Episode 16: The Reunion

Blade stood on the curb of a tree-lined avenue and watched the tail-lights of the limousine flicker briefly as the driver touched the brakes before pulling into the early evening traffic. He slowly skated away from the curb and made his way back to the boarding house, feeling tired but happy.

Soon, Misty would be reunited with her mother and he could go back to what he did best – offering a high class omelette delivery service!

Misty lay in the back of the limousine trying to take in everything that had happened to her in the last 24 hours. Her mind kept returning her to that awful moment when she though Dr Talbot was going to cut her open! Thank Cat Blade had turned up!

Blade had just injected her with … with, well she wasn’t sure what, but she could feel her legs coming back to life and even managed to lick a paw. She sure was thirsty though. She looked around. Ahhh – drink and food! Oh yes – milk and tuna! Blade had put out small bowls of tuna and milk on the floor of the limo. She lapped the milk and greedily chomped down the tuna, her lips smacking with great gusto!

She jumped back onto the seat and started to slowly groom herself. Ahhhh this was heaven! Nothing quite like a lick of the cat to make you feel normal again!

She looked out of the window as she elegantly licked and then wiped her paw over her ear. The privacy glass was firmly shut between her and the driver. The limousine drove smoothly up higher and higher into the mountains towards the Mountain Lodge Hotel, where her mother was waiting for her. Hotel had once been an exclusive retreat for old fat cat bankers but was rumoured to be in the hands of a private owner. Her mother, she wondered? Or one of her show-biz friends?

The limousine drove through the impressive gates and slowly along the gravel drive towards the hotel. The driver stopped the car and the door next to Misty opened slowly. She peered out and gently sniffed the night air. She jumped out of the car and lightly ran up the steps and into the hotel foyer.

There, standing at the bottom of the grand staircase, stood her mother, Tallulah!

“Misty!” she called out and ran towards her daughter. They embraced and tears fell from their faces.

“Oh Misty, my daughter, my beloved girl” Tallulah cried. “Girl, are you all right, let me look at you”. Tallulah pulled back from their embrace and stared deep into Misty’s eyes.

“Is it really you?” Misty whispered. The tears of joy ran down her face as she nuzzled close to her mother. “I thought you were dead! They said you had been murdered”.

“Sshhhh it’s all right, I’m here now. Come on, we’ve got lots to talk about. I have so much to tell you. And I want to hear all your news” Tallulah cooed.

Tallulah started to head up the grand staircase. “Mum, wait! What about Chase?” Tallulah turned and looked down at Misty with a strange look “Oh yes, I haven’t forgotten about Chase, don’t worry". And with that she ran up the staircase towards her suite.

Misty hesitated for a moment. What did that mean she wondered? Her mother’s tone had been icy cold. Her life was turning into a soap opera! She ran up the stairs behind her mother thinking about how she was going to contact Chase to let him know she was all right!

Episode 14: Runaway Corpse

Misty could hear voices as she lay on the table in the Cooperville Morgue. She’d been transferred to the Morgue after she was pronounced dead at the penthouse.

They had put her into a black bag and dumped her on a trolley. She was then wheeled her unceremoniously into the back of a black van. She could hear Dash and Chase sobbing uncontrollably as the doors slammed shut.

Now she was at the Morgue and appeared to be laying on some kind of table. There was a sheet covering her from head to toe and she could hear footsteps and muffled voices nearby.

She let her mind to replay the last few hours. She tried to focus on the last few moments before she’d been paralysed by Blade.

Blade! What had he said? Something about protecting her. How he would save her. Her mother had sent him! However, her mother was dead! Moments before Dash and Chase has come crashing into the apartment, he had whispered that she didn’t need to worry. It would all be all right. He would save her. Well he had better hurry up or she was in danger of becoming chopped liver!

She heard footsteps coming towards her. She couldn’t turn her head, move her eyes, she couldn’t even blink. A floating head appeared about her and she saw the masked face of Dr Cressida Talbot, Cooperville’s Medical Examiner. Talbot was instantly recognisable; no one forgot those piercing icy blues eyes of the beautiful Siberian Husky.

