I won’t say anything about us knowing each other, I said. Her bright pink hair and butterfly tattoo on her cheek kind of threw me off. But sitting here looking into her eyes…those eyes…they are unmistakable, such a vibrant blue, I have never seen eyes so blue. Except on one person. I looked into those eyes before, while a gun was staring at me. I need you to help me Steve, there’s something going on here and I don’t like it. Meow.=Hey, we on vacation, not case. Meow, meow.=Yep, no case, just fun, we pack, go someplace else. We can still have fun here you two, and work on a case too. The cats look at each other. I don’t think they believed me. Look in that box on the dresser, said Kathy, there should be a key in there. I checked, this key? Yes, she said, that’s the only other key for this room, I want you to take it. Okay, I said, now I think we need to go have some breakfast and then we can talk later. Good idea, she said, I need some breakfast too.

Meow, meow?=Who this person? Muffin meowed that quietly to me. I whispered to her and Mr. Cat. Their eyes got big and they stared at me. In the dining room Clara came over and asked if I wanted my breakfast heated up again. No Clara, said Kathy, make him something fresh, and the cats too, whatever they had ordered, and I’ll have my usual. Clara just shook her head and mumbled, wasting food like that. Meow.=I not trust human Clara. She’s okay Mr. Cat, just a little odd at times, said Kathy. Mr. Cat stares, then quietly meows to Muffin. Meow?=She think human Clara odd but not think bright pink hair is odd? Muffin giggled. Are they talking about me?, asked Kathy. Just then Clara came back with coffee for me and tea for Kathy. John left, said he was quitting, said Clara and went back to the kitchen. She is kind of odd. I think I’m with Mr. Cat on this one.

I wonder where those 3 young guys have gone, I said. Maybe they are out looking around that old castle, said Kathy. Meow?=There’s castle? Let’s go check castle after breakfast. Meow, meow?!=You crazy? Castle mean ghosts, said before, no castles! We go castle, I bite feet! Meow.=Castle fun place to explore and have fun. Brochure not say anything about ghost. Meow, meow.=Brochure not say anything about castle, just say old building, so they not know. All castles have ghosts. After breakfast we pack, go home, go some place else for vacation. But I need you to help me Muffin, don’t you like me anymore? Muffin looks down. Meow, meow.=Yes, I like you, you come home with us, then you be safe. Somehow I don’t think I will ever be safe, said Kathy.

After breakfast we went outside to talk, just in case someone might be listening inside. Do you think those 3 guys are after you too?, I asked. No, they really seem to be interested only in looking for something, but I don’t think it has anything to do with geology, said Kathy. I’m sure it’s them I have heard at night, walking around in the attic. Hmm, I think it would be good to check on them anyway and see if I can find out what they are doing here. Meow!=That mean we check castle! Yes, that’s right, I said. Meow, meow.=We going to die yet. There’s a legend about that old castle, said Kathy, centuries ago a northern king came and conquered this castle, but before he could, the king of this castle hid all his wealth so the other king wouldn’t find it.

So nearly every year people come out to look for it. That northern king probably found it, I said. That’s what most historians believe too, but people like a good treasure hunt. Meow, meow!=If it treasure we look for, that different, let’s go now! Meow!=Yeah, let’s go now! Okay, I said, but we have to get our backpacks first, and we need to check our room and all our stuff for any bugs. Meow, meow.=Yep, we get that done quick. Hey, I’m going to join this treasure hunt too, said Kathy. We checked our room but no listening devices found so we got our backpacks ready and down we went to meet Kathy. She was already waiting for us and off we went. Unknown to us, we were being watched as we walked along that path to the old castle.

To Be Continued.

©2020 Steve McLeod.