Cats in Cahoots (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 18) (8 page)

“Sure it is,” Max said, chuckling.

Gladys pulled back from the table. “Well, that’s all I can eat. Max, it was wonderful—just like I remember my grandmother making.” She thought about it. “Only better.” Standing, she asked, “Can I take your bowls?”

Iris and Savannah also stood and began clearing the table while Margaret continued a conversation with Craig, and Brianna wiped Lily’s hands and face.

Releasing the toddler from the high chair, Brianna asked, “Want to play blocks?” “Blocks,” Lily repeated, rushing toward the living room.

“Anyone want coffee?” Savannah offered. “We also have peach pie.”

“Maybe later,” Margaret suggested. “How about we play one of your trivia games, Vannie? I might actually have room for pie after a few rounds.”

“Sure,” Craig said. “I feel at the top of my game tonight.”

Iris began to laugh. “Oh babe, you lost miserably last time we played. Remember?”

“You must be thinking of someone else,” he said, winking.

Max rubbed his hands together. “Well, I’ve been practicing.”

Margaret squinted at him. “You have?”

“Sure. I answer trivial questions all the time.”

“Funny,” Margaret said, grinning at her husband.

****

Nearly two hours later, the lively trivia challenge wound down with Max and Brianna claiming victory.

“Yeah, I would have edged you out if I hadn’t been lured away from the game by the princess,” Margaret complained.

“Me too,” Craig said.”

“Me too, what?” Iris challenged.

“I was distracted from the game twice when I read Lily that story.”

“I played ball with her for almost half an hour and I still managed to win,” Brianna bragged.

“Well, I think the little distraction is ready for bed,” Savannah said, holding the sleepy baby on her lap. “Mom, would you like to put her to bed while I serve dessert?”

“Sure,” she said, reaching for the toddler.

“Who wants theirs á la mode?” Savannah asked. “Bri, want to take orders for coffee and tea?”

“Yup,” she answered, then called, “Hey Sis, can I light these candles?”

Iris lifted from her chair and stretched. “Yeah, let’s do. We can have some atmosphere with our dessert. Okay, Savannah?”

“Okay, I guess. Just don’t forget to blow them out before bedtime,” she called from the kitchen.

Gladys returned just as Savannah finished serving the pie. “Here’s your piece, Mom. And we fixed you a cup of tea, is that okay?”

“Perfect. Thank you.”

“Good pie,” Craig said, scooping up the last bite with his fork.

“Sure is, Vannie,” Margaret agreed.

Placing her coffee mug on a coaster, Iris chimed in. “That’s another recipe I’d like to have.” She grinned. “Along with some of those delicious peaches off your tree when your crop comes in.”

“You got it,” Savannah said, smiling across at her friend.

When Savannah started to clear the dessert plates, Iris quickly stood. “Let me.”

“I’ll help,” Margaret offered.

Brianna collected empty coffee and tea cups and followed the others into the kitchen. “Sis, give me the flashlight,” she said, “and I’ll take the trash to the big barrel so it isn’t attacked by wild animals tonight.”

Savannah reached for the light. “Good idea.”

“I’ll carry it,” Iris offered, taking the flashlight and trailing after Brianna.

The women had been gone for just a few minutes when Iris rushed in through the side kitchen door, sounding out of breath. “Craig, come quick.”

“What’s wrong?” Savannah asked, watching Craig follow Iris into the night. When no one responded, she stepped out onto the porch, Max on her heels. Margaret and Gladys stood at the large window, fearful about what they might see.

“Shhh,” Iris shushed, slowing before they rounded the side of the house. Suddenly she stopped, Craig ran into her, and Savannah and Max caught up to them.

“What is it?” Savannah whispered.

Iris put her hand up to silence her.

“He’s gone,” Brianna hissed.

“What was it?” Savannah asked.

“Some guy who scared me out of my wits.”

“What was he doing?” Craig asked.

Iris responded. “He seemed to be hiding, don’t you think, Brianna?”

“Yeah, probably. Maybe he was picking something from your garden.”

“Darned kids,” Savannah said under her breath.

“He wasn’t no kid,” Iris insisted.

Brianna shook her head. “No, he was bigger than those kids next door. Tall and lanky. He looked kind of clumsy when he scampered away.”

