Read Online Cat Herding: A Yellow Rose Cozy Mystery Short (Yellow Rose Mystery Series) by K. P. Hilton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: K. P. Hilton
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Women Sleuths, Mystery, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Animals, cozy, 30 Minutes (12-21 Pages)
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slithering towards me,” Brianna said with a grim look on her face. Her mother ignored her and looked around the room.
As she looked closer Betty noticed that there were dark smudges on the cream colored carpet. Small dots crisscrossed the room. Some led to and away from the mouse.
Looking at the dead rodent once more didn’t tell Betty anything new at first. It looked as though the poor little creature had been bitten, and she didn’t notice anything else out of the ordinary. The black spots on the carpet probably had not come from the mouse. Its feet were much too small.
Betty moved on, going back to the entrance of the room and crouching at the door. She bent and peered underneath it. She could see Zorro’s nose and whiskers. He made a high pitched meowing sound. He wanted to come in, but couldn’t.
“Mom,” Brianna called as she peered at the mouse. “Look.”
Betty stood and went over to her daughter, who was crouched and peering at the mouse. “Look between his little toes,” Brianna said.
Betty peered and saw it instantly, now that she was looking for it. A small fleck of blue between two of the mouse's digits on its front right paw.
“That looks like…” Betty began, then trailed off.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Brianna agreed. The women each stood and headed for the door.
They made it outside after making sure Zorro didn’t sneak past and go down into the basement. Next, they did a quick trip up the stairs and out the back door that opened up from the kitchen. They skirted a ladder leaning against the back of the house that the men applying the roof used to go up and down. Next to the ladder was a blue tarp, with various tools and stacks of shingles sitting on it.
Towards the rear of the backyard was a small gravel garden with a fountain that spewed cool clear water from underneath it into a miniature pond. The gravel was white and blue. Betty led the way to it.
“Looks like it, huh?” she asked. The blue speck that they had found had almost certainly come from the gravel by the fountain.
“Look at this, Mom,” Brianna said. She was a bit past the pond and gravel, by a tree. Betty joined her and saw a hole at the base of the tree, burrowing under it. She didn’t know if mice lived underground, but it seemed about the right size.
“Maybe he wasn’t in the house when he was killed,’ Betty said.
“You might be right,” Brianna agreed.
“Okay, so what killed it out here and brought it in?” Betty asked.
“Zorro ran out this morning when I came out to give the guys some coffee,” Brianna said. There was a young guy working with two older men, and Betty knew her daughter found him cute. Things has been strained between Brianna and her boyfriend lately, and Betty was glad to see she had shown some interest in a man with an actual job. So while she was giving all three men coffee, it was really meant for the younger, better looking one.
“When did he come back in?”
“I heard him meowing an hour later by the back door and let him in.”
Betty nodded. She felt as though the pieces were coming together, but she couldn’t see the whole puzzle yet. She went back inside, followed by her daughter.
When they went down into the basement they shut the door again, even though Zorro wasn’t with them.
“Where is that cat?” Betty asked.
“I think he ran outside when we went out back,” Brianna said.
Betty nodded. “I wanted to look at his paws. Maybe he has some gravel, too.”
“Even if it was him, how could he have gotten in here?’ Brianna asked, thinking that they were back to square one. Betty stood quietly for a moment, looking around the room. It was hard to think though, because the men on the roof had started pounding again. The sound traveled through the chimney and straight down into the basement.
“That racket,” Betty said, massaging her temples with
As she looked closer Betty noticed that there were dark smudges on the cream colored carpet. Small dots crisscrossed the room. Some led to and away from the mouse.
Looking at the dead rodent once more didn’t tell Betty anything new at first. It looked as though the poor little creature had been bitten, and she didn’t notice anything else out of the ordinary. The black spots on the carpet probably had not come from the mouse. Its feet were much too small.
Betty moved on, going back to the entrance of the room and crouching at the door. She bent and peered underneath it. She could see Zorro’s nose and whiskers. He made a high pitched meowing sound. He wanted to come in, but couldn’t.
“Mom,” Brianna called as she peered at the mouse. “Look.”
Betty stood and went over to her daughter, who was crouched and peering at the mouse. “Look between his little toes,” Brianna said.
Betty peered and saw it instantly, now that she was looking for it. A small fleck of blue between two of the mouse's digits on its front right paw.
“That looks like…” Betty began, then trailed off.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Brianna agreed. The women each stood and headed for the door.
They made it outside after making sure Zorro didn’t sneak past and go down into the basement. Next, they did a quick trip up the stairs and out the back door that opened up from the kitchen. They skirted a ladder leaning against the back of the house that the men applying the roof used to go up and down. Next to the ladder was a blue tarp, with various tools and stacks of shingles sitting on it.
Towards the rear of the backyard was a small gravel garden with a fountain that spewed cool clear water from underneath it into a miniature pond. The gravel was white and blue. Betty led the way to it.
“Looks like it, huh?” she asked. The blue speck that they had found had almost certainly come from the gravel by the fountain.
“Look at this, Mom,” Brianna said. She was a bit past the pond and gravel, by a tree. Betty joined her and saw a hole at the base of the tree, burrowing under it. She didn’t know if mice lived underground, but it seemed about the right size.
“Maybe he wasn’t in the house when he was killed,’ Betty said.
“You might be right,” Brianna agreed.
“Okay, so what killed it out here and brought it in?” Betty asked.
“Zorro ran out this morning when I came out to give the guys some coffee,” Brianna said. There was a young guy working with two older men, and Betty knew her daughter found him cute. Things has been strained between Brianna and her boyfriend lately, and Betty was glad to see she had shown some interest in a man with an actual job. So while she was giving all three men coffee, it was really meant for the younger, better looking one.
“When did he come back in?”
“I heard him meowing an hour later by the back door and let him in.”
Betty nodded. She felt as though the pieces were coming together, but she couldn’t see the whole puzzle yet. She went back inside, followed by her daughter.
When they went down into the basement they shut the door again, even though Zorro wasn’t with them.
“Where is that cat?” Betty asked.
“I think he ran outside when we went out back,” Brianna said.
Betty nodded. “I wanted to look at his paws. Maybe he has some gravel, too.”
“Even if it was him, how could he have gotten in here?’ Brianna asked, thinking that they were back to square one. Betty stood quietly for a moment, looking around the room. It was hard to think though, because the men on the roof had started pounding again. The sound traveled through the chimney and straight down into the basement.
“That racket,” Betty said, massaging her temples with
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