lion ready to pounce.

ďIím going to go talk to her.Ē Cal rose to his feet and marched toward the front door. ďCall me if you need me.Ē

The door slammed shut, and we all took a collective breath in.

ďCharles, look at me.Ē Nan walked right up to him and stood on her tiptoes in an effort to bring her face closer to his.

He stopped pacing, the pent-up energy visible in the bulging veins that had risen to the surface of his neck and forearms. This was killing him.

ďI know youíre feeling down in the dumps right about now, but you and that woman were never right for each other anyway,Ē Nan said firmly. ďSo, stop mulligrubbing, and fire up that big, beautiful brain of yours again. Weíre going to need it to bring our kitty boy home safely.Ē

ďMaybe we didnít get anywhere with Bree,Ē I told Charles much gentler than Nan had just spoken to him. ďBut that doesnít mean weíre at a dead end, either. We still have the list of beneficiaries from Ethelís will, and you only checked out the local ones, right?Ē

He nodded but said nothing. I briefly wondered whether he was holding back tears or shouts. Maybe both.

After grabbing his hand in mine, I gave it a reassuring squeeze.ďThen I say itís time we take a little road trip. If someone needed to pay Breanne to drop off those letters, chances are they donít live close enough to do it themselves.Ē

ďIíll stay here with the animals in case anything else goes down at mission central,Ē Nan volunteered.

ďCharles?Ē I asked. ďI know youíre having a really hard time with all of this right now, but I could really use a friend by my side. Are you in?Ē

He dropped his gaze toward the floor and nodded as if a hundred-pound weight was pushing down on his neck.ďIím in,Ē he groaned.

I wrapped my arms around Charles and gave him a tight hug.ďThank you,Ē I murmured. ďBut first before we go, we need to make a quick stop off at the twenty-four-hour market and swing back by Breeís real quick, too.Ē

He studied me in horror. It seemed our opinions about Breanne finally matched, although I hated the circumstances. Unfortunately, we didnít have much of a choice as to whether or not to return to her house that night.

ďIím pretty sure we forgot Maple there,Ē I admitted with a flippant shrug, even though I was beating myself up about having left a manóer,a squirrelóbehind on our mission. ďI figure we should come prepared with an apology and peanut butter, thus our other stop. Címon, letís go.Ē

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

Given that our stakeout party had started at ten that night, neither Charles nor I had slept recently. Still, I doubted either of us could have grabbed even a few winks if weíd triedónot with all that was weighing on our minds. Instead, we grabbed a case of the cold espresso drinksóthe ones Nan always said tasted like chalkófrom my fridge and set off on our next great fact-finding adventure.

ďWho should we pay a visit to first?Ē Charles asked once weíd made it to the main road that ran through our tiny town of Glendale.

ďEthelís niece, Anne,Ē I said definitively, pointing to her name on the printout Charles had given me. ďShe gave off definite creepy vibes when last we met.Ē

ďCreepy as in catnapper creepy?Ē Charles asked with a lopsided grin. He adjusted his hands on the wheel and settled back in his seat. Now that weíd rescued Maple from Breanneís house and moved past that portion of our night, he seemed to be returning to his normal relaxed self.

ďCreepy as in she was on my short list of murder suspects creepy.Ē I then filled him in on my various run-ins with the eerie older woman.

ďDefinitely creepy,Ē Charles agreed. ďSo she really broke into Ethelís house?Ē

ďYup, but seeing as Iíd also broken in, I decided to let that one pass.Ē I began to fiddle with a hangnail absentmindedly. Even though Charles and I were back to our usual easy banter, something important had changed. Now I was wondering what every glance, touch, and word meant, whether it might imply that he felt how I did.

I pinched the skin on my wrist to force myself to focus on finding Octo-Cat rather than finding out what Charles may or may not feel for me.

Luckily, he had to keep his focus on driving, which meant he missed all the weirdness I was serving up in the passenger seat beside him.ďBut you said she was there to scout out antiques and other valuables she wanted to keep for herself, right?Ē

ďYeah, and if Octo-Cat and I hadnít showed up to stop her, Iím pretty sure she would have taken it all.Ē

ďThatís what she said.Ē Charles suppressed a boyish chuckle, and I gave him a playful slap over the center console.

ďCímon. Weíre both grown-ups here.Ē

Charles broke out laughing again.

ďIím going to let that go, since itís already been a long night and weíre just getting started,Ē I said graciously. ďAnyway, yeah, my gut says itís Anne. Nobody else really left much of an impression, to be honest.Ē

ďWell, then I guess weíre headed into Boston. At least weíll beat the morning rush.Ē

We both surveyed the darkness ahead as I plugged Anneís address into the GPS on my phone. ďItís almost a four-hour drive,Ē I whined.

