Merriment, Mayhem, and Meows (Klepto Cat Mystery Book 21) Read online

  Savannah lowered her head. “Oh, how embarrassing.”

  “Yeah,” Iris continued amidst a round of laughter, “the little girl was trying to put her dolly’s jammies on her and Rags took the doll and ran off with it. The poor child was in tears. Then Rags evidently discovered some Legos and he began playing among them, knocking over what the boy had built. He was just not the cuddle cat the family expected, so Francine delivered Sparky to them and rescued Rags.”

  “Oh hi, Rags,” Margaret said, bending down and petting him as he wandered into the room. “You reject, you.”

  “Well, we’d better take him and our daughter home,” Savannah said.

  Michael stood. “Yup, I have a big day tomorrow.”

  “Doing what?” she asked.

  “My gardening work.”

  “Now, we don’t want any leaf-blowing or power tools in the early hours,” Iris cautioned. “In fact, let’s keep the gardening duties low key while we have guests on the premises, okay?”

  “Michael,” Craig interjected, “I may have another project for you, if you don’t mind shifting gears from gardener to carpenter.”

  “Sure, what do you need?”

  “Will you be here for breakfast in the morning?” he asked.

  Michael glanced at Max and Iris.

  Max winked. “There’ll be plenty.”

  “We’ll be here,” Savannah said. “What time?”

  “Eight.”

  “Okay. I’ll be here earlier in case I can help with the serving,” she offered.

  Margaret picked up Lily. “You could put a little apron on the princess and let her help serve.”

  “Wouldn’t that be cute?” Iris said. She became more serious. “But I don’t want to be arrested for breaking child-labor laws.”

  ****

  “Now, slow down, Iris,” Savannah said over breakfast with her and some of the other volunteers the following morning. “What did Mrs. Boggs say?”

  “Yeah, what did she hear?” Brianna asked.

  Speaking quietly so as to not be heard in the dining room where the guests were enjoying their breakfast, Iris explained, “Mrs. Boggs said something went bump in the night and she’s sure it wasn’t the cat they had in their room. She said Sophie was on their bed at the time. She and her husband both heard it.”

  “What?” Margaret asked. “What did they hear?”

  “Well, she swears someone was in their room. She said something about an eerie glow and a strange otherworldly sound.”

  “The woman thinks it was something otherworldly?” Brianna asked quietly.

  Margaret smirked. “Oh, pooh. It was probably their imagination. I’ll bet they came here expecting to experience something supernatural. The old place does have a reputation, after all.”

  Savannah chuckled. When everyone looked at her, she asked, “Iris, how close are they to where the Swanson family is staying?”

  “Across the hall. The Boggs are in room five and the Swansons are in four, why?”

  “Well, some of Lily’s toys make eerie sounds. It was probably those children’s toys they heard. Some of them light up, too. I’ll bet the glow and sounds came from a toy.”

  Iris looked dubious. “Oh, I don’t know. That doesn’t seem likely.”

  “Have you seen or heard things like that when you were working here, Iris?” Brianna asked.

  Iris shook her head. “No, but I’ve never spent the night here.”

  “You’ve been here at night…in the dark,” Margaret reminded her.

  “Yes, I have. No, I haven’t experienced anything like that,” Iris admitted.

  “Could it have been someone sleepwalking?” Michael suggested. “Or walking to the bathroom with a flashlight, perhaps?”

  Wide-eyed, Brianna said, “I’d like to spend the night and have an experience with the spirits.”

  “What makes you think it’s spirits?” Margaret asked. “No one said anything about spirits, did they?”

  “Yes they did,” Brianna insisted. “Iris said the woman heard something otherworldly.”

  Craig cleared his throat. “Michael, did you bring your tool belt?”

  Michael nodded. “Yeah, what do you need done?”

  “Well, Iris tells me one of the drawers in the bathroom where we’re staying is stuck. I actually don’t think it’s a drawer at all—there’s no pull knob. But she insists it’s a drawer. Would you take a look at it?”

