They called him the Cat Man and for good reason. If the rumors were to be believed, and Marlee had no reason to doubt them, the man lived all by himself in his house full of cats.
It was a good story, Marlee thought. The rumors didnt say how many cats the Cat Man had. Some put them at a dozen or more while others put them at well over a hundred, and the rumors seemed to pick just about any number in between. Marlee rather doubted the larger numbers. That would border on abuse, she thought. To uncover something of that magnitude, well if she did that, someone would just have to hire her as an investigative reporter.
Marlees pulse raced as she walked up the path to the Cat Mans house. Wouldnt that be something, the fledgeling reporter thought. To come across a story like that, well the news shows would have to take notice of her then. Maybe one of them would even hire her instead of her having to do freelance work.
Marlee knocked tentatively on the door of the Cat Mans house. The door was worn but well cared for just like the rest of the house. The lawn was mowed and the curtains were drawn.
Marlee was about to knock again when the door eased open just wide enough for a pair of old eyes to peer out. The man looked at her and she looked back at him. "Ms. Wopat," he asked.
"Thats right," Marlee told him. "Youre Mr. Charles?"
The man seemed to almost look past Marlee as she stood there on his doorstep. "Thats right," he told her finally.
Marlee continued to stand where she was, shifting her weight from first one foot and then to the other. "Can I come in," she asked finally.
Again, the man almost seemed to look past her but finally, he pulled the door open almost grudgingly. "Come on in," he told her. "Just be careful about the pussies."
Marlee stepped inside and the man quickly closed the door behind her.
"They like you," the man said referring to the myriad of cats swirling around Marlee. "Thats good. Come, we can talk in here."
The... อ่านทั้งเรื่อง
