CHAPTER

ten

I TOOK THE CATS to work with me the next day. At Hollywoof, I couldn’t help but feel nervous whenever the bell jingled. No Edgar, though. Everybody who came walked in with a pet. I settled into my normal routine while keeping an eye on the lounging cats by the plate glass window.

The third client of the day distracted me from my troubles entirely. His owner requested that I groom the dog into another animal. It required all of my creativity and concentration to transform the white poodle into a zebra.

First, I shaved off most of his fur, sculpting a mane that flowed from the top of his head to his upper body. I also left the fuzz near the bottoms of his legs to create pompoms around his paws. I tried out my new special-ordered nontoxic pet dye and sprayed black onto him in a striped pattern.

The spray paint dried quickly, and when I brought the zebra-oodle back out, I realized his owner hadn’t returned yet. Both Marshmallow and Nimbus stared at the transformed animal.

Marshmallow sniffed. “I don’t blame the owner for wanting a change. Imagine looking at a dog all day long.”

Nimbus yowled, and Marshmallow cocked his head toward her. “I can’t believe it. Nimbus wants to go near the dog and take a closer look.”

Marshmallow and the poodle exchanged a few words—well, barks or whatever. Nimbus crept over to the poodle, but the docile dog didn’t seem to mind her intense scrutiny.

Then Nimbus came over to me and did figure-eight turns around my legs.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said to her.

The owner returned, but he’d thrown on a trench coat over his clothes and carried an umbrella. I noticed Nimbus dash under the front desk, and I wrinkled my nose at the sight.

However, I had to focus on the customer. “Is it raining?” I asked.

“Drizzling, and I don’t want my baby to get wet.” He took off his coat. “In fact, I might wrap him in this.”

Nimbus crept back out from under the desk and studied the pet owner as he paid for the grooming. The man left me a generous tip.

After the owner left, I turned to Marshmallow. “Nimbus acted oddly. What was with the hiding?”

Marshmallow turned to the kitten and questioned her using some staccato meows.

As the conversation continued, Nimbus seemed to shrink into herself and grow smaller.

Finally, Marshmallow translated for me. “She’s got a bad association with large coats.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Seems like she saw a dark figure draped in a huge coat very recently.”

“When and where was this?”

“Outside Roosevelt Elementary.” Marshmallow’s blue eyes looked deep into mine. “And get this. Nimbus saw this eerie man the day Helen Reed died.”

I gasped. “Did she say anything else?”

“Yeah.” Marshmallow bared his teeth. “Even through the chain-link fence, she could smell smoke on the guy. Bet you he stank of cheap cigars.”

“Sounds like your mad scientist master. Could he have been involved in Helen’s death somehow?”

Marshmallow growled. “I wouldn’t put it past the guy.”

Right then, the door to my shop opened, and Alice walked in.

What was my sister doing here? I hurried over to her. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” she said. “I wanted to check on Nimbus.” She strode over to the kitten and stroked the top of her head.

Marshmallow approached my sister and grunted.

Alice also gave Marshmallow a love pat on his head.

“About time.” He purred for a long stretch.

“No takers yet for Nimbus?” Alice asked.

“I’m still vetting candidates.” I needed to delay the inevitable. Not only because Nimbus was so cute and deserved the best, but since she might also be a key witness to a crime.

“Actually, I do have another reason for stopping in,” Alice said. She handed me a flyer printed on cotton candy pink paper.

“‘Family and Friends Day,’” I read.

“Principal Lewis told me you gave him the idea.”

I laughed. “Only because I couldn’t put faces to your coworkers’ names. He mentioned a lunch group trio . . .”

“Jessie, Amy, and Donna?”

“Uh, right.”

“I’m sure you’ll get their names straight once you meet them in person.”

A loud ding erupted from my phone and drew me away from the conversation. Josh’s name came up, and I hurried to reply.

Josh: Can’t find CFA. Could it be CFR you saw?

Me: It’s very possible.

Josh: Code of Federal Regulations. Title 29. Well, section 1604.1 covers work discrimination against those who are pregnant. Is this any help?

From the corner of my eye, I saw Alice glance at her watch.

Me: Thanks, Josh. Got to go now. Doing some sister bonding. XO.

I put my phone back in my purse, feeling caught off guard. Pregnancy? Perhaps there had been a reason behind Helen’s upset stomach.

Crinkling the pink flyer, I asked, “Do you think Helen could have been pregnant?”

“Excuse me?” Alice backed up a step.

“I thought it might explain her nausea.”

“I see.” Alice picked at her cuticle. “She never said anything to me about being pregnant, but she was dating someone.”

Hmm. If Helen had been in a relationship (and maybe pregnant), she probably wouldn’t have chosen suicide. Then Detective Brown might be on the right track. Homicide.

Alice tapped the flyer in my hand. “Why are you asking all these questions anyway?”

I sighed. “When I went to drop off your cheesecake, I happened to see a note addressed to Principal Lewis from Helen.”

“She said something about being pregnant?” Alice’s brow furrowed.

“Not exactly.” I described the glimpse of a note I’d read and Josh’s translation of the legal code I’d remembered. “He was the one texting me just now.”

Alice gave me a side glance. “Are you bringing Josh to the Family and Friends Day?”

“No, he’s way too busy.” Also, the truth was I didn’t think he’d appreciate seeing me snooping around again, my entire goal for the social event. “But I’ll definitely bring the cats.”

Marshmallow began purring, and Nimbus joined the chorus.

“I’m thinking about extending an invite, too,” Alice said.

“Ooh. Who’s the lucky guy? Have you been holding out on me?”

She shook her head. “I’m talking about our parents. We should tag team and convince them to attend.”

“Huh?” Although truth be told, it had been a long time since they’d done something together. Dad had his golf, while Ma joined the gossiping aunties at the mah jong table. “Well, maybe. What’s your plan for getting them to say yes?”

She jingled her keys at me. “Boba run.”