The Spotted Tail

Paxine felt herself float past the clock in the kitchen toward the back entrance. It was midnight. There was a guard standing on the other side of the door and she could smell him. She floated back through the condo to the front entrance. There was a guard there too, on the other side, and he smelled of coffee. She floated back to the middle of the living room. A faint noise caught her attention and she floated toward it, but it was only her dad snoring.

She floated back to her own room, feeling a sense of uneasiness. There was something wrong. She flew up onto the dresser. The beetle’s container lay on its side and the lid was off. The beetle was gone.

Paxine bolted upright in bed, catching a glimpse of Tache flying out of the room. He was twitching from head to foot, and she could feel it. Again, she was seeing and feeling things through him.

She felt him leap over the sofa toward the deactivators by each window. His claws dug into the carpet just when he passed the first window to stop himself with a jolt. Through the corner of his eye she spied a flit of a wing. His whole body dropped into a crouch.

He was watching the beetle. It was crawling over the keypad of a deactivator on the second window. Tache lunged, hitting the key pad. A red alarm light flashed.

Paxine slid her legs out of bed, feeling as if she was reliving the intruders in the house. She paused, looking up, imitating Tache’s move.

The beetle flew high through the living room, landing on another deactivator. Tache lunged again.

Click.

The condo front door opened.

“Stupid cat. Damn, false alarm,” a guard said, moving across the room toward the flashing deactivator. “More paperwork.”

Paxine felt Tache jump. She didn’t need to see through his eyes to know where he was. He was on the counter.

Crash.

Clatter.

Paxine moaned, knowing she was in trouble again. Her mom left a bowl on the counter for cereal in the morning. Tache’s tail knocked it off.

Paxine grabbed her robe, knowing she was going to get a talking to from her dad again. Tache had to learn what he could and….

Bang.

The whole condo shook. She felt it vibrate up through her feet.

“Shutter,” the guard said with a shout.

Paxine didn’t know what that meant, but she felt like she was having a bad dream and reliving the worst day of her life. Her dad rushed by her door. At least this time, he didn’t have a gun.

“What is it?” her dad said in a low voice that still carried down the hall.

“Checking, sir,” the guard said.

“I want more than that,” her dad said.

“A shutter, sir. Two deactivators went into alarm with wrong code attempts. I saw the cat underneath one just as it went off,” the guard said, filling in her dad with all the information he knew.

“Where’s the cat?” her dad said in an angry voice.

“The cat bumped something off the counter when I was checking the deactivator, then a shutter hit the window. It failed since the deactivators were still working,” the guard said, using as much detail as he could.

“And where is the cat, now?” her dad said, his tone of voice said he wanted specifics.

Paxine flinched at his words. She could tell he was really angry. This was all her fault and she felt terrible.

“On the counter, sir,” the guard said.

Paxine trembled, peering around her door. Her dad stood at the end of the hall. The guard rose from the floor where he must have thrown himself when the shutter hit. Her dad turned to face the kitchen, just out of sight around the corner. Paxine flinched at what he must be looking at.

The condo door opened and another guard entered. “We have retrieved the shutter, sir.”

Her dad ran his hand through his hair, and then walked out of sight, but Paxine knew he was standing in front of Tache. She could see him through Tache’s eyes. Worry flooded through her. She didn’t know what she would do without Tache, for sure her dad wouldn’t allow him around.

“Get Kirt here immediately,” her dad said.

For a gun? No. Wait. There was no anger in his voice.

“Return to your posts. Is there anyone else who can check deactivators?” her dad said in a normal voice.

Something had happened. But what?

“Someone is coming right up,” one guard said, heading back to his post.

“Again?” her mom said, walking down the hall. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

“Maybe. Different this time. We captured the attacking device. Give your mom my compliments,” her dad said.

“Why?” her mom said with suspicion, as if her dad was playing a joke.

“Tachalarm,” her dad said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Her mom disappeared around the corner. “What is in his…” she said, getting cut off as the door to the condo opened.

“Good morning, sir. Sorry to disturb you. Which deactivators do you want me to check?” It was a female voice, one of the few female guards.

“Check them all, please,” her dad said.

Paxine couldn’t wait any longer. She had to know what happened.

“I’ll move Paxine so they can check her room,” her mom said, appearing at the end of the hallway. “Never mind. She’s up.”

Paxine joined her mom, and as she expected, her dad stood squared off, facing Tache. They were staring at each other.

“Sir? I heard about the shutter,” Kirt said, rushing through the door. He looked disheveled as if he dressed in the cube.

Her dad shifted to face Kirt. Tache shifted his gaze to Paxine.

“Hey, that’s my beetle,” Paxine said, blurring out the words, knowing as soon as she said them that she shouldn’t have said anything.

Tache sat on the counter, holding in his mouth the beetle. Its legs flailed in the air.

“You didn’t…” her mom said, looking shocked.

Paxine felt terrible. She had messed up. She shouldn’t have brought the beetle home.

