Much Ado About Felines (Whales and Tails Mystery Book 4) (2 page)

“Has she filled out an application?” I asked.

“Not yet. I thought you could help her with that while I restock the coffee bar for the next wave of customers.”

“I’d be happy to.”

While featuring the cats in the cat lounge hadn’t eliminated the need to attend adoption clinics on the mainland, it had reduced the need to make the trip from two times per month to one. As word of the cat lounge spread, we hoped prospective families from the mainland would make the trip out to the island to meet the cats and buy a book.

“I understand you’re interested in adopting Cleo,” I said to the woman who was holding the white cat to her chest.

“I am. She’s just the sweetest thing.”

“All of our cats have been spayed or neutered. They’re all current on their shots and have been checked out by our veterinarian. We have cat carriers for sale if you decide to take Cleo with you. I have applications if you’d like to fill one out.”

“I’d like that very much.”

Based on the loud purring, Cleo seemed as happy with the woman as she seemed to be with her.

“Did you come over on the eleven o’clock ferry?” I wondered.

“I live here. I moved to the island about a year ago, but I guess we haven’t had the occasion to meet. My name is Trish.”

“And I’m Caitlin Hart.”

“You’re the girl who solved all those murders. I’m happy to finally meet you. I heard about Roxi. Will you be investigating her murder as well?”

“I’m not really sure. I guess it depends how things develop.”

“It’s so odd that she ended up in her own grave, but I’m not surprised someone offed her.”

“You knew Roxi?” I asked.

“We had some friends in common and tended to end up at many of the same social events.”

“So why do you think someone would kill her?”

“I guess you’ve heard that she’d been partying a lot since her husband died.”

“Yeah, I’d heard.” Jimmy was friends with my brother Danny, and Danny was pretty tight with Roxi as well.

“My brother Danny mentioned that Roxi had been taking Jimmy’s death pretty hard. I guess I don’t blame her for wanting to go out rather than staying home all alone on the boat she lived on with Jimmy,” I added.

“I don’t disagree. The problem was that she wasn’t just partying. She’d been flirting with pretty much the entire male population of Madrona Island, including other people’s husbands. I know of three or four women in particular who are thrilled she’s no longer a threat to their marriages.”

“Really? Danny didn’t mention that.”

“I know who Danny is. He’s the babe who owns the whale watch boat.”

“Yes.
Hart of the Sea
.”

“Danny seems like a nice guy, but he
is
a guy. Guys don’t see flirting as a threat the way women do. There’s a rumor that Roxi actually slept with a few of the married men who hung out at O’Malley’s.”

“Like who?”

“Griff Poolman for one. Trace Wood for another.”

I knew both Griff and Trace and I found it hard to believe that either of them would cheat on their wives, but Roxi was extremely attractive. She had a certain way about her that let men know she was interested and available, and I could remember the trouble she’d created before she met Jimmy and he’d stolen her heart.

Trish completed her application, which looked to be in order, so I crated Cleo and sent the pair on their way. I checked on the remaining cats and then headed over to the coffee bar, where Tara was wiping things down. The crowd that had been mingling around had cleared out, which gave us a brief respite until the next ferry arrived.

“There’s a stack of flyers for the Harvest Festival and Masquerade Ball on the shelf near the cash register,” Tara informed me. “Be sure to hand them out to everyone who comes in. The committee is hoping for a good turnout this year.”

Every year for as long as I can remember, the citizens of Madrona Island have thrown a huge Harvest Festival the last weekend in September. The highlight of the weekend is the formal Masquerade Ball, which is held in the old Waverly mansion, which is situated on the northeast side of the island, sitting on a huge estate located right on the water. Prior to the death of Cherise Waverly, the mansion had been a private home, but Cherise had died without children, so she’d donated the estate to the historical society.

The Madrona Island historical society is made up of a group of four senior citizens, including my Aunt Maggie, who manage the handful of historical buildings on the island. The other properties are insignificant; it’s the mansion that gives the committee a reason to exist. The funds raised by the ball are used to maintain the property.

“Are you going with anyone?” I asked Tara.

