Admittedly, he’d come a long way since our first couple of drives together. He could even handle the trip without being dosed with sleepy medicine. Those things helped, but being locked in a tin can with him for hours on end would never be pleasant, no matter what precautions we made.


All this meant that next time Octo-Cat wanted to see Grizabella, she could come to us. And if he wanted to go anywhere else, we’d be flying—and that was that.


Chapter Seventeen


I slipped into the driver’s seat for a couple quick hours, then Nan got behind the wheel again as we made our final approach into Boulder.


Charles texted a few times to check in on us and give me updates about his day. Basically Bravo continued to be glued to his side no matter where he went, and Pringle hadn’t yet returned from his reconnaissance mission. I didn’t particularly like either of these facts, but I also couldn’t say I was surprised. At least I’d finally be in a stationary location and easier for him to reach if he needed my help.


We were so close now, and I for one couldn’t wait to get out of the moving death box that I had called home for the last two days. Yes, our accident, while minor, had definitely riled me up.


And I wasn’t the only one facing newfound anxieties…


Once we’d reached the city proper, Octo-Cat began hissing and panting in the back seat. His tongue lolled right out of his mouth as he struggled to take short, shallow breaths.


“Oh, goodie!” Paisley squealed with delight. “Octavius is pretending to be a dog. Look at me! I can show you how, big brother. Heh. Heh. Heh.”


I glanced over and found that her small pink tongue was now also lolling from her mouth as her whole body wriggled with excitement.


Octo-Cat, on the other hand, looked like he was going to be sick.


“Paisley, give him some space,” I instructed.


The little dog moved to the other side of the bench seat and quirked her head.“Why? Is something wrong with him, Mommy?”


“Can’t…” the tabby gasped dramatically. “Breathe…”


I pushed my seat back as far as it would go, turned on my side, and pulled Octo-Cat to my chest. Holding on tight, I righted the seat again and set him carefully on my lap.


“Do we need to stop?” I asked, watching him closely as he continued to wheeze and gasp.


“N-n-no. Just… Nerv… ous.”


“He’s got the love butterflies!” Paisley announced with a bark. “Just like the romance doctor said!”


I scratched Octo-Cat behind his ears, feeling fondness for him swell in my chest. He didn’t often show his vulnerabilities, but whenever he did, I loved him all the better for it.


“Is this true? Do you have the love butterflies?” While not exactly how Dr. Roman had described that jittery feeling associated with romantic love, it was how we had translated the content for Paisley. She’d immediately understood and explained that she felt love butterflies every single second she was near me or Nan or Octo-Cat. Our little love bug.


Octo-Cat simply nodded in response to my question.


“You have nothing to worry about,” I assured the lovesick cat now. “Grizabella already adores you. And you’ve put in so much extra work listening to Dr. Roman’s book, making that huge list of everything you needed to show her the perfect vacation, plus I happen to know for a fact that nobody can love her like you can.”


He closed his eyes and pushed his ears back against his head. He took a few moments to steady his breathing, then opened his bright eyes again and asked,“Are you sure? Grizabella is so glamorous, and I’m just a normal cat. I even think I gained a few ounces since our last meeting. Now I’m just a stupid flabby tabby.”


I wanted to laugh at the rhyme—especially since I often called him crabby tabby behind his back—but I controlled myself as I continued to stroke his soft fur. Because of his added anxiety, he’d begun shedding like crazy, and a little storm cloud of loose hair hovered over us.


“Grizabella chose you for your heart. Plus I may be biased here, but I think you’re the best cat in the whole entire world.”


He looked up at me, his amber eyes wide and glistening.“But am I the best cat who’s ever lived?” he asked seriously.


“Y-yes?”


“Are you sure?”


He caught me off guard, but I recovered nicely, smiling as I assured,“Positive, and I know Grizabella would agree.”


Octo-Cat sat up in my lap, his breathing now fully back to normal and his tongue safely tucked inside his mouth.“You packed my bowties, right? I want to wear the blue to match my lady love’s eyes.”


“I have them both right here in my purse. Would you like me to help you put the blue one on now?”


“Yes, please.”


Wow, he almost never said please and usually only said thank you sarcastically. Maybe he was practicing good manners on me so that he’d be ready to play the perfect gentleman for Grizabella. Or maybe he simply realized how much I did for him and how grateful he was to have me in his life.


Okay, yeah, it was definitely the first thing, but still.


I fished the silky blue bowtie out of my purse and fastened it around his neck. Even I had to admit that he looked incredibly handsome in this get-up.


“You look all grown up, Octavius,” Paisley said, when Octo-Cat leaped into the backseat to rejoin her.


“I am all grown up. And so are you.” He sneered, then broke into a good-natured smile. “But I know what you meant. Thank you.”


“Grizzly-bella is going to give you soooo many face licks,” Paisley promised with a wink. “She won’t be able to keep her paws off you, you hunka-hunka burning love!”


Octo-Cat hung his head and chuckled, then whipped it back and let out a full-bellied laugh.


I translated for Nan, and then we joined in the laughter, too.


The things that came out of these animals’ mouths sometimes! I wouldn’t change either of them for the world. No, not even Octo-Cat and his incessant complaining. Changing that would be changing him, and I was a firm believer that we always wound up with the people and animals we needed to have in our lives.


Just like Octo-Cat and Grizabella had met and fallen in love on that one strange train trip that got neither of us to our intended destination. But they had found each other.


And now months later, the feline lovers would have their first romantic trip together. What a world.


During this whole exchange, Nan had doggedly pressed on toward our destination. And now the busy commercial district gave way to a quieter suburban street. The houses here were much more modern looking than the giant manors back home, but they had been well kept and boasted tidy lawns and colorful flowerbeds. It felt like the kind of place where you could raise a family and raise them well. Even though I would forever be a Maine girl, I instantly liked Colorado. And we hadn’t even gotten out of the car yet.


“You have arrived at your destination,” the GPS announced as we pulled up outside a brick split-level with red shutters and a white picket fence.


Christine came out to meet us while Grizabella waited in the bay window that overlooked the yard.“Welcome, welcome!” she called, saddling first Nan and then me with a gigantic warm hug.


“Grizz has been so excited all day,” she said, beaming at us as if we were all long lost friends reuniting for the first time in ages. “I couldn’t tear her away from that window, and I tried!”


“That’s sweet,” I said with a chuckle. “It’s almost like she knew we were coming, huh?”


Christine’s brown scrunched. “Well, of course she knew you were coming. You told Octavius and he told her.”


“I don’t get what you—”


“Oh, no need to play coy with me.” She waved her hand dismissively as if I were the one speaking out of turn. “Your nan told me all about how you’re the modern-day Doctor Dolittle. But don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”


Nan did what? And here I’d naively assumed she’d told her friends in Michigan as a one-off thing. Looked like we’d be having our big conversation much sooner than I’d originally planned.


Chapter Eighteen


Octo-Cat ran straight to the front door, plopped his butt on the welcome mat, and waited for the humans to be done with their requisite greetings. His impatience provided a good excuse for me to get away from Christine and her desire to talk about my not-so-secret ability.


I charged ahead. She, Nan, and Paisley joined me on the porch, and then Christine pushed the door open.


Octo-Cat raced inside like a shot.


There, on the other side of the threshold, sat his lady love, a beautiful Himalayan wearing a Swarovski crystal encrusted collar and sporting a perfectly groomed coat. Her sparkling blue eyes matched Octo-Cat’s bowtie perfectly, and despite the difference in their pedigrees, it was easy to tell they belonged together.


She gracefully moved to her feet, glided forward, and rubbed her flat face all over Octo-Cat’s neck and chest. Both purred so loudly, no one would have been able to get a word in if we’d dared try.


“Oh, my darling Grizabella!” Octo-Cat cried, accepting an enthusiastic lick on the cheek, much as Paisley had predicted.


“Octavius, sweetest,” she chimed, lifting her fluffy tail straight into the air and giving it a happy quiver. “It has been far too long.”


Paisley trotted over, her tail wagging her entire body as she approached.“Hi, Grizzly-bella! I’m Octavius’s kid sister. Nice to meetcha!” She inserted herself right between the lovelorn cats, and I was certain Octo-Cat would hiss and swipe at her for the intrusion.


Instead he put a paw on her back and drew her in for a hug.“Darling, you’ve met Paisley on our video calls.”


“Nice to meet you in person at last, little sister,” Grizabella said with a small bow of her head. “Come. I’ll introduce you to my brothers and sisters.”


All three trod into the screened-in back porch where six other show quality Himalayan cats sat sunning themselves contentedly.


“This is Juliet, Viola, Ophelia, Oberon, Othello, and Hamlet,” she said by way of introduction. “They’re all still active on the circuit. I’m the only one with the distinction of being retired.” She laughed at this, and my pets joined in even though I’d be willing to bet that neither of them understood the joke—I didn’t either.


“C’mon,” Christine said, leading us back toward the entryway. “Let’s get you unpacked while these two lovebirds catch up.”


“Eck!” Octo-Cat screeched. “Being called a bird is even worse than being called a dog.”


“She means well, sweetest,” Grizabella purred at his side. “But we can’t all be blessed with the perfect human companion like you. Can we?”


I stopped in my tracks and jerked my head toward Octo-Cat in complete and utter shock.


“Yeah, I said it,” he growled and curled a lip at me. “And I can just as easily un-say it. Now get out of here while I’m still feeling generous.”


After that accidental confession of his, I didn’t stop smiling for the rest of that day. Despite all his complaints, Octo-Cat not only loved me, he thought I was the best human ever. That meant a lot, considering how difficult he was to please even on his best days.


Once Nan and I had unpacked, Christine offered us tea and cookies. More than once she tried to bring the conversation back around to my gift for talking to animals. And each time I deftly deflected. I needed to speak with Nan about her willingness to share my private business with near strangers before I included Christine in any such talks.


Charles continued to text throughout the day to update me on the non-progress of the seagulls’ case. All he had were the precedents he’d immediately found regarding squatter’s rights in Maine. Unfortunately, he still knew next to nothing about what had happened to the missing flock whose territory was now up for dispute.


Given that Pringle failed to return to my property the night before, we also had no idea whether he’d found something of value or whether he was even still okay… For all we knew, he could have taken a wrong turn and wound up as roadkill. If that had happened because of something I’d asked him to do, I would never forgive myself.


But right now I needed to stop worrying about what could happen and focus on what already had.


Mainly that Nan was sharing my secret with the world… Why?


We both begged off early that night, tired from the long drive and eager to sleep in actual beds again for a change. Christine’s guest room comprised two twin beds, the perfect setup for the conversation we needed to have.


At last, I broached the topic once we’d both changed into our pajamas and settled beneath the hand-made quilts that adorned the matching beds.


“Nan? Why does Christine know about what I can do?”


“It just seemed easier to let her in on it,” my grandmother confessed after turning on her side to face me. “Otherwise this trip would have been quite awkward trying to hide the truth the whole time. And I know Octo-Cat would have driven you crazy with his complaints if we had to spend our nights in a hotel instead of here with his girlfriend.” She shrugged again. “I guess this just seemed like the best option for everyone involved.”


Her answer did not comfort me. In fact, it seemed as if she believed she’d done me a favor. That was definitely not the case. I didn’t want this to turn into an argument, but I did need to make sure she understood.


I tried approaching from a different angle.“Okay, then why did you tell Melissa and her family?”


Nan’s face twisted into a grimace, proving I’d gotten through to her this time. “Oh, that. I’d forgotten I had. It just came up in conversation one day. Sorry about that.”


“Why are you telling people at all? Shouldn’t this be my secret to share?” I watched as her face fell.


She blinked hard.“Oh, dear. You’re right. Of course, you’re right, and I’m sorry if I overstepped. I really didn’t tell that many people, and I made sure none of them lived anywhere near to us. I know how awkward that would make things for you if people we saw every day at the supermarket or the bank or post office knew.”


