The Magnificent Cat by Nadia Ramadan (early reader chapter books .TXT) 📕

be having one heck of a business” 

“You mean our shop?” James asked curiously

“Oh, it’s a shop…it doesn’t look like one” Lisa said “what do you sell?”

“We …we sell lots of” James replied nervously wondering if she is a secret police 

“I’m new here” Lisa said smilingly “I didn’t explore Bevin just yet…”

“Oh…ok, there is nothing really much here to explore but…” 

“Ah….if you don’t mind me asking wha-?" Lisa started

“What?” James interrupted nervously thinking she might know something about the Magnificent Cat.

“What is your name?” Lisa asked “I didn’t catch your name?”

“Oh, my name… its James”

“James, yeah James” Lisa said to herself, as if she never knew it from before.

“What's yours?”

“It’s Lisa” she replied quickly

“Lisa, well it’s nice to meet you Lisa”

“Likewise” She replied “I will try to be more sociable around here” 

“Yeah you should” James said while looking away as he sipped his drink

“I am actually trying to be famous around here” Lisa said with a smile. 

“I see, and how is that?”

Lisa smiled to herself and said “well, my boss is giving me a chance to sing here from time to time”

“That’s really good” James said without actually paying any attention to what she’s saying. 

“Thank you” Lisa replied happily “and my boss also said that if I sang well here, there is a chance for me in the Fantastica stage!” 

“I am very happy for you” James said while looking at his phone

“Thank you” 

“So when exactly are you going to start singing around here” James said as he looks at her again.

“Oh yeah I almost forgot, I am starting on Sunday would you mind coming to see me”

“No I won’t mind at all, don’t worry I will be here” James said nicely

“Thank you James, I would love for you to come see me, because I think that you are really nice guy and I-”

Before she can finish her sentence, James’s personal phone rang hardly. He woke up from the seat and picked it up.

“Yes?”

“Its Picklock, I need to talk to you”

“Ok” 

James closed the bottom of the phone with his hand and said “I got to take this call…… so see you on… Sunday…?”

“Oh it’s ok, yeah Sunday we will meet again” Lisa said as she cleans the counter

James nodded as he walked to the main door

“It’s nice meeting you” Lisa said it quickly, but knowingly that he did not hear her.

 

“Armand wants to see you for something” Picklock continued on the phone

“What is it?” James asked

“It’s about a delivery…to Mr. Stubbs I guess” Mr. Picklock answered “and that’s all I can tell you now, you have to come over to the house now”

“Ok Mr. Picklock I will be there”

James closed the phone and placed it at the back of his pocket. He was heading home, when suddenly he saw the vision of Patricia Greenwood. At first he wasn’t sure if it was her. But he looked again and somehow made sure that it was her.

James walked nearer and nearer to the figure until he heard

“Hi how are you today”

“Hi Patricia, what are you doing here?!” James asked surprisingly 

“Nothing” Patricia replied “I was just checking how this town looks like, because it’s kind of weird”

“What’s weird?” James asked

“This town…….Bevin…. it’s that its name?” Patricia said as she looked around

“Yes” 

“What I am trying to say is that there are no any activities going on” 

“Yeah I can see that” James replied

“My dad seems to be more excited to come here than I am” Patricia said calmly

James turned and looked at her straight “and why is that?”

“What do you mean” Patricia replied

“Does your father tell you anything about what is he doing here, or what his job really is, perhaps any clue”

“No” Patricia replied in strange tone “he did not and if you don’t mind James…. Could you change the topic, I really don’t want to talk about my father’s job; it’s really upsetting to know if he is doing something bad.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about Ray, I think he is doing fine” James said sarcastically 

“Alright, would you mind switching the subject?” Patricia interrupted

“Sure” James said with a smile, wishing that Patricia is somehow different from her father.

 

Chapter 6 - The Garden

Armand sat on a table next to Ray both of them drinking one of the best coffees found in the entire country.

“Is the package already been delivered to Mr. Stubbs?” Ray asked Armand

“I told Mr. Picklock to send for James but I did not get a reply yet maybe I should check out what is going on”

“I think you should Armand, you should be strict around here” Ray said in a laughing tone.

The second iron door opened and Wade walked in, he was not happy when he saw Ray sitting at his seat drinking the same coffee that he used to drink. But whenever Wade is annoyed he never lets it out. He always keeps it inside him.

“Good afternoon Mr. Greenwood, how are you doing today?”

“I am doing great, Wade, how about you? You look terrible, would you like some coffee?”

“No I am fine but thanks anyway” Wade replied

“Have you seen Mr. Picklock?” Armand asked Wade

“No I haven’t”

“Ok, have you seen James?”

“No I haven’t seen him either is anything wrong sir?”

“No, but can you get Mr. Picklock in here now” Armand said 

“Sure” Wade answered as he leaves the secretive room.

“So, Armand…since I am your right- hand man, what is Wade's position?”

