The Purrfect Lie (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 12) (8 page)

“Yeah, take the next right. It’s about three miles. Did you bring the stroller? We may have a little bit of a walk.”

“Yup. I figured there’d be walking involved. You said you wanted to go to the hardware store.” Savannah squinted at her aunt. “Why the hardware store?”

“Oh, you know what cute things they have in there—gifty things. I want to pick up something for Rose’s birthday.”

“Aunt Rose is having a birthday? How old is she, anyway?”

“She’ll be sixty.”

“I thought you were sixty.”

“What?” Margaret almost shouted. “Me? No way.”

“Well, how old are you?”

Margaret mumbled something Savannah couldn’t hear.

“What? Did you say sixty-five?” she joked.

“No! If you must know, I’m fifty-nine,” Margaret admitted rather reluctantly.

Savannah laughed. “Oh, that’s right,” then added, “well, you look good. You have the nicest skin. I wish I’d gotten the Brannon skin like you and Brianna did.”

Margaret glanced at her niece. “Wish I’d gotten those long legs,” she lamented.

“Yeah, they do come in handy for reaching the top shelf at the grocery store, running after my cherub, and beating short people out when hailing a cab,” she said, laughing.

Margaret smirked playfully at her niece before saying, “Pull into this parking lot.”

Once inside the store, the two women were rummaging through a bin of sale items that happened to include some of the Hello Kitty stock, when they heard a voice. “Gosh, these are great prices, aren’t they?”

Savannah looked up, smiled, and said, “Well, hi.”

“Hi,” the woman responded. “Are you planning a party for your little girl? How old is she?”

Savannah stared at the woman. “Uh…she’ll be a year old…in…”

“December tenth,” Margaret said, glancing at her niece, who seemed to be having a problem forming her thoughts. She said to the woman, “Your little girl looks to be about the same age,” then, to her niece, said, “Look, Vannie, a playmate for Lily.”

The woman nodded and peered lovingly at the child she held in her arms. “Yes, she just turned a year. We also had a little party with the Hello Kitty theme. She does love kitty cats.” When Savannah continued to stare without responding, the woman took a step back and asked, while covering her mouth, “Do I have spinach in my teeth?”

“Oh no,” Savannah said. “I’m sorry. It’s just that…well, I thought you were someone I knew.” Just then Lily began to fuss. Savannah shook her head as if to clear it and said, “Excuse me,” as she lifted the baby from the stroller.

Margaret looked from one to the other of the women. “You know, I think I’ll run over to the hardware store while you visit…and shop. I’ll be back in a flash.”

“Uh, sure,” Savannah said. She then explained to the woman, “I know I seem to be staring. I’m sorry. You…look a lot like someone I just met…well, you two could be sisters, except your hair is darker red and—wow, curly!” she exclaimed.

“Yup, that it is,” the woman said, laughing. She put out her hand, “Hi, I’m Mary. This is my daughter Crissy.”

Savannah shook Mary’s hand, then reached out to the child. “Hi Crissy.” She looked into Mary’s light-green eyes. “I’m Savannah. This is…” she turned and said, “Well, that was my aunt Margaret and this is my daughter Lily. “When was her birthday?” Savannah asked, nodding toward Crissy.

“Sunday,” Mary said.

“They’re just about the same size, aren’t they?” Savannah noticed.

“Ki-ki,” Lily said, pointing.

Crissy pointed at Lily and said, “Ba-by.”

Savannah smiled. “Now there’s a word Lily hasn’t tried, yet—but she hasn’t been around any babies, except in the church nursery a couple of times.”

When Lily squirmed to get down, Savannah placed her on the floor. Immediately, Crissy wanted down and her mother lowered her to the floor. There, the little girls stood looking at each other, Crissy clutching a pink plastic purse. Right away, Lily’s eyes were drawn to the purse, but when she reached out and tried to take it, Crissy pulled away from her, holding stubbornly to the purse.

Lily stared at the child for a moment, then she retrieved her doll from her stroller. She held it out to Crissy, who promptly dropped the purse and took the doll. Naturally, Lily picked up Crissy’s purse and began examining it.

“A little negotiator, huh?” Mary said, laughing.

Savannah cringed. “Oh, that was more like manipulation.”

Mary smiled and looked down at her daughter. “She doesn’t have many children to play with, either. My husband and I just moved here from Frisco and we don’t know a lot of people yet. Her birthday party consisted of us, our landlord, and her two boys—an eight-year-old and an eight-month-old.”

