A MEOWvelous Witness (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 17) (5 page)

Bonnie laughed and walked toward Colbi to demonstrate how to rein the mare. Iris paid close attention. After several minutes of practice, the three women lined up the three mares and Margaret snapped a few pictures. “Oh darn,” she said after looking at the phone screen. “I can’t see your faces and Iris, your red hair looks yellow-orange with the sun behind you. Let me get on the other side.”

“Yeah, with the sun to
your
back,” Savannah prompted.

Iris reached for her older digital camera. “Here, Maggie, get one with mine.”

“Me, too,” Colbi said, holding her phone out to Margaret.

“Let me take a picture of the four of you,” Bonnie offered. Then, handing Iris’s camera back to her, she said, “Have a great ride, ladies,” as she and Margaret continued to watch the trio ride toward the trailhead.

“’Bye, Auntie—see you around lunchtime,” Savannah called.

“Holy moly, it’s a long way to the ground from up here,” Iris muttered. She patted the mare and spoke in soft tones, “Good girl, Delilah. Good girl. Remember, you have a tenderfoot aboard.” As Iris continued talking to her mare, Colbi followed along, holding tightly to the saddle horn.

“Wait!” Bonnie shouted, sprinting to catch up with the riders. “Colbi, relax your legs. Rest your feet in the stirrups, heels down.” She looked at Iris. “You, too. Rest the ball of your foot on the stirrup. That’s better,” she said. “You’ll have a more comfortable ride.”

****

“It’s so pretty up here,” Iris said after they’d ridden for a while. “Hey Savannah, have you seen that bush you want to photograph?”

“Not yet—well, I’ve seen some and I’m happy to see that they’re blooming, but the one I want to photograph is the granddaddy of them all. It’s really big.” She turned to face Iris. “Hey, I can take a picture of Peaches in front of it. That would be a striking shot.” Without warning, she abruptly stopped her horse.

“Don’t do that,” Iris shouted. “We almost rear-ended you.”

“Then you’re following too close,” Savannah scolded. She pointed. “See the eagle up in that tree? Get your cameras ready—we might get a nice shot of him soaring.”

As Iris and Savannah retrieved their cameras from their saddlebags, Colbi took her cell phone out of her pocket and the trio nudged their mounts closer to where the eagle perched high in a tree. The women were able to take a few pictures before he took off and flew low across the meadow.

“Wow! That could be a spectacular shot,” Savannah said. “Did you get it?”

“I hope so,” Iris said. “It’s too bright out to see the screen.”

“I need to get one of those fancy cameras,” Colbi griped. “The phone camera’s only good for party photos and getting people into trouble.”

“Getting people into trouble?” Savannah questioned.

“Well, yeah, if you see someone trying to break into a car, jaywalking, or running from an accident, you can discreetly use your phone camera and collect evidence for the police.” When the others gave her a blank stare, she said, “You mean you’ve never done that?”

“What can I tell you?” Iris said. “I guess I don’t hang out in the ghettos like some people do.”

“Or you just don’t pay attention.”

“You really take pictures of criminals in the act, Colbi?” Savannah asked.

“Well, my phone camera has come in handy a time or two—but nothing that would earn me a seat on the witness stand in a major trial, so far.”

“Yikes, you would want to be an eyewitness?” Savannah asked.

“Sure, wouldn’t you?”

“Heck no. It could put you in danger and take up a lot of your time.”

Colbi winked. “Could make a good story, though.”

“Ah, yes, always looking for a story, aren’t you, Colbi?” Iris said, grinning warmly.

****

It was nearly noon when the trio rode into the campground where they’d planned to meet Margaret. “This is such fun,” Iris said. “Invigorating.” She patted her mare on the neck. “Delilah is a delight.”

“I’m glad you’re having a good time, Iris,” Savannah said after dismounting. She faced Colbi. “What about you, bride-to-be? Having fun?”

“Ahhh, it’s great being out here like this, only…”

“Only what?” Savannah asked.

Colbi wailed facetiously, “I’m wondering how I’m going to get down from way up here.”

“You’d better be wondering if you can stand up once you get down,” Savannah said, chuckling.

“Oh, I never thought about that,” Iris said with a sigh. “How long does it take to get your land legs back, anyway?”

“It depends. By the way, what time is it?” she asked looking around the area.

“Eleven fifty-five,” Colbi reported.

Savannah stared in the direction Margaret would be driving from. “Auntie should be here by now.”

