Cats in Cahoots (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 18) (3 page)

He winced. “I don’t think I told you. I wasn’t even sure Bud and I were going until a few days ago. And, as you said, we’ve been busy.”

She watched him for a few moments, then asked, “So what do you expect to find when you get there?”

“It’s anyone’s guess. I understand it’s a hoarding situation gone terribly wrong involving all kinds of domestic and farm animals. They need veterinarians to evaluate, treat, and, of course, euthanize. As I understand it, volunteers are converging on Eugene from all the Western states.” When he heard Lily’s voice and saw Savannah start to head toward the hallway, he said, “Let me get the princess up this morning. I’m sure going to miss that little one.”

“Okay, I’ll go fix something hearty for your breakfast.”

By the time Michael entered the kitchen with Lily in his arms, Savannah had started a pan of bacon baking in the oven, mixed up some biscuit batter, and was whisking a bowlful of eggs to scramble. “There’s a smidge of apricot jam left. That’s the end of it until June or July. So enjoy.”

“Sure will,” he said, smiling. He jostled the baby. “Won’t we, punkin?” Putting her into her high chair, he asked, “What’s Lily having for breakfast this morning?”

“Her fruit’s ready. Here’s one of her snack crackers. Bacon and eggs coming up.” Savannah faced her husband. “What time are you and Bud leaving?”

He looked at his watch. “I’m picking him up around nine.”

An hour later, as Michael double-checked the meds and supplies in his truck, Savannah recited items he might have forgotten. “Got your slicker? This is their rainy season, you know.”

“Good idea.” He glanced at her. “In Oregon, every season is the rainy season.”

“Got your phone charger? Sneakers? Change of underwear? Jammies?”

“Yup,” he said, closing the compartments on his veterinary truck.

“Who’s going to run the clinic?” she asked. “Bud usually takes over when you’re gone. I would have thought you’d take our newest veterinarian, Rick, or maybe Gary from the Hammond Veterinary Clinic.”

“I’m leaving Rick to handle things here. He’ll do just fine,” he assured her. “Gary, in fact, has agreed to be on call in case Rick gets more than he and the assistants can handle this week. Bud really wanted to help out in Eugene. He does like the challenge of the emergencies and special cases.”

“Like you do?” she asked, watching Lily poke at a bug on a blade of grass.

“Yeah, I like most types of cases, actually. That’s why I do what I do.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Now, I want you to stay safe—keep the place secure, will you?”

“I usually do. Why? Do you know something I don’t know?”

“No, it’s just that we have new neighbors who, according to what Detective Craig told us at the wedding Saturday, have already been in some sort of trouble with the sheriff’s office. I don’t want you taking any chances.”

“Michael, you heard what Craig said. It doesn’t sound like they’re criminals or anything. They have a lot of kids and they’re probably bothering some of the neighbors; that’s all.”

“Well, what do you actually know about them?” he asked.

“Not much, but I may have more information by the time you get back.” She gazed in the direction of the Crane home and said quietly, “I’d sure like to know what makes that sound I keep hearing over there.”

“Sound? What kind of sound?”

“Yeah. I heard it again this morning when I fed Peaches. It’s eerie…rather haunting.” She turned toward Michael. “Maybe I’ll find out what that is by the time you get back, too.”

He grinned at her. “Knowing you, I’m sure you will.” He kissed her, picked up Lily and snuggled with her for a moment, then handed her to Savannah and stepped into his veterinary truck. “See you before the end of the week,” he said, waving as he drove out of the driveway.

As Savannah continued to wave, Lily cried, “Da-da. Da-da.”

“Daddy will be back in a few days, honey,” Savannah crooned. “He has to go help some kitties and puppies.”

“Ki-ki?” Lily said.

“Yes, and oof-oofs—maybe piggies,” she said, playfully poking the baby in the tummy. When Lily giggled, Savannah continued, “…horsies, little lambs, duckies, baby peeps. They have owies and Daddy’s going to help them.”

“Owie,” Lily said, suddenly becoming serious. She held one arm out to show her mother.

“Yes, you have an owie, too, don’t you?” Savannah said, kissing the baby’s elbow. When Lily continued to stare off in the direction Michael had driven, Savannah said, “Aunt Bri’s coming to stay with us for a few days. Want to see Aunt Bri?”

When Lily didn’t respond, Savannah said, “Brianna. Can you say Brianna?”

“Nana?” Lily said.

“Yeah, it is like banana, isn’t it?” She kissed the baby’s little hand. “Auntie Nana.”