‘Well, dear Misty, I shall be gentle with you, my little one, but I must find out what happened to you. Forgive me’. It was as if Talbot knew that Misty was alive!

Talbot pulled the microphone down from the ceiling towards her and started speaking in her delectable Russian accent.

‘Female Siamese cat …. age ….. approximately 2 years …’ She bent to stare closely at Misty. ‘I am going now to make the incision to determine if there is organ damage and time of death from the stomach contents’.

Misty lay completely helpless on the table as Dr Talbot turned to a trolley containing a range of stainless steel surgical instruments.

Just then, a voice called out from the Morgue reception. ‘Hey Doc! Got a delivery for ya!’

‘One moment’ Talbot called out. She turned back to Misty and replaced the sheet over her. ‘I will be there momentarily please wait!’

Misty broke into a cold sweat; at least she would have broken into a cold sweat if she could DO anything!

She lay on the table listening for anything that might indicate that she was about to be saved. She heard a strange rumbling noise to her left. More silence. Another rumble; rollerblades!

She felt warm breath in her ear. ‘I told you I’d be back for you Misty’. Blade’s face appeared above her where Talbot’s face had been moments earlier. Grinning madly down at her he said ‘ok sweet cheeks, we’re going for a little ride!’ She felt the table she was laying on slowly turn towards the doors Talbot had just exited.

Blade powered forward on his rollerblades using his well-developed leg muscles. Those extra rollerblading sessions were definitely paying off he thought hysterically to himself!

‘Yeeehaaaaawwww’ he cried out in triumph. The trolley crashed through the double-doors of the examination room, hurtled down a slope and crashed through another set of double doors out into the early evening warmth.

Blade gave the trolley one final push towards some hydrangea bushes and bundled up Misty into his strong paws. ‘You’re safe now girl’ he said and skated off downtown.

Misty lay in Blade’s arms and felt relief flood through her as she realised Blade had indeed saved her! ‘It’s time you had some answers’ he said and added ‘Tallulah is gonna be very happy to see you’.

Her mother! What was going on? Why had Chase told her their mother was dead? Did her mother know about Dash? How was Blade going to free her from the paralysis? She was sure she wouldn’t have to wait long to find out everything she was so desperate to know…..... and she would get to meet the famous Tallulah!

Episode 12: Total recall

Meanwhile over at The Wan Ju Toy Factory ……

Percival Carruthers adjusted his monocle with one manicured wing as he read an email from yet another half-witted customer wittering on about the ‘old days’ when his grandfather had started The Wan Ju Toy Factory after WWII. The fact that his grandfather had called the Factory The Wan Ju Toy Factory was a source of constant irritation to Percy.

‘Grandfather, you do know that you have called the factory The Toy Toy Factory?’ he’d sighed for the thousandth when he was trying to get him to drop the Wan Ju from their company name.

‘Yes Percy that’s the point! It’s just a bit fun. This is a toy factory, yes?’ Archie responded in his usual irritatingly cheerful manner. “And we make toys! So, we are a toy toy factory. It always brings a smile to my face every time I say it”.

Archibald Carruthers, Archie to his friends, of which he had many, had handed over the running of his beloved factory to his grandson two years previously. His beloved son, Jimmy, had been killed in a tragic hunting accident several years ago when Percy was only a year old and Archie was left with a one year old to bring up on his own.

They were from a long line of London racing and carrier pigeons and in his early years Archie had flown missions during WWII all across Europe. He’d had a few close calls and ended up falling in love with a beautiful American dove working at the Ministry stationed in London. When the war was over, they decided to go back to her native America and set up home.

Percy really missed the old man and knew Archie would probably be turning in his grave if he saw what Percy was about to do with the factory. A brief flicker of guilt passed over him and he shook out his wings as if he was just stretching them.

He pressed a button on the office intercom and heard his secretary immediately respond ‘Yes, Mr Carruthers?’

