It’s a beautiful morning, I’m enjoying my coffee on the porch and watching the cats running and playing. They love playing their games that they just make up as they go along. It’s been 2 months since our last case. We have just been enjoying some much needed rest. Kat and I were married a month ago but so far we have not gone anywhere for a honeymoon. Kat doesn’t want to go anywhere, she loves living in this beautiful chateau. The work crew has finished restoring the main floor to it’s original beauty and Kat has been busy working on some decorating details of her own, and she’s very good at it too. The mail has arrived and I am just about to look at it, but, suddenly there are gunshots outside.

The cats! I call for Kat to bring my rifle, my handgun won’t reach that far. There is someone along the south fence doing the shooting and the cats are zigzagging all across the lawn, being led by the gunshots. Kat hands me my rifle and I zoom in on the attacker. He’s behind a large post so I have to wait a bit. Now he shows himself as he fires again. I get off 3 shots and he falls. The cats have made it and gone inside, but 2 more attackers start shooting at me now. I aim carefully and shoot again, stopping one more. Then a shot from upstairs and the other attacker stops. Kat is a good shot too.

“I already called Baldwin Steve,” she said, “and he’s sending some men over right away. Good thing that guy wasn’t a good shot.” “He was good alright,” I said, “he didn’t want to hit the cats, just wanted to let us know he could have killed them if he wanted.” “That doesn’t really make sense,” said Kat. “It’s kind of a game that some people play,” I said, “to put fear into the enemy. Someone wants to scare us for some reason.” It didn’t take long for Baldwin’s men to arrive by helicopter. It landed on the pad made for it and 3 men came out, then it took off again to survey the area from the sky. Baldwin was one of the men that got out. “You didn’t need to come Baldwin,” I said. “Right, when someone attacks you, that’s an attack on me too,” he said, “so I come.” Baldwin’s men went to check the men that were shot.

Meanwhile a phone call is going on. “It worked just perfectly,” said a woman, “but we need to be more careful next time, all 3 men are dead.” “Hmm, he’s a good shot then,” said a man, “we’ll remember that next time K, don’t worry.” “Good,” said K, “I have been planning this for a long time, I don’t want anything to go wrong. This will be the end of PI Steve and those crazy furballs!” “What about the letter?”, asked the man. “It’s in the mail,” said K, “if he hasn’t read it yet, he soon will.” “Good, then stage 2 will soon begin,” said the man with a loud obnoxious laugh. “Yes,” said K, “I can’t wait for the game to really begin.” And she laughed as well.

Now, back to Baldwin and myself. Kat comes out onto the porch laughing. “What’s so funny?”, I ask. “Those cats,” she said, “they were just shot at and now they are inside playing on their play structure and asking for lunch.” She also brought some iced tea for Baldwin and I. “Not much in the mail today,” she said, “except this looks a little odd.” And she handed me an envelope addressed by someone with terrible handwriting. I open it and read the letter. “Hey cats,” I said quietly next to the open window beside us, “looks like we have another case finally.” “Do you think they heard that?”, asked Baldwin. Just as he finished the cats jumped on the table. Meow,meow?=What case, where is it? Meow.=Yep, want to know so we can start packing.

“You two are always packed,” I said. Meow,meow=But we need to pack your stuff so you not forget something. “But I have Kat now,” I said, “so there’s no way I can forget anything. Meow.=Humans always forget things, all the same. “Thanks so much you two!”, exclaimed Kat. Meow,meow!=Welcome! They both said at the same time. “Here’s the letter,” I said. Muffin looks at it. Meow,meow=That handwritten letter, you forget already? That mean no money and we not get paid. “But this one is different,” I said. Meow.=Yep, he right, it from old couple, they say son steal all their money and now they going to lose house. Muffin reads the letter. Meow,meow?=Well, what we wait for? We need to help old people and maybe give son a good slap or two and toss him in jail! We all laugh. But little did we know how much danger would be involved…

To Be Continued.

©2021 Steve McLeod.