ďIt could have been worse,Ē Charles said with a shrug. ďEthel had family as far away as Oregon. Now thereís a drive.Ē

ďWhat do we do if itís not Anne?Ē I wondered aloud. ďWhere do we go next?Ē

He reached for my hand and held it in his.ďWeíre not going to think like that. Just focus on finding Octo-Cat and bringing him home. The in-between details arenít important. And if your gut is saying Anne did it, then thatís what I believe, too.Ē He raised my hand to his lips and gave my knuckles a quick kiss before letting go.

Despite the fact that this small gesture of kindness sent my heart cartwheeling and my stomach loop-de-looping, the feel of his lips on my skin did more than any anti-anxiety pill ever could. Charles believed in this, believed we could do it.

And now so did I.

Chapter Seventeen

I couldnít have slept even if Iíd wanted to. Anticipation at finding my long-lost feline friend gripped one side of me, and excitement for this private time with Charles grabbed hold of the other.

For so long Iíd wished that he would just break up with Breanne already, and now he had. Might he also see that it had always been the two of us who were meant for each other? Iíd tried to put my feelings for Charles aside for months now, but nothing ever worked.

Heíd defended Cal against that double murder charge with everything he had. He accepted my ability to speak with animals and never made me feel weird because of it. Heíd taken in two homeless, traumatized cats after theyíd accidentally killed their owner. Heíd just always been there, always been good and kind.

ďWhat are you thinking about?Ē he asked me now.

I yawned to buy myself some time.ďJust sleepy.Ē

ďYou better not fall asleep on me,Ē he teased. ďYour shift is coming up soon.Ē

ďPull over. Iíll take it now.Ē Driving would be a nice distraction from all the thoughts fighting to take center stage in my mind.

Charles glanced toward me, then back to the road.ďYou sure about that?Ē

ďIím awake, I promise. But if it makes you feel better, Iíll shotgun another one of these coffee things.Ē I picked up one of the small blue and brown cans and gave it a good shake.

ďOkay, but after that youíre cut off.Ē He turned up the music and shuffled through a few songs before landing on one of my favorite í80s hair metal jams.

ďItís a myth, you know,Ē I said while bobbing my head along to the heavy, soul-filling beat.

Charles stopped singing along with the track and risked a quick glance my way.ďWhat is?Ē

I shrugged.ďThat too much caffeine will either stop your heart or make it explode.Ē As it was, my heart was still beating wildly like a caged animal rattling against its bars. No amount of coffee would change that, either.

It was all Charles, my dream guy. Heaven help me.

When the song ended, Charles put away his air keytar and pulled onto the side of the road so we could switch seats.

ďAre you sad?Ē I asked him when a slow jam took over the speakers and he had to put away his air keytar for a second time. ďAbout Breanne?Ē

ďAngry, more like.Ē He flipped through his playlist again, and this time chose something hard, angsty, and most definitely not from my favorite musical era.

ďDo you think youíll forgive her? That the two of you will get back together?Ē I yelled over the shouty, migraine-inducing music.

He took the hint and lowered the volume. His eyes stayed firmly fixed to my profile as he asked,ďDo you think we should?Ē

I felt a flush rise to my cheeks and hoped he didnít notice. ďNo,Ē I answered honestly.

ďYeah. Neither do I,Ē he said, crossing his arms and leaning his face against the cold glass of the window with a sigh. ďWe were never really right for each other anyway.Ē

ďThen whyíd you stay together so long?Ē

Yeah, I was most definitely being nosy, but I also needed to know where things stood, and Charles seemed more than willing to share. Plus we had a lot of time left to kill before we reached Anneís Boston-based bungalow.

ďThatís a good question,Ē he answered after a short pause.

When I glanced over toward him, his eyes were closed, and he wore a subtle smile on his face.ďYou donít have to answer, if you donít want,Ē I offered, hoping like heck he wouldnít accept.

He sighed and shifted in his seat, his brow furrowed in a pained look.ďI think I was just lonely after having moved so far away to start my new life in Blueberry Bay. I was trying to put down roots.Ē

ďLike with the house and the cats,Ē I suggested.See, there are other ways to build a life. No Breanne Calhoun required.

ďYeah, and the firm. I never thought Iíd make senior partner so fast or that weíd have so much turnover with our associates. Itís kept me very busy. Perhaps too busy to really pay attention to what was going on with me and Breanne.Ē

Well, this was a fresh, new perspective.ďWhat do you mean?Ē

ďI guess that it was just easier to keep dating her, to maintain status quo, you know?Ē

ďNo,Ē I answered honestly. ďI really donít.Ē

He took a deep breath and squinted over at me for a moment before pressing his eyelids shut once more.ďI always liked spending time with Breanne. I know she hated you, but she was always nice to me. I enjoyed being with her, and that was the crucial part. I enjoyed it. It was nice. Fine. Not something I craved. I never counted down the hours until I could see her again. I never let it distract mefrom work or anything else I had going on in my life. She filled a hole in my life, but didnít overfill it, I guess.Ē

ďThatís what she said,Ē I muttered when I sensed the mood was getting too serious.

