A MEOWvelous Witness (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 17) (15 page)

“Just about,” she said.

“What do you mean, just about?”

“This,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt, leaning over, and kissing him.” She then sat straight in her seat and pressed the creases out of her skirt with her hands. “Okay, all ready now.”

“You are, are you?” Michael said in a teasing manner, pulling her to him and kissing her again.

“Michael,” she squealed, “you’ll muss me all up.”

“I like you mussed up.”

“I thought you liked me dressed up.”

“That, too. Come on. I’m hungry,” he insisted.

The couple stepped out of the car and began walking hand-in-hand toward the restaurant entrance, when Savannah stopped.

“What?” Michael asked, looking at her.

She pointed. “Isn’t that Damon coming out of the newspaper office?”

“Yeah.” Michael started to call out to him when he suddenly stopped. “Who’s that?”

“Who?” Savannah asked. “Oh no, I think that’s…yeah, Michael,” she whispered, “that’s his deadbeat father. She put her hands up to her mouth. “Oh no, did you see that? He just pushed Damon. Do you think we should call someone?”

“Stay here,” he said, taking a step in Damon’s direction. He turned back. “Go get us a table. I’ll be right there.”

“Michael, no.”

“Go on,” he hissed. As Michael headed toward the two men, Savannah moved stealthily behind him, her cell phone at the ready. Before Michael reached them, however, a slightly plump bleached-blond woman of about fifty stepped out of a nearby car and joined the pair. When he saw her, Michael stopped and Savannah nearly ran into him. “I told you to stay back there,” he whispered.

Concerned about being seen, Michael pulled Savannah into the shadow of a building, where they stood silently, watching and listening. They heard the woman say, “Well, you’d better darn well find a way to come up with the money, because we’re not leaving town without it. If we go to court, it’ll cost you and you know it. No court in the world would rule against the documents we have.”

“Those phony documents?” Damon said. “I doubt it. I think you’ll be the one paying the price. We’re not going to let you extort money from this family.”

“Oh yes, we’ll get what’s due us young man,” the woman said. “Mr. Jackson is a victim of your lying, cheating mother.”

Eugene Jackson grinned at Damon. “Yeah, I plan to get proof that I’m not even related to you and somebody had better pay me back all that money I laid out for you.”

“Why, you damn liar,” Damon said, his temper soaring. “I’ll see you dead first!” he shouted before stepping into his car.

After watching Damon drive off in his sedan going south and seeing Eugene and his attorney heading in the opposite direction, Savannah shivered. “Oh my gosh, that was disturbing. Poor Damon and Iris.” She grabbed Michael’s arm. “Look Michael!” she whispered loudly. “There’s that other man.”

“What other man?” he asked, glancing around the area where she pointed.

“He just drove off behind Eugene Jackson. He was parked across the street there. He’s the one who was hassling Damon out in the parking lot behind the office that day. I’m sure of it—the one who claimed to be his father. What is going on?” she asked, frowning.

He shook his head. “Darned if I know. Are they working together or separately?” he said. He turned to Savannah. “Does Craig know about this other dude?”

Savannah nodded. “Yes.”

He thinned his lips and stared for a moment in the direction the three possible crooks had driven. “I have a hunch I should let Craig know about what we just witnessed.” After making the call, he took Savannah’s arm and they walked back up the sidewalk.

“What did he say?” she asked.

“He didn’t seem too concerned about it. He said he can’t tell me anything except to say it’s under control, whatever that means.”

Savannah glanced around the area. “Maybe he has a tail on them or something.”

“I don’t know. But what I do know is that it doesn’t concern us. We’ve done our duty and now it’s time to focus on what’s really important.”

“And what’s that?” she asked.

“Us,” he said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. “Two for a romantic dinner,” he said, walking up to the hostess stand once inside the restaurant.

“Right this way, sir,” she said, leading them into an alcove and seating them at a table next to a fireplace.

After accepting a menu and eyeing it briefly, Savannah leaned toward Michael. “Well, that certainly was disturbing. I just hope Damon…”

“Shhh,” he said, placing his fingertips gently over Savannah’s lips. “Us. Remember, it’s just us tonight.”

She smiled. “I’m sorry. You’re so right. Just us,” she said, blowing him a kiss.

****

“Colbi, what’s wrong?” Savannah asked, her voice raspy after being awakened later that night by her phone.