“Don’t I deserve 2 right hand men?!” Armand said jokingly “ no, I mean he will always be very important in this business, I mean can you believe that before you were here, he was the one who was helping me out by finding the right customers, he is very loyal too and someone that I can truly depend on”

“I see” Ray said lowly to himself

“I mean I know how important you are to this business, Ray” Armand continued “I mean without you, the Magnificent Cat could be gone, or I could be sent away to jail”

“It’s ok” Ray replied “Just have faith in me, and everything is going to be alright”

 

The door finally opened and Mr. Picklock came in

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yes Picklock, where is James? Didn’t I ask you to send him for me?”

“I did, Mr. Walker” Picklock replied “he said that he was coming right over”

“Well then where on earth is he?” Armand shouted

“I have no idea Mr. Walker”

“Ok what about Bacilli, where is he?” 

“You know that he is not here either Mr. Walker” Picklock said seriously

“Yeah, yeah” Armand replied “well you get me anybody else right now, maybe Nick or Joe, and tell them its argent!”

“Right away sir” Mr. Picklock said while leaving the room quickly.

“Mr. Stubbs must be really mad about this appointment” Armand said angrily

“Don’t worry about Mr. Stubbs, he would never back down for this deal” Ray said 

“I hope so”

“Why didn’t you send Wade to give him the package?” Ray asked

“It’s too risky” Armand replied “it’s better to send someone who is unknown around here; you should know that, Ray”

“I will keep that in mind” Ray said curiously 

 

 

James and Patricia walked towards the garden of Bevin. This garden symbolizes the beauty of Bevin, the way the tress grow bushy and the flowers blossom. It’s the place where all the couples in Bevin spend their times.

“This place is beautiful” Patricia said pleasantly "even though its night, I am sure it looks much better in the morning"

“This is perhaps the best place in Bevin” James replied

“I can see that”

“Yeah, would you like to sit over there” James asked 

“Sure I would like to sit over there with you”

They both walked to a seat which is always considered as the private seat in the garden, it is hidden between two big trees. The seats were covered with leafless stems of climbing roses, which were so thick that they knotted together. It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine.

Patricia sat on the left side of the seat where she could see the pretty roses in front of her. James sat on the right side, right next to her. 

“I couldn’t even remember the last time I was in a relationship, and sitting at a place so cozy like this” Patricia said while looking at the roses.

“What was your life like?”

“Nothing interesting” Patricia replied lowly “My dad never had a stable job, He was so anxious to come here to Bevin, I’m guessing this is the right job for him”

James winced and looked the other way, just so she won’t notice his annoyance to that.

“How long have you been in Bevin?” Patricia asked

“All my life” James replied “I was born and raised here, in that particular building” 

“So it’s your house and your workplace?”  Patricia said with a smile “how come-”

 “Why do you care Patricia” James asked in a strange way while looking straight at her

“Because I feel something whenever I see you James, I really like you”

“Me too” James interrupted “I feel something too”

“But it’s complicated James” Patricia continued “we can’t have a relationship, my father won’t approve-”

“No, Patricia don’t say that” James shouted “it’s enough that Ray is controlling the business more than he’s suppose to, but he can’t control us too, I won’t let this happen!”

“Is he controlling the business very severely?” Patricia asked

“Yeah, yeah” James said it calmly this time “but I know you wouldn’t want to talk about it so let’s just leave it that way” 

“I have to go now” Patricia said as she stood up from her seat

“Why…?  Are you mad or som-?”

“No, No, don’t take this personally James, but I have to go now"

Patricia grabbed her purse and took off without turning back. James looked at her as she leaves the place. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 3 am; he finally remembered Mr. Picklock’s call, and that he had something to do.

“Shit!” James said loudly to himself.  

 

   

Picklock sat in front of the veranda when Wade called him.

“Mr. Picklock!” Wade shouted “are you there?”

“Yes Wade” Picklock replied “I am here is there something wrong?”

“Did James show up?” Wade said as he approached “Armand is waiting for him to deliver the package to Mr. Stubbs”.

“I am right here” James said as he comes from the other side of the street.

“Where were you?” Picklock shouted “we’ve been looking for you this entire time”

“It’s important” Wade added 

“What do you want Wade?” James said rudely as he rolled his eyes to Wade.

“Ok, ok” Picklock said to end the feud between them “there is a package you will have to deliver”

“Sure” James said rudely again “that’s all I do over here, deliver and clean up!”

“When are you ever going to appreciate your position and accept it” Wade said seriously 

“You better mind your own damn business or suck it before -” 

“Stop it right now!” Picklock shouted loudly “I am fed up, don’t you both have something very important to do right now!”

“Yes Mr. Picklock, I am sorry” Wade said politely as he goes.

James looked at him and turned away.

“Hello James” Joe greeted “where were you? We were -”

“yeah, yeah I know” James replied I am going to deliver the Mag-, I mean the package right away, damn will