Tara’s love life has been unstable and fragile as of late. I know she has a crush on Danny, but I also know they’ve agreed that their lifelong friendship is too important to risk with a potentially messy love affair. Although I’ve witnessed a deeper level of caring between them lately, both seem content at the moment to pursue other people.

“I’m undecided at the moment,” Tara shared. “I thought about asking Carl, but he seems to be intent on moving our relationship to a more serious level and I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I might end up volunteering to help with the food. If I’m busy serving it won’t seem strange to attend alone. Are you going with Cody?”

Cody West and I have a relationship of indeterminate status. Cody was Danny’s best friend when we were growing up. Like many little sisters, I used to tag along with Danny and his friends, and like many big brothers, Danny complained about it to no end. Cody, however, was always nice to me, which was most likely why I developed a huge crush on him the moment I hit puberty. When I was sixteen Danny and Cody graduated high school. While Danny planned to remain on the island, Cody had enlisted in the Navy. In a rash act that can only be attributed to teenage insanity, I decided to seduce Cody on the evening of his graduation in an effort to convince him to stay. My grand plan worked surprisingly well and we’d shared a magical night. The problem was that instead of staying, as I’d hoped, Cody left as planned, and I didn’t see him again until he returned to the island a few months ago.

In the past few months Cody and I have spent a lot of time together. We worked side by side to solve three murders as well as a decades’ old mystery. After retiring from the Navy he bought the
Madrona Island News
and has been working to bring the archaic newspaper into the twenty-first century. I can say with confidence that Cody and I have renewed our friendship, and any weirdness that might have occurred due to our one night of passion has been relegated to the distant recesses of my mind. What is unclear, though, is whether a relationship beyond friendship is in our future. I still have feelings for him, and it seems like he has feelings for me, but like Danny and Tara, we both seem unwilling to risk what we have for the uncertainty of what might be.

“We haven’t talked about it. I know he’s superbusy right now with the reopening of the paper and the story about Roxi to stay on top of.”

“If I didn’t know Cody better I’d say he was the one who put Roxi in that grave,” Tara teased. “Talk about a sensational story to get his newspaper up and running right out of the gate.”

“Yeah, he’s been swamped. He totally sold out of the first run of the weekend edition and is printing a second run this morning. He said he’d bring some copies by when they’re ready. When I spoke to him earlier he asked if we could all get together this evening. He really wants to dig up some new clues so he has material for the Tuesday edition.”

Somehow Cody, Danny, Tara, and I have morphed into the Scooby Gang when it comes to mystery solving on Madrona Island.

“He said he’d bring dinner,” I added.

Tara shrugged. “I’m not busy.”

“Do you think the mystery man from the ferry has anything to do with Roxi’s death?” I asked.

“I don’t see how.”

“It’s just that the guy is so odd and sort of creepy. And what is up with the cat? I mean, how does the cat even know it’s Saturday? I’ve never seen it in the area, or anywhere else for that matter, on any day other than Saturday. Have you?”

“No,” Tara admitted. “I can’t say I’ve ever run into that particular cat on any other day. Maybe he’s just well-trained. Perhaps he has an owner who tells the cat it’s time to go to the ferry and he goes.”

“Maybe.” I was skeptical. Cats weren’t normally all that trainable, but I had worked with a few really spectacular ones of late.

“Oh, look, here he comes,” I said as the zombie stranger walked past the bookstore on his way back to the ferry.

As he had every other Saturday, the black and white cat followed him to the ferry terminal. When the man reached the loading area for walk-on passengers, the cat stopped and watched him board.

“That has to be the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” I commented as Tara joined me near the huge picture window that looked out over the wharf and the bay.

“Yeah, it is odd, but I’m sure there’s a very simple explanation.”

“Like what?” I asked.

Tara shrugged. “Maybe the guy comes to the island once a week to get a haircut or to visit a relative. Maybe he has a pocket full of cat treats, so the cat has gotten used to meeting him here. There could be any one of a dozen different explanations. What I do know is that we don’t have time to worry about a mystery that most likely isn’t even a mystery. We have this store to run.”

