The Cats that Walked the Haunted Beach Read online

  Eddie nodded. “That’s good. To tell you the truth he’s been pining for that married woman way too long.”

  “You mean Jake Cokenberger’s wife, what’s her name.”

  “Katherine, but I’ve heard Stevie call her Katz.”

  “I’m happy for my brother. He needs a gal to call his own, but you know who’ll be the final judge of whether or not the new gal is Sanders’s-worthy?”

  “No, who?”

  “Salina. She’s very close to her dad.”

  “Yep, you’re probably right.”

  Chapter Four

  Katherine grabbed her keys and cross-over bag from the atrium Eastlake table, said good-bye to the cats, and walked out of the house to the carriage house. She unlocked the padlock and slid open the heavy sliding door. She lifted her Huffy cruiser bike off the bike rack, climbed on the seat and pedaled up Lincoln Street. It was a beautiful spring day, and she wanted a quick bike ride before she had to teach her computer class.

  Heading back to the mansion, she saw Margie’s Dodge Ram parked in front and Stevie Sanders’ electric service van parked in the driveway. Yay, she thought. I sure hope Margie is getting the rest of her tools. Stevie had already removed his tools from the jobsite, but needed to deliver the antique-brass switch plates he’d ordered for the attic. Not seeing Margie, Katherine assumed she was already inside. Margie had a key, which she was to return this day.

  Stevie stood next to his van rummaging in the tool box. When he saw Katherine riding down the hill, he called, “Hey, good lookin’.”

  Katherine was momentarily distracted and hit the raised edge of the driveway. The bike careened to the left. She flew over the handlebars and landed in the front ditch, which still contained last autumn’s dead leaves. “Ouch,” she moaned, rubbing her elbow, which was now bleeding.

  Stevie ran over, appraised the situation, and kidded, “Dang, lady, I’m not climbing down there and messing up my clothes to help you.”

  “Gee, thanks, but shouldn’t you ask if I’m okay?”

  “I can tell you’re okay,” he said with a flirty look in his eye.

  Katherine’s face reddened. “Well, then, can you help me up?” She knew Stevie had feelings for her.

  Stevie held out his hand, and pulled Katherine out. “Looks like you scraped your arm.”

  “It’s nothing, but I think my bike-riding skills are in question.”

  Stevie righted the bike and rolled it to the driveway. He parked it close to the street, kicked the kickstand, then walked back to Katherine. “I wish I’d videoed that and put it up on YouTube. I’m tellin’ you, that was the wreck of the century.” He laughed loudly.

  “Very funny.”

  Stevie changed the subject. “If it’s any consolation, I’ll be out of your hair today.”

  “Did the switch plates come?” she asked excitedly.

  “Yep, is it okay if I go up to the attic and install them?”

  “Thanks for offering, but that’s something I can do. I know how to use a screwdriver.”

  Stevie smiled and handed her the plates.

  “I better go inside and put a Band-Aid on this,” she said, holding up her arm.

  “I can take care of that for ya. Want me to kiss it and make it feel better?”

  “Stevie?” Katherine said, shocked.

  “That’s what I do when Salina has a boo-boo. Ah, shucks, I’m just messin’ with ya.”

  “I’ll catch you later,” she said, slightly irritated. She’d had several conversations with Stevie about his flirtatious comments and how they were inappropriate to say to a married woman, but she chalked up the latest infraction to Stevie being Stevie.

  “Wait, I need to ask you something,” Stevie said.

  Katherine stopped and put her hand on her hip. “What?”

  “I know this is short notice, but can Salina sleep over at your house tomorrow night? I’ve got to drive several hours to meet a friend, and I won’t be back until really late. I just don’t like to leave her alone, especially after what happened when Big Mama and Mike tried to kidnap her.”

  “Oh, darn,” Katherine began. “Normally, I’d say yes, but I have plans Thursday. Colleen and I are meeting her mom for a girls’ retreat. I won’t be back until Sunday.”

  “Oh, okay,” Stevie said, slightly embarrassed for asking.

