A Case Full of Cats Read online

Mark paused and put a heavy hand on her shoulder. He leaned in close and whispered, “I like the guys at Hinkle’s, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to take away from their business, but there is another option.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You can buy a security system yourself. They sell them all the time online and in the electronics stores. Might set you back a couple hundred bucks, and you have to monitor it yourself, but it’s a heck of a lot better than nothing.” He gave a short but firm nod.

  “That’s an interesting idea. I’ll be sure to look into that.” It certainly fell in line with the conversation she’d had with Jessi and Dora about finding a way to monitor the inside of the building. “The damage is right through here.”

  Mark let out a low whistle. “Oh, yeah. That storm got you good. I guess there was a tree right through this hole?” He stepped over to the damage and stood underneath it, squinting up at the sunshine that came pouring through the roof.

  “That’s right. I was lucky enough that a friend of mine had a connection to a firewood guy, and he took the tree down. Unfortunately, it left quite a gap.” Courtney frowned up at the hole in the roof.

  “And that’s just the damage you can see from down here,” Mark commented.

  “Oh. I hadn’t thought about that.” Courtney gulped, afraid of what the bid sheet was going to say. “How much do you think this is going to cost?”

  “I won’t even venture to say at the moment. I want to look at everything thoroughly, both inside and out. You might have some external damage you can’t see from down here, and it won’t do you any good not to get it fixed properly. Then another good storm comes along and whoosh!” He swept his big hands through the air to mimic the damage that would ensue.

  Courtney nodded, not liking the idea. “I’ll let you do what you need to do, then. I’ll either be in my office or at the counter if you need me.”

  “I’m not going to risk letting any animals out if I come in and out of here, am I?” Mark’s dark eyebrows knotted in concern as he held the back of his hand in front of Charlotte’s cage. The shaggy dog poked her nose through the chain link and wagged her tail.

  “No. I’ll make sure everyone stays put up unless we have someone out on a leash.”

  “What about that one?” Mark pointed toward Courtney’s feet.

  She looked down to see Ritz looking up at her. He blinked his big golden eyes before giving her a light meow of greeting and rubbing his cheek on her pant leg.

  “You naughty boy!” Courtney scooped him up. “How did you get out again?”

  Ritz responded with a gentle headbutt to her chin.

  “Uh huh. Let’s get you put back up where you won’t cause any trouble for Mr. Cooper, shall we?” Courtney left the contractor to do his job. She put Ritz back in his cage, jiggling the latch to make sure it was working properly.

  As she sat down at her desk, Courtney’s cell rang from her back pocket. It was Lisa. “Hey!” Courtney answered, glad to hear from her. Lisa, just like Courtney, was also a recent import to Curly Bay. The two of them had met a month ago as they joined the search party for a missing girl, and they’d quickly become friends.

  “Good morning! I’m really in the mood for pizza from Russo’s today, so I thought I’d see if you wanted to get together for lunch.”

  Courtney started to answer yes without even thinking about it. She loved Russo’s, especially their garlic bread sticks. It was quickly becoming one of her favorite places to eat, even if her waistline didn’t always agree. Reality stepped in and stopped her from accepting. “I can’t. I’ve got a contractor here to look at the storm damage, plus I’ve got to work on some things for the fundraiser. I’m not even sure if I’ll take a real lunch today. Maybe we can get together tomorrow.”

  “I hope you’re still planning to eat something,” Lisa chided.

  “Yeah, I’ll find something.” Courtney peeked in the top drawer of her desk, where she sometimes stashed a few snacks. A pack of cheese crackers was the only thing that greeted her.

  “Let me at least bring you a takeout meal,” Lisa offered. “I’ve got a full hour for lunch over here at the library, so I’ve got time to kill.”

  “You know, I just don’t think I can turn that down,” Courtney replied, shutting the drawer and leaving the cheese crackers in the dark. “Pepperoni and olive pizza, garlic breadsticks, and a big Coke.”

