What do you mean, someone else is here?, asked Katharina. Well, if you didn’t take our car, then someone else did, said Karin, so that means there must be someone else out here. We never even saw a car when we got to the house, said Sofia. That’s true, added Katharina, so you’re right, someone must have followed you out here. I’m sure no one was following, we checked the car thoroughly for tracking devices and there was no one behind us when we got here, I said. Meow, meow.=Man who hired us is dead, this woman not hire us, that mean we don’t get paid again. Meow.=This PI business not pay well, we going to starve. Meow, meow.=Even worse, not get next part of play structure, or car. That mean we walk a lot still. Sigh. Meow.=Oh, that really not good, we always walking. Maybe we find job for your human. Meow, meow.=That what I say, but he say being PI is job. Meow?=How it job if we not get paid?

Okay you two, enough talking for now, we need some ideas. Did you just talk to your cats?, asked Katharina. Yep, we talk to each other all the time, we understand each other. I can too, said Karin. Katharina just stared. Just what I need, she said, people who think they can talk to a dumb animal. Meow, meow!=Let me have one bite, just one! Take it easy Muffin, she just doesn’t understand. I suppose she just said something?, asked Katharina. Yes, she wanted to bite you for what you said, calling her a dumb animal. She rolls her eyes and says, I don’t believe this. Okay, I said, let’s discuss the problem at hand. Do you have those papers with you?, I ask. Of course, I didn’t have time to do anything with them, so I brought them with me.

Well, it’s really those papers they want, you could tell people what’s on the papers but that would mean nothing without proof, so they want those papers, not you. Give them to me and I will make sure they get to the right people. But it even lists some police officials as being part of this syndicate, so going to the police wouldn’t work, she said. That’s okay, I have a contact I know I can trust, if I can get them to her then there won’t be a problem. Katharina looked at me. How do I know I can trust you?, she asked. You have seen my ID, why else would I be here. And now would be a good time to give me the papers while Sofia is out of the room. You don’t trust Sofia? I’m a PI, I generally don’t trust anyone, I stay alive longer that way. She went to a corner of the room and lifted a loose floor board and brought out the papers which I put in my backpack right away.

Just then Sofia returned and the cats began to growl. Someone is around the house, I said, stay away from the windows. I’ll check the back, said Sofia. After she went into the kitchen I looked and she was going out the back door. Now why would she do that knowing there are people outside, unless she was working with them? Sofia just went outside, I said to Katharina. Then you were right, that’s how those people found us, through her, not by following you. Yep, and…right then the cats really got growling loud and looking at the front door. Over this way, I said to everyone. Suddenly there were several explosions and the house collapsed into smoking rubble. Something hit my head so I was a bit dazed, but I heard voices saying, “she’s over here! Okay, pull her out and let’s get going”. I wait a few minutes until it gets quiet, then I look around. Karin isn’t far from me so I get up and look at her, she’s bleeding from her stomach and left arm, that’s not good. Where are the cats? I call for them quietly but no answer. Then I see Mr. Cat come bounding through the long grass. Meow!=I follow bad people, see car and get license number! Good for you Mr. Cat. Help me find Muffin now. Meow?=You not know where my Muffin is?

To be continued.

©2020 Steve McLeod.