Moon Diamond The Cat Detective

By A. J. Gallant

Zacharia, a vampire, loved his cat so much that he extended his life by using a part of his soul. However, when Zacharia was killed, his soul was sucked into the cat. It is not fun to be forever trapped inside the body of a feline. Everything looks humungus! 

 

Moon Diamond … Talking kittens? A cat that becomes a detective? A mysterious Japanese temple. Love, hate, and just the right amount of twists and turns in Moon Diamond, the Cat Detective. A great and funny adventure.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars great read, I will be checking out the other ...

Reviewed in the United States 

Great read, I will be checking out the other books by this author, I am a cat lover and this covers all the bases.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A. J. Gallant
• Release date: Feb 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215537923

A. J. Gallant

I write fantasy and sci-fi and some variations. It seems my imagination needs magical inspiration. More of my books will appear in the future on this site. Recently took in a starving cat that we thought was a male, but she's had four kittens.

Book preview

MOON DIAMOND

(THE CAT DETECTIVE)

By

A. J. Gallant

An ancient friend of Dracula's, Zacharia had an old Siamese cat named Moon Diamond that had lived beyond its lifespan but remained alive with an enchantment that used a piece of his soul. But when Zacharia was killed, something extraordinary happened, his soul went inside the cat, and his spirit now shares control of the feline.

This is the story of good Dracula and his Siamese cat Moon Diamond. Most of these characters originate in Dracula: Hearts of Stone. But this story is separate and unique.

No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens.

Abraham Lincoln

"O f all God's creatures , there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat."

Mark Twain

The smallest feline is a masterpiece.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Enter the Forbidden City, and Experience the Magic!

Moon Diamond

The Cat Detective

©Copyright 2019/2023 A. J. Gallant All rights reserved

No part of this novel may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Purchase only authorized editions. This work is entirely fictional. Characters, names, incidents, and places are the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental.

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER  TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

CHAPTER FIFTY

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

CHAPTER SIXTY

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

CHAPTER SEVENTY

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

EPILOG

OTHER NOVELS BY A. J. Gallant

CHAPTER ONE 

MOON DIAMOND was taking a bloody fit. The gorgeous Siamese cat was screeching so viciously that he was making enough noise for three cats, jumping twenty feet into the air, kicking and screaming like no other cat in the history of cats, making people run from the deranged feline.  Landing like a well-trained gymnast Moon Diamond hissed and then bit its own tail, taking a proper outburst and turning it into an art form. Fur was flying as the cat seemingly fought with itself, moving so fast that it was a blur; tufts of fur floated away on the wind.

Dracula was enjoying it immensely.

Moon Diamond arched, howled, and growled. The cat's mind was facing off against Zacharia, an intruder that the feline could not evict. The Siamese had loved Zacharia as his master, but not at the moment.

Dracula's laugh boomed from a nearby park bench; the Siamese was great entertainment. He felt sorry for Zacharia, but there was nothing he could do. Zacharia, an ancient vampire that had become overly fond of his Siamese cat Moon Diamond, and so he had cast a spell to keep the cat alive, using a small piece of his soul to extend its life. Many people didn't think that vampires had souls and didn't believe they had heartbeats either because their hearts only beat about once a month.  When Zacharia was killed, the unthinkable happened. His soul was sucked inside the feline, with no body to return to and no hope of ever being human again. It was a fate worse than just about anything that anyone could imagine. Dracula again laughed at his old friend. Ancient as the Master was, Dracula had never heard of such a thing, the vampire's soul trapped inside a cat. The situation was confusing to both the cat and the vampire and depressing.

Voices suddenly originated from the far left, moving to the right. An NYPD officer spoke. Detective Palmer will be back shortly. 

The Master observed several New York City police officers making their way through the area. There weren't many in the city that didn't recognize Dracula's impressive figure, so they weren't about to bother him. Even though the corpses were almost a mile away, he could smell them, not an unpleasant scent but an unfortunate turn for the young couple, the second death in the park in the last three months.

Dracula was tall, dark, and debonair in his black Armani suit and black tie; he looked to be in his early fifties but was as powerful as hell, as solid as they come. No man and not many vampires would dare to stand up to him unless they wanted to die. Problems, Zacharia?

Zacharia had control of Moon Diamond's soul most of the time, but occasionally that power was challenged. The Siamese wanted to mate with a beautiful American Bobtail named Trixie; she was in heat, and her scent drove the Siamese crazy. Trixie was brownish with black markings, stripes on her legs, and a short tail, and even Dracula thought the Bobtail was quite fetching. She was well-groomed, had a bright red collar with fake rubies, and was someone's beloved pet. 

Dracula was able to read Zacharia's mind.  You know what the problem is, said Zacharia. It's unacceptable to mate with a cat. I'm in here too, you know. This situation is unfair to both of us. Strange, but I miss my cat even though I'm stuck here.