I sucked in a slow, shaky breath. Confrontation was never easy, least of all with Nan. I needed to say this next part with gentle words but a firm tone.“But, Nan, I don’t want anyone to know, other than the ones I’ve trusted enough to tell myself.”


“Of course not, I’m so sorry. I guess…” She sighed. “I guess I just spent so many years hiding this big important truth that once it was out there I couldn’t help but share everything.”


I smiled to show her I understood, and that even though I definitely didn’t like her actions, I’d already forgiven her for them. “You may have overcorrected there.”


“You’re right, and I’m sorry.” She pulled the quilt up close to her chin and offered a sad smile.


We both lay silent for a couple moments until Nan suddenly popped up in bed and turned to face me with wide eyes. I could practically see the cartoon lightbulb appear over her head.“Tell you what. First of all, I hereby solemnly swear that I won’t tell another soul. You have my word.”


I let out an enormous sigh of relief.“That’s a good start. Thank you.”


She clasped her hands together in her lap and giggled.“And if it ever comes up again, I’ll just tell people that I’ve gone senile. You can toss me in the worst nursing home you can find, and that will be that.”


I gasped.“Nan, you know I would never do that!”


“Okay, fine. I’ll toss myself in.”


“You’re not going to a nursing home.”


“Well, no, because I’m not going to share your secrets anymore. See, it works out for everyone?”


“Love you, Nan.” I said, snapping off the bedside lamp with great satisfaction. If only all conversations went this smoothly, we’d be living in a very different world.


Chapter Nineteen


Octo-Cat and Grizabella began the following day by feasting on jumbo shrimp from a crystal goblet and lying together in a sunbeam most of the afternoon. At night they snuggled up in front of a roaring fire and took turns giving each other tongue baths.


On the third day of our visit, the two kitty lovers strolled through the flowerbeds and ate some grass from the back lawn.


And on the fourth day, they both had upset tummies. This, however, did not stop Octo-Cat from wooing his love by hunting a robin and delivering its carcass for her enjoyment.


Day five is when the anguished mewling began. They both knew their trip was almost up and hated the thought of being separated again so soon after they’d been reunited.


When we began our drive home on day six, poor Octo-Cat was beyond devastated. He hardly spoke at all—not even to complain—the entire drive home. But we couldn’t add even an hour’s delay to our return trip, given the upcoming trial by seagull that awaited us back home. I needed to be there to help Charles deliver his case, or the flock would assuredly wreak unholy terror on us. After all, they’d promised.


Paisley made sure to cuddle and groom Octo-Cat in turns, being the friend he needed but hadn’t quite felt up to asking for. Nan focused on the drive and the new audiobook we’d picked up in town. This one was a sweeping historical saga that actually ran longer than our entire drive time, if you can believe that.


Once home, I had just enough time to take a good two-hour nap before Charles arrived to collect me so we could drive together to the seagulls’ dumpster in Dewdrop Springs.


I gathered my hair in a messy ponytail and pulled on a polka-dotted maxi dress to wear with my thick boots and a coat, and we were off.


“Are you ready for the biggest case of your life?” I joked, happy that it was just me and him in the car and that this drive would only be half an hour instead of thirty-five.


“I’m not ready at all,” he confessed with a heavy sigh. “Pringle never came back.”


“What?” I stared at him as if I’d be able to read the explanation on his face. “But it’s been over a week.”


Charles tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, a nervous tic of his.“I know. That’s why I’m so worried. Do you think something happened to him?”


Dread flooded my gut. For all his faults, Pringle was my friend. A colleague, too. I hated to think that something may have happened to him.


“I’m sure he’s okay.” I forced a smile and placed my hand on Charles’s arm to steady his anxious rapping at the wheel. “He probably just got distracted and lost track of time. That’s all.”


“So what do we do without his evidence? I know none of the facts beyond what we were initially told, and something feels off about the story they told us. If their case is so cut and dry, why do they need us in the first place? Why did that one bird stay on me day in and day out while all the others waited in my yard?”


I knew he would feel better if he had answers going in, but unfortunately there was nothing to be done now. All I could do was try to comfort him and pray this would be finished quickly.“I know you want to do a good job and that you want to be on the side of truth and justice here, but you can only do so much. Present your argument, and then let the birds figure out the rest.”


“I know you’re right. Of course I do, but my intuition keeps gnawing at me. Something’s not right.”


I rubbed his arm soothingly and changed the topic. Talking about all the pieces we didn’t have would only make defending the seagulls’ right to the land that much more difficult for him.


We pulled into the empty strip mall parking lot and found the entire flock waiting for us. Once again, they led us back to the clearing in the field, and there a second even larger flock waited.


“Are we ready to begin proceedings?” A one-legged seagull cawed. I tried not to stare, but he caught me looking, anyway, and shrieked, “Our human guests must show proper respect for the court!”


My poor ears.“Ouch, ouch, okay. Sorry,” I muttered as they continued to ring.


Bravo landed on Charles’s shoulder. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”


And Alpha took up a perch on mine.“You better pray he doesn’t mess this one up.”


Gulp.


“So where’s your flock’s lawyer?” I asked the one-legged gull.


“I am the judge here!” he cried even louder than the first time.


“I will be presenting the case on behalf of Flock 84,” a young female bird announced, extending one wing in greeting.


“All rise,” Judgey McJudgerson said while glaring at us.


I bit my lip to stop myself from pointing out that we were all already standing. Given how loud his caws could be, I definitely didn’t want to do anything else that could upset the one-legged banshee.


He glanced at Charles and me then to the bird lawyer and began,“We are gathered here today in holy legality to discuss the dispute between flocks 82 and 84 over the territory previously held by Flock 83. Are there any objections? If so, speak them now or forever hold your peace.”


Um, why had the seagulls selected human law to decide this case when they clearly knew so little about it? I couldn’t tell if I was in a courtroom or at a wedding altar. As ridiculous as this all felt, I also knew that the best way to get through to any animal was to act natural and play by their rules.


So I stepped forward, swallowed hard, and said,“I object.”


All eyes zoomed to me, including Charles’s.


“Sweetie,” he whispered at me. “What are you objecting to? The trial hasn’t even begun yet?”


I didn’t know, but I also didn’t want to lose the opportunity to object if that wasn’t going to be allowed later on.


“Please state your objection for the congregation,” said the bird judge or minister—honestly I didn’t even know anymore.


I cleared my throat and spoke up loud and clear.“I object because this is a case about seagull rights and should, uh, thusly, not be decided by human laws.”


He cocked his head to the side.“Interesting. Do go on.”


“Hey, kid!” Alpha squawked in my ear. “What are you doing to me here? Did you forget our deal?”


But I refused to back down. Something about this case had left Charles unsettled. If our situations were reversed, he never would have forced me to go forward with this. I wanted to meet my bio grandma, yes, but knowing she was out there and close by could be enough of an advantage to find her on my own.


“Since the disputed territory belongs to Flock 83, I propose we let them decide whether 82 or 84 will acquire it in their absence.”


“But Flock 83 disappeared. Nobody knows where they went,” Bravo said from his place on Charles’s shoulder.


I raised both eyebrows.“And don’t you find that a bit curious?”


“Angie, what are you doing?” Charles whisper-yelled as he grabbed onto my upper arm. “This case is open and shut. Let me tell them about the precedents, and we can all go home happy.”


I shook my head hard. I hadn’t known where I was going with this when I first claimed my objection, but now I knew exactly what needed to be done. “No,” I said firmly. “You wouldn’t be happy. Not without knowing.”


“Listen to your mate,” Alpha hissed at me. “Do what we hired you to do, or you’ll be sorry.”


“No, you’re the one who will be sorry!” Pringle shouted, charging onto the scene with a fuzzy brown chick on his back—a baby seagull, I realized.


Exactly three thoughts ran through my head at that moment:


Pringle was alive!


He had discovered something important!


And it would be a lot longer until I got to meet my long-lost grandmother…


Chapter Twenty


“What is the meaning of this?” the judge bird demanded of the raccoon. Spotting the little one, however, he immediately changed his tone. “Oh, hello there, chicky. This is no place for youngsters, I’m afraid.”


“I may be young of age, but I am old in experience.” The baby gull’s voice came out high and squeaky and so, so cute. “I have seen things, escaped things, that no bird should ever witness.”


“Throw her out of here. We have a very important trial to run, and we need to do so without any more delays!” Alpha declared, swooping down from my shoulder and landing before the judge.


Pringle stood on his hind legs and clutched the fluffy chick to his chest defensively.“Quit your yapping and listen to my friend Abigull here. It’s because of her I’m going to get my treasure.”


I held my breath and waited. Whatever Abigull revealed next, I knew it would decide what happened in this field today.


Alpha spread his wings wide and charged at the raccoon.“We don’t have to listen to you, you filthy—”


Pringle bared his teeth and hissed, which had Alpha immediately changing course and flying to the nearest tree for cover.


“Go on, Abigull. This is a safe place,” the judge nudged.


She hopped out of Pringle’s hands and onto the ground, then began her harrowing tale. “I was hatched in Flock 83. I loved it there with my family and had just started practicing leaving the nest. One day I came home after exploring and found that everyone had gone away. Every single bird. I cried out for my momma but couldn’t find her anywhere. Then I saw that guy.” She stopped and motioned toward Alpha with her beak. “I saw him pecking around, so decided to follow him for a closer look. That’s when I found him talking to a cat. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the next thing I knew the cat had a dead seagull in its mouth and was shouting ‘pleasure doing business with you!’ I still wasn’t a very good flyer, so I ran and hid. And I’ve been hiding ever since. Well, until Pringle found me.”


“Oh, sweetie,” I murmured, my heart breaking for her.


The one-legged bird scuttled over to Abigull and put a wing over her small body.“A horrible, horrible thing this surprise witness has revealed to us today.”


She sniffed and leaned into his side.“I’ve been so afraid.”


“You did the right thing by telling us,” the judge assured her. “It would seem that Alpha of Flock 82 slaughtered 83 with a feline accomplice in order to gain their land. But we won’t let that happen.”


“Guys!” I shouted when I saw a small patch of white launch away from a tree and into the sky above. “He’s getting away!”


“Oh, no, he isn’t!” Bravo cried and catapulted after him. “C’mon 82. 84, too. We can’t let this stand.”


Everyone but the judge, Abigull, Pringle, Charles, and I departed to bring the war criminal to justice. I doubted his end would be a pleasant one.


“You were right,” I told Charles, shaking my head. It had all happened so, so fast. “This whole time. You assumed foul play, and you were absolutely, undeniably right.”


He smiled and pressed a kiss onto my forehead. I thought he was going to comment on my clever pun, but instead he said,“You were going to risk not meeting your grandmother for me.”


I laughed.“Yeah, well, romance is a verb, you know?”


His eyes squinted in confusion.“No, I really don’t know. I believe you, though.”


“Thank you for your help, Pringle.” I reached down to offer the raccoon a high five. “You really saved the day.”


He sniffed and held his snout high.“Maybe. It’s a shame what happened to all those birds, though.”


“Still, you’ve more than earned your treasure.” Then I realized… “I’m not so sure Flock 82 is going to be eager to give us the payment they promised, but I’ll make sure you’re paid for your time. What do you want? A motorcycle? A robot?”


Oh, man. Why was I giving him ideas?


Pringle’s eyes became huge with all the exciting prospects. “Well, actually—”


CA-CAW! Bravo announced his return with a shrill cry as he swooped back to the earth.“The others have this well in hand.”


I didn’t know what to say to that, so I simply nodded.


“Your name is Abigull, right?” he said to the chick who still stood huddled beneath Judge’s wing.


