31906844db5c02010017a90f3f2ca805

If these words were designed to exact a certain effect on the errant feline they didn’t miss it. Harriet’s distended tail shrunk back to normal proportions. But then she growled, “I don’t care how many times you almost get run over, you filthy love rat. I just hope next time someone finally succeeds.”

And after these particularly harsh words, she padded off in the direction of the sliding door, and then out. Before making her grand exit, though, she glanced over her shoulder.“From now on you’re all dead to me,” she said, addressing me and Dooley. “Adieu.” And then she was off.

Chapter 15

Amid all this cat drama, Odelia had only focused on one thing. She approached Brutus, who was still staring after Harriet.“Did you just say you were almost run over?”

Brutus nodded.“The same man who killed Dany Cooper. At least I think he was. He was wearing a yellow parka and a baseball cap and sunglasses.”

Odelia looked at her father.

“I’m sorry,” said Tex. “I didn’t get a good look at the driver.”

“What about the car? License plate number?”

Tex frowned.“Um…”

“Oh, Dad…”

“I’m a doctor, honey, not a detective. I don’t routinely scan cars for license plates or makes and models.” He held up a finger. “I do think it was a blue car, but don’t hold me to that. It could have been a trick of the light.”

“It was blue,” Brutus acknowledged. “And one of those boxy cars that are so popular with the British royal family.”

Odelia thought for a moment, then she and her father said in unison,“Range Rover.”

She took out her phone and brought up a picture of a Range Rover.“Is this the car you saw, Brutus?”

Brutus glanced at the picture and nodded.“Yup. Like I said. The boxy car those British royals are always promoting on TV.”

It was true. For some reason the British royal family were always driving Range Rovers, almost as if they were employed as that company’s PR representatives.

“And was he actually targeting you, you think?” she asked next.

“I think so. At least, he seemed to swerve in my direction and tried to run me down. So if that’s not intentional it was a very strange coincidence.”

“He switched lanes just so he could run down Brutus,” Tex confirmed. “It looked intentional to me.”

“I don’t get it,” said Odelia. “First this man kills my understudy and now he tries to run over my cat? What’s going on?”

“It could be a coincidence,” said Tex. “Maybe this man simply doesn’t like cats, so when he saw the opportunity to run one over, he took it.”

“And it’s possible there’s more than one man in a yellow parka,” Max offered.

Odelia chewed her bottom lip. Max was right. Then again, her gut told her this was no coincidence. That these two events, the murder of Dany Cooper, and Brutus’s brush with vehicular catslaughter, were related. This man was after something. And it had something to do with her.

Dad put his hand on her shoulder.“Odelia, honey. You better be careful. I don’t know what’s going on, but something tells me this man may be targeting you.”

She placed her hand on top of his and gave him a smile.“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll be careful.”

She took her purse from the kitchen counter and moved to the door.

“You’re going out?” asked Dad.

“A meeting with the rest of the Bard in the Park crew. The director called it. We’re going to sit down and try to process what happened this afternoon. Also, we need to decide whether to do the shows or simply cancel the entire project.”

“They’re not seriously thinking about going through with the performances, are they?” asked Dad incredulously.

“You know what they say, Dad. The show must go on. A lot of people put a lot of work into this project. It would be a pity to let them down. As Wolf sees it, we’ll dedicate the performances to Dany’s memory. I think she would have liked that.”

“But there’s a maniac out there, targeting members of your troupe. Not to mention… you.”

“It’s all right, dad. Chase will be there tonight. I’ll be perfectly safe.”

“I’m not so sure,” said Dad hesitantly. It was obvious he wasn’t too happy about letting his only child walk out of the house and into a potentially life-threatening situation.

“Chase is there,” she repeated. “He already saved one life today. He’s prepared to guard others with his own.”

“It’s true,” Brutus said. “Chase saved my life tonight.”

“That was a brave thing to do,” said Dad with a nod.

Odelia gave her cats a finger wave.“You guys better stay here tonight. There’s a cat killer on the loose, so no cat choir, all right?”

This didn’t seem to sit well with her cat troupe, but they grudgingly agreed.

And then she was off.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

Wolf had set up shop in Whitmore Manor, a huge place that belonged to Marcia Graydon, patron of the arts and one of Wolf’s mother’s oldest and dearest friends. The sizable manor was located near the beach, just outside of town. Wolf was staying there, and so were other members of the crew. At least the ones that weren’t locals, like Odelia.

Dany Cooper had been staying there as well.