The windows on either end let filtered light into the dim interior. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. When they did, I stared in wonder.

“Cats?” I raised my brows at Elspeth.

The building must have been about sixteen by twenty feet. The entire perimeter was stacked with wooden platforms loaded with straw. Bales of hay were strewn about. An occasional wooden kindling box lay on the floor. A row of stainless steel bowls holding cat food and water lined the far end.

Cats lounged around the perimeter. Several of them ran off as I entered. Others remained lounging, peering at me warily, coiled to spring up and run if I came too close. A few ignored me altogether. I recognized a couple of them from the day behind the library.

“These are feral cats,” Elspeth said. “As you can see, we have quite a few that we try to keep warm and fed.”

I crouched down, trying to coax one over.

“Most of them won’t go near humans.” Emma crouched down beside me, apparently warming to me now that she knew I had Elspeth’s stamp of approval. She stuck out her hand and clucked.

A ball of black and white fur darted out from behind a bale of hay. It was the small black and white kitten with the tattered ear. She came over to Emma and licked her hand, then eyed me tentatively. I held my hand still and she ventured over, letting me pet her behind the ear.

“The friendly ones like her,” Emma nodded toward the kitten as she scampered back behind the hay bale, “we try to adopt out to a good home. The others are too wild to adopt, so we provide shelter and food for them here.”

Now I knew where Elspeth had acquired her growing collection of cats.

“Why in here?” I asked.

Elspeth and Emma looked at each other. Elspeth’s face grew sad.

“Unfortunately, there are some who would harm our cause,” Emma said.

“Really? Why?” Being an animal lover myself, I couldn’t imagine who would oppose feeding starving animals.

“Some people in this town think the feral cats are dirty and will drive away the tourists that come to spend money,” Emma said.

“So we hide back here.” Elspeth looked around the room. “We’ve had to move the operation to different buildings three times in the past few years.”

“And there’s been some from the ‘opposition’ that come sneaking around the church trying to find the location. That’s why I might have seemed a bit unfriendly to you in the church the other day.” Emma looked at her feet.

“That’s understandable,” I said. I remembered the jingly object she’d been hiding behind her back. It had been a cat toy! That day, Emma had also said Lavinia donated to our causes. “Did Lavinia know about the cats?”

Emma glanced at Elspeth who nodded.