PAWSitively Sinister (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 11) (3 page)

Savannah took a seat next to her and rested one hand on Ruth’s arm.

After weeping silently for a few moments, Ruth wiped her eyes and drew a ragged breath. “Her friend used to live here in the seventies and eighties.”

Savannah raised her eyebrows. “Here? Really? Were her parents servants?”

Ruth shook her head. “No, she supposedly lived in the mansion with her family.”

“And now she’s homeless?”

“It appears so.”

“What a way for a wealthy girl to end up,” Savannah said. She looked at Ruth. “What’s her story, do you know? How did she end up on the streets—was it a result of the downturn in the economy during the eighties? I imagine someone who grew up in a family that could afford this,” she gestured toward the mansion, “wouldn’t have much work experience. I can see how she might find it difficult to support herself when times got tough.”

“I do not know her story, but I saw her talking to Laura, one of the ladies from the estate-sale company. Laura has a passion for local history and she listens to the stories people bring here. She might know something more about Mattie’s friend. All I know is that she lived here with her grandmother and her father. If there is more that Laura knows, maybe she will tell us at dinner tonight.” Ruth suddenly looked beyond Savannah. She furrowed her brow and asked, “What are they doing out there in that old fish pond?”

“I guess Koko found something that Arthur thought was interesting this morning, and he and Michael are trying to unearth it.”

Ruth grinned. “Men and their curiosity. They’re fascinated by the most unusual things.” She then stood, saying, “I should go back. We want to get a head start on displaying more of the items from some of the other rooms, so we won’t have so much to do in the morning.”

“How long will the sale go on?” Savannah asked.

Ruth shrugged. “Until it is all gone I guess, or over the next four or five days—whichever comes first.” She laughed. “I do not think the estate company people are in a great hurry to leave—the core group of helpers are staying in a couple of the bungalows. They seem to be enjoying the use of the pool, tennis courts, and the other facilities.”

“I imagine so,” Savannah said. “How many are there from the company?”

“Oh, about a half dozen, I think.”

“Will they all be at dinner this evening?”

“Probably not. Usually it is just Laura and her assistant Gail. The others are from a local college and prefer to be on their own after the work is done each day.” She stood. “Hey, better go. See you later, Savannah.” She leaned over and spoke to Lily. “You, too, sweet girl.”

Savannah watched Ruth walk away, then peered under the stroller sunshade at Lily and checked on Rags, who was now curled up in the carry basket. Koko had grown weary of the conversation and had strolled back to where the men were working. Savannah stood and had started to ease the stroller off the deck when she saw Suzette walking toward her.

“Hi,” she said to Savannah before kneeling down to Lily’s level and attracting her attention.

“Did they find anything?” Savannah asked.

“Yeah. They uncovered a big, old, ugly metal box, but they can’t get it open. It may be rusted shut or locked, and so far, they haven’t been able to break into it with any of the tools we’ve found around here.” She stood and leaned toward Savannah. “I think they need a gun.”

Savannah was taken aback. “A gun?”

“Yes, with bullets. Isn’t that how cowboy bandits break into strongboxes they steal from the stagecoaches? They shoot the lock off,” she said, gesturing.

Savannah chuckled. “Indeed, they do.” She eased back down into the deck chair and motioned toward another one—a casual invitation that Suzette accepted. “So you’re on winter break?” Savannah asked.

“Yes, an opportune time to be with Arthur and help him out a little.”

“Are you enjoying your studies?”

“Immensely,” Suzette said. She leaned in to speak confidentially to Savannah. “Although, I must say I’m kind of distracted now that Arthur and I have started dating for real.”

Savannah smiled. “For real?”

“Well, yeah. Before, we just texted, emailed, and talked on the phone. I didn’t think he… you know, cared about me in the same way I care about him.”

“Oh?” Savannah said, tilting her head, her straight blond-highlighted hair brushing across one shoulder.

“He was kinda… distant, even though he seemed to enjoy our conversations as much as I did. He was guarded.” She narrowed her eyes. “Know what I mean?”

Savannah nodded. “Yes, I think I do.”

She faced Savannah. “Hey, it was you who turned the tide, you know.”

Savannah looked surprised.

“You told Arthur to follow his heart sooner rather than later.” She put one hand on Savannah’s knee and smiled. “Thank you so much for that. He said you suggested that he should not wait to have the reconstructive surgery before telling me how he felt.”