‘Get in here’ he snapped. He leant back in his executive leather chair and thought about how in a few weeks he was going to be the richest pigeon in Cooperville, maybe even the richest pigeon in the world! And all thanks to some rotten mangy cat that had the audacity to wander around HIS factory at night! A cat that was now dead, poisoned by an insane dog on roller skates, if you believed the newspapers.

His secretary sauntered into his office and perched pertly on the seat in front of his desk.

‘There’s a problem with the batch of Indestructoball we produced for Cooperville, I want a total product recall on that batch, and I want it now, Miss French!’ he barked at his secretary.

‘Yes sir, right away! I’ll get Bill straight on it’. Suzie thought it strange they were only recalling the Cooperville batch.

She hastily left the office and, after locating the batch number in the database, picked up the phone. ‘Hi Bill, it’s Suzie. Can you arrange a recall on the Indestructoball batch 537113 right away?'

After a brief discussion with Bill, she hung up the phone. She stared at the computer screen. Her boss had been acting very weird lately and she decided it was time to find exactly out what was going on.

Episode 11: You gotta have faith

Misty felt the tears welling in her beautiful green eyes as she ran from Miss Kitty’s Milkbar. Damn Chase to hell! She would not cry! She loved Dash and that was that! She angrily shook the tears away as she ran towards the penthouse apartment she shared with Blade in the uptown district of Cooperville.

Time to make some decision and find some answers! Misty picked up her pace and ran faster towards the Gato Towers apartment building. The concierge called out to her:

“Good afternoon Miss Misty, there’s a package for you”. The concierge jumped down from the desk and nudged a small fragrant box towards Misty. “I don’t know what it is, but it sure smells good Miss Misty”.

“Oh! Thanks George. I wonder what it is. Who delivered it?”

“That’s the strange thing Miss Misty. I was only out the back for a minute checking the litter trays and when I came back in, it was here on the desk”.

Misty sniffed the box. George was right! It smelled divine! No card, how exciting. Maybe Dash had sent her something romantic!

“Well, thanks again George, I’ll let you know!” With that she set off towards the elevator with the box safely stored in her backpack.

She entered the key code to the penthouse in the number panel of the elevator and it rattled into life heading slowly towards the 25th floor. The smell from the box made her stomach rumble and she realised she hadn’t eaten for hours.

The elevator doors slid open and she headed straight for the kitchen. First a little snack followed by some detective work, Misty style! She jumped up into the kitchen counter and removed the aromatic box from her backpack.

She flipped open the lid and was surprised to see a large omelette! She took a close sniff. She could smell the cheese and tuna and some kind of herb, probably Parsley. She wondered again if Dash had sent her an omelette? Bit of a weird present to send your secret lover! Oh well, he was a strange one. He knew about her love of tuna though! She took a bite of the omelette. Mmmmmmm, it was as delicious as it looked and smelled. She took another bite and another. Before she knew it, she’d polished off the whole omelette!

She jumped down from the counter and headed off towards her brothers room determined to find out more about their parents. He had to have some hidden letters or papers somewhere and she was going to find them.

She heard a strange squeaking noise behind her followed by a whirring noise. What the hell was that? She turned round and saw a large dog in a chefs hat holding what looked like an egg whisk staring down at her.

“Misty, I’m Blade. I’m here to help you. Don’t be scared, everything is going to be all right”.

Misty opened her mouth to speak but nothing would come out. She felt herself sliding down onto the floor. She couldn’t move or speak! What was happening to her?

The big dog was gliding towards her. Was she imagining things or was he wearing roller skates? He bent down and leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

“I’ve poisoned you. The poison makes it seem like you’re dead but you’re not. You’re just paralysed”.

Misty tried to open her mouth, blink, move a paw – anything! Nothing would move!

“I know you are trying to tell me you can hear me. It’s ok Misty, I know. Someone very close to you sent me here, someone who wants me to protect you”.

“I’m going to leave in a few moments before Chase and Dash get here but I want you to know everything is under control”.

With that he stood up and skated across to the elevator. “I’ll be waiting for you at the crematorium Misty. Don’t lose faith bambina”.

