Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) (30 page)

Chapter Thirty-Two

T
ick-tock. Tick-tock.
The room was deathly quiet except for the clock over the potbelly stove. Black Cat closed his eyes, not wanting to hear the words aloud.

John didn’t answer.

Black Cat listened for the rustle of angel wings. His memory was coming back
.
John’s gold would save the ranch
.
Angel had rescued Black Cat…not once, but twice. Muffins and Miss Bubblekins had found forever homes. Angel had even saved Cindy from being kidnapped. She had accomplished everything asked of her…and more. Now, with her assignments complete, time had run out. St. Peter had come for her.

He held his breath.
I can’t bear to hear John say she’s gone.
His head began to swim. He had to breathe…

“One, two, three,” John’s voice was barely a whisper.

Black Cat’s eyes flew open. He let out his breath and placed his feet on John’s knees.

What was he doing? Wasn’t it too late to save her?

John blew in Angel’s mouth and then pressed her chest. “One, two, three,” then blew in her mouth again.

“What are you doing, Daddy?”

“
Shh.
Just wait.”

Angel twitched her foot and gasped. Her chest moved. She was breathing on her own!

Black Cat sucked in his breath. A wave of joy washed over him.
Was it true? She’s alive?

John stroked Angel’s chest. “Bring me a wash cloth and a pan of hot water. We have to stop the bleeding.”

Cindy hurried back with the requested items.

John sponged the gash across Angel’s head and staunched the blood with a cloth until it slowed to a trickle.

“Okay, now wrap her up in a big bath towel. Hold this cloth on her head real tight.” John picked up the phone. “I’ll call and let the vet know we’re on our way. It’s late, but hopefully, someone can meet us there.”

Cindy cradled Angel while John made arrangements.

Black Cat licked Angel’s shoulder, each stroke spreading life-restoring love. At last, her eyes opened and she looked around.
She’s going to live? Had St. Peter changed his mind? How could it be? We were so sure her time had come.

Cindy and John whisked her away. Their truck hurtled down the driveway and turned onto the country road.

Can’t you drive any faster? Angel could bleed to death before you get to the vet!

The sound of the truck faded into the distance. “You children can come over here, now.” Black Cat called from the blanket. “John has taken Mama Angel to the doctor. Everything’s going to be alright. We have to have faith.”

“I’m here, Papa.” Faith danced across the rug and flopped onto her side on the blanket.

“Yes, of course you are, my darling. Papa means a different kind of faith. The kind where you believe that mother will get well and come home to us soon.”

Rambo and Muffins bounded out from under the sofa and curled around their father’s legs. He licked them down from head to toe and soon, they were asleep beside baby Faith.
There now, I’ve put them to bed every bit as well as Angel could.

Why hadn’t Peter used this opportunity to call her home? Angel was so sure she was on borrowed time. Why was she still alive? St. Peter said she could only stay until the kittens were settled and as long as he needed her! Those were his very words.

For as long as I need her?
Black Cat’s eyes flew open. He jumped off the blanket in a bound that took him half-way across the room, his heart pounding against his chest. Could it be that simple? Why, that clever old St. Peter. …
for
as long as I need her?
When would there ever be a day he didn’t
need
her? He needed her now. He’d need her every day for as long as he lived!

Black Cat paced the floor, mulling over his new-found truth. At last, he stretched out beside the babies and closed his eyes. He’d sleep now. Angel was in good hands. She’d be home soon. He couldn’t wait to explain how she had misunderstood St. Peter’s message.

His blood ran cold when he thought how often Angel had risked her life, pulling him from the river, retrieving the gold nugget and saving Cindy from her mama. All this time, thinking she was under divine protection until her assignment was complete.

The truth of the matter was, St. Peter didn’t send her back just to accomplish a specific mission. He’d given her back her life.

Chapter Thirty-Three

V
et calls first thing in the morning were always risky. John’s heart surged when the phone rang. Was it
bad news?
I can’t bear to break Cindy’s heart again.

“We’ll do the best we can, Mr. Goldstein,” Dr. Pettigrew had said last night when he examined Angel. “With head injuries, you can’t ever be sure. We can stitch up the wound, but we can’t tell if there’s any brain damage until the swelling goes down somewhat.”

John grabbed the phone, crossed his fingers and closed his eyes. “Hello?”

Cindy grabbed the corner of his shirt. Her cheeks were pale with dark shadows under her eyes from crying.

John patted her arm.

“Hello. Doctor Schneider here. Angel’s surgery went well and she had a good night. She’s awake. I think you can take her home this afternoon, though you’ll want to watch her closely for a few days.”

“Thanks so much. We’ll be in about 4:30 P.M.” John hung up the phone and squeezed Cindy’s shoulder. “She’s okay. We can pick her up this afternoon.”

Cindy threw her arms around his waist.

John lifted her, gave her a good hug and set her back down. He poured a cup of coffee and sat on the sofa. A warm feeling spread through his chest and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Things were finally starting to turn around for the better. His ranch was saved with the sale of the gold nuggets and though last night’s events with Carolyn were terrifying, hopefully, she was gone for a while.

