1 A Paw-sible Theory (14 page)

“After dark all cats are leopards.”

––
Native American Proverb

CHAPTER THIRTY:
 
Suspicion Falls On the Cats

Alyx was finally home! “Hi, kitty-cats,” she said, picking up and hugging each of us in turn and we did what cats do––rubbed against her ankles, purring and chattering all at the same time. “I’ve missed you too, fur-babies.”

I hoped our jubilation welcoming her home wasn’t more than what she needed.
She looked pale, had lost a little weight and her clothes were loose on her. She sat on the couch and we surrounded her, leaving just enough room for Maggie to sit.

“Maggie, I’m sorry I snapped at you this morning.”

Maggie smiled. “You did look funny sitting there in your hospital gown, ready to go, clothes or no clothes.”

“Well, you said we had a ten o’clock appointment to visit Ethan and I was anxious.”

“You told me to come at nine and I was early,” Maggie answered. “Visitors are required to check in ten minutes before their appointment and we had plenty of time.”

The stressful events had taken their toll on the friends. The friendship was strong, but not immune to the stresses inflicted on it by the recent events.

Alyx caught the defensive tone of the statement and hugged her quickly. “Yes, you were early, and I was anxious beyond reason.”

“That was evident by the way you sat rigid in the passenger seat, looking out the window, hands clasped tight on your lap.”

“A wave of emotions rolled over me as we pulled in the parking lot of that huge facility. I wasn’t expecting the terror that settled around my heart as I looked at the multitude of men behind the tall, razor-wire fences. I understand that Ethan is just another victim of the imperfect laws of men, and I guess the majority of those people belong there but there must be others like Ethan who don’t.”

“That’s true according to the news stories we often hear about men who have been falsely imprisoned.”

“I know there has to be law and order, and punishment for those who break the law, but seeing men caged like animals is degrading to the human race. On the other hand, I realize the crimes some of those men have committed disqualify them as humans.”

“You believe in the death penalty, then?” asked Maggie.

“That’s a tough question to answer. At one time, I did, without a doubt. Now, I’m not sure. I think you’ve already taken someone’s life when you lock him up. Once a person loses his freedom, what’s there to live for? And the possibility of killing an innocent man is appalling. It gives me the shivers thinking about Ethan among murderers, rapists, pedophiles...”

“Like you, at one time I had no doubt it was the right thing to do. Some argue that even the Bible condones it. Now, I just don’t know. Sometimes, when I hear of the crimes that have been committed, death seems too easy a punishment. I want them to suffer like they made their victims suffer.”

The two women were silent for a moment, then Maggie said, “I’m glad that’s not a decision I have to make. Anyway, tell me what happened after I dropped you off.”

“The guard behind the desk, a hard young man who lost his battle with acne, directed me to the visitation room and searched me. It made me nervous when the door closed behind me in a long, narrow room with video screens along the two long walls. I looked forward to seeing Ethan and dreaded it at the same time. The room was full. There were two chairs and two phones in front of the screens––the areas separated by short walls. Ethan was already there, on the screen. He smiled and his face brightened when I picked up the phone, but I had already seen the pale withdrawn look on his face, in my eyes, the face of a sad and frightened little boy.

My heart was breaking as I tried my best to sound optimistic about the future. Knowing him as well as I do, I knew he was trying to do the same for my sake; the weariness reflected in his eyes told a different story. Neither of us brought up the actual subject of attempted murder until the thirty-minute visit was almost up. He said not to worry, that he could take care of himself. I hope he can. I’m not sure if self-confidence is a good thing or not in this case. One good thing is that he has confidence in his lawyer, and I know it makes a world of difference to have his father involved.”

Alyx looked tired. Maggie suggested she go to bed and she didn’t argue. I followed her quietly to her room.
 
There, she saw all the items that had been on the chest were now on the floor, the window open and the screen on the ground. She closed the window, and put everything back on the chest, changed into pajamas and lay across the bed waiting for Maggie to bring her things from the hospital.

“Can I get you anything before I leave?” Maggie asked when she entered the room.

“No, I’m fine,” she replied, pointing to the window, “but I’m wondering if you opened the window in here, by chance?”

“Yes, I did. Yesterday was such a beautiful day, I thought the house could stand some fresh air and I opened all the windows,” she answered, looking at the closed window. “Why?”

“It’s no big deal, but the window was open and the screen is outside on the ground. I was hoping it was you who forgot to close it rather than someone trying to get in.”

“Oh, Alyx, I’m sorry. I feel terrible about this. I was in the process of closing the windows when you called me yesterday and I guess I just forgot to come back to this one.”

“It’s okay; don’t worry about it. I will feel better, though, if you check the rest of the house, just in case.”

She did, and they were all secure.

Maggie hadn’t left yet when the doorbell rang. I trailed after Maggie to the front door. The police officer there asked to speak to Alyx.

