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“I’m so glad Toby won yesterday.” Zoe munched on whole wheat toast the following morning.
“Jerry seemed thrilled.”
They’d circled back to Jerry and Toby after speaking with Dana. The blue ribbon affixed to Toby’s cage had caught their attention right away.
“I just wish Annie and Toby could have babies together,” Zoe said wistfully.
“Brrt?” Annie wandered into the kitchen and hopped up on the chair next to Lauren’s.
“Zoe is thinking about kittens,” Lauren explained to her. “Yours and Toby’s.”
“Which can’t happen. But maybe you and Toby can have video play dates, like you and AJ enjoy.” Zoe sounded happier. “Would you like that, Annie?”
“Brrt!” Yes!
“Maybe we should wait until we know for sure Jerry isn’t a killer,” Lauren pointed out.
“Good point.” Zoe nodded.
Lauren stroked Annie, her purr vibrating through her fur. “Maybe you can have an online play date with him in a little while,” she whispered to her.
Annie seemed to understand, purring even louder.
“I can’t figure out why Kathleen was in the garden behind the hall, though,” Zoe said she gulped down orange juice. “What was she doing back there?”
“She was upset,” Lauren replied. “What if Robert told us the truth and she didn’t catch up with him after Dana accused her of bribery?
“You said she swept past you and Jerry,” Zoe commented.
“Yes.”
“So maybe she wanted some time to think about what to do next before she roared off in her car.” Zoe tapped her cheek. “And that’s when the poison acted. BAM! She collapsed in the garden.”
“That makes sense,” Lauren conceded.
“So all we have to do is find out who poisoned her.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing yesterday,” Lauren replied.
“Jerry, Nina, Dana, Robert – have I left anyone out?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“Ooh, what about Dana’s male friend who got to be a judge yesterday?” Zoe’s eyes lit up. “He could have done it.”
“If he wanted to take Robert’s place so badly, wouldn’t he have killed Robert instead?” Lauren frowned.
“Good point.”
“So what are we doing today?” Zoe drank the last of her juice.
“I was thinking of going to church,” Lauren admitted.
“Okay. We can find out how Mrs. Snuggle is behaving. I thought it was a bit strange everyone asked about her yesterday at the show, didn’t you?”
“I did,” Lauren said slowly.
“I mean, it’s not as if she’s sweet and gorgeous like Annie.” Zoe grinned at Annie.
“She might be gorgeous to Persian breeders,” Lauren pointed out.
“That’s true, I guess.”
They quickly got ready for church. Lauren didn’t want to be late. She wondered if Mitch would be there, but he was probably working the case.
She was right. Although there was a good turnout, Mitch wasn’t among the congregation.
“Let’s check on Father Mike.” Zoe zoomed over to the priest standing in the doorway, saying goodbye to everyone.
“Hi, Lauren. Hi, Zoe.” Father Mike beamed at them. “Did you enjoy the service?”
“Yes,” Lauren replied. Today’s sermon had been about being kind to people.
“How’s your hand?” Zoe asked.
“Much better.” Father Mike showed them. The small scratch looked almost healed.
“How is Mrs. Snuggle?” Lauren asked.
“I think she might be learning to like me,” Father Mike replied. “She didn’t hiss at me this morning when I gave her breakfast.”
“That’s good.” Zoe nodded.
They chatted for another minute, then said goodbye.
“I wonder if all Persians behave like Mrs. Snuggle,” Zoe wondered out loud.
“Brunhilda doesn’t appear to,” Lauren said. They walked the short distance home.
“That’s true.” Zoe nodded. “She seems a sweet cat, just like Toby and Annie.”
“Why don’t we visit Mrs. Finch?” Lauren proposed as they entered their cottage.
“Brrt!” Annie ran to greet them, seeming to approve of the suggestion.
They quickly changed, grabbed Annie’s harness, and walked around the block to Mrs. Finch’s house.
“I can’t wait to tell her about our sleuthing efforts yesterday.” Zoe grinned.
“Brrt!”
***
MRS. FINCH APPEARED shocked at their sleuthing attempts yesterday.
“I do hope Mitch solves the case soon,” she fretted. “Some of these show people don’t sound very appealing.”
“Yet some of them seem genuinely nice people,” Lauren replied, thinking of Jerry and Nina.
“That’s right.” Zoe nodded. “Maybe now Dana has gotten Robert kicked off the judge’s list, there won’t be any more bribery attempts – or judges taking pay offs.”
They spoke about more pleasant topics, such as Zoe’s pottery mugs, and Lauren’s tea cozy. Lauren admitted she hadn’t touched it since Friday night but vowed to work on it tomorrow.
“This will be the second week in a row we’ve had a three-day weekend.” Zoe grinned.
“I don’t think we should get used to it,” Lauren warned.
“Yes, boss.” Zoe mock-saluted her.