“I don’t know, but I’m scared. Savannah, it’s the cats. They’re upset about something and I can’t get them to settle down, especially Rags.”

“Is he sick?”

“I don’t think so. He’s just really wound up—you know—excited or maybe worried.”

“Oh darn, I shouldn’t have left him there this afternoon. I was afraid he’d cause some sort of trouble.”

“No trouble, he’s helped to calm Dolly considerably—they’ve had a blast playing. It’s just that they have me a little concerned.”

“About what?” Savannah asked, yawning.

Colbi hissed, “I think there’s something outside. Oh Savannah, could you come over and go with me to check it out?”

“Colbi, I’m sleeping!”

“Oh, I thought you and Michael stayed up late. It’s only ten, isn’t it?”

“Um…” Savannah said, trying to focus her eyes on the bedside clock. “Ten forty-five.”

“I’m sorry, Savannah. I shouldn’t have… I’ll just…”

“Wait, Colbi. I’m awake now. Where’s Harrison? Isn’t he there this week?”

“He went back to the school a couple of nights ago, remember? And I believe Craig’s out of town…”

“Oh, that’s right; he went to the city to see what he can dig up about Damon’s not-a-father,” she said, laughing. “So where’s Damon?”

“Um, I think on assignment. It was a last-minute thing. The boss sent him over to the east side to do some snooping. He was going to his place afterward.”

“Gads, you really are all alone, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and living out here in the boonies like I do, I’m just rattled.” She hissed, “There they go again!”

“Who?”

“The cats. It’s like they’re high on something. Rags is really frantic. He just keeps looking out the dining room window with his fur all puffed up.” Her tone changed. “But I don’t want to bother you if you’re sleeping. I’ll just make sure the doors are locked and I’ll go out and look in the morning. It’s probably a coyote passing through.”

“Yeah, don’t go out there.” Savannah paused. “Hey listen, I’m wide awake now—and curious. How about if I drive over and we can take a look together. Otherwise, you’ll never get any sleep. Will you fix me a cup of tea? Make it something soothing; I don’t want to be up all night.”

“Sure. Oh yes, I sure will. Thank you, Savannah. I really appreciate this. I’ll see you in a few.”

It wasn’t long before Savannah pulled her SUV into Colbi’s driveway. She grabbed her flashlight out from under the seat and headed quickly to the front door. Before she had a chance to knock, she saw Colbi peer out through the curtain, then she heard the door lock unlatch.

“Come in, quick,” Colbi said, pulling Savannah inside and slamming the door.

“Hi, Dolly,” Savannah said. “Gosh, she is beside herself, isn’t she? She looks nervous.” She chuckled. “Like one of Lily’s wind-up toys. Are they still interested in something out that same window?” She looked around. “Where’s Rags?”

“At the window. She sits there for a while, then he does, then they both do. Hear that? Rags is carrying on again.”

Savannah walked to where Rags paced along the windowsill in the dining room. “What’s wrong, boy?” she asked, peering out into the darkness. “What do you see? I sure don’t see anything.” She took a long breath and looked at Colbi. “Well, girlfriend, are you ready to see what’s out there?”

Colbi pulled her hands up to her chest. “What if it’s a bad guy?”

“Want to call the police?”

Colbi thought about it. “Well, I’d feel pretty stupid if it’s a wild animal or one of the feral cats teasing Dolly and Rags.”

“So you didn’t see anything out there either, huh?”

“No, that’s what’s weird. Whatever it is seems invisible to me—either it’s farther out in the yard than I can see in the dark, or it’s in the blind spot under the window.”

“Or it’s a ghost,” Savannah said, grinning impishly.

“Don’t even think that,” Colbi snapped. She tilted her head and muttered, “Hmmm, that might actually be the lesser of the evils.”

“Well, get your jacket,” Savannah instructed. “I have a flashlight. Let’s go take a look.”

Colbi slipped into her jacket then grabbed a flashlight of her own and headed out through the front door with Savannah following behind. They walked slowly around to the west side of the house, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. As Savannah shined her light toward a row of shrubs and in between a couple of out-sheds, she heard Colbi call out to her.

“Savannah!” she hissed, barely able to breathe. “Over here. Hurry!”

Savannah aimed her flashlight in Colbi’s direction. “What? What is it?”

Her voice sounding pinched, Colbi said, “Oh, my gosh! I think it’s a body.”

“What kind of body?” Suddenly gripped with fear, she blurted, “Please tell me it’s a squirrel or a rat.”