  “It is a drawer, Michael,” Iris said. “I know this place inside and out and I made sure the work crew put a drawer in that empty space. That bathroom needed another drawer. But I can’t figure out what happened to it. It’s as if someone took the drawer out and covered the space with a piece of plywood or wallboard. It’s not something anyone else would notice, except that I know we put a drawer there.”

  “Gosh, are your spirits messing with the construction of the place?” Brianna asked. “That’s just plain weird.”

  “Ms. Iris,” came a voice from the doorway.

  “Come in, Francine. Have you had your breakfast? Did you eat with the guests?” When the woman shook her head, Iris invited her to sit next to her at the kitchen table. “You must have some toast with Savannah’s peach jam.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s to die for.”

  Francine thinned her lips, glanced around at the others, then said hesitantly, “Could I speak with you for a moment?”

  “Sure.” Iris got up and led Francine to the service porch, out of earshot. “What’s up? There’s not a problem with the cats is there?”

  “Oh no, they’re wonderful,” Francine said, smiling. She glanced down at the floor. “It’s just that the guests had a squabble.”

  “What?” Iris asked, her eyes wide.

  “I noticed that the Boggs aren’t eating with the others.”

  “Yes, they asked if they could be served outdoors. We seated them on the main patio.” Iris gazed at Francine. “It’s a nice day; I thought they wanted to enjoy the gardens. Are you saying the guests aren’t getting along with each other?”

  “Yeah, Mr. Boggs accused the Swanson children of sneaking into his room. He and his wife heard noises, you know…”

  Iris nodded. “Yes, I know about the noises. I saw Mrs. Boggs when she came down for a cup of coffee earlier.” She looked at Francine. “They think it was the Swanson children?”

  “Well, Mr. Boggs said he’s certain someone was moving around inside their room in the middle of the night and he said they had to be small. He turned on a light and whoever it was had already left. Then later, they were awakened by an eerie sound and flashing lights.”

  “Good lord,” Iris said, gazing around the room as if in search of clarity.

  Francine continued, “I guess this morning, Mr. Boggs confronted Mr. Swanson in the hallway. The Swansons insist that none of their children left their room all night except to visit the bathroom, at which time a parent accompanied them. I came along when the argument was accelerating and I attempted to calm everyone down. But the two men really had their hackles up.”

  Iris put her hand on Francine’s shoulder. “You did the right thing. There’s just no accounting for the behavior of some people.” Iris frowned. “What about the Baxters?”

  “Oh, they seem happy as lambs,” Francine said, smiling. “Isn’t that little dog of theirs adorable? The children sure love playing with her.”

  “Yes, she’s cute. I hope she doesn’t take too much attention away from our cuddle cats.”

  Wincing, Francine said, “I wonder…”

  “Yes?” Iris encouraged.

  “Well, do you think the Boggs heard the Swansons walking to the bathroom and saw the hall light or their flashlight from under the door as they walked by? Maybe that’s what awakened them. You know, not all of the doors in this old house are true—some have quite a bit of space around them.”

  Iris laughed. “Oh yes, I know. I guess that’s possible.” She stared off into space. “And
the upstairs rooms aren’t well insulated, so sound travels.” She squeezed Francine’s arm affectionately. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’ll try to keep the two families separated throughout the rest of their stay, or maybe I’ll see if I can arrange for a truce between them.”

  “Okay. I just thought you’d like to know.” Francine turned toward the door into the dining room. “I’d better go clean the litter boxes and pick up the breakfast dishes in the cat room.” She smiled. “Sparky and Oscar are scheduled for a good grooming this morning. Boy can those two shed.”

  “There you are,” Edie said as Iris reentered the kitchen. “Can I talk to you?”

  Before Iris could respond, Michael and Craig breezed past her into the manager’s quarters. “Just going to check that missing drawer,” Craig explained.

  Iris acknowledged the two men, then glanced at her unfinished breakfast still sitting at her place on the table. She faced Edie. “Sure. Is everything okay?”

  “Well, I’m not certain.” She leaned closer to Iris. “I’m afraid you may have left someone in the wall.”

