Read Online Patricia Fry - Klepto Cat 04 - Undercover Cat by Patricia Fry - Free Book Online
Authors: Patricia Fry
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with the round green eyes—sitting back and staring. Looks like he’s shaking, he thought. He moved closer. Looks cold. He stood up. But what can I do about it? These cats are wild and they know how to fend for themselves. All cats can hunt and find shelter. Cripes, I don’t even know why I’m feeding them, except…except that I know Colbi would want someone to.
He walked over to his car and put the bag of cat food on the floorboards in the backseat. As he rose, preparing to climb into the driver’s seat, he heard the sound of car tires crunching on the sparse gravel and hitting ruts along the driveway. He looked up and saw a sheriff’s unit pulling in behind him. He watched as Deputies Jim and Ben stepped out.
“Jackson?” Jim said.
“Yeah,” Damon responded.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Sure, what?”
“First, what are you doing here?” Jim asked taking a sweeping look around the property.
“Feeding the cats.”
“Cats?”
“Yeah, Colbi feeds a bunch of wild cats out here. I’m pretty sure she would want me to do it while she’s…” He felt a wave of emotion and couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Can you prove it?” Jim asked.
Damon frowned. “Well, yeah. The bag of food is right here in the car. You can go look at their dishes—they’re full. I just filled them.” He looked confused. “What’s this all about?”
Jim said, “I understand you were the last one to see Ms. Stanton…” He looked at his notes. “…Thursday, before she disappeared, is that right?”
“I think so. Like I told Craig, we had coffee that night after work.” He looked around and asked, “Where is Craig, anyway—isn’t he the investigator?”
“He asked us to talk to you.” Jim cleared his throat and continued, “You were heard arguing.”
“Huh?” Damon scratched his head? “Arguing? Me and Colbi?”
“You’re denying that you and Ms. Stanton argued that night? Loudly?”
Damon snickered. “I guess you guys don’t know Colbi. She’s small, but she is big on opinion and she can sure voice it loud and clear when someone challenges her.”
“So you challenged her?” Jim asked.
Damon shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“About what?”
“Cats!” he said with a chuckle.
“Cats? How’s that?”
“Oh, I don’t like cats and she really likes them. I guess she was ranting about how special cats are and how people abuse them—things like that. I wasn’t really paying much attention to her. I’ve learned that, with Colbi—you just have to kind of let her do her thing until she runs out of steam.” He shook his head. “Oh no, we weren’t arguing. But I guess she was talking kind of loud. She always raises her voice when she’s defending her position.”
“So you weren’t angry? You didn’t yell at her?” the deputy asked.
Damon scowled. “No, how do you argue against a woman who is passionate about something?” He looked from one to the other of the deputies. “She’s passionate about cats and it was just one of her rants. I thought it was kinda funny, the way she got all stirred up like that.”
Deputy Jim pursed his lips. He looked over at his partner and then back at Damon. He then opened the back door to the Honda and peered in. “Yup, there’s a bag of cat food in here.” He stepped over to the porch and looked around. He bent down and spotted a few cats eating from overflowing bowls—others skittered away when Jim approached. “There are cats here.”
He walked back over to Damon and said,” Okay Jackson. Don’t make any plans to leave town, will you? We may have more questions.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said “…at least not until you guys find Colbi.”
Jim addressed his partner, “Ben, move the cruiser will you, so Jackson can leave. I want to take another look around.”
***
“Ready for that adventure?” Brianna asked, playfully punching her sister in the arm as she entered the living room after a brief nap
He walked over to his car and put the bag of cat food on the floorboards in the backseat. As he rose, preparing to climb into the driver’s seat, he heard the sound of car tires crunching on the sparse gravel and hitting ruts along the driveway. He looked up and saw a sheriff’s unit pulling in behind him. He watched as Deputies Jim and Ben stepped out.
“Jackson?” Jim said.
“Yeah,” Damon responded.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Sure, what?”
“First, what are you doing here?” Jim asked taking a sweeping look around the property.
“Feeding the cats.”
“Cats?”
“Yeah, Colbi feeds a bunch of wild cats out here. I’m pretty sure she would want me to do it while she’s…” He felt a wave of emotion and couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Can you prove it?” Jim asked.
Damon frowned. “Well, yeah. The bag of food is right here in the car. You can go look at their dishes—they’re full. I just filled them.” He looked confused. “What’s this all about?”
Jim said, “I understand you were the last one to see Ms. Stanton…” He looked at his notes. “…Thursday, before she disappeared, is that right?”
“I think so. Like I told Craig, we had coffee that night after work.” He looked around and asked, “Where is Craig, anyway—isn’t he the investigator?”
“He asked us to talk to you.” Jim cleared his throat and continued, “You were heard arguing.”
“Huh?” Damon scratched his head? “Arguing? Me and Colbi?”
“You’re denying that you and Ms. Stanton argued that night? Loudly?”
Damon snickered. “I guess you guys don’t know Colbi. She’s small, but she is big on opinion and she can sure voice it loud and clear when someone challenges her.”
“So you challenged her?” Jim asked.
Damon shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“About what?”
“Cats!” he said with a chuckle.
“Cats? How’s that?”
“Oh, I don’t like cats and she really likes them. I guess she was ranting about how special cats are and how people abuse them—things like that. I wasn’t really paying much attention to her. I’ve learned that, with Colbi—you just have to kind of let her do her thing until she runs out of steam.” He shook his head. “Oh no, we weren’t arguing. But I guess she was talking kind of loud. She always raises her voice when she’s defending her position.”
“So you weren’t angry? You didn’t yell at her?” the deputy asked.
Damon scowled. “No, how do you argue against a woman who is passionate about something?” He looked from one to the other of the deputies. “She’s passionate about cats and it was just one of her rants. I thought it was kinda funny, the way she got all stirred up like that.”
Deputy Jim pursed his lips. He looked over at his partner and then back at Damon. He then opened the back door to the Honda and peered in. “Yup, there’s a bag of cat food in here.” He stepped over to the porch and looked around. He bent down and spotted a few cats eating from overflowing bowls—others skittered away when Jim approached. “There are cats here.”
He walked back over to Damon and said,” Okay Jackson. Don’t make any plans to leave town, will you? We may have more questions.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said “…at least not until you guys find Colbi.”
Jim addressed his partner, “Ben, move the cruiser will you, so Jackson can leave. I want to take another look around.”
***
“Ready for that adventure?” Brianna asked, playfully punching her sister in the arm as she entered the living room after a brief nap
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