was a pleasant mistake, don’t you think?”
“Sure was. Now let’s go check these people out.”
“Helllloooo,” Margaret called, knocking hard on the front door. “Is anyone here?” She could see a couple of cats in the window through shredded sheers and thrashed mini-blinds.
“What?” a thin, balding man asked rather abruptly upon opening the door a crack.
“Hello,” Margaret said. “I’m with the Hammond Cat Alliance and just wanted to stop by and see if you need anything for your cats.”
“Like what?” he asked brusquely, while using one foot to hold back an array of curious cats.
“Oh, help with the cats—food, litter…we just want to make sure the cats are getting everything they need.”
“Why wouldn’t they? And what business is it of yours, anyway?”
“Who is it, George?” a female voice screeched from inside.
When he turned to address her, Margaret could see an obese woman sitting in an oversized recliner drinking what appeared to be a giant-sized soda from a convenience store. There were cats of all colors, sizes, and shapes in the room; several lounging on the many pieces of furniture.
“Some women want to know if we need anything for the cats,” he reported.
“Hell no. We don’t need nothing from no busybody women. Our cats are jus’ fine.”
“You heard her,” he said as he pushed the door to close it.
“Wait!” Margaret shouted. She lifted one crutch and set the tip of it between the door and the door frame. “That cat behind you is sneezing. Its eyes are runny. Is it seeing a vet?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna take him next week when our money comes in. What’s it to you?” He pushed the door against Margaret’s crutch.
“You’re going to have a whole lot of sick cats if you don’t isolate him,” Margaret blurted. “My niece here is a vet,” she said. “Isn’t that so, Vannie?”
“Well…yes,” Savannah said hesitantly, “if what the cat has is contagious.”
“It could be deadly,” Margaret insisted. “The cat needs to be seen now and he needs to be separated from the other cats.”
“What’s going on? Who are you people?” the woman demanded as she waddled over to the door and pulled it open wide. “Shoo! Shoo!” she said, waving a sheet of newspaper in the direction of several cats that had followed her. “You git out again and I’m gonna leave you out there!” she screeched.
As the cats skittered back into the room, the woman turned to Margaret and Savannah and said, “Now listen up. We take care of the cats when the money comes in. When there’s no money, there’s no extras for anyone—us or the cats.”
“So how do you get the money?” Margaret insisted.
The woman looked Margaret up and down, smirked a little, and said, “The Internet. We operate on donations through the Internet and we do jus’ fine, thank you very much.” She glared at the two women who were standing on her porch for a few seconds and then said, “Now George is calling the police. Either you keep harassing us and git arrested or you git the hell outta here now and mind your own business.”
Holy cow, we’re going to be arrested, Savannah thought. She tugged on the back of her aunt’s blouse and said, “Come on Auntie, there’s nothing we can do here. Let’s go.”
“Yeah, good idea,” the woman said before slamming the door hard. As Margaret and Savannah turned and started to walk away, they heard the woman screech, “Get the fuck outta the way, you mangy flea bag!”
“Oh my gosh,” Savannah whispered loudly. “Those people are scary. I’m afraid for those cats. Something is way wrong here. Did you smell that stench and see all the trash in that room?”
Once in the car, Margaret spoke up, “Vannie, there sure is something wrong here. I believe this is a case of Internet fraud at the expense of innocent cats.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked as she drove the car away from the curb.
“Well, I’m pretty sure they have a
“Sure was. Now let’s go check these people out.”
“Helllloooo,” Margaret called, knocking hard on the front door. “Is anyone here?” She could see a couple of cats in the window through shredded sheers and thrashed mini-blinds.
“What?” a thin, balding man asked rather abruptly upon opening the door a crack.
“Hello,” Margaret said. “I’m with the Hammond Cat Alliance and just wanted to stop by and see if you need anything for your cats.”
“Like what?” he asked brusquely, while using one foot to hold back an array of curious cats.
“Oh, help with the cats—food, litter…we just want to make sure the cats are getting everything they need.”
“Why wouldn’t they? And what business is it of yours, anyway?”
“Who is it, George?” a female voice screeched from inside.
When he turned to address her, Margaret could see an obese woman sitting in an oversized recliner drinking what appeared to be a giant-sized soda from a convenience store. There were cats of all colors, sizes, and shapes in the room; several lounging on the many pieces of furniture.
“Some women want to know if we need anything for the cats,” he reported.
“Hell no. We don’t need nothing from no busybody women. Our cats are jus’ fine.”
“You heard her,” he said as he pushed the door to close it.
“Wait!” Margaret shouted. She lifted one crutch and set the tip of it between the door and the door frame. “That cat behind you is sneezing. Its eyes are runny. Is it seeing a vet?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna take him next week when our money comes in. What’s it to you?” He pushed the door against Margaret’s crutch.
“You’re going to have a whole lot of sick cats if you don’t isolate him,” Margaret blurted. “My niece here is a vet,” she said. “Isn’t that so, Vannie?”
“Well…yes,” Savannah said hesitantly, “if what the cat has is contagious.”
“It could be deadly,” Margaret insisted. “The cat needs to be seen now and he needs to be separated from the other cats.”
“What’s going on? Who are you people?” the woman demanded as she waddled over to the door and pulled it open wide. “Shoo! Shoo!” she said, waving a sheet of newspaper in the direction of several cats that had followed her. “You git out again and I’m gonna leave you out there!” she screeched.
As the cats skittered back into the room, the woman turned to Margaret and Savannah and said, “Now listen up. We take care of the cats when the money comes in. When there’s no money, there’s no extras for anyone—us or the cats.”
“So how do you get the money?” Margaret insisted.
The woman looked Margaret up and down, smirked a little, and said, “The Internet. We operate on donations through the Internet and we do jus’ fine, thank you very much.” She glared at the two women who were standing on her porch for a few seconds and then said, “Now George is calling the police. Either you keep harassing us and git arrested or you git the hell outta here now and mind your own business.”
Holy cow, we’re going to be arrested, Savannah thought. She tugged on the back of her aunt’s blouse and said, “Come on Auntie, there’s nothing we can do here. Let’s go.”
“Yeah, good idea,” the woman said before slamming the door hard. As Margaret and Savannah turned and started to walk away, they heard the woman screech, “Get the fuck outta the way, you mangy flea bag!”
“Oh my gosh,” Savannah whispered loudly. “Those people are scary. I’m afraid for those cats. Something is way wrong here. Did you smell that stench and see all the trash in that room?”
Once in the car, Margaret spoke up, “Vannie, there sure is something wrong here. I believe this is a case of Internet fraud at the expense of innocent cats.”
“What do you mean?” Savannah asked as she drove the car away from the curb.
“Well, I’m pretty sure they have a
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