  “No, wait. I’ve got an idea. Salina and Margie’s daughter are best friends. Maybe Salina can stay with Shelly. I’m sure Cokey and Margie wouldn’t mind, that is, if they don’t have plans.”

  “Ah, we ain’t friends,” he said in a quiet voice.

  Katherine corrected. “We are not friends.”

  “Yep, in fact Cokey and Margie hate my guts.”

  Margie came out of the house and asked, “Hates whose guts?”

  Stevie’s face turned a shade of bright red. “Nothing, ma’am.”

  Katherine piped in. “Margie, Stevie will be out-of-town tomorrow night and needs someone to watch over Salina. He doesn’t want to leave her alone.”

  Margie looked at Katherine, “That’s understandable. Cokey and I aren’t doing anything.” Then she turned to Stevie, “How about Salina coming to our house for a sleepover? Shelly will be thrilled.”

  Stevie smiled. “I’m much obliged, ma’am.”

  Margie asked nosily, “Where ya going?”

  “Up north a ways,” Stevie said evasively.

  “To meet someone?”

  Stevie gave a look, started to say something, then said instead, “A friend.”

  Katherine rescued Stevie from the awkward barrage of questions, and took Margie by the arm. “Come in the back. I want to show you my garden. My iris plants are popping up.”

  “I’d love to see them, but I’m expecting a delivery at the new job site.”

  “Oh, okay, some other time then.”

  “This is my official last day,” Margie said, extracting a key out of her pocket.

  Katherine took the house key and praised, “The attic looks amazing. Jake absolutely loves it. The cats love it, too.”

  “Thanks, kiddo. My pleasure. Catch ya later,” she said, heading to her pickup. She honked when she drove away.

  Stevie wiped his forehead in an exaggerated manner. “Thanks for that. Margie missed her calling in life.”

  “What was that?”

  “She should have been a detective.”

  Katherine winked. “No problem, but you owe me,” she giggled. Forgetting her bike, she walked back to the mansion.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Stevie said. He returned to his van, then yelled, “I suggest next time you wear elbow pads.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement.” She climbed the steps to the front porch and stopped when she heard a loud truck pull in the driveway. The driver parked behind Stevie’s van. She craned her neck to see who it was. Judging from Stevie’s body language, she could tell he wasn’t too pleased to see whoever it was.

  The driver got out and walked over to Stevie. He asked if Stevie still had a connection at the prison’s pharmacy. She wondered what he meant by that question. Stevie had been out of prison for several years. Immediately, Stevie started yelling at the man. Katherine didn’t want to appear to be Margie’s nosy twin, so she hurried up the steps and hid behind the front column. She continued to listen to the conversation.

  “What the hell do you want to do with that drug? I want nothing to do with you,” Stevie said angrily. “I’ve done my time; you’ve done your time. I’m clean. I have a daughter to bring up. End of conversation.”

  “Hey, man, I just want to talk to ya,” Josh said, backing off. “It took me two hours to get here.”

  “Dave told me you were lookin’ for me. You found me. Now leave,” Stevie said in a tough voice.

  “I didn’t come here for a fight.”

  “Get out of Erie and don’t come back.”

  Josh put up his hands. “That’s a fine how-do-you-do.” He jumped back into his truck, fired up the engine, and peeled out,
running over Katherine’s bike. He dragged the Huffy up Lincoln Street. Halfway up the hill, the mangled remains of Katherine’s bicycle shot out from underneath the truck’s undercarriage and skidded to a stop in the ditch where she’d fallen minutes earlier.

  Katherine darted out from behind the column and ran to the ditch. Stevie was right behind her.

  “Who was that maniac?” she asked.

  “A bike killer,” Stevie said, still angry at Josh.

  “What?” Katherine asked with a shocked look on her face.

  Stevie put his arm around her. “I’ll buy ya a new one,” he consoled.

  “No, you won’t,” Katherine countered. “That idiot who ran over it is buying me a new one. I’m calling Chief London.”

  “Katz, don’t call the law. I know this man. He’s been in prison up north, and just got out on parole. This kind of thing could put him back behind bars.”

  “So?” Katherine asked defensively.

  “Trust me. Don’t mess with him. He’s psycho.”

