Read Online Paws and Effect (Mystic Notch 4 4) by Leighann Dobbs - Free Book Online

trying to catch the flying paperwork. Felicity was on her knees, trying to fish Fluff out from under the kneehole in the desk, and Danforth was standing with his eyes wide open.
    Pandora and Inkspot careened out of the office and down the hall, making a run for the side door. Luck was with them—a patrolman was coming in just as they turned the corner. They quickly darted out the door. Pandora almost crashed into the red stilettos, but darted left at the last second and then made a beeline for the woods with the other cats following.
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    P andora’s heart thudded against her ribs as she raced back to Elspeth’s. Would Willa still be there or would she have already left, venturing home alone after Pandora did not answer her call? Pandora was in luck. A quick trip onto Elspeth’s porch to listen at the screen door revealed that the two women were still talking inside. Pandora took the opportunity to go into the barn and discuss the situation with the other cats.
    “It does look like the extract is in there,” Inkspot told the other cats in the barn. “Pandora saw it.”
    “So what should we do?” Kelley asked.
    “We must protect Hope.” Snowball cast her blue eyes towards the small cat who was lounging in the loft.
    The black side of Hope’s face was toward them, the orange side in the shadows giving her face a more equal appearance. She cast a brilliant, green eye on them. “I don’t need protecting. My powers are strong, as you have already seen.”
    “We can’t take the risk of anything happening to you,” Inkspot said.
    Pandora could see the fur on Hope’s back ruffle. Hope had been upset that she couldn’t be included in the trip to the police station, but the cats felt it was best that she stay hidden away, in case there was trouble.
    “Speaking of which,” Sasha said. “I think it’s time you get back to your home.”
    Elspeth took care of most of the cats in the barn, but like Pandora, Hope had a loving forever home. Like most of the cats in Mystic Notch, she had a little escape route that allowed her to come out and gather in the barn. Naturally, she didn’t want her human to know about it, so Hope needed to get back before her human came home from work. Due to her precious nature, the cats insisted that someone accompany her for her own protection. Tonight it was Sasha’s turn.
    “Not yet,” Hope said. “I want to hear the plan first.”
    “It seems obvious what we must do,” Pandora said. “We know the powerful lily extract is in the box and we know that Danforth is after it. He was in Gus' office just tonight.”
    “And so was Felicity,” Inkspot added.
    “Of course. The two of them are probably in on it together!” Pandora paced around the room. “I don’t think we have any time to waste. We need to take Danforth out of commission now.”
    “Wait a minute!” Otis objected. “We can’t just go taking humans out of commission without ironclad proof .”
    He had a point. It was an unspoken rule that they didn’t mess around in the business of the humans unless they had a really good reason.
    “But we have proof,” Pandora insisted.
    “Pffft,” Otis hissed. “That is not proof. Let me talk to Ming. He would know what his human is up to. I don’t think Danforth is the one to worry about. Ming would have warned me if he was.”
    Pandora narrowed her eyes at Otis. “How do you know you can trust Ming? He could be in on it with them and acting like he’s a friend. A spy, taking you into his confidence so he can get information on us from you.”
    “I don’t like what you are insinuating,” Otis huffed. “I’ve been friends with Ming for several of our lives and I’m wise enough to tell which side someone is on … don’t forget, I have much more experience than younger cats such as yourself, and with experience comes finely honed senses.”
    “Or old, faltering ones,” Pandora shot back.
    “Stop fighting,” Inkspot said. “I side with Otis. We don't want to go