Read Online PAWSitively Sinister (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 11) by Patricia Fry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Fry
Ads: Link
in by Ruthie or Mother. We have a microwave, so we could heat up cocoa and things like that,” he explained.
Savannah frowned. “And the kitchen staff didn’t get suspicious when they’d see food leaving the kitchen?”
“I don’t know; I guess not,” Arthur said with a shrug as they moved slowly from room to room. “This was Ruthie’s room. Suzette is staying in here this week.”
“It’s the smallest room down here, isn’t it?” Peter said, laughing. “Even your bathrooms are larger.”
“Yeah,” Arthur said, “it was bigger, but something in here was bothering Ruthie, so she asked my mother to block off that section of the room. Come out in the hall and you can see how big it used to be.”
“Wow, they did cut it down by more than half, didn’t they?” Michael said.
“Yeah, she liked it better after they did that. There’s a bathroom at the end of this hallway, but she wouldn’t use it.” Arthur shook his head. “There’s just an odd energy here… like the Bermuda Triangle or something...that seemed to mess with Ruthie’s mind.” He shrugged. “I don’t get it, but it really upset her.”
Suddenly Rochelle moaned. Her knees buckled.
“What’s wrong,” Peter asked, helping to steady her.
“I don’t know. I was overcome there for a moment.” She looked up and down the hallway and shook her head as if trying to clear it. “Arthur, do you know what this area was used for before you were moved down here?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t recall ever being here until Mother brought me here after I left the burn center. Why?”
“I sense something—probably the same thing Ruth felt.” She frowned. “Oh, my gosh, it’s… dark.” She shivered and put her arms around herself. “Peter, I can’t stay here. It’s too strong.” She looked around at the others. “We should all leave.”
“Sure,” Peter said, taking her arm and leading her back to Arthur’s living room.
Before the others could follow, Michael pointed. “What’s wrong with Rags?”
Savannah and Arthur glanced down and noticed the cat was lying on his stomach in the hallway, staring at the far wall. He cocked his head from side to side as if listening intently. When Koko tried to engage him in play, Rags jumped to his feet and took a few steps toward the wall, slowly, staring straight ahead.
Koko, in the meantime, sat in place, watching Rags with interest.
Suddenly, Rags stopped, let out a yowl and retreated. He walked around Savannah, the leash encircling her ankles, and sat down next to her.
“Does he hear something? Look at how he’s moving his ears,” she said.
Michael took the leash and untangled it from her legs. “I don’t know,” he said. “But maybe Rochelle’s right; we should get out of here.”
When the others joined Rochelle and Peter in Arthur’s basement living room, they found Rochelle sitting on the sofa, her head in her hands.
Savannah eased down next to her. “Gosh, something really affected you, didn’t it? Can you talk about it?”
She shook her head and said, “Peter, I’d like to go back upstairs, if you don’t mind.” When she noticed the others were following her and Peter toward the stairway, she said, “I’m sorry. I can’t explain it. I’m just sensitive to… well, I’m not sure what I encountered in there, but it… I really must leave,” she said, rushing up the stairs and through the doorway.
Savannah hurried after her. “Rochelle, are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I think it has left me. Whew, it was strong. I can see why Ruth would not want to live with it.” She faced her friend and spoke sternly, “Savannah, you must keep your distance and don’t take the baby in there, whatever you do.”
****
“Peter and Rochelle couldn’t stay for dinner?” Ruth asked as the usual eight were being seated at the dining room table later that evening.
“It would have been nice,” Savannah said, “but they had to
Savannah frowned. “And the kitchen staff didn’t get suspicious when they’d see food leaving the kitchen?”
“I don’t know; I guess not,” Arthur said with a shrug as they moved slowly from room to room. “This was Ruthie’s room. Suzette is staying in here this week.”
“It’s the smallest room down here, isn’t it?” Peter said, laughing. “Even your bathrooms are larger.”
“Yeah,” Arthur said, “it was bigger, but something in here was bothering Ruthie, so she asked my mother to block off that section of the room. Come out in the hall and you can see how big it used to be.”
“Wow, they did cut it down by more than half, didn’t they?” Michael said.
“Yeah, she liked it better after they did that. There’s a bathroom at the end of this hallway, but she wouldn’t use it.” Arthur shook his head. “There’s just an odd energy here… like the Bermuda Triangle or something...that seemed to mess with Ruthie’s mind.” He shrugged. “I don’t get it, but it really upset her.”
Suddenly Rochelle moaned. Her knees buckled.
“What’s wrong,” Peter asked, helping to steady her.
“I don’t know. I was overcome there for a moment.” She looked up and down the hallway and shook her head as if trying to clear it. “Arthur, do you know what this area was used for before you were moved down here?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t recall ever being here until Mother brought me here after I left the burn center. Why?”
“I sense something—probably the same thing Ruth felt.” She frowned. “Oh, my gosh, it’s… dark.” She shivered and put her arms around herself. “Peter, I can’t stay here. It’s too strong.” She looked around at the others. “We should all leave.”
“Sure,” Peter said, taking her arm and leading her back to Arthur’s living room.
Before the others could follow, Michael pointed. “What’s wrong with Rags?”
Savannah and Arthur glanced down and noticed the cat was lying on his stomach in the hallway, staring at the far wall. He cocked his head from side to side as if listening intently. When Koko tried to engage him in play, Rags jumped to his feet and took a few steps toward the wall, slowly, staring straight ahead.
Koko, in the meantime, sat in place, watching Rags with interest.
Suddenly, Rags stopped, let out a yowl and retreated. He walked around Savannah, the leash encircling her ankles, and sat down next to her.
“Does he hear something? Look at how he’s moving his ears,” she said.
Michael took the leash and untangled it from her legs. “I don’t know,” he said. “But maybe Rochelle’s right; we should get out of here.”
When the others joined Rochelle and Peter in Arthur’s basement living room, they found Rochelle sitting on the sofa, her head in her hands.
Savannah eased down next to her. “Gosh, something really affected you, didn’t it? Can you talk about it?”
She shook her head and said, “Peter, I’d like to go back upstairs, if you don’t mind.” When she noticed the others were following her and Peter toward the stairway, she said, “I’m sorry. I can’t explain it. I’m just sensitive to… well, I’m not sure what I encountered in there, but it… I really must leave,” she said, rushing up the stairs and through the doorway.
Savannah hurried after her. “Rochelle, are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I think it has left me. Whew, it was strong. I can see why Ruth would not want to live with it.” She faced her friend and spoke sternly, “Savannah, you must keep your distance and don’t take the baby in there, whatever you do.”
****
“Peter and Rochelle couldn’t stay for dinner?” Ruth asked as the usual eight were being seated at the dining room table later that evening.
“It would have been nice,” Savannah said, “but they had to
Similar Books