She ambled out to face him with a salute.“Sir, yes, sir!”


Bravo bent down and gazed directly into her eyes, then straightened and said,“I know it won’t replace the flock you lost, but I invite you to join 82 if you would like. I’ll raise you as my own and make sure no one ever hurts you again.”


“Wow. But aren’t you the new Alpha?” Abigull whispered reverently.


“Alpha? No, I’m not going to take that name. Call me Bravo. That’s who I am and who I will always be. I may be in charge now, but it doesn’t mean I need to act like a jerk about it.”


“Okay, Bravo,” the chick said, then pressed her fuzzy gray body into his.


I teared up watching them.


Even Pringle seemed to have something caught in his eye.


Charles wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder.


“You tried to help me see that Alpha’s orders were too much. But I denied your help and stuck blindly to his commands. I could have stopped all this. I could have saved—”


“No,” I insisted. “None of this is your fault. As soon as you knew what was going on, you fixed it. You’ll be a great leader to your flock, Bravo. I’m sure of it.”


“I haven’t forgotten our promise to you,” the bird said, hopping along the grass. “Follow me back to the dumpster, and I will present your material payment. The flock will have a lot to figure out with the loss of 83’s land, but it’s only fair we don’t benefit from our corrupt leader’s actions. Once my birds are safe, I will take you to meet your grandmother. I wish I could take you sooner as a thank-you for all you’ve done, but none of us expected what happened. It will be a huge transition for our flock, plus I need some good quality time with my new daughter.”


Abigull gave a happy chirrup.


I bowed my head.“That’s all I can ask for. Thank you so much. I’ll be ready whenever you are.”


Judge chose to remain in the field and wait for the return of the others.


The rest of us made the short trek to the dumpster in the nearby strip mall parking lot.


“Oh, I can’t wait to see my secret prize!” Pringle rubbed his hands together and jumped up and down as Bravo dove into the smelly trash receptacle and began to rummage about.


When he emerged a few moments later, I expected to see a dirty fast-food wrapper or maybe a plastic doohickey on display. But instead Bravo held a sparkling diamond solitaire ring clamped firmly in his beak.“Now which one of you gets this?” he asked, looking from me to Charles to Pringle.


“Mine!” the raccoon screamed gleefully, scurried up the side of the dumpster, and snatched the beautiful piece of jewelry.


“Well, that was unexpected,” Charles said with a laugh as he looped an arm around my waist.


I smiled but didn’t say anything.


Yes, it certainly was unexpected. Not just the treasure being something of actual value, but this entire day, the truth about the horrible fate that had befallen Flock 83 and presumably Alpha as his punishment.


But the most surprising part of all had been the way I felt inside when that glittering engagement ring came into view. My breath hitched, my heart skipped a beat, and I definitely got love butterflies.


It wasn’t from fear, though, rather an unwavering certainty.


If Charles had been the one holding that ring, I would have definitely said yes.


12.5. BLACK CAT BENEFIT


Chapter One


Hi, my name’s Angie Russo, and I can talk to animals. Yes, they understand me, and I understand them right back. But before you write me off as some crazy person, it’s important you understand that I never asked for this. In fact, it took me quite by shock… Um, literally.


That’s right. My peculiar power first appeared when I got electrocuted by a crummy old coffee maker. It happened at the firm where I used to work as a paralegal, right in the middle of a private will reading. And when I awoke from that zap that knocked my unconscious, I found a striped cat sitting onmy chest and making some pretty mean jokes at my expense.


Of course he had no idea I could actually understand him. Once he figured that out, the crabby tabby recruited me to help solve the murder of his late owner. I soon took to calling him Octo-Cat, short for his full moniker of Octavius Maxwell etc. etc. Fulton etc. Seriously, the cat had almost eight names attached to him, and he only adds to them as the months go by.


Fast forward more than a year… And we solved that first murder, all right, then many more crimes after that. In fact, the two of us now have our own private investigation firm, which my mom and Nan have dubbed Pet Whisperer P.I. They even had a sign made, much to my chagrin.


I don’t want anyone to know my secret, so we pretend it’s just a marketing gimmick. Besides, it’s not like Octo-Cat can tell anyone on my behalf. We haven’t had very many paying clients since opening, but we still manage to stumble into fresh cases on a near monthly basis—from murder to embezzlement and everything in between, we find the bad guys of Blueberry Bay and make sure they don’t get away with their crimes.


And as nice as it would be to get paid a bit more regularly for the services we provide, my cat’s trust fund covers all our expenses and then some, including the schmancy New England manor house we call home. The property belonged to Octo-Cat’s previous owner—yeah, the murdered one—and he wasn’t willing to give that glam life up to live in my low-budget rental, so he tricked me into being the one to make a change.


And just like he has a way of adding to his lengthy name, he only gets more spoiled as time goes by, too. He has his own iPad, only drinks Evian, and pretty much does whatever he wants whenever he wants. Still, I love the guy and wouldn’t trade him for the world.


We also live with Nan, my eccentric grandmother who happens to be a former Broadway actress, one who refuses to put her glory days behind her. Last summer, she adopted a sweet little tricolor Chihuahua from the local animal shelter and named the tiny dear Paisley. We had a rough go at first, but now Octo-Cat and Paisley are good friends—probably because it’s quite easy for him to boss around a dog that’s less than half his size.


Just further proof of his diva catittude.


Back when Paisley first landed in our lives, she helped us uncover a big embezzlement scheme at the shelter from which she was rescued. The animals are in great hands with the new director, but the shelter has had trouble recovering from that scandal. Fewer people are willing to donate or to adopt even though the leadership has changed hands.


Enter my grandmother.


Her tender heart breaks for each and every one of those animals without a home, and if it weren’t for me putting my foot down, we’d no doubt end up adopting every last one ourselves. Of course, I’ve agreed to help her support the shelter however we can, which includes a monthly donation in Paisley’s name.


But that’s not always enough, and I get it.


Now that Nan is on Facebook, she spends a lot of time in pet lover groups and recently saw a video that said black pets are the least likely to get adopted. And you know what that means…


Being that the furry love of her life, Paisley, is mostly black in color, this little factoid especially touched her heart and spurred her to action.


That’s why tonight we’ll be hosting a gigantic charity event to help the shelter, and it’s going to be right here in our New England manor house. It started out as an adoption event for all the black cats and dogs in residence, but the more we plan, the more gets added to it. So tonight’s eventis now also a fundraiser, both a formal auction and a silent auction, dinner party, ball, and even a 5k black-tie race for the cause.


Nan lives by the philosophy that if it’s worth doing, then it’s worth overdoing. She also loves to say, “Go big. That’s it. There’s no option to go home.”


So here we are, throwing a big overdone event to help the shelter out of a tight spot. It’s been a ton of work, but if even one animal finds itself a new home tonight, then all that hard work will have been worth it.


I’d cross my fingers for luck, but I need them to put the finishing touches on tonight’s event. So wish me luck, and I’ll get back to work!


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“What are you wearing?” Nan shrieked when I appeared at the top of the grand stairway having spent the last hour prepping and preening to make sure I fit the black cat/black tie theme for the evening perfectly.


I glanced down at my knee-length, off-the-shoulder black satin dress with white polkadots and did a little spin. I’d grabbed this particular gem at my favorite thrift shop and loved how fabulously 80s it was.


Nan, however, did not. She marched right up the stairs, grabbed me by the wrist, and dragged me into her room.“This is not a costume party, dear. It’s a formal event!”


Great. Next she was going to tell me she didn’t like the teased side pony I’d spent a solid twenty minutes perfecting.


Sure enough, she looked me over from head to toe and frowned again.“And what’s with your hair? Why do you like the 80s so much, anyway? You weren’t even born until the very last month of that wretched decade. Here. Wear this instead.”


She thrust a hanger at me, but I refused to take it.


“Nan, I’m nowhere near as tiny as you. There is no way that’s going to fit.”


“It’s stretchy,” she said, pulling at the fabric in demonstration. “So it’ll be a little tight, but at least it will fit the theme.”


“Fine,” I said accepting the slinky dress and the elbow-length white satin gloves she also tossed my way.


I groaned and tromped out of there to change. It was easier to just do it her way, even though I definitely didn’t love the idea of wearing a skintight dress all evening. How would I dance or compete in the 5k race… or even breathe?


“You look like something I barfed up,” Octo-Cat informed me as he traipsed down the hall with his tail held high.


“Hush, you,” I spat. I’d already heard it from Nan and didn’t need to take it from him, too. “There is nothing wrong with my style choices.”


He snickered.“Your style choices, that’s why you look so unfortunate. Suuuuure.”


I reached the top of the stairs to my third-floor tower bedroom and closed the door right in my smug tabby’s face. I’d had enough of his criticism already. It wasn’t just that he didn’t like my outfit. He didn’t like our idea for the event at all, especially the fact that the shelter animals would be brought on location to meet prospective new families.


“This is a one-cat household,” he’d shouted when he found this last bit out. “It’s bad enough you brought in the yap rat. Don’t make me kick you out for good.”


At being called ayap rat, Nan’s sweet Chihuahua Paisley whimpered and went to lick her wounds under the couch—a space she could fit beneath but Octo-Cat couldn’t.


I hated when he took his frustrations out on her, but she would be okay. Paisley was, after all, an eternal optimist and the kindest creature alive. She’d forgive him before he ever forgave me.


Still, it was just one night. One night that could change a lot of lives for the better.


My spoiled cat would get over it.


Eventually…


Chapter Two


And then the shelter volunteers arrived with a truck full of mewling cats kept in collapsible metal crates. I counted eleven in all—two human volunteers and nine black cats up for adoption at tonight’s gala.


“Take them upstairs, second bedroom to the right,” I told the college-aged volunteers—a pretty blonde girl and tough-looking guy with sand-colored hair—with a smile.


“But the second bedroom on the right is mine,” Octo-Cat pointed out with a perturbed growl. I hadn’t even seen him sitting to the side of the staircase and staring daggers at first the volunteers and then me. “Surely you meant for them to go somewhere else.”


“Nope.” I popped my lips on theP, hoping it would make me sound casual and unbothered. When really, the truth was I knew I’d be paying for this one for months to come, and I was also just a bit terrified to find out how Octo-Cat would repay me for this particular upset. Never matter. I could suck it up to save some animals—and so could he.


“B-b-but…” he stuttered as his tail thumped on the hardwood floor.


“Cat got your tongue?” I quipped before hurrying on my way to work on the next item I needed to check off my lengthy list.


Octo-Cat flew into a rage, shouting a string of kitty curse words as he darted up the stairs. I hoped he wasn’t on his way to make trouble for the shelter volunteers, but I didn’t have time to supervise just then. There was still too much left to do, and the event started in less than an hour.Yikes!


“Where do you want this?” asked Brock “Cal” Calhoun, the local handyman and my former crush. His muscles strained as he gripped onto the largest piece of our formal dining room table—something I never could have dreamed of moving on my own.


I paused as I surveyed the quickly emptying room.“Can you move all the furniture we don’t need for the gala into the garage, please?”


“You got it, boss.” He winked at me, and heat flooded my cheeks. Yes, I was hopelessly in love with Charles, but that didn’t change the fact that Cal was nice to look at—and possibly flirting with me.


I watched him exit, then spun around and ran straight into a thick wall of chest clad in an elegant tux.


“Whoa there,” Charles said as he wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to my hairline. “Sorry I’m a few minutes late. Had a client meeting run over. How’s everything going so far? How can I help?”


I fell into his hug, trying to allow myself a quick moment of relaxation. My heart still thrummed wildly, though. It seemed taking care of all these last-minute details had sent my body into fight or flight mode.


I’d been so busy running around that I hadn’t even realized Charles had turned up late. Did that mean I had even less time than I thought?Ugh.


