Claws for a Cause (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 15) (14 page)

Savannah looked at Michael. “Gosh, I would imagine bus service is over for the day.”

Leah looked disappointed for a moment, then said, “No problem, we’ll hitch a ride somehow.” She moved toward the door. “Thank you for the food.” When she realized she was still wearing Savannah’s sweater, she said, “Oh, here’s your sweater. Could I have my blanket back?”

“Keep it,” Savannah said.

“Oh, thank you,” Leah said, wrapping her blanket around herself and heading for the door.

“Leah, have you been here before?” Savannah asked.

The girl gave her a blank stare.

“I mean, a couple of nights ago I thought I saw you or someone who looked like you out near the corral.”

“Um…no, that wasn’t me. I haven’t been here before.” When Savannah continued to stare at Leah, the girl looked down and said, “Yeah, I came out here Tuesday night. I saw that you had company, so I didn’t want to bother you. I didn’t think you’d mind if I petted the horse. I love horses. I used to have one almost like her.” She smiled. “I couldn’t resist petting her. She’s so sweet and friendly.” Her expression changed when she said, “I saw the light go on, and I took off and waited for my ride at the end of the driveway.”

Savannah and Michael glanced at each other, then Savannah said, “Leah, let me get you a jacket.” She grimaced. “If you’re going to be hitchhiking in this weather, you’ll need something warmer to wear.” When she returned, she handed Leah a periwinkle-blue car coat with a wool lining.

“Oh, this is great. Thank you so much,” she said slipping into the coat. “I’ll return it just as soon as…”

Savannah thinned her lips. “Never mind that.” She then said, “Hey, wait, you could probably use a warmer blanket and some food.”

“Savannah,” Michael said under his breath, “she has someone waiting for her.”

Ignoring him, she asked, “Leah, is this the only blanket you have?” The look on the girl’s face told the story. “I’ll be right back,” Savannah said, and she soon returned with two thermal blankets and two bottles of water, some granola bars, and apples in a tote bag.

“Thank you,” the girl said. She hesitated as if she wanted to say something more, but, instead, quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Savannah followed her with her eyes, thinking,
I hope she’s going to be okay out there…she and her unborn baby. Who is she? Where did she come from? And what in the world did she hide in our luggage?

“This is great,” Iris said as she and Craig sat across the table from the Iveys at the diner the following night. “We don’t double-date often enough.”

“Yeah, we’re eager to hear about your trip,” Craig said. “So what were the highlights?” He chuckled. “Forget about the lowlights.”

“The highlights, huh?” Michael contemplated the question before answering. “Some island guy threatened Savannah and a Hawaiian gigolo tried to make time with her. We saved a kitten’s life and mended a little girl’s heart.”

“And we brought home contraband we didn’t know we had, then threw it away, making a young pregnant woman very unhappy,” Savannah added.

“What?” Craig asked, shaking his head.

“A gigolo?” Iris repeated, her eyes lighting up.

Just then Kayla approached with their drinks. After placing them on the table, she asked, “What can I bring you?”

“Spit out the gum,” Iris said under her breath. “Looks tacky.” She leaned toward the waitress. “If you want good tips, make a good presentation. You know better than that.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kayla said, removing the gum from her mouth. “What can I get you?”

“Uh, oh, I don’t care—surprise me,” Iris said, pushing a strand of her curly red hair off her forehead. She quickly turned to Savannah and insisted, “Tell me about the gigolo.”

“We’ll both have the spaghetti special,” Craig said, handing Kayla their menus.

“Sounds good to me,” Michael said, deferring to Savannah.

“Me, too, with extra Parmesan on the side. Thanks.” When she saw that Iris was continuing to stare at her, waiting for a response, she said, “He was just a little flirty, that’s all.” Savannah ran her hand along Michael’s upper arm. “Once he saw what a hunk I’m married to, he left me alone.”

“Bummer,” Iris said.

Craig smirked playfully at his wife, then leaned toward the Iveys. “Contraband? What kind of contraband? And why did you throw it away?”

Michael grimaced. “It seems that a young woman slipped something into Savannah’s suitcase while it was outside our hotel room in Hawaii waiting for the shuttle driver to pick it up. The thing broke on our way home and we tossed it in the trash. I don’t know what’s supposed to be in it, but that girl talked like she was going to the refuse center to try to find it. Can people do that? I mean, can they pick through the rubble at the dump?”

“Not that I know of,” Craig said. “But I suppose that doesn’t keep people from sneaking in when they’ve accidently tossed something valuable.” He took a swig of coffee, then said, “I think they bulldoze the rubbish fairly soon after it arrives, but I could be wrong.”

Savannah wrinkled her nose. “She shouldn’t be digging around in that rotten stuff in her condition anyway. Ewww, gross.”

“So you don’t know what she’s after, huh?” Craig asked.

Savannah shook her head. “Don’t have a clue—but it has value. She said it would help her and her baby get a good start in life.”

Suddenly, Craig became quiet. “Wait,” he said, “was this girl from Hawaii?”

