“Well, cats keep showing up at the inn…”

  “The Kaiser Inn over there?”

  “Yes,” Iris said. “I’m the owner.”

  “Do you have cats?” Margaret asked, looking around.

  “Sure. One indoor cat and several barn cats, but I don’t think they’d be roaming. I’ve never known them to roam. What do the cats look like that are coming around your place?” She tilted her head. “Hey, you have cats over there, don’t you? I heard that you provide cats for your guests. I think that’s just the coolest idea.”

  Iris nodded. “Yes, I have five cuddle cats and they all stay inside, that is until the last week or so. My cats have been disappearing and other cats are coming in and taking their place as if by magic.”

  The woman guffawed. “Magic?” she repeated.

  “Yes,” Savannah said. “Say, could we take a look at your cats and see if we recognize them?”

  “Then what?” the woman asked, frowning. “Say, what’s your deal, anyway? Are you for real?”

  Margaret nodded. “We sure are.”

  She started to explain the situation when Savannah said, “Could we just take a quick look at your cats—you know, to ease our mind. We’re out looking for clues today as to what’s going on. It would really help us if we could just get a peek at your cats. Or you can show us a picture, if you don’t want us to see the cats,” Savannah pleaded.

  The woman glanced at each of her visitors, then said. “Wait here.” She returned with a large black cat in her arms. “This is Blackie.”

  “Nope,” Iris said. “I haven’t seen that one.”

  “Thank you,” Savannah said. “Can we see your barn cats?”

  “Sure. I guess,” the woman said. She put the cat down and joined the other women on the porch. “Come on,” she invited. She looked around. “There are a couple of them on that old rocker. There’s one coming out of the barn now. See him?”

  Iris nodded. “Nope, haven’t seen them before.” She turned up her nose. “They’re kind of scruffy.”

  “They’re barn cats,” Margaret explained. She pointed. “There are two over there. Looks like a mom and her kitten.”

  “That’s right,” the woman said. “That’s it. Oh, there’s another litter hidden somewhere around here, but I’m sure they aren’t able to wander that far off yet.”

  “Okay, thank you,” Savannah said.

  Before they could walk away, the woman asked, “So how many cats are you talking about?”

  Iris glanced at Savannah. “We’re not sure. Maybe a dozen; maybe more. They come and they go.”

  When the woman looked confused, Savannah said, “It’s the strangest thing.”

  “Sounds like it. Hey, good luck with your cat mission. Sounds a bit overwhelming. I mean, one cat coming around would be one thing, but a dozen? I can’t begin to imagine how that’s happening.”

  “Well, that was a waste of time,” Margaret grumbled as they walked toward the nearest housing tract.

  “Not really,” Savannah said. “Now we know that the cats aren’t coming from the farmhouse. We can cross that possibility off our list.” More cheerfully, she said, “Yay! We’re making progress.”

  Iris smiled at her friend and looked ahead at the row of houses. “So how do you want to do this?”

  Savannah suggested, “Let’s visit a couple of houses on each block and see if those residents know anything.”

  Margaret agreed. “Yes, if someone is hoarding a lot of cats or missing a lot of cats, a neighbor will surely know about it.

  “Okay,” Iris said. “Let’s get started.”

  ◆◆◆

  After about an hour the three women returned to the inn.

  “Anyone want a lemonade or iced tea?” Iris offered, leading the way into the kitchen. But she was stopped by what she saw when she entered the room. “What the…?” she started.

  “Oh, my,” Margaret muttered.

  “What happened?” Savannah asked.

  “It’s the cats,” Mattie blurted. “They tripped Clara and she fell down the stairs.”

  Iris rushed to the injured woman, who sat at the kitchen table holding a damp towel against her face. Ruth crouched next to her. “Oh, my gosh, Clara. Are you okay?” Iris asked.

  The woman nodded. “I caught myself before falling all the way down—just scraped my leg a little. What a shock. One minute I’m dusting the stair railing and the next I’m falling.”

  Ruth looked up at Iris. “It’s fortunate that she was only on the third step when it happened.”

  “Did you hit your head?” Savannah asked.

  “I guess so. I’ll probably have a little bruise on my forehead.” Clara said.

