Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) (29 page)

Black Cat raced to the door and turned. “Stay here, Angel!” He stopped and gazed back. A rectangular streak of moonlight streamed through the window onto her face. She was so beautiful. Fear danced in her eyes as she clutched her kittens to her breast. “Don’t be frightened, my dear. I’ll be right back.” He dashed through the door. “I have to help John.”

Black Cat caught up with John on the far side of the Emu enclosure, where a thin cloud of dust hovered over the corner fence post. As they turned the corner, he could see a huge hole gaping in the fence wire, clearly visible in the light of the full moon. Several fence posts lay on the ground and one leaned sideways at a precarious angle. The fence wire lay halfway across a large hole in the fence the Emus could have easily marched through. Chunks of the fence wire were scattered as far as ten feet away.

Grunting and cursing, John yanked on the leaning fencepost and set it more or less upright. He tipped up the twisted fencepost and dragged the fence wire back into place to block the gap. “Get back, Black Cat. Don’t get in my way. I might step on you.”

When the fence seemed stable enough to secure the Emus until morning, John scanned the yard. He shifted his gun holster and trotted toward the vineyard and the creek.

Black Cat followed his gaze. This blast had been set off by a human hand and the perpetrator was still out there, hiding somewhere in the darkness. If it was the same guy who took a shot at John in the vineyard, he had a rifle, and the advantage of night…

He must know that John had found the gold and the means to hold onto his ranch. Why all this exaggerated violence now that his goal of scaring John from the ranch had been thwarted? Had the objective turned from goal-driven to pure hatred?

Or, was it something else entirely? Something they hadn’t thought of yet? A shudder skidded down Black Cat’s spine. His hair stood up on his head. Maybe it wasn’t about the ranch at all. Maybe it had to do with Cindy. What if the explosion was just a ruse to get John away from the house?

Black Cat turned and barreled back toward the house like the devil himself was after him. Even worse, was the devil after Cindy?

He slowed as he approached the house, the itch behind his left ear tingling. The lawn chairs cast jagged shadows across the front porch. His skin crawled as the crash of furniture and shattering glass inside the house assailed his ears. Then a shriek!
Cindy!

Angel! Rambo! Faith! Muffins!

Thoughts of broken fences and Emus disappeared. He’d guessed right. Cindy was the target. John was somewhere down by the vineyard and the perpetrator was right inside the house!

Black Cat reached the front porch, his claws extended, dread clutching his heart.
What can I do to save her?

The front door was closed. He raced around the house and burst through the cat door. He scanned the living room. A chair lay overturned beside the table. Broken glass spread across the linoleum in front of the kitchen sink.

A sweatshirt with a red star on the hood lay sprawled across the sofa, thrown in such a manner as to appear like arms clutching the top of the sofa. Just like the one he’d seen down by the river, worn by one of the thieves.

Cindy’s mama stood beside the bedroom door, her arms circling Cindy’s waist, dragging her toward the front door.
The mama?
Was it possible? Was she behind all this?

“No. No. I don’t want to go with you. Where’s my Daddy? I want my Daddy!” Cindy reared back, threw her elbow into Carolyn’s stomach, breaking her grip. She ran back into her bedroom, slammed the door and flipped the lock.

“You come out here this instant. You don’t understand.” Carolyn pounded on the bedroom door. “I love you! I want you to live with me. I did it all for you.”

Black Cat froze as the mama yanked on the door handle. His gaze followed her hand as she stooped and rubbed her leg where the skin above her ankle looked bruised and broken. A trickle of blood ran into her stocking. Dark fang marks dotted her skin. Angel! Where was Angel? He scanned the room again.

Something moved beneath the sofa. A little black nose poked out and then disappeared. The puff of fur must be Rambo’s tail. Faith and Muffins wouldn’t be far behind their sibling, but where was Angel?

His muscles felt locked in place. Panic clutched his heart. He willed his legs to move. He had to find her. She wouldn’t have left the kittens. She must be here somewhere.

