Deadly Diamond

“Everything I know I learned from my cat. When you’re hungry, eat. When you’re tired, nap in a sunbeam. When you go to the vet’s, pee on your owner.”

––Gary Smith

CHAPTER THREE: Murfy Goes on a Playdate

George arrived promptly at four that afternoon and unloaded his latest project; an old dresser converted into a dining room buffet. He chatted with Maggie while Alyx wrapped up what she was working on, and we were all ready to go a few minutes later. Alyx told George that she would take her own car as she planned to stay and visit for a while. She wrote the address on a slip of paper and handed it to him.

“Do you know where it is?” she asked.

“I know exactly where it is. You want to follow me?”

“Sure,” she said, “I’ll get Murfy while you load the desk, unless you need help.”

He winked at Maggie and flexed his arm. “Nothing I can’t handle. Right, Maggie?” She smiled indulgently and followed him.

Aware of what Alyx expected me to do, I reluctantly stepped into the carrier. I really wasn’t looking forward to meeting this Simon cat. I considered hiding, knowing they’d never find me until I was ready to be found. Although I certainly didn’t need a playmate as I had two felines at home, apparently Simon did. Looking on the bright side, I could play a little rougher with him than with the females at home. A real wrestling match might be fun.

At Althea’s condominium, Alyx left me in the carrier while George unloaded the desk. The designer in Alyx must have been dismayed to see so many rooms cramped with furniture. Althea told Alyx that she’d downsized through the years, but it didn’t look like it to me.

Once George settled the desk in its new location in the study, Althea asked if they had time for some refreshments.

“Something cold would be great,” answered George, wiping his brow with his t-shirt.

“I have some scones, and I made iced tea. Alyx, would you like hot tea instead?”

The teapot was already sitting on a silver tray, along with some pretty cups. Alyx said she’d love some.

Alyx let me out of the carrier and I followed her and George to the small kitchen where Althea had set the table for afternoon tea. I freely explored the area, helping myself to a snack from Simon’s food bowl, followed by a drink from his bowl of fresh water.

Althea poured a glass of iced tea for George and asked him if making furniture was a hobby or a business.

“It’s both. I had a small shop in Vermont where I built furniture pieces by special order; now I do it as a hobby.”

“From what I’ve seen in the store, you do beautiful work. You’re too young for retirement, what made you decide to quit?”

George crossed and uncrossed his legs. “It’s a long story, so let’s just say mostly because of divorce and all the financial problems that come with it.”

Alyx then steered the conversation back to small talk and when he left, I finally got to met Simon.

“Okay, Althea,” said Alyx, “let’s introduce our fur-babies and see how that goes.”

“All right, dear; should I go get Simon?”

Alyx hooked the leash to my collar. “No, not yet. I’m going to bring Murfy to him. You don’t think he’ll attack, do you?”

I knew her concern was more for the other cat getting hurt than for me. Regardless, I was glad to hear Althea say that she didn’t think so.

“He’s always acted quite the gentleman around other animals in the vet’s waiting room.”

I couldn’t help the shiver that ruffled my fur at the mention of that word. Surely, there’s no domestic animal alive, no matter how tough, that doesn’t fear the dreaded V word.

“Well, he’s not tied up, so he has the option to run away if he wants to.”

Althea opened the laundry room door, and Simon sauntered out. Detecting neither fear nor aggression, Simon, a pleasant enough fellow, moved away to hunch down on all fours, studying me, while I sat politely, studying him.

Both Alyx and Althea were smiling at the successful encounter. “I think they need to get acquainted.”

Althea asked Alyx if she wanted another cup of tea. Alyx said yes, went down on one knee, and unhooked my leash.

Simon bounded away, looking behind his left shoulder, inviting me to follow him, which I did, but stayed close enough to hear the conversation between the two women.

“Alyx, I’d like to hire you to help me redecorate this room; I know I have far too many things in here. I saw it on your face that you agree.”

“I can see why you kept them. They are truly outstanding pieces. If you’d like, I can take what you don’t want to keep and sell them for you,” she suggested.

“You mean on consignment?”

“Yes, exactly.”

The ever-present vulnerability on Althea’s face momentarily disappeared. “What would your percentage be?”

Alyx stammered a reply, “We don’t … as a rule … take consignments… I’d have to talk it over with Maggie. I’m sure we can agree on a small percentage.”

Sounding more like herself then, Althea said, “All right, dear, whatever you decide will be fine with me.”

“I have some free-time tomorrow morning. Do you want me to come over and mark the pieces you least mind parting with?”

“Yes, all right.” Althea’s gaze traveled over us, now resting side by side under the dining room table.

“Will you bring Murfy?”

“Sure, they seem to get along fine.”

Simon and I looked at each other, pleased with their decision, looking forward to some playtime.

“And there’d no charge for the decorating advice,” Alyx added.

“Oh, no; I can’t let you do that. I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of our friendship.”

“I don’t think that, Althea. Besides, the room has good bones,” and to assess it better, she stood and looked around. “All it needs is some re-arranging. The only other suggestion I have is to remove the heavy drapery and leave the plantation shutters in place.”

That appeared to be acceptable to Althea, so they agreed on a time for Alyx to come over the next day.

I was pensive on the ride back to the store. Simon was about my age, and ever so worldly. His previous human had been a diplomat and Simon had accompanied him all over the world, whereas, born only two blocks from my current residence, I’d lived in Beachside my whole life.

Simon said there was more to our kind than I knew of or had ever imagined. He said that we were not the same, but we were the same kind because we were both cats. What did he mean? I looked forward to our next meeting to learn the secrets to which he’d alluded.

Alyx pulled up at the rear of the store, and I focused on my job. The probable diamond thief had looked unsure of himself, nervous and scared. I figured he’d hidden the diamond in one of those little drawers in the desk and planned to return during the store’s business hours to retrieve it rather than after hours––he didn’t strike me as the breaking and entering type. I was confident that my housemates and I could take care of him. The girls had had some experience with that sort of thing already.

After a busy hour of alertness in the store, I took time out for a nap and was running a stationary marathon when I jerked awake, perplexed by my dream, which usually involved chasing someone or something. Periodically, I dream about fighting that scruffy cat that hangs out in the yard.

Since time isn’t something cats are necessarily aware of or care about, I didn’t know how long I’d been sleeping. I did want to know if we were going home soon, so I set off to get a sense of what was going on. Bernice was on the sales floor, Alyx was in the workroom sitting behind the desk working on something, and Maggie was at the worktable comparing fabric samples. I effortlessly jumped up on the desk and rubbed my head under Alyx’s chin.

“Where have you been?”

I answered with a meow, pleased when she looked at her watch.

“I guess you’ve had enough for the day, huh?”

I’d always taken our communication for granted; now I wondered. Was this what Simon meant when he asked how my human knew what I wanted? How was it possible that we could communicate?

Alyx put away the rest of the things she was working on. “Murfy, go get Misty and we’ll go home.”

I trotted off to find Misty and heard Maggie say, “He’s something else, you know. I think he understood what you said.”

“Sometimes it makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”