Fat Cat At Large (A Fat Cat Mystery) Read Free

her hip, the other waving her diamonds at the tray of Lemon Bars. Violet was waiting on her, so Chase looked around for Laci to come help her unload. She found her behind a tall display of boxed treats on a table near the front talking to Ted Naughtly, their heads close together.
    That romance seemed to be heating up. Ted, Doris’s son, seemed like a nice enough kid, but had been sent home from Purdue in December, the middle of his sophomore year. His father, the owner of the second-floor donut shop a few doors away on Fourteenth Street, railed to all who would listen that the grading was probably unfair, the professors must have had it in for his kid. Flunking out didn’t seem to bother Ted nearly as much as it did his father.
    “Don’t you want some Peanut Butter Fudge Bars for your husband, Mrs. Naughtly?” Violet asked.
    That girl was a crack saleswoman. Chase was so glad she worked in the Bar None.
    Chase turned to look at Doris before she followed Laci into the kitchen. Doris hadn’t answered. The woman had a sour expression on her perfectly made-up face. She pursed her lined lips for a moment. “We are no longer together.”
    “Oh,” Violet breathed. Chase raised her eyebrows, startled. When did that happen? she wondered. She wanted to stay and hear the whole story, but it would seem odd—and nosy—since she was mostly through the doorway. She’d get the scoop from Violet later.
    Or . . . maybe she could get it from Laci now. They went to the parking place behind the store and each lifted a case of soda from the trunk of Anna’s robin’s-egg-blue Volvo.
    “What’s going on with the Naughtlys?” Chase tried to sound casual.
    “Why? What did you hear?” Laci’s blue eyes grew even larger than usual.
    “I just heard Doris say that she and Gabe are no longer together.”
    “Oooh!” The young woman wailed. She gripped the case of cans, squeezed her eyes shut, and let her sudden tears splash onto the cardboard, leaving damp splotches.
    “Oh dear.” Chase set her case down and took Laci’s. “What is it?”
    Laci sniffled. “It’s been so hard on Teddy. He’s so heartbroken.”
    He hadn’t looked heartbroken to Chase. He had looked very interested in what was inside Laci’s frilly blouse.
    Chase was sorry she’d asked. The girl was so overly emotional.
    “Maybe they’ll get back together. They’ve been married an awfully long time.”
    Laci shook her head, mutely, taking the cardboard case from her, still weeping. “They’re getting a di-divorce.”
    “Let’s go in. You can go to my office for a bit to compose yourself if you need to.”
    She nodded. “I suppose Ted’s gone by now anyway.”
    Chase counted to three. “If you’d rather talk to Ted, go do that instead.” Chase shifted her case and took a tissue from her pocket. “Here, dry your face.”
    Laci stared at the crumpled tissue.
    “I haven’t used it. I stuffed it in my pocket this morning.” Chase thrust it at her.
    “I have some,” Laci said, and proceeded into the shop.
    Chase counted to twenty this time. Laci and Violet were by far the best candidates she and Anna had interviewed six months ago when they opened up. Maybe someone new needed a job by now. Who was she kidding? She knew she wouldn’t fire the girl. After the humiliation of being let go from not one, not two, but four jobs in Chicago, she’d never do that to anyone else. Either Anna would have to fire her or Laci would have to quit.
    Chase came in the door, left open by Laci. Quincy padded in behind her.
    Anna let out a stifled scream and pointed at the cat. “A mouse,” she whispered, so the customers wouldn’t hear her.
    “Oh, Quince. He must have run out when we opened the door.”
    “But how did he get out of the office?” rasped Anna.
    “How does he ever get out? I wish I knew.”
    She chased the cat around the prep island and succeeded in cornering him. The mouse was, luckily, dead. After she persuaded Quincy to drop it, Chase picked