the first message and made sure the volume was up. Alonzo squeezed her shoulder.
The message didn’t play.
“I’m sorry, Mitzy? I didn’t catch that. There was a message on your answering machine?”
Mitzy stared at the machine. Alonzo took the phone from her, “This is Alonzo Miramontes. Let me explain. Mitzy came to the house today at
11:40
. There was a message on the phone. The machine said the call came in at
11:30
. It said, ‘you’re not wrong.’ Mitzy called me immediately and played it for me. Now it’s been deleted. I think someone has been in her home. I think the murderer is sending her a message.”
“Okay. I took the note. Sorry the message was gone. Just a couple of questions, she said it was her parents’ house. Could they have deleted the message?”
“No. She’s house sitting while they are out of town.”
“They couldn’t do it remotely?”
Alonzo repeated the question to Mitzy. She shook her head no.
“No, it’s an old answering machine.”
“And you two are the only ones who heard it?”
“Yes.”
“Have either of you touched the machine since the message was deleted?”
“Yes, we both have.”
“Alright. Well. I’ve been given strict instructions to take Mitzy seriously, but I don’t know what to do about this one. The message is gone and your fingers have been all over the buttons. I’ve made a note. Call if it happens again.”
“Yes sir. There’s one more thing,” Alonzo said.
“I’m ready.”
Alonzo explained the story of the missing keys and the broken platter. The phone was silent for a moment.
“We’ll send someone over to dust for fingerprints,” The cop said, “Keep in touch. We want to know if anything else like this comes up.”
Alonzo ended the call and put his hand on Mitzy’s lower back. “They don’t think you are crazy, at least.”
“They don’t, but they could be wrong.” Mitzy offered a wry grin.
“Let’s finally feed those cats and get out of here.”
“That’s a good idea.” In addition to catnip and new toys Mitzy had brought an auto feeder. She filled it up and set a huge sheet cake tray of water out for them.
“Anything else?” Alonzo asked.
Mitzy shook her head. “No, they use that little cat door to get outside instead of a litter box. I think this will do them for the rest of the week.
“Poor cats,” Alonzo said, “Should I just take them home with me?”
“They’re fine. Let’s get out of here.”
Mitzy recycled all of the packaging and gave the cats one last quick snuggle. She and Alonzo piled into the car. Mitzy watched the house in her mirror as she drove away. An upstairs light switched on.
“Alonzo!” she cried.
He slammed on the brakes “What?!”
“That light!” she said, “I just saw it turn on.”
Alonzo craned his neck to see behind him. “No, I left that on in the bathroom, for the cats.”
“Then someone turned it off and then turned it back on. I just saw it.” Mitzy said, her voice rising. “The cops have been instructed to take me seriously. You should too.”
Alonzo turned the car around and pulled in to the driveway. “Fine. I’m turning around, but you are sticking close to me.”
They let themselves back into the house and went straight upstairs. Puddytat, the black cat, was sitting on the bathroom counter. His tail switched back and forth. He hopped down from the counter, purring, and rubbed his back on Mitzy’s legs. She watched him do a turn around the bathroom floor and then jump back on the counter. When he landed, he brushed up against the wall and switched the light off.
“It was the cat,” Alonzo said.
Mitzy sucked in a breath, “Puddytat turned it off, but could he turn it back on?”
“Should we sit here and watch?” Alonzo asked.
Mitzy pushed the cat off of the counter. “Let’s see if he turns it on when he gets back up.” But the cat walked out of the bathroom. Alonzo started moving things around on the bathroom counter. “I think it
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