The Purrfect Lie (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 12) (11 page)

“Michael,” she yelled as he pulled her toward the bed. “I need to get Lily up.”

Meow-meow
.

“And the cats…” She looked toward the bedroom door and saw Lexie gazing at them expectantly. “…and let the dog out.”

When Michael looked dejected, Savannah picked up the pen and paper, saying, “How about this? There!” she showed him, “I penciled you in for ten o’clock this evening.”

“Well, if that’s the best you can do,” he said, feigning disappointment.

“Yes, now let’s go have breakfast.” She kissed him on the neck and said, in a throaty voice, “You’re going to need your strength, big boy.”

****

By ten thirty that evening, Margaret and Max were ushering her sister Rose and her husband out to their car for the short ride to the Sheridan home.

“Thank you, Max, for the wonderful meal,” Savannah said. “Everyone enjoyed it.”

“Oh, that was the best beef stew I’ve ever eaten,” Rose said, stepping out through the door after Margaret. She stopped and hugged Savannah. “Thanks for having us. Looking forward to the big party for your little one tomorrow.”

“Night, Aunt Rose…Uncle Don,” Savannah called. She took a double-take beyond the couple. “Auntie, are you all right?” she asked after seeing Margaret lose her balance momentarily.

“Yeah, just a little stumble,” she said. “You have too many steps there.” She turned and gestured, slurring her words a little. “…better get that fixed, kids.”

Michael and Savannah looked at each other and smiled. “Yeah, we’ll fix that, Maggie,” he called out, laughing a little.

“We’re taking the children out to our home-away-from-home,” Jimmy said as Belinda scurried around picking up their baby’s diapers, blankets, and so forth. He grabbed Savannah in an enthusiastic bear hug. “So nice to see you, cousin, after all these years.” He shook Michael’s hand. “And good to meet you, Michael. You’re a strapping fellow, aren’t you?”

“Uh…well…” Michael stuttered, when his mother-in-law came to his rescue.

“Night, Jimmy, Belinda,” Gladys said. “Your baby sure is a sweetheart. Didn’t hear a peep out of her all evening.”

“Just hope she isn’t up all night,” Belinda said.

“Me, too,” Belinda’s son Joshua said. He turned to Michael. “When’s your boy coming?”

“Tomorrow,” Michael assured him. “He’ll be glad to meet you.”

“Yeah, me, too. Too many babies around here.”

“Night all,” Gladys said, yawning, as she headed up the stairs to join Bob in their room.

“Night,” Michael called while turning off lights.

“Michael,” Savannah whispered, “what’s your hurry? At least, wait until they’ve left.”

He grinned at her. When he saw the younger couple step outside the kitchen door with the baby wrapped in a large blanket, he locked it behind them, grabbed Savannah’s hand, and said, “Come on. We have a date, remember?”

“Oh, Michael,” she said, pulling back. She slumped her shoulders. “It’s been such a long day. I’m exhausted.” When he turned to look at her, she grinned and ran her hand over his hair and down the back of his neck. “Just kidding. Let me check on Lily. I’ll be right there.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he said, enticingly.

Several minutes later, Savannah stepped out of their bathroom, walked across the bedroom, and climbed into bed. Michael grabbed her and pulled her to him, kissing her long and hard, when suddenly, one of the cell phones chimed.

“Nooo,” Michael moaned. “Don’t answer it.”

“Michael, it might be an emergency. We have to answer it.” She pushed herself up on one elbow and picked up the phone. Before speaking into it, she said, “It’s my aunt.”

“Oh, great,” he said, rolling over.

“Hi, Auntie.”

“You aren’t going to believe what just happened,” Margaret said, excitedly.

Savannah looked at Michael and said into the phone, “It had better be good or I’m in big trouble.”

“Why?” Margaret asked.

“Oh, never mind. What is it, Auntie?”

“Well, when we got home,” she said, still slurring her words a little, “guess who was here.”

“Who?” Savannah asked, sitting up in the bed.

“None other than the grim reaper.”

“What?” Savannah asked. “Did someone die?”

Margaret laughed. “No. But we almost murdered someone.”

Savannah heard a round of hysterical laughter in the background. “What are you talking about?”

Speaking more quietly now, Margaret said, “He was here, Vannie. The prowler-vandal-dude. We caught him here.”

“You caught him?” She asked.

