Silence of the Lamps (9 page)

Caprice picked up the dish, stood, and turned toward her uncle. “If you lived here and we had all the time in the world, I think we could gain her trust.”

“I only have two days left here,” her uncle said.

“All right. Then we’ll use the Havahart trap. I’ll bring it out here tomorrow and put tuna inside. Once she walks in, she’ll trip a mechanism and the door will shut. I’ll call Marcus and see if I can get an appointment. He’ll understand if this doesn’t work out and we have to cancel.”

“Then what will you do with her? Not take her to some shelter—”

“Of course not. I’ll try to find her a home. I
will
find her a home. It might take a little time, but she can stay in my garage until I find someone who will take her.”

“I’m glad I called you,” Uncle Dom said with a grin.

“I’m glad you did too. I’ll come back tomorrow around the same time and we’ll see what we can do.”

* * *

After her visit with her uncle and his new feline friend, Caprice drove to the storage locker center. She punched in her passcode, and the gate slid open. She drove to the row where her units were located.

As she usually did, she parked to the side so another car could pass. After she climbed out of her van, she found her key ring and chose the small key for her padlock. She unlocked the first of her three storage units.

Grasping the door handle, she lifted the door and it rumbled up.

Her compartments were ten feet deep and fifteen feet wide. Although they were stacked with staging items—rolled rugs, lamps, and tables—she could reach everything. Labeled boxes lined the sides of the units, and she kept a path open to walk through.

As she sorted through items, she tried to keep her mind distracted from thoughts about seeing Grant later. Not that she didn’t want to see him. She just wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.

Taking a clipboard from a side table, she checked her inventory list for the unit. Crossing to the rear, she pulled a box of old bottles from the top of the stack. She remembered there were several cobalt blue ones in there. They’d look perfect on the primitive shelf she’d purchased from Isaac.

She found another carton she was looking for in the second storage shed. It was tucked along the side on the bottom of a stack. She lifted off the top two cartons and then opened the flaps on the bottom one. There was a fishing net. She’d picked that up at Colonial Days in East Berlin, she remembered. It would be perfect draped on a wall in the octagonal room of the house.

She was checking her list again for other possibilities when her cell phone played. She thought about letting it go to voice mail, but her curiosity usually won out. Vince’s face stared up at her and she answered.

“Hi. What’s up?” she asked. It was unusual for him to call her during the day.

“I wanted to let you know that the police cleared the crime scene, so Rowena should be back in her house. Not that you should go talk to her or anything.”

“Did you let Nikki know?”

“No, I did not. She needs to stay away from this, Caprice. Don’t argue with me on that point.”

She wouldn’t, because she knew Vince was right. “Rowena won’t want to go back there if the place needs to be cleaned up.”

“From what I understand, that was supposed to happen yesterday. Rowena asked the detectives for a recommendation for a cleaning service that specializes in this kind of cleanup. They gave her one.”

“How do you know all this? I’m sure Detective Jones didn’t tell you.”

“I have my sources.”

“Like someone you used to date who still works at the police department?”

“Maybe,” he drawled. “At least my romantic past is good for something.”

“You mean other than experience?”

He chuckled. “What are your plans for today?”

“I’m at my storage units collecting a few items, but then I’m going home and taking Lady to visit Dulcina while I work at the house I’m staging. I just came from the house where Uncle Dom is pet sitting. Tomorrow we’re going to catch a stray cat.”

“What are you going to do with another cat?”

“Take her to Marcus. But then I’ll help find her a good home.”

“Pretty soon you’re going to run out of people in Kismet who want animals,” Vince said wryly.

“Then I guess I’ll have to expand my reach, won’t I.”

“I’d expect nothing less from you.”

Of course, Grant was still on Caprice’s mind, and since Vince worked with him . . . “Has Grant talked to you about anything unusual happening?”

“You’re going to have to give me a more specific hint than that. He still works mainly from home. You know that. He drops in here only when he needs something, or meets a client here instead of there.”

“You do talk, though, right?”

“Guy talk and girl talk are two different entities. What do you want to know?”

“Did you know his ex-wife is coming to town?”

Her question was met with silence. Then Vince whistled low. “No, I didn’t know that.”

“He hasn’t said anything to you about it?”

“Caprice, this is
Grant
we’re talking about. He doesn’t talk about his personal life, not even with me. He told you about it?”

She explained about Ace’s concert and how that was the night that Grant was having dinner with Naomi.

“So he won’t be coming along to the concert, huh?”

“I’m not as upset about that as I am about the whole idea of his seeing her again. What if—”

“Caprice, just stop. You said you’re seeing him tonight?”

“Yes, he thinks we should talk about it in person. I’m afraid he’s going to say we should stop dating.”

“It’s not like you to be a doomsday proponent. Talk to Grant. Then worry if you have to.”

