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“Not yet, but I have to go. The animals have been alone long enough and we expect the kidnapper to be just about ready to make his move.”

Tara jumped up from the table and came around to Andrew. She gave him a quick tight hug. “Be careful. We’ll talk more when this is all over.” Tara stepped back and Andrew gave her a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek for Isabelle. Then he disappeared into the crowd.

Isabelle suddenly stood up and gathered her plate and napkin. “I have to go check on George.”

“Aunt Isabelle, wait!” Tara caught up to her and they left the tea together. “Andrew will look after George you don’t want to ruin his plans.”

“I’m not going to ruin them. I just want to help out a little.” Isabelle strode ahead purposefully and all Tara could do was follow along and look after her aunt.
They slipped quietly into the room where the cats were in there cages. They kept low to the ground and listened for any noise. Besides a few meows everything seemed quiet until they heard the soft scrape of a shoe. Isabelle looked at Tara and then pointed to the right. They crawled forward staying behind storage boxes.

Then dead ahead was a man crouched behind a table. Isabelle took of her low heeled shoe and then motioned to the man with it. Tara cringed at the thought of what her aunt was about to do, but she didn’t protest. She lifted the heel and then brought it crashing down on the man’s head. Unfortunately he didn’t fall quietly into Isabelle’s waiting arms. Instead he tumbled forward with a cry.

“I knew I should have used my left arm.” Isabelle muttered. Tara rolled her eyes and then grabbed her aunt by the arm and pulled her away.

“We don’t even know if that was the kidnapper.” Tara whispered into her aunt’s ear, but before they reached the door a man stepped into their way.

He held up a hammer and Tara screamed rushing to cover Isabelle with her own body. The man laughed, but before he could swing the hammer, Andrew leaped forward from his hiding place and tackled the man. The hammer went flying and the two men hit the ground wrestling. Isabelle took her shoe off again and before

Tara could stop her she hit the man in the head with a sharp crack of her wrist. The kidnapper went limp and Andrew stood up from the floor. His hair was disheveled and his chin was stinging from scraping the floor, but other than that he was alright.

Tara threw her arms around him and held him tight. Andrew held Tara close and held out a hand to Isabelle.

“I gotta hand it to you. You really know how to take a man out.” Andrew laughed at Isabelle’s smug expression.

A groan came from the back of the room and Andrew let Tara go. “Chad?” Andrew called and then started to walk towards the back of the room.

“What happened to you?” Tara and Isabelle heard Andrew ask the man named Chad.

Isabelle suddenly covered her mouth with her hand and look at Tara with rounded eyes.

“Some crazy lady came up behind me and hit me with a shoe.” They heard the man reply.

Tara and Isabelle suddenly dissolved into fits of laughter. They could barely control themselves when Andrew brought Chad over to meet them. Isabelle held out her hand with a winning smile and reminded herself to bake this man her best loaf of banana nut bread. Food was better sometimes than a formal apology.

Isabelle excused herself to check on George and she found him looking very pleased with his costume laying in front of him ripped into shreds. He gave an innocent meow, but one thin blue tread hung from his teeth.

Laura Day lives in Kawkawlin, Michagan with her husband. She created Aunt Isabelle and Tara and has been keeping Cotton Spice readers enticed with their adventures for the past year. She also works with her mother, Rochelle Martin, one of our favorite quilt designers, on Story Blocks. An original quilt block design that comes with a story! Be sure to stay tuned for details on their website.

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