Catwalk Read Online Free Page B

best you can do? Woman?
    Hutchinson scratched Jay’s chin and said, “Gooboy, gooboy.” What is it about animals that turns big tough men into baby-talking mushballs? Hutchinson stood and turned back toward Charles. “Sir, if someone has gone for a carrier to take the cats, then maybe you can just be patient for a little longer?”
    â€œPatient? First this filthy animal gets into my wife’s studio and then these people come tramping in without even asking and bring that vicious dog …”
    Jay cocked his head at the word dog as if to ask, “What? Vicious? Me?”
    â€œSir, this dog is a search dog. He has assisted the police in the past.” Hutchinson was stretching the truth just a tad, but that was close enough for me. He gestured toward the window and said, “A screen or closed window would keep animals out of your building. In fact, sir, it’s illegal to entice animals into a trap,” but Rasmussen didn’t seem to hear him.
    â€œ … and now my entire evening is ruined, dinner is late, my wife is upset …” He turned around and slammed the window down so hard that the glass rattled.
    â€œI’m not upset.” Louise stood in the doorway. The first thing I noticed was that she had not changed clothes despite her husband’s earlier directive. The second thing I noticed was that her bubble hair had disappeared in favor of a neat little pixie, a much better match for her tiny frame. That was a wig? Had to be, unless she’d gone after herself with an electric hedge trimmer in the past quarter hour. “How are the kittens, Jane? It is Jane, isn’t it?”
    â€œJanet.”
    â€œOh, yes, Janet.” She walked past her husband and Hutchinson, but stopped short of Gypsy’s chair. “Are they doing well?”
    Before I could confirm that they were, Alberta burst in, which put the little studio just about at capacity. It was starting to get a bit stuffy. Alberta pushed past the men and set a small plastic pet carrier on the floor by the chair. “Sorry it took so long. I had to find some clean bedding. Ju st back from a dog show, you know, and I haven’t washed the crate pads.” She stopped to wheeze, then went on. “I found some fleece. I’ve been saving it to make some tug toys for the dogs. It makes a nice cozy bed for the little guys.” She stroked Gypsy. “I just hope you’ll go in without a fuss, my dear.”
    â€œJust get them the hell out of here.” Charles’s face had a purplish cast and I wondered whether he might be working himself up to a cardiovascular event. He turned and stepped toward the door.
    Hutchinson looked at his notebook, then at the back of the man who had called him out here. “Sir, one question.”
    Charles wheeled around and said, “Yeah, what’s that?”
    â€œYou said there were seven intruders.”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    Hutchinson looked at Alberta and me. I shrugged. “So where are the others? I only see two.”
    Charles fluttered a hand in our direction. “Two women, that dog , and those four cats. Seven.” He started to turn away, but stopped and said, “Louise, I’m ready for dinner. Come on.”
    â€œBut I want to help get the kitties loaded up.” Louise’s voice quavered, as if she were balancing on a fine line between self-determination and self-preservation. “Everything’s ready. You can go ahead witho ut me, dear.”
    For a few seconds, no one seemed to breathe, and then Charles spoke one word—“Louise!”—in a tone dark as a scab. Hutchinson stopped writing and looked at Charles. Alberta looked at Louise, then met my eye and shook her head. Louise hesitated, cast a last glance at the kittens, and followed her husband across the lawn and into the house.
    Hutchinson broke the silence that gripped us all. “Won’t be surprised if we’re called