“I can’t tell you how glad I am to be out of the office,” Maura told Kat, one hand on the steering wheel while the other held a lit cigarette. “When I’m there I keep gravitating toward the window, wondering if I could have prevented Sadie’s death if only I had bothered to look outside yesterday morning.”
Kat’s heart went out to her boss. “What happened to Sadie isn’t your fault.”
“I know, but still.” Maura wedged her cigarette in her mouth as if to cut herself off from saying anything more.
Judging from the car’s overflowing ashtray and the easy way Maura kept one elbow propped on the driver’s side door as she flicked ashes out the window, Kat gathered she was used to driving while smoking. In fact, the more time Kat spent with her boss outside of the office, the more she was starting to view Maura’s cigarette as a natural extension of her hand.
At least she’d had the courtesy to crack the windows, Kat mused. Even so, her throat was starting to feel scratchy.
Maura glanced at the dashboard clock. “The Belleroses said they’ll be home by noon, right?”
“Yes. I only talked to Bob, but he said Meg will likely be there too. He thinks she’ll do a better job explaining Stumpy’s quirks so you know what you’re in for before you make a decision about adopting him.”
Maura smiled. “It’ll be good to see them.”
Kat regarded her across the console. “You know the Belleroses?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know they were doing this cat fostering thing.” Maura took another drag from her cigarette. “Actually, Bob’s father has been in and out of the hospital where Sadie’s daughter works. She’s a nurse there. Sadie used to rave about how good she was with all her patients.”
“Oh.” Sometimes Kat forgot how everyone in Cherry Hills seemed to be connected in some way.
Maura sighed. “I still can’t believe Sadie’s gone. Who am I going to smoke with now?” Her eyes flitted in Kat’s direction. “I mean, you’re always welcome to join me.”
“I appreciate that, but I know it’s not the same.” Inhaling Maura’s secondhand smoke wasn’t something Kat planned to turn into a regular activity.
“Here we are,” Maura said, pulling into the Belleroses’ driveway.
Kat slipped off her seat belt. She had been to the Belleroses’ place before. Bob and Meg had been fostering for 4F longer than Kat had been on the board.
“I’m excited to meet Leo’s cat,” Maura said, stubbing out her cigarette in the car ashtray. The motion sent a few other butts tumbling onto the floorboard, but Maura didn’t seem to notice. “It’s been years since I’ve had a pet of my own.”
Kat couldn’t prevent the smile that spread across her face when she recalled how Matty and Tom had spent all of yesterday afternoon searching the apartment for their ‘cricket.’ “They’re a lot of fun.”
They climbed out of the car and headed up the driveway. Kat kept her arms close to her sides to contain her body heat. As grateful as she was to be breathing in fresh air again, she wished it wasn’t so cold.
The door swung open seconds after Maura depressed the doorbell, revealing an older gentleman with a potbelly and a welcoming smile. “Maura O’Malley,” Bob Bellerose said, spreading his arms. “You’re looking gorgeous, as always.”
“Hi, Bob.” Maura gave him a hug. “How’s the heart?”
“Still beating.” He grinned at Kat. “Afternoon, Kat. I almost didn’t recognize you without Imogene by your side.”
“I gave her the day off,” Kat joked.
Bob chuckled. “And here I thought you two came as a pair. Truth be told, I believe Imogene views you as one of her stray animals.”
“Oh.” Kat didn’t know how to respond to that. She had never been compared to a stray animal before.
Bob stepped aside. “Well, come on in, ladies. Meg’s in the living room.”
Kat followed Maura into the house. Bob shut the door behind them before veering toward an armchair and picking up a magazine. Now that they had been let in, he apparently thought his duty as host was finished.
“Maura, Kat,” Meg Bellerose said. She stood up from the sofa, her chestnut-colored hair tumbling around her shoulders.
“Hi, Meg.” Maura hugged her, then surveyed the room. “So, where’s Leo’s cat?”
“Stumpy is hiding under the coffee table,” Meg said, pointing. “He’s been sulking there ever since I dragged him out from under the bed and shut the bedroom door.”
“Oh, look at that precious little darling,” Maura cooed, rushing toward the gray cat. “Isn’t he just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?”
Stumpy, evidently, wasn’t nearly as enamored with Maura. As soon as she reached out to pet him, he bounced toward the opposite side of the room and hunkered down in the corner.