“Yeah, you’re right. What do you need me to do?”

“I have three orders that need to be delivered at some point today.”

Tara nodded toward the counter, where there were three bags filled with special-order books.

“I’ll take them,” I offered. “Who are they for?”

“Bella and Tansy, Summer, and Marley.”

Bella and Tansy are intuits—some say witches—who live in Pelican Bay and own Herbalities, a shop that sells herbs and herb products as well as offering fortune-telling services. While neither Bella nor Tansy will confirm or deny their witchy status, I’ve seen enough to know that those who believe in their magical powers aren’t as far off base as one might think.

Summer is one half of the hippie couple known as Banjo and Summer. The eclectic pair lives in a hut on the beach and owns and operates a popular store called Ship Wrecked.

Marley Donnelly is my Aunt Maggie’s best friend and business partner. Together, they own the Bait and Stitch, a unique store that sells fishing and sewing supplies.

“I’ll go now; that way I should have plenty of time to make the deliveries and get back to help you with the last ferry of the day,” I offered.

I hung up my apron, grabbed the books, and headed out the door and down the street. It looked like there was rain on the horizon, so I decided it might be prudent to hurry to complete my task before the clouds that were heading our way arrived. Not that I was complaining about the rain. We did need a steady source of natural moisture to keep our forests green and our freshwater ponds and lakes filled.

The first shop I came to on my route was Herbalities. The store was empty of customers, which was odd for this time of the day on a Saturday. Like many of the shops on the island, Herbalities was closed on Sundays, making Saturday the only weekend day that visitors from the mainland could come in to buy the teas and medicinal tonics and lotions that made the enterprise so successful.

The first thing you noticed when you entered the shop Bella and Tansy owned was that it smelled like heaven. The herbs that were used in their teas and herbal remedies were displayed in jars that were strategically placed around the main room. In addition, bunches of freshly picked or dried plants were hung from the ceiling to provide added atmosphere.

“Caitlin, how nice to see you,” Bella greeted me as I felt the stress of the day melt away. There was something about the serene aura of these women that made it almost impossible to hold on to any negative energy you might have brought with you when you entered their shop.

“I brought the books you and Tansy ordered.” I set the pink bag with the Coffee Cat Books logo on the counter.

“How nice of you to deliver them. Tansy said you’d be by today to ask about Roxi Pettigrew.”

“She did?” Even I didn’t know I intended to ask about Roxi. “Is she here?”

“Actually, she isn’t. Before she left, though, she asked me to inform you that Beatrice will be by to help.”

“Beatrice? Who’s Beatrice?”

Bella shrugged, but I was willing to bet she knew.

If recent history was an indicator, Beatrice would be a cat with witchy ways who would become a temporary part of my life.

“When will Tansy be back?” I asked.

“She’s away on retreat, so it’s hard to say exactly, but I’m sure she’ll be back when it’s time.”

“Time for what?” I asked.

“I’m afraid I really don’t know. Tansy did want me to give you this.” Bella handed me a salve made of a mixture of herbs and other natural substances. “It’s for your shoulder.”

“But my shoulder is fine,” I responded.

Bella just smiled.

“How did those herbs I sent over for Maggie work out?”

My Aunt Maggie had been exposed to arsenic over the past winter and, although it had worked its way out of her system, she still didn’t feel quite like her old self, so Bella often sent herbs over to help increase her energy level.

“They seem to have worked like a charm. Aunt Maggie told me just the other day that she felt better than she had in years.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been meaning to pay Maggie a visit, but first I was away at the yoga retreat and now Tansy is, so I’m handling the store on my own.”

“When exactly did Tansy leave?” I wondered.

Bella shrugged. “A few days ago. I guess it must have been Tuesday.”

“And she told you that I would be by today to ask about Roxi Pettigrew before she left?” I verified.

“Yes. Just as she was stepping onto the ferry.”

“Roxi Pettigrew’s body wasn’t found until yesterday,” I pointed out.

“Yes, I’d heard that. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“I don’t suppose you might be able to offer any insight as to how Roxi ended up in her grave?”