Charles chuckled softly but stayed on topic anyway.ďMaybe I was unfair to her, letting it go on as long as it did. Iíd feel guilty if I werenít so furious about what she did to you.Ē

ďDonít worry about me,Ē I said. ďIíll be just fine.Ē

ďI know you will be. Youíre the strongest person I know,Ē he said softly as another rush of heat flooded my cheeks.

Was now the time I should confess how I felt about him?

It seemed he had just offered me the perfect segue, and this was the first time in our relationship I actually could share my feelings without it getting in the way of a shared case at work or having an angry girlfriend to answer to. We were both free to explore what had been there between us from the very start.

Now was as good a time as there had ever been. I needed to be brave. This was itÖ

ďCharlesÖĒ I mumbled, glancing over toward him. There was so much that needed to be said.

But now wasnít the time, seeing as Charles was fast asleep.

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

Iíd never been great at city driving, but luckily we reached Boston before the sun even had its chance to rise for the day. I woke Charles right around the time the GPS informed me we had five minutes left in our drive.

ďWhyíd you let me sleep so long?Ē he exclaimed with a groan.

ďIt seemed like you needed it,Ē I said with a smile. Iíd been so close to revealing everything, all my secret longings and wishes. Thank goodness he had nodded off and saved meósaved both of usófrom myself. I needed to focus on Octo-Cat right now. We both did.

Charles straightened in his seat and slapped his cheeks a few times to wake himself a bit more.ďSo, whatís the plan?Ē

Luckily, Iíd had a lot of time to think things over as I drove with only Charlesís eclectic playlist to keep me company on the long, lonely road. ďI thought you could be the one to approach her. Make some excuse about the estate and the arbitration. Use a lot of legal terms, and Iím sure she wonít question you.Ē

He nodded, then rubbed the sleep from his eyes.ďOkay. Then what?Ē

ďGet her to invite you inside. Excuse yourself to use the bathroom. Then see if you can find him.Ē

ďThatís all a good plan, butÖĒ He sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him, then turned back toward me. ďDonít you think it will be suspicious that weíre doing all this before six a.m.?Ē

ďYeah, probably,Ē I admitted. It looked like weíd just fallen into a hurry up and wait trap. I hated those.

Charles seemed unbothered by the inconvenient hour. He smiled over at me and asked,ďDonít you think it would be better if we grabbed some breakfast first and then came back at a more reasonable hour so we can sell our story better?Ē

ďYeah, probably,Ē I agreed.

His smile widened, and he pointed at a big, bright sign diner just down the road.ďThen, címon. Letís load up on eggs and bacon. My treat.Ē

I nodded and turned into the parking lot, wishing we would have timed this a little better but happy we were at least making some form of progress.

Charles held open the door for me, which was a small thing but felt monumentally huge.ďLadies first,Ē he said.

And I blushed.

Me and my stupid crush.

Chapter Eighteen

Breakfast was slow, leisurely, and full of unspoken angst on my part. At around seven thirty, Charles handed the waitress his credit card and asked if I was ready to head over to Anneís place.

Oh, was I ever.

ďThanks for the hot meal,Ē I mumbled shyly. ďI needed that.Ē

He looped an arm over my shoulders as we made our way through the mostly empty diner.ďNo thanks needed between friends.Ē

Friends, right.

ďHow do you think Octo-Cat will react once we find him?Ē I asked, once again trying to pull my head back into the game we were actually playing here.

Charles smiled and widened his eyes.ďMy moneyís on one very grateful kitty. There may even be licks and scritches involved.Ē

I giggled as he held the door open for me on the way out.ďIíll take that bet, because Iím pretty sure heís going to demand a proper meal and then chastise us for taking so long to find him.Ē

ďOh, címon,Ē Charles said, joining me in my laughter. ďOf course heís going to be grateful. Why would he complain after all weíve been through?Ē

ďFirst agree to the bet,Ē I insisted, not making eye contact with him as we crossed through the parking lot. ďTwenty bucks?Ē

ďYouíre on.Ē Charles slid behind the steering wheel, and I climbed into the passenger seat. ďNow explain yourself, Russo.Ē

ďLetís just say that Iím the only one who can actually understand him, and wellÖ I might just censor out his catittude when translating for you and Nan.Ē I just couldnít stop smiling. I missed Octo-Cat and his grandiose way of doing absolutely everything.