Misty’s mind was racing at 100 miles an hour. Paralysed? Poison? Crematorium? Bambina? That’s what Chase had said their mother called her when she was very tiny! She tried desperately to move but was totally paralysed. What was going to happen to her? Soon Chase and Dash would be here and they would think of something. Just relax Misty, she told herself. Ha! What else could she do?

She heard the whir of the elevator. They were coming! She could hear voices. Chase and Dash were coming.

“Misty, Misty!” Can you hear me? Misty!!!. Chase was screaming at her. She couldn’t move. He was crying. “Dash, we’re too late, she’s dead”.

Chase sat cradling what he thought was the lifeless body of his daughter in his paws. Dash stood beside him, one paw on his shoulder. Tears pouring down his cheeks.

Misty lay paralysed unable to cry out or let them know she was ok. Everything was going to be ok. As long as they took her to the crematorium, she would be ok.

Episode 10: Canned heat

Meanwhile in an alleyway not far from Miss Kitty’s Milkbar……

Chase sauntered up to the trashcan and stood close. His whiskers twitched in the sunlight as decided his next move.

He knocked sharply on the side of the bin and called out “Hey Dash, you in there buddy?”

He could hear a rustling and a strange beeping noise coming from inside “Errr … hang on …. that you Chase?” came the muffled response.

“Yeah it’s me. What're you up to pal?” he asked feeling a slight impatience.

“One sec, I’ll be right with you!” More rustling and then the lid on the bin opened a crack. “You alone?” Dash asked quietly.

“Yes!”

“Ok, come on in.”

“Look Dash, I’m not really in the mood for rummaging around in the trash right now. I want to talk to you about Misty.”

“Trust me Chase, you won’t regret it".

Chase stood outside the trashcan for a moment trying not to get annoyed. His tail swished back and forth rapidly. “Ok, ok, but it better be good”.

Dash raised the lid of the trashcan higher so Chase could jump inside. Was it his imagination or was the lid on hinges? He gracefully jumped up  and balanced on the edge before jumping down onto what appeared to be a carpeted platform.

“What the……” he exclaimed.

Dash pressed a button on the side of the can and the platform slowly descended into the darkness below. As Chase’s eyes adjusted to the gloom he could see lights flashing, hear more strange beeping noises again and tinny voices.

“Welcome to the CBI, the cat bureau of investigation, undercover trash division” Dash said proudly, his chest puffing out just a little so Chase could see his ID badge ‘Special Agent Dash Brent’ it read.

Chase’s jaw dropped just a little. What the hell had happened to the slightly shoddy, slightly overweight private detective? This cat was totally different!

“Chase, we’ve got some things we need to talk about. Most importantly, we need to talk about Misty. Chase, she’s in terrible danger”.

Dash turned towards a bank of screens and a keyboard. “Come over here and check out this. We got this recording through from one of our operatives undercover at the Nip Inn Boarding House this afternoon.”

Chase stared at the computer screens and watched events unfold before his eyes. He turned, panicking, grabbing Dash by the shoulder, hard. “Dash, I’ve got to get to Misty – NOW!!!”

Dash adjusted the headset and spoke quietly into the mic “The omelette has landed, I repeat, the omelette has landed”.

“Come on Chase, we haven’t got long”. They stepped onto the platform together and Dash pressed the up button. They jumped out of the trashcan and ran hell for leather towards Chase’s swanky uptown apartment, praying they weren’t too late.

Episode 7: Revenge is a dish best served cold

“Damn it Misty! Just stay away from Dash, do you hear me!”

“I can do what the hell I like and you can’t stop me! You are not my father”.

With that, Misty jumped down from the stool. She quickly wiped the milkshake moustache from her mouth with one exquisite paw. She flicked her tail, just once, showing her annoyance at her brother.

Chase stared down at her, half closing his eyes and glaring “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to see Dash and you can’t stop me”. With that she disappeared sleekly through the catflap into the early evening.

