Revenge at its Felinest Read online

  Revenge at its Felinest

  A Klepto Cat Mystery

  Book 30

  by Patricia Fry

  Revenge at its Felinest

  A Klepto Cat Mystery

  Book 30

  Author: Patricia Fry

  ISBN: 978-0-9994724-7-7

  All rights reserved

  © 2018 Matilija Press

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 1

  “Michael, Michael, can you hear me?”

  “Barely. Why are you whispering, Savannah? Is something wrong?”

  “Yes. Michael, are the children all right?”

  “Well, yeah. They’re both still sleeping.” He chuckled. “Can’t you find that brand of baby food Teddy likes?” He spoke more seriously. “Hon, you didn’t go and get yourself lost in this big city, did you?”

  “No,” she hissed. Speaking more slowly, she whispered, “Michael, listen. I don’t know where I am…”

  “So you are lost. Honey, just use the GPS. The address for this hotel is programmed into it. You know how to work the GPS.”

  “I’m not in my car. I’ve been… Michael, someone has…”

  The next thing Michael heard was a man’s voice. “Gimme that!” Then nothing.

  His heart raced. “Savannah!” he shouted into the phone. “Savannah!” When she didn’t respond, he quickly punched in her cell phone number, but the call went to voicemail. He tried again and again.

  Suddenly filled with fear, he stood. He glanced toward the adjoining room where three-year-old Lily and ten-month-old Teddy slept and listened to make sure he hadn’t awakened them. After closing the door between the two rooms, he began to pace, running his hand through his hair while trying to figure out what had just happened.

  What did she mean she’s not in her car? He grinned at himself. Oh, she’s probably in the store and she’s frustrated because she can’t find the food Teddy likes. He’s a little particular these days, the rascal. He glanced down at his phone again. But who was that man I heard just before the phone went dead? He relaxed, thinking, Probably just some random guy talking to his out-of-control child. You see a lot of that in grocery stores these days. Yeah, I’ll bet her phone went dead. I really need to talk to Savannah about keeping a charge on her phone, especially when we’re traveling. He had another thought. Maybe she didn’t mean to end the call. She’ll probably call back. He stared down at the street from their third-story suite, straining to see Savannah’s car pull into the parking lot. Again he punched in her cell phone number, but again the call went to voicemail.

  He paced for a few moments, then tried to focus on the TV news. I hope she isn’t lost. I should have gone with her, but she seemed ready to get out of the room. She probably wanted to pick up one of those fancy coffees. He smiled. Decaf of course, this time of night.

  Several minutes went by and Michael became more concerned. He went from staring out the window to checking on the children to trying to distract himself by what was on TV. Suddenly he heard a knock at the door, and felt a tremendous sense of relief as he rushed toward it. “Forgot your key card, did you, hon?” However, when he opened the door, Savannah wasn’t there. No one was—at least no one human.

  “Rags?” he said, feeling more confused than ever. As the large grey-and-white cat ran past him into the room, the leash dragging behind him, Michael stepped out and looked up and down the hallway. “Savannah?” he called, thinking maybe she had slipped into an alcove, leaving Rags at the door as a joke. “Savannah!”

  He walked back into the room and looked at the cat, who was lapping up water from his bowl. “Rags, what are you doing here, boy? Where’s Mom?” He smiled, thinking, I’ll bet she forgot something in the car. His smile didn’t last long when he realized, She wouldn’t leave him by himself like that. He ran his hand through his hair and paced, as he always did when he was anxious. What in the hell is going on?

  That’s when something caught his eye, and he approached Rags. “What’s this?” He cautiously removed something from the cat’s harness. “A note! What the…?” Michael murmured. He unfolded it and read, “This is payback, Michael Pretty Boy Ivey. You took something from me and now I’ve got my revenge. You’ll never see her again in this lifetime.”