ďWait!Ē Charles shifted in his seat and faced me head-on. ďHas he been saying awful things about me all this time? And here I had no idea.Ē

I laughed again. It felt so good to laugh. Almost like Octo-Cat was here with us now.ďNot lots of bad things. He does call you UpChuck, though.Ē

ďWhat a bratty cat!Ē Charles cried. ďFirst, letís get him home safe and sound, and then Iím going to come up with an equally disgusting nickname for him.Ē

ďYouíve got it,Ē I said between laughs.

Oh, I couldnít wait to see how this played out.

We reached Anneís bungalow about five minutes later. We were early, but some of the neighbor kids were already milling around at what appeared to be the local bus stop.

ďIíll wait here. You go ahead.Ē I gave Charles a little push, then watched as he marched confidently up to Anneís front door, briefcase in hand. Despite the five oíclock shadow and noticeable bags under his eyes, he certainly looked the part of a lawyer visiting on official estate business.

Letís just hope Anne would buy it.

He pressed the doorbell and waited.

When nothing happened, he pressed again.

ďMaybe itís broken,Ē I texted rather than calling out, just in case Anne remembered me and chose to hide for that reason alone. ďTry knocking.Ē

Charles knocked several times, but nobody came. If Anne was inside, she clearly refused to answer the door.

I scrambled out of the car and joined Charles on the porch.ďOpen up, Anne Fulton!Ē I shouted into the hard wood of the door. ďWe know youíre in there!Ē

ďUm, excuse me,Ē a womanís voice called from the next condo over. ďAre you looking for Anne?Ē

Well, it looked like I wasnít the only one with ace detective skills around here. Charles and I both backed down off the porch and came to join the woman where her yard met up with Anneís.

ďYes,Ē he said with a nod in greeting. ďWeíre from the firm representing her late auntís estate and have some very important developments to discuss.Ē

The woman frowned and shook her head.ďIím so sorry. You just missed her. Well, missed her by a few days actually. Sheís on vacation this week. Iíve been collecting her mail and watering her flowerbeds. Can I take a message for you?Ē

ďThank you, but thatís all right,Ē I said, forcing a smile. It wasnít the neighborís fault that Anne was nowhere to be found. It was, however, her fault that we couldnít break in to explore the premises.

ďDo you know what day she left?Ē Charles asked intelligently.

ďTuesday morning, bright and early.Ē

ďGreat, thanks. Youíve been a huge help,Ē he said with another nod to say goodbye.

I followed him back to the car. Neither of us spoke until the neighbor woman gave us one final wave and walked back into her condo.

ďThe timelines match up perfectly,Ē he said, his hands shaking with excitement. ďAnne left Boston early enough to take Octo-Cat. For all we know, sheís had him this whole time.Ē

ďDo you think sheís hanging out somewhere in Blueberry Bay?Ē

ďCall Nan. Sheíll know what to do on her end. We can discuss the rest on our way back home.Ē

Sure enough, Nan picked up on the first ring, then immediately launched into her plan of attack once Iíd caught her up on what had gone down in Boston. ďIf that wretched womanís staying anywhere near here, Iíll find her. I have the perfect costume for this role.Ē

ďWhat role?Ē I asked.

ďWhy, of the forgetful but well-intentioned elderly aunt, of course. Nobody ever suspects the little old lady, you know. Theyíll hand over her room number in a heartbeat, and when I find her, IíllóĒ

ďYouíll wait for me and Charles,Ē I interrupted. ďPromise me, youíll wait for us.Ē

ďFine. Iíll find her and then Iíll stake things out until the B team can arrive.Ē

ďSo weíre the B team now?Ē I asked with a chuckle.

ďWe canít all be the A team, dear. Now get that man to drive fast, so we can bust in on the bad gal and take back whatís ours.Ē

After hanging up with Nan, I turned to Charles with a giant grin and asked,ďHow fast are you willing to book it back there?Ē

He pressed down a bit harder on the accelerator, and we were off.

[ ŗūÚŤŪÍŗ: img_3]

I felt confident weíd find Octo-Cat before the day was through, but I still had questions. Mainly, if Anne was staying locally, why would she have hired Breanne to hand-deliver her ransom notes? And also, why do all this now when the arbitration for Ethelís estate was already scheduled for tomorrow?

Charles didnít have any good answers, either, which meant the best we could hope for was a crazed confession when we caught Anne red-handed later that morningóor afternoon, depending on the traffic we had to fight coming back home.

We were still a couple hours outside of Glendale when Nan called. I put the phone on speaker so Charles could hear, too.

ďThe eagle is in the nest!Ē she shouted into the phone. ďI repeat, the eagle is in the nest!Ē

ďDoes this mean you found Anne?Ē I asked, hope rising in me like a shiny, Mylar balloon floating toward the ceiling.

