The Telltale Turtle (The Pet Psychic Mysteries) by Jim Lavene;Joyce Lavene Page A
Book: The Telltale Turtle (The Pet Psychic Mysteries) by Jim Lavene;Joyce Lavene
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Authors: Jim Lavene;Joyce Lavene
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voice and hers was the only one available.
The cat didn't appear. She wasn't sure if she should go out after him or if she should let him find his own way back. She certainly couldn't follow him into all the nooks and crannies his agile body could find. If it hadn't been for the way he'd left her, she wouldn't even consider it. They were as close as a human and a cat could be, but she tried to give him his space when she could.
"Baylor?" She peered out into the night. "I'm going to bed. If you don't come in now, there won't be any food until breakfast."
There was a loud hissing and sudden howl she had no trouble identifying as his. She put down her purse and picked up the broom that was near the door to the clinic. Baylor was in trouble and she was going to find him.
NINE
MARY CATHERINE HELD HER broom out in front of her like a sword. She could hear Baylor's frantic yowls with her ears and his angry thoughts in her mind. Something was definitely wrong. Behind the anger, she sensed his fear of what he didn't understand. He couldn't get free of something; she had to find him.
She tried counseling him to calm down so he could help her, but there was no reasoning with him. Animals reached a point where there was no rationalizing their fears, like humans, and they panicked to the point of mindlessness. She tried to get him to consider where he was, but it was no use. He was beyond understanding her.
"Baylor!" she whispered his name as she skulked along the edges of the building in the shadows. "Stop fighting and answer me!"
His silence was more unnerving than his howls for help. Where was he? What was wrong with him?
She wished she'd brought a flashlight. She wished she'd called the police. Neither one of those luxuries belonged to her at that moment. Her back was starting to ache from leaning over looking for the cat.
Her broom handle hit the metal structure of the outside stairs to her apartment. She saw a shadow move across the stairs, too big to be Baylor, and swung at it as hard as she could. The shadow yelped and swore. This was a human animal.
"Watch it with that thing!" Charlie yelled as she lifted the handle to swing it again.
"What are you doing out here? Where's Baylor?"
"I was going up to your apartment to talk to you. I don't know where Baylor is. I thought you could communicate with animals."
She held the handle like a baseball bat. "Don't get cute with me! What have you done with my cat?"
"Nothing. Really. I just got here. I wanted to apologize again for what happened tonight."
Mary Catherine didn't know if she believed him or not. It was much harder to tell with people than with animals. In any case, he was standing close enough that she could tell he wasn't holding Baylor. "He's trapped out here somewhere. I have to find him."
"Let me help you. I'm a private detective. That's what I do, find lost things."
Something in his tone of voice distracted her from Baylor's plight for a moment. "That is what you do, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Detective Angellus told me you were kicked off the force because you said you heard voices that helped you solve your cases. You find things because they call to you. You're psychic too."
"I don't know what he's talking about," he argued. "Angellus can kiss my-"
"Shh! Did you hear that?"
He looked around. "Hear what?"
"That scratching sound."
"All these old buildings have rats." He took a step toward her. "Look, I've never had a cat but I've known plenty of cat ladies. Sometimes cats go off on their own. I'm sure Baylor will be fine."
"I think it's over here." She brushed past him with her broomstick in the lead again. He followed behind her until she reached the other side of the metal stairway. Mary Catherine's broomstick hit something metal that didn't resound like the heavy stairs. She knelt down in the rabbit grass and gravel, feeling around until her hands came in contact with a cage.
"Baylor!" She tried to find some way to
The cat didn't appear. She wasn't sure if she should go out after him or if she should let him find his own way back. She certainly couldn't follow him into all the nooks and crannies his agile body could find. If it hadn't been for the way he'd left her, she wouldn't even consider it. They were as close as a human and a cat could be, but she tried to give him his space when she could.
"Baylor?" She peered out into the night. "I'm going to bed. If you don't come in now, there won't be any food until breakfast."
There was a loud hissing and sudden howl she had no trouble identifying as his. She put down her purse and picked up the broom that was near the door to the clinic. Baylor was in trouble and she was going to find him.
NINE
MARY CATHERINE HELD HER broom out in front of her like a sword. She could hear Baylor's frantic yowls with her ears and his angry thoughts in her mind. Something was definitely wrong. Behind the anger, she sensed his fear of what he didn't understand. He couldn't get free of something; she had to find him.
She tried counseling him to calm down so he could help her, but there was no reasoning with him. Animals reached a point where there was no rationalizing their fears, like humans, and they panicked to the point of mindlessness. She tried to get him to consider where he was, but it was no use. He was beyond understanding her.
"Baylor!" she whispered his name as she skulked along the edges of the building in the shadows. "Stop fighting and answer me!"
His silence was more unnerving than his howls for help. Where was he? What was wrong with him?
She wished she'd brought a flashlight. She wished she'd called the police. Neither one of those luxuries belonged to her at that moment. Her back was starting to ache from leaning over looking for the cat.
Her broom handle hit the metal structure of the outside stairs to her apartment. She saw a shadow move across the stairs, too big to be Baylor, and swung at it as hard as she could. The shadow yelped and swore. This was a human animal.
"Watch it with that thing!" Charlie yelled as she lifted the handle to swing it again.
"What are you doing out here? Where's Baylor?"
"I was going up to your apartment to talk to you. I don't know where Baylor is. I thought you could communicate with animals."
She held the handle like a baseball bat. "Don't get cute with me! What have you done with my cat?"
"Nothing. Really. I just got here. I wanted to apologize again for what happened tonight."
Mary Catherine didn't know if she believed him or not. It was much harder to tell with people than with animals. In any case, he was standing close enough that she could tell he wasn't holding Baylor. "He's trapped out here somewhere. I have to find him."
"Let me help you. I'm a private detective. That's what I do, find lost things."
Something in his tone of voice distracted her from Baylor's plight for a moment. "That is what you do, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Detective Angellus told me you were kicked off the force because you said you heard voices that helped you solve your cases. You find things because they call to you. You're psychic too."
"I don't know what he's talking about," he argued. "Angellus can kiss my-"
"Shh! Did you hear that?"
He looked around. "Hear what?"
"That scratching sound."
"All these old buildings have rats." He took a step toward her. "Look, I've never had a cat but I've known plenty of cat ladies. Sometimes cats go off on their own. I'm sure Baylor will be fine."
"I think it's over here." She brushed past him with her broomstick in the lead again. He followed behind her until she reached the other side of the metal stairway. Mary Catherine's broomstick hit something metal that didn't resound like the heavy stairs. She knelt down in the rabbit grass and gravel, feeling around until her hands came in contact with a cage.
"Baylor!" She tried to find some way to
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