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“Dooley heard the kidnapper use the phrase ‘toodle pip’ last night, the same thing Kurtz said when he was at the house a couple of days ago. That can’t be a coincidence, Odelia.” And then I remembered something else. “At the salon and spa, Prunella said that Kurtz was a regular. And shedidn’t mean at the salon but at the clinic where they perform plastic surgery. Is it possible that Kurtz used to be a woman and transitioned to a man? And that’s why he sounded like a woman when he phoned the salon?”

“I noticed the first day that Kurtz doesn’t have an Adam’s apple,” said Odelia. “You’re absolutely right, Max. He’s the kidnapper. He’s the one behind this whole thing!”

I suddenly heard a noise, and when I looked up I found myself staring straight into Kurtz’s eyes. He was standing right behind us! Odelia looked up, and gasped in shock. He then gave her a wan smile, and before she could stop him, was running to the exit!

“Not on my watch!” I shouted, and set off after the guy—or gal.

“Max! What’s happening!” shouted Brutus.

“It’s Kurtz!” I shouted. “He’s the kidnapper!”

To Brutus’s credit, he immediately got the message, and alerted the others, who were still inside Opal’s office. And then five cats were in hot pursuit, and one reporter, with Kurtz having a head start of mere minutes.

The odds were finally in our favor!

We ran full tilt, but Kurtz knew his way around the studio lot a lot better than we did, and disappeared into the studio next to Opal’s.

As we burst inside, I saw that they were filming some sort of sword-and-sandal action flick, with several men dressed in nothing but leather straps and sandals swinging their swords and trying to hit each other.

Behind us, Odelia rounded the corner, followed at a distance by Gran and… Opal!

“Hank!” I could hear Gran cry, and when I followed her gaze, I saw that one of the men in leather straps was, indeed, Hank!

“Oh, hey, Vesta,” said Hank, raising his sword in greeting.

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I got a part inBen-Hur II! Isn’t it great!”

“You could have called me!”

“Well, I’ve been so busy auditioning…”

“Cut!” an irate voice yelled. “Cut cut cut! What are these people doing on my set!”

I would have stayed and chatted, but I had a killer to catch!

We raced through the studio, still in hot pursuit, and soon found ourselves on the next soundstage, where none other than Leonardo DiCaprio was standing on the bow of a humongous ship! Across the side of the ship, the words Titanic II had been painted, and in Leo’s arms he held a young woman. He yelled, “I’m the king of the world!” and the young babe, whom I thought I recognized as a famous Italian model, giggled excitedly.

“Hey, it’s Kate and Leo!” said Harriet, who’s a big fan.

“That’s not Kate,” said Brutus. “That’s a younger model.”

“I thought Leo died inTitanic?” Dooley commented.

“They cloned him!” Prunella said. “See! Cloning humansis allowed!”

“Cut! Cut!” a bearded man screamed. “Get those darn cats out of here! Get them out!”

He didn’t have to say twice, for we were already out of there, and so was Kurtz.

He’d snuck out the back of the studio building and was now heading for one of those funny golf carts. He hopped on, and was soon zooming away.

“We’ll never catch him!” said Dooley.

“Oh, yes, we will!” I said.

Behind us—far behind now—was Odelia, and even further behind was Gran. Of Opal there was no trace. I think she’d dropped out of the race altogether.

We raced after the funny-looking golf cart, with Kurtz looking over his shoulder to see if we weren’t gaining on him. When he saw we weren’t, he actually stuck out his tongue and yelled, “Catch me if you can, you filthy animals!”

And then, suddenly, a second golf cart came zooming in from the right and slammed straight into Kurtz, sending him flying!

He described a perfect arc through the air and crashed into a wall then crumpled to the ground in a heap.

When I looked up, I saw that the second golf cart was being driven by none other than Opal!

She got out of the golf cart, looking a little shook up herself, her arm still in a sling from the bullet Kurtz had fired at her the night before.

And as she stood over Kurtz, she growled,“Game over, you jerk.”

Chapter 34

“Listen to this,” said Opal.

They were back in her office. The police had taken Kurtz away, but before they did, Opal had grabbed his phone. It now lay on her desk. She tapped a button and a familiar voice sounded through her office.

‘Delete this message the moment you get it, all right? And aim at the heart. I can’t believe she escaped three times already. This time finish the job, or else I’ll finish you!’

It was Marilyn’s voice!

They all stared at Opal, who looked appropriately grim.

“Marilyn was behind this whole thing?” asked Odelia, shocked to the core.

“It sure appears that way. I already told the police, and they’re picking her up as we speak.” She shook her head. “Thirty years of friendship and now this. I don’t believe it.”