“I just brought her home from the hospital and she’s probably asleep. Is it anything I can help you with, Officer?”

“No, I really need to speak to her, but I can come back.”

“No need to do that, I’m Alyx. What’s going on?” Alyx had appeared behind Maggie.

“The station received a call shortly after one o’clock this morning about a disturbance at this address. The officer dispatched to the scene found a bedroom window open and no one appeared to be home. Did you notice anything missing?”

“Maggie checked the house a short time ago and I don’t think anything is missing.”

They both turned to Maggie for confirmation.

“I’m the one who left the window open.” Maggie explained what had happened. “We thought that maybe the cats had pushed the screen out and I checked the house. Everything seemed to be in order.”

“Two men were found in a van parked down the street, both of them bleeding profusely from scratches and bites––they looked like they had been in a cat fight, but they wouldn’t say who did it. We have them in custody on suspicion of wrongdoing. Anything either of you can tell us will help.”

“Dogs believe they are human. Cats believe they are God.”

––
Unknown

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:
 
Unpleasant Memories Revisited

Alyx stayed in bed the rest of the day and part of the next. Her brother and sister-in-law were there to take care of her needs and ours. Bernice stopped by with food one day, and the next day just to see if she needed anything, giving Maggie a much-needed break.

I stuck as close to Alyx as she allowed. Sunday morning, Alyx’s ex, Bob Hille, called to check on her as he promised Ethan he would do.

“I know you hired the lawyer and you don’t have to tell me anything, so thank you for authorizing David Hunter to keep me up to date on any new developments and for being there for Ethan. I know it means a lot to him.”

There was an awkward silence and Alyx looked uncomfortable.

“I love Ethan and always have, though, I admit, for a while I foolishly lost track of the important things in life. I haven’t been much of a father, I know, and I’m sorry for that. I just hope it’s not too late to make amends.”

“You’re right; you have been a jackass, and it has been longer than a while. For his sake, I hope he can forgive you, but only time will tell.”

Then Bob told her that the investigation on the theft of her purse had so far led nowhere. I imagined she must have felt helpless. I hoped her outburst hadn’t change his mind about keeping her in the loop.

The conversation ended, Alyx tossed off the covers and slid out of bed. “I need to get out of here,” she said to no one in particular.

My housemates, anxious to reveal what we knew, started meowing impatiently, swarming around her as she made her way to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Clearly distracted by her emotions, she didn’t try to figure out what we wanted.

“I need some air. I have to get out of here,” she said again.

I realized that it probably wasn’t the right time to tell her; there were other things going on that I needed to unravel in order to keep her safe.

“Of all domestic animals, the cat is the most expressive. His face is capable of showing a wide range of expressions. His tail is a mirror of his mind. His gracefulness is surpassed only by his agility. And, along with all these, he has a sense of humor.”

––
Walter Chandoha

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:
 
The Missing Key

Alyx went straight to her bedroom when she returned. She showered and washed her hair. Dressed in lounging shorts and a T-shirt, she sat on the couch and promptly fell asleep, waking up when Susan called to see if she needed anything. She mentioned that she hadn’t had anything to eat and promised Susan that she would as soon as she got off the phone.

I trotted next to her to the kitchen with the other two following, their tails straight up. Alyx looked around and with a heavy sigh, sat at the kitchen table, across from where she usually sat. It must have been disturbing for her to be sitting there, believing that someone had tried to kill her.

She bent down to pat Misty who was rubbing against her ankles, with Pooky weaving in, out, and around the table legs.

“You all know something is wrong, don’t you? I wish you could talk and tell me what happened here Saturday. I bet you know.”

I heard a key turn in the lock at the front door. Alyx heard it too. She quickly glanced over to the desk where Maggie had put the house keys and saw there was only one key. I leaped onto the table ready to attack. Alyx took a deep breath and held it until she heard Maggie’s voice.

“Alyx, it’s me.”

“I’m in the kitchen.”

“Honey, you’re as white as a sheet. Should you be up?”

“I’m fine. You scared me half to death, is all. I saw that one of keys to the new lock was gone and I didn’t remember giving you one.”

Maggie blushed and stammered an answer. “Well...I just assumed...you wanted me to have a key. I’m sorry for the presumption.”

The keys already in her hand, Maggie started to pull off Alyx’s house key from her chain, her eyes downcast.

I realized that Alyx knew she had hurt Maggie’s feelings. “No, Maggie; I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I should have called, but I didn’t want to wake you in case you were sleeping. I was just going to leave these, if you were. Novie sends her regards and muffins to make you smile.”

“How thoughtful of her,” she said, taking the bag from Maggie. “You want some?”

“Sure, if you sit and let me make the coffee.”

Maggie put two mugs on the table and handed Alyx a plate for the muffins. “Novie has always been nice. She was the first one on our side when we first approached the Downtown Merchants Association about staying open late. Remember?”