Savannah nodded. “Same with Lily. She hasn’t been around kids her age at all. In fact, I’ve been wanting to make some connections for her. Hey, would you be interested in doing a playdate with the girls some time?”

Mary’s face brightened. “I’d love it. Do you live here?”

Savannah shook her head. Before she could respond, Lily walked away and Crissy started to follow. Both women headed after their toddlers. Once they’d picked them up, Savannah said, “We live in Hammond. Do you ever get over that way?”

“Not for a long time. But sure, I can drive over and maybe you could come here sometime. We live near a nice playground with a special area for the little guys.”

“Sounds great.” Savannah took out her phone. “Want to give me your number?” Once she’d typed it in, she gave her number to Mary. “What’s your schedule like?” Savannah asked.

Before she could respond, Crissy began to fuss in Mary’s arms. “I’d better get my child home. She probably wants lunch, and then it’s nap time.” She leaned toward Savannah. “That’s
my
time. I get to clean up the messes she’s made all morning.” She gestured toward Savannah. “You know how it is.”

Savannah nodded. “Sure do.”

“Ba-by,” Crissy said, reaching toward Lily with her doll. Lily took it and held it to her, the little purse still in her other hand. When Crissy reached for the purse, Lily squeezed it more tightly.

“Give Crissy her purse, Lily,” Savannah prompted, moving closer to Mary and Crissy. When Lily frowned and looked down, Savannah apologized. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she could be so stingy. This is a new situation for us. I’m not sure what to do.” She then said, “Wait,” as she dug through her own purse for a few seconds. She pulled out a small coin purse and handed it to Lily.

Lily stared at it for a moment, then dropped her doll and Crissy’s purse and grabbed the coin purse. Savannah and Mary both laughed.

“Good move,” Mary said, smiling, as she bent over and picked up the toys.

“Well, I have more shopping to do,” Savannah admitted. “Didn’t want her throwing a fit.”

“I hear ya,” Mary said, then added, “…to answer your question, thankfully, I’m a full-time mom. My husband works hard to make it possible. So most any day is good for us.”

“Cool,” Savannah said while strapping Lily into the stroller. “It’s supposed to be nice over the next few days. Want to come over sometime this week?”

“Sounds good. Let’s chat soon and set something up.” Mary started to walk away, but turned and asked, “By the way, could you recommend a good vet in the area?”

Savannah chuckled. “Would you believe I’m a veterinarian?”

“Really?” Mary said, wide-eyed. “Where do you practice?”

She chuckled. “I practice being a mom right now, but my husband runs the Ivey

Veterinary Clinic in Hammond. And yes, I would recommend him.”

Mary laughed. “I would hope so.”

Savannah creased her brow. “Do you have a sick animal?”

Mary shook her head. “No, it’s just time for Regina’s annual vaccine booster. She’s an inside-outside kitty, so I need to keep up with her shots. I’m sure you know what I mean.”

Savannah nodded, then asked, “How does she travel?”

“Pretty good, actually, if I don’t box her up. I mean, she likes to have the run of the car.”

“Well, I’ll check on Michael’s schedule and maybe you could bring her when you come for the playdate.” When Mary hesitated, Savannah said, “We have a pet-friendly home and some overly friendly animals.”

“Okay, then. Yeah, let me know when I can get an appointment.”

“Sure, I’ll text you later.” Savannah smiled. “It was so nice to meet the two of you. I can’t wait for our playdate.”

“Your playdate?” Margaret asked as she approached the two women.

“Well, the girls’ playdate,” she corrected.

Mary acknowledged Margaret then turned, waving as she left the store.

“Wow, that was fortuitous, wasn’t it?” Margaret said.

Savannah stared after Mary, tilting her head. “Sure was.” Thinking out loud, she said, “I can’t believe how much she reminds me of Barbara’s daughter Jenna. Don’t you think?”

Margaret shook her head. “Um, I really didn’t notice.” She grinned at the baby. “A few days ago Lily had no friends; now she has quite a collection, don’t you, sweet thing?”

****

It was after ten the next morning when Savannah saw a car pull into their driveway. “Hi, Mary,” she said, walking out to greet her. She looked at her watch. “Regina-kitty’s appointment is in twenty minutes; do you want me to go with you? Then we can come back here afterward.”

“Sounds good.” She looked toward the house. “Where’s Lily?”

“Napping. Helena, our housekeeper, is here in case she wakes up.”

