The man ordered another ride.
Before leaving, he looked through the windshield at the cat.
“This is ridiculous.”
The door shut hard.
Tessa sat in silence.
The cat was licking one paw.
“You are going to get me fired.”
No response.
“You understand that?”
The cat switched paws.
“You don’t care.”
He did not.
Tessa looked at the clock.
11:38.
She called dispatch.
Ray answered.
“What broke?”
That was how Ray answered most calls.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you calling me?”
“There’s a cat in my taxi.”
Silence.
Then:
“What?”
Tessa explained.
Ray listened without interrupting.
That was worse than laughing.
When she finished, he said:
“Remove the cat.”
“I tried.”
“Try harder.”
“I’m going to.”
“Before another passenger gets in.”
“I know.”
“And clean the car.”
“I know.”
Ray sighed.
“Tessa.”
“Yes?”
“Why is this happening to me?”
She almost smiled.
“I’ll call you later.”
She ended the call.
Then she pulled into a riverside parking area near the French Broad.
The lunch hour had begun.
She turned off the meter.
The cat remained on the seat.
“Okay.”
Tessa looked at him.
“No passengers.”
She opened the door.
The cat did not leave.
Tessa opened her lunch bag.
Turkey sandwich.
Apple.
Potato chips.
Water.
The cat’s eyes immediately shifted toward the sandwich.
Tessa noticed.
“Now we communicate.”
She tore off a tiny piece of turkey.
The cat sniffed.
Then ate from her palm with surprising delicacy.
His tongue was rough against her skin.
“Hungry?”
Another piece.
Gone.
She gave him a little more, then stopped.
“No idea if this is good for you.”
The cat sat back.
Tessa looked at the red collar.
For the first time, he seemed relaxed enough to let her touch it.
She moved carefully.
He did not growl.
The tag was small and tarnished.
One side contained a paw print.
The other had an address.
18 FAIRVIEW LANE.
No phone number.
Tessa smiled.
“Finally.”
The cat watched her.
“You have a house.”
She typed the address into her phone.
Forty minutes from where she was parked.
She considered leaving immediately.
Then looked at her dispatch queue.
Tuesday afternoon was usually one of her better periods.
She needed the money.
Rent was due in nine days.
Her car insurance had increased.
The taxi company took a percentage from every fare.
She also had an aging transmission that had begun making a faint hesitation between second and third gear.