Black Cat and the Accidental Angel (Black Cat Mysteries Book 3) by Elaine Faber Page B

to the fence and stuck out her long greenish blue neck. Yark! Yark! Yark! She turned her huge eye toward the wire, focusing a paralyzing glare at Black Cat. Her ugly face ended in a pointy beak that could easily pick out a cat’s eye. Thick brown feathers covered a rotund body drooping over long skinny yellow legs. Three-toed feet ended in claws sharp enough to rip a cat to shreds. Holy-moly! So, that’s an Emu!
    In the center of the yard, several large males crouched over a pathetic pile of grass spread atop a few random sticks. Dark green eggs peeked out from under the papa Emu’s feet. Was this what served as a nest?
    Angel sidled closer and dropped to the ground beside Black Cat.
    “John said he thought a fox stole Gilbert’s eggs. How could a fox get through this fence?” Black Cat craned his neck up toward the top of the wire. “It’s too high to climb.”
    Angel tossed her head. “My dear, sometimes it amazes me how dense the male species, be it cat or man.” She stepped back a safe distance from the enclosure and licked her shoulder. “Isn’t it obvious? Our thief wasn’t a fox or any other four-legged creature. A human opened the gate, stole the eggs and closed the gate behind him. John has more problems than overdue bank payments and taxes.” She nodded back toward the house.
    Black Cat whipped his head around. “How did you reach that conclusion?” He drew his whiskers back. It was one thing for her to keep secrets about his past. Now, she had a far-fetched conspiracy theory, based on eggs missing from a nest? She was down-right exasperating! But, cute as a button.
    “Think about it. John said he thought a fox had climbed the fence. That’s not possible. The only way in is through the gate and it’s still latched. And, yet, the eggs have vanished.”
    “I didn’t think of that.”
    “Apparently, neither did John. Whereas, the appalling poultry are accustomed to a man entering the enclosure. Therefore, it had to be a man. It’s not rocket science.” She licked her foot and drew it over her ear, then waddled down the path toward the vineyard.
    “Makes sense the way you explain it.” Black Cat paused to sniff a shrub. He drew in a breath and bared his teeth. Some animal had left its scent on the leaves. He scanned left and right. Whatever had passed this way was long gone. They strolled on, circling the far side of the Emu enclosure.
    “Oh! You mentioned that John could lose the ranch.” Angel stopped and turned back. “How can the bank take away land?”
    “It’s just called losing the ranch . If John can’t make his loan payments, they’ll make him and Cindy move away.”
    Angel’s eyes darkened, as her pupils grew wide. “How do you know about these things? I thought you had amnesia?”
    Black Cat shrugged. Good question. Amnesia must affect the mind in different ways. Like knowing how to walk and talk and which way is north and about finances, but not being able to remember your own name. Frustrating at best, and frightening. Did one ever recover from amnesia and remember everything? Would he ever remember his family and former life? Why wouldn’t Angel answer any of his questions about his past?
    Yark! Yark! Yonk! The mama Emus stalked toward the fence again. He backed away, caution being the better part of valor when dealing with a six-foot-tall bird. “Let’s leave the beasties and go for a walk.”
    Angel trailed beside him, headed toward the vineyard. “We should try and come up with a plan to help John.”
    “What did you have in mind?” Black Cat glanced toward Angel.
    “I’ve been thinking. There must be a reason we came here. I think we’re supposed to help John save the ranch. Perhaps that’s part of my assignment.”
    “Assignment? That’s just crazy talk. We don’t have time to get involved in John’s problems. We have to get home.”
    Angel pointed her nose toward the tallest pine tree and closed her eyes. “You know what? I don’t see it that way at