Discombobulate

Chapter Thirty-Four

"It must have been a mix-up. I'm sure they'll figure it out," Winston reassured Denise. "It'll be fine."

Denise had only ordered one pizza from Simon's. It was only a fourth of the way consumed. She only had two pieces of it and the rest lay untouched.

"We need to get you to a motel for the night. You can come back here in the morning. I need to get photos of the place."

"I can't take Dupe to a motel," Denise pointed out. "There's only one motel in town and they aren't pet friendly. I'm not leaving Dupe here alone."

"I could take him for the night if you want me to."

"You'd do that for me?" Denise asked.

He nodded, "I grew up with cats. Besides, I kicked down your door. It's the least I could do. If you wanted me to, I could watch him for a few days."

Denise's blonde hair shook around her head. "One night is more than enough. I can come pick him up in the morning. Let me get his stuff around."

It took her a few minutes to gather a few of his toys, his litter box, and a can of cat food. Dupe had appeared from her room. He was starting towards the large rock and broken glass.

Winston yanked him off his feet. "I don't think so. The vet is closed and you wouldn't want to hurt these little guys." He gently grabbed one of his paws and shook it.

Dupe responded by opening his mouth and sinking his teeth into Winston's dark flesh. Winston hissed and shook his hand. The kitten slumped back in the man's arms and rested his head on his chest. Biting him twice was enough. He was exhausted from the evening's excitement. Winston stroked the top of his head.

"Do you have everything you need?" Winston asked Denise.

She was shoving a few things in a book bag. "Yeah, I think I have it all. I shouldn't need much. I'll only be there for a few hours. I'll call someone in the morning to fix the doors."

Winston led the way out to his car. Denise turned out the lights and pulled the door shut behind her. The cabin door wouldn't close. It kept popping open. She left the door slightly cracked.

Everything important she needed, she had with her. Her laptop and charger, video camera, writing notebook, and wallet. At the last moment, she tossed Jennifer's journal into the mix. She couldn't afford to lose it. She slung the bookbag onto her back.

She carried a pizza box in her hands. The outside of the box was still warm. She glanced into the box before they left the cabin. It was a classic pepperoni pizza. She didn't need two pizzas, the first one was more than enough. She was planning to give it to Winston to take back to the station.

Winston opened the back door to his car. "Sorry, I have to put you in the back of my car again. When this is all over, you'll be granted passenger seat privileges unless you commit a crime."

Denise let out a small laugh and climbed into the back seat. She put the pizza down beside her. Winston handed her a sleeping Dupe. She took him and put him on the other side of her.

Winston got into the driver's seat and picked up his handheld radio. He mumbled a few things into it. Denise slouched back into her seat and stared at the cabin. All the lights inside were off. Every window was dark. Without the moon, you couldn't see it unless you squinted. It blended in with the night.

She dreamed about owning a log cabin when she was a kid. Andy's family had a log cabin. They went there a few times in the summer. Every spring break, Denise was invited along for the trip.

It lasted a week. Andy's parents would pick them up from school on Friday afternoon. They'd travel north for two and a half hours. They'd arrive at a secluded cabin in the evening. Usually, they stopped by a fast food place and took food to the cabin. They'd eat and get settled in.