Kitty Cats and Kitsch

Internet-famous cat Cupcake has been catnapped, and the only one who witnessed the crime is tabby Noodle.

Cupcake’s the main attraction at his person Rosamund’s trinket shop, and she’s reluctant to let people know he’s gone. But Noodle’s interested in being an only cat, and not even the best treats can persuade her to work with Persephone.
Which means I’ll have to rely on the humans to help us crack this case.

Rosamund wants us to check out her ex and an old high school frenemy who’s become a witch. But Rosamund’s brother, who owns the themed motor inn we’re staying at, doesn’t like newcomers who ask too many questions. Neither does the police officer who’s looking to become famous himself.

Ransom notes are coming in, and I think that’s our ticket to finding the catnapper. But when the notes start coming addressed to Persephone, I have a bad feeling we’ve been set up…Internet-famous cat Cupcake has been catnapped, and the only one who witnessed the crime is Tabby Noodle.

Cupcake’s the main attraction at his person Rosamund’s trinket shop, and she’s reluctant to let people know he’s gone. But Noodle’s interested in being an only cat, and not even the best treats can persuade her to work with Persephone.
Which means I’ll have to rely on the humans to help us crack this case.

Rosamund wants us to check out her ex and an old high school frenemy who’s become a witch. But Rosamund’s brother, who owns the themed motor inn we’re staying at, doesn’t like newcomers who ask too many questions. Neither does the police officer who’s looking to become famous himself.

Ransom notes are coming in, and I think that’s our ticket to finding the catnapper. But when the notes start coming addressed to Persephone, I have a bad feeling we’ve been set up…