“Okay.” Mary glanced at the mirror she had placed strategically in the backseat to keep an eye on her child. Quietly, she said, “Looks like Crissy’s still sleeping, too.” She smiled. “Good. They’ll be rested for their big day of play.”

Savannah nodded. “I’ll be right back. Need to tell Helena I’m leaving.”

Ten minutes later, Mary parked her car outside the veterinary clinic. “In you go,” she said, lifting the cat from Savannah’s lap and pushing her into a small plastic carrier. To Savannah, she said, “She hates her little cage, but she’s impossible to carry someplace she doesn’t want to go…like into the vet’s office. How is it they always know?”

Savannah shrugged. “The scents, maybe? Cats are pretty observant and sensitive to what’s going on around them. They have a good memory—for some things.”

Mary nodded. “Here, want to carry her while I get the baby?”

“Sure,” Savannah said, taking the small carrier, which bounced up and down as the cat moved around inside, trying to find an escape route. She peered at the cat through the wire door. “It’ll be okay, Regina. Just a couple of pricks, then you can play with some new kitty friends.”

“Hi Scarlett,” Savannah said, greeting the receptionist when they entered the waiting room. “This is Mary and her kitty Regina.”

“Oh yes, Dr. Mike put Regina on the schedule. Please have a seat.”

After just a few minutes, Michael walked out from the back. “Hi, hon,” he said, leaning over and kissing Savannah. He then nodded toward Mary. “Hello, I’m Michael Ivey.”

“Mary Rice,” she said, reaching out to shake hands.

“And who’s this little charmer?” he asked, smiling down at the sleeping toddler.

“This is Crissy, hon,” Savannah said, “Lily’s new BFF.”

He chuckled. “Cute.”

When he turned toward the reception desk to pick up a file, Mary raised her eyebrows at Savannah and mouthed, “Wow! He’s hot!”

Savannah giggled a little. “Don’t I know it.”

“This way, ladies; let me take a look at,” he glanced at the chart Scarlett had prepared, “Miss Regina.” He turned to Mary as they walked toward the exam room. “Regina—that’s an unusual name for a cat.”

“Yeah, when she was a kitten, she reminded me of a girl I knew in junior high who wore a lot of eye makeup and it was always smudged. Her name was Regina.”

Michael ushered the women into a room and took the tortie out of the carrier. He peered into her face and chuckled. “Yeah, she does look like she has smudged her mascara.”

“That girl, Regina, had a nose kinda like hers, too—pug.”

Both Savannah and Michael laughed.

“How old is she?” he asked.

“They told us at the shelter when we got her that she was ten weeks, so she’ll be two next spring.” She dug into her purse. “I had my vet in Frisco send me her records. Here, I almost forgot to give them to you.”

Michael studied the chart, then said, “Hey,” when the tortie suddenly stood against his chest and began batting at his stethoscope.

“I’m afraid she’s still very much a kitten,” Mary said.

“I can see that.” Michael reached for a wand with feathers attached and the trio laughed while watching the small cat play with the toy.

“Now that’s a good idea,” Mary said. “When I play with her, she scratches me all up. See?” she said, showing the scratches on her hands to Michael and Savannah.

“Ouch,” Savannah said.

“Yeah, behaviorists recommend against using your bare hands when playing with a kitten,” Michael explained.

“Hands are for petting,” Savannah said. “Play, for cats, is sort of like hunting practice and they can get kind of rough with their prey.”

Mary considered the information before saying, “I never thought of it that way. You know, she does play rough with her toys, too. Yeah, I don’t want to be mistaken for a mouse or a gopher. I’ll get one of those feather toys. Good idea.”

“Here, take this one,” Michael said. “I have others.” After examining the cat, Michael administered the necessary vaccines, then said, “She seems to be in good shape. Her weight’s good. Does she eat okay?”

“Oh, yes. Loves mealtime and treats.”

“Well, you seem to be doing a good job with her. I guess we’ll see you in a year, unless you have any questions or concerns in the meantime.”

With that, the cat looked up at Michael and mewed. Michael chuckled. “I’m glad you like the diagnosis.” He tucked Regina back into her carrier and focused on the baby, who was starting to wake up. “So this is Lily’s new best friend?” he asked, smiling down at the child.

“Yes,” Savannah said. “Isn’t she a cutie? Look at all that dark hair.” She asked Mary. “Did she get that from her daddy?”

Mary nodded. “Yes…well, the curls are mine, I suppose, but the dark hair is from my husband and, I imagine, my dad. He was half Mexican.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapped on it a few times, then held it toward Michael and Savannah. “That’s Mark, my husband.”