Nan giggled.ďOf course we found her. We are the A Team, after all.Ē

I let out a giant, relieved sigh. We were so close to bringing our boy home. Something about what Nan had said didnít quite make sense, though, so I asked, ďAwesome, so I just have two questions. Where are you, and who else is part of that we you just mentioned?Ē

ďUm, just a second, dear.Ē Nanís track pants swished, and a moment later she explained, ďSorry, I wanted to get a bit of privacy for this part. Iím with Cal and his sister.Ē

ďYouíre with Breanne?Ē I growled, immediately tensing up all over again. ďWhy?Ē

ďRelax. I know we hate her, but sheís the one who found out where Anne was staying and led us straight to her.Ē

Charles sent me a panicked glance, and I made a gun out of my thumb and index finger and pointed it at my head with a grimace.

ďAre you ready for the address?Ē Nan asked. Apparently, we were done talking about both Breanne and Anne now.

I agreed. No more talking. It was time for action.

I jotted the address down and made Nan promise to text it over, too. Apparently, Anne had taken a motel room in the nearby town of Cooper Cove. And weíd be there in less than two hours.

ďYou got that twenty bucks ready?Ē I asked Charles. Soon Iíd be collecting on our little bet, but even more importantly, soon Iíd have my cat back and would finally be able to figure out why he was taken in the first place.

This was it. Everything was about to go down.

Anne didnít stand a chance.

I was one angry cat-mama, and I was coming for her.

Chapter Nineteen

Charles and I made it to that dingy motel in Cooper Cove in record time. When we arrived, we found Nan waiting with the Calhoun twins in the parking lot. Nan and Charles sat together in Nanís sports coupe while Breanne sat parked a few spots away, flipping through a giant stack of papers in the driverís seat of her luxury SUV.

The moment Charles and I pulled into that parking lot, everyone scrambled out of their cars and rushed over to join us.

Cal gave me a huge hug.ďWelcome back,Ē he said with a charming grin.

Breanne tried to hug Charles, but he was having none of that.

ďLetís do this!Ē Nan let out a battle cry and led the charge up the outdoor staircase and toward motel room number twenty-six.

The rest of us followed like obedient little ducklings.

We found the room third on the right after exiting the narrow stairway. Charles nudged his way to the front of our pack and banged on the door.ďOpen up,Ē he called, his voice much deeper than usual. Maybe to sound more intimidating. Yeah, because that was the way to get her to voluntarily open the door.

ďAre you sure Anneís even in there?Ē I asked. A frustrating sense of d?j? vu had already begun to set in. What if this was Boston all over again?

ďAnne? No,Ē Nan admitted with a look of determination that didnít waver. ďThe catnapper? Yes.Ē

ďHowÖ?Ē I began. My voice shook just as much as my hands in that moment.

Cal generously explained the situation to Charles and me, who were now both utterly confused.ďSo hang on a sec. Hereís what happened. First off, Breanne felt really bad about her role in all of this, so she agreed to help.Ē

ďItís true. I did.I do.Ē Bree placed a hand on Charlesís arm, but he ripped it away.

ďIíd prefer to hear this from your brother, thank you very much,Ē he grumbled, refusing to even look at his recent ex.

Cal waited until I nodded for him to go ahead.ďWell, um, Bree sent an email since that was the only form of contact she had for the ransom note writer, and basically, well, she said that the plan had worked and that you had agreed to give up the house, Angie.Ē The poor guy seemed so nervous. It was obvious he didnít like being the middleman in this loversí spat, and I couldnít say I blamed him.

When Cal hesitated again, Breanne took over the recap.ďI told the person that I had the preliminary paperwork and that we needed to meet face-to-face in order to move on with the next phase of the plan. About an hour later, I was sent this address and room number.Ē

ďHave you been inside yet?Ē I asked, glancing back toward the closed door.

ďNo, we were waiting for you,Ē Nan said. ďWe wouldnít have solved the case without you.Ē

ďYes, unfortunately, weíve been here for quite a while now,Ē Bree snapped, focusing all her hostility on me now that Charles had made it clear he didnít want to have anything to do with her. ďSo can we please just get this over with already? I have other things to do today, you know.Ē

ďLike delivering more ransom notes?Ē Nan quipped, laughing at her own joke.

It may not have been the most mature decision, but I couldnít resist giving her a high five for that perfect joke.

Bree scowled at both of us, reminding me how serious this situation was.

ďSheís not answering,Ē I muttered, staring at the cheap motel door and wishing I had the power to see right through it. ďWhy is she not answering?Ē

Nan cleared her throat and held up one pointer finger.ďHousekeeping,Ē she called out happily, giving the door an upbeat series of knocks.