“No. Savannah, it’s a person. Get over here,” she spat, impatiently. “Bring your flashlight. Mine quit working, darn it.”

Savannah hesitated. “I don’t really think I want to see this, do I?”

“Probably not.” Colbi closed her eyes and shivered. “Oh, Savannah, what is going on? This just can’t be happening.”

“Maybe it’s not happening. Maybe you’re just imagining things.” Savannah stepped closer to Colbi and grabbed her arm. “I don’t see anything. Let’s go.”

“Stop it!” Colbi whispered. “There
is
a body.” She pointed her finger. “Now look. It’s right there…up against the house.” Colbi clutched her jacket more tightly around herself and turned away. “Oh my God, Savannah. How did it get there? Where did it come from?” she asked, glancing back at the limp form in the glow from Savannah’s flashlight. She gasped. “Is that blood? Savannah, I think that guy’s been murdered.”

Savannah studied the second-story window. “Maybe he jumped from up there. Could he have broken into your house and tried to escape through that window?” Upon closer examination, she reasoned, “I guess not. It doesn’t look like it’s open and it’s certainly not broken.” She peered into the darkness. “Maybe he walked up from the highway, drunk, and passed out.” She spoke more quietly. “Could be that he’s just sleeping it off.”

Colbi shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so. He looks dead to me. That’s not a sleeping position, it’s a…a…dead position, if I’ve ever seen one.”

“And how many have you seen?” Savannah challenged.

“Not many. And I wish I wasn’t seeing this one.” Colbi turned to her friend, her hands over her mouth. “What should we do?”

Savannah exhaled slowly. “Well, we’d better call someone.” Easing her cell phone from her pocket, she tapped in a number. The answer came promptly.

“9-1-1. What is your emergency?”

“Hello, this is Savannah Ivey. I’m at the Stanton place out on the highway west of town and we’ve found what appears to be a…a…body…a dead one,” she said, her voice quivering.

“Dead, you say? Is it inside or outside the house?”

“Outside.”

“Is the victim an occupant of the home? Someone you know?”

“No.”

“Are you sure he’s dead?”

“Pretty sure. …looks like someone hit him over the head or stabbed him or something. There’s some blood.”

“How did you discover the body, ma’am?”

Savannah glanced at Colbi, then looked at the dining room window and noticed the two cats peering out at her. “As I understand it, the resident cats alerted the homeowner that something was wrong. Ms. Stanton called me, and when we started looking around, we found it.”

“Okay, ma’am. Someone’s on the way.”

Once she ended the call, Savannah turned to Colbi. “Do you know who it is?”

“No!” she practically shouted.

“Are you sure? Take a closer look, will you? The cops will want to know.”

Colbi cringed, then stepped slowly toward the body. “Ugh, looks like he was bonked on the head.” Suddenly, she froze. “Hey! I think that’s…isn’t that…? Oh no!” she screeched. “Look Savannah—look at who that is!”

“Who?” she asked, frowning. “I don’t want to look. Come on, don’t make me look.”

“You made
me
look.”

“Yeah, but it’s
your
house.”

“Just look. You’re not going to believe it.” When Colbi heard Savannah gasp, she grabbed her arm. “What does this mean? Oh my gosh, we’re going to be blamed for this just as sure as you and I are standing here. I know it. Who wanted him to vanish into thin air more than we did? No one. And now he’s dead—probably murdered—at my house. This is awful—just blasted awful!”

“Colbi,” Savannah said, grabbing her arm and leading her up the porch steps, “let’s go back inside and wait.”

“Why?” Colbi asked as she tried to keep up with Savannah. “He’s dead. He can’t bother us now.”

“Yeah, but if that guy’s been attacked, his attacker could still be here,” Savannah reasoned. As she opened the front door and motioned for her friend to enter, Colbi suddenly grasped Savannah’s jacket sleeve.

“What’s that?” she asked, wide eyed.

“Um, your teakettle whistle?” Savannah suggested.

Colbi relaxed a bit. “Oh yes, I guess so.” After closing and bolting the door, she asked, rather nonchalantly, “Want a cup of tea?”

“Sure. Oh, wait,” she said, looking at her phone screen. “That’s Michael calling.” Into the phone, she said, “Hi, hon. Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“Just worried about you. What did Colbi need? Is she okay?”

“Yeah…well, not really. Michael, we’re waiting for the sheriff. We…uh…we found a body outside her house.”