Chase sat staring at the counter wondering how he was going to explain to Misty that he was exactly that - her father! Would she understand why they had never told her the truth about him? He still remembered that magical time with Misty’s mother as if it were yesterday. Oh Tallulah! How he missed her. He'd give anything to hear her sing again as only a Siamese can sing! 

By the time she gave birth to Misty, the final kitten in a litter of seven, it was too late, they couldn’t save her! Her wounds were too great. Even though she was so weak but had made him promise he would say he was her son! If those lemurs had found out he was her lover they would have been on him like, well, like lemurs!

He lifted one paw to his face, flexed it and his claws sprang out, razor sharp! One day he would find the lemur responsible for Tallulah’s death and he would have his revenge!

He said quietly to himself “Yes Larry, I will find you and when I do, you’ll need more than a stupid hat and a whisk to protect you!”

“Everything okay Chase?” Miss Kitty asked looking nervous.

“Oh yeah baby, it’s all good. Put it on my tab would ya?” he called back and jumped neatly through the catflap into the street.

He headed off down the street, stopping momentarily to glimpse at his reflection in the shop window. God he was gorgeous no doubt about that! He decided it was time to have a talk with Dash. He had to put a stop to the relationship with Misty before it went too far. He didn't want anyone to find out the truth about Dash! If his cover was blown, he'd never find Larry and get his revenge.

He turned the corner and saw the lid of a nearby bin quickly rattle shut. Hmmm, Dash still couldn't get over his trash habit! Time to have a chat with the tabby detective!

Episode 6: Meanwhile in Miss Kitty's Milkbar...

Meanwhile...across the street in Miss Kitty's Milkbar...

Chase Singleton strolled into the milkbar, springing lithely onto the closest barstool.

Miss Kitty looked up from where she was battering a batch of mice. "What'll it be Chase hon?"

"Gimme a full cream milk, but hold the milk please."

"All cream huh? Tough day hon?"

Chase shrugged and started to groom himself with affected nonchalance. Miss Kitty did not buy this attempt to appear casual, but decided to let it go.

"Here you go, full cream, straight up," she said, pouring the thick liquid into a tall glass in front of him.

"Leave the bottle," Chase mumbled as he licked his paw and rubbed it behind his ear.

Miss Kitty raised a quizzical eyebrow, but placed the cream bottle on the counter and went back to deep frying mice. The catflap in the front door swung open and a slender young cat sprang inside. Chase groaned and buried his face in his paws.

"Is this seat free?" the girl asked, skipping over to Chase's side.

"No," Chase snapped, "why can't you leave me be Misty?"

"I don't know, just thought you might need some company after a day like today." Misty replied, extending her front legs and scratching her claws on the carpet lined counter.

"Don't bother sis, I really don't want to talk about it, especially with you," Chase replied before turning his attention to the cream.

Misty sighed, then waved a paw at Miss Kitty. "Excuse me miss! I'll take a pot of extra strong nip tea thanks!"

Miss Kitty snorted. "If you're old enough for nip then I'm a snow leopard, nice try though."

"Oh come on, I'm practically an adult," pleaded Misty.

"Do you want me to lose my liquor licence? Why don't I give you a strawberries and cream milkshake, and then maybe I don't have to call your parents and tell them you're trying to pull the fur over my eyes?"

"Fine," huffed Misty. "So Chase, you ready to talk about it yet?"

"What is there to talk about? So I find out you've been secretly dating my best friend? So what? Why is my opinion suddenly so interesting?" Chase bolted down the last of the cream in his glass, then started to scull straight from the bottle.

"Gross!" Misty exclaimed. "And the interest in your opinion is because you don't seem to be handling the news all that well."

Chase burped loudly and slammed the empty bottle down on the counter. "If either of you really cared about my feelings you would have told me what was going on right from the start, or better still, not started seeing each other at all!"

"Oh that's nice Chase," Misty hissed, "so I'm not good enough to date your precious best friend Dash, is that it?!"

"Maybe I'm upset because Dash isn't good enough for you!"

Misty stared at her brother in disbelief. "What's that supposed to mean?"...