  Margaret winced. “Dang.”

  “So you saw a cat on the stairs?” Iris asked.

  “Yes. A Cheshire cat.”

  “A Cheshire cat?” Margaret questioned.

  “Big and fat with a round face and stripes. Reminded me of the Cheshire cat in the Alice and Wonderland stories I read to my grandson.”

  Margaret turned to the others. “Did we log one like that?”

  Iris shook her head in frustration. “I’ve lost track.”

  “I’ll get back to work now,” Clara said, removing the damp cloth and folding it. “I need to finish early today and pick up my grandson from preschool.”

  Iris put her hand on the woman’s arm. “Oh, Clara, why don’t you go now and take it easy for the rest of the afternoon. I’m so sorry this happened.”

  “No problem, Ms. Iris. I’m okay; truly I am.”

  “Well, whatever you think. I appreciate your loyalty, but I want you to be okay. You only have another hour. I’ll pay you for that, but I really think you should rest some this afternoon.”

  After considering the suggestion, Clara said, “Thank you, Ms. Iris. I will take your advice. But I can work an hour longer tomorrow.” She stood up and asked, “When will the cats be gone? I mean the extra cats—the ones that are causing the mishaps.”

  Iris sighed. “I don’t know, but we’re working on it.”

  “I hope so,” Clara muttered as she walked into the dining room.

  “Can I get you ladies something?” Mattie asked.

  “Water with lemon,” Iris said.

  “Three?” Mattie asked.

  “Please,” Savannah said.

  Margaret nodded.

  “So what did you find out?” Ruth asked

  “Absolutely nothing,” Iris said, dropping into a chair at the kitchen table.

  “Well, yes, we know one thing,” Savannah said. While the others waited, she explained, “It seems those cats are not coming from any of the neighbors.”

  “Really?” Ruth said. “Then where?”

  No one had an answer.

  ◆◆◆

  “We’re all invited to Rosemary’s birthday party tomorrow,” Savannah announced over dinner that evening. “She’ll be two.”

  “Where is it?” Gladys asked.

  “At Colbi’s and Damon’s. It’s just a little cake-and-ice-cream party after naptime.”

  “So two or three?” Michael asked.

  “Yes. Colbi suggested two thirty. We’ll put these guys down a little early so they’ll be awake and refreshed for the party.” Savannah smiled at her mother. “Have you and Auntie talked anymore about a trip?”

  “Yes,” Gladys said, beaming. “I think we’re going to take a road trip to see our siblings and some of their kids and grandkids.”

  “Oh, so you’ll be traveling south. Hasn’t Aunt Rose settled in Southern California near her kids? And Uncle Ray lives somewhere down that way, right? It seems like his last Christmas card came from near San Diego.”

  Gladys nodded. “Yes, and we’ll spend some time with cousin Janet and some of my former neighbors in the Los Angeles area. Maggie has a friend in Orange County too, so it’ll be a reunion of sorts.”

  “Sounds like a lot of fun. How long will you be gone in order to see all of those people?”

  Gladys laughed. “I hope our sister and brother will bring their families together so we can visit with them in one fell swoop. That would save time. We should be gone for only a week. In fact, we might fly down and rent a car to save that extra day of driving on both ends of the trip.”

  “Probably a good idea,” Michael said.

  “Yes, I just need to convince Maggie. She loves road trips, but she likes to stop a lot along the way, so we’d lose valuable days with family.”

  “Hey, Mom, you’ll be on vacation. Relax and enjoy the journey.”

  “Good advice,” Gladys said. “The point of a vacation trip is to get away and change your routine and your scenery.”

  Savannah nodded. “Exactly.” She jumped. “There goes my phone. Why do people call at suppertime?” she complained, picking up her phone and looking at the screen. “It’s Iris. Hello.”

  “Hi. Are you busy?”

  “Just sitting down to eat, why?”

  “Oh, Savannah, I hate to bother you, but I’m so overwhelmed right now.”

  “What’s wrong?” Savannah asked.

  “One of the cats has gone berserk. Mattie and I don’t know what to do.”

  “What do you mean berserk?”

