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  “It’s starting to rain harder, and you’re shivering. Let’s go.” He held out a hand and pulled the girl to her feet. He removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

  A slight grin lightened her features for a moment. “Very Sir Walter Raleigh of you,” she quipped.

  “Forget it. I’m not putting my jacket across any mud puddles.”

  They walked slowly along the dirt path.

  “Ben, I’m sorry. I know that I should not have come out here on my own. I’m so stupid. I wanted to surprise you: rescue Ghost and get the reward money for the agency. Help pay for my keep.”

  “You more than earn your wages. Sounds like you got close to Ghost. But it’s best to be safe.” He rubbed his thumb across a jagged scar. “A frightened animal can be dangerous.”

  “I don’t know what I was expecting. I thought he’d start to eat, and let me slip on his collar. Stupid.”

  Kalico punched her lightly on the arm. “Stop being so hard on yourself, kid.”

  They trudged in silence.

  Aware that he was entering forbidden territory, Kalico asked, “M’s, you mentioned wanting to escape. Are things that bad at home? Your parents aren’t….” He sought for the right word.

  Through lips thinned into a straight line, M’s replied. “No. Nothing like that. Dad just wants me to be his “sunshine girl,” and Mom actually bought me a pink dress,” she paused in outrage, “with ruffles.”

  Having grown up with three sisters, Kalico knew when it was best to remain silent. He waited, hoping that she would open up.

  As they stepped onto the paved trail, two small figures raced toward them.

  “Commander! Commander!” Freddie, still in camouflage, raced towards them, followed by a blond boy wearing khaki shorts and a bright red sweatshirt. “Commander Kalico! We’re here. Have you seen Ghost? Sorry we’re late, but Travis’s mom made him eat breakfast.” She glanced disparagingly at her companion. “I’ve been ready for hours and hours.”

  “Hi, Freddie. Nice to meet you, Travis.” Kalico solemnly saluted them.

  “Travis is excited to meet you,” Freddie said. “We’re ready for our orders.” She came to attention and glared at Travis until he too assumed the correct posture. She looked curiously at M’s.

  “Cadets, let me present my lieutenant, M. Moon. At ease!”

  The kids saluted. Smothering a grin, M’s returns their salutation. “Cadets Freddie and Travis, I understand that you are both experts at reconnaissance. We greatly appreciate your help.” M’s improvised. “Ghost was spotted at approximately 6:45 a.m.––I mean, at 06:45––in the meadow. We do not expect him to come out again while the park is crowded.”

  “We could track him through the woods,” Freddie suggested.

  “We could, but we don’t want to drive him away. Besides, it’s beginning to rain. We’d better go in for the day.”

  Freddie was crestfallen. “But poor Ghost. He’s going to get all wet, and he’s hungry, and cold and…”

  Kalico smiled reassuringly at the little girl. “He’s got a big, thick coat. Remember, huskies survive in snowy climates. Also, he’s smart. He’ll find some kind of shelter during the storm.” He crossed his fingers, hoping that he was telling the truth.

  “I guess,” Freddie said doubtfully.

  “Come on, Cadets. Let’s double time it!” M’s jogged rapidly toward the parking lot, followed by Kalico. The two cadets soon passed her, racing and shouting down the wet pavement, stopping finally beside the bright yellow Beetle.

  “We’ll patrol again tomorrow after school,” Freddie promised.

  Travis leaned over and whispered something to Freddie. The girl frowned and shook her head. He whispered again.

  Freddie grunted. “Travis can’t patrol tomorrow ‘cause he has to be tutored in math.”

  “Right. Thank you for your diligence. Remember, contact me if you see Ghost. Do not approach him on your own. That’s an order.”

  The young cadets saluted and ran off.

  M’s removed the jacket and handed it to Kalico. “See you back at the office in a few, boss.”

  “It’s Sunday. Go home. Put on some dry clothes. Read or watch TV. No need to work today.”

  M’s chin jutted out stubbornly.

  “Do the Montgomeries still prepare their famous Sunday brunches?” Kalico recalled fondly the times he’d feasted at the family’s table on homemade blueberry muffins, cheese omelets, crisp bacon, and home fries. His stomach grumbled.

  “Yes.”

