Page 32 of S.O.S. Billboard

A quick trip to her room had her grabbing her sweatshirt. The evening was a little cold, even though it was mid-June. Or was it her? O’Shea shrugged. She supposed she’d get used to the temperature differences between here and home.

Reaching the lobby again, she pushed back out through the doors and approached the valet. “Where can someone find some decent chocolate this time of night?” she asked.

The young man grinned. “There’s a great convenience store around the corner that sells all the good stuff,” he told her, then pointed. “Two blocks that way, then hang a right and go three more. You’ll see it. It’s busy even at this time of night.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Can I bring you back something?”

His smile grew even wider as he named a bar that was one of her all-time favorites.

“You got it.”

She took off briskly in the direction indicated, already anticipating the dark smoothness melting on her tongue.

****

“Geeze. The kid wasn’t lying,” O’Shea chortled to herself as she looked over the vast selection on display. Picking up a half dozen of her favorites, she added a couple extra for the valet since he’d been so helpful.

Checking out was a bit of an eye-opener though. Back home, she would have paid half what her bounty cost her here, but she supposed itwasnight-time. In a big city. And since her brother had sprung for her room, shecouldafford a lot of chocolate.

After paying, she walked back toward the hotel slowly, but O’Shea couldn’t help herself. She opened the foil on one bar to savor a few bites before she arrived.

Passing an alley, one of many, she paused. Had she heard…?

Nah. It must have been a rat.

Didn’t Boston have a problem with those? Or was that New York?Whatever.O’Shea started to walk again, but the plaintive noise sounded a second time.

“Well, damn.” Whatever it was, she couldn’t just leave it without seeing if it was okay. O’Shea wished she had her service weapon on her, just in case it was some kind of trap. But she had some mad fighting skills, which meant if she had to defend herself, she would. Especially if whoever it was, made her drop her bag of candy. Then, there’d be hell to pay.

“Hello?” she called out, inching into the darkness. “Is someone there?”

The small lament sounded again, but this time it sounded more like a…

Shit.

O’Shea fished out her phone, hit the flashlight function, and shined the light in front of her to see a small pile of cardboard boxes. She leaned over…

There.Movement.

Slowly she squatted down on her heels and just as she was about to give up, she saw two bright eyes peering out from behind a jumble of bunched up paper.

Her breath emerged in one, relieved whoosh.

“Well, hello kitty. Who are you?” She placed her bag on the ground after finding a non-damp looking spot, then propped her phone against it to send a free hand toward the small bundle. The puss was pretty big; certainly not a kitten. Her face was round, her chest muscular but lanky, and her fur was longish and badly matted.

“Oh, you poor thing. Are you homeless?” O’Shea had a soft spot for animals, even though she’d never owned one. She was the go-to auntie for any colleague who needed a pet sitter while they went on vacation.

“Will you come see me?” O’Shea coaxed, shuffling forward a step.

The cat backed up, and O’Shea knew she needed something more enticing than just her fingers. “Wait here,” she told the cat, unnecessarily. “I saw some kitty food…”

She backed slowly away, and leaving her precious candy behind, she ran back toward the convenience store, laughing at herself. If the catweresome kind of scam, whoever had set it up had her chocolate, now.

It took only minutes to find a package of cat treats. And on impulse, O’Shea picked up two cans of cat food as well before paying and running back to the alley.

“I’m back, kitty,” she cooed, appreciating the fact that her bag was where she’d left it. She quickly added the two cans she’d purchased, to her stash. “And this is for you right now.” She shook the treats bag. “It’s the good stuff.”

O’Shea went down to her haunches again and dumped a few of the yummies out into the palm of her hand.

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