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It wasn’t hard to figure out why that was. Officers had found Zelda’s abandoned car a mile from Donna’s house, the door open. Inside, they’d discovered enough weed to supply a small colony. And the smoking thing Dooley and Max had seen her use inside the house wasn’t incense but Zelda’s bong, which explained the pungent odor that had permeated the house.

“Did Donna also finance your marijuana habit?” she asked.

The woman’s eyes widened. “Marijuana? I don’t have a marijuana habit.”

“Come on, Zelda,” said Chase. “We found your car. And your stash.”

She sobered.“That’s for medicinal purposes only. I have allergies.”

“Pot helps with allergies?”

“Pot helps with everything,” she said with a lazy grin. “I could actually use some right now. Can you hook me up?”

“Are you really asking a cop to hook you up with drugs?” asked Chase.

She narrowed her eyes.“Is that a trick question?”

He turned to Odelia.“Can I talk to you outside?”

They both left the room.“I don’t think she did it,” said Chase once they were alone.

“You’re only saying that because she’s your hero.”

He pointed at the woman behind the one-way mirror.“Do you seriously want me to believe that wreck of a human being had the presence of mind to steal a hive of bees, then execute the perfect crime? She doesn’t even remember how she got to Donna’s house in the first place. Not to mention the fact that Donna paid her rent and who knows what else.”

“I was just kidding. I don’t think she did it either.”

“Oh, Christ!” Chase yelled, fisting his fingers in his hair and pulling. “Back to square one!”

“Looks like it,” Odelia confessed. She studied Zelda for a moment, who was now making finger guns and pretending to shoot at the ceiling. Probably reenacting one of the stunts she’d done without a stunt double on the set ofStar Cars.“We’ll just have to keep on digging,” she finally said.

“We got the analysis back on some tire tracks we found behind Donna’s house.”

“And?”

“Toyota Tacoma. We’re putting together a list of Tacoma owners. It might take a while.”

She nodded. Good old-fashioned police work. Chase was an ace at that kind of thing, and so was her uncle. She depended more on her instincts, her cats and… sheer luck. She rubbed her eyes.

“Why don’t you get some sleep?” he suggested. “You look beat.”

“Yeah, maybe I’ll do that. I could use a few more hours. What about you?”

He smiled.“I’m one of thoseStar Cars dudes, babe. We don’t need sleep, only stardust.”

She leaned in for a kiss, and that’s when something started vibrating in her pocket. Chase reached down and took it out. It was a small black plastic thing, shaped like a rocket. With an expert hand, he switched it off and tucked it back into her pocket, then cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

She blushed.“I’m one of thoseStar Rig gals, babe. We don’t need guys, only batteries.”

He stroked a finger along her cheek, and huskily said,“Whenever you change your mind about that, you know where to find me.”

Chapter 27

Odelia had dropped by the house, announcing that we weren’t out of the woods yet. The case, which we’d assumed closed, was still wide open, Zelda Yoke not the cunning killer we’d pegged her as. Bummer. Harriet, returning from her power walk with Brutus, was ecstatic, though.

“I knew it!” she yelled. “I just knew it! No way Max and Dooley caught the killer.”

“Why is it so hard to believe we would catch the killer?” I asked, feeling a little offended.

“Because you’re boys,” said Harriet with amazing lack of logic and reason. “Come on, Brutus. We’re leaving.”

“But we just got here!” the big, black cat cried. He was lying spread-eagle on the floor, trying to catch his breath.

“And now we’re leaving. We have a killer to catch and no time to waste!”

And just when I thought she was going to hit the street and pound the pavement, just like any old-fashioned detective, she hopped up on Odelia’s computer table and fired up the computer. With a grunt of despair, Brutus hauled himself up from the floor and shuffled after his ladylove. Glancing over his shoulder, he muttered, “Never get married, fellas. Don’t do it.” And then he joined Harriet at the computer, ready for another fewhours of surfing the web.

Odelia, who’d taken a shower and looked more human when she returned downstairs, said, “Are you guys coming?”

“Nah-uh,” said Harriet without looking up from her no doubt strenuous activity. “We’re busy trying to find the killer, Odelia. Isn’t that right, sugar-pop?”

“Whatever you say, snuggle-cup,” said Brutus, having trouble keeping his eyes open.

Odelia stared at the twosome, and for a moment I thought she was going to say something, but then she seemed to think better of it. She turned to us.“What about you guys? Are you coming?”

“Yes, please,” I said. Anything to get away from Harriet, who was in a particularly annoying mood today.

We rode in Odelia’s pickup to the office, where she dropped us off. “Don’t wander off too far,” she warned as she locked the car. “And remember about your diet, Max. Don’t fall off the wagon.”