  “It’s yowling and carrying on and won’t let us near it. I’m afraid it has rabies or something.”

  “Where’s Rupert?”

  “He and Ruth went out to dinner. Chris and Brett are here, but they don’t know what to do. Mattie suggested I spray it with water. She thinks maybe that will settle it down. I’m afraid it’s going to hurt one of the other cats or us.”

  “Is it one of your cats?” Savannah asked.

  “No. I’ve never seen this one before.”

  “Okay, how about if I come over and see if I can figure out what’s wrong?”

  “Bring Rags,” Iris said.

  “Huh? Why?”

  “Well, I thought he might be able to calm him.”

  “Where is the cat, Iris?”

  “Right here in the dining room. He just backed under the table and he’s growling at Brett.”

  Savannah winced. “Okay, leave him alone, but keep an eye on him so you know where he is. I’ll be right there.”

  “What’s going on?” Michael asked after Savannah ended the call.

  “Iris is having a problem with one of the cats. She said she hasn’t seen this one before and he came in with an attitude. Won’t let anyone near him. Sounds frightened to me, but so are Iris and Mattie. I’ll go over and see if I can help.”

  “Are you taking Rags?” he asked.

  She thought for a moment. “Well, Iris asked me to, but I’m not sure. Do you think I should?”

  “I do. He has a way of defusing situations with cats. Remember how good he was with the animals that came into the temporary clinic last year on Thanksgiving? I plan to take him again this year, you know.”

  Savannah looked at Rags, who lay on the floor just inside the service porch doorway, watching the activity in the kitchen. “Rags, want to go bye-bye?”

  Rags stood up and walked to her. “Okay, let’s get your leash,” she said. Once she’d fastened his harness around him, she slipped into her jacket and walked toward the door with the leash in her hand. “Come on, Rags, let’s go see what’s going on at Aunt Ris-Ris’s, shall we?”

  “I’ll keep your dinner warm for you,” Gladys called.

  ◆◆◆

  As Savannah stepped up onto the porch at the inn, Iris opened the door. “I’m so glad you’re here. Hi Rags. I hope you know how to communicate with this poor cat. He’s crazed, I tell you.”

  “Okay. Well, let’s stay calm so we don’t scare him even more. Where is he?” Savannah asked, removing her jacket. “Still under the table?”

  Mattie pointed. “Yes.”

  When Savannah saw Iris’s youngest son standing off to the side, she said, “Hi, Chris. Good to see you. You’re looking healthy.”

  He hugged her briefly, muttering, “Nice to see you.”

  “Brett,” Savannah acknowledged, nodding.

  “Hi,” he said. “So what do you think we should do?”

  “Well, let me get a look at the guy.” Savannah handed Iris Rags’s leash. “Here, hold him.” She motioned to the others. “Stand back, now.”

  Iris’s voice wasn’t more than a squeak when she said, “Be careful.”

  “Do you have a flashlight?” Savannah asked.

  “I’ll get it,” Mattie said. She disappeared into the kitchen and returned at once, handing the light to Savannah.

  “Something’s wrong with him,” Savannah said quietly after examining the cat from a distance.

  “Well, we know that,” Iris spat. “How do we get him out of here before he does damage?”

  Without responding, Savannah sat back on her haunches and reached for Rags’s leash. “Rags, see the kitty back there under that chair? Can you talk nice to him? He’s scared. We need him to calm down so we can help him.”

  Iris chuckled somewhat hysterically, then said, “Be careful, Savannah. He has sharp claws and he’s not afraid to use them.”

  “Shhh,” she shushed. She petted Rags and moved a little closer to the frightened cat. She whispered, “Get me a towel, Iris—a large towel.” She continued to crawl toward the cat. When he growled, she stopped, and that’s when Rags become interested. He took a few steps toward the cat before Savannah stopped him. When she heard the cat mew softly, she gave Rags’s leash more slack and he took advantage of it. “He’s starting to relax,” she whispered, carefully taking the towel from Iris. When she focused on the cat again, Rags was just a foot away from him.

  All three women watched as the frightened cat stood up and rubbed against Rags, then lay down again.

