Kitty Cats and Kitsch, page 5
Casey clapped her hands together. “Oh, this is so cool.”
Marnie motioned for us to follow her behind a purple velvet curtain. My heart was pounding. I was used to people thinking I marched to the beat of my own drum, but I wasn’t comfortable with people—strangers—talking about it.
But that came with the job. I made no bones about my claim that Persephone was my partner, and we’d proudly added the tagline solving crimes only a cat can crack to our business presence.
We entered a small room with two chairs positioned around a round table with scarves draped over it. Stones were strategically positioned. Amethyst, rose quartz, and others I didn’t recognize.
“Usually I do the readings one-on-one, but friends are invited to stay, if that’s okay with the person who’s having their cards read.”
Casey turned to me. “I’m okay with you staying for my reading, Addie.”
I was terrified. Not only did I have no idea what to expect, but Marnie had been studying me. I needed Casey here. “I’m okay with you staying, too.”
Marnie smiled. “The two of you have been friends for a while.” It wasn’t a question.
“We’ve worked together for a couple years.”
“Addie’s the best boss ever. She does amazing things at the shelter. And this new venture with Persephone is so much fun.” Casey smiled the same way she did when I thought something was impossible, and she insisted there was a way.
“I’m sensing a deep connection,” Marnie motioned to the table. “Who would like to go first?”
“Casey,” I said before she had a chance to volunteer me.
“I’m so excited.” She slid into the chair.
Marnie settled in across from her, and opened a box. There were several decks inside, and she considered Casey before taking one out. “You booked a love reading. As you shuffle the cards, think about your specific question. It’s best if you don’t ask a yes or no question, and give the guides a chance to explore your question fully.”
Casey took the deck from her. “Where is he? That’s my question.”
Marnie laughed. “You don’t have to say it out loud.”
“I broadcast my life on the internet—this is nothing. I’m twenty-two. I’m not necessarily looking for a husband…yet. But I’d like to find a guy who doesn’t get a soap opera style case of amnesia after the first or second date.”
Marnie instructed her to cut the deck, and choose a pile. Casey confidently chose the one on the right. Marnie picked up the cards and laid them out one by one.
“You shouldn’t settle for anyone who makes you feel like less than a goddess,” she said.
“Amen.” Casey turned to me. “I told you she was good, Addie.”
“But you have to pay attention to the messages the universe is sending to you.” Marnie tapped the second card, which was the Three of Swords. “You might have a few more of the soap opera guys to go before you find the one. He might shower you with gifts, but be careful. He could also only be out for himself.”
“Is this one of the heartbreakers? Because that doesn’t sound like the guy she should be spending forever with,” I said.
“It doesn’t have to be forever.”
“Waiting for the right guy can be frustrating, especially if your friends are finding their life partners,” Marnie continued. “Keep sending your light into the world. Show them you’re independent and self-sufficient. Letting someone into your life is a bonus, not a necessity. And make sure you hold him to his promises. But you’ll have to drop your guard a little bit. Once you find him, things might happen fast. Don’t give up, Casey. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
Casey nudged me. She was practically glowing. “I love all this.”
Having Casey go first made me feel a little more comfortable, but I worried we were wasting precious time. At least, the word was out, and once the readings were done, we could sift through the messages.
“Addie, you’re next.” Marnie considered her box of cards for my deck.
“Do you use a different deck for every reading?” I totally wasn’t stalling.
“I match the cards to the energy of the person I’m reading for,” she said. “Every reading is different.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t book you a love reading.” Casey grinned at me. “I thought guidance would be best for you.”
“Thank you.” That was a relief.
Marnie instructed me to shuffle the cards as I thought about my question. Unlike Casey, I didn’t say mine out loud. I wanted to see where Marnie would go if I didn’t give her a big red arrow.
Especially since she’d already been interested in me.
Maybe it was good for me to be on the other side of the investigation. Now I’d understand why everyone got a little weird when me and my cat came knocking.
I cut the deck and wrapped my arms protectively around Persephone. She’d jumped into my lap when I took the cards.
Marnie laid out more cards for me than she did for Casey and considered the results.
“You are a very kind person,” she said softly. “You have strong ties to your hometown and your past.”
“I’d always thought of it as being scared to move on,” I chuckled nervously.
Marnie nodded. “I’ve lived in Rappaport my entire life. I understand. The six of cups is a card of charity, which signifies your work at the shelter. It also represents reunions, which I think in your case is reuniting people with their lost things. The eight of pentacles signifies achieving goals. Sticking to the plan, even when it’s frustrating. I sense an issue with self-confidence.”
“We always tell her how amazing she is.” Casey gave me a warm smile. “Maybe you can get through to her.”
“I see that you worry about juggling your new responsibilities with your existing life.” She tapped on the next card. “Prioritize what’s important. Delegate the rest. Eventually, you might have to make a choice between your two jobs. This is also a card about making space for things, like love.”
Casey hummed, but I didn’t look at her.
