Alfie and George

Chapter Twenty-three

Vic and Heather had called a neighbourhood watch meeting. I watched through our living room window as people crammed into their house. Polly and Claire went; Polly said that Matt was so down she didn’t think he’d survive it, so Claire offered to go with her in solidarity. Tash couldn’t go as she had to look after Elijah and to everyone’s amusement she was actually a little disappointed. But as they told her, there would be plenty more meetings to attend in the future. But despite the joking, I knew the nature of the meeting might help me so I was disappointed that I couldn’t go either.

I felt a little sad as I watched Polly, still in her work suit, and Claire, wearing jeans and a jumper, walk through the Goodwins’ door. All I could do was settle down with Jonathan and wait for Claire to come home. Summer was in bed, George was asleep on the armchair and Jonathan and I sat side by side on the sofa watching the news. There was no mention of any cats on it as far as I could see, so I didn’t think that this lamppost cat thing had reached epic proportions yet, but still I found it troubling. Despite the increase in posters, none of our cat friends had gone missing, so it didn’t make sense. I still hadn’t heard from Dustbin, and I wondered if Edgar Road was somehow protected from whatever was going on. But then just what was going on? Anyway, I was sure they would be discussing it at the meeting, so I would hear about it later.

Jonathan fell asleep on the sofa at some point, as he often did, snoring a bit and dribbling sometimes, but then when he woke up denied he had been asleep at all. Glancing at George, who was also fast asleep, I went to stretch my legs in the garden. As I slid through the cat flap I was surprised to see Tiger by my back step. Her fur glinted in the moonlight, and she looked very serious.

‘What are you doing here?’ I asked.

‘Thank goodness you’re here, I thought I’d have to risk coming in.’

‘Tiger, I’ve told you before, I’m sure Claire and Jonathan wouldn’t mind!’ Jonathan would probably huff and puff a bit but actually he’d be all right. Besides, he was snoring away just now anyway.

‘I’ve been waiting for ages and getting cold, but I had to come and see you.’ Tiger’s eyes shone with fear.

‘What is it, Tiger?’

‘The lamppost cats, it is serious after all.’

‘Ah, I worried it was. That’s why the Goodwins called their meeting.’

‘Yes, it is. My owners were fussing, telling me to be careful, saying they might have to stop me from going out! Anyway that’s not the worst bit. There was a new poster tonight and it’s …’

‘Come on, Tiger, spit it out.’ Tiger often got a bit flustered when she was upset. I tried to be patient but it wasn’t one of my strong points.

‘Pinkie! It’s Pinkie on the poster.’

‘Are we sure she isn’t just in a fridge somewhere?’ I asked, but I had a bad feeling.

‘She’s missing, Alfie. Her poster is on a lamppost. So finally, after all our musing about whether this was a proper problem, someone we know has gone missing, an Edgar Road cat. It’s time we stopped burying our heads in the sand. I think that something bad is going on and you know I’m not a dramatic cat. But I can’t just sit by and watch our friends go missing.’ I had never seen Tiger this agitated before.

‘Calm down, Tiger. Right, let’s think this through. Pinkie wouldn’t just leave home — she liked her owner.’

‘Exactly. She really was happy there.’

‘OK, so you’re right, something is going on. I need to think about this, and I need to go and see Dustbin again. I mentioned it to him before but with Franceska and the kids in Poland I haven’t seen him since. I need to go there but what will I do with George? It’s too far for him to walk.’

‘How about I look after George and you go. I’d go with you but one of us needs to take care of the kitten.’

‘OK. And don’t worry, Tiger. Alfie is on the case.’

‘Oh, Alfie, I just don’t want anything bad to happen to any of us.’

‘Hey,’ I said, with all the confidence I could muster,‘I won’t let it.’

I went back inside, legs shaking. I was more troubled by this latest development than I cared to admit. It had hit home now and no longer could we ignore the problem. Jonathan decided he was too tired to wait up, so I took George to bed, and although I tried to stay awake, sleep claimed me. I was asleep before Claire came back.

At breakfast, I was delighted that Claire discussed the meeting with Jonathan.

‘I know they are quite mad but it does seem there are a spate of cats going missing. The Goodwins have done a spreadsheet and everything. And you know, Jon, it’s more than is comfortable, even for London.’

‘You’re kidding?’ Jonathan said through a mouthful of toast. ‘What’s a spreadsheet going to do?’ Trust Jonathan to focus on that.