“But it …” she said, stopping because there was no good excuse.

“Where did you get it?” her dad said, now staring back at Tache.

“At school. Paulie had two. I was going to give it back,” she said, knowing that no matter what she said, she had done wrong.

“What have I told you?” her mom said.

“I didn’t think it was harmful. Really,” she said.

“Don’t take anything from anybody unless we check it out first,” her mom said, sounding authoritative. “Is it what we thinking it is?” her mom said to her dad, now not sounding so sure.

“The cat was seen by the alarming deactivators, which is probably where he caught it,” her dad said, crossing his arms and looking at Tache as if he had never seen him before.

Kirt took out a container and some tweezers, but Tache turned his head away.

“Tache,” Paxine said. “Let him have it.”

Tache sat looking superior to them all, but allowed Kirt to extract the beetle from his mouth. Kirt stuffed it into the container with some difficulty.

“Make sure there is a deactivator on it. It could be self-destructive,” her dad said.

Kirt nodded as he hurried out the door.

Paxine knew her dad said this to comfort her mom more than as instructions to Kirt. Her mom seemed less worried with the beetle gone.

“Are you done with him?” her mom said, pointing at Tache.

“Yes,” her dad said, looking at her mom with curiosity.

“Rule number one,” her mom said, sounding dangerous.

Tache leapt from the counter.

“No counters. Even if it’s to make a point,” her mom said.

Her dad chuckled.

The guard checking deactivators reappeared. “One was deactivated in the girl’s room, but it’s been reactivated.”

“Thanks. That will be all for now,” her dad said, dismissing the guard.

“Yes, sir. Good night,” the guard said, exiting through the front door.

“Back to bed,” her dad said. “I hope that is all the excitement for this night.”

Paxine scooped up Tache. “I guess we’ll be seeing grandma tomorrow,” she said in a whisper to her mom.

“Yes, keep it to yourself,” her mom said, steering her down the hall by her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Paxine said. “I know I messed up.”

“You know these things will happen. Learn from them,” her mom said.

“You sound like grandma,” Paxine said.

“Bound to happen,” her mom said with a laugh. “And someone is earning his keep.” Her mom gave Tache a pat.

Paxine woke the next morning, taking her time getting out of bed. There was no going to school in case she picked up more bugs, even though she knew better. She knew she should have known better before, but…she had still messed up. She hid in her room with Tache, but he offered little comfort. He was a sleepy lump under her quilt since he patrolled the condo all night.

The door of the condo opened. Her worst fear…her grandma. Paxine stuck her head under her pillow to shut everything out, but she felt Tache squiggled out and drop to the floor. His eyes blinking from sleep, he walked over to sit by the door where he seemed to be listening in on the conversation in the kitchen. The noises in the kitchen carried down the hall to her door, which was ajar.

She removed her pillow, rolling onto her belly. There was the clatter of the teapot while her mom made tea. Her mom and grandma were talking in low voices and the conversation kept coming back to…

“A beetle?” her grandma said again.

A stool creaked.

“Yes,” her mom said. The teapot clunked onto the stove. The freezer door opened and closed.

“Extraordinary,” her grandma said. Her stool creaked, again.

Tache stretched his neck to peer around the door. He shared what he saw with her, watching Tinder wander over to the sun-drenched sofa.

Her grandma’s stool creaked. “Where is Tache this morning?”

“Last I heard from Paxine, he was crashed in her bed,” her mom said.

“I guess he earned a little shut eye after last night,” her grandma said.

“He kept the guards awake and edgy every time he checked a door. I heard them all night long.”

The microwave turned on. The hum made it harder for Paxine to hear the conversation in the kitchen. She listened through Tache’s ears.

“Good for Tache,” her grandma said.

Tache, as if responding to his name, left her room. His eyes were on Tinder in the sun, but her grandma must have moved and he turned his eyes to her.

“Oh, dear.” There was concern in her grandma’s voice.

Paxine concentrated hard to see through Tache’s eyes why her grandma was concerned, but Tache’s eyes moved back to Tinder. His tail whacked the wall as he walked further into the living room. She could feel irritation flow through him. He didn’t like Tinder sitting on the sofa in the sun. That was his sun. He glared, jumping up onto the sofa. However, sunshine covered the whole sofa. He plopped down, closing his eyes, too tired to fight.

“What?” her mom said, sounding concerned.

“Doesn’t Tinder look bigger than Tache?” her grandma said.

“Oh.” Her mom sounded relieved. “Her coat is thicker. Just an optical illusion.”

“Hum.” Her grandma didn’t sound convinced.

Tea poured into a cup. Two objects slid across the counter. Paxine knew her mom was moving the sugar and cream closer to her grandma. There were two plops and then a clink. Her grandma added two sugars and tipped in some cream into her tea.

“You’re going to the Gala next month?” her grandma said.

“Yes. It is sort of important isn’t it? The biggest charity event of the year,” her mom said.

“Yes. Have you gotten your dress yet?” Her grandma’s stool creaked.

