Dolled Up to Die (33 page)
Authors: Lorena McCourtney
Tags: #Mystery, #Contemporary, #FIC042060, #FIC022040, #Women private investigators—Fiction
The outside of the house, with rock trim and big windows, looked like any ordinary house, but everyone knew about the cat-friendly differences inside. A Kitty Kastle.
A sunny breeze fluttered the wide red ribbon with a bow that crossed the front door. Mr. Ledbetter stood beside it with scissors. Cate stood on the sidewalk, Octavia grumbling from the cat carrier at her feet.
Behind Cate stood Mitch, Uncle Joe with a cane, and Rebecca. Rebecca had asked if a few people from church could come. Lance and Robyn, back from their honeymoon, had asked if they could come. At the last minute, Cate had invited the Whodunit ladies, who’d known Octavia’s original owner, to be there. Mrs. Ledbetter had come with her husband. So, it was quite a crowd now gathered for the grand opening. A few curious neighbors had also assembled at the foot of the driveway to watch.
“Are we ready?” Mr. Ledbetter asked.
Cate nodded. Octavia yowled.
“Very well, then. I, Roger Ledbetter, designated by Amelia Robinson as executor of her estate, which duties include providing a proper home for her beloved companion, Octavia, do hereby present this house to Ms. Cate Kinkaid and Octavia, as their mutual residence.” Mr. Ledbetter cut the ribbon with a big flourish, unlocked the door, and with another flourish presented the keys to Cate. “I hope you’ll both be very happy here.”
Cate stepped inside. She stopped short for a moment, startled as always by the lifelike appearance of the redheaded doll sitting on a chair in the foyer. Jo-Jo had presented her with this doll a few days ago. Jo-Jo hadn’t named the doll, saying she’d leave that up to Cate, and Cate was still mulling possibilities.
Everyone crowded in, filling the living room. Cate made certain the door was closed, and then unlatched the door on the cat carrier.
Octavia, with her usual regal attitude, strolled out. She eyed the crowd, then ignored them, as if such an entourage were her due. She inspected the doll, climbed her cat pole, and sat her plump rump down on the walkway to survey her domain and subjects below.
“What does she think?” Mr. Ledbetter asked.
“If she had thumbs, I’m sure she’d be giving it a thumbs-up.”
“Good.” He made a little my-work-here-is-done dusting motion with his hands. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to go talk to someone . . .”
His wife, who’d been standing next to him, watched him go over to Mitch. Then she pulled a photo out of her purse. “This is Ellouise.” The photo showed a calico cat with a chewed-on ear, not lovely, but Mrs. Ledbetter beamed with pride. “I never thought Roger would want a cat, but when she showed up at our door, he let her come in. We’re both quite taken with her.”
Cate glanced up at Octavia and gave her a thumbs-up. Cat ambassadorship successful.
“But I’m rather concerned about Roger’s interest in that young man’s motorcycle.” Mrs. Ledbetter gave a worried glance at her husband and Mitch deep in discussion. “He wouldn’t want a motorcycle too . . . would he?”
“There’s some kind of magnetic attraction between men and bikes.” Cate patted Mrs. Ledbetter’s shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”
“If he does get one, I’m never getting on it,” Mrs. Ledbetter vowed.
Cate just smiled. Famous Last Words.
Mr. Ledbetter had provided snacks and drinks, both people and cat varieties. Various people came by to congratulate Cate on her new home, but finally they were all gone, and it was just her, Mitch, and Octavia.
Cate plopped down on her new leather sofa. Nice in a cat world, because it wouldn’t accumulate cat hair. Mitch had suggested the big, soft pillow for Octavia’s use at one end of it. Octavia now came down from her high perch and curled up on the pillow beside Cate. Mitch dropped down beside Cate too.
They made, Cate reflected, a rather nice little family.
“Great place,” Mitch said.
“I think so too.”
“Now that you’re a, um, solid citizen homeowner, and you have a milestone thirtieth birthday coming up soon, I’m thinking maybe you’ll want a solid-citizen-type job. Not one where you’re being chased by killers, bound up in duct tape, climbing out of windows, et cetera.”
“And this solid-citizen-type job would be . . . ?”
“There’s a great opening in the office at Computer Solutions Dudes. Good pay, full benefits, congenial boss.”
Cate considered the offer. For five seconds. “Thank you, no.”
“No?”
“No.”
Mitch gave an exaggerated sigh. “I didn’t think so.” He pulled a small package out of his pocket. “Wristwatch-type
cell phone. Voice activated. So the next time you’re hanging out of a window, you can call me, okay?”
“But I’m not going to be—”
He touched her lips with a finger. “Or you can use it when you’re trapped in a dungeon, hijacked in a hot-air balloon, or spread-eagled on railroad tracks. Whatever.”
“Don’t be ridic—” Cate broke the statement in mid-word. Given her propensity for dangerous situations, who knew when she might need Mitch’s gift?
“Just remember, I’m always here. Just waiting for your call.” He grinned. “Or even if it isn’t an emergency, and you just want me, I’m available.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Octavia woke up, strolled across laps as if they were her personal red carpet, and plopped down, head and front paws on Mitch, rear end and tail on Cate.
Cate petted her end of cat. Yes indeed. A nice little family.
Lorena McCourtney
is a
New York Times
bestselling and award-winning author of dozens of novels, including
Invisible
(which won the Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America),
In Plain Sight, On the Run,
Stranded,
and
Dying to Read.
She resides in Grants Pass, Oregon.
T
HE
I
VY
M
ALONE
M
YSTERIES
Invisible
In Plain Sight
On the Run
Stranded
T
HE
C
ATE
K
INKAID
F
ILES
Dying to Read
Dolled Up to Die