Maura didn’t seemed perturbed by the rebuff. She laughed. “He runs like a jackrabbit.”
“It’s the effect of not having a tail,” Meg said, grinning.
“Well, I think it’s darling.” Maura sat down on the couch, her eyes sparkling as she watched Stumpy’s attempts to compact himself into an invisible ball.
“He’s actually a very sweet cat,” Meg said. “But he’s also very shy. It takes him some time to open up to new people.”
“I don’t blame him. Nowadays it’s hard to know who to trust.” A shadow crossed over Maura’s face. “There are a lot of evil people out there.”
“You’re referring to what happened to Sadie Cramer, I presume,” Meg said.
Maura nodded, her face grim.
“I heard about it at the hospital,” Bob piped up, lifting his head from his magazine. “I knew something was wrong when her daughter didn’t show up for her shift yesterday. Found out later from one of Pop’s nurses what had happened.”
“Bob’s father has cancer,” Meg said. “Unfortunately, it’s terminal.”
Kat felt a pinch in her chest as she took a seat next to Maura. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, we knew when he was diagnosed a year ago that his chances of beating this thing weren’t high,” Bob said, setting down his magazine. “Pop went through all the treatments they suggested, but they couldn’t get rid of everything. Nothing to do now but wait.”
Meg walked across the room and perched on the ottoman in front of Bob’s armchair. She gave him a watery smile as she set her palm on his knee.
Bob patted her hand. “But, Pop’s eighty-seven. He’s lived a full life, a good life. I only wish he hadn’t had to suffer so much this past year.” He shrugged. “At least I convinced him to get a trust set up when he was first diagnosed. Now he can go without worrying about leaving any loose ends behind.”
Bob’s words reminded Kat of what Allen Bolt had said that morning. At the time she’d figured all that talk about a will giving her peace of mind was just a ploy to drum up more business, but maybe there was some truth to it. Maybe there was a certain comfort in knowing your last wishes were well documented.
Unless, of course, your last wishes ended up being the cause of your death, Kat thought, thinking of Chloe railing about Sadie’s will.
Meg smiled up at Bob. “I take comfort in the fact that when your father’s time comes he’ll be surrounded by people who love him.”
Bob squeezed her hand. “In some ways we’re lucky we know Pop’s end is near. Poor Ginger must be heartbroken she didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to her own mother.”
Kat decided now was a good time to bring up her other motive for wanting to see the Belleroses. “Bob, you didn’t happen to talk to Sadie before she died, did you?”
Bob clucked his tongue. “You know, she called me when I was visiting with Pop yesterday.”
“She did?” Meg said.
“Yes. I had forgotten all about it.”
“What did she say?” Kat asked.
“She left a voicemail. Said she had something important to discuss and she wanted to do it in person.” Bob frowned. “She didn’t tell me what it concerned.”
Kat processed that. Sadie’s reluctance to discuss the matter over the phone made Kat think it was serious. Could it have also been what had gotten her killed?
“Look,” Maura said. “He’s decided to join us.”
Stumpy had evidently grown tired of cowering in the corner. He was currently tiptoeing across the carpet, his gaze darting between Maura and Kat, the two strangers in the room.
Maura slid onto the carpet and held her hand out to him. “Think he’ll come to me?”
“He might,” Meg said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about cats after all of my years fostering, it’s that they don’t like to be too predictable.”
Stumpy did come, although he moved at the speed of a snail. When he finally made it to Maura, he sniffed each one of her fingers, looking ready to take off again if any of them failed to meet his approval. But Maura must have passed the test because soon he closed his eyes and pressed his head into her palm.
Everyone in the room let out a collective breath.
“Isn’t he the sweetest thing,” Maura whispered, almost reverently.
“He likes you,” Meg said. “Give him another half hour and he might even sit in your lap.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have that long,” Maura said, checking her watch. “Kat and I should be getting back to the office soon.”
Meg stood up. “I’ll walk you out. Let me know what you decide about Stumpy, okay? Or come see him again when you have more time. Once he learns to trust you I think you’ll discover he has a delightful temperament. And if you do end up adopting him, I’m positive you won’t regret it.”
“I’ll definitely think about it,” Maura promised, but Kat could tell from the huge smile on her face that her mind was already made up.