Page 4 of Pickled
Ace shouted in one ear. “I’m not going to pay your ransom.” The person standing between the two potted palms was a small and very beautiful woman. “Gideon, I’m serious—”
I hung up and slipped the phone into the pocket of my jeans. “Can I help you?” I glanced behind her, Ace’s warning sparking a flicker of concern. There were very few reasons a beautiful woman would show up on a doorstep in the middle of the night, and none of them were good. I wished that I’d grabbed my golf club in case I had to ward off an accomplice.
She bit her nail as her eyes darted around the yard. “I’m so sorry for bothering you this late.” She put her hands on her hips. Her hair was so blonde it was almost white. She was wearing tiny yoga shorts and a workout top. When she finally stopped what appeared to be casing my yard and looked at me with icy blue eyes, I had to take a step back. She was stunning. “My cat is missing. Have you seen a little tabby cat anywhere?”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen a cat. I’ll keep an eye out though.”
Her eyes shimmered. “She’s an indoor cat. I’m so worried about her. Please let me know if you see her. I live next door.” Her voice shook, like she was upset but trying to hold it in.
A neighbor. Finally.
“I’m sure she’ll turn up. Cats are smart creatures.” Although in this neighborhood, I doubted intelligence was enough to save a cat. Alligators were decidedly not smart, and I knew who would win in that scenario. “I’m Gideon.” I extended my hand.
“Piper.” She had surprisingly rough palms and a grip like a mountain climber. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”
The phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and ignored the call. “Thank you. You’re the first Rosewood Estates neighbor I’ve met.”
She smiled. “They’re all on their yachts right now. You’ll see some action in the fall before everyone goes to Aspen.”
“Where’s your yacht?” I asked.
“Mine? Oh, it’s in the shop.” She winked.
Unlike most of the Miami socialites I’d met, Piper wasn’t dripping in diamonds, and her face wasn’t completelyimmobilized by facelifts. The crinkles that formed beside her eyes when she smiled were a refreshing change. A small, faded scar jutted out from her right eyebrow.
“Well, it was nice to meet you, neighbor Gideon.” She took a few steps back. “I’m going to keep looking for my cat.”
The phone buzzed in my pocket. I let it ring. “Do you want some help? It’s kind of late to be traipsing around the neighborhood all alone.”
A grin spread across her face. “No one is going to bother me in Rosewood, but it would be nice to have an extra set of eyes to help with the search.”
“Let me get my shoes.” I stepped into a pair of Adidas slides and tucked the house keys into my pocket. When I returned outside, Piper was crouched by the fence line bushes, making apssshhh, pssshhhsound.
It was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. She was not a typical rich lady, at least not like the ones I knew. I joined her at the hedges and handed her a spare flashlight. I shone mine under the greenery. We moved through the front yard together, shining the beams into every nook and cranny where a cat might hide.
“What’s your cat’s name?” I asked.
Her lips drew to a line, and she shifted on her feet. “It’s not important.”
The phone buzzed in my pocket again. “Do you need to get that?” She pointed to the pocket of my pants, where the phone screen shone through the worn denim.
“It’s my brother. He thinks I’m being kidnapped or murdered or home invaded right now.”
“Oh no.” Her eyes went wide. “You need to answer it.”
“I’ll answer it if you tell me your cat’s name.” I took the phone from my pocket and hovered my finger over the green button to accept the call.
“I—I—” Her face flushed.
“I guess I won’t answer it, then.” I started to put the phone into my pocket, but she grabbed my forearm, stopping me.
“Pussy. My cat’s name is Pussy.”
Piper hadn’t slapped me across the face, but she might as well have. Had the Miami heat finally gotten to me? “Did you just say… Pussy?”
“Pussy.” Her voice was quiet, but the sides of her lips were turned up. She was embarrassed, and it was adorable. “Now, answer your phone.”
I accepted the call but didn’t take my eyes off Piper. “Hi, Ace. I’m not being murdered. I’m just out looking for Pussy.”
