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He gave me a suspicious look, figuring I was probably being sarcastic. But I wasnÆt. It was all very flimsy. A wife giving her husband an alibi. A boyfriend giving his girlfriend an alibi. Or a mother and daughter. How could you be sure they were telling the truth? You simply couldnÆt! The only one who had a solid alibi was Ebony Pilay. ThoseVogue people werenÆt going to lie for her sake, now were they? Though of course they might. She was, after all, a highly successful and important model, and they were all good friends.

And friends have been known to lie to protect people, havenÆt they?

ôI think itÆs the duck people,ö said Dooley as we all got into the car. ôOne of them must have snapped. It happens all the time. TheyÆre all peaceful and loving and hugging ducks and then all of a sudden something fizzles in their brain and they go completely cuckoo.ö

ôItÆs possible,ö I allowed. Though somehow it all seemed tooà convenient for my taste. Too easy. As if the killer was desperately trying to point to LitaÆs outfit. I mean, who in their right mind would murder a person in such a way that made it obvious that you were to blame? The duck people might be a little nutty, but surely they werenÆt idiots?

Of course chasing two cats through the streets wasnÆt exactly the hallmark of a sound mindà

Chapter 26

Elvis Diamond happened to live in the same apartment complex as Ebony Pilay, so we already knew the way when we arrived there. The man had secured himself a loft at the top of the building, which comprised the entire floor. He even had a private elevator so he wouldnÆt have to breathe the same air as those less fortunate than himself.

Mr. Diamond was a man in his mid-forties, with an excellent taste in clothes. He had a stylish beard thing going, and wore dark glasses even though we were inside. Maybe he had a problem with his eyes, or else he just thought he looked cool. Like a rock star.

ôSo what can I do for you?ö he said, smiling beneficently as if granting us a favor.

ôYouÆre the major shareholder of the Karat Group?ö asked Chase.

ôThatÆs right. After the family, of course. They still own the majority of stock.ö

ôSo with the price of the stock dropping, you must have lost a great deal of money?ö

He shrugged.ôYour experienced investor learns to take these vicissitudes in stride.ö

ôA fifty percent drop in price is a big chunk of change. You must have been furious.ö

ôI can assure you that I wasnÆt. And IÆm sure that the stock price will rise again. The fundamentals of the Karat Group are sound. Nothing has changed on that front.ö He made a slight gesture. ôItÆs an emotional response to an unfortunate lapse of judgment on CottonÆs part. But nothing that wonÆt rectify itself in the long run. And make no mistake: IÆm in this for the long haul. IÆm not a day trader, in and out looking to make a quick buck. I invest in the Karat Group because I believe in the long-term prospects of the group.ö

ôStill, it must have been a bad day for you when Cotton managed to singlehandedly sink the stock and cause you to lose millions.ö

The man gave us a placid smile.ôIs there a point to this, detective?ö

ôIÆm curious to know where you were on the night that Eric Blandine was killed. LetÆs say between ten and midnight?ö

ôI was here.ö

ôAlone?ö

ôYes.ö

ôSo no one can vouch for you?ö

ôIÆm afraid not.ö

And while Chase and Mr. Diamond squared off, Dooley and I decided to wander off and look for a bite to eat. WeÆd discovered that Elvis Diamond owned a pet, and if my nose wasnÆt deceiving me, that pet was a cat, and since the investor seemed like a very rich man, we were both anxious to see what kind of kibble all of that money would buy.

We ambled into the kitchen, just to have a quick look-see, you see, when we came upon a smallish gray cat, who looked a lot like Dooley.

ôHey there,ö I said when we laid eyes on her. ôMind if we take a look around?ö

The cat, who seemed a little shy, gave us a keen look from beneath long lashes.ôIÆm sorry, but who are you?ö

ôMy name is Max and this is Dooley,ö I said, making the necessary introductions. But if IÆd expected to be invited to partake in her meals, I was very much mistaken.

ôThis is private property,ö she said. ôMy private property. So IÆm going to have to ask you to leave.ö

ôWe were invited here,ö I said, taken aback by this sudden vehemence. ôOur humans are detectives, you see, and theyÆre here to talk to your human.ö Or at least I assumed Elvis Diamond was her human. ôSo technically weÆre valued guests here.ö

ôWhatÆs your name?ö asked Dooley.

The cat continued to look a little shy, though her words belied that stance.ôPriscilla,ö she said. ôThough Elvis calls me Pris.ö She eyed Dooley with unveiled curiosity. ôYou look familiar somehow. Have we met before?ö

ôI donÆt think so,ö said Dooley. ôIÆm sure IÆd remember.ö