Chapter 27: Meeting Lazoya Again |
The young orange tabby cat’s owner, Miss Mimia Gold, wasn’t home. Shad stood outside the gate, ringing the bell for quite a while, but no one came to open the door.
However, the sound attracted a neighbor from next door—a bent elderly woman wearing glasses. Her neatly combed gray hair was tied back, and she dressed neatly, with silver jewelry on her wrist.
"Who are you looking for?" she asked in a thick accent, standing by the fence separating her garden from Miss Gold’s.
"Miss Mimia Gold. She hired us to find her cat." Shad raised the orange tabby he was holding in his arms. The cat let out a lazy meow, turned, and nuzzled against his chest. It was clear this cat had grown quite fond of him.
Though the half-year-old tabby wasn’t heavy, carrying her all this way had left Shad feeling fatigued.
"So it’s this naughty little thing." The old woman recognized the orange tabby, Mimia. Then she said something that nearly made Shad crumble:
"Miss Gold moved out last week."
"Huh?"
Thankfully, she continued: "Are you Hamilton’s detective? Miss Gold described you as much older. Don’t worry, she left a letter for you."
The letter was addressed to Sparrow Hamilton, explaining that Miss Mimia Gold had moved to her family’s large estate on the eastern coast of the Kingdom of Drarian to live with her parents, selling her house in the process. But she hadn’t forgotten about her cat or her agreement with the detective. Unsure if the cat had been found, she had left the letter with the neighbor for safekeeping:
I can’t forget my little Mimia, but it’s truly time for me to leave Tobesk City. Detective Hamilton, if you’re reading this, please take care of Mimia temporarily and send a letter to the address below. I will come to your office to collect her within six months at the latest. More payment will be provided then.
P.S. In addition to your original detective fee, there are five pounds enclosed as an allowance for caring for Mimia. Please don’t be too harsh on my mischievous little darling.
The orange tabby, oblivious to her owner’s departure, squirmed in Shad’s arms, looking ready to nap.
"Why..." Shad started.
"I’m allergic to cats. Miss Gold couldn’t find anyone else to look after her, and she didn’t expect you’d actually find Mimia." The old woman mistook Shad for Sparrow Hamilton.
"Then I..."
"Just take care of her for now. Miss Gold won’t short you on money. Look, she even named her cat after herself."
"You didn’t..."
"Miss Gold dictated the letter before she left. Humph, after being neighbors for so long, couldn’t she trust me with something like this?"
"Alright, I’ll send the letter immediately. Farewell, madam."
As Shad walked away, he wondered if the old woman could read minds.
"Farewell, detective. Remember, this cat can’t drink cow’s milk, but she can have goat’s milk," her voice called out. Another expense for Shad.
The trust Miss Gold placed in Sparrow Hamilton led to this unexpected obligation for Shad. But it also brought an unexpected financial boost, as her generosity had left him with over seven pounds. With the leftover money from pawning his cane, he was close to saving ten pounds. If luck smiled on him and Miss Gold responded within a week, he might even clear his debts for the month.
Buoyed by optimism, he returned to St. Derain Square with a spring in his step. Passing the Silver Parrot Milk Distribution Company, he stopped in to inquire and learned they could deliver goat’s milk. The attendant, noting his intention to feed it to a kitten, shared additional tips for cat care. However, Shad didn’t budge on the milk price. Fortunately, as St. Derain Square No. 6 was along the delivery route, no extra charges were needed, making the expense less than anticipated.
Viewing Mimia as his lucky cat, Shad left the milk company pondering a more indulgent lunch. Just as he passed an old dog at the door, a voice that had been silent all day finally echoed in his mind:
"Observe her ring."
He immediately scanned his surroundings and spotted Madame Lasso, Mr. Lawrence’s mistress, emerging from an alley across the street and heading toward the silverware store where the fight had taken place two days ago. She still wore her white pebble ring.
"Is she a man turned woman, or the other way around?" Shad wondered but decided against following her. He valued his life and saw no need to revisit a job he’d abandoned out of self-preservation.
If he had the powers of Dr. Schneider or the writer Miss Dorothy Louisa, things might be different. But Shad understood his current limits and accepted them.
In a relaxed mood, he carried the cat across the street and into a candy shop. Feigning interest in a small cake displayed in the glass case, he used the reflection to confirm Madame Lasso had walked away before heading into the alley she’d appeared from.
The alley was typical of the steam city—filthy and reeking. At the dead end, discarded pipes lay piled against a wall, coated with slimy green moss. Beyond them was a blocked passage, where a shop’s unauthorized expansion had walled off the exit.
"This space between the pipes and the wall is a perfect blind spot. Did Madame Lasso perform her ring-kissing ‘transformation’ here?" Shad speculated, pleased with his caution and decisive action. Though unwilling to confront her directly, investigating her actions felt safe enough.