"Willow's Tail" 25

Perfidia stared at Jon’s retreating figure with apprehension.

“What if his pet cat is that midnight menace?”

“We’ll find out soon enough if it is.” Martha assured her.

Perfidia wasn’t comforted by that and didn’t want to find out.

“This isn’t fun anymore," Perfidia grumbled.

Martha gave her an odd look; she hadn’t felt lighthearted about these havocs from the start, though there had been moments of enlightenment, none had been comfortable, or fun.

“I’d like to find out who sent Jon that invite,” Perfidia seethed.

“And I’d like to know who has that crest ring.”

Perfidia caught Martha's pained expression and some of her anger evaporated.

“I shouldn’t have forced you to talk about Dillon; I’m sorry.”

“No, you were right; I needed to vent those feelings and maybe, for clarity, you need to revisit whatever happened between you and Jon.”

Perfidia tried to contain her vibrating anger at the thought of that kind of revisit, but it came out in her tone as she answered.

"Do I? I don't think so but if you'd like a recap; he left me, end of revisit."

“I know it’s unexpected and unsettling to see him again.”

Perfidia turned bewildered eyes on Martha.

“Unsettling? I’m not easy to confuse Martha, you know that, but it feels like my intuition has been skewed by rampant emotions.”

“It has been; so has mine and we have to assume, whoever is behind these new distractions intended that to happen; they know us both a little too well.”

“And our respective Achilles heel,” Perfidia added through gritted teeth, “I need to know who sent Jon that invitation.”

“We could ask him.”

“You can ask him,” Perfidia smirked, “besides…I have an idea who it could be.”

“Before you settle on Gloria, don’t forget these havocs are never what they seem; they’ve misdirected us before.”

Perfidia gave a short sarcastic laugh.

“And that someone, Gloria or not, apparently wants me distracted today.”

“Then don’t be.”

“Normally, I’d say that'd be easy Martha but….”

“Not with Jon?”

“No.”

“Then we need to focus on moving forward in our respective contests, Willow’s first and then your Orchid contest. If we keep our thoughts on each other at each event maybe, in the periphery, we can pick up on who is behind this, and why. But we need to keep an open mind to do that.”

“Oh my mind is wide open Martha, to all prospective troublemakers…and their payback.”  

“Perfid-”

“Don’t worry,” Perfidia halted her words, “I’ll play nice…I’ll cheer for Willow and I’ll smile when I win today’s challenge.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Maybe not, but that’s what I can promise. Now, you need to get to Willow for her performance and I…need to watch Jon’s.”

Perfidia stormed off in the same direction Jon had taken and Martha didn’t bother to stop her.

There would be no point in disagreeing with her, Perfidia was fixed in her intent and her suspicions, and reason wouldn’t dissuade her current conviction.

*

Willow stealthily slipped past the human attendants and walked to the back stage area.

Her green cat eyes narrowed with disgust as she observed the hectic activities of humans and their cats preparing for the humiliating contest. She gave a low disgusted meow as she walked past them with disinterest, and headed to the large food pantry at the back of the training area; she'd decided to snag a small snack before her own humiliation occurred.

Willow approached the pantry but a tingling of intuition stopped her. She turned around looking for the source of the internal warning and found that troublesome black cat sneakily stalking the room. He was a good distance away and his head was turned in the opposite direction but Willow knew he was searching the room for her, and she decided to help him succeed in his search.

She noticed a large vase filled with fresh flowers and a good amount of cold water fortuitously positioned on a table close to that cat and flicking her tail, with no remorse, she watched the vase tremble and tip over.

Max hissed and spun wildly when cold liquid and a rainbow of cut flowers rained down on his head. He shook off the offending wetness and bits of flowers and looked across the room locking eyes with the catalyst for his uncomfortable mishap.

Max slithered menacingly towards her, intending to wipe that cat grin from her whiskered face.

Willow watched the approaching cat with humor but when he was a few feet away, she flicked her tail and the stalking cat was stopped. The wall of protection she’d conjured was impenetrable and she took great pleasure in the pestering cat’s look of bemusement.

Max butted his head ineffectually against the unseen barrier then flicked his ears to eradicate it, but the invisible wall stayed in place. His temper rose in annoyance at the look of triumph on that feline’s face as she sat there licking her paws in her fortified fortress. It was frustrating to admit there was nothing he could do to menace her and it was intolerable, because she knew it too.