Bella winked at me but didn’t answer.

I thanked her for the salve and exited the shop. The sky had continued to darken and the wind had picked up just a bit while I was speaking to Bella. Storms on the island tend to blow in and out on a regular basis, but for some reason I had a bad feeling about this particular one. Was it a portent? Probably not. While Bella and Tansy seemed tuned into the subtle vibrations of the universe, I was barely able to keep up with the clues that hit me smack-dab in the face.

Deep in thought, I headed next door to Ship Wreck, the shop owned by the hippie couple, Banjo and Summer. The hut in which they lived sat on one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. Although they didn’t possess many modern conveniences, they seemed more content than anyone I’d ever met. Their shop carried a little bit of everything, from driftwood sculptures to homemade pottery to tie-dyed T-shirts. The sign on their door indicated that they were “open when they were open and shut when they were shut,” and that was exactly the hours they kept: random and unpredictable.

“Afternoon, Banjo,” I said as I walked in the front door. “I brought the books Summer ordered.”

“She’s not here right now, but I’ll be sure she gets them. How’s the new business going?”

“Really well. I’m glad we managed to get open during the summer. I feel like it gave us a running start going into winter. I guess you heard they’ll be cutting back on the ferry schedule.”

“Yeah, I heard. I guess it makes sense. We don’t get a lot of foot traffic during the week once the summer crowds are gone. Of course Summer and I are looking forward to the slower pace of winter. We’ve barely had a minute to catch up on our soaps or help Cody with his remodel.”

Banjo and Summer lived just down the beach from Maggie’s neighbor, Mr. Parsons. The free-spirited couple didn’t own a television, so they tended to hang out with him to watch the old soap operas he had on tape. Cody had moved in to the third story of Mr. Parsons’s house after he moved back to the island and was in the middle of remodeling the space to meet his needs.

“Cody will probably be busy working on the Roxi Pettigrew story for a while,” I commented.

“Yeah, it’s an odd one all right. Gotta admire the ingenuity of the killer. Who would ever think to look in someone’s grave for their body? If the killer had done a better job replacing the sod I bet no one would ever have known what became of the woman.”

“I guess we can rule out professional gardeners.”

“I’m not sure I’d do that just yet,” Banjo counseled. “I heard the ground covering the grave was cut with a sod cutter. Not a lot of people have access to something like that.”

“I’m pretty sure you can rent them. And if someone did rent one there would be a record of it. I think I’ll check into that.”

“The killer could have rented the device on the mainland and then brought it over on the ferry,” Banjo pointed out.

“That’s true. Maybe the possession of a sod cutter won’t turn out to be a clue at all. It’s frustrating when you think you’re on to something and then realize you really aren’t.”

“Victory comes to those with the patience to wait,” Banjo reminded me.

“Yeah, well, we both know I’m not the patient type. Did you know Roxi?” I asked.

“Not well, but she did stop in here from time to time and we’d chat. Summer didn’t care for her; she was pretty aggressive in her bid for attention from the male members of the community.”

I picked up a piece of driftwood that had been carved to resemble a pelican. It was really very good. I could see why Banjo’s creations were so popular with the tourists.

“I heard she’d been going out a lot since Jimmy passed,” I commented. “She must just have been lonely.”

“I saw her on the beach a week or two ago. She was with a guy, and she certainly didn’t look lonely, if you know what I mean.”

“When was that exactly?” I wondered.

Banjo appeared to be thinking about it. “It must have been the week before she turned up missing. It was late, probably around ten. There was a full moon and I decided to take a walk because Summer had turned in early with a headache. I happened across the couple, who were halfway to happyland, if you get my meaning. The only reason I knew it was Roxi for sure was because her red hair coupled with that Texas drawl made her pretty distinctive.”

“And the guy? Do you know who it was?”

“No. Didn’t see his face. But he had dark hair and a dark tan that showed off his white backside.”

“Do you think either Roxi or her date saw you?”

“I’m sure they didn’t. They were pretty distracted.”

“Yeah, I bet. I should get going. I still have one more delivery to make and it looks like it’s going to start raining any minute.”

