This is the continuation of The Case of the Deserted Tower.

I opened my eyes and scanned the room. I did not recognize anything. Then Muffin jumped on the bed. Meow,meow!?=Oh, you awake now! How you feel? “Fine, I think,” I told Muffin, “but I seem to forget some things.” Meow,meow.=Oh good, back to normal. I looked at her. “Very funny,” I said, “where are we?” Meow,meow.=We at human Carine hotel, you recup a trating.

“I think you mean recuperating,” I said. Meow,meow.=I just say that, you hit head maybe? “Full of fun today I see,” I told her, “where is everyone?” Meow,meow.=Everyone get very sick, now doing that word you said, except… She then put her head down. Storm then jumped on the bed. Meowr?=Is your human okay? Meow,meow.=Yep, ‘cept he forget some things.

Meowr.=Oh good, he back to normal. “How did you get in here?” I asked Storm. Meowr.=Human Benson put cat doors in all recup a trating rooms so we cats can visit everyone easy, not need help. “Good idea,” I said, “how do I get some attention from human people around here?” Storm went over to the table beside me and gave me my phone.

Meowr.=You call human ghost Kat, only her, no one else, that doctor orders. So I called her and she arrived quickly. “Nice to see you awake Steve,” she said cheerfully. Meow,meow.=He okay now he say, but he still forget some things. “Oh, good, then he is back to normal,” she said. “I give up,” I responded, “I guess you did not get sick, anyone else?”

“Ghosts cannot get sick,” she reminded me. “I do not believe the ghost story,” I said. “Fine, then I am Kate Saunders, cousin to Kat and I have come to avenge her death and help you,” she said. “I do not believe you are Kate Saunders either,” I said. She frowned at me. “But for now I call you Kat,” I said, “and I am sure glad you are here. Now, a break down of those sick.”

Everyone got sick except Li Jing, Galyna and me,” she began, then putting her head down, “not everyone survived.” “A breakdown Kat,” I said quietly. “Rock and Annelie came back and Annelie got sick right away,” she said, “she is over it, but she is left with health problems, same with Tracy. Saranna and Kyan have died, but Angel, Sigurbjorn and Astrid are still very sick and it does not look good for them.

This virus came from our water, deliberately put in the water.” “But that is impossible,” I said, “no one can get at our water except from inside.” “Do you remember that we needed a new pump put in?” she asked, “the plumber did it when he changed the pump. He admitted to it, he was paid $5 million for the job. He had put it in the pump ahead of time so we would not notice anything.”

“I do not remember that part,” I said frowning. “Short term memory loss, it should get better over time the doctor said,” explained Kat. Right then there was a knock at the door, it was Sky…in a wheelchair! Apparently she might have to be in a wheelchair from now on, though she might get better. Annelie and Tracy are also in wheelchairs.

The three of us talked for a while, then the kittens came in carrying a donut in a bag for me. Meowi=Donuts ready now. Muffin and Storm disappeared very fast. I can understand why, Carine has improved in making donuts, it was delicious! “I guess finding who did this to us will be our first case,” I said, “but I should tell you about this weird dream I had about a deserted castle tower up in Finland.

Tiia and Snow moved closer to listen. “Forget that right now Steve,” said Sky, “our first case is to help Cynthia. Her best friend’s parents were murdered because they could not pay back money her dad had borrowed privately to buy a house. Upon their death, for any reason, the house gets transferred to the lender.

They had borrowed half a million, but the house is worth 2.5 million, but it is just an average 3 bedroom bungalow, nothing fancy.” Where is it?” I asked. “In Vancouver,” said Sky. “That is why,” I said, “you do not get much for that kind of money these days in the bigger cities.” “How long before the house is transferred to the lender?” I asked.

“There is a 60 day wait period, but it has been 22 days now,” said Kat. I called Rock and told him to get our lawyers on that right away and see if we can stop the transfer until we investigate. I also said to call the guys back from their fishing trip. “Done, Steve,” he said.

Then a thought hit me, if Rock and Annelie are here, where is Trisha? I asked Sky. “She is still at home in Australia under heavy guard,” said Sky, “she calls me twice a day.” “Good,” I said, “I would be concerned if she were here, with all that is going on right now…”

To Be Continued.

©2023 Steve McLeod.