After spending a pleasant hour with Mrs. Finch, they made her coffee using her pod machine, then said goodbye.
“Are you seeing Chris this weekend?” Lauren asked. Zoe hadn’t mentioned him for a couple of days.
“No.” She sighed. “He’s working – someone’s on vacation and he’s doing extra shifts.”
“I’m sure it won’t be for long.”
“I hope not.”
***
LAUREN WOKE UP THE next morning as Annie licked her cheek.
Monday. The café was closed and she could do whatever she wanted – within reason. She loved not working on Mondays.
All she had to do was some grocery shopping and mix up a batch of cupcakes for tomorrow. And work on her tea cozy. Her smile faded a little. If she ever finished this cozy, she doubted she would ever want to knit another.
“Brrt!” Annie urged her to get out of bed.
“Okay.” Lauren slipped on her peach slippers and shrugged into her robe.
After feeding Annie, she hopped into the shower.
“Whab are we doing tobay?” Zoe asked around a mouthful of toast as Lauren entered the kitchen.
“The usual, I guess.” Lauren poured granola into a bowl. Annie had already eaten beef and liver for her breakfast.
There was a ring at the front door.
“Whob dat?” Zoe frowned, swallowing.
“I have no idea.”
“Brrt!” Annie scampered down the hall to the door.
Lauren and Zoe glanced at each other.
“It must be someone Annie approves of,” Lauren said.
Lauren opened the door.
“Hi, Lauren. Hi, Zoe.” Father Mike stood in the doorway, looking worried.
“What’s wrong, Father?” Lauren asked. “Come in.”
He followed them into the living room.
“Please sit down.” Lauren gestured to the blue sofa.
“Brrt!” Annie hopped up on the cushion next to him.
“I don’t know what to do,” Father Mike confessed. “I’ve just heard from Kathleen’s next of kin.”
“You have?” Lauren and Zoe spoke at once.
“And she said she’s willing to take Mrs. Snuggle. She’s a distant cousin of Kathleen’s, and seems the only family Kathleen had, apart from her ex-husband. Mitch called me this morning with the news.”
“Huh.” Zoe glanced at Lauren.
She shook her head, as mystified as her cousin. She hadn’t heard yet from Mitch today and they’d only had a quick conversation on the phone last night. She hadn’t seen him much at all since his involvement in the investigation.
“That’s good, isn’t it?” Lauren asked.
“I guess.” Father Mike didn’t sound very happy. “I thought I’d be pleased if Mrs. Snuggle’s new owner was found, but ...” He sighed. “I’m going to miss her.”
“Even though she scratched you and hisses at you?” Zoe asked.
“Even though.” Father Mike nodded. “Don’t forget, she could be in heat. That might explain some of her behavior. And I’m sure she senses that something happened to Kathleen and that’s why she’s been staying with me.”
“Maybe,” Zoe said doubtfully.
“It’s nice to have some company in the house,” Father Mike explained. “Even if it’s not very friendly company.”
“I’m sorry,” Lauren said. She hadn’t given a thought that Father Mike might be lonely – he seemed to be a busy and kind man, helping members of the community and chairing a couple of committees, as well as taking the church services, and all the other tasks involved in leading the church.
“Well, I told Mitch I’d be glad to meet with Kathleen’s next of kin and give Mrs. Snuggle to her,” Father Mike said. “But ...” he hesitated, “I think I’d be happier if you two – three—” he glanced at Annie “—came with me. Would that be okay?”
“Of course, Father.” Lauren spoke for the three of them. “We’d be happy to help you.”
“Definitely!” Zoe beamed.
“Brrt!” Yes! Annie peered into his face, as if assuring him of her sincerity.
“Thank you.” Father Mike’s shoulders relaxed. “I feel better already. I have to text her with a time and place.”
“What about the café this afternoon?” Lauren proposed.
“It’s closed today and it’s a certified cat café so there won’t be a problem having a cat in there, even if she isn’t Annie,” Zoe added.
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Father Mike smiled and pulled out a phone from his pocket. “What time is good for you?”
“Three o’clock?” Lauren glanced at Zoe.
“Yep.”
“I’ll text her right now.” Father Mike punched in a short message.
A minute later, his phone beeped. “She says that’s a convenient time for her, as well.”
They offered Father Mike a home-made latte, but he declined, saying he was due to chair a meeting at the senior center in thirty minutes.
“Thank you – all of you.” He beamed at the trio. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”
“Definitely.” Zoe nodded.
Lauren and Zoe made a quick run to the grocery store.
“I wonder what Kathleen’s cousin is like,” Zoe mused as they pushed the cart down the aisles.
“I hope she’s a cat person,” Lauren said. “She might need to be, if Mrs. Snuggle is going to be happy with her.”
“Yeah,” Zoe agreed with feeling.