A Twist In The Tail

‘I wouldn’t dream of it! You’ve got your new job.’ Emma had just finished college and was a rookie at the FBI Academy. Though, come to think of it, maybe but I could use her help to figure out who killed Charles… but of course I would never involve her in something like this. Besides, I was a smart confident woman on my own now and I didn’t need anyone to bail me out. Not my ex. And not my daughter. I wanted to show her how I could survive on my own, prove that I was competent and show her that women can do anything they set their minds to.

Mew.

Nero walked across the keyboard, his silky paws pressing the keys. I picked him up and put him on the floor but he just came right back and walked across it again.

‘Okay well if you say so,’ Emma said.

‘Of course. The police have it all wrapped up and there’s nothing to worry about. How are things going at the new job?’ I said, steering the conversation in another direction.

The murder took a back seat in my mind as Emma described her new job. I could tell by the enthusiasm in her voice that she loved her life. Part of me felt a little sad that she was all grown up and no longer needed me. She was living on her own and starting a promising career hundreds of miles away. But the other part of me was bursting with pride and happiness for her.

It was a constant chore to keep the cats away from the computer. Apparently they liked electronic devices, because they seemed to be taking turns either walking or laying on the keyboard and sitting behind the computer with their tails swishing on the screen.

By the time I hung up with Emma, I felt much better about the situation at hand. Emma was doing great in her new job and I’d persuaded her there was nothing to worry about here. Somehow just talking to her had imbibed me with new confidence about figuring out who had killed Charles, or at least persuading the police that it wasn’t me.

Meroo!

Nero stuck his tail in my face and I pressed my lips together and backed away. Yech. These cats sure got into everything. And they were starting to be pests with the way they were hanging around the computer. I’d never get any work done.

Prior to this the cats had mostly ignored me, but now their insistence of getting into my business was getting annoying. It made me wonder if this relationship was going to work out. But, I’d promised Millie, so I had to try. Maybe this was their way of telling me how hungry they were.

‘I know you’re hungry but if you’ll just wait—’

Something on the computer screen caught my eye.

It was a review of an establishment in Oyster Cove, but not the Smugglers Bay Inn. It was the Marinara Mariner.

Charles had eaten there last summer and didn’t like the lemon meringue pie. It had been too sour for his taste and he used a lot of negative and colorful words to describe his disappointment. Words that might anger the chef. If I remembered correctly, Tony Murano, head chef and owner of the Mariner, had a bad temper. Did Tony also wear chef’s clogs and hold a grudge?

Meow. Nero rubbed his head against me and I reached out to pet him. This time he let me. I glanced back at the screen. The cats must have inadvertently pressed a key that brought the screen with this review up. Ironically the cat’s annoying behavior on the computer had given me a clue.

‘Yes, you did do good. I think a reward is in order.’

Meowess!

I was hungry too and I’d left the cat food and scraps from the fridge on the counter. I pried open the white styrofoam take-out box and plucked out a shrimp. Nero and Marlowe sat at my feet staring up at the shrimp longingly as I popped it into my mouth. Cat’s liked shrimp, right? As I recalled, one of their favorite canned dinners was Scrumptious Shrimp Surprise.

‘Okay guys, you can have some.’

Their tails swished excitedly as I put a few shrimp in each of their bowls, then set the bowls on the floor.

I leaned against the counter and listened to their content purrs. As they chowed down, I thought, maybe this will work out after all.

‘Maybe this relationship is going to work out after all,’ Marlowe said to Nero as she scarfed down her second shrimp.

‘Agreed. Josie isn’t so bad.’ Nero daintily bit into his shrimp. ‘But let’s not forget we must not show too much enthusiasm for the human.’

Marlowe looked up from her dish, a shrimp tail hanging out of her mouth. ‘What do you mean?’

‘We wouldn’t want to look too appreciative by gobbling down our food so fast.’

Marlowe glanced down at the remaining shrimp in her bowl regrettably. Her whiskers twitched then she looked up at Josie, gave a disdainful meow and stalked out of the room, her tail high in the air. As she exited, he called to Nero over his shoulder. ‘How’s that for not showing interest?’

‘Perfect.’ Nero plucked the shrimp from Marlowe’s bowl and downed it in one gulp before following Marlowe out into the front parlor where the comfortable overstuffed chairs were.