“Hmmm. Could be that uncle I saw over at the Crane’s,” Savannah said quietly. “Did he take anything?”

“I don’t know. Better look at your garden and see if anything’s missing.”

“Are you sure he’s gone?” Craig asked, shining the light out over the orchard.

“I’m pretty sure,” Brianna said. “He sprinted in that direction and disappeared.”

“Well, let’s take a look around, then,” Craig suggested. “Savannah, do you notice anything missing?”

“Um, it’s hard to tell. But wait, yeah, looks like someone picked carrots. Maybe Antonio took some home.” She turned and listened for a moment. “Do you hear that?”

“What?”

“That haunting sound. It seems to be coming from the Crane’s house.”

“Yeah, what is that?” Craig asked, creasing his brow. “A whine from a saw? Is Mr. Crane a builder or carpenter?”

“He’s a minister—a tattooed minister.”

“But he could do carpenter work as a hobby like Michael does,” Max suggested.

Brianna shivered. “Sounds to me like an animal.”

“That’s what I thought the first time I heard it,” Savannah revealed.

“Or a baby,” Iris said. “Oh, it stopped.”

Savannah rubbed her upper arms. “Well, it’s chilly out here. Let’s go inside, shall we?”

“So what was it?” Margaret asked when the others returned to the kitchen.

“It’s more like
who
was it?” Brianna said.

“Someone was out there?” Gladys whispered. “Who? What were they doing?”

Brianna grimaced. “We’re not sure. Maybe picking carrots. If he planned to take anything else, we may have scared him off before he did.”

Iris yawned and said to Savannah, “Well, girlfriend, this has been delightful. Thank you for including us.” She turned to Craig. “I have an appointment with a new client in the morning, I should get to bed.” She put her hand on Savannah’s arm. “It’s for the new people who bought that big old house on the other side of the lumber yard. They want to do a complete renovation.” She shivered with excitement. “Sure hope I get that decorating job.”

“Wouldn’t that be a fun one? Good luck with it.”

In the meantime, Craig hugged Savannah. “Thanks. I had a great time, except…”

“Except what?” she asked, lowering her brow.

“Except you guys all beat me at the trivia game…again.”

Margaret chuckled. “I guess you’ll have to study harder next time, Craig.”

Max waved as he and Margaret stepped out through the front door. “Night all.”

“Night, Max…Auntie,” Savannah called after them. “Thank you for everything. It was super delicious.”

“Yes, wonderful,” Gladys said.

“You’re all welcome. See you soon.”

“That was fun,” Brianna said as Savannah closed the front door. “I really miss evenings like this. My life is so one-dimensional.”

“Well, move your practice here to Hammond and join in on all the crazy fun we have,” Savannah suggested.

“I might think about that,” she said as she headed up the stairs.

“You too, Mom,” Savannah said, hugging her.

“Oh, I don’t know, Vannie. I kind of like my quiet life down south.”

As Gladys started to take the stairs, Savannah asked, “Mom, what did Melanie say when you talked to her earlier this evening?”

Her face brightened. “Oh, they’ll be here tomorrow around noon. I told her we’d have sandwiches and cold drinks ready. Is that okay with you, Vannie?”

“Sure. It’ll be fun to see them. I’d better get to bed, too. We’ll probably be up late tomorrow catching up with Mel and her family.” She waved to her sister and mother as she headed toward the downstairs hallway. “Sleep tight.”

****

The Ivey household had been quiet for a couple of hours when Savannah was suddenly awakened by the sound of shattering glass. She sat straight up in bed. Her first thought was of her child. When she didn’t hear anything more, she slipped into her robe and headed toward the nursery.
Sleeping like an angel,
she thought to herself. She yawned.
Rags must have knocked something off a shelf.
I’ll check it out tomorrow.
However, when she stepped out of the nursery, she saw a flicker of light coming from the living room.
Fire! Is something on fire in there? Oh my gosh, did we forget to blow out one of the candles?
She rushed down the hall, then stopped abruptly, her heart in her throat.
Dear God, the alarm. I forgot to set the alarm.
Mustering all the courage she could, she shouted at the figures she saw moving through the near darkness in the room. “Who are you and what do you want?”

A split-second later, she was blinded by a bright light. A gruff voice demanded, “You know what we want. Now where is it? Hand it over and no one gets hurt.”

