In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of How to Paint a Cat , there are choppy waters ahead... A serial killer with a peculiar penchant for City Hall interns is on the loose in San Francisco, and it’s up to me—and my two cats, Rupert and Isabella—to put a stop to the spree. Unfortunately, worrying about my uncle Oscar’s failing health and assisting with the interim mayor’s America’s Cup regatta doesn’t leave me with much opportunity to chase down clues. Could the key to apprehending the killer be found in San Francisco’s sailing history? The first European vessel to pass through the Golden Gate contained a familiar cast of human—and feline—passengers as well as an elusive killer who used a similar murder weapon. Will the past catch up to the present in time to crack the case? Praise for the Cats and Curios Mysteries: “A PURR-fect treat for feline and mystery fans alike!”—Fresh Fiction “Cat lovers will not be disappointed.”—Night Owl Reviews “[This series] will delight mystery readers and elicit a purr from those who obey cats.”—Carolyn Hart, New York Times bestselling author “Quirky characters, an enjoyable mystery with plenty of twists, and cats, too! A fun read.”—Linda O. Johnston, author of the Pet Rescue Mysteries REBECCA M. HALE lives in western Colorado with her feline writing associates—when she’s not off researching future books set in San Francisco, the Caribbean, or wherever else her wandering spirit takes her. On Board the San Carlos Off the California Coast August 1775 Introduction A SPANISH SUPPLY ship bobbed in the Pacific swells off the California coast. Dual masts of square-shaped sails billowed in the wind, powering the ship forward as its rigging creaked and groaned under the strain. The San Carlos had recently departed the Mexican port of San Blas on a mission to find the ocean entrance to a protected bay that a Spanish land exploration had stumbled upon a few years earlier. The reported dimensions of the enormous cove didn’t match any of the geographic formations depicted on available maps. The San Carlos was searching for an opening that had been missed by several experienced explorers—a passage to a fabled bay many still doubted existed. It was a journey into uncharted and frequently mischarted territory, undertaken at a time when the full breadth of the Pacific had yet to be appreciated. Most navigators thought East Asia lay almost adjacent to the North American continent and that only a narrow straight separated the two landmasses. The path ahead lay fraught with danger and uncertainty—for both the boat’s human and feline passengers—but the San Carlos was destined to change the course of history. The discovery of the Golden Gate entrance to the San Francisco Bay would forever alter the settlement and colonization of America’s West Coast. — FAR BELOW THE ship’s whipping sails, a pudgy white cat with orange-tipped ears and tail skidded across the wooden deck. Claws scrambling on the wet floorboards, Rupert chased after his prey, a green parrot with a bright red head and a yellow beak. The boat dipped behind a swell, causing it to rock into a steep tilt, but Rupert continued his pursuit, smashing into buckets and crates as he barreled down the length of the deck. He reached the bow and spun around, his fluffy tail swishing through the air. The bird pulled up into a holding pattern, and Rupert sensed he was about to be mocked with a flyby. Not this time , Rupert thought with determination. Tensing his muscles, he crouched for an epic leap. Sure enough, the bird dipped his wings and feinted toward the deck. Rupert launched into the air, his front feet wildly swatting, to no avail. The parrot swooped upward, easily evading the cat’s swiping paws. Rupert landed with a wheezing thump on the deck. Cackling with delight, the parrot soared into the sky, his red head bobbing in and out of the sails. He landed on the rim of the crow’s nest and looked down toward the deck, smirking in triumph at another successful ruse. Rupert regrouped for a second attempt. He hoisted himself onto the rigging of the ship’s forward sail and quickly climbed twenty feet up the main mast. Intrigued, the bird fluttered off his perch. He flew a tight circle around the pole, taunting his adversary. Wretched creature , Rupert thought as he wrapped one paw around the mast and clawed the air with the other. After a few more dizzying circles, the parrot landed just out of reach, on a webbed netting that stretched beneath the nearest sail. His frustration mounting, Rupert released the pole and wobbled onto the net. This was exactly the response the parrot had hoped to elicit. He gripped his toes into the webbing and swung beneath it. For a few short seconds, he eyed the cat’s pudgy belly through the holes in the knotted ropes. The target was too tempting to resist. With a loud squawk , he bumped his head up through the netting and into the pillow of white fur. Rupert jumped,