57aacbcd9598439b495cce0c68035a7c

“But Donna wants me here. She needs me here. I’m telling you her spirit reached out to me.”

“Why don’t you get dressed and come with me?”

“Come with you?” She frowned. “Who are you again?”

“Hampton Cove Police. And I’m afraid you’re under arrest for trespassing.”

“But I can’t be. I keep telling you but you won’t listen. Donna invited me. I’m a guest.”

“Were you burning something downstairs, Mrs. Yoke?” asked Odelia, remembering Dooley’s words.

The former actress smiled.“You’re very perceptive. I was burning incense. To ward off the bad spirits and to summon Donna’s spirit.”

“And did it work?” asked Chase.

“Not yet. But I’m sure she’ll be here any moment now.” The woman glanced around, as if fully expecting Donna to suddenly materialize out of thin air. “She invited me here, you know.”

“Of course she did,” said Chase. “Now come along, Mrs. Yoke.”

“Are you familiar with my work, Officer?”

“As a matter of fact I am,” said Chase as he escorted the woman from the room.

“And what was your favorite? I liked the firstStar Cars the most. That one was a huge hit.”

“Yes, it was,” said Chase, and helped the actress down the stairs. It was a little sad to see her like this, Odelia thought. She had been wonderful in thoseStar Cars movies.

“Did you know I do all my own stunts?”

“Is that a fact?”

“Donna never did. Everything you see in thoseStar Rigs movies is all CGI. WithStar Cars what you see is what you get. It’s all real. All me.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, where were you this morning around seven, Mrs. Yoke?”

“This morning around seven?” They’d reached the foyer and Chase opened the front door to escort the woman out. “Why, I was reaching out to Donna, of course. We’re connected on a higher level, you know. Soul sisters.”

“Mind the step.”

And as the woman padded barefoot along the drive in the direction of Chase’s pickup, Odelia and Chase at her elbows making sure she didn’t trip and fall, Odelia thought they’d just closed this case. It was now obvious to her that the intense rivalry that had existed between the two actresses all these years had finally driven Zelda Yoke crazy, inducing her to commit this atrocious act of violence and get rid of her ‘soul sister’ once and for all.

The cats came tripping behind her. They, too, seemed pleased as punch at this unexpected development. Mostly because they’d beaten Harriet at her own game, and possibly because Max had found something to eat after all, judging from the crumbs of dog biscuit covering his lips.

She decided he’d earned it. And as Chase placed Zelda in the back of his car and locked the door, he said, “I think the combination of your intuition and your secretive informant may just have cracked this case, Odelia.”

“I think so, too,” she said, directing a commiserating glance at Zelda, who sat muttering to herself, rocking back and forth. “What a sad ending, though, right?”

“Yeah, I loved thoseStar Cars movies. They were da bomb.”

“Da bomb?” she laughed. “The nineties called, they want their bomb back.”

“Laugh all you want.Star Cars was great fun.”

“I was more intoStar Rigs.”

“Star Rigs was clearly a rip-off ofStar Cars.”

“I’m pretty sureStar Rigs came first.”

“And I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a Zelda Yoke fan.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a Donna Bruce fan.”

Odelia held her hand up in theStar Rigs salute, which was a fist with her pinkie finger sticking out.“Star Rigs forever, buddy.”

Chase made theStar Cars salute, a fist with his thumb sticking out sideways.“Star Cars all the way, babe.”

And the age-old rivalry would have caused two more casualties if Zelda hadn’t at that moment rolled down her window and asked, “Can we go now? Donna is waiting for me.”

“Waiting for you where?” asked Chase.

The actress raised her eyes to the sky.“Why, amongst the stars, of course.”

“Of course,” said Chase with a grin at Odelia, and got into the car.

Odelia watched him drive off.“Well, you guys did good.”

“Do you think she did it?” asked Dooley.

“I’m pretty sure she did.”

“Yay!” Max said, pumping the air with his paw. “So can I have some Cat Snax now?”

She smiled.“Yes, you can. But then you’re going back on the diet, all right?”

“Yes!” Max exclaimed, exchanging a high five with Dooley. “We did it, Dooley!”

“Case closed?”

“Case closed,” Odelia agreed.

Chapter 25

I was lounging on the windowsill, the sun streaming in through the window, having a well-deserved nap. I’d solved the case. I’d enjoyed my Cat Snax. Now all I had to do was rub Harriet’s face in my victory and my triumph was complete.