“Yes, I do, and she has been on our side on every issue we’ve discussed since. Do you know what she’s decided to do about selling her building?” asked Alyx.

“I think she’s getting some pressure from her husband. She says she’s still thinking about it.”

Maggie poured the coffee and sat down across from Alyx.

“Listen, Maggie, we’re partners, but more important, we’re friends, and I’m truly sorry I blew up at you and didn’t let you explain why you think we should sell and move our business.”

“I accept your apology though it’s not necessary.”

“Thank you for all your help, Maggie. I don’t know what would have happened without you here to take care of the cats, the store, and me. And one more thing I want to say is I’m glad you asked Bob to help out; it means a lot to Ethan.”

Maggie reached for a muffin and put it on a paper napkin and pushed it over. “Okay, now that’s out of the way, how are you feeling? You’ve lost a some weight; those shorts are a little loose on you.”

“I’m okay and so are the shorts as long as they don’t fall off.”

“How are you emotionally?”

Alyx didn’t answer her question directly. She broke a piece off the muffin but didn’t put it in her mouth. “Bob called this morning with information on the latest round of non-productive leads. He said the stolen purse lead didn’t pan out. The investigator working for the lawyer looked at the store’s surveillance video and there was nothing showing the purse being taken, but it did show it being returned by a store employee.”

Maggie’s eyes opened wide. “Really, that’s good isn’t it?”

“The employee was questioned and she said she found it on the floor in the produce aisle.”

“And they believed her?” Maggie asked, surprised.

“She’s a senior citizen who’s worked there several years and Bob said there was no reason not to.”

“Did Bob say anything else about the case?”

“Just that nothing came out of the other leads either. David told him that in the security video of the parking lot and store entrance, they saw Rupert Moresby enter the coffee shop next to the store right after me. They thought that would lead to something, but it turns out he’s just an opportunist and a cheat. He told David he was meeting a woman there.”

“The lawyer questioned George Lucas too. Of course, I knew he was wasting his time looking for anything on George. He’s as straight as they come,” said Maggie.

Alyx hesitated before answering. “I agree, but as far as David was concerned, everyone he talked to could have been a suspect, even you.”

Trying for a normalcy I’m sure she didn’t feel, Alyx asked, “What’s going on with the Swanson account? Were you able to find those circa 1900 pedestal sinks they wanted?”

“I’ve found two, so far, and I’m waiting to hear from two more dealers.”

“Did they agree to use reproductions if we can’t find the rest?”

“Yes, but it’s really important to them to use original materials as much as possible.”

“Did I tell you that I met the former owner, before the house went up for sale?” Alyx asked.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“She told me that she started the story about the house being haunted. She did it as an advertising gimmick. The story appeared in one of those special sections the paper puts out every so often and the ghost story became part of the history of the house. It never died and she never confessed that she made it up. Just out of curiosity, I asked her if the lie bothered her.

“She said she didn’t see why it should since no one could positively say there wasn’t a ghost in the house. She said that she did experience some strange things––little things disappearing and then reappearing in strange places and doors opening on their own. She also said that the psychic who came to investigate definitely felt a strange presence in the house. So her point was that maybe there is and maybe there isn’t. Who’s to say?”

Alyx took a bite of her muffin and smiled. “Have the new owners seen any ghosts, yet?”

Maggie laughed. “Betty told me a funny story the other day. She said she surprised her husband at work one night and practically scared him out of his skin.

He was working in the kitchen and didn’t hear her come in. All of a sudden, he saw this huge shadow on the wall. She said he froze to the spot and visibly jumped when she called his name.”

The picture of the big tattooed man jumping in fright obviously made the two women laugh.

“Maggie, I’m sorry all this has fallen on your shoulders. Hopefully, I’ll be able to come back to work tomorrow or the next day, at least for a few hours anyway.”

“You just take your time. I spoke to Charvette and Bernice and they are glad to work the extra hours.”

They finished their coffee. Maggie got up to clear the table and continued, “Those two have been so cooperative taking on extra work and more hours, I was thinking about a bonus for them at the end of year. What do you say?”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

Maggie put the cups in the dishwasher, covered the leftover muffins, and got ready to leave.

Alyx shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist. “It’s just starting to sink in that someone tried to hurt me, if not kill me, and I guess I’m feeling a little vulnerable.”

“Did something else happen today? Did Bob say something to upset you?”

“It wasn’t so much what he said, it was the memories he evoked.”

“If you want to talk about it, I have time to listen.”

“I’ve told you most of it already.”

“I’m getting older; I may have forgotten some of it, so tell me again so you can expunge it from your mind.”

“I don’t think I ever told you the details of the night Bob told me he didn’t love me anymore and wanted a divorce––the memory, and the aftermath are too painful to recall.”