  Katherine brushed Stevie’s arm away. “Tell me his name?” she demanded.

  “He’s just some nobody from my past. Let’s leave it at that.”

  Katherine studied Stevie’s face and saw how upset he was. She backed down. “I promise. Lips are sealed, but Stevie, I’ll buy a new bike. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “Thanks, Katz,” he said shyly.

  “Thanks for the switch plates. Give Salina a hug.”

  “She’ll like that. She thinks the world of you.”

  “And, I think the world of her.”

  Chapter Five

  Thursday

  The Road Trip

  Katherine and Jake waited on their front porch for Colleen to arrive. She’d called earlier and said her class had ended early and she was on her way. Inside the house, Scout and Abra stood on the parlor’s windowsill and waited also. The Siamese knew they were going somewhere, too.

  Colleen pulled up at one o’clock and parked in front of the mansion. She got out and lifted the hatch of her Honda CRV. She struggled with a heavy suitcase.

  Jake hurried to help her. “You’re only staying four days. Why are you bringing so much stuff?” he asked.

  Colleen tossed her hair back defiantly. “That’s for me to know, and for you not to find out,” she said tartly.

  Katherine covered her mouth to stop a giggle. “Hi, Colleen.”

  “Hey, Katz.”

  Jake wouldn’t let it go. “I think I threw out my back lifting this thing.”

  Colleen punched him on the arm. “Okay, wise guy.”

  Heading inside the house, Katherine said, “I’ll get the cats.”

  Jake loaded Colleen’s bag in the back of the Outback, and walked back to the house to help Katherine wrangle the felines.

  Colleen climbed in the passenger seat, and pulled her portable GPS out of her bag, then entered the address of the cabin Mum had texted earlier. She didn’t want to use Katherine’s in-dash GPS because it was easier to mute her hand-held one in the likely event the cats objected to the sound of the GPS lady.

  Katherine came out the front door carrying two bags.

  Jake carried the cat carrier, placed it on the back seat and bungeed it to the headrest.

  “Did you get the litterbox?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Litter?” he asked.

  “It’s in this bag.” Katherine handed him the larger one.

  “This is heavy.”

  “I know. There’s a five-pound bag of litter in there. Plus, their canned food.”

  “Hope there’s room in the back with Colleen’s giant trunk in the way,” he said in a loud voice so Colleen would hear.

  Colleen yelled over her shoulder, “I heard that. It’s not a trunk, but an overnight bag.”

  Katherine chuckled, but didn’t comment. “This is my official overnight bag,” she said, handing it to Jake.

  He moved to the rear passenger door, and set it on the seat next to the cat carrier.

  Scout and Abra became agitated in their cage, and began to do figure eights in the small space. The carrier didn’t budge because of the bungee cords.

  Katherine said in a soft voice, “Girls, I want you to settle down. Mommy has to drive.”

  “Yes, Mommy has to drive,” Colleen mocked. “Auntie Colleen is the navigator.”

  Jake held Katherine’s door open, and she climbed in. “Do you have everything?” he asked.

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “Didn’t you make a list?”

  “Of course.”

  “Did you bring your Glock?”

  “Yes, dearest, it’s in my bag, but I’m not planning on using it. Now give me a kiss, so I can take off.”

  Jake reached in and kissed Katherine. “You be careful now. Text me as soon as you get there.”

  “I will.”

  “Okay, Sweet Pea,” then he said to Colleen, “Keep her out of trouble.”

  Colleen laughed, “That’ll be the day.”

  Jake shut the door and waved to them as they pulled out. Katherine stepped on the gas and headed for US 41.

  Colleen, still holding the GPS, said, “I know the cats hate the GPS lady, so let me know when you want me to turn it on.”

  “Sure, but we really don’t need it. I studied a map. It’s pretty easy to get there. We’ll take 41 to Schererville, east through Merrillville and Valparaiso to 49—”

  Colleen interrupted, “I hope you wrote that down somewhere.”

  “Nope, it’s in my head.”

  “Daryl said something about an interstate route.”

  “Na-waugh,” Scout disagreed.