“Yes,” Savannah said.

“I heard there was a young gal who went into labor last night while she was trying to get over the fence into the refuse center.”

Savannah gasped. “Oh, my gosh, that must be her. Do you know how she is?”

“As I understand it, she didn’t have the baby and was released from the hospital. He frowned. “So, if she put something in there how did you miss seeing it, anyway?”

Savannah explained, “Leah…the little pregnant gal…said she sliced open the fabric on the outside of my suitcase, slipped the item in, glued it shut, then got our name and address off the luggage tag so she could find us.”

“And you didn’t notice this?” he asked.

Michael and Savannah moved back from the table to allow Kayla to place their meals in front of them. “No,” Savannah said.

“And you don’t know what she put in there.”

Savannah shook her head.

Craig cleared his throat. “Well, we did some checking and we believe this girl’s on the run. If she’s the same girl, she went to the islands for a cheerleading camp with her college last spring and never made it home. They think she hooked up with a bad-news dude named Kale. When he went to jail, charged with the gruesome torture death of an island man, she found herself pregnant and alone.”

“Her parents must be frantic. Why doesn’t she go home?” Iris asked.

“According to the island police, her parents believe it’s because of their religion. They think she’s ashamed to come home.”

“Gosh, what a mess that kid has made of her young life. I hope she can clean up her act before she brings a child into it,” Savannah said.

“Speaking of making a mess of one’s life,” Craig said, rather quietly, “what do you think about what’s going on with Colbi and her brother?”

“Oh, that jerk,” Savannah said. She grimaced. “I guess I shouldn’t say that. I mean, he may be a very nice guy, but not when he’s on drugs. I hate to think of how he’s hurting Colbi. She wants family so badly that she’s willing to overlook his…problems.”

“She has a family just waiting to accept her,” Iris said. “Damon’s ready to marry her. Heck, we already think of her as part of our family. If she’d only say yes to my son.”

Savannah nodded. “But she won’t as long as she thinks Harrison needs her and as long as Damon disagrees with the way she’s handling the situation.”

“That young man’s just about a hair’s breadth away from finding himself in jail again,” Craig said.

“You mean Damon or Harrison?” Savannah asked.

“Harrison, of course.”

“I sure hope not,” Savannah said, “for Colbi’s sake.”

****

“Thanks for dinner,” Michael said as the two couples stepped out of the diner into the chill of the night a little while later.

“Do you have time for a nightcap at our place?” Craig asked. “Or we could walk down to the Second Street Lounge, if you’d like.” He patted Michael on the back. “You can spring for drinks.”

The Iveys looked at one another and he said, “Your aunt has probably put Lily to bed by now. Yeah, I guess we could…if you want to, hon.”

Savannah nodded. “Sure. I’m not ready to go home.” She laughed. “I feel like I’m still on vacation.”

The two couples had found a booth in the lounge and ordered their drinks when Craig leaned toward Iris. “Isn’t that Colbi’s brother?”

“Where?” she asked, looking around.

“He’s coming this way.” As they watched, Craig said, “Looks like he and his buddy are taking the booth behind us.”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Iris said. She grinned at Savannah. “He’s a handsome dude, isn’t he?”

“What?” she asked.

“Colbi’s brother. Don’t you think he’s handsome? As you younger people say, hot?”

“I guess so,” Savannah said, unenthusiastically.

Michael winked playfully at his wife and said across the table, “She dated him.”

“You did?” Iris asked, her eyes lighting up. She raised her hand for a high five, saying, “You go, girl!”

“Shhh,” Craig said. “Listen, he’s really on a roll.”

Savannah and Michael both strained to tune into the conversation in the next booth.

They heard Harrison say, “Yeah, I’ve got it made on easy street. My long-lost sister has rules, but you know me, I don’t do rules. I do what I want.” He snickered. “I call her
the warden
.”

They heard his tablemate ask, “So what are the rules?”

“I have to look for a job every day,” he said, snickering.

“And are you doing that?”

“Sure I am. While I’m walking around town drinking beer and smoking pot, I’m looking at people doing their jobs.”

Both men roared.

Harrison lowered his voice. “I found me a real good thing last week—awww man, she’s sweet. But I’m afraid she comes with rules and chains and all that stuff, too.”

“Is that the little dark-haired chick you were with a couple days ago? Yeah, she seemed cool—like she has it together. So what’s the problem?” his friend asked.

“She wants to start a new life, know what I mean? Heck, I like the life I’ve created here. I have a roof over my head, food on the table, money for booze…”

“Yeah, when you steal it.”

Both men laughed loudly.

“And I got all the time in the world to do whatever I want, when I want. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

“So what are you going to do about the ‘sweet thing?’”

“Shit, I don’t know. I mean, she’s getting under my skin, I have to admit that. But we just don’t want the same stuff.”

“Hey, I’m some older than you are, Harrison, and I have to tell ya, you can change your mind. And you should change your mind while you can. You hang around in this life too long and it consumes you. You know Frankie, don’t you? And Slimy and The Hog…how do you think they got so, well, so freaky lookin’ and spunkless?”

