I’ve hired her to find Spooky.”
Suzy clapped her hands together in excitement and spun in a circle. “A detective! A cat detective! You’ll find my Spooky.”
The grandmother’s lips sunk down. “Paula, of all the ridiculous things. It was a Godsend when that fool cat escaped out the window. I’ve told you a thousand times that the germs and dander aren’t good for Suzy’s health. She needs a clean environment.”
Suzy’s fists clenched. “I want my Spooky back! I neeeeeed my Spooky back!”
Paula ran a hand tenderly down her daughter’s bald head. “We will find her for you, sweetie. I promise.”
There was a knock on the door, and Paula turned. “Oh, that must be Maria. She was bringing Lily over for a play date. Excuse me a minute.”
She went to the door, and soon she was guiding in a curvy woman in a long dark dress with curls of deep brown hair. Paula’s voice was warm. “And that’s the most beautiful dress, Maria. Usually you only wear white or pale pink. Dark blue looks good on you.” Behind them came a girl about Suzy’s age. Her bald head held a purple headband with a butterfly on it.
Maria’s eyes went to the screen which shielded the smashed window. “I’m so sorry to have heard about your robbery. Was anybody hurt?”
Paula shook her head. “No, thank goodness. The house was empty at the time. But who would steal Spooky?”
Maria glanced at the doorway where the grandmother stood. “Ummm, that’s a good question. Ummm … well … it is October first, after all.”
Paula’s brow drew together. “What does that mean?”
“Well, a lot of shelters won’t let black cats be adopted during October, because some people want them to … ummm …”
Paula’s eyes widened, and she looked down at her daughter. “Suzy, why don’t you and Lily go play in your room. I’ll bring you up some cookies and milk.”
Suzy grabbed Lily’s hand, and in a moment the two had raced up the stairs. Bright laughter could be heard coming from overhead.
Paula turned to Maria in concern. “Really? People steal black cats? And then … hurt them?”
Maria shook her head. “They’re not caused any harm. Wiccans like to have them present during ceremonies. The black cat can add power to the proceedings.”
The grandmother’s eyes narrowed. “Hogwash and balderdash. Just because those loonies centuries ago believed in that nonsense doesn’t mean we should nowadays.”
Paula ignored her. “Do you know someone we could talk to about a missing black cat? A … coven leader? Is that what you call them?”
Maria’s eyes looked down. “Maybe … it’ll depend … we’ll see. Couldn’t you just get Suzy another cat?”
Paula shook her head. “Suzy would know. There was just something about this cat. They bonded instantly. Suzy knew every spot on her face – every kink in her tail.”
Maria wet her lip.
Paula blinked and looked over at me. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even introduce you. Maria, this is Kathy. Kathy Taylor. She’s going to be helping me find Spooky.”
Maria paled as she looked up. “Are you some sort of a psychic?”
A smile teased at my lips. “No, nothing like that. I’m a private investigator.”
A thin line of tension ran down her neck.
I kept my smile warm. “So, tell me, Maria. How has Lily been doing today?”
The color returned to her cheeks and she beamed. “Oh, she is doing fantastically! These past few weeks she had seemed lethargic and not interested in doing much of anything. But today she even asked for seconds at lunch. She never does that! And I’d made her favorite, too, so it was so wonderful to see. I have a good feeling about this. That she’s turned a corner.”
I nodded. “I’m sure that new cat of yours deserves some of the credit.”
Her cheeks pinkened. “New cat? What do you mean?”
I waved a hand at her dress. “I imagine she’s shedding fur, and you didn’t want it to show on your normal white clothing. You probably told Lily not to mention her new pet to Suzy, what with Suzy having just lost her own pet and all. That was very sensitive of you.”
“But … well … yes, of course, it seemed best not to bring it up. It’s just that Lily had wanted a cat for a while, now, and it seemed just the right time to get her one.”
“A black cat,” I gently encouraged.
“Well, yes, she wanted one just like Suzy had,” she stammered. “So then … well …”
The grandmother’s mouth turned down. “Lily always wanted a dog,” she snapped. “A big one. A husky.”
Maria was twining her fingers together now. “But we can’t handle a dog, not in our house, and so, you see, we talked …”
I kept my voice gentle. “You wanted Lily to get better.”
Her eyes went wide, she glanced at Paula, and then the words just came tumbling out.
“Suzy was doing so well, and she was out of danger, and I thought, if I could have the cat for a little while – a month or two – then Lily could get better, too! And she is! She’s already seeming so much healthier now. I’d already tried other cats. Lily didn’t react to any of them. But Spooky – there’s just something about her! Even with her howling, she’s incredibly affectionate, and Lily is blossoming again.” Her eyes shone. “It’s the cat. I know it is.”