“Well, no…but almost. He came running out through the cathouse door just as we pulled up in the car.” She laughed. “Rose and I were belting out a round of our high school song, so we weren’t exactly paying attention. But Max saw him and shouted, ‘There he is!’ By the time we all spotted him, he was hot-foo…footing it toward your place.”

“He was heading this way?” Savannah asked, walking across the room and pulling the drapes back a little. “I don’t see anyone.” She glanced toward Michael and noticed he was now propped up on one elbow listening intently to her side of the conversation.

“Well, I don’t think he came on your prop…prop…properly...pro-per-ty.”

“Auntie, have you been drinking?”

She laughed. “Just a little. Vannie, remember, you gave me a glass of wine in those fancy glasses of yours—that I gave you?”

“So where’d this guy go?”

“Well, we chased him…I grabbed the lid off the stew pot, Max had the bread knife, and…” she started laughing, “…Rose and Dan…I mean Don…Dan’s the one she dated, but she married Don. Well, they didn’t know what was going on and they had no weapons. We chased him toward your proper…prop…your place, and that’s when he disappeared.”

“Did he do any damage?”

“Not too much. He had one cage almost cut open and one cage all-the-way cut open—where Jack is recuperating. Oh-oh-oh, guess what we found in the cage with Jack?”

Savannah grimaced for Michael’s benefit. “What?” she asked.

“You won’t believe this, either, Vannie.” She began to laugh uncontrollably. “Vannie…it’s…hey Rose, what timesit?” Margaret started again, “It’s ten forty-six. Do you know where…your cat is?”

“What?” Savannah asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know where he is if you don’t. Vannie, he’s right here sitting in the cage with Jack. Can you believe it?”

“Wait. Are you saying Rags is over there…in a pen with your cat? Why is your cat in a pen?”

“Yup. I guess with all of the inning and outing we were doing there tonight, he escaped again and he went in through the hole the vandal-dude cut.”

“So why is Jack in a pen? Is there something wrong with him?” Savannah asked, apprehensively.

“Just a minute. Max, what’s wrong with Jack, again?” When she came back to the phone, she said, “He has amnesia.”

Just then, Max took the phone. “Hi Savannah. Sorry about that. I think that glass of wine got to her.”

“The cat has amnesia?” Savannah asked.

“No, an abscess. Michael treated Jack earlier today. He’s not contagious. We put him in an empty pen for his protection, then this…guy comes along and cuts a hole for him to get out, dang it all. Savannah, I think Rags actually kept him inside the pen by sitting in there with him. You should see your cat. He’s acting as if he’s some sort of babysitter or bodyguard, maybe. What do you want me to do with him? Lock him in?”

“I’m tempted,” she said.

“It’s warm in there. He’s safe…since I moved them to a new pen…and he seems to be a comfort to Jack.”

“Okay, Rags has our permission to have a sleepover, then. Thanks. We’ll come get him in the morning.”

“All right. Have a good rest of the night.”

“You, too, Max.”

“What was that all about?” Michael asked, once Savannah had ended the call.

“My aunt is bombed…or at least buzzed…the grim reaper showed up and they all chased him over this way. Oh yes, and Rags is going to have a sleepover with Jack. I hear you treated him today for amnesia.”

Michael cocked his head, a puzzled look on his face. Before he could say anything, Savannah scrunched down into the bed, wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him to her.

****

The Ivey household was abuzz with activity by one-fifteen on Saturday afternoon; almost-one-year-old Lily the star. While Savannah’s mother and aunts watched over Lily and her young cousins, Savannah chatted with Iris’s husband, Detective Craig Sledge. “So have you identified that guy who lived in my aunt’s basement?”

Craig shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Well, what name was he buried under? Doesn’t that have to be a person’s real name?”

“You’d think so, but the Greenes told authorities his name was Mike Cullen, and if that’s what his personal papers verified, he’d be buried under that name.”

“So what makes you think he isn’t Mike Cullen?”

Craig took a deep breath. “Well, it gets complicated, Savannah.”

“Are there any clues as to who the child was or what happened to her?”

Craig shook his head. “Dead ends there, too. All the children missing from around here over the years are either accounted for or they’re the wrong gender or...” He then peered off into the distance and asked, “Who’s that guy?”

“Where?”

“Out near the orchard. Looks like he’s hassling Michael’s boy.”

“Oh, that’s Mr. Crankshaw, our neighbor,” she said, continuing to watch him. “Yes, what does he think he’s doing? Is he scolding Adam and Joshua?” When she started to walk toward the boys, they quickly turned away from the old man and ran back to the house.