‘Well they have charted where the cats went missing and it does seem to be a triangle of streets around us. They’ve also got all the owners together and everyone is searching. Jon, you have to admit that it’s too many now for it to be cats running away or getting run over.’ As Claire looked worried, I thought of poor Pinkie. ‘And for once the Goodwins are actually being helpful, not just interfering.’

‘Yeah, they have got a point. But what are they going to do?’

‘They’ve asked us all to search around the area, look out for anything suspicious and most of all keep our cats safe.’

Jonathan looked at her. ‘You don’t think anyone would take Alfie or George do you?’ Finally he sounded as if he was taking it seriously.‘Has anyone spoken to the police?’

‘Yes, but I don’t think missing cats are their top priority, and the point is that if we can get to the bottom of it soon then they won’t get the chance to take our cats. We were all wondering if we should keep them inside.’

‘But Claire, Alfie would hate that. Look, maybe we use that as a last resort.’

‘Well, this better get sorted, Jon, or we’ll have no alternative.’

‘Right, I’ll call Matt and after work we can go and do a bit of a search.’

It didn’t sound like much of a plan but at least it was something. I really didn’t want to be locked in the house — how would I help the lamppost cats or my families then?

‘George, stop that and come here,’ Claire shouted. She had been cleaning up after Jonathan left for work and George had taken the opportunity to play. Having recently discovered the cupboard where the plastic supermarket bags were kept, he had decided they were his favourite things. He had climbed into one now and was sliding all over the kitchen floor. Summer was chasing him and giggling, but Claire was cross.

‘It’s dangerous,’ she shouted. I knew it wasn’t, there were holes in the bag and he could definitely breathe, I wasn’t that neglectful a parent. Finally Claire caught him and removed him from the bag. ‘When Jonathan gets home I am getting him to childproof that cupboard, George. No more bags for you.’ George looked distraught. I made a mental note to tell him how much fun boxes could be later on. Claire looked flustered as she put George down on the floor and went to get Summer dressed. She was going out with Tash for the day with the kids, as they both had a day off work. Tash had had a date with the lovely Max last night so Claire wanted to hear all about it. I did too, but disappointingly I couldn’t go with them, although it did mean I could go and see Dustbin, with Tiger kitten-sitting for me.

‘I wish we could go out with them,’ George said.

‘Well, they won’t let us. It would mean stowing away in Summer’s pushchair or something,’ I mused as I strolled towards the living room, where I could watch the world go by through the window.

‘Bye, Alfie, bye George,’ Claire shouted later. I lay down on the sofa and thought about having a nap, before I suddenly sat up with a start. Something was wrong. I wasn’t sure what, or if I was imagining it, but something didn’t feel right. I went to find George. I searched the house, but couldn’t see him. I sighed, it was tiring but he kept playing hide and seek without telling me, which was beyond annoying. So I looked for him in all the places that he normally hid, but there was no sign of the mischievous little kitten. Once I was certain he wasn’t in the house, I went out. He might have snuck out while I was in the living room. Honestly, what kind of parent was I? I searched the garden, but he wasn’t there so, trying not to panic, I went to find Tiger. Thankfully she was in her front garden.

‘What do you mean “gone”?’ Tiger asked.

‘Claire went out and I can’t find him anywhere.’ Oh, this was so worrying. I felt a bolt of real fear as I thought of the lamppost cats. My George!

‘Are you sure you looked everywhere?’ asked Tiger. She looked panicked too.

‘Yes, of course, I checked and double-checked. You haven’t seen him?’ I was frantic.

‘No, Alfie, if he went out he didn’t come this way. Let’s check the park, he loves the park.’ Tiger was staying calm, something I was finding difficult. I felt an emotion I had never felt before: total fear. I was always a bit panicked when he was hiding, but in the house I was a little more confident. However, outside … anything could happen to him.

‘I told him never to go out without me!’ I knew I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off him, but then I didn’t expect him to be so irresponsible. Hadn’t I warned him about going out on his own? Of course I had — time and time again.

Tiger and I were silent as we made our way to the park as quickly as possible. I had never felt fear like this before. He was still so young, and didn’t even really know how to cross roads on his own. There were dangers everywhere and I had taught him so much, but still, it wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t there.

I collapsed back at my house. I wanted to cry, my back legs ached from all the running and I still hadn’t found my boy. I couldn’t help but yowl.

‘Look, you wait here, Alfie, and I’ll go and see if the others have seen him.’ Tiger was distraught but was trying her best to hide it.