  “I’ll see you around noon!”

  They hung up and Courtney smiled. When the life she’d built in the city had shattered into a million pieces, she thought she’d never recover. She’d worked so hard to get through school and make the slow climb up the corporate ladder to her position with a prominent marketing firm. The icing on the cake had been her handsome and successful fiancé, Sam Smythe. Just a short time ago, it seemed impossible to leave all that and her great apartment behind, but she’d done it. Now, Courtney couldn’t imagine living anywhere but Curly Bay.

  After rattling away at her computer for a bit, Courtney checked the clock and headed to the kennels. The dogs needed their walk, and they couldn’t wait just because she was busy with all the pencil pushing that came with running the shelter. She opened the door and found Mark Cooper crouched on the floor in front of Charlotte’s cage.

  “Hey there, sweet thing,” he cooed, oblivious to being watched. “You’re a big girl, aren’t you? A big sweet girl! How could anyone not want you? How could you not have a home?”

  Courtney cleared her throat.

  The big man practically leapt to his feet, his cheeks ruddy with embarrassment. “Um, sorry. I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Courtney assured him. “The animals here need as much loving and attention as they can get.”

  “I, um, I was just about to come find you.” Mark picked up his clipboard. “I have some figures to go over with you.”

  “Charlotte here is due for a walk. We can take her out and discuss everything.” Courtney took a leash down from the rack on the wall.

  Mark nodded. “That’ll work. I’ve got some things I want to show you on the outside of the building, anyway. Um…” He glanced down at the dog and then up at Courtney.

  “What is it?” she urged.

  “Could I be the one to walk her? She seems really sweet. My dog passed away about a year ago, and I kind of miss having one around.” He ruffled Charlotte’s ears affectionately.

  “Absolutely,” Courtney said with a smile. She handed over the leash and grabbed a second one. “That means I can walk Beau, and we can get them both done at the same time. We’ll just go out the back door.” They walked around the outside of the building with the two dogs, who seemed more than content to have some outdoor time.

  “The hole in the roof is obviously a big problem,” Mark began. “We’re very fortunate we haven’t had any more rain, or the water would’ve created even bigger issues for you.”

  “That’s true, but it’s hard to take solace in the sunny weather when it keeps shining down on my head through that big hole,” Courtney groused.

  “The hole isn’t any fun, but it’s not your only issue.” They came around the back corner of the building and over to the side, where the damage was. “I’m not sure if you can see it, but I got up on the roof to get a good look at things. You’re missing a few shingles here and there, but the bigger problem is all the structural damage underneath. That tree was a heavy one, and it smashed a lot of the supports underneath the roof. Essentially, we’ll have to tear this whole section off and rebuild it.”

  Courtney’s jaw dropped, literally. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I’m afraid I’m not. You could just patch it up, but then it’s only a matter of time before some other storm comes along and everything caves in.”

  “We can’t have that, especially not when we’re talking about the safety of the animals inside. Is everything okay for the moment?”

  Mark nodded. “Okay enough that we can get it tarpe
d over to keep the building protected until we can come out and do the actual work. With everything booking up so quickly, I wouldn’t be able to promise you a crew out here for at least another two weeks.”

  “And how much are we talking?” Courtney let out Beau’s leash so he could explore the grassy area behind the building.

  “Here.” Mark handed her the clipboard.

  Courtney skimmed past the itemized list to the grand total at the bottom. The number she saw there made her want to pass out. “This is a lot.”

  “I know,” he replied with a nod, “and I’m sure it’s not easy with you being a rescue and all. I can assure you I have the best prices in town, but I won’t be offended in the least if you’d like to get some other opinions.”

  “We’re having a fundraiser in just over a week, and I’m hoping we’ll have the funds to cover this by then. How much would you charge to tarp it?” Courtney glanced up at the roof, not interested in climbing up there herself.

  Mark shook his head. “You folks do great work here, so I’ll do that at no charge.”

