Cat Trick

At twelve thirty I took over the circulation desk so Mary and Mia could have their lunch. Later Abigail and I did a presentation on podcasts for one of the seniors’ book clubs. When I headed for the parking lot at quarter after five, I was glad I’d left dinner in my slow cooker. I’d hoped that Marcus might stop by, but I reminded myself that we’d disagreed about my getting involved in his cases before, and we’d always worked it out.

Owen was sitting on the top step by the back door when I got home. As soon as I unlocked the door, he followed his nose and went over to the counter to stare up at the slow cooker. The kitchen smelled like tomatoes, onions and spices. Owen tipped his head back and closed his eyes. If it smelled delicious to me, how good did it smell to him?

“That’s not for you,” I said. “That’s for Maggie.” Immediately he leaned back to look around me. “She won’t be here for another hour,” I said. “And Roma’s coming as well.”

The cat narrowed his eyes, whiskers twitching.

“Hey, I like Roma,” I said, kicking off my shoes. “And don’t forget Maggie likes her.”

Owen made a huffy noise that rumbled in his chest.

“Suit yourself,” I said, going over to peek through the glass lid of the cooker. “Roma was hoping you or your brother would try some cat food samples she was sent, to see if you liked them, but you don’t have to.”

There was a meow from the direction of the living room. Hercules was sitting in the doorway. He came about halfway across the room and meowed again.

“Would you like to be Roma’s taste tester?” I asked.

He sat down, curled his tail around his back legs and licked his lips.

I smiled at him as I went to the sink to wash my hands. “Thank you. Roma will appreciate that. I think there’s some kind of salmon-flavored bits and maybe chicken. I’m not sure.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Owen’s head whip around at the word “salmon.” His third favorite word after “sardines” and “funky chickens.” Fourth favorite if you counted “Maggie.”

He galloped across the floor, legs high in the air, and then sat down next to his brother, wiggling his backside and bumping Hercules with his hip, which got him a withering look.

“Oh, so you are interested in helping Roma?” I said.

He licked his lips just the way Hercules had done.

“Your brother volunteered first,” I told him as I dried my hands. “But if Roma needs a second opinion, you’ll be it.”

Owen glared at Hercules. Herc flicked the tip of his tail in return and came over to rub against my leg.

I told the cats about seeing Burtis with Lita in the library parking lot as I peeled the potatoes. “Do you think those two could actually be a couple?” I asked.

Hercules closed his eyes as though he were trying to imagine the two of them together. Owen, who was still sulking under the table, didn’t even look in my direction.

Then I told them about my conversation inside the library with Burtis. “He is right that the library is an important part of Mayville,” I told Hercules as I got the makings for a salad out of the fridge. “The usage numbers have gone up and they’ve stayed up.”

“Merow,” he said with enthusiasm.

“It wouldn’t have happened if Everett hadn’t paid for the renovations as a gift to the town and if people like Oren hadn’t worked so hard to see the work get finished. Everybody here cares about Mayville Heights. And so do I.”

I took down four tomatoes that had been ripening on the kitchen windowsill. “I’m thinking that maybe, maybe if I can figure out what happened to Mike Glazer, it could do more than put Old Harry’s mind at ease. Maybe it could somehow help save the tour proposal.”

Hercules put a paw over his face. Was that his very polite cat way of saying “Are you out of your mind?”

“It might help,” I said a little defensively. All I could see around the paw was one green eye looking at me.

I put the tomatoes on the cutting board and scooped the cat into my arms. He nuzzled my chin. “I could do it,” I said. “I could figure out how Mike died, and Maggie and Liam can convince his partners that basing a tour around Mayville Heights is a great idea.” I scratched the spot above his nose where his black fur gave way to white. “All I need is Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth and her bulletproof bracelets.”

He scrunched up his furry black-and-white face and tilted his head to stare at the ceiling.

“And the invisible plane would be good, too,” I said with a laugh. I put him back on the floor.