Paula sighed, drawing her arms around herself. “Oh, Maria.”
Maria’s eyes held desperate pleading. “I’ll pay for the window. And the cleaning. Couldn’t we have some sort of a cat-share arrangement, where I have Spooky with Lily for part of the time? Just until she’s through this round of chemo?”
I pulled out my smartphone and did a search on black cat and Russell Orchards. I turned it around to show it to them. “Cats that don’t get fixed tend to have more kittens,” I pointed out. “It seems there’s another batch of kittens available.”
Paula smiled. “Why don’t we take a drive with Lily and see if she finds one she likes? If it’s from the same mother, it might have the same … charm.”
Maria nervously nodded. “Sure, sure, we can give this a try.” Her eyes went to Paula. “Please, don’t be mad at me?”
A gentle smile came to Paula’s face, and she stepped forward to wrap Maria in a hug. “I know how rough it can be. Let’s all take a drive.” She turned to me. “Would you like to come along, too?”
“Why not,” I smiled. “It’s a gorgeous day, and the foliage is stunning this year.”
In short order the entire family, including the frowning grandmother, were packed into a large SUV and heading up Route 22. It was days like this that I adored living in New England. The sun glistened gold in the turquoise sky, the trees showed off their finery in crimson and tangerine, and the girls sang along with the radio at the top of their lungs.
We finally pulled in to the parking lot at Russell Orchards, and Suzy knew exactly where she was going. She led the group over into the barn. A middle-aged woman with a long, blonde braid came to join us, and she knelt down with a smile. “We’ve only got two left. What do you think?”
Lily was on her knees staring between them in wide-eyed delight. She picked up the one on the left, gazing at it in adoration. “Oh, Mommy, it is just perfect! Look at that tiny nose! Can I have it? Oh please please please?”
Her face glowed with anticipation.
Maria nodded, her eyes welling with tears. “Of course, sweetheart. He is yours.”
Suzy’s smile was warm. “And thank you for watching over Spooky for me. I’m sure he had fun with you on his vacation.” She leant over to scritch the little kitten behind the ears.
Lily stood with her prize. “I’m going to name him Blackie!”
The cashier nudged her head toward the mother cat with the one remaining kitten. “Only one kitten left!”
I made the mistake of looking down.
This had got to be the most incredibly precious creature ever formed on the planet Earth. Two tiny ears in perfect triangles. Large, roun
d green eyes that held mischief and innocence at the same time. A tiny tail curled into a question mark. She stared up at me as if only one question glowed throughout her entire, fuzzy little body.
Take me with you?
I reached down to draw her up in my arms, and I felt it deep in my soul.
This was just right.
Paula looked over with a wide smile. “And what will you be naming yours?”
I looked into those giant luminous eyes. And I knew.
“I think I’ll name her …”
Thank you for reading The Lucky Cat! The next book in this series is The Mistake –
https://www.lisashea.com/blackcat
This series is being written one each day from Oct 1 through Oct 31 2014. Follow along with the fun!
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Lisa has lived in Massachusetts since 1986, with only two brief forays out of state. She loves the history of Salem. One of Lisa’s ancestors was Ann Foster, who died during the Salem Witch Trials. Ann Foster was a grandmother by that time and sacrificed herself to protect her daughter and granddaughter.
Lisa has written 37 fiction books, 78 non-fiction books, and 5 short stories.
Lisa Shea’s library of medieval romance novels:
Seeking the Truth
Knowing Yourself
A Sense of Duty
Creating Memories
Looking Back
Badge of Honor
Lady in Red
Finding Peace
Believing your Eyes
Trusting in Faith
Sworn Loyalty
In A Glance
Each novel is a stand-alone story set in medieval England. These novels can be read in any order and have entirely separate casts of characters.
Lisa’s cozy modern-day murder mystery romance series:
Aspen Allegations
Birch Blackguards
Cedar Conundrums
Lisa’s sci-fi romance series:
Aquarian Awakenings
Betelgeuse Beguiling
Centauri Chaos
Draconis Discord
Lisa’s dystopian series:
Into the Wasteland
He Who Was Living
Broken Images
Lisa’s regency time travel romance series:
One Scottish Lass
A Time Apart
A Circle in Time
Lisa’s Short Stories:
Chartreuse
The Angst of Change
BAAC
Melting
Armsby
Author’s proceeds from all these books benefit battered women’s shelters.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
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