  “Really?” Courtney thought she could hug him. “Would you really?”

  “I will, but I do wonder if you might do me a favor.”

  Uh oh. There was no such thing as a free puppy, as the old saying went. “What’s that?”

  “I really like this dog, but I’d like to see what my wife thinks of her, too. I don’t suppose you do any sort of trial where she can stay with me for a day or two to see how she fits in before we officially adopt her?” The contractor had that embarrassed look on his face again. Charlotte was far less self-conscious about the bond the two of them had formed, considering the way she leaned heavily on the man’s leg.

  Courtney beamed at him. “We have paperwork that covers exactly that. Let’s go back in, and you can take her home with you right now.”

  Chapter Five

  Jessi poked her head in the office. “There’s someone at the front counter to see you. Her name’s Lisa, and she’s got food!”

  “Oh! Is it noon already?” Courtney glanced at the clock. The contractor had taken up a significant part of the day. He’d brought in a crew to stretch a tarp over the bad part of the roof, and then he and Charlotte had left. She was just settling down to do some paperwork again and had completely lost track of time.

  Lisa was waiting for her at the counter with a cardboard box and a big soda. “Here you are!”

  “What do I owe you?” Courtney fished in her pocket for some cash.

  “Don’t worry about it. You can get me back another time.” Lisa waved off the money.

  “Have you eaten yours yet?”

  Lisa shook her head. “I was just going to bring it back to the office. I hate sitting in a restaurant by myself.”

  “I know the feeling. Why don’t you just join me at my desk? I can’t spare a lot of time, but we could chat for a few.” Courtney had fully planned to work straight through lunch, but she’d already done so much in just the morning that she was ready for a real break.

  The two women settled down on either side of Courtney’s desk, spreading out their pizza and breadsticks. “So, tell me more about this fundraiser,” Lisa prompted.

  Courtney swallowed a big bite of breadstick and leaned back in her chair. “Well, I can tell you we’re definitely going to need it. Check out this bid from Cooper’s Construction.”

  “Yikes.” Lisa shook her head. “That’s exactly why the library hasn’t done a big remodel. As soon as I started working there, I noticed all the things that could use some updating. It turns out the board had gotten the bid and simply couldn’t afford it.”

  “I know. The one advantage I have is that Mrs. Throgmorton is behind this. Do you know her at all?”

  Lisa shook her head again as she took a bite of mushroom pizza.

  “She’s wealthy, has a lot of connections, and loves doing fundraisers. Her dog comes here all the time, so she’s more than willing to help. I could use my marketing skills to put a few things together, but I don’t know Curly Bay like she does.” Courtney had been impressed with what Mrs. Throgmorton had already done, and she couldn’t wait to see how it all turned out.

  “How will this work?” Lisa asked after washing her pizza down with her soda.

  “Everyone will pay a fee to get in,” Courtney explained. “That will cover the cost of the venue, the music, and the food, plus a little extra. There will be a pet fashion show, where both hotel patrons and rescues can show off. Pets will be available for adoption, and there’s a silent auction.”

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “Yeah, check out our first items for the auction.” Courtney wiped her hands and reached down into her bottom drawer. “Mrs. Throgmorton gave me this diamond collar that - Wait a second. Where is it?”

  Lisa came around the desk. “Is it under something else?”

  “It shouldn’t be.” Courtney was down on the floor now, all thoughts of lunch forgotten. She pulled every item out of the bottom drawer, just to be sure. “I put it in a little pouch and set it in here, because we don’t have a safe yet. It can’t have just gone missing.”

  “Let’s check the other drawers, just to be sure.”

  The two women pulled apart Courtney’s desk. They even took out the drawers to make sure nothing had fallen behind them. Courtney was beginning to break out in a cold sweat. “This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all. I’ve got to find it! I know it was worth a ton of money.”

  Lisa glanced around. “Is there any chance someone stole it?”

