Free Patricia Fry - Klepto Cat 05 - The Colony Cat Caper by Patricia Fry

offered.
    “What?” Margaret asked. “To change their minds about having the baby?”
    “Or he wants you to move the baby up to his room,” Colbi suggested. She then looked down at the photo and walked over to place it on the divider between the kitchen and dining room.
    “Wait,” Iris said. “Let me see that again, would you?” She took the photo, stared down at it and then said, “I think I’ve seen this guy in the diner.” She studied the picture. “Only he was older than this. This fellow looks to be about twenty-five, wouldn’t you say? The man I’ve seen is more like forty…maybe this guy’s dad. I’ll check him out good next time I see him.” She handed the photo back to Colbi and said, “Sorry to bail on you all—gotta get up early tomorrow.” She grabbed her coat and purse and waved at the others as she stepped toward the front door.
    About twenty minutes later, Savannah arrived home. As she greeted her husband and Lexie, who rarely missed a homecoming, her cell phone ran g. She looked at the screen and answered it saying, “Hi Iris, what’s up?”
    “Well, I thought you’d be interested in this.”
    “What?” Savannah asked looking puzzled.
    “I was on my way home when I see this woman walking along the road. Come to find out, it’s C amille.”
    “Camille?” Savannah said with a yawn.
    “Wake up, Savannah…” she laughed. “Camille from the meeting tonight.”
    “Oh yeah. Wow. Walking? Did her car break down or something?”
    “Well, I stopped and asked that. But no. She said she walks everywhere. She was walking home. Of course, I offered her a ride. She said no at first, but finally agreed. I mean it’s cold out there and she was just wearing an unlined twill jacket.”
    “So how far away from there does she live?”
    “That’s what I thought was so strange. She wanted me to drop her near the industrial park—you know, at that housing tract out there.”
    “Oh, that’s a bit of a walk and in those platform sandals—wow.”
    “Well, no, she was wearing sport shoes. …had her sandals in that big purse she carried.”
    “Still a long walk.”
    “Yeah, but it gets more strange,” Iris said. “She wanted me to drop her outside the tract. I insisted on taking her right to her door. I wasn’t going to leave her out in the boonies like that—a woman alone. Finally she agreed and directed me to an address on Quail Street. She got out and, as I always do when I drive someone home at night, I watched to make sure she got inside okay.”
    “Sure—common courtesy,” Savannah said.
    “Well, she walked toward the house and then turned and waved. I sat in the car and waved—waiting for her to go on in. And I waited and waited. She motioned for me to go on. I waited some more. Finally, she sat down on the porch.”
    “She sat on the porch?”
    “Yes, she just sat there and motioned for me to go.”
    “So what did you do?”
    “Hell, I have to get up early tomorrow morning. I have the morning shift. I left.”
    “And she was still sitting there?” Savannah asked.
    “Yup. Who does that?”
    “Wow, I don’t know. Seems odd. That was nice of you to drive her home, though—if that even was her home,” Savannah said with a laugh.
    “That’s what I was thinking. But why in the world wouldn’t she want me to know where she lives? Does she think I’m a stalker or something?”
    “Hard to tell. You were fawning over her clothes,” Savannah said with a laugh.
    “Those were cute shoes—looked good with her black leggings,” Iris said.
    “Well, I don’t think we’ll see her again,” Savannah predicted.
    “Why?”
“She just didn’t seem into cats, that’s all.” Savannah didn’t wait for a response. Instead she said, “Hey, night-night time for me. Been a long day and Adam’s here this weekend. I’m going to bed.”
    After ending the call, Savannah looked over at her husband, who had been reading a Kindle book. “So, is our favorite guest he re all