The door in front of us remained closed, but the one to the next room opened a crack and a middle-aged man peeked his head out.ďHousekeeping?Ē he asked us with a confused expression.

ďThey just went inside another room. Looks like youíve got a bit of time to make yourself decent,Ē Nan said with a flirtatious wink.

ďWait,Ē I cried just as the door was closing the last bit of the way.

The man nudged it open a few inches and stared at me curiously.

ďDid you happen to run into the woman who was staying in this room? We were supposed to get together today, but sheís not answering.Ē

He shook his head.ďSorry, no. I just got in last night.Ē

Click.The door closed again.

ďOh, this is ridiculous,Ē Breanne groused. ďCímon,Ē she told Cal, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. ďWeíll go check with the front desk. You can all stay here.Ē

Nan, Charles, and I waited in silence. What was left to say? Octo-Cat might be in the room, but he might also not be. It was like Schr?dingerís cat but without the box and hopefully without the dead cat, too.

Thankfully, it only took five minutes for the twins to return.

ďThe occupant checked out,Ē Cal explained with a sad shake of his head. ďAnd we were so close, too. Iím sorry, Angie.Ē

Nan patted Cal on the bicep.ďThatís okay, dear. Did they give us a name?Ē

ďNo, they wouldnít,Ē Bree seethed. ďSome ridiculous code of privacy or something.Ē

Angry tears burned at my eyes and throat.ďNow what?Ē I screamed at the closed door.

Charles and Nan hugged me from either side, which apparently was enough to send Bree tip-tapping out of there on her impossibly high heels.ďItís been swell,Ē she said, waving as she walked away. ďKeep me posted. Or, you know, donít. Whatever.Ē

ďWhat a piece of work, that one. You know I never did much care for her,Ē a smooth, haughty voice informed us from below.

ďNot now, Octo-Cat,Ē I murmured. ďWe have to figure out what weíre going to do next.Ē

WaitÖ Was thatÖ?Oh!

My head snapped up, and I ran to the edge of the outdoor hallway so fast I practically tumbled straight over the edge.

ďWatch it there,Ē Charles cried, looping his arms around my waist and catching me just in time.

But I didnít care about the fact my crush held me tight or that Iíd almost fallen a full story. All I cared about was the blurry, brown-and-black-striped figure that sat in the small courtyard below, regarding me irritably.

ďYou knowÖĒ Octo-Cat said slowly, his way of making sure I understood. ďIíve been gone for three whole days. Thatís three whole days drinking tap water and choking down store brand cat food.Three days without my iPad or cat door. Do you know how much Iíve suffered? Honestly, Angela, what took you so long?Ē

I choked on a sob and jabbed Charles with my elbow.ďGive me twenty bucks,Ē I said, holding out my hand.

ďAre you going to take me home now?Ē Octo-Cat demanded. ďIím not stepping paw on that dirty cement again, and Iíve had more than enough of an adventure for this week, thank you very much.Ē

I wiped my nose on the back of my arm and ran down the stairs. When I reached Octo-Cat, I scooped him up into my arms and squeezed him to my chest.

ďGross!Ē he protested. ďI just finished my mid-day ministrations, and now youíve gone and wiped your germs all on me. Unhand me, you filthy human. Unhand me right now.Ē

I set him back on the grass and laughed like a crazy person. I didnít care what anyone thought. This was one of the very best days of my entire life. Octo-Cat was here, and he was no worse for the wearóno matter whathe claimed. I did wonder, thoughÖ

I stared into his glinting amber eyes as I asked,ďHow are you here on your own? Whereís the person who took you?Ē

My tabby jumped up onto a nearby bench seat and waved his paw around dramatically. Whatever he was about to say, it was sure to be entertaining and to overexaggerate his importance. Ahh, it was so good to have him back.

Octo-Cat smiled as he launched into his harrowing tale.ďWell, she was leaving in a hurry a couple hours back. She tried to take me with her, but I let these babies out, andóĒ

Schwink.His claws popped out in all their menacing glory.

ďLetís just say I won that particular fight.Ē He laughed in that favorite villainous way of his.

ďYou saidshe. Do you know who took you? Was it a woman?Ē

He shrugged his adorable little kitty shoulders.ďIt was definitely a person Iíve seen before. Iím pretty sure it was one of Ethelís relatives, and I am at least sixty percent sure the person was a female.Ē

I patted him between his ears.ďGood work.Ē He still had a hard time telling humans apart, but he was getting better. Slowly but surely, he was getting better, and he was back with me where we belonged.

ďUm, Angie?Ē Charles said, approaching with Nan and Cal at either side. ďWe can still make the arbitration, if you want toóĒ

ďLetís do it,Ē I said.

Now that I had my best friend at my side, there was no way I would let anyone hurt him ever again. We were back together, and thatís how we would stay.

