probably an animal,” Em murmured, taking the Maglite off her belt. The utility room wasn’t accessible from the outside, so a person would’ve had to come in through the house. And Barb always locked up (again, the mighty influence of Law & Order).
Everett put his hand on the doorknob and looked at Em, who nodded. Then he flung open the door, and Em flashed the light, and something moved inside, and Everett screamed and, before she could stop him, drew and fired.
Damn! The noise slapped her eardrums hard.
“It’s a cat! Everett, it’s a cat!” she yelled. “Holster your weapon!”
Everett obeyed. As he did, a ball of black and white leaped on him, hissing, and sank its teeth into his thigh. Apparently Puss in Boots didn’t appreciate being shot at.
“Officer down, officer down!” Ev yelled, swatting at it. “Ten double zero, officer down!”
“Shut up,” Em ordered. “You deserve it.” He’d missed the kitty, of course. The guy was a terrible shot.
She lifted the cat gently by the scruff of the neck and pulled it off Everett’s leg. All of a sudden, Everett was grabbed around the throat by Bobby McIntosh, who apparently was home after all.
“Why did you shoot my cat?” he yelled.
“Bobby! Let go of him!” Emmaline said.
“We don’t have a cat!” Barb said from upstairs. “Bobby, did you bring a cat home?”
Everett was sputtering and red-faced. Em sighed. “Let him go, or I’ll have to use this,” she said, taking her Taser off her belt. “It hurts.”
He hesitated. She cocked an eyebrow, and, with a sigh, he released her partner.
Drat. “Thank you, Bobby,” she said. So close.
“Bobby! What were you doing down there?” Barb said. “I called you and you didn’t answer! Where did you get that thing, anyway? I hate cats.”
“I love them,” Bobby said. “I got it from the shelter.”
“Okay, so we’re good here,” Emmaline said. Everett’s eyes were wide. “Come on, Ev—let’s go. You’re gonna have to file a report for discharging your firearm, you know.”
“I thought it was a sex offender,” Everett said, his hands shaking.
“It wasn’t. You’re safe now, buddy,” she said, patting his arm. “Come on. Back to the station.”
* * *
“YOU SHOT A CAT?” Chief Cooper said fifteen minutes later, staring at Everett.
“I’m sorry.” Ev stood there like a chastened kid.
“He missed,” Emmaline said. Now that the ringing in her ears had faded, it was hard not to laugh. “The suspect was quite fast.” Levi gave her a look.
“File the report, Everett. The incident is under review, which means you just increased my workload.”
“Sorry, Chief. Um, Bobby McIntosh attacked me.”
“Because you shot at his pet.”
“In self-defense.”
“Not really,” Emmaline said. “The cat was the one acting in self-defense.”
Levi bit down on a grin. “Your mother won’t be happy about this, Ev.”
“Do you have to tell her?”
“She’s the mayor. So, yes.”
“Shit.” Everett heaved a sigh. “Anything else, Chief?”
“No. Fill out the report and get out of here.”
Everett left the office and swiped a cookie from the desk of Carol Robinson, their newly hired administrative assistant, who’d been shamelessly eavesdropping.
“Thanks for not letting Bobby kill Everett,” Levi said to Emmaline.
“I was kind of hoping to use the Taser.”
“Could’ve used it on Everett,” he said. “But good to see cooler heads prevailed.”
It was about as high praise as the police chief gave, and Emmaline felt a small rush of pride. Granted, it had been an idiotic call in the first place, but still.
Levi, who’d been a year behind her in high school, stood and picked up a bouquet of red roses wrapped in green florist paper and tied with a white ribbon. His look warned her not to say anything.
“Aw,” she said. “Flowers for the wife? You’re such a snuggly teddy bear, Levi.”
“Inappropriate, Officer Neal,” he said, giving her his famous “I tolerate you because I have to” look. “By the way, about that crisis negotiations class. I got you a grant. You start in two weeks.”
“You did? Oh, you’re the best! I take back every complaint I ever filed about you.”
“Very funny,” her boss said. “I’m going home. Maybe I’ll see you at O’Rourke’s later.”
“Maybe. Tell Pregnita I said hi.”
He smiled and left the office, stopping to say something to Carol before he left the station.
It was hard not to feel a little jealous. Levi and Faith had been married a little over a year and had a baby on the way. Seemed like everyone was getting married these days; Em had been to three weddings over the summer. In fact, she was considering marrying herself, just so she could register for the fun housewares.
Well. Time for her to go home, too. The O’Keefe Emergency Services Building, which housed the fire, police and ambulance departments, was about five minutes from town. Em drove past Hastings Farm, past the high school and into the Village part of Manningsport, three blocks around a small green at the edge of Keuka Lake.
Emmaline lived on Water Street, right next to the library, and often parked the cruiser along the green where the good people of Manningsport could see it and reconsider any bad decisions, like driving under the influence. O’Rourke’s Tavern, the only place in town open year-round, glowed warm and bright. Maybe she’d eat there tonight, since she didn’t have any plans. But first, home to the Wonder Pup—Sarge, her recently acquired German shepherd puppy, who’d need a walk and some exercise, despite his doggy door to the backyard.
She got out of the cruiser, her breath fogging in the cold, clean air.
“Hey, Em!” called a voice. Lorelei Buzzetta and Gerard Chartier waved as they went into O’Rourke’s, and Em waved back. Gerard was a firefighter and paramedic. Em saw him nearly every day at work (and also saw Lorelei, who owned the bakery and could make the angels weep with her chocolate croissants). The two had started dating a while back.
Through the windows, she could see Colleen O’Rourke, now Colleen Campbell, kissing