Cindy screamed again. “Why did you do it? She was just trying to protect me.” Cindy’s voice trailed off into spasms of sobs.

Do what? Protect her from what? Where is Angel?
Chill bumps plunged down his back. He forced himself to move across the room, his eyes flashing, searching…searching. Had she run out the door when the mama came? Had she run away and abandoned her babies? Never!

“It’s not my fault. The blasted cat bit me. I had to get her off me, didn’t I?”

Angel? Bit her? Didn’t sound like Angel, but if she thought Cindy or the babies were in danger… Carolyn got off easy. She was lucky she hadn’t lost a leg.

“Where’s my Daddy? I want my Daddy.” Cindy shrieked. A burst of sobbing drowned out her next words, except for one word, “…Angel.”

Black Cat frantically searched the room again straining to focus on every detail. There! The red-stained fireplace poker lay next to the bookshelf. Blood pooled from beneath a pile of books. One gold foot stuck out from the jumble.

Chapter Thirty-One

O
h, no! Not my Angel.
Black Cat’s brain clouded over. Everything in the room looked hazy.
Denial! Despair!
He shook his head to clear his vision. He ran to her and pawed at the books, pulling them off her body. He licked her face. She didn’t move.
Angel! My darling. Don’t leave me now.
Her words echoed through his thoughts
. ‘I don’t have much time until He calls me home.’

Carolyn snarled. “Cindy. Baby. Listen to me! I didn’t go to all this trouble just to argue with a ten-year-old. Open this door. You’re going with me if I have to burn the house down to get you out of that bedroom. And believe me, if I have to, I’ll do it.

“I paid that man good money to make your pig-headed father come to his senses. I don’t intend to waste my money.” Her face clouded with rage. “But, no, do you think your father cares about you? He’d rather see you shot dead or kidnapped than let you live with me.”

The mama! She’d hired the man who left the headless doll by the door! She’d paid someone to shoot at John in the vineyard! Did she know how close the bullet had come to John’s head? From the sound of it, she didn’t care.

Then the mama’s voice got all sickening sweet. “Now, Cindy, sweetheart. Be reasonable. Mama
wove’s
her
widdo’
Cindy. Come out and give Mama a kiss. Mama will buy you another kitty.” She moved to the kitchen and began pulling open drawers, digging through the silverware. She picked up an icepick.

“Go away. I want my Daddy. I want Angel!”

Black Cat’s eyes glazed. His Angel was dead. He’d never hear her silly complaints again. He’d never see the little tilt of her nose. Life had no meaning without her. The blood in his veins ran cold.
Revenge!
Murder!
He couldn’t help Angel now, but, he could keep the black-hearted witch from taking Cindy and oh, what a terrible vengeance he would exact in the process.

He turned toward the hideous woman as she poked an icepick into Cindy’s doorknob
.
Carolyn’s body looked hazy and blurred. A murderous snarl gurgled in his throat.
Eh! Eh! Eh!
He slunk toward Carolyn, belly to the floor. He acquired a new admiration for the killer,
Jack the Ripper.
Murder throbbed in his heart.
She’ll pay, my darling
!

He couched, aimed for the back of her neck and zeroed in on her spinal cord. Every muscle tense, ready to leap… One quick snap of his jaws and never again would this woman spread her evil.

Carolyn twisted the icepick. The lock on Cindy’s door clicked. Carolyn reached for the doorknob as the front door flung open and crashed against the wall.

“You! What’s going on in here?”

John!

Black Cat froze, saliva dripping, heart aching with despair. His skin tingled with unrequited rage. Would John stand in his way?

John’s gaze moved from Black Cat to Carolyn. Her hand stood poised on the doorknob. The ice pick was still clutched in her other hand.

Cindy’s wails ricocheted out of her room.

John stomped toward her door. “Cindy, honey, it’s Daddy. What’s wrong?”