For his part, Charles had agreed to serve as our chief auctioneer. Nobody could state a case like he did in the Blueberry Bay court rooms, so I was counting on him to also be fantastic at getting great prices for not-so-great items. Charity, and all that. Nan had also asked a few friends to help drive up the prices on the silent auctions, which I hoped wouldn’t backfire on us in the end.


“Angie, is everything all right?” he asked, studying me closely. He’d always been able to read me just like a book. There was no hiding anything from Charles.


“Everything’s fine.” I gave him a quick kiss hello and pulled away. “Just lots to do.”


“Then put me to work. Does Cal need help moving the furniture?” He cracked his knuckles in an adorable display of manliness.


“Not while you’re wearing that,” I said with a chuckle. “You look very handsome, by the way.”


“And you look gorgeous, but not much like the Angie I know.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him. “What’s with these gloves? Fancy, but definitely not you.”


“Nan,” I muttered under my breath, and he broke out laughing.


“That’ll do it.” He took my hand and kissed each of the gloved fingertips. “When this is all over, I’ll take you out for a nice dinner to celebrate, and you can wear the outfit you were planning to wear tonight. Deal?”


I nodded and flashed him a grateful smile.“Thank you. I may need a week or two to recover, but that would be lovely.”


“Okay. Enough yammering. How can I help?” He released me from his arms and stepped back. That made it easier to think. Otherwise, I could lose myself in those strong arms of his.


“Can you check that everything’s ready for the 5k? I think the start and finish line banner still needs to be hung up. Nan went overboard of course, and it wound up at least three times bigger than it ever needed to be. You may need to find someone to help secure one end while you work on the other.”


Charles gave me his cheesiest grin along with an enthusiastic thumbs up.“I’m on it!”


Okay, so he was taking care of that. The volunteers upstairs had the adoptable pets under control. That left… The DJ. Debbie the DJ. I’d found her when she replied to an online job listing I’d posted asking for a volunteer to aid in a charity event. Since she was the only one who ever bothered to reply, she was the one who got the job, sight unseen and DJing unheard. I know this wasn’t a paid gig, but shouldn’t she have been here by now?


I tracked back to the kitchen and found my phone waiting on the counter. I had three missed texts, all from Debbie.


Hey. Feeling a bit under the weather. Not sure I can make it tonight, the first read. That had been sent just over half an hour ago. Talk about short notice! How was I supposed to find a replacement at this late hour?


The next message was worse still:Feeling a lot under the weather now. Rain check?


Rain check? Seriously? This event was happening tonight, with or without our DJ.


Sorry. Will see if I can find a replacement.


That was sent ten minutes ago. I hated this. Confrontation was not my forte, but neither was failure. Yes, this event was huge and convoluted and crazy, but we’d already put so much work into making this night a success. I refused to let a case of the sniffles ruin that.


I took a deep breath and braced myself for the uncomfortable call ahead. Before I could hit the button to place that call though, I received a new text from an unknown number.


Hey, this is Max. My friend Debbie said you need a DJ for tonight. How much does the gig pay?


I clenched my jaw. Debbie had agreed to do it on the house. Apparently she hadn’t passed that bit of info on to Max. Still, I’d rather pay for the help than take over the job myself. I already had a million and one things to oversee, and Nan hated my taste in music as it was.


And so I typed back:$100?


Sold. Text me the location and I’ll be OMW. Cash only btw.


Yeah. I didn’t have one hundred dollars on me tonight. In fact, I never did. Credit cards existed for a reason, but fine. Maybe we could pay Max from the donations jar, and I could write a check for the shelter to make up for it.


Yes, that would have to do. I definitely didn’t have time to rush to the bank so close to go time.


I sent Max my address and then shoved the phone in my bra for safekeeping. I couldn’t risk missing another cancellation or delay just because the dress Nan forced me to wear had no pockets.No pockets!What kind of dress has no pockets?


Octo-Cat sauntered into the kitchen with a smug look stretched between his whiskers.“I left you a present on your bedspread,” he announced with a chuckle.


Please be a hairball and not a dead animal, I mentally pleaded, choosing not to directly acknowledge my jerk of a cat. Yes, I knew he was upset about the shelter cats being in his room, but I also didn’t have time for this.


I’d deal with this “present” of his later.


People would start arriving any minute, and I needed to make sure everyone had the time of their life. Happy partiers meant big donations, and the animal shelter could sorely use every single dollar they could get.


My job tonight was to get those dollars.


Game on.


Chapter Three


Five minutes before the event was scheduled to begin, a hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back.


I spun to see my grandmother wearing a floor-length gown in hot pink with a large billowing skirt and an incredibly low neckline. She’d completed the look with a pair of ruby stud earrings and a tiara, which was nestled beautifully before a mountain of gray curls that had been piled on top of her head, adding at least three inches to her height.


“You look amazing,” I whispered breathlessly. Leave it to my seventy-something grandmother to look sexier than not-quite-thirty-yet me.


“And you look much better now, too,” she said with an approving gaze.


“Where have you been? It’s almost go time.”


“Hey, it takes time to look this good.” And then perhaps realizing how vain this sounded, she added, “This will be the first time Grant sees me all gussied up. I had to go big. There’s—”


“No going home,” we both finished together, then giggled.


“I’ll be the floater tonight. Can you be the greeter?” Nan motioned toward the door.


“And I suppose you want me to take their coats, too?”


“That would be perfect,” she said with a grin. “See, you’re a natural!”


And with that, she swept into the main room to check over details I’d already personally attended to, leaving me to wait for our first guests so I could roll out the one-woman welcoming committee as instructed.


The order of events was to be as follows:


Formal Auction


Formal Dinner


5K Fundraiser


Dance Party


Both pet adoptions and the silent auction would be happening all night long. The silent auction had been stationed in the upstairs hallway, and the pets were waiting nearby in Octo-Cat’s bedroom with their two designated volunteers. Yes, there were two different styles of auction for the event—and, yes, it was most definitely confusing.


Although we had a rather stately home, every square foot of space would be filled that night.


Sure enough, guests flooded into our home the moment those doors opened. I lost track of time as I exchanged hellos, took coats, and directed everyone to the formal auction in the next room.


Hello. Coat? Auction!


Again and again it went.


Nan’s boyfriend, Mr. Grant Gable, came to help me at some point when he saw how overwhelmed I had become keeping up. More than likely Nan had sent him over.


“What a party!” he said with that warm grin of his. His cufflinks sparkled with what appeared to be real diamonds. I’d expect nothing less from the proud jeweler.


“If everyone offers some kind of donation, the shelter will be in great shape after tonight,” I agreed. “I thought this Frankensteined event would be too much, but apparently folks in Glendale like to live a little dangerously.”


He chuckled.“That’s your nan for you. She doesn’t do anything halfway.”


Someone bumped into me from behind, knocking me right into Mr. Gable.Oof.


“Sorry. Setup’s pretty heavy. By the way, I’ll need my payment up front.” The guy set his load on the floor, almost dropping it on my foot in the process, and pushed a greasy lock of overgrown hair from his face.


“You must be Max,” I said, putting on my best, most tolerant smile as I appraised his holey jeans and wrinkled T-shirt.


“Yeah.” He sniffed, but didn’t offer his hand in greeting. Probably for the best, considering how much dirt appeared to be caked under those nails of his.


“Um, did no one tell you about the black-tie theme?” I asked before I could stop myself.


Max shrugged and sniffed again.“They told me. That’s why I’m wearing a black shirt. See.”


“Ah ha. Yes, I see.”


“C’mon, young man,” Mr. Gable intervened, tossing me a wink as he put his hand on Max’s back and pointed him in the direction of the living room. “I’ll take you where you need to go.”


“Thank you,” I mouthed when the charming old-timer glanced back over his shoulder and gave me a thumbs up.


“Hello. Can I come in?” a woman asked from the doorway. She wore a sparkly red dress with a slit cut all the way up the side a la Jessica Rabbit. Even had the heavy purple eye shadow to match. Unlike most of the others in attendance, I’d never seen her a day in my life. I definitely would have remembered if I had.


“Yes, yes. Welcome to the Black Cat Benefit,” I said, then did jazz hands for some inexplicable reason.


Jessica Rabbit offered me her hand fingers down, like I was supposed to kiss it. I shook it awkwardly instead.


Remembering myself and my responsibility here, I smiled and pointed.“We’re starting with the auction. Just to your left in the main room. Have a nice time.”


Eventually the guests came fewer and farther between, making my post largely unnecessary. Satisfied with a job well done, I decided to check in with the auction and watch Charles in action.


I slipped in with my back pressed against the wall, and my eyes locked on him where he stood on a small podium that Cal had erected just before the party began.


He held up a dark brown fur coat and raised an eyebrow at the crowd.“Our next item is this authentic 100% mink coat. Kind of an odd choice for an animal charity event, but a luxury item nonetheless. Can I start the bidding at $200?”


The Jessica Rabbit clone clapped her hands together and told all who would hear that she had been the one to make such a generous donation to the cause.


Meanwhile, no one was bidding.


“Do I hear $200 for this beautiful coat?” Charles pressed.


People whispered to their neighbors, cleared their throats, shifted on their feet, did anything but bid.


Nan stalked over to my side and put a hand on my shoulder to get my intention.“Probably shouldn’t have approved that item, but the donor was insistent.”


I pushed my lips in a firm line and waited.


Poor Charles looked so uncomfortable up there.“How about $150? I’m sure this would retail for much higher. If not a fine gift for yourself, how about purchasing it as an investment piece. Eh?”


The sooner this moment was over, the better it would be for all of us. Maybe I should have bid on it and then sold it over eBay, giving any profits to the shelter. I was just about to speak up when someone else beat me to the punch.


“I’ll go $100,” a nasally voice said from the back corner of the room where the DJ booth was still being assembled.Max.


“Going once,” Charles sputtered. “Twice? Sold to that guy!”


People clapped politely.


Max smiled to himself and continued to work on his setup.


Charles moved on to the next item, a pastel landscape painting from one of the ladies at the local retirement home. Needless to say, far more people wanted to bid on this item than its predecessor. I remained close by as the auction continued to its end.


“Anything I can do to help get ready for the dinner?” I asked Nan, who’d stood at my side for the last half hour or so.


“Oh, yes. If you could start getting people seated on the other side. Cal and his team will add the tables in over here, and I’ll direct the wait staff in the kitchen.”


So I would be the hostess again.


I nodded, committing to the plan like a good granddaughter, then asked,“Have you seen Octo-Cat since we got started?”


“No, not really. I’d imagine he’s gone off to sulk in his room,” she said distractedly, then departed through the crowd. “See you at dinner,” she called back to me.


I would bet anything Octo-Cat was staying far away from his bedroom, given that the shelter cats had been set up there. Maybe he was hiding out in my room.


It wouldn’t hurt to check.


I returned to the foyer and made my way up our grand staircase in search of my missing feline. True, I didn’t have time to worry about his feelings, but I also wanted to make sure he was safe and not too stressed by all the visitors.


On my way through the second story hallway, the door to Octo-Cat’s bedroom swung open suddenly, causing me to stop short and suck in a surprised breath.


Max had his back to me, and he was mumbling something I couldn’t quite make out. Then he turned, slammed the door, and sniffed at me.


“Hey, it’s you. Can I have my money now?” he asked, hand out.


Weird. Generally I liked most people, but Max instantly turned me off. And the addition of the mink coat he won at auction made him look like even more of a jerk than before.


Why? I wondered.And what was he doing up here? And what possible use did he have for that fur coat?


Chapter Four


Just as I’d suspected, Octo-Cat had curled up on my bed upstairs. He’d even pushed the door closed behind him, which is where I found Paisley waiting and whining.


“Brother, brother, let me in!”


“Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin,” my cat snarked back at her. Lovely.