  ****

  Ten minutes earlier Savannah held her jacket tightly around herself while trying to keep from losing her balance as the driver careened through the city streets. Who is that? she wondered, still feeling groggy. What does he want? She started to choke up. All I want is to go back to the hotel and be with Michael and our children. She had another thought. Where’s Rags? He was with me when that man…

  She looked around in the near darkness and tried to remember. What happened? She started to panic. She willed herself to think, but all she could recall was that someone had grabbed her. I was at the grocery store. Rags rode along with me and I left him in the car. She gasped. Someone grabbed me as I was getting into my car. He put a rag over my face. It smelled awful. She took a deep breath and surveyed her surroundings again. A van. I’m in the back of a dirty old van. But where’s Rags? What did he do with Rags?

  As Savannah turned to look around for the cat, she thought she heard something—a familiar sound. Rags. It’s Rags. He’s here in the van someplace. Probably in the front seat with the driver. Who is that, anyway? What does he want with us? Michael. I need to call Michael. But what will I tell him? I don’t know where I am or who that is driving this van.

  She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. I have to try, she thought. But by the time she connected with Michael, the driver had pulled over and shut off the engine. He pushed aside the heavy curtain that separated the driver’s seat from the cargo space. When he saw her trying to talk on her phone, he shouted, “Gimme that!” and snatched it from her. He then slapped a pair of handcuffs on one of her wrists, sliding the other cuff over a bar opposite the side door and clasped it around her other wrist.

  “What do you want?” she screamed. “Let me go!”

  “Hey, we can’t have any more of that,” the man said, pulling a bandana out of his pocket and moving toward her.

  Savannah’s fear turned to rage and she fought back, but, even though the man was slight in stature, without the use of her hands she was no match for him. He managed to tie the kerchief over her mouth.

  When she realized that she couldn’t break free or even scream for help, she focused on the kidnapper’s face, which was hidden behind a ski mask.He doesn’t sound familiar to me, she thought, and I sure don’t recognize his eyes. Before she knew it, he was gone and she was left helpless—or was she?

  I have to find a way out of here, she thought, as she began to regain her strength.I don’t even know where I am. She looked around. Rags. Where’s Rags? What did that man do with my cat? Tears filled her eyes. Why did I take Rags to the store with me, anyway? I guess I felt sorry for him after leaving him in the room all day while we went sightseeing. I thought he’d like to go for a ride this evening, but that wasn’t a very good idea. She squeezed her eyes closed and a tear rolled down her cheek.

  I have to get a grip, she thought, taking a deep breath. I can’t just let this happen. I have to be strong and proactive. First, I need to know what in the heck this guy wants with me. She shook her head. It can’t be anything good. If only I could talk to him, maybe I can reason my way out of this. Priority number one, she thought, is to remove this damn gag. She tugged against th
e handcuff, then realized something. Okay, now I know that guy’s not very bright. I can still use my hands to slide this thing off my mouth, which is exactly what I’m going to do. Then I’ll try to get someone’s attention by yelling my lungs out.

  Just as she succeeded in removing the kerchief, however, the man returned, slipped into the driver’s seat, and quickly drove off.

  “Hey,” she shouted, “who are you and what do you want?” When he didn’t respond, she said, “I have a pair of diamond earrings in my purse. I’ll give those to you if you’ll let me go. And I have money. You can have the money.” It then occurred to her that maybe he already had her purse so she tried something else. “I won’t say a word about what you’ve done. Actually, you haven’t done anything yet. Just let me out here and you can go free.”

  Suddenly, to her surprise, he pulled over again. She felt cautiously optimistic, but her hope quickly faded when he yanked the privacy curtain aside and said, “I don’t want your earrings or your money. I want revenge.” He let out an evil laugh, adding, “And I’m getting that as we speak.”

  Again, all Savannah could see were his eyes and mouth. “What are you going to do with me?” she pleaded. She then yelled, “And where’s my cat?”

  “Don’t have your cat,” he said. “And what am I going to do with you? That, I don’t know yet. I haven’t decided, but you can be sure that I’ll do whatever it takes to complete my dream.”

