Familiar Escape
FAMILIAR ALWAYS KNOWS BEST!Molly Harper's sister had been killed–and her baby niece had been kidnapped. Now, the only man she could depend on to help her solve the crime–and bring Baby Kate to safety–was Thomas Lakewood.Trouble was, Thomas was the prime suspect. But Molly and Familiar were convinced he was innocent. And in a race against time, could Molly, Thomas and Familiar join forces to clear his name and fi nd Baby Kate before their chances for a future were destroyed forever?
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âThe person who killed my sister is still out there and my niece is still missing. If we find the real killer, heâll be able to tell us where her baby is.â
Thomas put his hand on Mollyâs arm. Molly felt a warm flush move through her body as she stared into his hazel eyes. How long had it been since sheâd been moved by a touch? She didnât even want to think about it.
âIâm going to make you a promise, Molly Harper,â Thomas said, his voice warm but steely. âWeâre going to find Kate and bring her home to you. No matter what we have to do to find her.â
âMeow!â Familiar jumped on Mollyâs lap and put his paw on top of Thomasâs hand.
Fifteen years ago a young black kitten was left
in a carrier at my door. I named him E. A. Poe, and his intelligence and personality figured prominently in the creation of Familiar, the black cat detective. Poe died this year, leaving a huge hole in my life. This book is for him. E. A. Poe, 1990-2005. To steal a line from Owen Meany, âInto paradise may the angels lead you.â
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter One
This is one sad-looking group of felons. Since Iâm being paid for my assessment of Thomas Lakeman, I need to use all my powers of observation. Is Thomas a murderer and a kidnapper? Thatâs what I shall try to ascertain.
Though I prefer to focus my attention on the fairer sex, especially the babes with long legs and curves in all the right places like my current employer, Iâm going to check out Thomas and see what my sixth feline sense tells me about him.
Thomas is charged with murdering his friend and neighbor, Anna Harper Goodman, and then abducting a nine-month-old baby girl, Kate. Annaâs body was found in Thomasâs home, but there was no sign of the baby girl.
That was five days ago, and no one had found even a good clue to the whereabouts of the baby until yesterday. Thatâs when I got the call that put me on a flight out to Jefferson, Texas, to help Molly Harper hunt for her missing niece.
Molly opened her mail to find a typewritten note claiming that baby Kate is alive. After four days of believing that both Anna and Kate were dead, Molly suddenly has hope that her infant niece can be found.
My professional opinion of the note is that itâs real, but thereâs also the possibility that itâs some kind of cruel hoax. If Thomas Lakeman, the quiet man sitting on the end of the bench there is the killer, Molly and I hope to be able to convince him to tell us what he did with the baby.
Ah, Thomas sees me. His pale hazel eyes hold curiosity and intelligence, and a hint ofâ¦kindness? Not exactly the qualities Iâd ascribe to a killer. At any rate, heâs very aware that Iâm interested in him, and I have to hand it to him, heâs not stupid enough to call to me. Anyone with two brain cells knows cats never come when called. Thomas must be experienced with the superior species of felines, or he could simply be intellectually superior to most humanoids. Whichever it is, heâs a cool customer. Heâs merely staring at me and waiting for me to make the first move.
From my vantage point inside the jail, I can see Thomas and Molly. Even worried and frustrated, Molly is a beautiful woman. She has the look of an artist with her straight, dark hair and serious gray eyes. From what I heard, Anna looked a lot like her, just a few years older. A few years older and light-years different, from what Molly has told me about her sister.
I believe exploring those differences will help us find the baby, if little Kate is still alive.
Iâm walking over to Thomas. Itâs a test. The other men sitting on the bench waiting to be returned to their cells either ignore me or leer at me in a way that says they want to hurt me. For some reason, cats excite the blood lust of lower animal forms like them. Iâm careful to stay out of their reach. I also have to keep an eye out for the jailers. Iâm not exactly an invited guest here at the county lockup.
Thomas maintains eye contact as he reaches down to me. Heâs stroking my back, not attempting to pick me up. Heâs rubbing my head. The man has a way with cats! His hands are leathery from outdoor work, but his touch is gentle. Not at all what I expected.
Uh-oh, here comes the deputy. Iâd better scoot out of sight and listen in.
MOLLY HARPER CLUTCHED the slip of paper in her hand and paced. Ten steps forward, reverse, then back. Sheâd been waiting over an hour, now, to speak with a deputy. As far as she could tell, the welfare of her infant niece wasnât a high priority on anyoneâs list.
Texas justice, that legendary commodity associated with the Texas Rangers, didnât seem to apply to state residents who weighed only twenty pounds! She fumed as she paced, the heels of her leather boots tapping along the cement floor of the county lockup.
