1 A Motive for Murder (15 page)

I'm only a cat,
and I stay in my place...
Up there on your chair,
on your bed or your face!

I'm only a cat,
and I don't finick much...
I'm happy with cream
and anchovies and such!

I'm only a cat,
and we'll get along fine...
As long as you know
I'm not yours... you're all mine!

(Author Unknown)

Chapter 19
.

I awoke the next morning exhausted after alternating between tossing and turning and being scratched by Diva, so I dressed hurriedly and quickly put on my make up. Diva as well as my things had arrived the afternoon before from Aunt Beth's house.

Jamie was downstairs in the kitchen. His hair was sticking out in all directions and he was unshaven, dressed only in a bath robe. He had circles under his eyes. I wondered if Diva had slipped into his bedroom at some point in the night.

"Misty, we're running late," he said in an urgent tone. "Here's your coffee." He put my coffee down and frowned. "Misty, I'm afraid I can't drive you to Heathrow. Our agents will be driving you. It may not be safe for the two of us to appear together so soon in such a public place; it'll only draw attention to you. I'm quite sure you should be safe at this stage, but we have to err on the side of caution."

I simply nodded.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." By way of goodbye, I managed to stroke Diva's fur before she swiped at me.

The three guys who drove me to the airport didn't say a word, stiff upper lip and all that. I stared out the window trying not to cry. My whole time in England had been an emotional rollercoaster.

Thankfully the journey was not long. As we approached Terminal 3 at Heathrow, I was informed that I was to proceed straight to security and not to acknowledge the presence of the men, who, they also informed me, would be nearby keeping an eye on my safety.

I picked up my luggage and walked without incident through security and then looked for coffee. I still didn't feel one hundred percent, and the lack of sleep last night had left my head full of cotton wool. I usually would go straight to Starbucks but this time walked into AMT Coffee, attracted by the signs boasting both Fairtrade and organic. I handed over around three pounds for a large vanilla soy latte, and was surprised that I didn't have to pay extra for the soy. The chocolate croissant looked good, but I knew that the food on Qantas flights was abundant and I'd soon have plenty to eat on the plane.

After a second tall vanilla soy latte, it was time to go to the bathroom. The men from Jamie's unexplained government organization were still there, although inconspicuous, even to me. I wondered how they would feel about me going to the bathroom.

I was drying my hands when a tall, elegant woman approached me. She was holding a large envelope and I figured at first that she must have been one of those people who approaches gullible looking tourists and asks them to carry a package on a flight. She handed me the package, said, "Open it in private," and gently pushed me back into the stall, all in one fluid motion. My time in England had been weird, and it looked like the weirdness was going to follow me right up to my departure.

I shut the door behind me and tore open the envelope. Inside was my silver chain, minus the keys and the seal. There was also a note, made from a piece of paper folded over. I opened it and read it.

I thought you'd like your chain back. We owe you a favor. Cassandra believed that the chamber had been destroyed. We lied to her as she was causing us too much trouble and we didn't want her to rejuvenate. Your fake page will fix that.

Oh, and no hard feelings, I hope.

Douglas. xxx

P.S. Flush the envelope and this note
.

I laughed despite myself. The nerve of that man! At least I could see the funny side of it. I put the chain around my neck and under my shirt, and flushed the envelope and the note in the toilet.

I walked back out and looked at myself in the mirror. In a couple of weeks, I had acquired a cat of questionable temperament but lovable nonetheless, had solved a murder, had become the Keeper of a society about which I knew absolutely nothing, and had been thrust into a world of alchemy and secret societies.

I wondered what the next few weeks had in store for me.

* * * * The End * * * *

Review request.

If you enjoyed this book, I'd be very grateful if you would leave a positive review. Your support really does make a difference.

* * *

Book TWO in the Misty Sales Cozy Animal Mystery series.

A Reason For Murder

What do Voodoo spirit bottles have to do with the ghosts in an Australian touristy village? Plenty, as Misty Sales discovers to her detriment. Morpeth, once an early river port of Australia but now famous for its ghosts, plays host to Misty's latest mystery. Misty Sales, journalist for a paranormal magazine, is back from London, having been made Keeper of a Society about which she knows nothing. Her caffeine habit is out of control, as is her job security, and her cat, Diva, is more unpredictable than ever. Even Misty's life is left in the balance, as her Editor sends her to write about the ghosts of Morpeth. In danger, in shapewear, and in debt, Misty matches wits against an unseen enemy. He attacks Misty with natural and unnatural means, while Misty hits back hard with facts.