“You see, I’m leaving all of my worldly goods to the care of my cats for as long as they live.” She paused, and asked, “Wouldn’t you? I have no children. I’m beholden to no one except my dear fur babies.” She slapped one palm against the arm of her chair. “…and I feel strongly that I must care for them even from the grave.” Then lifting a small, long-haired tabby onto her lap, she murmured, “I’m sorry Tabitha Tabby. Did I startle you?” She kissed the cat on top of the head, then let her go to scamper across the room.

  Both women laughed while watching her skitter to the top of a cat tree and attack a black cat twice her size.

  “They are a laugh a minute, aren’t they? So entertaining. Who needs TV or those other electronic gadgets when you have cats about?” June asked.

  Savannah reached down to entice a silver-shaded Persian, who was curious enough to comply. “He’s a beauty,” she said, petting his rich, full coat. “How do you keep them looking so good?”

  “I have full-time groomers, don’t ya know? I love the long-hairs.” She peered at a large black-and-grey short-haired tabby. “There are a few oddballs among them, but most of my kitties have full coats.” She turned to Savannah. “Marco and Ginger are here like clockwork every morning to groom the cats. In fact, they just left. Today it was Tinker Toy’s and Tondra Sue’s turn. Mazie Mae was supposed to be groomed, but we’ll put her back into the system after she’s had a few day’s rest.” Looking in Savannah’s direction, she added, “You need a system when you have this many cats.”

  Savannah nodded, then laughed when she saw Marmalade chase Rags through one of the several nylon fabric tunnels in the room. Turning to June, she asked, “So you seem to think Mazie Mae’s disappearance was the result of a malicious act?”

  June frowned. “The more I ponder it, the more I’m convinced it was. Frankly, no one close to me likes my cats…at least not the way I do. I wouldn’t leave them to any one of those vultures. Oh, some of my staff and relatives pretend to like them, but I can tell there’s little actual affection.” She squinted in Savannah’s direction. “The cats show me who cares and who doesn’t. And I can tell you, there’s no one in my life right now whom I can trust to look after my babies. That’s one reason I’m eager to meet with the cat alliance—to find someone who will not only care for them, but who will also love them when I’m gone.” She took a sip of tea and placed the cup in the saucer. “There’s one man on staff I’d trust with the cats. Andrew interacts with them daily. He truly cares about them. But, criminy, Andrew’s pushing retirement age. I must find someone who’ll outlive them—all of them.”

  Savannah shook her head. “How awful to feel as though you can’t trust those around you.”

  “Oh don’t get me wrong. I trust them with my life. Why, my niece, my wonderful attorney, Megan, my stepson, they’re all trustworthy. I know they care about me. But when I told them that my estate will go to the cats’ care, that’s when they started going crackers. My niece wants to have me committed, for heaven’s sake.” She glanced at the doorway and whispered, “Sometimes I think they’re all conspiring behind my back, and it started once I made my deathbed wishes known.”

  Savannah thinned her lips. “Are you sure?”

  June’s eyes flashed. “Yes, I’m sure!” She looked suspiciously at Savannah. “Now you’re not siding with them, are you? Do you think I’m imagining things, too?”

  “No, June. No. I just wondered if you’d considered…” She paused. “Obviously, I’m not in a position to draw any sort of conclusion. I just…”

  “Oh, never you mind.” June studied her guest for a minute. “Just understand this: I know what I’m doing. Believe me on that.”

  “I believe you,” Savannah said, not knowing what else to say.

  June stared at her guest for a moment, then, softening her voice considerably, she said, “So tell me about yourself, dear. Are you an educated woman like your sister—the doctor?”

  Savannah smiled. “As you know, I’m the mother of a toddler. You met Lily.”

  “Yes, a sweet baby.”

  “I’m also a veterinarian.”

  June’s eyes widened. “Really? How lovely. And your folks? What do they do?”

  “My father’s gone now. He ran Jordan Farm Equipment in Hammond for many years and my mother is retired—she lives in Los Angeles.”

