Read Online Cat-Eye Witness (A Klepto Cat Mystery) by Patricia Fry - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Fry
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friend, Charlotte; she has red hair. Why?”
Iris walked up to the table balancing a tray holding two tall glasses of iced tea. “Hello Detective Sledge,” she said dully, while setting the glasses in front of Savannah and then Michael. Tucking the tray under one arm, she took her order pad from her apron pocket and grabbed her pencil from the neatly wrapped twist at the back of her head. She faced the detective without looking at him. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Yes.” Sledge eyed the two glasses she’d brought to the table. “An iced tea sounds refreshing.”
Iris nodded. She addressed Savannah and Michael. “Are you two ready to order?”
“How about a waffle and sausage?” Savannah handed her menu to Iris. “With fruit.”
“And for you Dr. Mike?”
“Sounds good—same for me.”
“Anything for you?” She faced the detective, her eyes on her order pad.
“Nothing for me.” As Iris started to turn away, he said, “Actually, Ms. Clampton, I want to make an appointment to speak with you further and your older son.”
The woman froze in place and stared down at the floor.
“Iris,” Michael said, “are you all right?”
“Oh, yes,” she responded. She straightened her posture, glared over at the detective and said, “I’ll be home around three-thirty. You can come by at five, if you want. You have my address, right?”
“Yes. See you at five. And, Ms. Clampton,” he said as she started to walk away, “I’ll need a sample of your hair.”
“My hair?” she reached up with her hand and brushed back the loose strands she’d purposely left out when she wrapped her hair up that morning. “Why?” she asked.
“Protocol, just protocol. Do you have a brush or comb with you today? I could take the sample now.”
She stood staring at the detective. Finally, she snapped, “I’ll get it.” She spun on her heels and rushed away.
“She’s kinda uptight, ain’t she?” Sledge remarked.
Savannah and Michael didn’t comment. They just watched as their friend disappeared into the kitchen.
***
Savannah and Iris had become friends after Savannah moved to Hammond and into her aunt’s house. Iris was several years her senior. In fact, she’d gone to school with her Aunt Margaret. Life wasn’t easy for her. Iris had told Savannah of her difficult marriages and the heartbreak she experienced when her third husband left his two boys with her. She loved the boys and was dedicated to raising them as her own. They were good boys. But she worried about them—that they would be influenced by her older son Damon.
Not only did Iris work long shifts at the diner, but she did side jobs cleaning the veterinary clinic and a couple of other businesses. She and Savannah had hit it off when Savannah joined Michael in his practice. Iris had a knack for decorating and offered to help Savannah set up her office and examining room one weekend. That’s when she learned of Iris’s difficult past.
Savannah had been handling the trauma of her abduction and attack at the hands of Joe Forster pretty well. But one afternoon, she and Iris were working on the décor at the clinic, and she broke down. “It’s so silly,” Savannah said between sobs. “The smallest thing will set me off.”
“What happened?” Iris asked as she sat down on the floor beside Savannah, one arm around her shoulder.
“This darn catalog.” She stabbed her finger into the open page. “See this red plaid lumberjack shirt?”
“Yes.”
“That’s what Joe Forster wore the night he…” Savannah put her face in her hands.
Such an evil, evil man, she thought. He got it into his head that he should have Auntie Marg’s home because he was a blood relative of the Forsters and she merely married into the family. The way he harassed and threatened Auntie was terrifying enough, but then to have him break in and kidnap us and darn near kill us… It’s an awful nightmare that may never completely go away.
“Well,
Iris walked up to the table balancing a tray holding two tall glasses of iced tea. “Hello Detective Sledge,” she said dully, while setting the glasses in front of Savannah and then Michael. Tucking the tray under one arm, she took her order pad from her apron pocket and grabbed her pencil from the neatly wrapped twist at the back of her head. She faced the detective without looking at him. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Yes.” Sledge eyed the two glasses she’d brought to the table. “An iced tea sounds refreshing.”
Iris nodded. She addressed Savannah and Michael. “Are you two ready to order?”
“How about a waffle and sausage?” Savannah handed her menu to Iris. “With fruit.”
“And for you Dr. Mike?”
“Sounds good—same for me.”
“Anything for you?” She faced the detective, her eyes on her order pad.
“Nothing for me.” As Iris started to turn away, he said, “Actually, Ms. Clampton, I want to make an appointment to speak with you further and your older son.”
The woman froze in place and stared down at the floor.
“Iris,” Michael said, “are you all right?”
“Oh, yes,” she responded. She straightened her posture, glared over at the detective and said, “I’ll be home around three-thirty. You can come by at five, if you want. You have my address, right?”
“Yes. See you at five. And, Ms. Clampton,” he said as she started to walk away, “I’ll need a sample of your hair.”
“My hair?” she reached up with her hand and brushed back the loose strands she’d purposely left out when she wrapped her hair up that morning. “Why?” she asked.
“Protocol, just protocol. Do you have a brush or comb with you today? I could take the sample now.”
She stood staring at the detective. Finally, she snapped, “I’ll get it.” She spun on her heels and rushed away.
“She’s kinda uptight, ain’t she?” Sledge remarked.
Savannah and Michael didn’t comment. They just watched as their friend disappeared into the kitchen.
***
Savannah and Iris had become friends after Savannah moved to Hammond and into her aunt’s house. Iris was several years her senior. In fact, she’d gone to school with her Aunt Margaret. Life wasn’t easy for her. Iris had told Savannah of her difficult marriages and the heartbreak she experienced when her third husband left his two boys with her. She loved the boys and was dedicated to raising them as her own. They were good boys. But she worried about them—that they would be influenced by her older son Damon.
Not only did Iris work long shifts at the diner, but she did side jobs cleaning the veterinary clinic and a couple of other businesses. She and Savannah had hit it off when Savannah joined Michael in his practice. Iris had a knack for decorating and offered to help Savannah set up her office and examining room one weekend. That’s when she learned of Iris’s difficult past.
Savannah had been handling the trauma of her abduction and attack at the hands of Joe Forster pretty well. But one afternoon, she and Iris were working on the décor at the clinic, and she broke down. “It’s so silly,” Savannah said between sobs. “The smallest thing will set me off.”
“What happened?” Iris asked as she sat down on the floor beside Savannah, one arm around her shoulder.
“This darn catalog.” She stabbed her finger into the open page. “See this red plaid lumberjack shirt?”
“Yes.”
“That’s what Joe Forster wore the night he…” Savannah put her face in her hands.
Such an evil, evil man, she thought. He got it into his head that he should have Auntie Marg’s home because he was a blood relative of the Forsters and she merely married into the family. The way he harassed and threatened Auntie was terrifying enough, but then to have him break in and kidnap us and darn near kill us… It’s an awful nightmare that may never completely go away.
“Well,
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