Chapter 14 Emma
FOURTEEN
Emma
The animal’s screech hit me as soon as Beth swung the door open.
It started as a kind of rolling hiss, then it ramped up into a low growl that rattled somewhere near my unmentionables. Buster sounded like he’d graduated from pest control to full-on crime boss in the time it’d taken us to cross the entry rug.
Beth’s heels hit the floorboards so hard the wall art nearly vibrated.
I followed her at a safe distance, ready for, what, exactly? A possessed raccoon? A client in the throes of an existential meltdown? Hard to tell, really. This was Private Psych, where “normal” was anything but.
By the time I caught up, Beth was locked in a one-woman wrestling match with her tabby. Buster had gone full tiger, fur on end, pupils blown wide, with a white mouse squirming between his paws like a worm on a hook.
“Drop her!” Beth snapped, grabbing for the cat like she was defusing a bomb. “Let go right now or you’ll be getting your protein from the parking lot garbage for the rest of your life!”
Buster spat out a curse word that would’ve made a sailor proud and snapped his jaws just shy of Python’s tail. The mouse let out an ear-splitting squeak.
I hovered at the edge of the fray, halfway between jumping in and running for my life. The last time I’d seen Buster this worked up, someone had left chicken salad unattended in the break room. The carnage had taken hours to clean.
Beth managed a two-handed grab, swinging Buster away from Python.
She cradled the mouse in her palm, inspecting him for damage.
Python’s legs vibrated at hummingbird speed. His tiny sides pumped like he’d just run a marathon and lost the bet.
“Are you satisfied, Buster?!” Beth barked.
Buster yowled, tail whipping like he meant to take down a helicopter. “He’s working against us! You never listen, Beth! That mouse is plotting something awful. I can smell it. Every single day he lurks, taking notes!”
Beth’s cheeks went bright red. “Enough of your conspiracy theories! If you can’t keep your paws off the mouse, you’re getting your outdoor privileges revoked. That’s a promise, Buster. See how you like chasing leaves for dinner.”
Buster turned on her with those big golden eyes, and trust me, if he’d had an ounce more magic in him, he probably would’ve set the carpet on fire out of spite.
He bristled. “You think I want to eat leaves? I’m trying to protect you!
That mouse, he’s dangerous. He’s a saboteur.
You’ll all be sorry when you’re knee-deep in—”
“Out,” Beth said, jabbing a finger at the door.
Buster stormed away, every step a stomp, muttering under his breath the entire way. The sound of his tail thumping against the hallway wall echoed long after he vanished.
Beth glanced down, her whole body sagging.
“Poor little sweetie,” she murmured, stroking the trembling mouse with one careful finger. “I won’t let the big mean cat eat you. He’s just got a wild imagination and a seriously bad attitude.”
She brought Python to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his fur. “Don’t mind him. I’d never let you get hurt.”
Python finally seemed to revive. His nose twitched high-speed, and in a blink, he’d dashed off Beth’s hand and straight into a crack behind the bookcase. A flash of white and he was gone.
Beth stood, straightening her hair with shaky fingers.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna do with that cat,” she muttered. “He’s never had a problem with any of my other pets. Clark barely phases him. But this mouse? Buster’s lost his mind.”
Speak of the devil. A flutter of brown feathers announced Clark’s arrival at the top of the stairs. He peered down at us, one glassy eye looking particularly judgmental.
Beth sized him up. “Clark, what is Buster’s problem today?”
The nutcracker bird puffed his chest and gave a dismissive caw. “Cats are crazy. Always have been. Give a bird a sunflower seed and he’ll tell you the truth.”
That’s just what the morning needed. Life advice from a bird.
The doorbell rang.
Beth rolled her eyes. “Not a moment’s peace,” she said, but her stride had some bounce again. She marched to the door, gave her shirt a quick tug, and pasted on her best smile.
Waiting outside were three women I’d seen around town. Book club.
Beth ushered them in. I tried not to look like I was still traumatized by cat warfare and took up my position as official snack host.
The first woman, Ruth, wore glasses on a chain.
Next to her, Nora sported a deep green sweater.