“Yeah, I know ‘em. How?”

“By staying in this life too long. Buddy, you’ve probably lived the best years out here doin’ your thing. It’s time you climbed out of this rut and actually did something with your life.”

“Like you?” Harrison asked, roaring with laughter.

The other man spoke more quietly. “I had the chance once and didn’t take it. I wanted the high too much. What I didn’t realize was the high is temporary. The low was what I lived with day in and day out and so do you—don’t deny it. You live for the highs, but they don’t last. You aim for the highs, but all you’re accomplishing is mellow—which translates into lazy, no-good, accomplishing absolutely nothin’. That’s me; that’s you. I blew my chance for something different. Don’t do the same.”

The two couples in the next booth sat stunned when the conversation stopped. “Is he actually thinking about what his friend said?” Iris asked in a whisper.

Savannah shrugged. “Could be. For Colbi’s sake, I sure hope so.”

Craig held up his hand to silence her when he saw Harrison scoot out of the booth and stand. They heard him say to his friend, “Hey, I have a job to do tonight. Better get to it.” Speaking more quietly, he said, “If I do it up right, I might get lucky.” He paused, then turned toward the other man. “Why don’t you come with me, Moss? You could use a little action, couldn’t you? The job could be rather interesting. Come on, man, for old time’s sake.”

“Oh, why not?” the man named Moss said, easing out of the booth and following Harrison through the door.

Savannah sighed. “Well, there go our hopes for him and Colbi.”

“He said he’s going to a job,” Michael pointed out.

“No, Michael,” Iris explained, “he said he’s going to
do
a job.”

“Yeah, big difference,” Savannah said. “He probably plans to do another jewelry heist.”

“Another one?” Craig said. “Has he done that before?”

“Uh,” Savannah hesitated, “…well, we’re pretty sure he took our house key out of Colbi’s purse and used it to steal some of my jewelry.”

“Dang,” Craig said. “That’s not good. How’d you figure out it was him? Fingerprints? Did the neighbors see him?”

“Well, Rags…”

“Oh no, don’t tell me,” Craig said. “The cat? Really?”

“Yeah, he found my jewelry under Harrison’s bed at Colbi’s house. Harrison blamed Colbi—said she must have done it, she had the key.”

“Did you press charges?” Craig asked.

Savannah thinned her lips. When Craig frowned a little at her, she said, “Well, I just didn’t want to make Colbi’s life any more complicated. I got my jewelry back.”

“Did you change your locks?” Craig asked, looking from one to the other.

She nodded. She then yawned. “Hey, we’d better go pick up the punkin’ and get home. Thanks again for the nice evening out. We really should do it more often.”

Once outside, the two couples started walking down the block toward Craig’s car, when Savannah stopped and stared at something on the pavement in front of her.

“Come on, hon. It’s cold. I’ll race you to the car,” Michael teased.

“Wait,” she said, walking away from him.

“What’s she doing?” Craig asked.

“Heck if I know,” Michael said. “Looks like she’s joining that homeless person over there.”

“Leah?” Savannah said as she approached someone wrapped in a familiar blanket.

“Huh?” the woman responded, as if she was just being awakened. “Oh, hello.” She glanced around. “What are you doing here?”

“We were having a nightcap. I recognized the blanket.”

“Yes, the one you gave me. Sure do appreciate it. It’s cold tonight,” the young woman said, pulling the blanket up around her more tightly.

“Leah, why aren’t you staying in a shelter?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Is it because you’re afraid you’ll be identified? Is that it?”

The girl looked up through large dark eyes. “Something like that.”

Savannah knelt next to her. “Listen, why don’t you come home with Michael and me?” When Leah started to resist, Savannah said, “Please, let’s get you out of the cold and into a comfortable bed. Even if you don’t want to take care of yourself, you owe it to your child, for heaven’s sake. Please. Now come with us, will you?”

“I can’t. I have to wait here for someone. He’s supposed to bring me the suitcase.”

“Oh?” Savannah said. “When’s he supposed to be here?”

“Any time,” she said. She pulled out a cell phone. “Earlier today he gave me his phone so he could stay in touch, but it’s about to lose its charge.”

“Hon, why don’t you come with us? You can charge your phone at our house then he can call you and you can tell him where you are.”

Leah glanced in the direction Savannah motioned and noticed Michael and the Sledges waiting. “Okay, I guess. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“No. Now come on,” she said, helping her to stand.

When the two women caught up with the others, Savannah said, “Craig, Iris, this is Leah. Michael, she’s going to stay with us tonight.”

As Craig and Iris nodded, Michael said, “Oh, I see. Well, let’s get in the car; it’s cold out here.”

“Sure is,” Leah said, sliding into the backseat with Savannah and Michael.

“Craig, why don’t you just take us home, I’ll buzz over and pick up Lily at Maggie’s.”

“Heck, Michael, let’s just go get her and we can hold her on our lap for the short distance from their house,” Savannah suggested.