Cindy’s pale cheeks had pinked with the news of Angel’s recovery. She hurried to share the news with Black Cat and the kittens. The room rang with her squeals of delight as the babies scampered around the living room, stalked each other, attacked and wrestled until they fell exhausted into a heap. Their young lives were not affected by their mother’s injuries.

John laughed at their antics until tears filled his eyes. Watching two kittens at play was exponentially more than twice the fun of watching one. And watching three at play was hysterical. “Those kittens would make the most hardened curmudgeon smile.”

The phone rang again. Was the vet calling back?
Had something happened?
The wave of pleasure he’d enjoyed watching the kittens at play, melted away, leaving a shadow of fear.

John answered. “Hello?” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “Hello?”

“Hello? This is Officer Nina.”

He breathed a sigh. “Nice to hear from you. What’s up?”

“I have some information regarding the shooting, but I’d rather speak to you in person. Could I come over this afternoon?”

“Of course. I’m home all afternoon.” Maybe they’d made an arrest. Maybe it was just an excuse to see him again.
A man can always hope
. He stood a little straighter, his shoulders thrown back. He had thought about her often since the day of the shooting and his thoughts weren’t always about the incident.

“Is Muffins ready to come home yet? As long as I’m coming over, I thought I might as well pick up my kitten.” He could hear her breathing into the phone.

“
Uh
… Good idea.” His lips pressed together. So, she wasn’t coming to see him. She just wanted to pick up Muffins. He glanced toward Cindy, sitting on the blanket with the kittens. They all had to go sooner or later, but saying good-bye was always hard, especially on the heels of what she’d been through last night. “That would be fine. I’ll see you later this afternoon.” He ran his hands through his unruly hair. How long would it take to get a haircut?

“See you about 2:00 P.M.”

He glanced at his watch.
I need more time than that.
“Can you make it 2:30 P.M.?” Thank God for credit cards.

Officer Nina arrived with a carrier and a cute cream-colored cat toy that resembled Muffins.

John opened the door before she stepped onto the porch and grinned a welcome. “Come on in. Have a seat.” He scooted Black Cat off the sofa.

Nina set the carrier on the floor. “Hi, Cindy. I was downtown and saw this kitty in the window. It reminded me of Muffins. Since she’ll be living with me now, I thought you’d like to keep this one to remind you of her.”

Cindy took the cat and gave Nina a weak smile, but still a smile. “Thank you.” She hugged the toy and then carried it to the blanket where she danced it in front of the kittens.

John nodded toward her room. “Cindy? Can you take the kittens in your room and say good-bye to Muffins there? Officer Nina and I need to have some grown-up talk for a bit.”

Cindy carried the squirming kittens and her new toy to her room.

Black Cat hopped back onto the sofa and curled up alongside Nina’s hip.

She took a deep breath and stroked his head while he licked the back of her hand.

“This is totally off the record, but I thought you had a right to know what we’ve learned so far…

“Mr. Skimmer was stopped last night for speeding. He appeared under the influence of either drugs or alcohol, which prompted a search of his car. The officers found a rifle in his trunk. They arrested him for drunk driving and carrying an unlicensed firearm. We’ve been looking at him in connection to the vineyard shooting, but up until now, we didn’t have anything to go on.”

John scooted forward on the sofa. “Mr. Skimmer, from next door? You’re kidding. I knew he wanted my ranch, but I never thought—”

“The casings we found by the creek match his weapon. After questioning, he confessed to the shooting, but he claimed he was only trying to scare you. He was anxious to make a deal to lessen the charges.”

John’s mouth dropped open. Mr. Skimmer was behind all the trouble? Not Carolyn? Last night, he’d accused her of all the trouble. It didn’t make sense. He wiped his hand across his face. “I thought my wife was behind…well…never mind…”

Nina shook her head. “I’m afraid there’s more. When Mr. Skimmer realized he could be charged with attempted murder, he spilled the whole story in exchange for reducing the charges. Here’s where it gets
hinky
.”

How much
hinkier
could things get?
Was that even a word?
So, obviously, Nina hadn’t come to see him. She came for her kitten and to report news of the case.
Guess I didn’t need to waste my money on a haircut, after all.

Nina stroked Black Cat’s head. “I’m real sorry to tell you this. Here’s the
hinky
part.” She glanced toward Cindy’s bedroom and lowered her voice. Her cheeks glowed pink. “Mr. Skimmer claims your ex-wife hired him to run you off the property. We’re still looking into his story, but a $3000 deposit in his bank account matches a withdrawal from your wife’s account.”

John’s breath caught in his throat. His hands suddenly felt cold and clammy. His cheeks tingled with a chill that crept up into his forehead.
Oh, God, what else? And, I was worried about impressing the lady?
“Go on.”

Nina nervously smoothed a wrinkle in her slacks. “Mr. Skimmer saw the foreclosure notice in the paper. The sooner you left the property, the sooner the bank could foreclose and he might pick up your ranch at a reduced price. He says he met your ex-wife in a bar downtown. She told him she wanted to cause you enough grief, you’d be inclined to give up Cindy. She offered him money to get you off the property. The District Attorney is considering what charges to bring against them. We’ve posted an APB on Carolyn for questioning. You don’t happen to know where she is, do you.” Nina raised an eyebrow.