“You pay great attention to detail, and you are a hard worker. The challenges you’re facing now will only broaden your qualifications. But don’t be a pushover—especially in the beginning of this new career. You have an amazing gift for sticking up for people and animals who can’t stick up for themselves. That voice is needed. And like Casey, you should also keep your eyes open for new opportunities. No one else can do what you do, Addie. Your work is valued.”
I had this weird tingly feeling. It was nice to hear someone say those things. I often felt overlooked working with shelter animals. Not that I was looking for the spotlight, but to get the recognition that what I did was important, even from a deck of cards, felt good.
“I see weddings and babies in your future.” Marnie smiled. Casey nudged me. “And possibly a romantic interest from your past making an appearance. The three of cups is a celebration card, so it could simply mean the successful completion of a project.”
“Finding Cupcake.”
“It’s a good sign,” Marnie said.
“Did you think of me differently before you read my cards?”
“No. I sensed that you were telling the truth about your abilities, but some people think you’re making it up.”
“Are any of those people in Rappaport?”
“Word’s just getting out that Persephone is here. Some residents have strong opinions about Cupcake. Not sure everyone will be sorry he’s gone.”
Casey gasped. “Can the cards tell you if any of them would’ve taken Cupcake?”
“It’s not good practice to read people without permission.” Marnie stacked the cards from my reading, taking all the good vibes with her. “I operate by the motto, do no harm.”
“But there’s a cat missing.” I didn’t want to sound desperate, especially after she’d told me I was more than capable of solving this crime on my own. “Every moment counts.”
“Yet you’re here. Why?”
I sighed. There was no easy way to say this. “Because Rosamund thinks you could be a suspect.”
Chapter Nine
Marnie didn’t even try to hold back her laugh. “Oh, Roz. Always thinking everyone’s out to get her.”
“Like how?”
“It’s been going on our whole lives. We used to be really good friends until her high school boyfriend broke up with her and asked me out.” She wiped tears from under her eyes. “Looking back, I should’ve said no. Nobody teaches you the etiquette around those things until it’s too late. He was the type of boy who liked to be a girl’s first. Then he’d get bored. I’m still much more upset about losing the friendship, but if Rosamund pointed a finger in his direction too, he runs a used car lot in Buffalo.”
Casey and I shared an uncomfortable glance.
“I tried to rekindle our friendship a couple years later. Almost everyone left for college, and Roz and I were still here. I thought by that time, she’d understand what happened when we were in the tenth grade.” Marnie sighed. “But that woman can hold a grudge, just like she says she’s keeping her family’s legacy alive.”
“You don’t think she is?”
“She refuses to change. I thought Cupcake was good for her. Brought some traffic into that tired store. It used to be cute when we were kids, but she doesn’t know how to run it, and she’s too proud to ask for help.”
“Has anyone tried?” Casey asked.
“We all have. An empty storefront isn’t good for any of us.” She picked up another deck of cards. “I believe Persephone’s reading is next. Would you like to shuffle for her?”
“Sure.” I took the deck and let Persephone sniff it.
“I don’t like it here,” she said.
“Marnie’s about to do a reading for you.” I should’ve left. Persephone’s instincts were better than mine, but this might be our only chance to find out how we could talk to each other.
Marnie leaned forward. “I might ask you some questions, and you let Addie know the answer, okay?”
She was the first person who spoke directly to Persephone, and it made her relax.
“I’m going to lay out the cards on the table. Put your paw on the cards you want me to pick.”
I held my breath—no one had given her commands before. If she didn’t do it, it could knock some serious holes in my credibility. But Marnie had just told me to be confident, and this would get easier in time.
Persephone put her front paws on the table, her gaze following Marnie’s hand as she spread the cards out on the table. We waited for her to pick the cards, but she turned around and curled into my lap.
Casey put her hand on Persephone’s head. “You don’t want to pick cards?”
“Maybe we should go.” Something was making Persephone uncomfortable.
“Don’t you want the reading?” Marnie’s eyes widened as I rose from the chair. “I have to admit, I’m really curious what the cards will say.”
“Can we reschedule?”
“Addie,” Casey whispered. “What if the cards help us?”
“You’d have to book a new appointment, and I’m booked solid for two weeks.”
“We’ll take it,” Casey said before I had a chance to protest. “Thank you very much for your time. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“Book an appointment.” Marnie snuffed out the candle, and smoke rose ominously from it.
The sun was blinding. It felt like we’d been in The Raven Moon much longer than an hour.
“Addie, what happened in there?” Casey asked as we climbed into the car.
“Persephone wasn’t feeling it.” Had I overreacted? Let my own doubts about the tarot practice get in the way? Or maybe, I was scared of what the cards would reveal about Persephone.
Casey pressed her lips in a hard line.
I sighed. “I’m her person. It’s my job to protect her, no matter what. And she’s never told me that she hasn’t wanted to be somewhere before.”