Chapter Twenty

ďI object!Ē Nan cried when the five of us burst into the county court roughly twenty minutes later.

The nearest clerk waved us over to her window behind a thick layer of plexiglass.ďHello, there. What are we objecting to today?Ē

Charles pushed himself in front of Nan.ďHi, yes. Weíre here for the arbitration hearing regarding Ethel Fultonís estate.Ē

The woman nodded her permed head and continued to smile brightly at all of us.ďOh, lots of folks have come in for that one. Room B-2. Youíre right on time. Good luck.Ē

Before we could stop her, Nan ran down the hall and flung open the door to Room B-2.ďI object!Ē she cried.

The rest of us ran after her and popped in a second later.

ďLongfellow,Ē the person who sat at the front of the room said, fixing Charles with a stern look. ďControl your client, and do it now.Ē

We all sat in the back of the room, careful not to make direct eye contact with any of the other heirs. I did a quick scan and saw that Anne was nowhere to be found.

Drats!I still desperately wanted proof that it had been her, and I wanted to make sure she understood the lengths I would go to in order to protect my cat from any future shenanigans on her part.

ďNow,Ē the arbiter said, ďthere have been several challenges to the will of Ethel Fulton, particularly in regards to one Octavius Fulton. Is he here today?Ē

ďYes, your honor.Ē I rose to my feet with my furry friend in my arms, not sure whether I was addressing the arbiter correctly since this was all a huge first for me.

ďLet me guess. Octavius is the cat. Isnít he?Ē the man asked with a bored expression.

ďYes, but Ethel loved him like a son and wanted to make sure he was cared for in the manner to which heíd grown accustomed,Ē Charles explained.

ďI can see that.Ē The arbiter flipped through the copy of the will in front of him and cracked his neck to either side. He glanced up at us again a few minutes later with a tight-lipped smile. ďThere are precedents for this. Ethel could have left the entire state of Maine to her cat for all Icare. Itís not up to the court to question that. So, why are we here?Ē

ďThe house,Ē a scratchy voice wheezed from near the door.

Everyone turned, and I about lost my lunch when I saw who was standing there.

Anne Fulton was every bit as frumpy as I remembered. Her gray hair had been cut short, and her arm was freshly bandaged but still bleeding heavily.

ďIs that your work?Ē I whispered to Octo-Cat.

ďYou bet it is,Ē he answered proudly, then narrowed his gaze on Anne and let out an impressive hiss.

ďThe house wasnít specifically in the will,Ē the arbiter said.

ďMaybe not,Ē Anne said, keeping a great deal of distance between us as she approached the front of the room. ďBut somehow the catís still managed to inherit it.Ē

ďActually, the house is mine,Ē I said.

ďAnd mine,Ē Nan added.

ďMy clients purchased the house from the open market. Their ties to Ethel Fultonís estate are irrelevant,Ē Charles added helpfully.My hero.

ďI agree,Ē the arbiter said. ďAnything else to contest?Ē

Nobody said anything, but Nan wore a giant, sappy grin. Octo-Cat had hopped into her lap, and she was petting him with slow, leisurely strokesójust the way he liked.

ďThen the terms of the will stand as written,Ē the arbiter said. I expected a gavel to bang, but it didnít. Oh, well.

We remained seated until all the Fultons had shuffled out of the room. I was sad to see that my old boss, Richard, hadnít been able to make the trip up from Florida, but happy that this was finally over.

Only Anne remained behind.

ďI know it was you,Ē I hissed.

Octo-Cat backed me up with a hiss of his own, too.

ďWhy did you take my cat?Ē I demanded, gripping the edges of my chair so I wouldnít be tempted to charge straight up to her and give her the beat-down she deserved.

Anne didnít even look sorry. ďThatís my aunt Ethelís cat. He should have stayed in the family after sheíd gone.Ē

ďHim or his trust fund?Ē Nan shot back. ďBecause judging by that open wound on your arm, our dear Octavius doesnít want anything to do with the likes of you.Ē

ďYou canít prove anything,Ē Anne spat. ďAnd you canít do anything, either. So I took a cat for a few days. Itís not like I committed murder.Ē

ďYouíre walking on really shaky ground,Ē Nan warned as Octo-Cat jumped off her lap and trotted over to the villainess of the hour.

ďIím going to get that house,Ē Anne mumbled, then grabbed her injured arm and fled through the door right as Oct-Cat was getting ready to take a fresh swipe.

Nan and I exchanged a quick glance, then she tucked her arm into Calís and said, ďCímon, you handsome thing. I want to thank that kind lady who helped us when we first arrived.Ē

They left through the same door Anne had. Now only Charles, Octo-Cat, and I remained in the arbitration room.