  “No, of course—” But then Courtney stopped. There was that vehicle that went screeching out of the parking lot that morning, and someone had let all the cats out of their cages the other day. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll call the police, just in case.”

  She left a message with Detective Fletcher down at the precinct before they continued looking. When the phone rang again, Courtney eagerly snatched it up.

  “Hi, this is Samantha Larson from the Old Train Depot. Is this Courtney Cain?”

  Courtney had been hoping it was Detective Fletcher calling her back, and she didn’t have time for anything else. “Yes, it is,” she replied politely.

  “I’m so sorry to bother you. I tried to get a-hold of Mrs. Throgmorton, but she wasn’t available. She had you listed as the next available contact.”

  Samantha was being very polite, but Courtney wished she’d get to the point. “Yes, the event she’s holding there is for the benefit of the shelter I manage.”

  “I see. I wanted to call as soon as possible because we have some plumbing issues and the Old Train Depot will no longer be available for the fundraiser.”

  The whole world stopped. Courtney pressed her free hand to her head and closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them again, she’d find out that this whole thing had been a nightmare. The storm damage, the missing collar, all of it. “Plumbing issues?”

  “I’m afraid so. I went in and found that several pipes had burst. We have a very reliable plumber that we use, but I’m afraid he’s out of town at the moment. We’re doing what we can to find someone else, but-“

  “Yes, I understand.” Nope, not a nightmare. Real life, unfortunately. “I’ll get with Mrs. Throgmorton and see if we can find a different place. I really appreciate the call.”

  Lisa gently touched Courtney’s arm. “I’m sorry, but my lunch break is just about over, and I’ve got to get back to the library. Call me later, okay?”

  “Okay. Thanks.” Courtney walked Lisa to the front lobby, where a man was just walking in. She didn’t want to deal with anyone else right now, but Jessi and Dora were both busy taking care of the animals. “Can I help you?”

  His dark curly hair fell down over his brows, and he kept his hands shoved in his pockets. “Show me the cats. I’d like to adopt one. Today.”

  Any other time, Courtney would be more than happy to let him see the available cats and talk to him about adoption. Right now, the only thing she co
uld think about was the missing diamond collar and the money they’d be losing out on if she couldn’t find it. Besides, she needed to be available in case the police showed up. “We’re a little busy at the moment, actually.”

  He lifted one hand out of his jeans pocket and gestured sharply at the room. “You don’t look busy to me.”

  “We are. Trust me. If you’d like, I could get you an application to fill out and get you started while you wait.” She reached for the binder on the counter.

  “Application? It’s not like I’m here for a job, lady. I just want to adopt a cat. For my daughter.”

  She gritted her teeth together, trying to remind herself that customer service was important. “I understand, and I’m glad that you’re so interested in getting a cat from us. However, there is a process. First, you have to fill out an application. Then we have to call your references, and—”

  “References? What’s the matter with you people? It’s not like taking care of a cat requires any special skills.” His dark brows furrowed together, and he paced anxiously in place.

  “We have to talk to your veterinarian. And at any rate, there are some things happening here that are going to prevent me from really being able to help you today. My advice for the moment is to take an application and check out the available cats on our social media pages.”

  The man stepped closer to the counter, leaning over it in an attempt to get in her face. “How can you expect anyone to give these animals a home if you won’t even let someone in to see them? You want to whine and complain about them being in the shelter, and then you won’t let anyone adopt them! You’re sick!”

  Courtney had already put up with too much from this man. “Take an application or not, but either way I suggest you leave.”

  Before the man had a chance to answer, Detective Fletcher and a uniformed officer strode through the door. The man glared at her. “Fine. I’ll be back later.”

  “Detective Fletcher, I’m so glad you could come.” Courtney was grateful for more than just checking into the collar, since that man had been getting so irate. She quickly explained the situation to him, and he and the officer looked all around. They checked the footage from the outside security cameras and looked for any evidence of a break-in, but when they returned to her at her desk Detective Fletcher just shook his head.