Dracula continued to stare at Zacharia to see what he would do next. Yes, it's certainly not beyond the cat's dignity; a randy fellow isn't he.  

Since Trixie wasn't going away and Moon Diamond wasn't about to give up, Zacharia finally acquiesced to the mating, looking away as best as he could. Dracula's booming laugh added to the insult as he observed the cats coupling, knowing how embarrassing it must be for Zacharia, but it was funny. Nonetheless, he hadn't laughed so much in quite a while. After more than fifteen minutes, the Bobtail ran off, and Moon Diamond joined Dracula on the bench.

What was that like? said Dracula.

I think that you are enjoying this a little too much. In any case, I don't want to talk about it. If I ever had any dignity, it's all gone now. Zacharia was sure he would never get used to being a prisoner inside Moon Diamond. Time healed many things but not this. He continued to replay the moment when he lost his life, and his soul departed his body and entered the feline, a nightmare if there ever was one. And utterly confusing at first, everything looked gigantic from the cat's point of view; drugged is what first came to mind. He would have preferred death to his current situation. At least, when he dreamt, he was his old self in vampire form, wielding his sword, killing lots of bad guys in his dreams, and was always disappointed to awake within the body of the Siamese. The fact that the vampire would never again hold a sword was almost more than he could bear, as if an artist could not ever hold his brush. It was depressing. And seeing a sword tugged at him, something terrible.  

Stop laughing.

Dracula nodded. 

Looking up at Dracula from his point of view through the cat's eyes was like looking up at a giant. You try being inside a cat and see how funny you think it is. I would love to be in your situation!

I’m not going to comment on that turn of phrase. Dracula could see Piers Anthony approaching in the distance; the author had again managed to track him down. He liked talking to Piers, although he might never admit it. Sometimes distraction was just the thing to get him through another day, especially when his loved ones weren’t around.

Piers sat in-between Dracula and the cat, petting the beautiful creature and watching as it stuck its ass in the air. Another death in the park. Do we have a serial killer on our hands?

The Master shrugged. Perhaps. He turned slowly towards the author and stared directly into his eyes, deliberately making the author turn away; no one could withstand Dracula’s stare. So, what brings you here?

Piers, dressed in a casual suit coat with nicely pressed brown pants, knew it was best not to aggravate the Master, but he made life much more enjoyable. Have you yet decided on the novel? Think of it The History of Dracula by Dracula and Piers Anthony. Has a nice flow to it, don’t you think?  

Dracula looked forward. A fast-flowing river has a nice flow until you’re drowning. You asked me last month, and what was my response?

Piers nodded knowingly. That you would think about it. Surely a month has plenty of hours in it in which to think.

The king of the vampires grunted. Piers, I said I would let you know, and my opinion hasn’t changed. I will come to you should I decide to undertake such an endeavor. I will come to you should I decide one way or the other. Now that should be clear enough for you. Why are you so excited to tell the world my history is beyond me?

My agent loves the idea. And my publisher is drooling.

Piers, do you know that cats are not tame. They remain feral deep down and are quite capable of fending for themselves. Leave a full-grown cat in the forest, and it will have no problem surviving on rodents and birds and bugs, for that matter. They don’t need humans at all.

The author’s eyebrows tightened; that was quite the subject change.

Tell him I said hello.

Zacharia says hello. Dracula looked at Moon Diamond, smiled, and nodded.

And tell him to stop making me stick my arse in the air.

He also says to stop making him stick his arse in the air.

Piers took his hand off the cat. How’s Jenny and the wife?

Jenny and her mother are traveling in England, said Dracula. Exploring castles, I imagine. Or is it Egypt? They’re going from one country to another, so I’m not exactly sure where they are now.

There was silence for a time, appreciated by all. A crow cawed from a nearby tree branch, and Moon Diamond wanted to grab it but was dissuaded by Zacharia. More officers made their way toward the bodies, pretending not to notice Dracula. His presence frightened a lot of people, including them. It was not comforting to know that they would be unable to stop him should he decide to attack, though he never would.

Piers cut through the silence like a chainsaw in the forest kicking to life. I want to tell the world the official story of Dracula, to dispel all of the innuendo and fabrications surrounding you. Everyone would have a better appreciation of Dracula.

The Master shook his head slightly. So you want to hang my dirty laundry in public for all to see.

He wasn’t sure how to counter that, knowing there was some truth to it. The novelist was about to pet the cat again but then stopped; the Siamese had commenced growling as a dog appeared, heading aggressively toward Moon Diamond, and it apparently meant business. The Boxer showed its bravado as it closed on the feline, had a section of rope trailing behind it, apparently having chewed its way to freedom. The canine expected the cat to flee, and the chase would be on. The dog was fixed on the cat as Moon Diamond would aim his crosshairs at a rat. Both Dracula and Piers watched the soon-to-be confrontation, knowing what would happen.