Her brother’s advice was good. She just didn’t know if she could take it.

A half hour later, she was back at home rounding up Lady and then taking her to Dulcina’s.

“Thanks so much for watching her for me today,” she told Dulcina as Lady ran inside her neighbor’s house. “After leaving her alone earlier, I didn’t want her to be alone the rest of the day. I was at the property where my uncle is pet sitting. A stray has been visiting, and we’re going to try to catch her tomorrow.”

Dulcina was already kneeling on the floor, rubbing Lady’s belly. “You know I’ve thought about adopting a pet.”

“I know you have.”

“I just wasn’t sure about the timing, with dating Rod and all.”

“Were his girls excited about the concert tickets?”

“Not as excited as I’d like them to be. They didn’t even know who Ace was. Rod and I showed them photos on the computer and told them about his tour. His younger daughter seems more excited than his older daughter. I don’t know, Caprice, I’m not sure this is going to work out.”

“But you don’t know that it isn’t either,” Caprice interjected hopefully.

“No, I don’t know that it isn’t. But I do know one thing for certain. I can’t live my life waiting around. I can’t live my life for him and his daughters when I’m not even really included in his life yet. Do you know what I mean?”

Caprice knew exactly what she meant. “You have to live your life just in case Rod isn’t the one for you.”

“Exactly. And you know, I think I’d like a cat. It just seems like serendipity that you’re going to catch one.”

“Maybe. Sometimes they can outsmart the cage.”

“How old do you think the cat is?”

“I’d say between two and five. It’s hard to tell. She’s a tortoiseshell.”

“I don’t care what color or breed,” Dulcina responded.

“This cat could need a lot of care and attention,” Caprice warned. “She’s malnourished. I can tell that just from looking at her. She doesn’t seem frightened of us, but I’m not sure she wants close contact with us either. Would you be ready to take on a pet like that?”

“Dating Rod and being around his daughters, I realize I need to nurture. I’m a patient person. I think I could help an animal like you’re talking about.”

“She could be out on her own for a reason.”

“You mean FIV?”

“So you know about that?”

“I do. And I say let’s cross one hurdle at a time. You said you have a vet appointment for her?” Dulcina asked.

“I do. That’s if all goes well.”

“If she has FIV, I could still take care of her, right? Especially if she’s not showing symptoms.”

“It would be best for you to talk to Marcus about that if it happens.”

“Text me if you capture her. Text me from Dr. Reed’s, then I’ll decide what to do. Fair enough?”

“Very fair.”

Just what were the chances that everything would go as planned? What were the chances that she could capture a cat? What were the chances the cat would be healthy?

What were the chances that she and Grant would still be dating when the night was over?

Chapter Nine

That evening Caprice was out back playing with Lady when Grant and Patches arrived. She’d needed to do something to burn off excess energy and excess worry.

He came into the yard from the back gate, and he’d never looked so good. He was wearing blue jeans that fit just right and a chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His black hair was a bit mussed from the breeze.

Grant bent and unleashed Patches. The dog ran to Lady and they began rooting through the shrubs together. As Grant approached her, he gave her an unsure smile. She couldn’t quite find a smile to give him back.

He asked, “Do you want to toss balls for them, or do you want to go up to the porch and talk?”

“Is this going to be a long conversation or a short one?” she returned, in a way just wanting to get the conversation over with. Would Grant even stay for dinner?

“It’s whatever we decide it’s going to be.” He simply motioned to the glider on her back porch.

Lady and Patches came running when they moved to the porch. Both dogs followed them, took a few slurps from the water bowl there, then settled at their feet as they sat together on the glider, though not quite close enough to touch.

“How was your day?” he asked. It seemed he wasn’t eager to jump into their conversation.

“Dulcina might take in a stray I’m going to help Uncle Dom catch.”

“Your uncle Dom likes pet sitting?”

“He seems to.”

Caprice had already had enough of this surface chitchat. She slanted toward him, bringing her leg up onto the glider. “Talk to me about what you’re going to do.”

He looked nonplused for a few seconds. “I’m not going to
do
anything. You have to trust me, Caprice.”

Her dad was the only man she truly trusted. Well, okay, maybe she trusted Vince too. But as far as her romantic life? She’d trusted men and they’d hurt her. Her first love had been in high school. Craig had gone to California after graduation and had eventually sent her a “Dear Caprice” letter, breaking off their relationship once he was established in college. Okay, so long distance didn’t work. If she had truly learned that lesson, she and Seth Randolph would have gone their separate ways when he’d taken the fellowship in Baltimore to pursue a career in trauma medicine. But she’d been infatuated with the handsome doctor and had let that linger a little too long. A few years ago, she’d fallen in love with a man with a daughter. Travis had seemed ready to move on, but then he and his ex-wife had reunited. That reunion made her doubly wary of Grant’s situation.