“We’re a little late, aren’t we?” Colbi asked. “Maybe she got tired of waiting for us.”

“And took our lunch?” Iris groused. “I sure hope not. I worked up an appetite bouncing around on the back of this horse.”

Colbi pointed. “There are some tire marks coming in and it looks like they went right back out.”

In the meantime, Savannah removed her mare’s bridle, and tied the lead rope to a fence railing. After she helped the others climb out of their saddles and secure their horses, the three of them walked around the area. “Maybe she drove farther into the campground looking for us. She’ll probably be back in a minute.”

“I don’t see any fresh tire marks going that way,” Colbi insisted.

Taking a closer look at the most prevalent tire marks, Savannah said, “I guess these could be from her Jeep Liberty—or any number of other ordinary cars.”

“Ordinary cars?” Iris questioned.

“Well, they don’t appear to be over-sized tires from a big truck or tiny tires from one of those little Smart cars.” Savannah stared toward the road again, hoping to see her aunt’s car appear from around the bend.

“Glad we brought water,” Colbi said, taking a swig.

“Yeah, but I’m hungry,” Iris griped.

“I’m sure she’ll be along—she may have gotten lost.” Savannah pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Hey, a missed call from her,” she noticed. But when she listened to the voicemail, all she heard was mumbling and a click. “That’s weird.”

“What?”

“Listen,” she said, putting the phone on speaker and playing it back two or three times.

“She probably pocket-dialed you,” Colbi suggested.

“Well, I’ll call and see where she is.” After a few moments Savannah stared down at her phone, saying, “She’s not answering.”

“Hey, where’s the pretty bush?” Iris asked, looking around.

Savannah glanced up the road once more, then said, “Down that way.” She motioned to the others. “Come on.”

“Don’t go too fast,” Colbi said, “my legs are still creaky.”

“How far is it?” Iris asked after they’d walked for a few minutes.

“Not too far. We should have ridden down here. We need to take the horses to the river, anyway.”

“For a bath?” Iris asked.

“For a drink,” Savannah explained.

“Oh yeah.” Iris then let out a squeal. “Oh no!”

“What?” Colbi asked, grabbing hold of Savannah.

“My boots!” she cried. “They’re dirty.”

Savannah smirked playfully at her. “Well, that’s why you wore them out here—to get them dirty, right?”

“Not
this
dirty,” she grumbled.

“Oh, they’re fine.” Savannah looped her arm in Iris’s. “Come on. Got your camera?”

“Yes, in my pocket,” she said, pulling it out.

“Oh, isn’t it pretty,” Colbi said when they reached the meadow where the yellow bush was starting to bloom.

Iris focused her camera on it. “Gorgeous.”

“And it’s not even in full bloom, yet,” Savannah said. “Here, let’s all huddle in front of it and get selfies with our cells.”

After the three of them had snapped a few pictures, Colbi peered at her phone screen, “Oh, that’s a great shot. I’ll have to bring Damon out here for our pre-wedding photos.”

“They take pre-wedding photos now?” Iris asked.

“Yeah, either that or engagement photos. Since we didn’t have engagement photos taken, we could do pre-wedding photos and get one blown up to put on a stand at the reception.” She began to brood. “But when will we have time? Oh my gosh, time is so limited.”

“You could take a picture of the bush and superimpose a photo of you two,” Savannah suggested.

“I don’t have time to learn how to do that,” she snapped. She lowered her head. “I don’t even have a dress, and we haven’t decided where we’re going after the wedding, if anywhere.”

“Oh, your honeymoon,” Iris swooned. “I’d go to Carmel or Reno.”

Colbi pushed a stone around with the toe of her boot and watched it roll. “Yeah, like we could afford it.”

“How about Big Sur?” Savannah suggested. “It’s quiet there this time of year. Great for honeymooners.”

“Still not cheap. Anyway, who has time to plan a trip? Not me, that’s for sure.” Colbi looked up at the others. “I’m sorry for being bitchy. I just haven’t been the most pleasant person to be around, lately.”

“Geez, I’ve heard of Bridezilla,” Iris said. “But I sure didn’t expect my daughter-in-law to be one.”

“Take it easy, Iris,” Savanna warned. “Our Colbi’s having a rough time.”

Colbi sighed deeply. “Yes, I am, and I don’t know why.” She started to cry. “This should be the happiest time in my life and look at me; I’m a blubbering mess.”