Max had been sent to hazard that feline’s performance but now that she’d seen him, and conjured a protection spell, he’d be unable to interfere as planned.

Willow’s eyes glowed with humor at the bothersome cat’s predicament and she found enormous pleasure in his thwarted offense but her stomach still wanted that snack so she dismissed the impotent threat, and regally walked away.

Max gave a low, frustrated meow.

“Not to worry Max,” the man said as he stepped from the shadows and chuckled, “I have a new plan.”

Max tilted his head and his ears turned to his human with interest.

*

The small auditorium was packed and Perfidia surreptitiously scanned the audience for Jon but didn’t see him and, thinking he must be back stage with his pet, settled back in her seat.

“His entry had better be anything but that midnight menace,” she threatened under her breath as the contest began but after ten consecutive felines navigated the simple course, Perfidia became comatose with boredom.

How many times could a person watch a cat slither around hazard cones, jump through elevated hoops and follow simple commands without a yawn? Only once, was Perfidia’s expert opinion and she was ready for a full out catnap when the emcee announced the next owner and their pet; it was Martha and Willow.

Perfidia perked up when they walked out on the stage.

Willow’s pert little head was held at a superior angle telling all who watched, she was a cat of her own accord and no one owned her.

“This should be good,” Perfidia chuckled.

Willow flew, almost literally, around the cones and through the hoops and then, just for added excitement, she somersaulted and did it all backwards. 

The audience, including Perfidia, applauded and cheered the amazing performance. Even the emcee applauded Willow’s unusual talent before he announced the next cat to perform.

“The final performer today is a blue-smoke Persian named Mannix; please welcome him with his owner Jonathon Fairchild.”

Perfidia took little notice of the magnificent cat that walked on stage because of the man who’d stepped out with him. When she did avert her gaze from the man to the cat, she allowed a genuine smile to light her face; the cat was not the midnight menace.

The fluffy cat moved with commanding ease around the cones and dove effortlessly through the hoops and, to show up the last entrant, he also completed the course backwards as Willow had done but added an amazing double somersault at the end and stuck the landing by his owner’s feet.

The emcee stepped back to the microphone amid loud applause. “I agree the last two performances were impressive but, although the cats added to the course successfully they will be judged, as all the performances will be, by the requisite course. We cannot consider the added flourishes, but they were fun to watch,” he added the last with a smile and a hearty applause to the two cats.

The judges conferred for several minutes before one judge walked to the stage and read the names of the pets who’d be returning to compete in tomorrow’s challenge. Not surprising, Willow and Mannix were both named to return.

*

Perfidia waited outside the building for Martha and Willow and when she saw them she said without preamble, “It isn’t Jon.”

Martha nodded. “Hmmm, perhaps not...”

Martha’s response wasn't as definitive as Perfidia would have liked.

“What do mean…perhaps not? His cat is a smoke colored Persian and not a black cat named Max. How is that not proof?”

“A familiar has abilities Perfidia, or have you forgotten?”

“You think the cat changed its fur?”

“I think the cat was very…talented.”

“And I think you’re wrong but let’s walk to the orchid tent while I disagree; I don’t want to be standing here for Jon to see us.”

They walked towards the flower tent and Perfidia continued her argument.

“And Jon doesn’t wear a ring with the Goodfellow’s crest so you’d have to agree he isn’t the man Willow saw last night; so that’s two clues that don’t point to him.”

Martha did concur on that point. “You’re right Perfidia, Jon wouldn’t have that ring.”

“So you agree; it can’t be Jon.”

“Or, I can consider that the clue of the ring was a false lead.”

Perfidia stopped walking and turned to her with annoyance. “Now you want to call something a red herring?”

Martha shrugged but kept walking as she elaborated. “I’m just reminding you we’ve been misdirected before and every clue has sent us in differing directions; I think we need to question our conclusions.”

“I get it; you don’t want to believe its Dillon.”

This time Martha did stop.

“That’s not true. I know we can’t rule out Dillon but I also know there are more questions than answers.”

“You mean, like the name of that friend who sent Jon the invitation to the festival?” Perfidia asked.

“Yes.”

“I think it was Gloria but I’ll admit it could’ve been Percival; he and Jon were good friends in college, or Dillon might have sent it wanting the clue to point to Percival,”

Martha nodded. “And you’ve just proven my point; we can’t rule anyone out,”

Perfidia had no further argument.