He took her hand as if he could read the thoughts running through her head. “I know you’ve been hurt before. I don’t intend to hurt you. But this is something I have to do. Naomi and I have never had closure. She’s coming to town the weekend of Ace’s concert. We’re going to have dinner and talk. Maybe more than once. She’s going to sightsee while she’s here, driving down to the Inner Harbor, possibly the Smithsonian and the art gallery in D.C., touring Gettysburg for sure.”

“Are you going to sightsee with her?”

“I can’t tell you what I’m going to do because I’m not sure yet. I’m leaving my schedule open for the week, and Simon assures me he’ll watch Patches if I’m away for an afternoon or an evening.”

“You’ve covered the bases.”

“You’re upset.”

Truthfully, she said, “I think you’re putting our relationship in jeopardy. I thought you’d moved beyond the shadows in your past.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, Caprice. Honestly I am.”

Patches’s nose went into the air. He rose to his paws and Lady did the same. Patches jumped down the steps and Lady gave Caprice a look that asked,
Can I go too?

Caprice nodded and waved her hand for Lady to follow her friend. The two dogs romping across the yard now, headed toward a flower bed. Maybe they’d seen a squirrel. She watched them instead of looking at Grant. She couldn’t gaze at him without her heart breaking. She didn’t have a good feeling about this, whether it was gut instinct or only her own anxieties and insecurities. The thought of him seeing Naomi again just didn’t feel right.

Grant gently nudged her chin around until she faced him. “Are you telling me you can’t trust me?”

“I don’t know,” she confessed. “It’s hard. I feel like it’s déjà vu. I’ve been in this situation before. I know how it ends up.”

He shook his head. “You’re putting a wall up between us.”

Maybe she was, but it was in self-defense. “If anything happens, will you tell me right away?”

He scowled and looked almost angry now. “
Nothing
is going to happen.”

She wasn’t thinking about sex as much as Naomi and Grant resurrecting the bond they once had. “Just promise me you’ll tell me right away if your feelings toward me change.”

The truth was, he’d never declared his feelings toward her, but she’d felt them whenever they were together and whenever they kissed.

“I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow, hour-by-hour. Sometimes trust isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision you have to make.”

Was he right?

“Do you want me to stay or go?” he asked.

“If you stay, we won’t resolve anything, not until after this is all over.”

He studied her for a long few moments, then he rose to his feet and picked up Patches’s leash that he’d laid over the side of the glider.

“Don’t be incommunicado,” he told her. “I know you’re going to be involved in Drew Pierson’s murder investigation. If something happens, if you’re in danger, if you’re unsure, call me.”

She couldn’t promise that she would. Grant had saved her life once and she was indebted to him for that. But he wasn’t a knight on a white charger. He was a real man and she was a real woman—a strong woman. She could take care of herself and solve her own problems.

When she didn’t tell him she’d call, he accused, “You’re stubborn.”

“No more stubborn than you,” she responded.

After a long, last look straight into her eyes, he called to Patches. His cocker came running to him and they left the way they’d come in, the gate closing behind them.

Caprice sank down onto the glider and Lady came running to her and looked up at her as if sensing something was wrong.

Something was wrong, all right. As far as Grant was concerned, she didn’t know exactly how strong she was. But she was going to find out.

* * *

The late-June day was rife with sunshine as Caprice and her uncle set up the Havahart trap the next morning. Instead of putting it out on the patio, they decided to place it near the redbud where the tortoiseshell usually took haven. The leaves from the bush partially covered it there, so it would be some camouflage. Caprice hoped the cat would be hungry enough not to notice what she was walking into. Uncle Dom had already exercised his client’s dog until they were both tired out. The animals inside would not be a problem if she and her uncle were occupied outside.

Caprice forked tuna onto a dish inside the carrier. Then she and her uncle crossed to the other side of the patio to wait. They sat, not knowing how long this would take.

“With the warmer temperature, we can’t leave the tuna inside the cage too long. If she doesn’t come within a half hour or so, I’ll have to change it and put a new dish in.”

Food spoilage could always be a problem with outside cats. People thought they could just put the food out and let it sit forever. But it broke down, grew bacteria, and could make an animal sick.

As she and her uncle sat there in the almost eighty-degree heat, Uncle Dom took a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

“This is a form I made up to keep notes for my clients. What do you think?”

Caprice took the page and studied it. Her uncle had drawn blocks on the left for each visit—the time he came and left—and then another space blocked off to the right of that, where he could make notes. He’d documented what he’d done this morning and had details about yesterday. He mentioned how much the dog and cats had eaten, how far he and Loafer had gone for their walk, and how eagerly the cats had played with their toy mice.

“While I’m house sitting like this, I’ll write in notes every few hours. For other clients, I’ll just fill in a block for each visit.”