“Adam,” Savannah called as he drew near, “what’s wrong?”

The boys stopped in front of her, Adam staring down at the ground, wiping at his eyes with one hand. Joshua appeared dry-eyed, but stunned. “What a grouchy old man,” Joshua said. “He just started yelling at us for no reason.”

Savannah crouched down to the boys’ level. “What did he say?”

“He said us kids are making too much noise,” Adam reported.

“Yeah, he wanted us to…” Joshua looked at Adam. “What did he say…to take the party in the house or he’d call the cops.”

“He said we were playing too close to his house and causing his dog to bark,” Adam explained.

Savannah set her jaw. “Oh he did, did he? Well, this is a free country. We pay our taxes. We have every right to…”

“What’s going on?” Michael asked, walking up to the trio.

“Oh that old Mr. Crankyshaw…” Savannah said. “He got mouthy with the boys.”

“Crankyshaw,” Adam said, laughing. Joshua joined him in laughter.

Michael ran his hand through his hair muttering, “What’s his problem?”

“The party’s too loud and his dog’s barking,” Savannah said.

He let out a deep sigh. “Well,” let’s do our best to stay out of his way, shall we?”

“Dad, are you afraid of old Mr. Cranky-shaw?” Adam asked.

Michael frowned. “No. I just think we should try to be good neighbors.” He looked in the direction of the Crankshaw home and said, “Maybe we should invite them over for a piece of cake.”

Adam cocked his head and peered at his father. “You want to reward him for his bad behavior?”

Savannah and Michael looked at each other and stifled a chuckle.

“What?” Michael asked his son.

“Like you say I do with Rags sometimes when I give him a treat to make him stop messing up my Ninja Turtle game.”

“Well, it might keep him from calling the police,” Savannah said. “And his wife is really sweet. Michael, why don’t you go knock on their door and issue an invitation?”

“Oh brother,” Joshua said. He turned to Adam. “Hey, wanna go play in our RV?”

Adam looked at Michael. “Um…”

“Yeah, um, is right, buddy. I think you should stay out here with us and enjoy the party.”

Savannah tousled the boy’s hair. “Besides, we’re going to have a treasure hunt in a while and I’ll need some help.”

Adam’s face lit up. “Okay. We’ll help.” He turned to Joshua. “Won’t we?”

Joshua shrugged. “I guess.”

“It’ll be fun. Savannah always makes things fun,” Adam said as the two boys trotted off toward where most of the guests mingled around the tables.

Savannah and Michael grinned at each other, then he headed for the Crankshaw home and she walked toward where her mother and aunts sat entertaining the youngest children. As she approached, Lily, who was sitting on a quilt on the grass, spotted her mother and quickly crawled over to her. Savannah picked up the baby. “Hi, birthday girl! Are you playing with your cousins?” She took a double take. “Oh, and Bradley. There’s Bradley.” She ran her hand over his red hair, then turned to look for Jenna. When she spotted her and her parents, she hurried over to them. “Hi! So glad you could make it.”

Jenna put her arms around Savannah and Lily. “Thanks for inviting us.” She looked around, smiling. “This is quite a group. Miss Lily certainly has a lot of friends and family.”

“Yes, she’s a well-loved little girl, that’s for sure,” Savannah said.

Jenna turned away for a moment and took the arm of a slightly dark-complexioned man, saying, “Savannah, I want you to meet my husband. This is Cole; Cole, this is Savannah and Lily.”

“Hi,” Savannah said, nodding in his direction and shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you. I guess Jenna told you that our daughter bullied your son.”

He laughed, showing a row of straight white teeth against his tanned skin. “Oh, he can take care of himself.”

Savannah turned to Jenna. “I see where Bradley gets those cute dimples.”

Jenna smiled and nodded. “Yup, Cole can’t deny that child.”

“Oh, here’s my husband,” Savannah said. “Hon, come here; I want you to meet someone.”

When Michael approached, he nodded toward Jenna, Cole, and Jenna’s parents, Barbara and Allan. “Nice to meet you all,” he said, following introductions. “So where’s your son?”

“Over there playing with Lily’s toys,” Jenna said, laughing.

At that moment, Lily saw her grandmother and she leaned in Gladys’s direction, whining. “Oh, you want to go play with your friends?” Savannah asked, turning to head in that direction.

“Wait, we have something for the birthday girl,” Jenna said.

She pushed her straight, light-red hair behind one ear, reached into her diaper bag, pulled out a little package, and handed it to Lily.