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Grace, meanwhile, was wailing in distress, and demanding to be picked up and fed, and since it was now obvious that no more nap time would be enjoyed, Dooley and I jumped off the bed, ready to start our day.

We were working cats now, you see, with a commute to look forward to.

But that was before we heard Chase cry,“What?!”

We both turned, and watched the big guy hop out of bed, and hurry down the stairs, still only dressed in a pair of boxers.

“What’s going on?” asked Dooley.

“I have no idea,” said Odelia. “Chase was first to pick up.”

The ringing turned out to be the front doorbell, and when we heard Uncle Alec’s baritone, it soon became clear something terrible had happened. Uncle Alec might be a fun uncle to Odelia, but he’s also chief of police, and so when he shows up unannounced at some ungodly hour, he doesn’t come bearing gifts.

“Michael Madison is dead,” Chase announced the moment Odelia arrived downstairs.

“What?!” our human cried, echoing her husband’s earlier sentiments upon hearing this piece of unexpected news.

“I’m afraid so,” said Uncle Alec, looking more rumpled than ever. He was also rubbing his back and making painful grimaces as he did. “The janitor found him early this morning. Apparently he either fell or jumped out of a window.”

Harriet and Brutus had walked in through the pet flap, quickly followed by Gran—the latter entering not through the pet flap but the door—and when Gran saw her granddaughter’s consternation, instantly knew something was wrong.

“Who died?” she asked.

“Michael Madison,” said Uncle Alec, still rubbing his back.

“What?!” Gran cried. It seemed like the responsedu jour.

“Fell out of his window,” Chase supplied.

“Or jumped,” Odelia added. She’d been studying her uncle with a look of concern. “Back trouble?”

“Yeah,” said Uncle Alec. “I sprained something last night.” And when we all lifted an inquisitive eyebrow, he elucidated, “I was, um, doing some weeding.”

“Is what you kids call it nowadays?” asked Gran with a grin.

“Well, it’s all your fault, isn’t it!” her son suddenly burst out.

Gran held up her hands.“Easy, tiger. What’s my fault this time?”

“You and that magazine of yours.Glimmer, or whatever it’s called.”

“Not my magazine, but whatever,” said Gran.

“When Charlene heard you were an intern at Advantage, she took a subscription, just out of solidarity. And read an article by a guy called Tom Mitchell. 15 Ways to Spice up Your Love Life. So she’s got us going through the tips one by one, which is how we both ended up almost crippling ourselves.”

“Tom Mitchell didn’t write that article,” said Gran. “Scarlett did.”

Uncle Alec groaned.“I should have known.”

“And let me tell you that the response has been very positive,” Gran continued. “Hundreds of comments on the website, and plenty of likes and shares.”

“I’m writing a strongly-worded comment today, and I can promise you it won’t be positive,” the police chief grumbled as he hobbled in the direction of the door. “And you better get your ass over to that crime scene, Chase!”

“I thought it was an accident?” said Chase as he scratched his bare chest.

“Doesn’t matter what it was. It’s still a suspicious death, so there needs to be an investigation.” And he muttered, “I’ll bet Michael Madison read Tom Mitchell’s article and killed himself trying out those fifteen tips.”

While Chase and Odelia returned upstairs to take a shower and get ready, Harriet drew me aside.“Michael Madison isCat Life’s publisher, isn’t he?”

“Was,” I said.

“Oh, dear. Do you think my shoot will still happen? I mean, publishers get killed all the time, don’t they? And replaced by other people?”

“I’m sure your shoot will happen,” I said. “Madison’s death isn’t going to affect that. Advantage Publishing is bigger than one CEO who falls from a window.”

“Oh, phew,” said Harriet. She laughed. “Talk about a load off my mind!”

“But who’s going to take care of Natalie’s baby now?” asked Dooley. “Her baby is going to be born without a father.”

“Madison wasn’t prepared to be that baby’s father anyway,” I told my friend. “So his death isn’t going to make a lot of difference.” Though Natalie would probably be devastated, considering how hung up she still was on that man.

Odelia and Chase came hurrying down the stairs, grabbed a bite to eat from the fridge, and then we were off in Chase’s squad car. For the occasion, Harriet and Brutus also joined us, since Harriet wanted to make sure her shoot would go off without a hitch. And also Gran was in the car with us, for in spite of this tragic event, today was just another working day for her, same way it was for us.

When we arrived at the Advantage Publishing building, plenty of people stood gathered outside, and they weren’t enjoying a smoking break either. The area underneath Michael Madison’s window had been cordoned off, and I could see Abe Cornwall’s car parked nearby. The county coroner was already busy examining the body, and when we joined him, he looked up.

“So what’s the verdict, Abe?” asked Chase.