Hi, my name’s Addie Dawson, and now that I’m a semi-professional crime solver, thanks to my famous talking cat, I have a few new ways to measure success.
1. Being able to afford an apartment where I don’t have to smuggle said famous talking cat in at the end of the workday. There was only so long I could hide Persephone from my nieces when we were living above their garage.
2. Not having to bribe my friends with pizza and beer to help me move my belongings into said new apartment because I actually have the money to hire movers.
3. Having those friends show up anyway.
“How hot is that?” Brooke fanned herself and nodded toward her boyfriend, Jason, and my… I wasn’t sure what to call Henry yet. Friend didn’t feel right. Secret weapon in solving crimes? That made him sound like he had a bit part in a superhero movie. That didn’t work, either. Now that I had this apartment and didn’t have to deal with nosy family members, maybe I’d have a chance to figure it out.
But right now, he was working with Jason to assemble my brand-new living room furniture, so I could call him pretty awesome.
“Those muscles come in handy,” I said. Jason was an ex-Marine and it showed.
“Do they ever.” Brooke waggled her brows. “What’s going on with you and Henry? He came all the way from Boston to help out, and he doesn’t even have a car.”
A knock on the door saved me from having to come up with an answer. I navigated the maze of boxes and found Margaret on the other side.
“I didn’t think you’d be able to come,” I said. Margaret lived in Boston, and helping her find a missing painting had changed the trajectory of my life. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have this new business, solving crimes with Persephone, or been able to afford this apartment.
“You’ve been so excited about it, I had to come see it for myself.” She picked up a massive package wrapped in plain brown paper. “And bring you a housewarming gift.”
“Wow. You didn’t have to do that. Let me take that from you.” The package was substantial, and Margaret was seventy. “Please come in. There aren’t a lot of places to sit yet, because the guys are still building furniture.”
“Where’s Purry Pants?”
A groan emanated from an open box in the living room. “I didn’t think she’d call me that, now that I don’t live with her anymore.”
I laughed. Persephone hated Margaret’s nickname for her. “She is in box heaven. She’s lucky I didn’t pack her away.”
Persephone rose with a stretch, jumped down, and made a beeline for her former person. Margaret scooped her into her arms, and got to business scratching what Persephone called the spot. The purring that resulted was enough to shake the foundations.
“Who’s babysitting Nicole?” Brooke asked. Nicole was under house arrest at her Aunt Margaret’s house after stealing a priceless painting. “Aren’t you nervous leaving her alone so close to the gallery?”
“She’s been fitted with an ankle bracelet that will alert the police to any unbecoming behavior.”
“You left out the best part,” Henry added, with a grin that I couldn’t read. “She’s about to start community service in the art department of my school.”
“What did Henry do to deserve that?”
Margaret rolled her eyes. “I hope when she’s done, she develops an appreciation for art.”
Brooke pressed her lips together, suppressing a laugh. “What if she passes more paintings off to her friends while you’re here?”
“After Addie helped me find the missing painting, I upgraded the gallery’s security system.” Margaret pulled out her phone and showed us live footage of the gallery. “No more of Bellamy’s paintings will be leaving the gallery, unless someone pays for them, or I decide they’ll look fabulous in Addie’s new apartment.”
My mouth dropped. “Is that what you brought me?”
“Open it.” Margaret beamed.
Henry and Jason stopped working on the furniture as I carefully tore the paper away from the painting. I gasped when I saw the brightly colored, abstract rendition of a beach sunset. “How did you know which one was my favorite?”
“Henry told me.” Margaret gave me a smile, but it was nothing compared to how Henry’s face lit up with a mixture of pride and something else that made my heart skip a beat.
“This is so amazing.” I propped the painting onto the fireplace mantle. It was between two windows, and if I squinted when I looked out of them, I could convince myself I had an ocean view. “It will look perfect right here.”
“Bellamy would’ve liked you,” Margaret said. “He appreciated anyone who marched to the beat of their own drum.”
“I don’t know how to thank you.” This painting was worth some bucks. “We ordered pizza. We could probably still add to the order if you’d like something else.”
Margaret was so sophisticated, I couldn’t picture her eating pizza off a paper plate and washing it down with a beer.
She waved her hand. “I’d love some.”
Another knock on the door, but the person on the other side didn’t wait for me to answer. Casey peeked around the corner. “Oh, this place is adorable, Addie.”
“I can’t wait to see everything set up.” I’d been working on the kitchen stuff before my latest wave of guests arrived. “What did you bring?”
“I made a cake. We can’t celebrate something as important as a new apartment without cake.” Casey set it down on the counter island. She’d painted it mostly blue, with a beach motif, and a black cat under an umbrella. The lettering read Welcome home Addie and Persephone.
“How did things go at the shelter?” I wasn’t comfortable yet being away from Helping Paws so much, but Brooke and Casey had really stepped up to the plate, helping me train new employees.
“Great. Darlene and Erin are set up for the night shift. Everyone’s fed and ready for bed.”
“I’m glad they’re working out. They’re great in class, so I thought they’d be a good fit,” Brooke said. Like our new employees, she was studying to be a vet, and having that kind of knowledge in house was huge. She turned to Casey. “I’m working on setting up the bookshelves. Want to give me a hand?”
“Sure, but I have some news too.” She let out a shaky breath. It wasn’t like Casey to be nervous. She had been building a self-confidence business online before she’d become Persephone’s de facto manager.
“Please don’t tell me you’re quitting.” Casey and Brooke wouldn’t be working for me forever, but I wasn’t ready to part with them yet.
“No! I got a message on the way over here.” She pulled her phone out of her purse. “You know Cupcake? From social media?”
I nodded. Casey thought, as she built Persephone’s online brand as Spy Kitty in the City, it would benefit her to have other famous cat friends. Cupcake’s person had reached out to Casey and they’d become friendly, swapping tips to help grow the cats’ presence online.
“He’s missing.”
A collective gasp escaped from the room.
“What happened?” I asked.
Casey shrugged. “His mom’s name is Rosamund. She messaged me that someone broke into her store and took Cupcake.”
“Did they take anything else?” Margaret asked.
“Just the cat, as far as I know. He’s a Scottish Fold Munchkin, and they’re pretty rare, and because of that, valuable.”
“Cupcake has a very distinctive face.” Scottish Folds had folded over ears that were hard to see. They also had short legs. “People would know it’s him.”
“She thinks they might want to use him for breeding, because kittens are going for close to two grand apiece.”
I groaned. There were so many great cats in shelters looking for forever homes. I would never understand how a designer cat was a better choice. “Has she checked the local catteries?”
“Here’s the thing.” Casey put the phone down. “She doesn’t want to tell the world Cupcake’s missing. His online revenue is her main source of income, so she’s trying to figure out how to not bring that to a screeching halt and get her cat back.”
“Let me guess, this is where I come in.”