  “I remember your father. My deceased husband played golf with him, as I recall.” She squinted her eyes. “…or was it tennis.” She looked at Savannah. “Maybe they belonged to the same civic organizations.” She then asked, “Your parents, did they love cats, too?”

  Savannah chuckled. “Not really. Not like you and I do.”

  “Yes, unfortunately, there are not enough people like you and me.”

  “But you’ll meet quite a few other avid cat people tomorrow at the Hammond Cat Alliance meeting,” Savannah said.

  Suddenly a faint bell chimed. June sat straight and clasped her hands together. “Guess what time it is, kids. It’s treat time. Come on everyone; let’s have a treat.” As most of the cats complied—stepping out of their cozy beds, jumping down off some of the several cat trees, and moving to the center of the room, she announced, “Remember, we have a guest today. Give Ragsdale room, now. Don’t be pushy.”

  Savannah scanned the area for Rags. “Where did he go, anyway?” she asked. “I just saw him up on that padded shelf a minute ago.”

  June chuckled. “Yes, do you like my kitty cubbies? That was Andrew’s idea—a wall maze of shelves where the cats can climb and play, perch, or curl up and snooze. I have a picture of almost all the little niches filled with fur bodies. It’s quite a spectacle to see. That’s when I had thirteen cats—all but one of those slots were occupied that day.” She scoured the area and sighed. “There are many places for a cat to hide in this room. Ragsdale!” she called. “Ragsdale, come out, come out, wherever you are. Treat time.” She asked, “Does he get treats at home?”

  “Yes, but not on any sort of…regular schedule.” Just then Savannah noticed Rags peering out from inside a blue nylon cat tunnel. “Treat. Want a treat?” she enticed.

  “Well, that got his attention, didn’t it?” June said, chuckling as the two of them watched Rags climb out of the tunnel and head toward Savannah, his nose in the air.

  Once almost all the cats were accounted for, June reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of treats. As she distributed them, she spoke softly to each cat, calling them by name and speaking words of endearment. “Tinker Toy, you’ve been such a good boy. Here’s your special treat. Tabitha Tabby, you’re my little angel girl. Ragsdale, you are a smart and dear, dear boy. Bentley, my little gentleman kitty…” After all the cats had received their treats, most of them began grooming themselves. “I love watching them take their baths,” June said. “Aren’t they cute?”

  Savannah smiled. She then said, “Nine, I counted nine cats—that is, with Mazie Mae. Michael said there were eight.”

  “Eight, nine, twelve,” June said impatiently, “what’s the difference? Who keeps a tally? I know who’s here and who isn’t, who needs special attention, who’s being picked on. Why, I know more about the cats that live outside there, than most people know about their own cats.”

  “You have outside cats, too?” Savannah asked.

  “Yes, but not by design. You know, people drop them off or move to another neighborhood without taking their pets and the cats find each other. They go wild and try to live off the land. But that doesn’t work. Do you know that, Savannah? They need help.” She began to tear up. “So I embrace them as part of my family, and I expect someone to continue caring for them after I’m gone, as well.”

  “How many are in the colony?” Savannah asked.

  “Oh, about a dozen, I’d say.” Her face lit up. “A few of them will come as far as the back door now. Makes it easier to feed them and monitor their health. Andrew puts out food for them near the porch and he also scatters food beyond that stand of trees out there. That’s as close as some of the cats will come.”

  “You’re a true friend to the cats,” Savannah said. “We’ll be most pleased to welcome you into the cat alliance.” She looked at her watch. “I’d better go now. It’s almost time to pick up my daughter.”

  “She goes to school?”

  “It’s a day care. We decided she needed more socializing with her peers. Being an only child, so far, we thought she ought to have the opportunity to learn about sharing…things like that.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  “Come on Rags,” Savannah coaxed.

  But Rags didn’t want to be bothered. He simply looked at her while lying upside down in a hammock. When she spoke to him again, he closed his eyes and scrunched down into the canvas. “Rags,” she said more sternly, walking closer to where he lay. She reached for him, but he wriggled out of her grasp and ran up one of the seven-foot cat trees. “Darn it, Rags,” she said under her breath, when she saw him looking down at her and swishing his tail back and forth.

