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Uncle Alec visibly relaxed, and so did the others. The prospect of having to eat the inedible and pretend to like it is probably beyond any human, or every living creature, for that matter. I had to confess that when Gran dumped a piece of tofu into my bowl, I gave it one sniff and gave up.

ôItÆs just fermented soybeans, Max,ö said Harriet. ôItÆs not poison or something.ö

ôI donÆt like soybeans,ö I told her. ôFermented or otherwise.ö

ôSo I hear Chase arrested Lita?ö said Brutus. He sounded happy about it.

ôYeah, someone sent Odelia a video of ducks being manhandled, and the same video was sent to Lita a couple of days ago, so now Chase is convinced it set her off on a murder spree.ö

ôYou donÆt look convinced?ö

ôThatÆs because IÆm not.ö

ôI wonder who sent that video to Odelia,ö said Dooley.

ôIt was sent from an anonymous number. Untraceable.ö

ôMaybe the same person who lured Eric Blandine to his death?ö

I gave my friend a nod.ôThatÆs exactly what I thought.ö

ôSo someone is framing Lita?ö Harriet asked.

ôYes, it certainly looks that way.ö

ôPity,ö said Brutus. ôThat woman is a menace.ö

ôShe is a danger to any cat that roams these streets,ö Harriet agreed.

ôBut that doesnÆt make her a murderer, does it?ö I said.

Finally Marge and Gran came out of the house with steaming plates of food, and this time the experiment proved a success, for the human contingent all tucked in eagerly.

Lucky for us, we didnÆt get to partake in the bucolic feast. Instead, Odelia slipped us some delicious chicken. It might not be kosher, but what can you do? It tastes so good.

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Later that evening, I decided to wander into town. I had to think, and a nice walk would do me good. Also, Kingman frequently has the best food in town. His human runs the General Store, and keeps KingmanÆs bowl filled to capacity at all times. He gets his stuff from his suppliersùsometimes excellent, sometimes not so much. Like the lottery, you simply have to throw the dice and hope youÆre in luck.

We were in luck that night, and the kibble that Kingman gladly shared was wonderful.

ôWhere have you guys been all day?ö asked our friend. ôWilbur is complaining that I donÆt eat enough.ö He patted his impressive belly. ôBut if I eat any more IÆll simply burst!ö

ôDo you have big bones, too, Kingman?ö asked Dooley.

Kingman grinned.ôAbsolutely. Big bones, thatÆs me.ö

I saw that Wilbur was chatting with a woman. The shop was supposed to be closed, but Wilbur likes to keep it open longer sometimes for special customers.

ôDoes Wilbur have a new girlfriend?ö I asked, eyeing the woman with interest.

ôNah. TheyÆre just friends. Though Wilbur wouldnÆt mind getting to know her a little better, if you ask me.ö

ôDo you think Wilbur will ever get married and settle down, Kingman?ö asked Dooley.

ôWhat are you talking about? The guy is old. Too old to have kids. And besides, why marry? WeÆve got a pretty great thing going here, me and Wilbur. WeÆre like those guys in that movie. WhatÆs it calledùTheOdd Couple.ö

I had to smile at that.ôSo whoÆs Walter Matthau and whoÆs Jack Lemmon?ö

ôWilburÆs Jack, of course. Neurotic neat freak. And IÆm a happy-go-lucky kind of cat, so I must be Walter.ö

ôYeah, I can see that,ö I said. The woman had left, and Wilbur grabbed a chair and came out to sit with us.

ôNice evening, fellas,ö he said. ôFeels like a night for love.ö

ôSo donÆt you think Wilbur will ever get married?ö asked Dooley.

ôI doubt it, Dooley,ö said Kingman. ôAfter all these years, the man is set in his ways, you know. Having a woman enter the picture is going to be hard for him. Someone telling him what to do, what to eat, where to sit, how to set the table and what to watch on television. ItÆs going to be impossible. Wilbur is more like a cat than a dog: hard to train.ö

ôSo no wedding bells for Wilbur,ö I concluded.

Something Kingman said resonated with me, though at the moment I couldnÆt really put my finger on it. Not yet, at least. I decided to let it go for now. It would come to me.

ôI wish I could understand what you guys talk about,ö said Wilbur. ôLike Vesta, you know. Or Odelia or Marge. You think they could teach me?ö

We all stared at the man.ôYou know about the big secret?ö I asked. But of course Wilbur simply stared blankly back at me, then grinned.

ôSee? You just said something important, I can tell. And now youÆre expecting an answer from me. But IÆm sorry, little buddy. I canÆt help you there.ö

ôI think a lot of people know about your big secret, Max,ö said Kingman with a shrug. ôItÆs a small town, you know. People talk.ö

ôWell, I hope Wilbur keeps it to himself.ö

ôAnd even if he doesnÆtùwhoÆs going to believe him?ö

Kingman had a point, of course. Who would believe a story like that?

ôHey, pretty lady,ö said Wilbur, and when I looked up I saw he was talking to Gran.

ôCan you help me out, Wilbur?ö asked Gran. ôIÆm dying for a piece of sausage.ö

WilburÆs eyes went wide. ôAbsolutely. My place or yours?ö

ôNot that kind of sausage, you pervert,ö Gran grunted. ôA real one.ö