“Muffin, you need to stop pacing back and forth like that,” said Carine. Meow,meow?=How else I supposed to pace, there is other way? Carine chuckled, “no, there is no other way, but it makes me nervous to see you like that.” Meow,meow.=My human far away, in big time trouble and I not able to help. I feel tumbly terrible. “What does tumbly mean Muffin?”, asked Sigurbjorn.

Meow.=Tumbly mean very big and bad terrible. It something me think of one time. “Thanks MC,” said Sigurbjorn, “I sure hope I can find a cat like you cats to have for my very own.” “We are doing everything we can Muffin,” said Annelie, “it will all work out okay.” Meow,meow.=Me hope so, but I so worried. Maybe not never see my human ever again. Sigurbjorn picked her up and cuddled her. “I feel very bad too Muffin,” she said, “it seems like it is my fault that your human is going through all of this.”

“Don’t feel that way Sigurbjorn,” said Galyna, “it is just Harmon going after Steve because he hates him so much.” “I just hope Kat can get through to John, that might help,” said Annelie. Meanwhile at the courthouse…The fake John was good with his testimony, too good, he had everything memorized just too well. And that was bad. Then my lawyer had his chance to question this John.

He kind of tripped him up a couple of times, but not seriously enough to hurt anything. We needed some proof that he was not the real John. Annelie did that for us with this guy’s driver’s license. That proved he was a fake, something my lawyer brought out the next day, showing a copy of the man’s license. That caused quite a stir in the courtroom and the fake John was there that day too. But he got up to run, however two of my girls stepped into the aisle to stop him.

Then he turned and called out Harmon saying he had been paid by Harmon to give the testimony. But then another man got up and punched the fake John to shut him up, but Angel kicked him. The police then arrested both men by the judges request. My girls got off with a warning since they were helping stop the men. Then my lawyer called for our surprise witness, the real John.

He came in with Benson in front and Rock behind him for protection. I must say that John was impressive with his testimony. I could easily see that Harmon was not comfortable. Even his lawyer was unable to get John to trip up in his testimony. John knew exactly what to say and not say. Rock and Benson escorted him back out of the courtroom afterwards. If the jury convicts me now it would prove they have been bought by Harmon, well, prove to us anyway.

Watching the jury all this time I am quite sure they are in Harmon’s payroll. But that does not help. Meanwhile, back at home…”Annelie, when Steve and I were trapped in the cave I told him about a book I saw in Mikkael and Fjola’s bedroom when I was cleaning one day,” said Sigurbjorn. “What kind of book?”, asked Annelie.

“It was a book full of names, 200 names in all,” she said, “and beside each name groups of numbers and letters. I have no idea what it meant, but Steve thought it was important.” “Do you still have that book?”, asked Annelie. “Oh no, I left it there,” she said, “if I had taken it they would have known right away and I would be in serious trouble.” “Oh, that is too bad,” said Annelie rather deflated at the news. “But I memorized the book,” said Sigurbjorn, “I can memorize most anything very quickly.”

“Do you remember any of it?”, asked Annelie, more excited now. “Yes, of course, the whole thing,” she said. “Give it to me,” said Annelie. Sigurbjorn then went through all 200 names for her. “It is a list of people that obviously work for Harmon, but I do not know what all these numbers and letters mean,” said Annelie, “perhaps a code of some kind. Just wait!”

And she called Jake, telling him what was going on. “So I need a very big favor Jake,” she said. “Name it girl, you got it,” he said. “I have this book,” she began and told him a couple of names and the code. “You have a gold mine there girl,” said Jake, “those people work for Harmon, there addresses, money coming in and going out. I could sell that to any of Harmon’s competitors and he would be out of business, and I would be rich.”

“Um, that does not help too much in the present situation though,” she reminded him. “Sure it does,” he said, “because I will give Harmon first chance to buy it back, and the price will be Steve’s freedom. You know, this Mikkael must have been high in The Company and looked after the payouts and income. That means he would have a large safe at the lodge to keep all that cash safely tucked away. Now what you need to do is get in and find that safe and empty it before Harmon does.” “That is simple,” said Sigurbjorn, “he does have a large walk in safe full of money, and I know the combination.”

To Be Continued.

©2022 Steve McLeod.