  “Here, give him this,” June suggested, opening her hand and revealing one of the kitty treats.

  Savannah winked at the woman. “You believe in bribery, huh?”

  June grinned. “Certainly. How else can one get compliance from a cat?” A smug look on her face, she said, “Works for me.”

  When Savannah showed Rags the treat, he began sniffing the air. Soon, he was leaning over trying to catch the scent more distinctly and that’s when Savannah placed it on a lower level of the cat tree. Completely captivated by the aroma, the lanky cat leaped down and Savannah slipped the harness on him while he enjoyed the tasty morsel.

  “This has been nice,” Savannah said, as she prepared to leave.

  June smiled widely. “Yes, delightful. Just delightful.”

  “So I’ll pick you up at one forty-five tomorrow, if that’s okay,” Savannah said before leaving with the reluctant cat.

  ****

  The following afternoon, fifteen members of the Hammond Cat Alliance (thirteen women and two men) along with two guests gathered at Margaret and Max Sheridan’s home. President Ida Stone called the meeting to order. “For those of you who don’t know our guests, I’d like to introduce June Balcomb and Violet Hope. Welcome, ladies.”

  After calling for officers’ reports and discussing old business, Ida asked for new business and June spoke. “Is it okay to bring up my concerns now?”

  The president nodded. “Certainly.”

  “Well, first I want to give your organization a donation.” She motioned toward Savannah. “You see, one of my cats escaped—or was taken—and she found her way to the Iveys’ home. I offered Dr. Mike and Savannah a generous reward, but they asked if, instead, I’d donate it to your organization.” She glanced around the room. “After listening to your president and your committee chair-people and hearing about all the good you do for cats, I’m proud to give the Hammond Cat Alliance a sum of $5,000.”

  There were several comments: “Wow!”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Balcomb.”

  “What a generous gesture.”

  June said, “My cats mean the world to me…” Dabbing at her eyes, she continued, “And I’m so thankful to have my precious Mazie Mae back.”

  “Oh, the Himalayan,” Betty Gilbert said. “I read about her in the paper.” She glanced in Savannah’s direction. “The Iveys found her?”

  Edie Minsky chimed in. “I know how frightening it can be to have a sweet kitty missing.” She looked around the room at the others. “Remember when my Sally was lost?” Smiling, she said, “Her story had a happy ending, too.”

  “What a blessing,” Dora Lipton said. “I’m so glad your kitty’s okay.”

  “Believe me, so am I,” June said. “…which brings me to my second topic of new business.” She motioned toward Ida Stone. “I’ll have my attorney cut a check for you—formalities, you know.” She then made eye contact with several members around the room. “I’m looking for someone who will take care of my cats when I leave this planet. I prefer that it be a woman—someone much younger than I am. For those of you who can’t guess, I’m ninety this year.”

  There was a rumble of comments. “Ninety? You don’t look it.”

  “That’s young.”

  “Yeah, you’re spry for someone that age.”

  June smiled. “Well, thank you all, but it’s true. I’m nearly ninety and I plan to check out sometime before I hit the century mark.” When several members seemed confused, she said defiantly, “I won’t stick around for people to fawn over at some ridiculous hundred-year birthday party where I’m babbling incoherently and slobbering lemon cake down my chin while paparazzi snap pictures for the social page of the newspaper.”

  The room filled with chuckles. Once the laughter and comments had subsided, June continued, “I’m seriously looking for someone who loves cats as much as I do and who’s willing to follow my last will and testament instructions to the letter.”

  “How many cats do you have?” Edie asked.

  “Eight.”

  Savannah said. “No June, remember, we counted nine yesterday, plus your outdoor cats.”

  “Yes, that’s right; there are nine at the moment. There may be more or there may be fewer when my time comes.” She glanced around the room. “As Savannah says, there’s a gathering of feral cats I want included, as well.”