Savannah put her arm across Colbi’s shoulders. “Why don’t you take a few weeks off work? Iris and I can help you with all of the wedding details—we’ll have fun while we’re getting things done and you can relax. In fact, your mother-in-law-to-be and I can do some of the shopping while you have a mani, pedi, and facial.”

Iris added, “And a massage.”

“Sound good?” Savannah asked.

“Wonderful,” Colbi said. “But…”

“Hey, is that a car I hear?” Savannah asked, heading quickly back toward the picnic area. When the three women arrived, they saw a vehicle all right, but it wasn’t Margaret’s. It was a forest-service truck carrying two rangers.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” the driver said as he exited the vehicle. He glanced at the horses. “Out for a ride, are you?”

The women nodded. Savannah gazed beyond the truck, hoping to see her aunt drive in. “We’re supposed to meet someone here for a picnic. Did you happen to see a silver Jeep Liberty on the road when you came up?”

“Up?” the second ranger said. “We came down the road from the station. Saw only two cars up that way—both Jeeps, but not the Liberty. They were off-road-equipped Wranglers—camouflage color. I think they were traveling together.”

Savannah glanced toward the road again. “Thanks.” She then took out her phone and placed another call to her aunt. “Nothing,” she said to the others. “It goes to voicemail. She’s nearly an hour late; where could she be?” she asked, not expecting an answer.

Suddenly the women heard one of the rangers shout from the other side of a shrub. “Just look at this mess. I’m sick of babysitting folks whose parents didn’t bother to teach them responsibility…or manners.”

When he returned carrying a plastic bag full of trash and a handful of empty containers, Savannah gasped. “Wait!” she said as he started to place the metal containers in an empty garbage bag he’d pulled from the truck bed. “Let me see those.” Taking one in her hand, she said, “Iris, look at this. Isn’t this one of my aunt’s dishes? You know, she has a set of these metal bowls with plastic lids—she takes them to picnics and potlucks.”

“Yeah,” Iris said. “I have seen them before.” She frantically looked around the area. “Oh my gosh. Where is she? She wouldn’t eat and just leave, would she?”

“I can’t imagine her doing that,” Savannah agreed.

Worry lines formed on Colbi’s pretty face. “What do you think has happened?”

“Yeah,” Iris said, glowering, “and who helped her eat our lunch, anyway? That bowl there looks like it held a lot of food.”

Savannah took a closer look at the containers and said more slowly, “I don’t think it was a person.”

“What?” Colbi yelped.

“Well, look at this. There are teeth marks on the lid—don’t those look like teeth marks or claw marks, maybe?”

“A wild animal ate our lunch?” Colbi asked.

“And maybe Maggie, too,” Iris said, fear evident in her eyes.

“Now that’s an odd thing for you to say,” Savannah scolded.

Colbi clutched her light jacket more tightly around herself. “Are you saying a bear or coyote or wolf ate our food? Maybe they scared Maggie off and she drove back home.”

Iris’s voice became softer. “Maybe the animal attacked her and she drove herself to the hospital.”

“Let me have a look,” one ranger said, walking toward the women. He took the lid from Savannah and examined it. “Yeah, a small animal might have chewed on this, all right, but probably after someone tossed it. Looks to me like whatever was in that bowl was eaten with one of the plastic spoons we found.” He handed the container back to Savannah and headed for the truck to join his co-worker.

“Are you going down the hill now?” she called. When the driver nodded, she said, “Would you watch out for a woman in a…”

“Yeah, I know, a silver Jeep Liberty. Sure will.” Before driving away, he asked, “What do you want me to tell her?”

“That we’re hungry!” Iris said.

After watching the rangers drive off, Savannah looked from one to the other of the women, then pulled out her phone. “Well, something’s not right. I’m calling Max.” She walked toward a picnic table and sat down. “Hi Max, this is Savannah.” She paused. Trying to sound more nonchalant than she felt, she asked, “Do you happen to know where my aunt is?”

“Um, I thought she was with you, on a picnic.”

Savannah spoke more softly. “Max, she didn’t show up. She’s really late. Do you know what time she left?”

“Yeah, right around ten thirty. She said she had a couple of stops to make on the way.” He hesitated. “She should be there by now—that’s two hours ago, for heaven’s sake. Did you try calling her?”

“Yes, several times. Her phone goes to voicemail.”

After pausing, Max said, “Maybe she had car trouble. I think I’ll drive out that way and see if I spot her alongside the road.”

“But why wouldn’t she use her phone to get help?”