Free Cats on the Prowl (A Cat Detective cozy mystery series Book 1) by Nancy C. Davis Page B

right there in front
of his eyes in that house. Don’t tell me little old Willow the house cat
noticed something you didn’t.”

    Nat frowned. “What are you talking
about?”

    “Didn’t you bother to look around the
house?” Willow asked. “Didn’t you look to see what sort of people lived there?”

    Nat’s whiskers twitched. “I don’t know
what you’re talking about.”

    Willow started walking again. She
answered Nat over her shoulder. “I was right about this neighborhood being
familiar. I’ve been here before. In fact, I used to live here. Annika Neilsson
was my old owner.”

    Nat stopped in his tracks. “What?”

    Willow nodded, but she didn’t stop
walking. Every minute before they found Carl and Naya was a minute wasted. “I
lived in that house. I know more about Jason Dempsey than anybody except maybe
Annika herself. He was in the Marine Corps before he moved here. He was
honorably discharged after serving five tours in Iraq, and he earned a whole
pile of medals. He had them mounted in frames in the hall of that house, right
in front of you, Nat.”

    Nat looked away. “That’s impossible.”

    “It’s the facts, Willow exclaimed. This
was one big plot to kill Roy for his money and distribute it between the four
of them. They were all in it together.”

Chapter 11
    Nat surveyed the surroundings. “How are
we going to break the news to Carl and Naya?”

    Willow surveyed the neighborhood from
the movie theater roof. “I don’t know, but we have to find a way to lead them
in the right direction. How we will accomplish that, I have no clue.”

    “We’ve been standing here for fifteen
minutes with no ideas,” Nat pointed out. “Let’s go back to the station.
Something might turn up.”

    Willow sighed and started to turn away.
All of a sudden, she stopped. “Nat, look.”

    In the distance, an unmarked cruiser
turned into the street and stopped in front of the Nickel Alley Cafe. “They’re
here.”

    Nat looked around. “They must be coming
to check on Jason’s alibi. If Chester and Bella saw Josephine and Jason in the
alley, maybe someone else did, too.”

    Willow sucked in her breath. When she
spoke, she barely made any sound. “Nat.”

    He followed her gaze. “Well, what do
you know about that?”

    “What’s he doing here?” Willow tiptoed
to the roof edge and peered down at Jason from above.

    He parked his car across the street and
sat in the driver’s seat for a moment. He scanned the alley, but he didn’t see
anything but a couple of cats hanging around the dumpster. He got out, looked
both ways, and strode across the street.

    “Let’s get down there,” Nat suggested.
“Something tells me this is our chance.”

    They trotted down the stairs and paused
at the top of the alley. Chester stuck his head out from under a pile of oily
newspaper when Jason approached. Bella yowled and jumped up onto the window
ledge. She perched between two clay flower pots and just managed to avoid
knocking them off.

    “Quick, Nat!” Willow whispered. “Run
around to the cafe and find a way to bring Carl and Naya out here.”

    “How am I going to do that?” he asked.

    “I have no idea,” she replied. “I’m
sure you'll think of something.”

    Nat ran back the other way and
disappeared. Willow ventured into the alley. Chester threw off his paper
covering, and Bella smiled down at her. Jason paid the cats no attention. He
hurried down the alley to another window near the ground level of a nearby
building and started digging through the dirt. He brushed the soil off a stainless
steel cylinder and shoved it into his pocket.

    “Can I do anything for you, my dear?”
Chester asked.

    Willow kept her eyes on Jason. “I need
your help, Chester. Carl and Naya are inside the cafe right now. We have to
find a way to tip them off that Jason is right outside.”

    “How do you plan to do that?” Chester
asked.

    Willow hesitated just long enough to
take her eyes off Jason.