  “What?” Iris said more loudly than she meant to. When no one seemed to notice, she moved closer to Edie and asked, “What do you mean?”

  “Dora and I spent the night here, as you know. I wanted to get up early and help Max in the kitchen.”

  “Yes.”

  Edie glanced around at the others, who still sat at the table drinking coffee, then said quietly, “I heard things. I’m used to being alone, you see, and I don’t scare easily, but I am curious, so I investigated.” She swallowed hard and continued, “I thought maybe it was the children playing in their room down the hall, but I finally decided it wasn’t the children and I didn’t see anyone in the hallway.” She put her hand on Iris’s arm. “Iris, dear, I believe you’ve left someone caught up inside the walls.”

  Before Iris could respond, Dora came into the room wearing an apron and carrying a feather duster. “Spirits,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Oh stop,” Edie demanded.

  “What about spirits?” Iris asked, her attention now on Dora.

  “Well, I told Edie those are spirits she hears—there’s no one in the walls—no one made of flesh and bone, anyway.”

  “Did you hear the…uh…sounds last night, Dora?” Edie asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I slept like a log.” She winked at Iris. “But from what Edie tells me, Iris…” She leaned closer. “…I don’t know if you want to hear this, but I believe your place here is haunted.”

  “What?” Margaret said when she overheard the conversation. “Haunted? Are you sure?” She stood up from the table and grasped Dora’s arm. “I didn’t know you believed in such things.”

  Edie gave her friend a sideways glance. “Yeah, she’s always talking about spirits. She’s obsessed.”

  “No, I’m not obsessed. But I am aware. I’ve felt spirits in the old courthouse downtown, at that ghost town I visited when I was newly married, and here. There’s no mistaking them. There are spirits living among us, here in this charming place.”

  “Maggie, cat got your tongue?” Iris asked, laughing nervously when she noticed that Margaret had clammed up and was staring at Dora.

  Edie shuddered.

  “Wait now,” Margaret said. “Iris, you believe in ghosts and stuff like that, but you said you haven’t heard or seen anything weird while you’ve been working here.”

  A look of disappointment on her face, Iris shook her head. “No, I haven’t. And I thought I was tuned in to the spirit world. That’s just downright disappointing, actually.” She looked at Dora. “I’ve sensed them in old buildings, though. There’s a restored miners’ bar in the mountains and I can feel spirits around me in there. But why not here?” she lamented.

  Edie patted Iris’s shoulder. “Stay all night in guest room number six sometime and see what you think it is that I heard.” She paused before adding, “Actually, it sounded more like it was generating from the room next door. I guess that’s why the Boggs had such a rough night. It had to be louder in their room—room number five.”

  Something outside the kitchen window caught Iris’s eye. “Oh, there’s Michael. Excuse me, ladies; I need to talk to him. So what happened to my drawer?” Iris asked when she approached Michael and Lily, who were kneeling down and staring at something.

  “Hi, Iris,” Michael said, standing. “Lily found a ladybug.”

  Iris smiled down at the child. “Cool.”

  “Ladybug,” the toddler repeated. She pointed. “Ladybug, Aunt Ris-Ris.”

  “I see that,” Iris said, leaning over to view it with the child. When Lily became interested in something else, Iris stood up and asked, “So, Michael, did you find my drawer?”

  Michael thinned his lips and looked at her. “Are you sure there was a drawer there? Maybe your work crew didn’t follow your instructions.”

  “I saw it, Michael,” she insisted. “There’s a drawer behind that piece of wallboard or plywood or whatever it is. Or maybe someone took the drawer out when they put the wallboard up.”

  He let out a sigh. “All right. If you want me to, I’ll remove part of the wall and we’ll see what we’ve got.”

  “Yes, please. Thank you, Michael,” she said as she headed back into the kitchen to finish her breakfast.

  “More coffee, Iris?” Brianna offered, returning from the dining room with a carafe.

  Before she could respond, Iris heard Colbi’s cheery voice.

  “Hello.”

  “Oh hi, kids,” she greeted. “You two just getting here?” She chuckled. “Coming in the backdoor, are you?”