“That’s it,” I said, scooping up Paisley and forcing my way into the bedroom. My bedroom.


“Why are you picking on Paisley?” I demanded, giving Octo-Cat the side eye as I scratched the quivering Chihuahua between her giant triangle ears.


“I just needed some time to myself. Okay?” he said with a yawn. “It’s no big deal.”


“I was worried someone might step on me,” Paisley announced with a shiver. “I didn’t want anyone to do that.”


“I thought you were planning to stay outside during the party so you could still take part in the race,” I reminded her gently. If I had known she’d come back inside, I would have gotten her set up safely straight away.


Paisley whimpered.“Yeah, but I got lonely all by myself out there.”


“You poor thing. Why don’t you stay here with Octo-Cat, and I’ll come get you for the race? Okay?” The race, after all, was the whole reason she’d initially opted to remain outside. Ever since Nan had added the 5k to the schedule of events, Paisley had insisted that she would compete and win.


“Oh, yes please! Thank you, Mommy!” she squealed now as I set her down on the bed beside Octo-Cat.


“What about what I want?” he asked with wide eyes and ears flat against his head.


“Stop. You love Paisley.”


“Sometimes, but you see, I’m already Paisley-ed out today, Angela.” Whenever he used my full name, I knew I was in trouble.


Paisley let out a mournful howl.


“Please,” I hissed, more angry than supplicatory. “She needs you.”


“What about whatI need?” he countered, then yawned again.


Okay, that was enough. This may all be boring to him, but it was hurting Paisley’s feelings and also keeping me from helping with the event.


“Stop,’” I shouted and stamped my foot with a special kind of finality. “Stop this right now. I’m sorry that our helping other animals has inconvenienced you for a few hours, but it’s literallyjust a few hours.”


Octo-Cat’s mouth fell open in shock. “How dare you talk to me like—”


“Look,” I interrupted, switching from the vinegar approach to honey mid-stream. “What if I drive out to Misty Harbor tomorrow and get you one of those lobster rolls you like so much? Deal?”


The tabby sat up and wrapped his tail around himself. I had his attention now.


“One is not enough. You said it yourself, I have to endure a few hours of torture. I should be compensated accordingly.”


“So what? You want three? You can’t even finish one on your own,” I reminded him. I also didn’t have time to negotiate here. I’d already been gone too long as it was.


Octo-Cat tilted his head to one side and then the other, toying with me, no doubt.“I want one lobster roll delivered fresh for each hour that I have to endure this thing. One day at a time for as many days as it takes.”


“But that’s like a thirty-minute drive each way!” I protested.


He sighed and raised a paw, which he wagged at me.“I didn’t want to have to do this, but it seems you leave me no choice.” His claws came out with a schlink, and he flexed them in front of me. “Oh, Paisley!” he called.


“Yes, Octavius?” she yapped, coming over with a full-on butt wiggle. Once again, just happy to be included.


“You wouldn’t,” I said under my breath.


“Watch me.” Octo-Cat flexed his claws again and slowly moved the weaponized paw toward the unwitting doggie.


“Fine! One lobster roll per day,” I exploded, hating that he’d gotten the best of me by using such underhanded tactics.


“As many days as it takes,” he added, claws flexing once more.


“Yes. Fine. I agree. Now play nice up here.”


“Pleasure doing business with you,” Octo-Cat said, re-sheathing his claws and then licking his paw and beginning to groom himself as if that had been his true plan all along.


“Bye, Mommy,” Paisley called after me as I made my escape.


Back on the main floor, the auction had just come to an end, and the crowd was milling about, awaiting direction.


My direction.Crud.


Mr. Gable met me midway on the grand staircase.“Everyone, listen up!” he shouted over the din. Then to me, “You’re on, Angie.”


“Hi, everyone,” I said as loudly as I could without actually shouting. “Thank you so much for being here tonight. The next portion of our evening is dinner. Seating is already set up on the right-hand side of the house.” I motioned and smiled like a flight attendant. “The left side—” I motioned the other way “—will be ready shortly. Please find a seat at your earliest convenience, and let me know if you need help or have any questions.”


I marched down the steps and planted myself by the door so I would be easy to find. Searching for Nan, I glanced toward the left side of the house where Cal and his team of volunteers were moving in tables and chairs at lightning speed.


We’d opted for cheap card tables disguised with fine linen cloths. Nan had also gussied up the rented folding chairs by creating full length covers that fit over them perfectly. A tulle bow had been tied around the crook of each chair, providing extra elegance despite the inexpensive materials.


I briefly spotted Nan, chatting to a tall man in an impeccable tux at the edge of the kitchen. She wore an enormous smile and nodded her head vigorously the entire time. I wondered if she’d just found an especially generous donor to add to this night’s success. Of course, I couldn’t tell who the man was from this angle. His back was turned to me and he wasn’t someone I knew well enough to recognize in that way.


“Please, please, take a seat. Dinner will be served shortly,” Mr. Gable called over the crowd, drawing my attention away from Nan and her mystery guest. “I’ll be coming around to collect your vouchers. You should have received them when signing up for tonight’s event via the shelter. A complimentary dinner, of course, was included as a thank-you for your donations. You’ll also find fishbowl centerpieces. They’re empty because they’re for any additional donation you may like to offer to aid the animals. For those looking to add the perfect feline companion to your life, adoptions are being held upstairs for the entire night. We have nine wonderful black cats who would love to join your family. To meet them, just head straight upstairs and look for the door with the sign.”


He gave me an encouraging thumbs up and folded his hands before him as he waited for everyone to take their seats.


Nan’s voice came over the microphone Charles had been using to lead the auction. “In just a few moments, seating on the left side of the house will be opened. If you were unable to find a spot on the right side, head on over and my granddaughter Angie will find a place for you.” As she made thisannouncement, she walked over to join me and Mr. Gable in the foyer.


“We’ve got things over here,” Nan said, hanging onto the mic with one hand and lacing the fingers of her other with Mr. Gable’s. “Go direct the remaining guests on the left.”


I nodded and moved with the crowd over to the emptied-out side of the house.


Oh, if only we’d waited until warmer months to host this giant gala. Things would have been much easier had we been able to use our outdoor space. Nobody wanted to be outside on a late April night, however. The 5K was our only exception.


The left side of the house was our biggest interior area. Usually it held our living room and dining area, both spacious under normal circumstances. But tonight, the tables had been packed as close together as possible. Nan hadn’t wanted to turn away a single donor if having them all meant helping the animals—and I had to applaud her for that.


Despite the chaos, I liked how many had shown up in support. What I didn’t like was that Ms. Jessica Rabbit had installed herself right next to Charles at the table in the farthest back corner and was stroking his arm as she spoke.


To his credit, he kept moving his arm out of her reach, but she kept moving in closer and…


Oh, no. You’ve messed with the wrong girl’s boyfriend this time, Missy!


Chapter Five


I marched right over to Charles and his new friend. The tight sheath of a dress Nan had lent me made my hips waddle back and forth, but I didn’t care.


“What’s going on here?” I asked, trying to play it cool; unfortunately, my voice cracked, giving away my true mood in an instant.


Charles straightened in his seat.“Oh, um, Bonnie here was just telling me all about how she’s new to town and in the market for a lawyer.”


“I’ve heard you’re the best,” she said, not even acknowledging my arrival. “And I only work with the best. Only play with the best, too.”


I saw red—and not just the extremely revealing dress of the woman before me. “Charles,” I said between gritted teeth. “Could you help me get things prepped outside for the 5k please?Now.”


Charles jumped to his feet and had the good grace to appear apologetic. He even mouthed the word“sorry” to me.


Bonnie, however, tsked and rolled her eyes before finally allowing them to land on me.“Where I come from, they have a word for women who steal the pants from their man.”


I turned on her, shoulders tense, eyes wide.“Excuse me?”


She licked her lips and smiled smugly at Charles before returning her heated gaze to me.“You heard me. It’s a shame you won’t let your man be a man. Mark my words, you’ll lose him that way.”


“And who are you to—”


Charles put his hand on the small of my back and gave me a shove away from the table.“Let’s go check on that 5k, sweetie.”


I held my tongue, but the moment we stepped outside, I let it all out.“What were you thinking? Letting her fawn over you like that? It’s disgusting!”


I expected him to apologize. Maybe even explain a little, but he didn’t respond at all. He didn’t even look at me while I waited for his answer. Instead he stared straight ahead with unblinking eyes. His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.


“Well, what’s your excuse?” I pushed. I trusted Charles, but this wasn’t like him. He’d also been very public about letting another woman flirt with him. “Are you really that hard up for clients that you need to let her treat you that way?”


He still didn’t answer. Instead, he raised his arm with a shaking finger and pointed into the yard.


I turned, expecting something awful, seeing how shaken up he appeared.


What I found was even worse.


The banner that Charles had only recently hung over the race’s starting line had been ripped down from the stakes holding it in place. One corner flapped in the soft breeze as if waving hello. The other side lay trapped beneath an unmoving body, the middle part wrapped tightly around his neck.


Dead.


Murdered.


Max.


He was hardly recognizable with his purple oxygen-starved face and hair hanging limply away from his face. His shirt and jeans were just as wrinkled as ever, and his bare arms appeared nearly as white as the banner that had been used to strangle the life out of him.


No. This couldn’t be happening—and right here in my own front yard.


I may not have liked the guy, but that didn’t mean I wanted him dead. He wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight, the poor guy. Why would someone do this? How could they have had the time to plan and to make sure that no one was around to witness the violent act? There were so many people inside. It only took one looking through the window…


But that hadn’t happened. From what I could tell, Charles and I were the first to discover him out here.


“Nan’s not going to like this,” I muttered and gave a nervous laugh. Since I was wearing the white elbow-high gloves Nan had forced upon me, I used this opportunity to march right up to the body and cover it with the free portion of the banner.


“You’re interfering with the scene!” Charles whisper-yelled from his place on the porch.


He had a point, and normally I wouldn’t compromise a crime scene, but nothing about this situation was normal. “We can’t have all those people panicking. Let’s take care of this quietly and send them home before word spreads.”


“I’m calling Officer Bouchard.” Charles whipped his phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed.


“Sorry, buddy,” I told Max’s corpse, and I really was sorry, too. If only Debbie had never called in sick. If only we’d skipped having a DJ in the first place…


That was when buxom Bonnie swept out onto the porch and stopped mid-stride, letting out a shrill gasp. The door still hung open behind her, and at the sound of her surprise, others began to gather to see what all the fuss was.


“I hope you’re all enjoying your dinner,” I called, offering a deceptively happy and hugely uncomfortable wave. “Just putting together the finishing touches for our 5k.”


“Is that a dead body?” Bonnie asked with a husky drawl that seemed different from her more polished, feminine voice earlier.


“Nooooo,” I said, drawing the word out to give me some more time to think up an explanation.


Fortunately, Mr. Gable jumped to the rescue. He pushed out onto the porch and clapped his hands together.“Surprise! We’ve added a murder mystery to our dinner party tonight. Everyone make your guesses as to the identity of the killer and leave them with your name and email in the fish bowls set out along the tables. There will be a special prize for whoever guesses right. Now let’s get back inside!” He offered me a thumbs up—a new favorite thing of his, apparently—and directed the guests who’d begun to gather in the doorway back inside.


Only Bonnie lingered behind with me and Charles.


“He’s not just playing dead, is he?” she asked, then sucked air through her teeth. “You’re both way too panicked for this to be pretend.”


“Got a lot of experience with murder, do you?” I shot back. I just didn’t have the time to deal with her right now, especially since Charles and I had way bigger problems to solve at the moment.


Charles raised a finger to his lips to silence both of us, his full attention on the phone in his hand.“Yes, Officer Bouchard. There’s been a… well, an incident…. Uh-huh… Yup… Will do. Bye.”