  Katherine giggled. “The Siamese don’t like the interstate because of the loud trucks, remember?”

  “How can I forget. Dead of winter. Snow storm. Scout started howling in Manhattan and never shut up until we crossed the Indiana state line.”

  “She did not,” Katherine disagreed. “She howled until Ohio.”

  “Raw,” Abra cried.

  Colleen chuckled. “Abra, you weren’t even on that trip.”

  “Wow, that was a long time ago,” Katherine reflected, then asked, changing the subject, “How was your speech?”

  “Shut the door!” Colleen kidded. “I probably got a C.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I was so nervous. Halfway through the stupid speech, my note cards flipped out of my hand and scattered on the floor in front of me. This obnoxious guy in the back started laughing. It really tripped me up.”

  “Did you finish it?”

  “I did, after a few agonizing minutes. I’m so glad I’d memorized it.”

  “So why would you get a C?”

  “C for clutz.”

  “I think that word is spelled with a K.”

  “Oh, okay. Can you get a K on something?” Colleen tipped her head back and laughed.

  ***

  Two-and-a-half hours into the trip, with heavy traffic on US 30, Katherine spotted a service station. The place was bustling with people pumping gas or going inside to the convenience store. She drove in and parked at the only available pump.

  Colleen had dozed off and woke up with a start. “Are we there?”

  “No, we still have several miles to go.”

  “I must have fallen asleep.”

  “Lucky you. Scout and Abra didn’t quiet down until Valparaiso.”

  “Wherever that is,” Colleen said, getting out. “I’m going to use the bat room.”

  Katherine laughed at her friend’s pronunciation. “You mean bathroom?”

  “That’s what I said,” Colleen answered, leaving.

  Katherine got out, too, removed the gas nozzle from the pump, and began filling the Subaru. She looked through the back window to check on the cats.

  Scout and Abra were exhausted from screeching at every vehicle that passed by. They were now spooned together, and woke up when they heard Katherine’s voice.

  “Waugh,” Scout cri
ed sleepily, which sounded like “are we there yet?”

  Katherine called through the window. ‘We should be there in less than thirty minutes. Will that make my darlings happy?”

  “Raw,” Abra answered, blinking an eye kiss.

  Colleen returned to the vehicle holding several tourist fliers in her hand. “Katz, there’s a ghost tour on the beach. We have to check it out,” she said excitedly.

  “Cool,” Katherine said, climbing back into the Outback. Colleen did the same.

  Katherine started the engine and drove back onto US 30. “Start looking for signs to State Road 49.”

  “Shouldn’t I turn on the GPS?”

  “Not until we get to Seagull. The cats just quieted down. I need to give my ears a rest.”

  “Okay, but the sign back there said 49 was in ten miles.”

  “Really? I didn’t see a sign.”

  “The sign was big as a bus.”

  Katherine sighed. “I’m getting hungry.”

  “Me, too.”

  “We just passed every conceivable fast food restaurant known to man, but I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Maybe there’s a burger place in Seagull—”

  “With a drive-through,” Katherine added. “So, we don’t have to go inside. We can take food to the cabin. Take Mum something.”

  “Sure.”

  “Have you heard from Mum? I don’t know why I didn’t ask earlier.”

  “I got a text before we left Erie. Her flight landed in Gary and she was taking a limo service to the cabin.”

  “A limo? Won’t that be expensive?”

  Colleen shrugged. “I don’t argue with Mum.”

  “Looks like she could have taken a bus or train or something,” Katherine digressed. “Did she text you to say she’d arrived at the cabin?”

  “No, but I assume she did,” Colleen said. “Let me read this about the ghost tour,” she said, picking up the flier. “Wow, did you know that where we’re going has a very famous ghost legend?”

  “The Dunes State Park?”

  Colleen nodded and said in a spooky voice, “The spirit roams the beach by the Dunes State Park.”

  “That’s close to Seagull.”

  Colleen read out loud, “In 1915, a woman used to swim nude in Lake Michigan by the Dunes State Park. Fishermen began spreading news about it, and curiosity-seekers flocked to the area to try and spot Diana.”