“I get it. Everyone in this town is a little off, so far. I guess I selfishly wanted to hear what the cards had to say about Persephone.” She reached over and gave Persephone a good scritch, and it didn’t take long for her to get the spot. “The readings were really good. I’ve had a bunch, and I think she nailed us both.”
“It was more like a pep talk. She didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.”
“But how would she know those things?” Casey raised a brow.
“True.” I pulled Persephone’s travel bowl out of the backseat. It had been a gift from Brooke before we left, and it was awesome. I poured some water into the bowl, and some dry food, and set it on the backseat. She drank almost all the water, but didn’t touch the food.
“The girl from the sub shop posted her picture with Persephone online,” Casey said. “People are jumping to conclusions.”
“We said we were here to help find Cupcake.”
“But we never said that Cupcake was stolen. Rosamund seemed funny about it, and it was a huge victory to get her to admit she was gone.” Casey started the car once I cleaned up Persephone’s snack. “Where should we go?”
“Back to the hotel to regroup?” I suggested. “Persephone can tell us what she didn’t like about The Raven Moon.”
“There was a lot of energy in there,” she said. “I didn’t like it.”
Casey gasped. “What if Marnie cursed Persephone?”
“I hope not. She said she didn’t want to hurt anyone.” But for someone who was so interested in my connection to Persephone at the beginning of the appointment, she was willing to let us go. Maybe the talking directly to the cat thing wasn’t so charming after all. “What is going on here?’
The parking lot of The Rappaport Motor Inn was totally full, and a small group of people had gathered outside the pool area. They held up signs, like they were protesting something.
“Are those…Cupcake signs?” Casey lowered her sunglasses and squinted. She’d pulled into the last empty spot in the parking lot, one closer to the pool than our room.
“I think so.”
“Why are they here?” she asked.
“I have a feeling we’re about to find out.”
“Spy Kitty!” someone called out.
The crowd swarmed toward us.
“Spy Kitty’s mom is a fraud!” someone added. “She probably catnapped Cupcake so she can make it look like she found her.”
The crowd backed up the accuser, like they’d spent all morning coming up with that theory.
“Don’t be jealous he’s more famous than you,” another called out.
Casey turned around with enough attitude to drive the crowd back with a look. “Addie would never do such a thing. We came here to help find Cupcake. And if you really cared about where he was, you’d be combing the neighborhood and looking for him.”
She turned on her heel and unlocked her door. Far too stunned to pull the giant keychain out of my pocket, especially with my arms full of freaked-out cat, I followed her into her room.
She collapsed onto her bed, and then propped herself up on her elbows. “It’s been a day, hasn’t it?”
“I thought you said the cat community was welcoming.”
“The people running the accounts are super nice. The fans are complete wildcards.” She sighed. “Who would’ve come up with a Persephone v. Cupcake rivalry? Our accounts are nothing alike.”
“I’m sorry you had to hear that.” I gave Persephone a kiss before letting her free.
“They’re mad about something.”
Someone banged on the door of the hotel room, startling the three of us. I went for the door between the rooms, but it didn’t budge.
“Addie! I know you’re in there,” Roy yelled as he gave the door another thump.
I stuck my head out of the door. “Hi.”
He glowered at me and pointed toward the parking lot. “What is this?”
The crowd looked like it was beginning to disperse, and I had everything crossed that they’d taken Casey’s suggestion seriously. As far as I knew, no one was actively looking for Cupcake. “They’re upset about Cupcake.”
“I know that. But why are they here?”
I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“I’ve kicked people out for less than this. You might think you’re having a vacation on my sister’s tab, but I have a strict no parties on-premises policy.”
Casey pushed the door open.
“Roy.” She gave him her best dating app smile and batted her eyelashes.
His demeanor softened. “Oh, hi.”
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We didn’t call those people here. They took it upon themselves to come. They’re upset about Cupcake, and who isn’t? I’ll go talk to them again, now that I’ve cooled down a little, and maybe we can organize a search team.”
“The Rappaport Motor Inn is a well-respected business. Has been for generations.” But the look on his face made me think he was thinking about the hot tub in his room, and Casey in it. “I wouldn’t want anything to sully that reputation.”
“Absolutely not. This is a great opportunity for you. I bet some of these people are out of towners, and maybe they need a place to stay, or a home base to organize their search. The tiki bar would probably be an excellent place. Maybe you could have a search party special.”
“I could do something like that,” he said.
Oh, she was good.
“I’m gonna go talk to them, and we’ll come up with a plan to find this cat.”
Chapter Ten
Once cooler heads prevailed, the angry mob turned out to be a wealth of information. Within twenty minutes, Casey had sent Roy packing with his tail between his legs—until he returned with two-for-one drink vouchers as an incentive for the newly formed search parties. “There are a couple wooded areas behind Rosamund’s house. Apparently, once you get off the main road, things get rural fast. That’s where they’ll be concentrating their search. They’ve divided up into shifts, so there’s someone looking for Cupcake at all hours of the day. I shared with them some of the things we’ve done in the past to find lost animals.”
