It was the crime of the month. Twenty-three people shot dead at a Christmas party in Mt Thomas. Two maybe three shooters, all with police issued guns. No doubt this was now a case of high profile and also high importance, but why then was I out at a small farm about 15kms away from the crime scene? The answer: a cat. Yes there was a cat stuck in the rain pipe at this farm and the boss had chosen me for the job. I've been working with the force for four months now and yet I get called out to a stuck cat. Twenty-three murdered with eighteen or more police on the job and the boss gives me that cat. I felt better knowing that I wasn't the only one not on the high profile case, as Joss had been sent here with me. I could tell he wasn't too happy about the circumstances either but we couldn't just say no to the boss. We'd lose our jobs altogether! Instead we did the sensible thing; do the job while complaining to each other. Joss had been on the force for only one month more than men but that was still five months on the force. Five months and we get stuck with a damn cat and old Mrs Petrie.
"Oh Joss, how are you?" the old woman said excitedly. Ï hoped you'd be the one to rescue old Tabby. She's stuck again." Mrs Petrie said with a small chuckle. "Oh hello Kelly." She added turning briefly to me before immediately turning back to Joss.
He removed his hat before addressing Mrs Petrie. "So where is she this time Mrs Petrie?"
"Oh please dear, call me Carol. That is my name and I think we know each other well enough to be on frist term names now."
I held my hand over my mouth to stop from laughing. Everyone in the station knew that old Carol had a very large crush on poor Joss. Her husband still lived with her but they hadn't talked in months. In fact the old farm had been kind of spilt into two.
Maybe taking this job wasn't that bad; after all who'd miss the chance to embarrass Joss more. I now had a new story to return to the station with and spread.
Rescuing Tabby turned out to be one of the easiest jobs ever but Mrs Petrie did make sure that it took us time. Having rescued Tabby a few times previously for Mr Petrie, I knew the tricks of the trade. But old Carol decided that she wanted Joss to be her hero. Again I had to laugh. Joss and dogs…yes; Joss and cats…no way! They never ever got along. They were like bees and smoke; cats and mice; crocodiles and deer. But what Mrs Petrie wanted; she nearly always got. So there was Joss, lying on the ground under the rain pipe, willing Tabby to come out. Although it was hard, I had to refrain from laughing as to avoid getting hit over the head by old Mrs Petrie's walking stick.
After about 20 minutes, Joss could no longer handle the humiliation of having been shown-up by an old tabby cat, so the rescuing job was passed on to me. Within two minutes, the silly old cat was back into the arms of its mistress.
Mrs Petrie was not impressed. "Joss, thank you for saving my darling cat, and letting Kelly feel like she did some of the work around here. It seems like you're the only one in the whole town who actually helps people." She ranted on to Joss.
"You're welcome Mrs Petrie." I said as we finally left the farm.
Joss laughed and I punched him in the arm lightly.