Banjo looked out the window toward the darkening sky on the horizon.

“You have a couple of hours. Maybe more. I’ve spent a lot of years on the water and I can usually call things pretty close. I’d say these clouds are just the preshow.”

“I hope so. I’d like to get home before the worst of it hits.”

After I left Ship Wreck I continued down the street to the Bait and Stitch. One of the last places Roxi had been seen was at the Thursday night meeting of the Mystery Lovers Book Club. The club was planning to move to Coffee Cat Books in October, but for now it continued to gather in the sewing room of the Bait and Stitch, as it had for years. It occurred to me it was possible one of the members of the book club might know something that could help identify her killer.

“Afternoon,” I called. “I have your books.” I handed the package to Marley, who was sitting with Maggie and four other women at the quilting table, although none of them were quilting.

“Oh, good, I’ve been anxious to start that new mystery series I ordered,” Marley said after accepting the package and taking a peek inside.

“Tara ordered some extra copies for inventory because you recommended the author so highly,” I informed Marley.

“I’m sure they’ll sell. The author is really good, and she writes several different series.”

“We were just talking about our costumes for the ball on Saturday,” Maggie shared. “I’m trying to decide between my Marie Antoinette costume and my Scarlett O’Hara.”

“I’m sure either will create quite a stir,” I assured her.

Both gowns were low cut and Aunt Maggie had been blessed with an ample bosom.

“Who are you going to dress as?” I asked Marley.

“I thought I’d wear my Queen Victoria costume. Your aunt is trying to talk me into something a little more daring, but I think I’ll leave daring to her. How about you, dear? What do you plan to wear?”

“I really have no idea,” I answered honestly.

“The ball is next weekend,” Marley reminded me.

“I know. I guess I’ll figure something out.”

“So tell us,” Lillian Vale, one of the quilters, asked, “are you going to look into Roxi’s murder? Cody’s story caused quite a stir. I spoke to him earlier, and he told me that he not only sold out of the first run of the weekend edition of the paper but the second run as well. I guess he’s pretty stoked about all the new advertisers he’s managed to line up for the next couple of weeks.”

“It seems odd to be happy about someone’s success when it’s the result of the murder of one of our own,” Marley commented. “Still, I
am
happy Cody is doing well. I was tickled pink when I found out he was going to start up the paper. Things just weren’t the same without it.”

“So are you planning to investigate?” Maggie asked.

“I’m not sure,” I answered. “Tara and I are pretty busy with the bookstore, but Cody did ask us to help him brainstorm about possible leads. He really wants to have something new to report in the midweek edition of the paper.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to find all kinds of leads when it comes to identifying who might have wanted Roxi dead,” Doris Rutherford, the queen bee of the local gossip circuit, commented.

“I’ve heard from a few people that she’d been going out a lot since Jimmy died,” I responded.

“Rolanda Perkins told me that she saw Roxi hanging all over Tony Sommers a few nights before she was murdered,” Doris continued. “And with Tony’s wife about to have a baby and all. I felt bad that Roxi lost Jimmy, but she had no right to go snooping around men who were already taken.”

I knew Tony had dark hair and a dark tan, but so did more than half the men on the island.

“Roxi might have been fooling around with Tony, but I heard she was thinking about shacking up with Greg Westlake,” quilting circle member and book club enthusiast Olivia Oxford informed me.

Greg Westlake? Greg was kind of a nerd. He didn’t seem to be Roxi’s type at all.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Greg’s mama told me. She said Greg had already informed her that he was moving out of her basement and in with Roxi. I have to say Greg’s mama was none too happy about that. Greg is a good boy. The last thing a mama wants is for her little boy to end up with a woman like Roxi.”

Little boy? Greg was a thirty-five-year-old pizza delivery man. I would think his mother would be happy to see him end up with
anyone
.

“At least Greg was single,” I commented.

“Single or not, his mama was about as mad as I’ve ever seen her. If you ask me, I think the woman had a girl in mind for her son once he finished sowing his wild oats.”

“Greg doesn’t seem like the type who would let his mama pick out his wife,” I commented.