The third, Lydia, hung back just a little, her lips pressed tight, book club tote clutched to her chest like a shield.
The trio swept into the office and parked themselves around the battered coffee table.
I beamed at the trio. “So, grapes or cookies? Cheese, maybe? I know where Beth keeps the good chocolate.”
Nora perked up at that, and even Ruth’s battle-ready shoulders dropped a notch.
Beth set out cups, pouring water and layering crackers on a plate and cleared her throat. “Thank you all for coming. I know you’re busy, but it’s about Alice.”
The friends all nodded, tension finally settling in now that they sensed this wasn’t a Tupperware pitch. Not speaking, they moved slowly as they filled up their plates and began to snack on the food.
I kept my hands in my lap, squeezing my fingers tight. “Alice is missing. We haven’t heard from her since yesterday morning. No calls. Nothing.”
Ruth leaned forward, eyes wide. “Missing? That’s not possible. Alice would never vanish without saying something. Maybe she got lost on one of her walks?”
Nora shook her head, curls bouncing. “She’s got a book due next week. She wouldn’t miss club. I mean, she’s read ahead three chapters.”
“Yeah, all signs are pointing to the fact that she didn’t just disappear on her own.” Beth scanned the group, hunting for answers. “Has anyone seen anything strange? Was Alice upset? Did she mention anyone bothering her?”
The women exchanged glances.
It was Nora who swallowed her fear and actually spoke. “Well she did mention someone spooking her. She said, after the last meeting, that she thought she saw a figure outside her window at the coffee shop. She was in the middle of telling me about it, but then we got interrupted.”
Lydia’s hand shook as she set down her cup. “Actually,” she stammered, “that was… me.”
Nora’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Lydia shrank into her cardigan. “I came to get Alice for the meeting. I know she gets wrapped up in her books, so I volunteered to come pick her up from the coffee shop. I was waiting outside the shop waiting for her, texting her, but she wasn’t responding.
She started looking up at me a lot, but she still didn’t come out.
She finally took off, and I chased her. She screamed, and I told her it was just me.
She’d forgotten I was coming to pick her up, and it was dark, so she just saw someone in a hoodie staring at her and then chasing her. We both felt silly afterward.”
Ruth let out a breath, grabbing another cracker from her plate. “Alice really is in her own little world when she reads. Something I’m guilty of too.”
Beth pinched the bridge of her nose. “So the mysterious figure was just you?”
Lydia nodded, looking like she wished she could disappear into the rug.
A bubble of disappointment rose in my chest. “So no strange person lurking in the shadows took her?”
Beth shook her head. “I hate to say it, but she might have just got cold feet.”
Ruth leaned in, voice low. “Alice wouldn’t just run away. She always talked about Henry like he was her true home. She wanted that. Everyone knew it.”
Nora nodded. “She said he made her feel calm. That’s not easy for someone like her. Besides, if she’d planned to leave, she would’ve told us. Or left a note at least.”
I twisted a napkin until it nearly tore. “So, nobody has seen her? Or heard from her?”
They all shook their heads.
“Well, that’s helpful,” Beth mumbled under her breath. Then, to the group said, “Thank you, truly. If anything comes to mind, can you call us right away? Even if it seems weird.”
Ruth squeezed Beth’s arm. “We’ll keep our ears open. I’m sorry. We all adore Alice. We just feel so sorry for Henry. This must be really hard for him.”
Beth managed a nod. “He’s beside himself.”
They filed out, shoes clicking in perfect rhythm, leaving the air thick with too much perfume and disappointment.
I flopped onto the nearest chair, staring at where the mouse had vanished. “Well, that cleared up nothing.”
Beth moved around the table, collecting plates with a little more aggression than necessary. “One more person to track down. Krissy. After that, we’re out of options.”
Right, Krissy. One of Alice’s closest friends and the last person to see her before she vanished. Seeing her would either clear everything up or leave us with no straws to grasp at.
I counted the empty chairs and wondered how long it would be before Henry started to lose hope.
Beth looked at the ceiling, like maybe an answer was hiding up there with the cobwebs. “Poor Henry.”