Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #10)(21)

“It still works, but our lineup’s changed and they haven’t sent a new cable guide. We’ve got over two hundred channels now, and I haven’t been able to find Moishe’s favorite.”

“The Animal Channel?”

“Yes. Do you get it?”

“I get it, but I have a dish. How about Andrea?”

“They’ve got a dish, too. And Mother never watches it, so she’s no help.”

“You could always call the cable company and ask.” Norman suggested.

“I will, if I ever get a couple of hours to spend on hold. I tried yesterday afternoon, but their business office isn’t open on Sunday.”

“I think I’m beginning to understand something here,” Norman looked thoughtful. “Moishe’s lonely because you’ve been gone so much, and he doesn’t have his favorite television channel to watch. Is there anything else he doesn’t have?”

“Mice. There’s plenty to eat outside right now and the field mice won’t come in until the first cold snap. And the maintenance guys replaced the weather stripping on all the doors and windows, so I don’t have as many bugs.”

“No Animal Channel, no mice, no bugs,” Norman reiterated. “Maybe he’s bored.”

Hannah thought about that for a minute. “You could be right. But what can I do about it? I can’t take him to work with me.”

“I’ll call around. Somebody’s bound to know the new cable lineup. I’ll get the number of the Animal Channel and tell you.”

“That would be great!” Hannah said. Norman was always so good to her. “Maybe I should loosen a little bit of that weather stripping and let some bugs in for him.”

“Don’t do that. I’ve got another idea that might work. They’re having a sale on Kitty Kondos at the pet store in the mall.”

“What are Kitty Kondos?”

“They’re three-story activity centers covered with carpeting. The base is the first story. It’s a big tub-like thing that supports the rest of the structure.”

“Tub-like?” Hannah gave a wry smile. “Moishe should like that!”

“True, but this tub is carpeted inside and out. He can race around the middle to his heart’s content and it won’t make any noise.”

“That sounds good, especially for Sue and Phil. What’s on the next tier?”

“It’s the second story of the tub with an opening on both sides. A covered plank juts out and leads to a frame covered in carpet with all sorts of toys on strings. The clerk said she has one at home, and her cats just love to walk the plank and bat at the toys. And on the other side, there’s a mesh hammock. She said it’s a favorite nap place for older cats because nothing from the floor can bother them.”

“And there’s another story above that?”

“That’s the penthouse, and there’s a little outside staircase leading down to the floor. It’s a faster exit than ducking down through the tubs.”

“So how much does all this grandeur coast?” Hannah asked the important question.

“A dollar.”

“What?!”

“That’s what Moishe’s will cost. I’m getting one for Cuddles, and if I buy two, I can get the second one for only a dollar. I was going to do that anyway and give one to Moishe for Christmas. But from what you’ve told me, I think he needs it right now.”

Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you’re buying one for Cuddles and you’re not just trying to help me out?”

“I’m positive. I’ve even got the color picked out. I thought blue would go best in the living room, and that’s where I want to put it. She’s already got the kitty staircase I built in the den.”

The one you built for Moishe, Hannah filled in the unsaid part of Norman’s answer. He’d built the kitty staircase hoping that she’d marry him. And from what he’d said earlier, he still loved her even though she’d turned down his proposal.

“Well…if you’re sure you’re getting one anyway…” she said.

“I am. What color would you like?”

“You decide,” Hannah told him, because it didn’t really matter to her. Coordinating colors in her condo was not a high priority. There was also the fact that almost everything she owned came from the Lake Eden Helping Hands Thrift Store, and if she had a décor at all, it was economical eclectic.

“Okay, where do you want to put it?”

“You can decide that, too.”

“How about right next to your desk in the living room? That way Moishe will have something else to do, and he won’t bother you when you use your computer.”

“Good idea,” Hannah said, not willing to admit that the only time she used her computer was when Norman came over to give her a word processing or Internet lesson.

Norman stared at her for a moment, and then he shook his head. “There’s something wrong, isn’t there,” he said, and it was more of a statement than a question.

“What could possibly be wrong? Didn’t I just agree with everything you suggested?”

“That’s just it. You agreed with everything I suggested. That’s not normal for you, Hannah. I think you’re still in shock.”