d5e426eccb138e04dab909926b2752c6

“She also put her ring inside,” said Harriet, staring at the now deformed figurine.

“Yeah, that was an accident,” I said. “It must have slipped off her finger when she was working on one. And since she couldn’t very well tell Marcia, she kept her tongue.”

“And how about the security guard?” asked Brutus. “Why the mysterious letters?”

“Marcia liked to give those figurines away as presents. And since her son had plenty, amassed over the years, he, in turn, had gotten into the habit of handing them out to his factory workers—people he felt deserved a little token of his appreciation. Like Bruno the security guard. And when Bruno accidentally broke it, he discovered the message inside. He wasn’t sure what to do, and when we came snooping around, he figured he might as well give us a nudge in the right direction, thinking there was something fishy about his employers—and the mystery surrounding Vicky’s disappearance.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” said Harriet. “Why did Quintin wait a whole month before going to the police when his wife disappeared?”

“Quintin and Vicky made an arrangement when they married. He knew she’d mostly married him for his money, and not his good looks, so they agreed she could keep her freedom and fool around if she wanted to, on one condition: that she’d never tell anyone, or publicly cause him any embarrassment. And so she’d gone missing before. The first time she spent two weeks in Vegas with her friends, and the second time she was gone for three whole weeks—a trip to the Bahamas with the same ‘girl crew’ she liked to hang out with. So when she disappeared again, he wasn’t happy about it, but he wasn’t worried either. It was only when he bumped into one of her friends and asked when she’d be back, that he discovered that this time she’d actually gone missing for real.”

“What’s going to happen to Marcia?” asked Brutus.

I slapped Dooley’s paw away, as he was trying to measure my temperature yet again. “She’s going to prison for the abduction of her sister-in-law. Her son will take over from Quintin. And Vicky… is probably going to stay in Belize, where she’s built up a pretty good life over the past twenty years. But not before paying a visit to her old husband. And maybe coming back here will jog her memory to some extent.”

“Or maybe not,” said Dooley. “Just like you shouldn’t be too sure you’re fine, Max. You’re not fine, and I think you should lie down now.”

“Dooley, quit fussing!”

“Oh, he’s only watching out for you, Max,” said Harriet. “So if I were you I’d let him.”

She was right. Dooley was only showing me how much he cared. But it was annoying to a degree!

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and we all looked up.

“Visitors?” asked Harriet, surprised.

“It’s Vena,” Dooley announced.

“Vena!” I said, staring at my friend.

He nodded sagely.“I asked Odelia to give her a call. Now I know you think you’re fine, Max, but I’m worried about you, and so is Odelia. So just let Vena take a look at you, and then we can all relax, all right?”

I gritted my teeth a little, but finally relented.“Fine,” I said. “I don’t need to see a doctor, but fine.”

“Good,” said Dooley. “I knew you’d see the light, Max.” He’d placed his paw against my forehead again and was shaking his head. “Still running a temperature,” he murmured.

Vena walked out through the sliding glass door and greeted us all heartily, as is her way. Hampton Cove’s premier veterinarian looks like a powerlifter, which is not a bad look for a vet, as dragging foals from horses probably requires a lot of physical strength.

“So where is the patient?!” she boomed now, and then her eyes swiveled in my direction and she smiled her broad and infectious smile. “There he is!”

“I’m fine,” I repeated for all who would listen. “Absolutely fine.”

“Let’s take his temperature,” said Vesta as she took a seat on the porch swing next to me, and got out her signature bag of goodies. “Now relax those rectal muscles, Max!”

Rectal mu… “No way!” I cried.

And before she could stop me, I jumped down from the swing and was making for the hedge.

“Max! Come back here!” Odelia cried.

“Yes, you’re a sick cat, Max!” Dooley added.

“Never!” I yelled, and was waddling off at a respectable rate of speed. And I think I would have made it, if I hadn’t stumbled upon the new inflatable pool that Chase had purchased, and set up in Odelia’s backyard.

I hit that pool head-on, bopped over the edge, and landed right in the middle. And I would have gone under, if Chase hadn’t fished me out by my neck, and held me up.

“I keep having to save you, don’t I?” said the burly copper.

I gave him my best smile.“I think I love you, Chase,” I said. And then spat out a modest stream of water, hitting him right in the face.

“Cats,” he muttered as he carried me back into the next backyard. “You gotta love ‘em.”