o
heating works and there isn’t too much damp. Who’s responsible for the maintenance work?’
“I call her Miranda,’ said Mrs Shelley. ‘She’s a stray, but she seems to have moved in for a while. I’m glad you don’t mind, because I couldn’t throw her out. Not now.’
‘Well, I’m sure it won’t be a problem. Is the electricity supply on a coin meter? Or would 1 get a separate bill? 1 could do with an estimate of the running costs, so 1 can tell whether 1 can afford it.’
‘Actually, I’m worried about Miranda,’ she said.
‘Oh?’
I know she’s only a stray moggie, but I took her in because I could see she was pregnant. I couldn’t bear the thought of her having her babies out in the cold and the snov.’
Cooper opened a cupboard door, hoping to find the electricity meter. But the cupboard was full of cleaning equipment and empty boxes.
‘So I brought her into the conservatory and made her a little bed in there,’ said Mrs Shelley.
Cooper sighed. ‘And has she had the kittens?’
‘No. That’s what I’m worried about.’
‘You wouldn’t mind if I bought a few small pieces of furniture,
16?
vv
oulcl you? The odd chair, a writing desk. And I need somewhere to set up a personal computer. Perhaps over here, near the power points. I’d have to move the sideboard a bit.’
s
‘She seems to be getting bigger and bigger, but nothing’s happening.’
‘The sideboard would go nicelv in that corner, Mrs Shellev.
O J J
II I moved the table over a loot or two …’
She wrung her gloves in her hands. ‘In fact, since you’re here, would you mind having a look at her? At Miranda, I mean.’
‘Mrs Shelley, if there’s a problem with your cat, I really think it would be a better idea to let a vet have a look at her.’
‘I know, but vets are so expensive, aren’t they? Won’t you please have a quick look? You said you live on a farm, so you must know about animals. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell whether I’m panicking tor no reason.’
‘I’m not sure I’ve got time. I only popped in from work. I really should be getting back. If you could just let me know a lew things. I was wondering about a parking space for my car.’
‘If you tell me the poor thing needs a vet well, I suppose I’ll find the money somehow.’
Cooper sighed again. ‘All right. I’ll take a quick look.’
Mrs Shellev led the way through the kitchen into the little
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conservatory. Cooper followed, pausing to examine the electric cooker and the fridge. They looked reasonably new and in good condition, but there were hardly any work surfaces, and the cupboards were old and starting to look chipped around the edges.
‘Is there a freezer, or enough space to put one in?’ he said.
‘She’s in here,’ said Mrs Shelley, ‘the poor love.’
Miranda was jet black, with thick fur that looked as though it had recently been groomed. The cat lay curled in a wicker basket padded with cushions and part of an old blanket. The basket was pulled up close to where the flue from the stove passed through the wall, and it looked the warmest and most comfortable spot in the entire house.
‘What do you think, dear?’
‘I think a free/cr would go better in the kitchen,’ said Cooper.
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Mrs Shelley looked at him in complete bafflement. ‘You haven’t even looked at her/ she said.
Obediently, Cooper bent down, and the black cat opened a wary eye at him. It was a sharp, yellow eye set in a broad face that was almost Persian. He could see that the cat’s stomach was pretty large. In fact, the animal had to lie sideways in the basket to accommodate its bulk.
Cooper put a hand out cautiously, fighting memories of cats that had taken exception to being touched by a stranger and had left their claw marks on the back of his hand to reinforce the message. But Miranda didn’t move as he stroked her side and felt the rounded swelling under the black fur. A faint, rumbling purr started up, like the revving of a tiny motorbike, and Cooper gently cased his hand underneath to where the cat’s belly rested on the blanket.
‘How long has she been this big?’ he asked.
o O
‘Well, she was quite large when I took her in,’ said Mrs Shellev. ‘And she seems to have got bigger and bigger since
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