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“What happened?” asked Odelia, resigning herself to listening to a long harangue. But her father was concise in his description of her grandmother’s latest shenanigans.

“She walked out saying she was determined to become a cracker and that’s the last time I saw her,” he said with a shrug.

“She meant CCREC’er,” said Odelia. “The Cat Committee for the Re-Education of Canines. She wants to teach dogs to do their business in a litter box instead of on sidewalks, parks and people’s lawns.”

“Oh,” said Tex, taken aback by this. “Well, that’s not such a bad idea, actually.”

“The idea has merit, but she’s presenting it as a campaign sanctioned by Uncle Alec, and I don’t think people are going to like the way she’ll try to ram it down their throats.”

“Alec sanctioned a campaign to re-educate dogs?”

“No, he didn’t. He’s got nothing to do with this, but Gran wants him to run for mayor, and she seems to think this is a good way for him to launch his campaign.”

“Alec is running for mayor?” asked her father, more and more mystified.

“No, he’s not. Gran wants him to run, but he’s refusing, saying it’s the last thing in the world he wants to do. But you know Gran. She doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“Oh, do I know your grandmother,” said Dad, a look of regret on his face.

“She’s not picking up her phone. The last thing Max told me is that she wanted to recruit Father Reilly to the cause.”

Dad’s eyebrows shot up into his white fringe. “Surely Father Reilly knows better than to allow himself to be dragged into your grandmother’s crazy schemes?”

“Gran can be very convincing when she wants to be. I better go over to the church, and see what she’s been up to.”

“Tell her that if she doesn’t come back I’m hiring another receptionist!” said Tex as she walked out.

“Will do, Dad!” she hollered back with a grin. She knew her dad would never do that. First of all, he was too stingy to hire and pay anyone to pick up the phone, and secondly, if he got rid of Gran he’d get an earful from Mom.

She got back into her car, and made her way through town to St. John’s Church, which was located near Town Hall. She parked across from the church and looked around. No trace of Gran’s car. She pushed her way into the church through the tall and heavy oak doors, and called out, “Father Reilly! Gran!”

No response, though, and so she walked past the neatly lined rows of pews through to the sacristy where the parish priest usually spent his days. She popped her head in the door, which wasn’t locked, and saw that Father Reilly wasn’t behind his desk.

Could Gran possibly have gotten him to agree with her harebrained scheme? No way.

As she walked out of the church and hesitated for a moment, wondering how to proceed, she saw that a small reddish cat was lounging on a bench in front of the church, enjoying the shade from a leafy tree. She approached the cat and recognized him as Tigger, plumber Gwayn Partington’s cat.

“Did you by any chance see my grandmother?” she asked.

The cat merely stared at her.

“Or Harriet?”

This time, a smile animated the cat’s features. “Oh, sure. She left about twenty minutes ago, along with Brutus and Shanille. They got into a small red car and drove off.”

“In what direction?”

The cat lazily pointed past Town Hall, and Odelia thanked him profusely.

She still had no idea where they were, but at least now she knew they were with Father Reilly, and when she pressed her phone to her ear she knew the priest, unlike her grandmother, would never refuse to take her call.

“Odelia!” he said after the first ring. “What can I do for you?”

“Can you put my grandmother on the phone, please?” she asked.

“What do you want?” Gran’s raspy voice suddenly tooted in her ear.

“Where are you? I’ve been looking all over the place.”

“None of your business.”

“You aren’t still trying to sell litter boxes, are you?”

“And what if I am? What’s it to you, Miss Nosy Parker?”

“You can’t go around presenting this as Uncle Alec’s plan, Gran. You’re going to ruin his reputation, and he’s already in enough trouble as it is.”

“What trouble?”

“The Mayor offered Chase Uncle Alec’s job this morning. He wants him to take early retirement. And you’re not helping.”

“I am helping! I’m going to get Alec elected mayor, and then we’ll finally be rid of that Dirk Dunham fellow.”

“No, we’re not. You’re antagonizing people, and setting them up against Uncle Alec. If you keep this up you’ll turn him into the most unpopular man in Hampton Cove, and then the Mayor will have all the support he needs from the council to get rid of him. Don’t you see that you’re simplyplaying into the Mayor’s hand?”

“Look, it’s simple math, but I don’t expect a reporter like you to understand. When I’m through with this town, Alec will have a majority of sixty percent. And now leave me alone, I’m busy.” And she promptly disconnected.

“Aaargh!” Odelia cried as she slapped her steering wheel in frustration. As if it wasn’t enough that she had to try and find this missing Grace Farnsworth, now she had to play her grandmother’s keeper, too.