The conversation ended almost as quickly as it had begun.


“What did he say?” I pressed, drawing close to Charles’s side.


“He’s coming. Wants us to keep the partygoers inside so as not to interfere with the crime scene.”


“But that means—”


“No 5k, I know.” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Do you ever think that Blueberry Bay must have the highest murder rate per capita in the entire country? It feels like we always stumble upon another body just as we’ve put the last one to rest.”


I laughed uncomfortably.“Maybe so. Blueberry Bay is all I’ve ever known, though. It’s home.” Charles had moved here from California just over a year ago. I didn’t know what life looked like over there, but here in Glendale, bad things just happened sometimes—especially since Octo-Cat had entered my life.Hmmm.


Bonnie chuckled and put a hand on Charles’s shoulder like she owned him. “This place has got nothing on the big city. Believe me.”


“Please don’t tell anyone what really happened out here,” I implored her, letting the flirtation slide. We just needed to get through the night, Charles and I, then we never had to see her again.


She raised both hands in surrender.“Who’ve I got to tell? Charles here is the only person who’s even bothered to say hello.”


“You both go back inside,” Charles ordered. “I’ll stay out here and wait for the police.”


Much to my surprise, Bonnie offered me her hand.“Shall we?”


I took it, and together we slipped back into my bustling house that was filled to the brim with partygoers. Oh, I hoped the police would hurry up in finding what they needed.


Until they could, I’d need to do everything in my power to keep people inside and away from the body. Maybe I could also uncover some clues to help things along.


Save the party and catch the killer?


Yup, all in a day’s work for a P.I. like me.


Chapter Six


“Everyone listen up!” Bonnie shouted, cupping both hands around her mouth like a megaphone. “This girl right here has an announcement to make.”


Well, so much for being subtle.


I cleared my throat and stepped forward.“Yes, the 5k has been cancelled, due to an approaching storm. Sorry. I know a lot of you were looking forward to it, but better safe than sorry. Right, guys?”


“So what now?” a thin man in an ill-fitting suit called from his seat at one of the middle dining tables. “I gathered a lot of pledges for that race.”


“Um, I guess we’ll just go straight to the next part of the evening.”Shoot.I hadn’t quite thought this one through. “The formal ball. Yay!”


Bonnie clapped her hands over her head.“Yay!”


“But what about our pledges? Can we at least get a rain check?” that same man whined at me.


“Rain check,” I parroted enthusiastically as I pointed to him. “Definitely! We’ll call everyone once we have a new date.”


“But what about—?”


“She’ll let you know when she knows, all right?” Bonnie barked at him, and the disappointed runner reddened under her intense gaze.


“Yes, I promise I will,” I confirmed with a grin. Bonnie may have a harsh way about her, but she was definitely coming in handy right about now. “Until then, enjoy the rest of your dinners.”


“And don’t forget to submit your guesses for the murder mystery theater door prize,” Mr. Gable added, striding over from the other side of the house to lend his support. He then whispered into my hair, “I’ve updated your nan on the situation at hand.”


Once again I was grateful for his help, but he’d only been outside for a moment. How did he know?


Mr. Gable grabbed his phone from his pants pocket and wiggled it at me.“Charles caught me up on the key facts.”


I nodded my thanks.“Keep an eye on things down here for me?”


“I knew you’d find a way to investigate before the night was through. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.” He smiled and patted me on the shoulder. “I’ll keep the guests from wandering around outside. Go get ’em, girl.”


I jogged up the stairs, not quite sure where I was headed until I got there—Octo-Cat’s bedroom, the place where the shelter volunteers had set up the adoptable animals. Also the place where I’d seen our deceased DJ exiting on less than pleasant circumstances.


Who could he have been arguing with? Time to ask some questions. See if I could help rush things along for Officer Bouchard.


“Hello,” I called to announce myself as I swept into the room with a newfound determination.


“Hello,” a blonde girl wearing her hair in a Princess Leia-like configuration greeted me. She wore a simple nylon dress that looked amazing on her. My guess was she didn’t have much money to buy clothes, but she knew how to work with what she had. Suddenly I felt subconscious in my borrowed dress and gloves. She studied me with a curious expression as if she knew me from somewhere but didn’t quite know where.


“I’m Angie. This is my house. Just wanted to check how things are going up here,” I said in an attempt to explain my presence. “I saw what looked like an argument earlier.”


She blew a raspberry.“Oh, with Max? He’s always making trouble, I swear.”


This surprised me, and I couldn’t help but show it. “You knew Max?”


She shrugged and looked down at her lap.“Yeah, we go to Blueberry Bay Community College together. I was surprised to see him volunteering for a charity event, and I told him so.”


“I’m guessing he didn’t respond favorably, then.” It had sounded like Max had been muttering curses under his breath, yet the girl in front of me didn’t seem irritated at all. Had I somehow misunderstood? Or did she just have an excellent pokerface? Could this be my killer?


She laughed.“It was hard to rile him up. He liked himself way too much to care what others thought of him. Can you believe it? He actually bragged, started talking about how he was too talented to work for free, that he was getting paid even if I wasn’t.”


“Charming,” I muttered. As far as this girl knew, everything was fine with Max. I couldn’t let on that it wasn’t, especially while I still considered her a suspect.


She pursed her lips and nodded.“Yeah, Doug was not happy with the way he talked to me. That’s probably the fight you overheard. Sorry about that.”


“It’s okay,” I assured her with a smile. “Are you okay?”


“Of course I am. It was no big deal. Like I said, Max is always like that. I’ve gotten used to it.” She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed.


I glanced around the room and saw cage after cage of cats, but no other person around.“What happened to Doug? I thought you two were volunteering together?”


She shrugged.“We were, but suddenly he said he had to go. Wasn’t feeling well and asked if I would be okay on my own.”


Interesting.“What did you say?”


“I saidsure.Who am I to keep him here if he’s sick? I mean, it’ll be boring now, but at least I have the cats to keep me company.” She smiled at the line of cages.


Uh-huh.She seemed earnest enough, and I had no reason to distrust her. Still, I’d have liked to talk to our feline witnesses without her present.


“Hey, do you think you could do me a favor?” I said, landing upon an idea that was just simple enough to work.


Her head perked up.“Sure. What do you need?”


“I’m a bit worried about my cat and dog. They’ve seemed really stressed all night. I thought since you have so much experience with animals, maybe you could look in on them for me while I hold down the fort here?”


“Sure. If you think it would help. Where are they?” She picked herself up from the floor and rose to join me.


“Upstairs, the only room on the third floor.” I infused my voice with a worried edge. While I’d never been a brilliant actress like my nan, this particular lie had enough truth in it that I could pull it off. I was worried about my pets—Octo-Cat was throwing a fuss, and he could very well take that out on poor Paisley while no one was looking. “Could you spend a little time visiting with them when you go up? I’m worried if I were the one to check on them, they’d just run and hide under the bed to punish me.”


She crinkled her nose like an adorable bunny.“That’s kind of weird, but okay. I could use the change of scenery for a bit. If anyone comes in to adopt a cat while I’m gone, will you come and get me?”


“Sure can… um.” Here I was contemplating her as a suspect, and I didn’t even know her identity. “What’s your name by the way?” I asked coolly.


“Scarlett,” she answered with a half-smile. “See you in a bit,” she added before slipping the door open and letting herself out into the hall.


Yes, she would be seeing me in a bit, but hopefully Paisley could charm her enough to keep Scarlett out of my hair so I could question this line-up of possible witnesses.


The cats would have seen whatever happened between Scarlett and Max. And maybe they’d share something she hadn’t.


Chapter Seven


I waited a few seconds to make sure Scarlett had well and truly gone, then settled myself on the floor with my legs tucked beside me and addressed the cats in their crates.“So, guys, what really happened?”


“Are you talking to us?” a fat tom cat mumbled, coming to the forefront of his crate and pressing his cheek against the bars.


“Seems if she wanted our help, she’d offer us a little something first,” a rail-thin cat with one missing eye suggested. He, however, remained huddled in the back corner of his cage.


“Yeah!” a fluffy long-haired cheered as he spun in mindless circles. “Help us help you here!”


“Okay,” I agreed casually. My dress clung to me tightly, making the floor-bound position incredibly uncomfortable, but still I persisted in my interrogation. “What do you guys want?”


“Let us out of here,” the skinny one-eye hissed. Apparently he was the cats’ representative now. His one green eye flashed at me dangerously. But his request didn’t seem too much to ask.


“If I let you out of the cages, will you give me answers?” I countered as I adjusted my legs to help circulate my blood flow in the restrictive garment.


Old one-eye crept forward and put a paw against the wire bars of his cage.“Sure, we’ll give you whatever answers you want, human. Now make with the opening these cages.”


I swallowed back a sigh and transitioned to my hands and knees to crawl the short way to the first of the crates. It was an awkward maneuver, but still easier than standing and kneeling.


I let the one-eyed boss cat out first, and he immediately shot past me to make a flying leap for Octo-Cat’s pride and joy, a one-hundred-and-forty-gallon freshwater fish tank. He jumped straight for it and hit it face first with a giantthwap!


“What’s with this invisible force field?” he grumbled as he picked himself up off the ground and made eyes at the offending glass.


“Let me guess,” I said, trying hard not to laugh. “Born a stray.”


“And I would have died a stray, too, if not for these do-gooding saps putting me behind bars!” His fur twitched in odd spasms and he eyed the fish tank woefully.


“They’re trying to get a home for you, so you can have a better life,” I explained. The cats knew that, didn’t they? The people who ran the shelter had good and kind hearts. I didn’t doubt that for a second, but I also knew just how hard it was to please a worked-up feline. My spoiled tabby was case in point.


“I had a good enough life back on the streets,” One-Eye hissed at me.


A new feline voice rose up in response.“Oh, hush up, Jinx. No one wants to hear your complaints… again.”


I searched the line of cages until I found the speaker, a sleek black cat with glowing golden eyes and a small white patch of fur on his chest.


I let him out next.“What’s your name?” I asked as he passed me with slow confident steps.


“It’s Mr. Fluffikins, and I was taken in by mistake. You see, I was on a top-secret mission and far from my home base in Georgia. I’d almost cornered our man when—”


“No one wants to hear your lunatic rants, Fluffikins,” the fat tom snapped. “Can it!”


Mr. Fluffikins growled but otherwise fell quiet as he paced the length of the room. He looked so determined, but I had no idea what he intended to accomplish while holed up here.


I left Fluffikins to his own thoughts. One by one, I continued to let the cats out of their cages. No one else made a run at Octo-Cat’s fish tank, but several made themselves comfortable on his fancy, custom-made silk cat bed. He would definitely not be happy about that. Still, it was a small price to pay if spoiling these cats a bit would get me the answers I sought. Besides, they’d all had pretty rough lives from what I could tell. They deserved a small taste of luxury as well as forever homes that would spoil them for all the rest of their nine lives.


“So,” I began casually now that everyone was free of their cages and had gotten some time to explore the room. “Did you see a young male human with longish dark hair in here earlier?”


“There were two humans watching over us, but one went home,” Jinx informed me, licking his paw and swiping it over his forehead with strange, jerky movements.


“Yes, but another human came in and fought with them a while ago,” I explained patiently. One of them had to have seen something. If I asked my questions in the right way, someone would have answers for me. They may even know the identity of Max’s killer. The motive, too. “His name was Max.Do you remember him?”


“A few other humans have come in tonight. Which one are you asking about?” the fat tom asked, coming over to sit at Jinx’s side.


“He was young, maybe early twenties. Dark, stringy hair.”


Jinx raised a paw.“Let me stop you right there and save us all some time. Yes, there have been humans in here, but honestly you guys all look the same. How am I supposed to know which one you’re talking about?”


