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Suddenly he felt something bubbling underneath his butt. And then he was flying, a powerful stream of water propelling him into the air. He flew up and away, and finally landed on the lawn, rain spraying him. Only it wasn’t rain, as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. But water was still raining down on him. And then he saw what was going on: Harriet had opened the sprinklers, a part of which was installed in the rosebushes. She must have opened them all the way, for they’d propelled him right out of that puddlehe was caught in.

He blinked as water soaked him. And then suddenly Harriet rose into his field of vision. She looked at him with such an expression of concern he didn’t mind getting wet.

“Are you all right, snookums?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.

“I’m fine,” he said. “You saved me.”

“I realized something last night, snuggle pooh,” she said softly.

“What’s that?”

“That I love you too much to let this thing between us be over.”

“Oh, Harriet,” he said, a catch in his voice. “I’ve been such a fool. Can you ever forgive me?”

“I talked to Darlene. Last night in the park? She told me the truth. That you were a real gentlecat. And that you were never anywhere near her butt.”

“She said that?”

“Not willingly. I may have mentioned slashing her throat.”

He laughed.“Oh, honey muffin.”

“Oh, love bug.”

“You saved me!”

“That’s something else I realized. Ever since we broke up you keep getting yourself into these dangerous situations. At this rate you’re going to run out of your nine lives.”

“I know. I think I’m at my sixth or my seventh.”

“You need me, buttercup.”

“I do need you.”

“Without me you’re going to fall from a cliff and there won’t be a fat man to cushion your fall.”

“Or I’ll stumble into a duck pond and there won’t be Chase to save me.”

“Or you’ll be swallowed up by a sinkhole and I won’t be there to turn on the sprinklers.”

They gazed softly into each other’s eyes, and gently rubbed noses.

“It’s almost like Jack and Rose onTitanic,” Harriet giggled. “With all this water?”

“Only I have no intention of crawling off that raft,” said Brutus.

“There was plenty of space on that raft for Jack!” Harriet cried.

“Right?”

They were quiet, and as Harriet lay down next to him, they both enjoyed this rare summer shower. And the pleasure of each other’s company.

“A sinkhole,” muttered Brutus. “In the rosebushes? How is that even possible?”

“I know, right?”

They gazed at each other.“I do need you, Harriet.”

“And don’t you ever forget it.”

“I won’t.”

“Oh, sugar puff.”

“Oh, cuppy cake.”

“Oh, love angel.”

“Oh, wuggle bear.”

“Ugh,” a voice softly pronounced nearby.

Brutus recognized it as Dooley’s, and both he and Harriet laughed.

Chapter 34

Alec was so nice to take us to the hospital: Me and Dooley, and a waterlogged Brutus and Harriet, who, for some reason, had turned on the sprinklers in the backyard and had been enjoying a rain shower. At least they’d reconciled, and were suddenly all lovey-dovey again. So much so it was giving me a pain in the butt. Maybe that was the reason they fought in the first place, I suddenly realized: to enjoy that sweet reconciliation afterward.

“Now, I’m going to have to smuggle you into Odelia’s room,” Alec warned. “I don’t think they like it when cats come to visit, so you guys will have to be extra-quiet, all right?”

“All right, Uncle Alec,” we all sang in unison, even though he couldn’t understand.

He smiled.“You guys are the best.”

He’d arrived at the hospital and tucked us in two big, bulky plastic shopping bags. I hate being tucked into bags, but I was willing to make the sacrifice for Odelia’s sake.

“What’s going on with Harriet and Brutus?” I asked Dooley as we bumped up against each other while Uncle Alec carried us into the hospital. The police chief was panting. Hard. Apparently four cats are a lot of weight to carry.

“I think they finally got over the whole Darlene thing,” I said.

“Oh, so Harriet finally believes the perspective story?”

“It’s not a story. There was a matter of perspective. I really believe Brutus’s nose wasn’t anywhere near Darlene’s butt. Though from where I stood it definitely looked like it was.”

“From where I was standing it looked as if his nose was up her tail,” said Dooley, “but then my legs are shorter than yours.”

“See? Brutus was right. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

This reminded me of the murder case Odelia and Chase had successfully solved. Ringo had claimed his master was right next to him when Dany was killed, but was he? Maybe he’d thought he was, but just like with Darlene, it was a matter of perspective.

But then we were set down on the floor, the bag was zipped open, and we hopped out of the bag and found ourselves in a hospital room. At least it smelled like one. Phew.

Uncle Alec picked me up first and deposited me on Odelia’s bed, then did the same with the others. Odelia looked pale but alive, and she smiled weakly at the four of us.

“Hey, there, you guys. What happened, huh?”

“You conked your head on the bed,” I said. “And scared the living crap out of us.”