“Other clients?” Caprice asked.

“I’m going to be walking two dogs next week and one day checking in on a cat when her owner has a medical procedure. Your mom has been great about spreading the word. And since the pet sitter I interviewed already has too many clients, she recommended me to someone who called her. Most people are just so grateful to have someone take care of their pet, they don’t care if I’m bonded and insured. I’m still going to go through with all that. It’s safer for me and for them. It will definitely be necessary if I want to take on anyone to help me with this.”

“You’re thinking about expanding?” Caprice asked with a grin.

Her uncle looked a bit sheepish. “I know it’s early days yet, but I can dream, can’t I?”

“Of course you can. I’m sure you can turn this into a thriving business. What are you calling yourself? I mean, the name of your business.”

“I’m going to keep it simple and just call it Pampered Pets. After I’m finished here, day after tomorrow, I have a few apartments to check out. I just need a one bedroom. I don’t want anything fancy. Even a studio apartment would do. The first place is going to be low budget and temporary. Once I’m on my feet, I’ll find someplace a little nicer, someplace with a yard so if I want a dog, it would be a good location.”

“I’ll be on the lookout for you. Are you still going to be doing bookwork for small businesses?”

“Oh yes. That will fill in the rest of my time, at least until the pet sitting really takes off.”

“You know this is going to be seven days a week, holidays too.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “What else do I have, Caprice? Really. This will keep me busy so I stay out of trouble.”

They had kept their voices low, and both scanned the area across the yard and anywhere around the redbud. Her uncle nudged her elbow. “There she is, over by the pampas grass. She takes cover there too. Do you think we made a mistake not putting the food on the patio?”

“Too late now. If we go rustling around we’ll scare her off. Let’s see what happens.”

The cat slowly walked down the grassy incline and canvassed the area outside the patio doors. When she walked, Caprice detected that limp again—her back right leg. The stray stopped a few feet from the pampas grass, washed her front paw, and then continued on, maybe looking for a shady spot. She headed for the redbud and raised her nose into the air as if she was sensing something good. Then she saw the dish of tuna.

“In the sun, she looks as if she has a halo on her head,” Caprice whispered. This tortoiseshell had a lot of gold in her, and there seemed to be a circle of it on the top of her head. “Halo could be the perfect name for her.”

The straw Caprice had laid in the forefront of the cage hid the metal. The cat must have been hungry, because she walked straight in, and when she did the door came down.

Caprice moved immediately and her uncle followed her. The cat was already meowing and circling inside the cage, looking for the way out.

“Do you have the burlap?” Caprice asked her uncle.

He went to the patio, picked it up from a spare lawn chair, and brought it over. With the cat meowing loudly, they laid it over the top of the cage, hoping that would help calm her.

“I wish I could go with you,” he said. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

“Sure I can. I’ve done this before. It’s not a pleasant ride over to Furry Friends, but we’ll survive.”

“I’ll carry her to the van for you.”

As Caprice suspected, the trip to the vet wasn’t pleasant. In fact, it was even more unpleasant than she expected. Apparently this cat got car sick. Caprice heard the sounds, she smelled the result, but there was nothing she could do about it while she was driving. She just kept talking to Halo, assuring her everything would be all right. But just as when you assured a sick child, the patient didn’t believe her.

The receptionist at Furry Friends knew Caprice. The vet tech, Jenny, came out to the front when the receptionist buzzed her, and she and Caprice took the cat to an examination room.

“It’s a mess,” Caprice said. “I’ll help you clean up.”

Jenny disappeared for a moment into the back, returning with a second roll of paper towels. They removed the burlap, and Halo looked up at them, meowing pitifully.

Caprice said, “I don’t think she sat in it, and I don’t think she has any on her. She’s small so there was plenty of room in the cage.”

Jenny opened the cage. “Come on, pretty girl. Come on out.”

Halo cowered in the cage.

“Let me try something,” Jenny said. “I don’t want to scare her further.”

She went to the cupboard, took out a little bag, and pulled a few treats from it. Then she laid them on the counter and stepped back.

Halo looked from one of them to the other and meowed again. But then she sniffed and she saw the treats. After another moment of hesitation, she emerged from the cage.

Jenny said, “I’ll take this to the back and wash it up. It will be easier that way. Are you okay in here with her?”

“Yes, we’re fine. But I hate to put her back in that to take her along with me. Do you have one of those cardboard carriers?”

“Sure. Let’s see what Marcus says first.”

Caprice knew what Jenny meant. If the cat was sick . . . She wasn’t going to think about that right now. She took out her phone and texted Dulcina, telling her she was at the vet. Then she stood by Halo and talked to her.

“We have to get you checked out. It’s not healthy or safe for you to be out there, especially since you’re limping a little. We need to see what that’s all about.”