Here we go, said Dracula. Ding, ding, ding.

The animal viciously attacked and tried to bite Moon Diamond and immediately found the Siamese on its back, digging its nails into the Boxer. The cat with the soul of an ancient biter was not something to be trifled with. Having the strength and speed of a vampire, it bit into the dog, digging out chunks of skin with its hind legs as if it were in a litter box. The Boxer was going to regret getting into this ring. The dog ran for its life, squealing and spinning around as fast as possible, desperate to remove the cat. Zacharia felt like he was riding a horse. His nails deep into the Boxer’s back were as secure as any saddle.  After about a hundred yards, Moon Diamond abandoned the attack and returned to the bench, shaking the dog’s fur out of its mouth.

The dog ran off with its tail tucked between its legs and would now be forever fearful of all cats. Dracula thought that it served him right. The dog had instant ailurophobia and would never get beyond it, and on his way home, he was almost run over by a car when a cat looked at him, and he ran for his life.

That was exciting, said Piers. 

Not so much for the dog, Dracula answered. Now, where were we? Oh yes, the book. I don’t want to commit to such an endeavor. The ancient vampire seemed distracted. How goes the new Xanth novel? I’m anxious to read it.

It’s coming along, but I am unfocused by the possibility of writing your story. It tears at me like Moon Diamond on a dog.

Two gurneys rolled by with body bags containing the bodies of the slain couple as a photographer took a photo for the New York Times; Piers shook his head at the loss of such young lives. Two officers that had stopped to talk gestured toward Dracula but didn’t dare approach, also recognizing the author; the gay officer smiled at Dracula, who was not unaware of the vibe but ignored him.

Moon Diamond meowed to get the Master’s attention. I’m going to walk through the park tonight, and if I catch the killer, I will tear him a new one.

The Master nodded. Zacharia says he is going to patrol the park tonight.

Piers nodded. I pity the killer if he catches him. I don’t pity him; it would be what he deserves. I’m on a flight back to Florida tonight.

Good, I shan’t be pestered for a while.

Piers smiled. Too bad you didn’t give me your cell number. Oh, wait, you did.

Dracula grunted. Piers, transforming you into a vampire may have been an error in judgment.

The author smiled. Yes, you’ve said that before. I feel great. No more aches and pains. Although getting a bullseye every single time with my bow has become a bit tedious. I was tempted to stick one into a low-flying plane but came to my senses.

Sometimes, there’s a pull to test one’s strength or abilities. The life of a vampire is not all blood and gore, is it?

Piers shook his head. Thank goodness for that. It would have been nice to have that fight on video with Moon Diamond, except it would have been a blur.

How’s that vegetarian thing coming along?

Piers slowly turned and looked at him. That is not the least bit funny. Then again, I guess it is. Like all other vampires, the author now needed a regular source of blood to consume.

Dracula cracked his neck. Why don’t you be a good little vampire and write some more books.

Piers shook his head slightly and scowled. Here’s an idea. Why don’t we just write a single chapter of your life, and then you can decide if you want to continue. You can get a sense of where I’m going with it.

Let’s not and say we did. Dracula could hear a dog squealing in the far distance and assumed the boxer had met up with another cat.  

CHAPTER  TWO

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF NEW YORK CITY, a black Cadillac Escalade turned off a dirt road and commenced to drive uphill in a field of purple wildflowers. It slowly made its way up the trail on private land, following other vehicles' ruts dug into the ground. The Escalade was climbing at a thirty-degree angle as a raven flew across its path and out of sight. The driver frowned at the bird. The vehicle reached the top, and a yellow Japanese-style building appeared, resembling a temple but had no visible doors for entry. With s serious expression, he drove through the Buddhist-style main gate; the gate symbolized a transition from the profane to the sacred, but there was nothing sacred about this place.

They parked amongst a half-dozen other black Escalades; Akio Ito got out of the vehicle and bowed toward the temple. He was stern-looking with dark hair, moderately attractive for a sixty-year-old, and a scar from a sword on the left side of his chin. Akio made his way up the steps to the wall in the center of the building, where sixteen panels with partially painted scenes awaited his attention, none of which was in their proper positions. Near the bottom right panel, he slid a section of the wall to the right, making space available for him to shift the puzzle pieces around to form the complete picture. It would be a rendering of samurai warriors in a fierce battle with a black dragon, with the full moon and several stars hanging in the sky when finished. Getting the stars in their proper positions was the trickiest part. A timed puzzle, after several minutes, would lock and could only be attempted again twenty-four hours later. Warriors weren’t permitted to let anyone in on the inside, and when someone became so old or feeble-minded that they couldn’t accomplish the puzzle, they were no longer allowed inside. However, there were exceptions to most rules and this one as well.

In just over two minutes, he slid all the pieces into their proper positions, and the