I sighed. Yes, I’d gone through all of this when I first met Octo-Cat. He’d gotten much better at telling people apart now that he actually tried, but it made sense that the shelter cats hadn’t quite been initiated yet.


“I know who you’re talking about,” Mr. Fluffikins said, marching straight up to me. “His name was Max and he was here as a DJ. You agreed to give him $100.”


“Yes. That’s exactly right. Good kitty!”


He wrinkled his nose and scoffed at this.“Please don’t insult my intelligence.”


“Sorry, sorry, you’re right. It won’t happen again. So, um, what can you tell me about Max?”


Mr. Fluffikins’s eyes locked on mine. The golden irises appeared to swim with intelligence in a way that set him apart from other cats I’d met, including my own. “It is exactly as the other human, the one called Scarlett, told you, but with one notable difference.”


My heart picked up speed. Could this be it?


“Oh?” I said simply, trying to remain calm and steady so that he would tell me more.


“After he said he was getting paid, he asked her to go out on a date with her. Said he’d take her to the nicest restaurant on the bay and have the night of their lives. All while he wore this disgusting animal carcass as some kind of fashion statement.” Fluffikins shuddered. “Disgusting humans.”


“What did Scarlett say to that?”


“She tried to politely decline, but then the other guy who was in here—the one who went home—he got real angry when Max wouldn’t take no for an answer.”


Ooh, this was getting good.“What did he do?”


Mr. Fluffikins chuckled.“He shoved him at the door and told him to never bother her again or else.”


Well, this definitely seemed like a promising lead.“Thank you, Mr. Fluffikins, you’ve been most helpful.”


“I know,” came his response before he began grooming his paw with a smirk.


“Right. I guess I should go get Scarlett back. Do you guys promise to be good if I let you stay out of your cages? I’ll tell Scarlett it’s all right.”


“Yes, we’ll be good,” Jinx said, his one eye narrowing at the closed door.


“And you won’t try to escape when I open the door,” I continued with a raised eyebrow.


No one said anything.


“Promise me,” I demanded, a hand on each hip.


“Fine. We promise,” Jinx agreed with a nod.


“Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.” I looked specifically at Mr. Fluffikins since none of the others had been able or willing to assist with my investigation. “Scarlett should be back soon. Be good until then. Bye for now.”


I twisted the doorknob, preparing to take my leave. I hadn’t even opened the door more than a few inches before Jinx shot past me and ran right out into the hall.


Bad kitty!


Chapter Eight


I rushed out into the hall, but Jinx moved far too fast for me keep up. By the time I closed the door behind me, he’d already made it to the bottom of the grand staircase. And he was headed straight for the party—or toward the door. Thankfully, we’d had the foresight to secure the pet door to prevent our backyard raccoon neighbor from crashing the gala and terrifying all our guests.


Unfortunately, there was no way for me to quietly go about corralling Jinx, so I stood in the entryway and shouted for everyone’s attention. “We have an escaped cat from the adoption room. If you see him, would you please pick him up and take him back upstairs? Sorry for interrupting your dinner.”


My piece now said, I raced back up the stairs to get Scarlett. I found her seated on the rug on my floor with both Octo-Cat and Paisley sharing her lap contentedly. Octo-Cat purred so loudly, I could hear him from the doorway.


“Oh, wow. You really are good at this,” I said with extreme reverence. Paisley was easy to please; Octo-cat, on the other hand, was darn near impossible.


“I’ve always loved animals,” she said, petting each animal with one of her hands simultaneously.


“That’s great, but I have a bit of bad news.” I waited for her to meet my eyes before continuing. “I let the cats out of their cages and one of them escaped while I was coming to get you.”


Scarlett gasped.“You did what? Why would you do that?”


“Um, I don’t suppose you’ll take ‘they asked me to’ as an answer?” Heat rose to my cheeks. I really should have known better, but I was so blind in my pursuit of answers that I hadn’t listened to my instincts. No matter what a cat promised you, he would always play the situation in whatever way benefited him the most—and you could take that to the bank.


“Of course not. Gosh, I have to get down there now and make sure nobody gets into a fight.” Scarlett set my pets on the ground and jumped to her feet, then lumbered through the door to make right what I’d set wrong.


“Now there’s one human with a heck of a right-ear scratch,” Octo-Cat moaned as he watched her depart. “Those fingers are like a dream. You should have her give you some lessons before she goes.”


“Yeah. I like her very much, Mommy,” Paisley added with a wiggly butt and a merry voice.


“Great. I’m happy for you guys, but I can’t stay and chat. Sorry.” I stared down at them and bit my lip.


“Why not?” my cat demanded, marching straight up to me and placing a paw on my foot. As if that could stop me from going.


“There’s been a murder,” I whispered just in case anyone was eavesdropping on the stairs.


“Again?” My cat balked. “That’s like the third time this month.”


“It is not,” I argued with an indignant snort. “You have no sense of time. Like, at all.”


“Well, then it’s at least the third time this year,” he shot back.


Okay, maybe he was right about that. I didn’t have time to tick off all the murders we’d investigated on my fingers. Although I suppose it was a bad sign that I’d managed to lose count.


Most people stopped at one—or heck, never even got to one in the first place. Me, I had a good handful or two of murder investigations under my belt.


“Who’s the stiff this time?” my cat wanted to know.


“Mommy, I’m scared,” Paisley whined. “Am I going to get murdered, too?”


I reached down and picked her up. Her ears lay flat against her head and her eyes squinted as she shivered with fright.“You’re safe, Paisley. I promise.”


She whimpered and hid her face in the crook of my arm.“But why does everyone always get murdered when you’re around, then?”


Octo-Cat burst out laughing.


“Stop it,” I scolded him. “Can’t you see she’s upset?”


“That’s why I’m laughing,” he answered, then laughed some more. “And she’s not wrong. People get murdered around you all the time.”


“I barely knew the guy, okay? He wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight. It was a last-minute substitution, and—wait. Why am I explaining this to you? I have a case to solve. See you later.”


I set Paisley on the bed and gave her a loving pat on the head.“It’s okay,” I promised her. “Your big brother will watch out for you.”


“Says you.” Octo-Cat hopped up onto the bed. “I’m coming with you. I am your partner, after all.”


“No, you’re not. Things are chaotic enough down there without adding your fluffy behind into the mix.”


“But Angela—” he began in that droll voice of his.


I didn’t hear what he said after that because I’d already slammed the door behind me.


This was one case I needed to solve without my talking tabby partner. And fast.


I found Mr. Gable waiting for me in the second-floor hallway.“There you are. I was beginning to worry.” His forehead creased with even more wrinkles than usual. The poor old man looked wrung out.


“What’s wrong? What happened?” I asked breathlessly.Please tell me things had not gotten worse in my short absence.


He kept his voice low while answering.“The guests are beginning to get a bit fussy. They want to know how they’re supposed to solve the murder mystery without any clues as to who the killer might be. They do have a point.”


This was definitely not good.


“Can’t you just make something up?” I asked, but before I’d even gotten the full question out Mr. Gable began shaking his head.


“I wish I were that creative, but I’m worried I’ll get my story crossed, and they’ll start to suspect something.”


“Charles,” I said at once knowing the answer to this one problem, at least.“He was born for this. Can you go outside and get him to switch places with you? You can help the police, and he can keep the guests occupied.”


“I’m on it,” Nan’s boyfriend assured me with yet another thumbs up. His overuse of the gesture was starting to irritate me, but at least he meant well. And he was buying us all the time we so desperately needed.


I peeked into the adoption room and saw Scarlett herding the cats into their cages… It was not going well. “Is Jinx back yet?” I called to her through a small crack in the door, unwilling to open it fully.


She looked up at me with a confused expression.“Who?”


“Oh, um, the cat who escaped,” I muttered quickly to cover my tracks. “The one with one eye.”


“His name is Captain Blackbeard,” she corrected me with a tired shake of her head. “And no, he’s still at large.”


“I’ll go find J—the Captain for you. Be right back,” I promised, shutting the door carefully and completely to avoid any other great escapes.


By the time I returned to the main floor, Charles was just returning from outside. I drew close and put a hand on his shoulder.“Is everything going okay out there?”


He sighed but still managed a smile for me.“Not really.”


“Any ideas as to who did it?” I whispered.


“I have lots of ideas, but no proof to go with them.”


“That’s what I’m working on finding. The proof. And also a one-eyed black cat that escaped. Any chance you’ve seen him?”


Charles squinted at me as he thought, then his entire face relaxed and he said,“Yes, actually. I believe Bonnie had him outside.”


“He’s with Bonnie? Why would she have him? And why was she outside with you when you were supposed to be alone?”


He raised his hands in self-defense.“It’s not like that. She was telling me about her case and asking for housing recommendations. She’s hoping to move to Glendale soon and needed a few tips.”


“Oh, I’ll give her a tip, all right,” I muttered under my breath.


Charles gave me a peck on the cheek.“It’s cute that you’re jealous. You have nothing to worry about, though.”


I nodded and forced a smile, because actually I had lots to worry about. There was a killer on the loose, a crowd of charity guests who could find out at any moment, and a gorgeous stranger who seemed to have far more than a professional interest in my boyfriend.


I’d solve all these problems before the night was through, mostly because I had no choice in the matter.


First, though, I was going to retrieve that naughty kitty.


Chapter Nine


I watched as Charles went to retrieve the event microphone from Nan. Once he had it, he jumped straight into a fascinating tale of murder and intrigue that I knew for a fact he was making up on the spot to appease our curious guests.


I listened for a few minutes to make sure the audience was buying it—they were—and then made my break.


Just in case anyone was paying attention to me, I chose to creep into the kitchen rather than heading straight through the front door. Beyond the kitchen, situated just past the pantry, a modest-sized mudroom lay tucked out of view from the main rooms. Inside were two doors, one that led into our garage and one that went straight out into the back garden.


I chose the latter, proceeding with slow and quiet movements until I was outside on the small stoop. The screen door clattered behind me, startling a willowy figure with sandy hair in the process.


He flinched and froze in place, as if doing so would somehow keep me from noticing him. Instead it gave me an even clearer view of his features, allowing me to recognize him in an instant.


“You’re Doug,” I said, a fact and an accusation.


Doug attempted to relax into a more casual pose, but his jaw remained tense.“Guilty as charged. Shoot! I mean… Yeah, I’m Doug.”


Wow, this guy did not know how to play it cool. At least it should be easy to walk him into a confession, because right now he looked incredibly guilty. I crossed my arms over my chest and stalked closer.“I thought you went home. At least that’s what Scarlett said.”


“Oh, yeah.” Doug shoved both hands in his pockets and forced a cough, bending at the waist as he did. When he straightened back up, his eyes looked wild and desperate, like an animal that knows it’s about to become prey. His hands moved beneath the denim fabric of his jeans as he spoke. Definitely hiding something.


“I’m on my way now. See ya.” He kept one hand in his right pocket and took off in an awkward loping run.


“Wait,” I called before he could make it very far across the back lawn. “What’s in your pocket?”


He paused for long enough to mumble,“Nothing. Sorry I’ve gotta go.” Then removed both hands from his pockets and broke into a full-on sprint.


I bolted after him, despite not being able to move very fast in the tight dress. This would never have happened if Nan let me wear my own clothes, I thought bitterly. Meanwhile hoping and praying he didn’t have a gun concealed in that pocket.


He couldn’t pull a weapon on me without attracting the attention of the policemen out front. With any luck, Doug would run right into Officer Bouchard’s path. I would have called for police assistance, but the guests would definitely hear if I shouted. Doug had to know he couldn’t hurt me without others noticing, and right now he was running away from me.


Nothing threatening about that.


Yet.


He darted around the side of the house heading toward the woods. I was just about to declare it a lost cause when someone stepped out from between the trees and body-slammed him to the ground with a sparkling red rush of strength.