I sighed and laid my head on Charlesís shoulder.

ďIím glad you got him back,Ē he said.

ďMe, too.Ē

ďAre we going home now?Ē Octo-Cat whined, waiting for somebody to open the door for him. ďIím absolutely dying for some Evian.Ē

ďSoon,Ē I said after making a brusque hushing noise.

Charles shook his head.ďIs he seriously complaining again?Ē

ďYup,Ē I answered with a chuckle, pulling myself back into a full seated position.

Charles turned in his seat to face me more directly.ďWell, now that heís back, thereís something Iíve been meaning to say to you for a while now.Ē

I gulped hard as blood rushed through my veins. He had something to say.

Did that meanÖ?

Was he finally going toÖ?

Would weÖ?

He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and tried to hide his widening smile.ďNow I donít want you to take this the wrong way, butÖĒ

ďYes?Ē I asked, lowering my eyelashes to show him I was ready for his kiss. Heck, I was pretty much ready to marry him on the spot, and we were kind of already at the county court. I do. I do!

ďAngie,Ē he said softly, then waited for me to re-open my eyes. ďYouíre fired.Ē

My heart dropped all the way down to the floor. He was supposed to kiss me, not fire me!

Charles pressed his forehead to mine, and his warm breaths landed near my nose.ďI told you not to take it the wrong way. Iím doing you a favor here. Actually, Iím doing both of us a favor.Ē

ďCome again now?Ē I mumbled, wishing I had something more intelligent to say in that moment.

ďIíve known you wanted to quit for weeks now. Maybe months. Whatís stopping you?Ē

ďI didnít want to let you down,Ē I admitted.

He tucked a stray tendril of sandy brown hair behind my ear.ďYou could never let me down, but I donít want you putting your dreams on hold because of me, either.Ē

He was so impossibly close that it made it hard for me to focus. I still wasnít sure exactly what was happening and whether or not I should be happy about it.

ďYouíre a great P.I., and itís time you went into business for yourself. You canít do that if youíre still spending half your days at Longfellow and Associates, soÖ Youíre fired.Ē

ďThank you?Ē I said, guessing at the appropriate response. There may have been precedents regarding Ethelís estate, but what was happening between me and Charles right now was completely and totally new.

He laughed softly.ďDonít thank me. Iím doing this for selfish reasons, too.Ē

ďOh?Ē I asked on a soft exhale. Still so uneasy about how close we were. Still wanting that kiss.

ďYeah, because when I was your boss, I couldnít do this.Ē

I sucked in a deep breath, but before I could let it out, Charlesís lips were on mine. Oh my gosh, I was kissing Charles!

And it was everything Iíd ever dreamed it would be.

ďHumans are disgusting,Ē Octo-Cat complained, taking a swipe at my arm. Thankfully, it was much gentler than the number heíd done on Anne.

Charles laughed as he pulled away.ďLet me guess, he didnít like that.Ē

ďYeah,Ē I admitted. ďBut not because heís jealous, because he thinks itís gross.Ē

Charles rolled his eyes, which just so happened to have happy sparkles in them at the moment.ďWhatever, cat. I know you call me UpChuck behind my back.Ē

ďBoys, boys,Ē I said, smiling so hard that the corners of my mouth hurt. ďYouíre just going to have to find a way to share.Ē

I stood, and Charles immediately laced his fingers between mine, leaving Octo-Cat to follow behind on foot.

ďI canít believe youíre choosing to focus on this needless romance when you should be focused on getting me Evian as soon as humanly possible,Ē my cat grumbled predictably.

I scooped him up in my free arm and held him as we walked out of the courthouse.ďWhen we get home, thereís someone very special I want you to meet.Ē

ďUgh, why? Iím so tired,Ē he whined.

ďHeís the president of your fan club,Ē I revealed, picturing how insanely happy Pringle would be to meet his idol.

ďCan I be the president of your fan club?Ē Charles asked, giving my hand a squeeze.

I pretended to think about this for a moment.ďI donít really need a fan club, but you can be my boyfriend. That is if youóĒ

Charles stopped walking, pulled me close, and kissed me again.

I took that to mean he agreed.

6. CHIHUAHUA CONSPIRACY

Chapter One

Hi, Iím Angie Russo, and this last year has been quite the wild ride for me. Yes, itís been exactly one year since my entire life changed for the better.

Sure, Iíve come face-to-face with a lot of dangerous characters latelyómurderers, kidnappers, creeps, you name itóbut I wouldnít trade my life for anyone elseís.

Hereís the dealÖ It all started at my former job as a paralegal.

A wealthy old woman had just died, and her heirs had gathered at our office for the official will reading. I was instructed to make coffee, and, well, that was the last time I ever attempted such a dangerous feat.