‘Tiger, I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

‘I’ll be quick,’ she said, and bounded off. I lay in the front garden and said a prayer to the god of cats to bring my boy home safely. We had checked the park, every tree, bush and flowerbed, anywhere he could possibly hide, but there was no sign. Where on earth could he be? I promised if he was brought back safely to me I would never take my eyes off him again, not for a minute. How could I have been so irresponsible?

It felt like ages before Tiger came back. She looked downcast.

‘No sign. Oh goodness, now I’m beginning to really worry. Although if he had come outside, someone would have seen him. It doesn’t make sense,’ she said, and I had to agree with her. ‘Not even Salmon, and he’s been watching for ages. He said he saw Claire leave with the pushchair but nothing else. The other cats are all looking for him right now.’

‘What could have happened? It’s as if he’s just disappeared into thin air. What if the lamppost cats are something really bad and someone’s taken him?’ I was feeling so hysterical that I didn’t think I could breathe anymore.‘I can’t bear the idea that someone could have taken my boy.’

‘Oh, Alfie, I don’t know what to say—’ She stopped suddenly. ‘Look.’ I turned and saw Claire and Tash approaching. Claire was pushing Summer in her pushchair, and Elijah was walking next to them, holding his mum’s hand. I was flooded with relief as I saw, sitting bold as brass on Summer’s lap, George. I tried to slow my breathing down to a normal level as they approached us but my heart was still beating out of my chest.

‘Oh, Alfie, were you looking for George?’ Claire said as they reached us.‘The naughty little kitten stowed away in the pushchair, in my bag.’ She lifted George out.‘We were on our way to soft play but of course we couldn’t take him in. Now, George, stay here. We have to go back before the kids get mutinous.’ She shook her head, gave me a pat and left.

When they’d gone, Tiger and I exchanged a glance.

‘Don’t ever do that to me again,’ I said crossly. I had never felt so cross and yet so relieved in my life.

‘Why?’

‘We were worried sick,’ Tiger added.‘George, you can’t just go with humans, and if you do then you need to tell Alfie.’

‘Why?’

‘Because we were worried and we love you, but at the moment I am very cross with you. What were you thinking?’ I didn’t want to scare him by telling him about the lamppost cats — he was too little for that — but he needed to be aware of the dangers. Parenting wasn’t as easy as it looked.

‘You said you’d like to go to hear about Tash and that man. And by the way, she had a lovely time, he took her to something called French restaurant, they drank something called champagne and they had a great evening, and they are going to see each other again but they’ve both agreed to take it slowly. Tash doesn’t know if she’s ready but actually she admitted she really did enjoy herself,’ said George.

As much as I liked hearing this, I was still angry and scared. Although I was delighted for Tash, and it was brilliant that George had listened so well, I wasn’t going to tell him that.

‘I know I said I wanted to go but I also said that we couldn’t go. We just can’t go anywhere we fancy it, no matter how much we want to.’ I once stowed away in a bag and went all the way to the seaside with my families but I wasn’t going to tell George about that.‘It’s dangerous, it’s reckless and your mum and I were worried sick. Now you will go inside and stay there, and think about your behaviour,’ I said crossly.

‘But I’m sorry,’ George said, trying to look cute.

‘No, George, you need to be punished. Come on, inside now and never, ever go anywhere without telling me again.’

I hustled him round the back, with Tiger following us. As I told George to get through the cat flap, Tiger hung back.

‘I’m so relieved,’ Tiger said. ‘The feelings I had when he was missing were awful.’

‘I know, it was horrific, I really can’t begin to tell you.’

‘I think I understand. I love him too, you know.’

‘I know we’re his parents, and just like with my families, I’ve seen how parents worry and I totally understand it now. I worry enough about all my humans, but even that isn’t the same as the way I feel about George,’ I tried to explain.

‘Because he’s your kitten,’ Tiger said.‘Anyway, I’d better go and let the others know he’s safe, they’re probably still looking for him.’

‘Great. And Tiger …’

‘Yes?’

‘He’s not my kitten, he’s our kitten.’

Tiger nuzzled me and left. I went inside to deal with our kitten feeling an odd cocktail of emotions.

George behaved impeccably for the rest of the day. He didn’t go near anything he shouldn’t and he asked me before he did anything. I wished he could always be this good, although of course I’d probably miss his mischievous side just a tiny bit. When Summer came home, she grabbed George and took him upstairs to play dress up. After having to wear bonnets, scarfs and dolly dresses, I think he’d been punished enough. However, the idea that he could really go missing haunted me. I needed to get to the bottom of the cat mystery sooner rather than later.