  “Then go home and enjoy. I’ll see you on Monday.” He watched as she drove away and wondered if she would go home or find somewhere else to shelter for the day.

  ***

  Kalico peeled off his wet socks, threw his soaked tee-shirt over a chair, and ran paper towels through his dripping hair. He found a ragged burnt orange sweatshirt in his desk drawer, pulled it on, then stood barefoot in front of his white board. The faces of Margie Davis, Susan Jankowsky, and Jane Roundtree smiled benignly at him, joining the photographs of Nancy and Connor, Miss Winterjoy and Lynn. He began to make notes under each name.

  “That’s quite a rogue’s gallery you have there.”

  Kalico yelped, knocked over a chair, and dropped the folder he was holding, scattering papers across the floor. He turned to see Lynn Winterjoy, hands on hips, staring at him.

  “Lynn! You startled me.” He moved in front of the white board, attempting to block her view. “How did you get in here?”

  “The door was open.” She moved closer to him, her eyes still on the board.

  Kalico gestured toward the door. “Let’s go out to the reception area. Really, this information is privileged. I cannot allow…”

  Lynn planted herself in front of the board. “Check your phone.”

  He did and saw a message from Miss Winterjoy: Lynn and I conversed at length. Please treat her as my proxy. We have a plan. E. M. Kalico shrugged, relieved that he would not have to hide things from Lynn, especially since she’d already guessed much of what was going on. He righted his chair and started gathering his scattered notes, letting Lynn absorb the patchwork of information. At one point she moved her face to within inches of the board, then stepped back again. She tapped a finger beside a name, then followed an arrow to another name. Finally, she sat down in the chair in front of Kalico’s desk, removed her aqua North Face jacket and loosened her rose-colored scarf. Kalico noticed how the soft light from the window created reddish blond highlights in her hair. Anger, worry, incredulity, and, perhaps, amusement played across her face.

  Kalico met her gaze squarely and waited.

  “I can’t,” she began. “You can’t possibly…” She rose and paced around the room. “Ben, you don’t actually believe that someone is out to kill Nancy, do you? All of this,” she gestured toward the whiteboard, “is ridiculous. You seem to have followed Aunt Emelia down one of her rabbit holes!”

  An image of the staid and proper Miss Winterjoy, dressed in a blue and white checked pinafore with a frilly white apron tumbling into Wonderland popped into his head. Kalico stifled a laugh. “Is your aunt given to falling down rabbit holes?”

  “Not really.” Lynn sank back into the chair. “But her whole life has been framed by stories—reading them, telling them, teaching them. I think that a seed of a good story planted itself in her imagination after Nancy’s initial accident, and it’s interfering with her common sense.” She shook her head and shifted her gaze back to the white board. “And you!” Anger simmered in her blue gaze. “You’re encouraging her delusion!”

  “I’m gathering facts—as she hired me to do—to either dispel her delusion, as you call it, or to prove that there are grounds for concern.”

  “What possessed you to take her case anyway?”

  “Lynn, listen. Your aunt is a force of nature. I’d accepted her retainer before I had a chance to think, but after…”

  “You should have never taken that retainer!”

  “Miss
Winterjoy was determined that I should. I tried to return it after I did my initial investigation, but you know your aunt. She was adamant that I honor our agreement and finish out the week.” Kalico smiled ruefully.

  Lynn sighed. She knew her aunt’s stubborn streak well. “Okay, so let me make sure that I have it all straight.” She held up a finger. “First, Nancy has suffered three, potentially fatal accidents.”

  “Apparent accidents.”

  “Apparent accidents. Two,” she held up another finger, “there are several anomalies that could point to someone tampering with her brakes to cause the car accident and stealing her EpiPen.” She tapped her fingers on the red notes on Kalico’s board.

  “Yes. Red flags.”

  “And three, your suspects are comprised of four elderly women—including my aunt––, a college boy who happens to be Nancy’s grandson, and apparently me!” Exasperated and amused, Lynn faced Kalico with her hands on her hips.

  Kalico brushed a hand through his still damp hair, causing it to stand up at odd angles. “It’s a matter of opportunity.”

  “To relieve your mind, then, I was not present at the book circle meeting the night of Nancy’s fall, and I did not know that she was driving herself to Margie’s house.” She crossed her heart and raised her right hand as though swearing in court.