“Auntie?” Lily chirped. She then said, “Nana.”

“Yes, Auntie Nana.”

After a few moments, Lily was repeating “Auntie Nana. Auntie Nana.”

“Perfect,” Savannah said, walking into the house with the toddler and placing her on the floor with some of her toys, so she could tidy up the kitchen. Just as she finished clearing the table and putting the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, her phone rang. She looked at the screen and told Lily, “It’s Auntie Nana.” Into the phone, she said, “Hi Bri. Are you ready for our all-girl week?”

“Sure, as soon as I finish helping Mrs. Bogart with the feeding. Michael and Bud just left here.” Savannah heard Brianna speak to someone. “Bud’s mom says hi.”

“Tell her hello for me,” Savannah said.

“Sure will. See you soon.”

“Hey, when you get here, Lily has a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” Brianna said. “What sort of surprise?”

“She can say your name.”

“Really? How cool is that? Let me hear her—put her on the phone.”

“Well, I’ll try, but the little ham usually becomes a clam once we put a phone to her ear.” Savannah walked to where the toddler sat playing with a talking toy dog.

“Oof-oof,” Lily said.

Savannah held the phone to the baby’s ear. “Aunt Bri’s on the phone, honey-bun. Say hi to Auntie Nana.” She could hear Brianna talking to Lily, but Lily remained quiet. “Say hi to Auntie Nana. Auntie Nana,” Savannah repeated.

Lily simply listened intently. When it appeared the toddler wasn’t in a talking mood, Savannah took the phone from her. “Well, I guess she’s saving the surprise for when you get here. I’d better bathe and dress her. See you later.” Before Savannah could pocket her cell phone, it rang again. “Oh hi, Auntie. Are you joining Bri, Lily, and me for lunch this afternoon?”

“Yeah, planning on it. But first, I have a crisis to deal with.”

“What happened?” Savannah asked, while she followed her toddler down the hallway. When she saw Lily step into the nursery and sit down next to her toy box, she smiled.
Must have a certain toy in mind,
she thought, watching her pull toys out of the box and toss them aside.
Oh, she wanted her dolly’s hair brush. Cute.
“What’s the crisis?” she asked into the phone.

There was a moment of silence, then, “Are you distracted telephoning?” Margaret joked.

“What?” Savannah said, chuckling.

“You must be distracted if you didn’t hear what I just told you. My watering can is missing again.”

Savannah frowned. “Your watering can?”

“Yes, it’s the second time since last week. Twice, I went out on the porch to water the potted plants and twice the watering can was gone. Vannie, I keep it in the same place all the time. It’s cute, so I use it as part of the décor out on the front porch. Well, you know that. Remember the vintage watering can I painted red?”

“Yes, I know the one.” She chuckled. “Now that would be hard to lose, it’s pretty big.” “Exactamundo.”

“Oh, Auntie, you probably left it on the other side of the house. Have you walked around the house looking for it?”

“Auntie,” Lily said, racing to where Savannah stood. The baby reached up and started whining.

In the meantime, Savannah listened to Margaret explain how thoroughly she’d looked for her watering can, then she finally interrupted her. “Auntie, excuse me, but someone wants to talk to you.”

“Oh?” Margaret questioned.

“Yeah, Lily heard me say
Auntie
and now she’s trying to wrestle the phone from me.”

“How cute is that? Put her on, Vannie.”

Squatting to the toddler’s level, Savannah held the phone to her little ear. When Lily remained quiet, Savannah prompted, “Say hi to Auntie. Hi Auntie…” But Lily only listened. “Say hi, punkin.” After a few minutes, Savannah took the phone. “Gads. She won’t talk. Now she’s crying for the phone. She’s kind of cranky today; I’d better go.” Before Savannah could end the call, however, she noticed that Lily had become distracted by her stacking blocks. “Wait, she’s occupied at the moment. What I wanted to ask is, where did you find the watering can last time after it disappeared? Have you looked there?”

“Uh-huh,” Margaret said smugly. “I found it right where it belongs. Whoever took it put it back and my dear husband said it wasn’t him.”

“Well, if it wasn’t Max, it was probably one of your shelter volunteers. If it showed up once, it’ll show up again. Go snag a saucepan from the kitchen and use it for watering today. Hey, gotta go. So you’ll come by here around noon? Or come earlier if you can get away from the cattery.”

“Sure.”

Savannah had ended the call and was scouring the baby’s closet for a suitable outfit for her to wear, when her phone rang again.

