Mary Downing Hahn - The Thirteenth Cat

Clarion Books

3 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10016

Copyright 2021 by Mary Downing Hahn

All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

Clarion Books is an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

hmhbooks.com

Cover art by Jeff Huang

Cover design by Catherine Kung

Cover photographs: house John Arehart/Shutterstock; main cat Linn Currie/Shutterstock; other cats Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock

The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-0-358-39408-2

eISBN 978-0-358-39409-9
v1.0821

This book is dedicated to:
My niece Anne who gave me Nixi
My Cat, Nixi, who inspired the story
My editor, Dinah, who helped me shape the story

L ast fall, my aunt Alice moved from a Boston suburb to Bexhill, a small town in Vermont. For the first time she had enough space for me to spend my summers with her instead of going to camp. Mom was delighted. She knew how much I hated camp, but even though I was almost thirteen, she didnt think I was old enough to spend my summers alone in Brooklyn while she worked. What could be better for meand saferthan a summer in a small town?

When we pulled into her driveway, I thought my aunts house was like something out of an old-fashioned kids picture book, almost too pretty to be true, with flowers, blooming vines, and shade trees. There was even a front porch with a wooden swing at one end. All that was missing was a cat curled up on a mat by the front door. I hadnt been allowed to bring my cat, Suki, but I hoped to convince my aunt she needed a cat. I couldnt imagine living without one.

While we unloaded my luggage, I took a quick look at the neighbors on either side. On the right was a house similar to my auntswhat people call a Victorian cottage, with dormers and fancy wood trim. Aunt Alices house was yellow with blue trim, and the one beside it was blue with yellow trim. Sweet, I thought.

What really caught my attention, though, were the woods on the other side of my aunts yard. The trees grew so close to a sagging wood fence that their branches hung over Aunt Alices house. Some even brushed the roof.

Aunt Alice took one of my suitcases. So, what do you think of my new home, Zoey?

Its wonderful! I hugged her. This is going to be the best summer ever!

She hugged me back. Ive looked forward to it all year.

I followed her up the sidewalk. Are those woods next door a park? Or a vacant lot?

Definitely not. Miss Dupree owns that land. No trespassers allowed.

I gazed at the woods longingly. How would she know if someone trespassed?

What do you mean?

I dont see a house, so she must not live there.

Oh, she lives there, all right. Ive never seen the house, but its hidden in there somewhere. Aunt Alice frowned. Shes very secretive and bad-tempered. She speaks to no one and no one speaks to her. Im warning you, Zoey, dont put one foot on her property.

I followed my aunt inside, my thoughts on the mysterious Miss Dupree. I pictured a mean old lady wearing a baggy dress and dirty sneakers. But what was she really like? Maybe she wasnt as bad as my aunt thought.

Even though Id been warned not to, I decided that exploring the woods was my first priority. Yes, Id lounge in that porch swing, Id read, Id write in my journal, Id enjoy a summer without camp counselors bossing me around, but all that could wait until Id seen Miss Dupree and her house for myself.

Aunt Alice showed me my bedroom and left me to unpack while she fixed dinner. I spun around in a circle, arms outspread, grinning like an idiot. All this space! The room was at least twice the size of my room in Brooklyn. The windows were large and let in plenty of light, at least from the frontno fire escapes, no brick walls, no neighbors windows, no rumble of traffic, no horns blowing, no sirens.

From the double windows, I saw my aunts yard and a shady street. A woman walked a dog, a boy rode by on a bike, two little girls played hopscotch on the sidewalk. Somewhere a lawn mower droned.

Nice, but not as interesting as the view from the other window. From the side, I looked straight into the woods. The trees were so close that leaves brushed against the screen. Miss Duprees property was deep and dark and endless, a forest in a fairy tale where nothing was what it seemed and danger lurked in the shadows. Witches, wicked fairies, enchantments good and badall the things I loved to read about.

What if I were a girl in such a forest, lost and afraid? Perhaps a witch lived there in a cottage. Perhaps shed invite me in and cast a spell on me and keep me prisoner. Perhaps Id be rescued. Perhaps I wouldnt be. Perhaps Id find my own way home.

Maybe Id write a story about that girl, but now I wanted to explore the woods in real life. I might come face-to-face with animals Id never seen outside of a zoodeer, raccoons, possums, foxes. Nothing big and dangerous, like a bear or a wolf. They probably lived in the mountains Id seen in the distance.

When Aunt Alice and I sat down for dinner, I asked her if shed ever met Miss Dupree.

Once, Aunt Alice said. It didnt go well.

Why? What happened?

Not long after I moved here, I saw her walk past my house. I tried to introduce myself. You know, like people do. She looked me in the eye and said, No need for introductions. I keep to myself. Thats why I have a fence. Thats why Ive posted No Trespassing signs. Ive never spoken to her again. Nor she to me.

I leaned across the table, eager to hear more about our strange neighbor. What does she look like?

Its hard to say, Zoey. Shes not really old but certainly not young. Not pretty but not ugly either. Aunt Alice sipped her iced tea. Shes average height, Id say, and thin. Her hairs gray and she wears it in a knot at the nape of her neck.

She paused a moment before adding, Theres definitely something strange about her, maybe because she lives alone and hardly ever leaves her house. Maybe its her catsshe has at least a dozen, all black, totally wild. The skinniest, ugliest cats Ive ever seen. They roam the neighborhood, killing birds and terrifying petsboth cats and dogs. Children too.

Now I pictured Miss Dupree as a fierce old lady with her hair screwed tightly into a bun, still wearing a saggy dress and sneakers, but meaner than the grouchy old women in Brooklyn.

Aunt Alice surprised me by saying, The few times Ive seen her, shes been well dressedbeautifully tailored clothing, long, flowing scarves, that sort of thing. Very expensive, Id say.

Where does she go dressed up like that?

I have no idea, but sometimes she comes home in an old taxi. The driver usually follows her in. He leaves with an armload of boxes. He must deliver them for her.

Whats in the boxes?

No idea. She laid down her fork. Its odd, now that I think about it, but Ive never seen that cab anywhere else in town. She helped herself to another piece of chicken and passed me the platter.

While I ate, I made a plan to follow Miss Dupree the first time I saw her. Id keep an eye out for the cab too.

Aunt Alice tapped my wrist to get my attention, the exact same thing Mom did. You seem very curious about Miss Dupree. Believe me, shes a very unpleasant woman. Please stay away from her and her woods. When she says no trespassing, she means no trespassing.

I busied myself with my chicken. Aunt Alice was right. I was actually more than curious about Miss Dupree. She was a book I couldnt wait to read.

After dinner, Aunt Alice and I played a game of Scrabble. During the other times Id visited, wed settled into our own special routines. Scrabble after dinner. Pizza on Fridays. Eating out on Saturdays.