Free Woof at the Door by Laura Morrigan Page A

have it, I knew someone I could ask.
    “Come here, Charm.” I led the cat away from the glass. I picked up the steel tray,
     flipped it over, and set it on a log to use as my seat. At least it kept Emma’s dress
     from getting any more grime on it.
    I took the cat’s head in my hands and looked straight into her large, intelligent
     eyes. “Now, tell me what happened last night.”

CHAPTER 6

    I watched Kai from where I sat on the large damp log. He snapped off his latex gloves,
     his face lined with frustration. The cops had come up empty. It had taken them four
     hours to figure out what I already knew. There was no murder weapon in the house.
    I’d been sitting on that log for a long time wondering how I was going to convince
     Kai, or Jake, or any cop, for that matter, that the reason they hadn’t found the gun
     that killed Mark Richardson was very simple. LaBryce didn’t shoot him. He had spent
     the night snoring on the couch with a jaguar pillow.
    I still hadn’t come up with a way to explain this to the police. I couldn’t tell them
     the truth—that the
cat
had told me what had happened the night before.
    From what I could gather, LaBryce had come home earlier than normal and let her out
     of her enclosure. He’d made himself several drinks and passed out on the couch, resting
     his head on her side.
    Apparently, this morning LaBryce had been hungover and irritated that the person who
     was supposed to be preparing meals for Charm and taking care of her when he left was
     not there. She called him “Foodman,” for obvious reasons. Charm showed me his face,
     which was no help because I had never seen him before.
    In Foodman’s absence, LaBryce had fed her something she had never had before—from
     the description, I thought it had probably been pizza.
    After that, he had left and hadn’t come home.
    Charm was LaBryce’s alibi. Not exactly something I could tell the cops. The truth
     did not always set you free.
    I saw Kai walk to a cop who seemed to have been stationed in the room to keep an eye
     on me. I guess they wanted to be sure that I didn’t tamper with anything. I understood
     the reasoning. But it still wounded my sense of pride to have a babysitter. Maybe
     the cops just wanted to be ready if Charm decided she didn’t like me anymore. I looked
     down at where she dozed peacefully at my bare feet. With my fancy dress and shoes,
     I probably looked like a shipwreck survivor on some tropical island. Except most people
     would be eaten alive by the cat that was drooling on my toes.
    I heard a light tap on the glass. Looking up, I saw Kai pointing to his cell. I guess
     he didn’t want to call me and startle the sleeping jaguar. I picked up my phone and
     called him.
    He answered as soon as it rang. “Hey, you ready to get out of there?” he asked.
    “If she’ll let me leave.” Charm looked up and I leaned over to stroke the huge spotted
     head. “Let me say my good-byes and I’ll be right out.”
    I hung up and was aware that Kai was watching me as I petted and talked to the jaguar.
     I leaned in close to the big cat’s ear and promised to be back soon. I slowly massaged
     her neck and allowed myself to feel her utter satisfaction.
    I placed my forehead against the jaguar’s and closed my eyes. “I’m going to make sure
     you are fed and have someone to look after you until this whole mess is sorted out,
     okay?”
    At the thought of food, Charm plopped a paw on my knee.
    “No.”
It’s not time to eat again yet, Miss Piggy.
    I stood, ignoring the hopeful look and gentle grumble and walked to the passageway.
     I turned to Charm, who had stood up to follow.
    “Stay,” I ordered with both my voice and my mind.
    I felt ridiculous standing there in the clingy dress pointing my finger at a jaguar
     like someone would a misbehaving poodle. But hey, it worked.
    I tugged on the ropes and slid the guillotine door open and secured them to the cleat.
     I crouched through the