“Yes, I did tell him that. I knew he felt deeply about you, and I didn’t want him to miss a chance… for the two of you to find out if there is a… ”

“Love connection?” Suzette smiled. “Oh yes, I’ve been in love with Arthur since I met him in the burn center nearly eight years ago. Sure, we were only ten—well, I was a ripe old eleven. He may not even know it, but he helped me so much when we were there at the center together.”

“He was dealing with a lot in his life then, too,” Savannah said, “so I’m sure it was mutual.”

“Yes, I guess it was.” She looked in Arthur’s direction. “Savannah, I’m so in love with him.”

Savannah smiled widely and patted Suzette’s hand. “I’m awfully glad to hear that.”

“And we have such similar goals—but then, we kind of grew up together—know what I mean? Neither of us had much reference to the world—we both had been kept hidden. Well, for me, I had overprotective relatives who all jumped in to help raise me after I lost my parents in that car accident.” She thinned her lips. “We did a lot of exploration of our inner selves over the years—Arthur and I. But we’re just now learning about the world around us. And we’re getting the most amazing help from the most amazing people.” She smiled into Savannah’s eyes. “… like you and your family.”

“Awww, what a nice thing to say. Thank you. I can see that Arthur has made some excellent choices—you being among them.”

Suzette blinked her brown eyes. “Thanks. It means a lot.” She glanced at Arthur again and said, “Hey look! I think they got it open. Let’s go check it out.”

“Okay,” Savannah said, taking Rags’s leash as he stepped out of the stroller basket. They followed behind Suzette.

“Ma-ma?” Lily said, turning in the stroller and seeing that Suzette was pushing her.

“Here I am, honey,” Savannah said, walking up next to the baby and gently running her hand over her soft curls.

“What did you find?” Suzette asked, as they approached the men.

“Don’t know,” Arthur said, looking puzzled.

The women moved closer and peered at what had been exposed. “What’s in it?” Savannah asked. “The missing books of the Bible?”

Suzette grabbed Savannah’s arm to get her attention, “I told them I thought it was someone’s ashes.”

Savannah shuddered a little. She peered at the incinerator. “Do you think they used that thing for… cremation?”

“No Bible pages; no ashes,” Michael said in an attempt to quell their wild imaginations.

“So what is it, Michael?” Savannah asked.

“Nothing,” he said, lifting the heavy lid to show her. “It’s empty.”

As everyone contemplated the situation, Rags strutted toward the box. Koko, noticing him, appeared from behind the incinerator, ran up, and rubbed against her feline friend. Together, they sniffed at the object. Koko stepped gingerly into the box and nosed around while Rags seemed to be taking in the scents around the exterior. When Arthur saw Koko hop out of the box, jump into the circle of rocks, and peer into the hole left by the extraction, he followed her. “What is it, Koko?” He turned to the others. “Hey, check this out. There’s like a cavern down there. Do we have a light?”

“I saw a flashlight someplace,” Suzette said. She snapped her fingers, saying, “Oh, I remember where. I’ll go get it.”

“Hmm,” Michael mumbled as he joined Arthur. “Looks like erosion—maybe water from the pond worked its way under that box and… ”

“So that hole could be full of water?” Arthur asked.

Michael ran his hand through his hair and glanced around the area. “Probably not. It’s been a dry year. Maybe in the past, though.”

Rags tugged at his leash and Savannah moved closer to the abandoned pond, allowing him enough slack to follow Koko. When she saw the Siamese leaning over the edge as if she were about to jump, she said, “Should you let her go in there? It could be deep.” She took a step back. “It might be full of rattlesnakes.”

Before anyone could react, Koko leaped onto a ledge about two feet down in the hole and promptly disappeared. Rags pulled against his leash, eager to join her. But before he could follow, Michael picked him up.

“Here’s a flashlight,” Suzette said upon returning.

Arthur quickly took it and knelt, shining the light around in the hole. “Where’d she go, anyway?” Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the Siamese cat. “Oh my gosh! She’s down in the bottom. Dang.” He faced the others, frowning. “I don’t know how she’s going to get out of there.”

“Is she okay?” Savannah asked. “I mean, did she fall? She’s not hurt, is she?”