Cindy opened the door and flung herself into his arms. “Mama said she paid a man to make trouble. She said you didn’t care if I got shot.” She turned and pointed toward Angel. “She hit Angel with the fireplace poker. She…she’s…dead!”

Cindy pushed away from John and ran to Angel, lying motionless beside the bookshelf.

Exacting revenge on the black-hearted witch would have to wait. Black Cat stumbled across the room and stood first on one paw and then the other as Cindy gathered Angel in her arms and wept into her still body.

“Carolyn.” John grabbed her shoulder. “Is it true? Are you behind all this…this…monstrous behavior?”

The mama turned her nose in the air. The icepick clattered to the floor. “So what if I am? Nobody got hurt. You wouldn’t listen to reason. I had to do something to get your attention.” Her mouth twisted in a spiteful smile. “I only wanted to take my daughter.” She crossed her arms and thrust up her head. “I have a right to my child, don’t I?”

“Are you behind the shooting down in the vineyard? Do you realize your daughter could have been killed?” John’s face turned red. He clenched his fists. “Are you responsible for setting the explosion out there?” John’s hand trembled as he waved in the general direction of the bird enclosure. “Now, you’ve killed Cindy’s cat?”

Carolyn shook her head. Her face paled. Had she finally realized the extent of her despicable decisions? How her actions had risked her daughter’s life? Her voice was soft but unconvincing. “But, I love her… I just wanted…” She hung her head.

She
loved
her? Was that her excuse? Was the woman crazy?

Carolyn hunched forward, and then she flung back her shoulders. Her head shot up. “It was just some chemicals I read about on the Internet. It was only supposed to make a small explosion. Something that would get you out of the house long enough for me to take Cindy. I didn’t think it would cause such a large…” She put out her hands in a helpless gesture. “I didn’t mean to…” She gestured toward Angel. “The cat bit me…” Her face crumpled and her cheeks flushed as she glared at John.

Black Cat stood beside Cindy, licking her hand and then Angel’s head.

John took a step toward Cindy. “Put Angel on the sofa and call 911. Tell them to send the sheriff out here. I’ll be filing charges, Carolyn, for harassment, reckless endangerment to a child, for attempted murder, animal cruelty and any other charge we can think of.”

“Animal… Attempted murder? Wait. Wait. I said I was sorry. I never meant to hurt… John, you can’t do this.” She grabbed John’s shirt. “I’ll go away. I’ll move out of state. I’ll never bother you again, I promise. I won’t come back.”

John turned away. “Cindy, honey, do as I say.” He stalked across the room to the front door and glanced at his watch. “You have exactly thirty seconds to get out of my house. I’m filing a restraining order first thing in the morning. If I so much as see your shadow anywhere near Cindy, I’ll file attempted murder charges. Now, get out before I change my mind.

“Cindy, tell your mother good-bye. You won’t be seeing her for a very long time.” He glanced back at his watch. “Twenty seconds…”

“Cindy? Honey?” Carolyn reached out her hand.

Cindy huddled on the floor, stroking Angel’s fur. She didn’t look up when her mother huffed and slammed out the front door. Carolyn’s car engine revved. Tires spun in the gravel driveway. Her vehicle roared down the road, until the sound died away and the night ached with silence.

Wasn’t Carolyn lucky that John came in when he did, or she’d be discussing long-term housing with the devil about now? Black Cat ducked his head.
But, Angel
…

John knelt beside Cindy. She clasped Angel to her chest, tears soaking her golden fur. Cindy didn’t seem to notice that Angel’s blood had stained her nightgown crimson.

Black Cat’s heart throbbed so hard, his head hurt. He must accept St. Peter’s decision, he must! But how could he live
without her?

“Here, let me see.” John took Angel from Cindy and put his finger on the side of her throat.

Black Cat stared into John’s face, hoping against hope that he would smile and say, “Everything’s going to be all right,” but in his heart, he knew it wasn’t so. It couldn’t be. Angel’s time had come. St. Peter had called her home.

Cindy blinked back her tears. Her eyes lifted to John’s face. “Is she dead?”