  Savannah wasn’t sure what to do next. Her voice growing weaker, she asked, “So what’s that?” She cleared her throat and asked more loudly, “What is your dream? Maybe I can help you achieve it.”

  He laughed uproariously. “Oh, you’re already doing that, lady. You are definitely helping me to achieve it.” Once he had gained control of his menacing laughter, he stared into Savannah’s eyes, saying, “And for that, I might have to spare your life.” He suddenly became agitated. “But I can’t have you ruining everything, so that may not be possible.” He shook his head. “Oh, it doesn’t really matter, does it? I have you in my grasp and I have her. They know by now that I’m the winner.”

  “Winner? What are you talking about?” Savannah insisted. “You’ve kidnapped someone; how does that make you a winner? You know you’ll go to jail for this. You will be caught.”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” he said. “Ever hear of the perfect crime? I believe that’s what I’m achieving now. I’m getting my revenge as we speak.” He stared into space, saying, “I just wish I could watch them suffer like I did.” Quickly returning his attention to Savannah, he removed a key from his pocket and unlocked one handcuff. He forced her hands behind her back and fastened the cuff around her wrist, then he replaced the kerchief across her mouth. The last thing she saw, just before he tied something over her eyes, were feathers dangling near a window in the van. He pushed her down on a thin pad. “Just lay there quietly, will you? We don’t have far to go.”

  Oh my gosh, Savannah thought, he’s twisted. What does he mean revenge? For what? What did I ever do to him? I don’t even know who he is—at least I don’t think I do. If only I could see his face. She felt a surge of emotion. Oh, this is just awful. Poor Michael. I have no way to communicate with him, Rags is missing, and no one knows where I am.

  She thought back to when she had felt safe at home with her family.

  ****

  It was late winter in Northern California and the Iveys had just arrived at Iris’s and Craig’s new home for their weekly family-and-friends Sunday gathering. As usual, most of the others were already there.

  “It’s beautiful,” Savannah said as Iris ushered her, Michael, and the children into the large living space. “I love this open effect. It’s so nice for entertaining.”

  Iris shimmied excitedly. “Isn’t it great? That’s what sold me on the house.” She gestured enthusiastically. “When my grandchildren come over I can keep an eye on them from the kitchen while they play tea party in the dining room or dress up in the living room.”

  “Grandchildren?” Michael questioned.

  “Well, yes. I plan to have more of them. Don’t you think Rosemary should have a little brother or sister?”

  “She has a sister, Mom,” Damon quipped as he joined the others. “Her name’s Dolly.”

  “Dolly’s a cat,” Iris spat. “I have plenty of cats in my life. It’s more babies I’m looking forward to.”

  “How many cats do you have now?” Margaret asked as she entered the house with her husband, Max, and sister, Gladys.

  “Well, there are three here—Tommy and the two wild cats that Craig dragged home last year.”

  “Are you talking about the feral cats he rescued from the Landon place?” Max asked.

  When Iris nodded, Max acknowledged her, then glanced at Craig. “How’re they doing?”

  “Good,” Craig said.

  At the same time, Iris responded, “They’re still pretty wild.”

  Craig looked at his wife. “They must like us, because they haven’t run off. Besides,” he continued, “they’re warming up to me. I pet them just about every day.”

  “They’re in pretty good shape, actually,” Michael interjected. “I saw them just last week.” He winked. “Made a house call and got them caught them up on their shots and all. They seem to be thriving here.” He addressed Iris. “They’re still young. Be patient with them and they’ll probably be inside clawing your furniture and shedding on your favorite sweater before long. Especially the torbie. She’s pretty sweet; just needs a lot of encouragement.”

  Iris smirked playfully at Michael. “Gee, thanks.”

  “You still have just three bedrooms, don’t you?” Margaret asked.