  “Yeah,” Damon said. “Didn’t want to traipse through the dining room while you have guests.”

  “How’d your first night go?” Colbi asked.

  Iris cringed. “You don’t want to know. It’s as if this place is cursed.”

  “What happened?” Damon asked, sounding concerned.

  “Sit down and have a cup of coffee,” Iris invited. She looked at Colbi. “There’s tea and some fresh fruit left in that bowl. Help yourself.” When she noticed her son and his wife waiting to hear more, she continued quietly, “Some guests heard something go bump in the night and they’re blaming other guests for the racket.”

  “And there was a light show,” Margaret said. “Dora thinks it’s spirits.”

  “And someone stole a drawer,” Michael added, chuckling as he walked toward the manager’s quarters with some tools in his hand.

  “Michael, where’s Lily?” Savannah asked.

  “Craig’s playing kickball with her.”

  “You’re making that up, right?” Damon asked.

  Michael stopped. “You mean that Craig’s playing kickball with Lily? No, he really is—look out the window and you’ll see for yourself.”

  “No,” Damon said, grinning. “I was talking to Mom.”

  “Well, I hope it’s a fabrication or someone’s imagination,” Iris said. “I’d really rather not have ghosts. But we do have guests at odds with each other.”

  “Not Ashley and her mother, I hope,” Colbi said quietly.

  “No. I haven’t seen them this morning.” Iris stiffened. “I imagine the guests are finished with breakfast by now. We need to clear the dishes and check to see if they want anything else.”“I’ll help,” Colbi said, quickly tying an apron around her middle. “Good morning,” she greeted as she and Iris entered the dining room. “Everyone finished?”

  “Yes,” Ashley said. “It was delicious.”

  Iris smiled. “Oh good, you made it down in time for breakfast. Can I get you more juice or coffee?”

  “Yes, coffee,” Sheila said.

  Mrs. Swanson stood up and prepared to leave the table. “We’re taking the kids to a private beach today.”

  “We’re going wind-sailing,” the oldest boy announced.

  His father put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Maybe we
’ll just watch the wind-sailing,” he corrected.

  “Well, have a good day. Will you be here for dinner?” Iris asked.

  “We’re planning on it,” Mrs. Swanson said, as the family headed for the staircase.

  “So how was your room?” Colbi asked the two remaining women, as Iris poured their coffee.

  “Great,” Ashley said.

  Her mother nodded.

  Iris hesitated before asking, “Nothing unexpected happened?”

  The women looked at one another, and Ashley responded, “No. It’s a beautiful room.

  “I slept like a baby,” Sheila said.

  Iris stared at them for a moment, then began clearing the table. “Well I’m glad to hear that. Will you be here for dinner tonight?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it,” Ashley said. “We’re going to the outlet mall today and maybe visit a few old friends who still live here.” She turned to Colbi. “Can you sit and chat for a while? I’d love to catch up with what’s going on in your life.”

  Colbi glanced at Iris who said, “Yeah, go ahead. I have plenty of help this morning.” Then she headed toward the kitchen.

  “Sure,” Colbi said, sitting down and pouring herself a glass of juice. “Good morning,” she said smiling, when Savannah entered the room and began clearing away some of the dishes.

  “Good morning,” she greeted, nodding cordially at each of the women.

  Suddenly, Colbi pointed. “Oh look. It’s the Scottish fold. Isn’t he exquisite?” She leaned over to entice him. When the shaded silver cat walked toward her, she picked him up and placed him on her lap.

  “What kind of cat is that?” Sheila asked, turning up her nose a bit.

  “Scottish fold. They’re an accidental mutation from Scotland.” Colbi held the cat up and rubbed her face against him. “I just think they’re adorable.”

  “Uh-oh,” Ashley said. “What does that cat think of him? Is he going to make fun of the mutant?”

  “Rags?” Colbi said when she saw him wander in. “No, he pretty much likes all cats, doesn’t he, Savannah?”

  “Pretty much,” she said, backing into the swinging door with an armload of dirty dishes.

  “Even funny-looking ones?” Ashley teased.