  “It would take quite a space to accommodate that many cats,” Margaret pointed out.

  “Oh yes, that’s right; but, whoever takes on this labor of love will also get my home. I do not want the cats to be displaced. She will get a salary because I expect her to care for them full-time without any interference from outside distractions. I’d also like her to learn how to groom them and trim their nails. She must do everything except the veterinary, although, I insist that she be able to administer pills, give subcutaneous fluids if needed—that sort of thing.” She looked around the room at a sea of blank stares, then said, “To be clear, I do not want to hand over this job—or should I say this privilege—to someone who runs a cattery of any sort. No, I want my kitties to be a priority from start to finish—from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.”

  One of Savannah’s best friends, Iris Sledge broke the silence. “Colbi, that sounds right up your alley, hon. When you and my son get married, you would have a fun job, a place to live, and a whole bunch of kitty cats to play with.”

  Colbi smiled. “Well, it’s tempting for sure. But I can’t give up my writing career.”

  “Look at the job security!” Iris said.

  “I guess you don’t understand, Iris. Sure, I love cats, but writing is also my passion. I have to write. There’s no way I can give it up.”

  Iris winked. “Yeah, I get it. That’s how I feel about home decorating.”

  “I’d love to do it,” Edie said, “if I were younger.”

  Betty nodded. “Me too, but we also have dogs and horses. I don’t think that would work.”

  Suddenly from across the room, a soft voice spoke up. “I’m new to this organization. My name’s Violet and this is my first time here. I’m an artist and I specialize in cats. I thought I might make some contacts among you all.” She chuckled. “I also have a house full of fur kids. I rescue black cats.”

  “Bless you,” June said.

  Ida reached out next. “Nice to meet you, Violet. We’d love to see your work.”

  “Thanks. I left some brochures on the table over there.” She glanced down at the teacup in her hand before making eye contact with June. “I may know someone who would be interested in taking care of your cats.”

  June leaned toward Violet. “Yes?”

  “She’s young, loves cats, has a business head, and is between careers and relationships. She’s also sweet and kind.”

  “Oh, I must meet this woman. Where is she? When can I meet her?”

  Violet looked down again. “Well, she won’t be here until sometime next week, I’m afraid. Can you wait to meet her then?”

  “I’ll pay for her flight, if that’s what it takes. Can you call and tell her that? Who is she, by the way, a friend?”

  “She’s my daughter.”

  “Where is she? How can we get her here?”

  “Well…” Violet stalled. She then said, quietly, “She’s in jail right now.” When she saw the expression of disappointment on June’s face, she added, “It’s not what you think. In fact it was because of her passion for cats that she wound up there.” She hesitated. “I’m afraid she can be a bit of an activist and she got involved where maybe she shouldn’t have in order to save a litter of kittens and the mother cat.” Violet tilted her head and continued, “Actually, she did save most of the kittens, and that’s the important thing, especially from her perspective.”

  June looked shocked for a moment, then she relaxed a little and shrugged. “Well, some of our most powerful and virtuous leaders have been imprisoned for doing the honorable thing.” She said quietly, “I’d like to hear the story. Will you tell me the story?”

  Violet glanced around the room and saw that all sixteen of those present sat waiting for her to speak. “We have hoarders in our neighborhood. They have cats everywhere. Some are running loose, but others are kept in cages in deplorable conditions. Some of us have tried to help these people and educate them. We’ve even resorted to reporting them, but nothing seems to come of it. One day my daughter heard what sounded like a cat in distress. She went over there to see what was going on and to find out if she could help. Well, they already hate us and most everyone else in the neighborhood. They resent our interference. So when Mrs. Gillingham finally opened the front door and saw Nola standing there on her porch, she slammed the door in my daughter’s face. Nola shouted through the door, letting her know that one of her cats was in trouble, but the woman didn’t respond. So Nola followed the sound into the backyard.” Violet took a deep breath. “She found a mother cat trying to give birth. When she realized there was a problem, she snatched the cat and rushed her to the nearest vet.”