“Oh, yes. Well, you know George is a friend. I’ve known him for years, and I think he’s a very nice man. Why? What’s going on?”
“Nice. That’s all you have to say about him?”
Alyx was puzzled. “Well, he’s no Charlie,” she whispered as she leaned forward. “At least, not from your description.” She giggled.
I saw something flicker on Maggie’s face, maybe hurt feelings, but I wasn’t sure.
“So…what about George?” Alyx asked.
Maggie bit her lower lip. “He asked me out to dinner. I accepted, but I’m not sure I should have.”
“George is a good man,” said Alyx, “solid as a rock but very shy. He’s the kind of man easily forgotten, until you get to know him better. According to what I know about you, Maggie, George isn’t your type at all and I’m surprised you even considered dating him.”
“Alyx, I haven’t told you all there is to tell about my failed marriages. I’m not good at analyzing my actions, but I think it was because I was embarrassed; you’ve always had such a high opinion of me that I didn’t want you to know what a fool I really was.”
“We’ve all done foolish things, and not necessarily all of them in our youth. Believe me, Maggie, I’m the last one to throw stones.”
“I met my first husband the summer I graduated high school,” said Maggie. “Swept off my feet by his charm and good looks. I married him against my parent’s wishes. It didn’t matter to me that he didn’t have a job, I did, and I thought he could get one later. In fact, he did get several jobs, none of them good enough for him. I didn’t mind putting my college plans on hold while he explored the possibilities. My parents were modestly well off but refused to help during the hard times, disliking their son-in-law and not having forgiven me for going against their wishes. Two years later, he was still exploring and I was still supporting him.
“One evening, more charming and better looking than ever, he took me out to dinner to celebrate the new job he had landed and announced he had met someone else––his soul mate.
“I wasn’t quite over him when I met another charming, handsome man, looking for a generous, good-hearted woman just like me. I told myself this one was different––he had a steady job and ambition.
“A few months after we were married, he quit his job and started school full time. I had nothing to complain about––he made me happy. The following year, my parents died in a car accident. What they left me helped provide a comfortable lifestyle while he finished school, and to establish his law practice when he graduated. Ten years later, he told me he had outgrown me––he had found his soul mate.
“So you see, George may not be handsome or charming, but he has substance and integrity and I value those qualities above all else.”
“George is one of the kindest men I’ve ever met,” agreed Alyx. “I think you should keep seeing him and see where it goes.”
After dinner, Alyx and Maggie stayed in the kitchen talking and the females and I went out on the lanai. The girls wanted to hear about my experience that day at the store, and Misty wanted to know why I went in the first place. She said they had speculated about it all day and hadn’t agreed on anything.
I hesitated, not sure if I should, and then went ahead and told them the truth. I had this nagging suspicion that not everything had been resolved. I didn’t know exactly what was wrong––nothing specific, anyway.
I reminded them that prior to Ethan’s release, I had heard talk about condominiums and selling Antiques & Designs and the café next-door. The conversation between Alyx and Novie, the owner of the café, had convinced me that matters were still undecided. I said to the females that we needed to look after Alyx for a while longer and asked for their help in keeping her safe––and that meant going to the store. Misty enthusiastically agreed. Pooky reluctantly agreed but only when and if necessary.
That settled, I told them the day had gone better than I had expected. The short article in the newspaper about Ethan’s release, and his statement about the part we played in solving the case had made me an immediate celebrity. Everybody knew I was the same Murfy that was mentioned in the article. As far as I could tell, most of the customers liked having me around.
I told them about all the things to climb on, places to hide and perfect places for catnaps. I also told them the best part of the day was when customers dropped treats and toys in the big basket on the counter.
I didn’t tell them that the first customer to spot me was not an animal lover. When she saw me curled up in a rocking chair near the checkout counter, she had snorted indignantly at the idea of an animal in the store, let alone one sitting on a piece of furniture she might want to buy. I heard her comments and didn’t consider her worthy of my attention, not even when she made a remark about animals keeping to their place. The little girl with her had similar sentiments. She sneaked up behind the rocker and pulled my tail. Infuriated by her action, my tail flicked wildly, my slanted eyes and flattened ears delivering a powerful message. The little girl instinctively ran off and joined her mother who had moved away. When that had happened, I wondered if I’d made a mistake forcing Alyx to bring me to the store, but I decided I just needed to choose my napping places a little more carefully in the future.
“I like pigs. Pigs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”
–– Winston Churchill
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: The Bodyguards
The next day, Misty, Pooky, and I pushed our way out the door as Alyx was leaving and gave her a hard time herding us back into the house. After picking up a few more harnesses and leashes, she piled us in two carriers and we left, Pooky complaining all the way because she had to share her carrier with Misty.
Maggie was right about having resident cats. Most of the customers loved the idea and started bringing enough treats to warrant a basket on the counter to hold all the goodies.
For the most part, the other two stayed away from the customers. I preferred to stay close to the entrance and scrutinize the customers as they walked in. Every so often, someone came in who didn’t smell right and I followed that one around the store unseen. Bernice said that she thought cats had a sense of right and wrong, and knew when someone was not to be trusted and she was right. Unfortunately, that was really all I had.
I found out from Pooky’s snitches, that the condominium deal between Dunne and Moresby was a legitimate business deal. Hunter vouched for Dunne’s honesty. I still didn’t trust Moresby. He wouldn’t give the woman’s name who he was meeting at the coffee shop when Alyx’s purse was stolen, so his story couldn’t be confirmed.
Mid-morning, Alyx’s customer, Althea Burns stepped through the door and went straight to the slant-front desk she had admired earlier that week. The elderly woman expressed her disappointment at the “Sold” sign when Alyx greeted her.
“I see you sold the desk already. I’m not surprised; it’s such a beautiful piece,” she said, lovingly running her hands over the top.
“Actually, it’s not sold. I just decided to hold on to it for a while,” Alyx said, watching Althea’s peaches and cream complexion brighten at the news.
“Since there isn’t much activity going on this morning, would you like to join me for coffee at the café next door? Do you have time? They have wonderful homemade muffins and all kinds of coffees and teas.”
“Well, yes, that would be nice. I don’t drink coffee, but I would like to have a cup of tea.”
“Great. Let me tell Charvette where I’m going and that I’ll be right back.”
I followed discreetly behind the two women, slipping into the café alongside them. Novie greeted us warmly and led us to a booth overlooking the marina.