  Kalico cleared his throat, stroked an imaginary white beard, and asked, “Can anyone verify that you were home the night of the first book circle meeting? A boyfriend perhaps?”

  “I live alone, your honor. But my aunt will verify that I was not present.”

  “And your boyfriend?”

  “There is no boyfriend at this time.”

  “Very good. And will your aunt also swear that she did not tell you about her decision to not drive to Margie’s?”

  “Yes. We did not speak that week because I was swamped grading AP essays.”

  Kalico relaxed and stopped playing judge. “I concede. You did not have the opportunity. And Miss Winterjoy is not a suspect either.”

  Lynn moved to the white board and reached up to remove her picture.

  “Leave it, please.” Kalico stopped her, then added with a grin as she looked quizzically at him, “I like it.” After a moment’s hesitation, she left it.

  “Ben, honestly, do you think that someone is trying to harm,” Lynn swallowed, “or even to kill Nancy?”

  Kalico walked over to his small loveseat and picked up his wet socks, buying time as he formulated a response. He slipped his feet into his running shoes. “I don’t know. Each incident is mostly likely an accident. In fact, there is nothing to suggest that her fall was anything but an accident. People fall in their homes all the time—especially older people.” He fell silent and stared at the board.

  “But?” Lynn prompted.

  “But three accidents in less than three months could point to something more than bad luck. Someone could’ve tampered with her brakes. Someone could’ve have taken her EpiPen.”

  “By someone you mean Connor, don’t you?” Lynn scowled.

  “He did have both opportunity and means.”

  “And he is my aunt’s chief suspect!” Lynn turned and walked quickly to the door, stopped, and gestured to Kalico. “C’mon. I’m starving and my brain hurts. Let’s go out and have some lunch.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice for food.” Kalico turned off his computer, grabbed his backpack, and escorted Lynn to his car. “I’ll drive. Where do you want to eat?”

  “The rain’s stopped. Let’s go sit on the deck at Hula Hut. Water always calms me down and helps me think.”

  “Great. Then you can tell me all about the plan Miss Winterjoy and you have concocted.”

  “Only if you buy me a margarita.”

  “Deal.” And Kalico pointed his Civic south toward Lake Austin. They rolled down the windows to let in the cool, rain-fresh air, riding in comfortable silence. Kalico glanced at his companion, registering the sprinkle of light freckles across her nose and noting the lingering worry evident on her brow. Yes, margaritas were in order. He turned onto Lake Austin Blvd. Chicken Quesadillas, a frozen margarita, and a lovely companion: he suddenly felt light hearted. “Lynn, tell me about yourself.”

  Before she could answer, Kalico’s phone began to bark. He nodded at her apologetically, and answered. “Hello. This is Kalico.”

  “Ben! It’s Lois.” Her voice was high-pitched and tense. “Stanley’s missing. He’s gone. I’ve looked everywhere.” She choked back a sob. “Please, you’ve got to come.”

  Kalico looked at Lynn who nodded okay. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. And, Lois, try to calm down. Stanley won’t come out of hiding if he senses your stress.” He made a quick U-turn. “We’ll find him.”

  “Dog?”

  “No, cat.” Kalico waited for a wisecrack about being the cat detective, but Lynn stayed silent. “Stanley belongs to my parents’ next door neighbor. I’ve known this cat since he showed up as a little ball of gray fluff outside of Lois’s front door.”

  Eight minutes later, he pulled up in front a ranch style house with a deep front yard shaded by tall oak trees. Three teenage boys on bicycles grouped by the mailbox waved as Kalico parked. A tiny girl twirled on the lawn, chanting, “Kitty, kitty, kitty” to the sky. Five adults on the front porch turned in unison at the Civic’s approach. Two women broke away and rushed toward the car as Kalico and Lynn emerged.

  “Benji!” A plump, red-haired woman in her fifties hugged Kalico. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “Call me Ben, Mom.”

  A petite woman in her early forties grabbed Kalico as his mother released him. “Oh, Ben. We can’t find Stanley anyway.”

  “It’s going to be okay, Lois. We’ll find him.” Kalico surveyed the crowd, trying to hide his dismay at the noise and activity. “I see you’ve gathered a search party?”