“Bonnie,” I exclaimed, still unable to believe my eyes. Her dress was even tighter than mine, but that hadn’t stopped her from bringing our suspect to a halt.


“When a lady asks you to stop, you stop,” she growled as she ground a spiky stiletto heel into Doug’s back.


“Oh, I like her.” The one-eyed Jinx’s voice rose from nearby. Charles was right. She had found the escaped rescue cat, and she must have dropped or set him aside before tackling our man.


“Well,” Bonnie demanded, drawing my attention back to her. It was impossible to see the bony black cat in the dark woods, anyway.“What do you need from him?”


“Show me what’s in your pocket,” I told Doug, not used to taking such a hard-line approach but also kind of liking how powerful it made me feel. Hard times called for hard measures and all that, and I had definite reason to assume Doug’s guilt. He’d had an altercation with the victim onlymoments before the murder and had lied about leaving the party early. Then there were the small facts that he had run from me and was clearly hiding something in that pocket.


“Let me go,” he growled, struggling on the ground but unable to escape Bonnie’s heel.


She dug it deeper into the small of his back, and he cried out in pain.“Go on and take whatever’s in there,” she encouraged me.


I swallowed down a fresh lump of anxiety and reached into his pocket. I immediately found what he’d been trying to hide and pulled it out.


A switchblade.Oh my gosh!


“What’s this for, tough guy?” Bonnie demanded with a menacing rasp. “For killing people?”


“What? No!” Doug cried, struggled, then gave up. “Please let me go.”


“Not until you explain the knife,” I said, finding my voice at last. “I heard you and Max had a bit of a fight earlier, but was it really bad enough to kill him?”


“Kill him? Are you crazy?” he shouted.


“Quiet,” I warned. Bonnie bent down and shoved Doug’s face into the grass.


“You’ve got it seriously wrong,” he mumbled into the ground. “I’m not going to spend my life in jail over some loser like Max.”


“But you’re acting pretty sneaky,” I pointed out, drawing closer. “And you have a knife. I’m sure Officer Bouchard will find that suspicious enough to take you in for questioning. Maybe even keep you overnight.” I knew the murder weapon hadn’t been a knife, but Doug having one still seemed pretty suspicious to me.


Bonnie straightened back to her full height, and Doug pushed his face to the side, taking a deep breath before wincing and explaining,“I just slashed his tires, okay? He needed to learn a lesson about messing with Scarlett.”


“Slashed his tiresand then killed him?” I ground out, unwilling to let it go.


“No. Why would I kill him?” All the color drained from his face and he widened his eyes with fright. “Wait, is Max dead? Is that why the police are out front?”


Bonnie lifted her heel and took a step back, allowing Doug to scramble to his feet and flee into the woods.“He didn’t do it,” she told me with a shrug. “I can spot a liar from a mile away, and that thing about slashing tires is true.”


“I still think the police would have liked to talk to him,” I said, eyeing her wearily. Why would she let him go when he was clearly dangerous?


She shook her head and sucked air through her teeth, as if in answer to my unasked question.“No need to waste their time. I know who did it.”


I raised one eyebrow.“Oh, yeah? Who?”


Bonnie took a few steps into the woods, bent, straightened again, and turned toward me holding the one-eyed black cat in her arms. Glancing up to meet my eyes, she scratched Jinx behind his ears and whispered a single world that sent a bolt of shock tearing straight through me.


“Me,” she whispered. “It was me.”


Chapter Ten


I flipped the switchblade open and gripped the handle with both hands, holding it straight out in front of me for protection.“Don’t c-c-come any closer!” I sputtered at Bonnie. We both knew I didn’t have a chance of stopping her if she decided to tackle me the way she’d taken down Doug. Even if she rushed at me now, I knew I wouldn’t be able to use the knife on her. My only hope was that she hadn’t figured that part out yet.


“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you,” Bonnie said calmly, clutching Jinx even tighter to her chest.


“You killed Max.” It was hard to keep from shouting. Someone would hear, would come and rescue me from this crazy lady. I had to believe that. Had to stall until help arrived.


Bonnie shook her head and took another slow step forward.“Not on purpose.”


“But you strangled him! It doesn’t really get any more on purpose than that.” I strained to see if help was coming, darting my eyes to the side but unwilling to turn. My peripheral vision revealed no movement. No reinforcements.


“No, I did not.” Her voice was soft and lilting like a lullaby, slowing my heart rate slightly.


I tightened my grip on the switchblade, refusing to fall under her spell.“You confessed,” I argued.


She offered a half-cocked grin before glancing down to the ground.“Yes. It’s my fault, and I feel bad.”


“What do you mean?”


Everything fell quiet. I could hear my own gasps for breath as I struggled to keep a clear head. Otherwise nothing.


“You saw the body, right?” Bonnie said after a moment’s careful consideration.


I nodded, unsure what she was playing at but still unwilling to drop my guard.


“Was he wearing my coat? The fur?” she wanted to know.


I thought back to the scene and distinctly remembered noticing Max’s pale bare arms. No coat. “No.”


“But he had it on earlier. Didn’t he?” She pumped her head vigorously, as if trying to convince herself rather than me. “I remember seeing him when he claimed it after the auction. Thinking there goes one problem.”


“What do you mean?” I waved the knife for effect, but Bonnie didn’t even seem to notice.


She swallowed, looking paler after that.“Remember how I was talking to your sweetie about how I need a lawyer?”


I nodded again.


“Did he tell you why?”


“No,” I mumbled. How I wished she’d just get on with it. These slow questions and false starts were beginning to aggravate me.


“Client confidentiality. He’s a good lawyer. Got integrity. Good.”


“What are you talking about?” I rasped.


Jinx stirred in Bonnie’s arms. “Always with the questions,” he spat. “Can’t you see the nice lady is upset?”


Bonnie reached down and stroked his fur, unaware the rescue cat had just come to her defense. But why was he taking her side instead of mine?


“I’m leaving my ex,” Bonnie revealed, “and it’s not exactly an easy situation. I was hoping Charles could help me.”


Jinx purred and rubbed his head against her collarbone. He was like a completely different cat than the one I’d met earlier that evening.


I refocused my attention on Bonnie’s face, watching for any signs of deception or danger. “With your divorce?” I asked.


She let out a sad laugh and fixed her gaze on the black cat while addressing me.“Not exactly. We were never married officially, but we were together long enough to be considered a common-law marriage. Which means I’m entitled to cost of living, you see?”


“But what does this have to do with Max? The victim,” I added, just in case she hadn’t bothered to catch his name before signing his death warrant.


Bonnie grimaced and threaded one hand through Jinx’s fur—for support, I guessed. “My ex is not a nice guy. Not like your Charles.”


I widened my eyes and motioned for her to continue with a wave of my blade.


“Ever heard the termmarried to the mob?”she asked with a dry chuckle.“That’s me, except I was common-law married instead of the actual thing.”


“Your ex is a mobster?” I hissed, hardly able to believe what she was telling me. “And he followed you here to Glendale?”


“Afraid so. At least that’s how it seems.” She smiled again, but a tear fell and rolled down her cheek, giving away her true mood in an instant.


“Why and from where?” I pressed. The pieces were starting to come together, but not enough to reveal the full picture.


“Where do all the biggest criminals go to play? DC, of course. It’s a long drive. I didn’t think he’d find me here. I should’ve known better, though.” Bonnie took another deep breath and began stroking Jinx’s fur again. “I may have absconded with some key evidence against him.”


“Blackmail?” I whisper-yelled.


She hung her head and laughed again.“Not blackmail.Leverage. I’m used to a certain style of living, you know? I’ve been with Vinnie twelve-odd years. I don’t have any job skills to call my own. What am I supposed to do? Starve?”


When I’d first met Bonnie that evening, I hated her on sight. I also didn’t agree with her reasoning now or the fact she’d tied herself to a mob boss for over a decade. Still, she was a woman who had been hurt and was obviously scared for her life. I lowered my knife and sighed. “Where did you put this leverage of yours?”


“I’ll tell you, but don’t judge me,” she spat, suddenly becoming defensive. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. At least not until you walk a mile in my stilettos.”


I nodded and waited for her to continue.


“It was in the lining of that coat,” she revealed with a sob.


“The one you donated to the auction?” I whisper-yelled. Of all the irresponsible and reckless schemes…


“I needed to get it somewhere safe. Somewhere I could find later if needed but that Vinnie wouldn’t be able to track. Understand?”


“Stop upsetting the lady,” Jinx hissed. “Can’t you see she’s crying now?”


Bonnie assumed the hiss was meant for her and lowered the cat to the ground, then glanced up at me with shimmering eyes full of tears.


“So he killed Max for the coat,” I said softly. “How did he know?”


She sniffed, much like Max had so many times in my presence.“He’s smart. I’m not surprised he figured it out. I should have known better. But a girl can hope, right?”


“You need to turn yourself in,” I urged. I didn’t want to upset her, but she had important information that needed to be shared. Whether or not I’d liked Max, his killer needed to be brought to justice. “Tell the police what you know. Help them capture Vinnie.”


She nodded.“I know. I know. I will. But…” Her eyes cut into mine like steel. “Your name’s Angie, right?”


“Yeah.” Honestly I was surprised she’d picked it up. I thought she was just another silly woman who used her body to attract the attention of whatever man she wanted. I hadn’t given her enough credit—either for her intelligence or the tough situation she’d found herself tangled up in.


“Angie, I’m really scared. Now that Vinnie knows I was trying to blackmail him, he’s not going to let me go. I had a small chance before, but now I’m basically a dead woman walking.”


I flipped the blade closed and dropped my hand to the side.“We’ll find him. We can protect you until he’s behind bars,” I promised. Even as I spoke the words, I knew I’d do whatever it took to help this stranger find peace.


“You’d help me?” Her voice cracked on that last word, and I could tell she was moved by my offer.


I shook my head.“Not me. I’m definitely not qualified to take on some big city mobster, but the police… They’re good here. They can help. I’m sure of it.”


“If you trust them, then I trust you,” she said, reaching a hand toward me. This time I grabbed it and held it in mine, and we marched around the front of the house to talk to Officer Bouchard together.


“Wait,” I said right before we rounded that last corner. I turned, and sure enough that one-eyed black cat was trotting after us.


“What?” he mewed at me when he caught me staring at him with a huge smile.


“Wherever you go next, I’m sure you’d like to have a friend,” I told Bonnie, squeezing her hand before letting it go. “Take him with you. Oh, and consider naming him Jinx. It fits him.”


Jinx strode over and rubbed his head against Bonnie’s leg. “No more of that Captain Blackbeard nonsense,” he said with a smirk. “I owe you one.”


Bonnie scooped him up and smiled.“That’s a really good idea,” she told me. “I left everything behind to get away from Vinnie. It’s been real lonely. I thought I could hide from him on my own. I should’ve known better.”


“Stop beating yourself up, and stop doing it all on your own,” I urged.


“Witness protection,” she murmured. “I can testify. Help put Vinnie away.”


“Yes. You’ll finally be safe and free.”


She smiled at me through tears.“The leverage probably wasn’t the best idea, but I didn’t know what else to do. I thought he’d follow me no matter what I did, and at least with the leverage I’d have a chance.”


“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” And deep in my heart, I knew it would be. “I don’t know where you’ll end up next, and I’m probably not supposed to, but just know… You’ve got a friend in Glendale, Maine, if ever you need one.”


“Bye, Angie,” she said, giving me a quick hug and squeezing Jinx between us.


I watched as she strode up to Officer Bouchard and began telling him everything. She would be all right, and at least one of the shelter cats had found a home tonight.


Now it was up to me to help the others find their perfect matches—just like Bonnie and Jinx had found in each other.

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