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think so. She looks okay.”

“See that sloping side right there?” Michael said, pointing. “She probably slid down there and made a soft landing.”

“Well, it looks too steep for her to climb out, don’t you think, Michael?”

“Probably,” he said. “Don’t worry, Arthur, we’ll get her out… even if we have to call the fire department.” He leaned over the opening, straining to see beyond the protrusion. “Wait… what’s that?”

“What?” Arthur asked.

Michael pointed into the pit. “She’s pawing at something. Shine your light to the right a little. See that piece of paper?”

“Paper?” Savannah said. “Maybe it
is
the lost books of the Bible.”

“Burned-up paper?” Suzette asked.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Arthur said. “That’s odd, isn’t it?”

Suzette moved closer. “What kind of paper is it? A newspaper from the 1800s?”

“No,” Arthur said, squinting into the cavernous depths. “There’s another one. They look more like documents.”

“Can you command your cat to bring one up for us to see?” Savannah asked, chuckling a little.

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He turned toward the others and said excitedly, “… but I have a telescope. I wonder if we could read them through the telescope. I’ll go get it… if it hasn’t been sold,” he added, laughing.

While Arthur was gone, Michael used the flashlight to further examine the inside of the cavity. “How
is
she going to get out?” he asked, thinking out loud. He sat back on his heels. “I wonder if there’s a ladder around here anyplace.”

“Are you thinking about climbing down and getting her?” Savannah asked. When Michael nodded, she grimaced. “It’s too narrow, isn’t it? Do you think any of us could fit through that tight spot? I don’t even think Suzette could shimmy her tiny body past that ledge.”

Just then Arthur returned with a small telescope.

“Looks like something a pirate ship’s captain would use to discover land,” Michael said, grinning.

“Or booty,” Suzette suggested.

Everyone stared at Suzette, then broke out in laughter.

“I mean loot,” she said, blushing, “… discover loot.”

“It’s personal papers,” Arthur announced while peering into the hole through his telescope. “Michael, aim the light to the left a little.” He then said, “I see a driver license, a social security card, oh, insurance papers, something about a pension. There’s another driver license and some sort of odd ID.”

“Who do they belong to?” Savannah asked.

After a few minutes, Arthur responded, “Not the same person—different people.” He turned to face the others, his brow creased. “What do you suppose this means?”

“Someone stole these people’s identity?” Suzette suggested, wide-eyed. She spoke more quietly. “Do you see a band of hackers down there manning banks of computers and telephones?”

Everyone laughed at the vision.

“Maybe someone who lived here had several identities or was in the witness-protection program,” Savannah suggested.

“Or they were hiding out from the law. Hey,” Suzette said, “I’ll bet that thing you dug out of there
was
a strongbox from a stagecoach robbery.” She looked at the others. “Could this have been Bonnie and Clyde’s hideout?” Her demeanor suddenly shifted. In a more serious tone, she said, “I’d like to get my hands on some of those papers.”

“You’re one nosey lady, you know it?” Arthur teased.

“Yes, I’m afraid I am. I’m not one to walk away from a mystery, that’s for sure.”

“You’d get along well with our cat,” Savannah said, looking at Rags, who was tugging at the leash, eager to see what his feline friend was doing down in the pit.

Suzette tilted her head. “I’ve heard about his escapades.” She reached out and petted Rags, giggling. “Catscapades… ”

“Koko, I think you should come back out of there,” Arthur called. “Come on, Koko. Come on now,” he urged.

The cat simply looked up at him and meowed twice.

“I don’t think she can get out,” Michael said. “It’s starting to get dark. Arthur, can she climb a ladder?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never seen her do it.”

“She never tried to climb that ladder you devised to sneak out of your quarters?” Savannah asked.

When Arthur shook his head, a blank look on his face, Michael gestured toward Rags. “He can, and Koko’s more agile than he is. She should be able to.” He asked Suzette, “Have you seen a ladder around here anywhere?”

The young woman volunteered to go find one. When she returned, Arthur gasped. “Oh my gosh! That ladder went to Karen’s bunk bed. I haven’t seen it in years.”

Michael peered down into the hole again, saying, “That should be just the height we need in that space. If Koko can climb it to that ledge, she should be able to get out by herself. Now if only she will use it,” he said as he and Arthur positioned the ladder.