“No, I’m wearing last year’s dress. Just changing out the jewelry. With this unexpected high cost of housing, and… I hear they have to pay triple the fee to get the guest celebrity. Can’t these people donate their time for the cause?”

Paxine thought the Gala Ball sounded like it should be fun, but everyone seemed to get tense around that time of year.

“I expect a twenty course meal with the cost of tickets this year. They’ve more than doubled in price,” her grandma said sounding grumpy.

“If I had the choice, I would pass, but Doug is required to attend,” her mom said. “I think his tickets should be free. Darn politics.”

“I’m not required to go, but I certainly need to. I do have to get a new dress. Last year’s dress got stained,” her grandma said, not sounding happy about going shopping.

“Need me to go shopping with you?” Her mom loved going shopping.

“I’ll think about that. Can I have Paxine today? I know you’ll be house shopping. We both know how Paxine feels about that,” her grandma said, changing the subject.

“Hum, yes, she doesn’t like house shopping, and yes, you can have her. Training?” her mom said.

There was a faint sound of laughter in her grandma’s voice. “I think Tinder and Tache need some playtime together.”

Her mom laughed. “Yeah, right, Mom. You have found some good ones though. You received a compliment from Doug last night for giving Paxine the Tachalarm.”

“The Tachalarm?” Her grandma chuckled. “To think Doug was so against Tache at first.”

The stool creaked. Tinder gave a soft chirp. It sounded like she was sitting next to her grandma.

“Sorry. I was forgetting protocol,” her grandma said.

A teacup slid across the counter.

Tache opened his eyes, sitting up. Tinder was sitting by Paxine’s grandma, giving the teacup a sniff. She chirped after the sniff. Tache hopped down and joined Tinder on the chair as if he had been called. He also took a sniff of the cup. Then Paxine had the strange sensation that Tinder was telling Tache that the tea was safe to drink. Tache yawned and returned to the sofa.

“What was that all about?” her mom said.

“Just curiosity and the cat,” her grandma said.

The microwave dinged. The smell of cinnamon sweet rolls filled the condo. A plate clattered against the counter, and then the refrigerator opened and closed.

“Excuse me a moment,” her mom said.

Paxine felt a tingle down her spine. Was that her mom coming down the hall? Her door opened wide, revealing her mom with a plate. Her mom set the plate on the bed, giving her a comforting smile. Paxine returned the smile with a weak one of her own before her mom left, leaving the door ajar.

The plate contained a sweet roll slathered in butter just the way she liked it.

“I thought I was the one who spoiled Paxine,” her grandma said when her mom returned to the kitchen. A couple of plates clattered.

“My child still needs to eat, and she doesn’t need to be punished for the beetle. She already knows it was wrong to take things that we haven’t checked. We talked about it a long time last night, and she understands. You’ve taught her more about security than anyone,” her mom said.

Paxine cringed upon hearing her mom’s words and feeling all the more guilty. She stuck her finger in the butter and swirled it around.

“Doug may think he has tight security, but he’s forgetting that you both are a weak link,” her grandma said.

“Ugh. I hate being accompanied by an escort, but I understand.” Her mom shifted a plate on the counter. “Besides, these rolls are really for me; comfort food.”

Her mom liked sweet rolls slathered in butter too. Her grandma chuckled and there was the sound of another plate sliding on the counter. Paxine could imagine her grandma also slathering butter on her roll. They all did.

Paxine’s sweet roll was soft and warm. The frosting was gooey and delicious. With her eyes closed, she surrendered to the sensation of sweet, cinnamon, buttery warmth. It melted down her throat, and settled comfortably into her belly. She stretched the sensation by licking her fingers and the last drop of butter from the plate.

A stool creaked, sliding across the floor. Paxine’s stomach churned. This time it was her grandma coming down the hall.

“Done with your roll?” her grandma said without opening the door further.

“Yeah,” Paxine said in a quiet voice.

“Let’s go shopping,” her grandma said.

Shopping? Her grandma didn’t like to go shopping. Paxine forgot about her churning stomach while she wondered what they needed to go shopping for.

“I’ll get my shoes on,” Paxine said, slipping off her bed.

Once her shoes were on, she brought her plate out to the kitchen.

“Thanks, mom. That was good.” She put the plate in the sink.

“You’re welcome. Have a good time with grandma,” her mom said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Paxine fastened the harness and leash on Tache. He was a limp sleeping slug. She thought she was going to have to carry him, but at the sound of her grandma opening the door, he jumped from the sofa, towing her. Two guards stood outside when she and her grandma left. One of them followed.

“Your dad’s security insists on an escort,” her grandma said, entering the condo next door where a cube landing was set up.

Tache lagged behind to smack their escort with his tail.

“Do you know Paulie well?” her grandma said when the cube door closed.

“School. He was at my birthday party,” she said.

“At the new house?” her grandma said, staring straight ahead as if the escort didn’t exist.

“Yeah.”

“Who brought him and picked him up?”