  “He’s in pain,” Savannah said. “See how he’s lying in a sort of meatloaf position? Something’s wrong. Rags, can you get him to come out of there so we can take a look at him?” She tugged a little on the leash. “Come out, Rags. Maybe he’ll follow you, and we can help him. Come on, Rags,” she urged, tugging gently on the leash.

  “He’s coming out,” Iris whispered.

  Meanwhile, Savannah moved aside with the towel and when the cat was within reach, she draped the towel over him, quickly wrapped him in it, and took him in her arms. “It’s okay, pretty kitty,” she crooned, holding him tightly. “It’s okay. We want to help you.”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Chris asked.

  “Well, I think he has something wrapped around his back leg. I caught a glimpse of it as he followed Rags out. I don’t think he was even using that leg at all. Can one of you hold onto him while I get a look at it?”

  Iris put her hands up to her chest and stepped back.

  Savannah looked at Mattie, who had fear in her eyes.

  “I can try holding him,” Chris said, stepping forward.

  “Good,” Savannah said, relaxing a little. “I want you to hold him tightly in this towel so he doesn’t squirm loose. Try keeping his eyes covered.”

  “Sure,” Chris said, joining her on the floor and wrapping his arms around the bundle.

  “Rags,” Savannah said, picking him up, “I want you to calm this poor kitty. You sit here where he can see you. Chris, go ahead and let him see Rags. If he gets scared, cover his eyes. Just knowing Rags is there might soothe him a little.”

  “Rags is a sedative, is he?” Brett asked, chuckling.

  Savannah nodded. “Sometimes, at least for animals.” She reached into the towel for one of the cat’s back legs. “This one looks okay,” she said. When she gently grasped the other leg, however, the cat stiffened and scrambled to get loose. “Hold on,” Savannah said. Once the cat had calmed down, she pulled the towel back again and said, “Oh, no.”

  “What is it?” Iris asked.

  “Get me some sharp scissors, Iris. Manicure scissors will probably work. He has something wrapped around this paw—fishing line, maybe. Gads, it’s tight.” She ran her hand over the cat’s fur. “It’s okay, buddy. We’ll get that off you and you’ll feel much better. Just relax for a minute.” She addressed Rags. “Tell the kitty we’re not going to hurt him, Ragsie. Keep him calm for us.”

  “Amazing,” Mattie said, clinging to her sister, who had just returned with Rupert. “Ruthie, you should have seen how scary that cat was. He acted like he was going to attack Ms. Iris.”

  “Sounds like he’s in pain and probably frightened,” Ruth said.

  When Iris handed her a pair of small scissors, Savannah said, “Hold tightly to him, Chris.” She then took the paw and began cutting the filament. “Hold still, sweetie,” she cooed. “It’ll be all better in just a minute.”

  When the cat pulled his paw back and began to struggle violently, Savannah dropped the scissors and helped Chris restrain him.

  “I can’t hold him,” Chris cried.

  Just then, Rags moved closer. He put his face inside the towel against the other cat’s face. When the cat began to relax, Rags put a paw on his paw. At that point, Savannah and Chris were able to readjust the towel and secure the cat more tightly.

  “Got it,” Savannah said moments later, holding up a wad of clear fishing filament. She petted the cat’s head as Chris continued to hold him. “How did you ever get into this mess, sweet kitty?” She then took the paw in her hands and massaged it a little before asking, “Iris, what do you want to do with this kitty?”

  Iris thought for a moment and Mattie said, “That isn’t one of the others.”

  “No?” Savannah questioned.

  “No, he came running in when I went out to take the garbage.”

  “Well, maybe he’s a neighborhood cat. Iris, do you have a carrier here?”

  “Sure—for our cuddle cats. Let me get one for you. What do you have in mind? Are you taking him home?”

  “I just might,” Savannah said. “I think we should see if we can find his owner. We have a chip reader at the clinic. Let’s start there. I have a key; want to ride over there with me?”

  Iris looked around. “Well, yeah, I guess I could. I’ll get the carrier and my jacket.” She observed, “He seems a lot more relaxed now. That thing must have really been hurting him.” She started to leave the room, then stopped and looked down at Rags. She shook her head. “Rags, you are one awesome cat.”