They stepped into the flower tent and Martha went to find a seat as Perfidia walked over to her Orchid.

Perfidia was happy to see her orchid had not been tampered with; it was as beautiful as ever and it would move forward in the contest; she had no doubt of that but when she looked over at Gloria, the contest didn’t matter. What mattered was finding out if Gloria still had feelings for Jon and if Jon was here by her invite, and…if Jon had feelings beyond friendship for Gloria.

“Good luck Perfidia.”

Perfidia nearly jumped at the unexpected voice behind her and turned around to find Roger with his perennial, genial smile, standing there.

“Thank you Roger,” she said affably and tried to offer the same cordial expression but failed. So instead, she fully accepted her sour mood and asked, “Do you think Gloria would want you to be here wishing me well?”

Roger kept on smiling. “Of course she would, Gloria thinks your Orchid is the best one here; she’d be happy for you if you won.”

“Sure she would,” Perfidia replied with detectable sarcasm.

Roger’s brows lifted. “Perfidia is there some problem I’m not aware of between you and Gloria?”

“What? No, of course not and they’re about to begin the contest so you should go and wish Gloria luck before it begins.”

Perfidia practically pushed him in that direction but Roger continued to give her a speculative look even as he complied.

She hadn’t meant to make Roger suspicious. She was suspicious enough for them both and, if Jon did come here to support Gloria and if Gloria had sent him the invite, Roger would know the reason for the discourse between her and Gloria soon enough.

As if her thoughts had conjured him, she saw Jon walk through the entrance. She continued to watch him as he walked straight over to Roger and Gloria.

Her eyes blazed with jealousy when Jon took Gloria's hand in his and if Martha hadn’t just stepped in front of her, blocking that sight, she might have acted foolishly.

“They’re friends Perfidia.”

“I know that,” Perfidia huffed and turned away and because she’d turned away, she didn’t see Martha walk back to her seat or Jon walk over to take Martha’s place behind her.

“I just wish …,” Perfidia began softly but trailed off, sighing heavily with feelings she didn’t want to voice.

“What do you wish Perfidia?”

The deep masculine voice, too close behind her, froze her and it took several calming breaths before she could turn around to face him.

“Hello Jon, I thought you were by Gloria,” she said with pretended disinterest.

Jon nodded. “I was and now I’m here by you. So what was it you were about to wish for?”

Perfidia straightened her back and offered a plastic smile.

“I was wishing this contest would begin already.”

Jon’s smile dimmed.

“Right, then I’ll wish you luck, though you probably don’t need it, do you?”

“No, probably not,” she shrugged.

Jon stood a moment staring into her eyes then shook his head and walked away.

Perfidia bit her lip and nearly jumped again when a furry something slid against her leg.

She looked down to find Willow giving her a disappointed and all too knowing look.

“What? I’m supposed to say I was wishing he’d come over?”

The cat titled her head.

“That’s stupid, and he was already here.”

The cat’s little brow rose to mock her and she snapped.

“I don’t need your cat opinion; I’m fine.”

Willow sauntered away and Perfidia may not have heard it, but she knew the cat was snickering at her statement.

Maybe the cat was right. She wasn’t fine with Jon being here; it was causing her to question if he was behind these havocs and if maybe…she was the one to blame for all of it.

 

The judge reminded everyone that yesterday’s orchid event had been rescheduled due to a prankster who’d switched the entry cards so today would hold two qualifying events.

“To save time we've already conferred this morning on yesterday’s delayed event and have placed bronze ribbons under the twelve orchids deemed the winners and qualified to be in today’s judging.”

Perfidia lifted her sun boxed orchid to find a bronze ribbon and, even though she wasn’t surprised by it, it was nice to see the ribbon there.

She held it up for Martha to see.

The judge acknowledged the twelve contestants and advised, “Today's competition is to evaluate the overall size and sturdiness of the orchid and the best six will be awarded a place in the final tomorrow.”

The judges left the stage and walked by each orchid, taking measurements and notes. Once they'd reviewed each orchid they compared notes and announced the six awarded the ribbons to move forward.

Both Perfidia and Gloria received silver ribbons and a place in the final judging.

Perfidia didn’t care that Gloria would be back to compete tomorrow but it meant that Jon would be back too, and he’d be in Gloria’s corner again.

Perfidia wasn’t as confident she could handle that.