This can’t be happening,
Savannah thought to herself.
It’s surreal. Am I dreaming?
Confused and weak in the knees, she insisted, “You must be at the wrong place. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Naw, we followed you here. We know you have it and you must have found it by now. So, give it up, sister. Where is it—in the baby’s room?”

“No!” she shouted, feeling a surge of anger and panic rush through her body. “Tell me what you want and I’ll get it! I swear, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Diamonds,” a woman’s voice said. “It’s with the baby.”

“Huh? How?” She shook her head in an effort to clear her mind and try to make sense of what was taking place. When the man began shining the light around the living room and into the dining room, Savannah caught a glimpse of him and his companion. She pointed at the woman. “Oh my gosh, we saw you downtown today.” She lowered her brow. “You were arrested.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the man said. “We took something and now you have it. It’s in the baby’s bag.”

“The baby’s bag?” she repeated quietly. She peered at him sideways. “You put something in the stroller.”

“Yeah,” he said. “And I want it back.”

“Well, I don’t think I can help you,” she said, her mind reeling with the very real fear that these two would not believe her. “Whatever you put in the bag must have fallen out, because I emptied it this evening and there’s nothing in there.”

Obviously riled, the man rushed to Savannah, grabbed her by one arm, and poked something in her ribs. “You’d better find it missy, and quick. We don’t have much time.” He glanced nervously at the windows. “Get it,” he hissed, pushing her toward the staircase. “Now!”

When Savannah looked up and saw Brianna standing in the shadows on the second-floor landing with her phone to her ear, she quickly said, “The bag’s not up there—it’s down here. I tell you, I’m not lying. I did not find anything in that bag. Wait here; I’ll go get it.”

“Not on your life,” the man said, pushing her toward the hallway.

“Shhh, please don’t wake my baby,” she said, struggling to walk as he shoved her along. “It’s just inside the door. I’ll grab it and we can go back to the living room.”

“Get it!” the man ordered his female companion, who followed along behind them.

Savannah watched as the woman stepped into the baby’s room, looked around using her flashlight, and picked up the diaper bag. The man let go of Savannah and quickly grabbed the bag, shining his light into it.

But Savannah focused on the woman.
She’s only a girl,
she thought. She stole a look at him.
His daughter?
She wondered.
She can’t be more than sixteen.

In the meantime, the man tossed the bag aside and scowled at Savannah. “Not here.”

She gritted her teeth. “I told you I didn’t find it. It must have dropped out someplace—on the street, perhaps.”

“In the car?” the girl suggested meekly.

“Go look,” the man ordered. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

But before the young woman could leave through the front door, they were distracted by something they heard above them. The man looked up just in time to see a wooden stool fly through the air over the stair railing and right toward him. He turned away and it hit him across the back, knocking him to the floor. The girl screamed. Before Savannah could react, Brianna ran down the stairs and headed for the man.

Savannah was horrified.
What does she think she’s going to do? She’s no match for him and he has a gun…at least I think it’s a gun.

Before Brianna reached the man, however, he turned and aimed the handgun at her. She froze in place.

“Anyone else up there?” the man growled.

“Uh…no,” Brianna said, stepping back toward where Savannah stood.

“Go look,” he ordered the girl. When she hesitated, he hollered, “Go!” And she took off up the staircase like a scared rabbit.

When she returned, she was walking alongside a sleepy-eyed Gladys, who asked quietly,

“What’s going on? Who are you people?”

“All of you sit,” the man insisted after the young woman had led Gladys into the dining room. He waved his pistol in the direction of the staircase. “Sit!” he demanded. He handed the woman the gun. “Hold this on them. I’m going out to get something.” He started to leave, but stopped and glared at the three women, who were seated on the lower steps of the staircase. “If they so much as move a muscle, shoot.”

The three victims watched as he left, then their focus turned to the young woman. Savannah was first to speak. “What are you doing with that guy, anyway? It looks like he’s about to ruin your life.”

“Shut up,” the woman spat.

“She’s right,” Brianna said. “Being arrested for burglary is one thing; kidnapping is something else. Do you know how long you’ll stay behind bars for that charge?” Her voice cracked. “Make it murder and you’ll never see the light of day again.” She swallowed hard. “If I were you, I’d rethink what you’re doing. There’s time, you know.”