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Jerry was already shaking his head, but Johnny’s eyebrows had shot up and he had a mournful expression on his face. It was the expression of a man about to spill his guts.

“No, Johnny,” said Jerry, who’d noticed the same thing. “Don’t you do it.”

“But, Jerry. I don’t want to go back to prison.”

“No. Don’t you do it, Johnny. Don’t you dare.”

“His name is Camillo Equius,” Johnny suddenly blurted out. “He told us Laron Weskit and his wife were staying here tonight, and that Dieber kid, and he gave us the key.”

“Thanks, Johnny. You know the drill,” Uncle Alec said as he unclipped a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “You’re both under arrest. Anything you say—”

“Johnny, you idiot!” said Jerry. “I told you to keep your big mouth shut!”

“I’m sorry, Jer. But he made us a deal I couldn’t refuse!”

“I’m never working with you again. You hear me! This partnership is over!”

“It’s all for the best, Jer,” said Johnny as both men were led out by Chase. “The Chief is a good man. He’ll keep up his end of the bargain. I know he will. Isn’t that right, Chief?”

“Never! I’m never working with you again! Never, never, never!”

Laron Weskit and his wife, who apparently had been waiting right outside, now entered the room.“So?” said Laron. “What did they take?”

“Nothing,” said Uncle Alec. “We got here just in time.”

“I don’t get it,” said Laron, planting his hands on his hips. “I didn’t switch on the alarm, because Cleo is here and she might accidentally trip it.”

“I think Cleo is the one who tripped it, sir,” said Alec, gesturing to the hairless cat.

Laron’s eyebrows shot up. “My cat tripped the alarm? That’s impossible.”

“You’d be surprised how clever cats can be, sir,” said Uncle Alec as he gave me and Dooley a wink.

I tried to wink back but found it a little hard. It’s one of those things you have to practice first.

Shannon Weskit bent over and picked Cleo up in her arms.“Did you save us, Cleo, darling? Did you? You’re a regular hero, aren’t you? You’re a real wonder cat.”

“I don’t believe it,” said Laron, shaking his head. “There has to be some other explanation. Cats don’t trigger alarms. That’s dogs.”

“Cats are smart,” said his wife, who obviously was more of a cat person than her husband.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” said Laron, and started doing the rounds of the suite to see for himself if nothing had been taken.

Just then, the connecting door flew open and Charlie Dieber and Jamie burst in.“Did they take anything?” asked Charlie anxiously.

“Not that I can see,” said Laron.

“Cleo sounded the alarm,” said Shannon. “Isn’t she a clever little puss? Yes, you are, Cleo. Yes, you are.”

“So weird,” said Charlie, who looked like a teenager, but a teenager with tattoos running up and down his arms. “There’s two cats in our room that weren’t there before. And I have no idea how they got there.”

And as if to lend credence to his words, Harriet and Brutus walked in!

“Hey, isn’t that the cats that sang at the show?” asked Jamie, a petite young woman with long dark hair and a serious look on her face.

“They sure look like them,” said Laron.

“But how did they get into our room?” asked Charlie.

“Maybe they’re with the burglars,” said Jamie.

Just then, Laron’s eyes fell on Dooley and me. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said as he scratched his head. “Look. More cats. Where did they come from?”

Oops. Busted!

Chapter 24

A family meeting had been called and we were part of the agenda.

“Odelia doesn’t look happy,” said Dooley.

“No, she doesn’t look happy at all,” Brutus agreed.

We were in the living room of Marge and Tex’s home, and all the humans had gathered for this occasion: Uncle Alec was there, and Chase, and Odelia, of course, and Marge and Tex and Gran. The feline members of the family had been relegated to the floor, where we now sat like four defendants about to be subjected to cross-examination.

“Maybe we need to ask for a lawyer,” said Dooley.

He was right, and I was already looking around for the Bible on which we’d soon have to swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

“We didn’t even have time to go through that room,” said Harriet. “The moment we got in, this loud alarm started blaring, and soon after, Charlie and Jamie burst in.”

“How did you get into their room?” I asked.

“Odelia had given us key cards,” said Brutus.

“Same thing here,” I said. “Very clever, too.”

“Very clever, if only those crooks hadn’t chosen that exact moment to break in.”

“Okay, let’s begin,” said Uncle Alec. “First off, Johnny Carew and Jerry Vale are back where they belong: in jail. Johnny cracked first, and confessed. We also arrested Camillo Aquius, one of the receptionists and apparently in cahoots with the crooks, in exchange for a percentage of the loot, who provided them with information and a master key.”

“What they hadn’t counted on was the presence of Cleo,” said Chase. “Who managed to sound the alarm, and make sure a happy ending was had by all.”

Except Johnny and Jerry, obviously.