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And then our friend let rip the most terrifying growl IÆve ever heard in my entire life!

It sounded like a mixture of a wolf and a lion, and had a profound effect on Maisie.

She whirled around and hollered,ôFabrizio! ThereÆs another one over there!ö

ôItÆs a cat infestation!ö Fabrizio cried, grabbing his hair in clear distress.

To the left of him, suddenly Harriet materialized, and she let out a caterwaul louder even than BrutusÆs war cry! Between the two of them, they produced the kind of noise that could inspire Stephen King to write a dozen novels and adapt them into movies, too.

With Maisie and Fabrizio on their toes, Dooley and I managed to reach the window, and as we watched, Harriet and Brutus beat a strategic retreat, the humans in the room too stunned now to mount an effective defense against this attack of the feline brigade.

Moments later we had all hopped it to the soft grassy lawn below, and ran as fast as our paws could carry us. We only stopped to catch our breath three backyards down the road, and I couldnÆt help but give both Harriet and Brutus a look of intense gratitude.

ôYou saved our lives,ö I said, panting heavily. ôWithout you guys we would have been caught!ö

ôYeah, they had us cornered,ö said Dooley.

ôWhy didnÆt you wait for us?ö Harriet asked, slightly peeved.

ôWhat do you mean?ö I said. ôI thought you didnÆt want to come.ö

ôOf course we wanted to come. But first I wanted a bite to eat,ö said Brutus.

ôAnd I needed to tinkle,ö said Harriet. ôNever leave home without a tinkle.ö

I slapped my brow.ôI thought you were afraid to head out so soon after that suicide mission with the duck people.ö

Harriet gave me a smile.ôMax, havenÆt you learned anything? Brutus and I will always have your back, no matter what.ö

ôYeah, we like to bitch and moan, but at the end of the day weÆre there for you,ö Brutus chimed in.

I have to say their words brought tears to my eyes. Though it could have been the close escape weÆd just had that made me uncharacteristically emotional all of a sudden.

ôDust in my eye,ö I murmured.

ôOh, Maxie baby,ö said Brutus, and actually gave me a hug!

ôSo what have we learned?ö asked Harriet.

ôThat Maisie and Fabrizio are having an affair,ö I said.

ôUnited in their grief, they must have found each other,ö said Dooley.

Somehow I had my doubts about that. But it did confirm a suspicion I had.

Which meant we hadnÆt risked life and limb for nothing. At least I hoped we hadnÆt!

Chapter 33

Chase wasted no time. The sun wasnÆt even up yet when an impressive contingent of police officers surrounded the house where Maisie Blandine lived. FabrizioÆs car was still parked in the driveway, so the bird hadnÆt yet flown the nest.

When the door opened and Maisie appeared, looking a little bleary-eyed and with a nightgown wrapped around herself, she blinked and said,ôWhatÆs going on?ö

Chase held up a piece of paper and said,ôThis is a warrant to search the premises, Mrs. Blandine. Are you alone in the house?ö

ôUmàö

Behind her, Fabrizio now also appeared, looking equally knackered. You canÆt spend half the night doing the horizontal mambo and the rest chasing a small contingent of feline intruders and not expect to feel the strain.

ôWhatÆs all this?ö asked Fabrizio.

ôHave you moved in with your sister-in-law, sir?ö asked Chase.

ôOf course not. What kind of a question is that?ö Fabrizio blustered.

ôFabrizio and I stayed up late, planning my husbandÆs funeral,ö said Maisie, having recovered from the surprise of finding Chase on her doorstep. ôAnd since it was late by the time we finished, he decided to stay over.ö

ôAnd before you jump to any conclusions, I slept in the spare bedroom,ö said Fabrizio.

ôOf course you did,ö said Chase, and stepped past the unlikely couple. About a dozen more cops followed in his footsteps, and while two officers kept a close eye on Maisie and Fabrizio, the rest all fanned out and started searching the house top to bottom.

ôNow this is what I had in mind,ö I told Dooley, ôbut before you can search a place, you need to have a good reason. Or in police parlance, probable cause.ö

ôAnd does Chase have a good reason now?ö asked my friend.

ôLetÆs wait and see,ö I said, and stretched out on the front lawn next to the boxwood while the search was in progress. There wasnÆt anything we could do, after all, and another close encounter with Maisie and Fabrizio was the last thing either of us wanted.

Odelia had also driven up, and now joined the search. SheÆd brought Harriet and Brutus, and the four of us settled in for a long wait.

As the sun pulled on its big-girl pants and painted the world in a roseate hue, neighbors up and down the street came out of their houses to take in all the police activity, and before long, spectators had gathered in front of the house, talking amongst themselves and speculating freely about what was going on here.

In other words: free entertainment for young and old.

Suddenly a voice upstairs called out,ôChief! Over here!ö