  Iris nodded. “But Maggie, you have to agree the living room and kitchen are way bigger than those at our place across town and more modernized. And there are two bathrooms here. It’s wonderful to have all this room, although it’s more space to clean. I’m just glad I have help.” Iris shook her head. “Savannah, I don’t know how you keep up with that big house of yours.”

  “I have help; that’s how. Helena comes every few weeks to do the heavy cleaning.”

  Michael gazed around the home and whistled. “This is very nice. What happened, did you two hit the lottery, or what?”

  Craig laughed. “In a way, yes.”

  Iris smiled at her husband. “Yeah, when Melody left me the bed-and-breakfast inn.”

  “It’s doing that well?” Savannah asked.

  Iris nodded.

  “Sounds like you’re a smart businesswoman,” Max complimented.

  Margaret chimed in, “She is. She’s been saving money for years by shopping at thrift stores.”

  “And consignment shops,” Iris added .

  “I don’t know how you do it,” Brianna said from across the room. “I shop at a thrift store and come out looking like I’m wearing someone else’s hand-me-downs. You put that stuff on and you’re ready for the runway.”

  Max joined the others in laughter, then changed the subject. “It appears you have more yard to take care of.”

  Craig nodded. “Yes, and this place came with a gardener. You’ll also notice it’s one of those low-maintenance yards. It’s designed to enjoy rather than be a slave to.”

  “Sounds perfect for you two,” Savannah agreed.

  Iris became contemplative for a moment and admitted, “It’s the nicest place I’ve ever lived in.” She smiled. “I’m thrilled to be able to afford something so upscale.”

  “I liked the old place,” Damon carped. “I’ll miss it.”

  “Do you want to rent it?” Iris asked, flashing her eyes mischievously.

  “No, he doesn’t,” his wife, Colbi, said.

  “You’re going to keep it, huh?” Michael asked. “You two are real-estate tycoons these days.”

  Iris laughed. “Yes. And all I wanted to do when I retired from being a server was to start a home decorating business.”

  “You sure found the right client,” Savannah remarked.
>
  “It’s all about the timing,” Brianna interjected. “If you’d left the diner any sooner or later, you probably wouldn’t be here today.”

  Gladys smiled at her younger daughter, then asked Iris, “So, Melody Kaiser hired you to do the decorating, then she gave you the place? Why is that, do you suppose?”

  Savannah smiled. “It’s a long story, Mom.”

  “Yeah,” Iris said, “but the short version is that Melody and I kind of hit it off. We seemed to have similar goals for the old Kaiser home. We could both see it thriving as a bed-and-breakfast, and she liked my decorating ideas. When Melody learned how ill she was, she didn’t want her dreams to die with her, so she deeded the place to me and her only daughter, Mavis.”

  “Yeah, but her daughter was a crook and maybe a killer,” Margaret interjected.

  “What?” Gladys asked, wide-eyed.

  Iris nodded. “It’s true. Fortunately, Melody knew that her daughter had a sordid past and made provisions in her will to protect the Kaiser place and my investment in it. When Mavis was sentenced, that negated her part of the contract and I ended up with the whole shebang.”

  Savannah rested her arm across Iris’s shoulders. “She trusted you to follow through with her dream, and you did so beautifully. Do you ever think about selling the inn?”

  “Sure I do,” Iris said, laughing, “when someone doesn’t show up to work and I have to pinch hit, when a grocery order gets mixed up and Mattie complains about having to improvise, when there’s an unexpected repair that needs to be done yesterday—plumbing or something like that…” She smiled. “Otherwise, I truly love what I’m doing.”

  “Ask me if I’m ready to sell it,” Craig urged. When the others looked at him, he said, “Yes, when it keeps my wife from coming home in time to fix my supper, when she calls me over there to repair something…”

  Iris slapped at him playfully. “Oh, stop. You enjoy the inn and visiting with our guests. Most of the time it’s like being on vacation at a luxury resort, only we don’t have to go anywhere.”