“Auntie?” Lily chirped when she saw Savannah pull the phone from her pocket.

“No, it’s Grammy,” she said, after looking at the screen. “Hi, Mom. Are you on your way up?”

“I’m leaving in an hour or so,” she said. “Should be there by three or four this afternoon.”

“Three or four?” Savannah repeated. “I don’t think so, Mom. It’ll take you at least nine hours, won’t it? I know you, you need to stop and stretch your legs every hour or so and get something to eat.”

“Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you; I’m in Santa Barbara with friends. I’m flying out of here and renting a car in San Francisco.”

“Oh good.”

“I almost had to cancel.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes…well, no. Bob had a spell day before yesterday and I took him to emergency. They said it was probably anxiety. Nothing to worry about. He’ll see his doctor tomorrow. His daughter’s in town and she has promised to stay in touch with him. He can call her if he has any more trouble. He urged me to go ahead with my plans. Then I thought I would have to stay and run the church bazaar. My co-chair had an emergency in her family last Thursday and the whole thing got dumped in my lap. My friend, Charm, stepped up, though…like a charm,” she said, chuckling, “and we got everything done. With our committee’s help, the event should go smooth as silk.”

“Well good. Sounds like you need a vacation. You’re pretty busy for a retired lady.”

“Indeed, I do need a vacation I’m looking forward to it.”

“See you later today, then,” Savannah said into the phone. “Drive safely.” After pocketing her phone, she picked up Lily. “Okay, punkin, let’s get you a bath so you’ll be squeaky clean for your aunties.”

“Auntie?” Lily said, holding her toy phone up to her ear. “Auntie?”

“Oh, great. Now you have something to say, huh?”

****

“Where’s Lily?” Brianna asked upon arriving at the Ivey home a little while later.

Savannah feigned disappointment. “Hey, what about me? You walk right past your own sister?”

“Oh, sorry. Hi, Vannie. Where’s my niece?”

“Napping. You’re going to have to settle for me. Auntie should be here any time.” She giggled. “That is, if she found her watering can.”

“Her watering can? Why’s she bringing her watering can?”

“She’s not. She called earlier complaining that she couldn’t find it. Evidently, it keeps walking away. I told her to water with something else, and get over here. We’re ready to…”

“To what?” Brianna asked, smiling. “To rumble?” she said, giving her sister a hip bump.

“Yeah, something like that, I guess. Only I wasn’t planning on us doing any dancing.”

“Well, you’re an old fuddy-duddy. I’ll bet Lily will dance with me.”

“Yeah, she does like to dance. You saw her at Colbi’s wedding,” she said, laughing. “She made quite the spectacle of herself. Everyone had their phone cameras out.”

“Yes, I’ll just bet a lot of those videos have gone viral by now. You’d better get her an agent before the calls start coming in.”

Suddenly, Savannah winced. “Uh-oh, here comes your admirer. She must have heard your voice.”

“Huh?” Brianna asked, quickly turning in the direction Savannah indicated. She smiled. “Well hi, Lexie.”

When Savannah noticed the Afghan-mix dog dancing around Brianna’s feet and wriggling in excitement, she shook her head. “She sure likes you.”

“It’s more like love. She loves me.”

“She must. She doesn’t act like that with anyone else. What is it, your perfume? Do you have a special irresistible way of petting her?”

“Maybe. I don’t know. But I like her—maybe that’s the key. She knows I like her, huh, Lexie?” Brianna said, leaning over and scratching the dog along the sides of her neck. “She just craves attention. Don’t you guys ever give her any?”

Savannah stared at her sister. “Well, yes. She gets plenty of attention and affection, especially from Lily.” She laughed. “But she doesn’t always like Lily’s brand of attention; she can be a little rough sometimes. Oh, I think I hear the princess.” She smiled. “Do you hear that? She’s calling for you.”

“Really?” Brianna said, her face lighting up. “How special. Can I get her up?”

“Sure, come on.”

Before the two women entered the hallway, however, they heard another voice. “Hey, anyone home?”

“Hi Auntie,” Savannah greeted. “Come in. We’re just going to get the punkin up. Come join the party.” She turned to Margaret. “Did you find your watering can?”

Shaking her head, she said, “No, darn it. I asked all the volunteers and not one of them will fess up. Max said he hasn’t seen it.” She acknowledged Brianna with a hug. “Hi Bri.”

“Hi, Aunt Maggie.” She grinned impishly, saying, “Sorry about your…watering can.”