  “Yes, yes. We’ve all been around the block at least a dozen times, but no Stanley.”

  Kalico’s mother’s attention shifted to the lovely young woman standing beside the car. “Hello. I’m Katherine Kalico.” She smiled and extended a hand. “Please excuse my son’s bad manners.”

  “Sorry. Mom, Lois, this is Lynn Winterjoy.” Kalico made the introductions wishing his mother did not look quite so pleased or so curious.

  “Nice to meet you both, but I’m sorry that it’s under such circumstances,” Lynn said.

  “I’m afraid that we interrupted your—date?” His mother smiled delightedly at her son.

  Kalico was at a loss for how to respond when Lynn chimed in. “We were just going to grab a late lunch at the Hula Hut. Finding Stanley is much more important.”

  “Yes! My Stanley. He’s never been outside.” Panic sparked around Lois, and she grabbed Kalico’s arm. “What should we do?”

  Kalico took charge. He directed Lois to email a picture of Stanley to him and to his mother. He asked his mother to create posters with the cat’s picture and the Kalico agency’s phone number. Then he called the gathered neighbors together.

  “Hi, folks. Thank you so much for volunteering your time to find Stanley. We’re getting pictures of Stanley copied for you to handout to people in the surrounding area.” His mother nodded, smiled at Lynn, and hurried to the house next door. “I’d like us to search in concentric circles with Lois’ house as the epicenter.” He pulled up a neighborhood map on his iPhone. “Boys, since you’re on bikes, why don’t you scout these streets farthest from us? Remember to go slowly and quietly; look high and low. Do not go into any backyards without permission.” He turned to a fit, young couple wearing matching Texas A & M t-shirts. “Jessica and Matt, would you take the next blocks in?” He showed them the streets on his phone. They nodded.

  “We brought some cat treats—Seafood Medley,” Matt offered. He then called and motioned to the child who was still dancing in circles around the yard. “”Leanne, come here now. We’re going to search for the kitty.”

  “Stanley loves his kitty treats,�
�� sighed Lois.

  “Terrific,” concurred Kalico. He next approached an elderly man who leaning on a walker. “Hello, Mr. Douglas.”

  “What? Speak up.”

  “I said ‘hello.’” Ben shouted.

  “Hello! No need to shout. I came to see what all the commotion is about.” He shook his head. “Stupid cat. Doesn’t know when he has it good.”

  “I suspect he wants to get home about now,” Kalico offered.

  “True. True. So what can I do to help? Afraid I can’t go traipsing around the block.” Mr. Douglas looked ruefully down at the walker.

  “Of course not. Would you be willing to be our lookout? Just sit quietly on the porch and watch in case Stanley comes home.”

  “Will do.” He shuffled to the porch, slowly climbing the stairs step by step, and settled himself in a forest green Adirondack chair.

  “Lynn and I will take the houses immediately around here.” Kalico turned to the group of anxious faces. “Be sure to text me if you spot him. He’s most likely to come to Lois, so don’t approach him, and whatever you do, do not chase him. Any questions?”

  Mrs. Kalico appeared at her son’s elbow with a stack of flyers. Stanley’s enigmatic golden eyes peered out from the pages. They handed out flyers, made sure everyone had Kalico’s cell phone number, and the search party dispersed.

  “But Ben, what do you want me to do? I can’t just wait here.” Lois paced nervously.

  “Let’s go inside, and you can tell me exactly what happened. Then I’ll need to collect a few of Stanley’s things to help us get him when we find him.”

  A few moments later, Kalico, Lynn, and Katherine were settled in Lois’s living room. A cat’s scratch tower dominated a corner of the room and a window mounted cat bed was set up in the front window. Various cat toys littered the otherwise pristine room and framed photographs of Stanley graced the mantle.

  Lynn studied with interest the images of the rotund gray cat with four white mittens and a white tip on his tail. “He’s a handsome, big boy,” she commented. “Stanley’s an unusual name, but it suits him.”

  “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Lois smiled mistily at her cat’s picture. “He’s named after my late husband. Every time I say his name, I remember my Stanley.” She gestured toward a picture of a young man, grinning into the camera as he washed a vintage Mustang convertible.