The Mysteries of Max: Books 31-33 by Nic Saint (chrome ebook reader txt) 📗

“Dooley is right. Fifi probably gets fed more food than even we do. And Rufus couldn’t have done it as he’s too big to fit through the pet flaps. Either of them.”

Brutus’s eyes shifted from me to Harriet and then back again. Then he blurted out, “I know nothing!”

“Oh, for crying out, Brutus!” said Harriet exploded. “You’re the absolute worst!”

“Harriet,” I said, my tail tapping the floor impatiently, “I think you have some explaining to do.”

“Oh, all right,” she said with a sigh.

“Harriet, you know nothing!” Brutus yelled nervously.

“Oh, shut up, will you? Look, we were hungry, all right? And Marge had forgotten to fill up our bowls before she left for work this morning, and so had Odelia. So we just figured…”

“You’d eat our food and blame it on the dogs,” I finished her sentence.

“Yeah, pretty much,” said Harriet, not meeting my eyes. “I’m sorry, Max. And I’m sorry for making up such a lame story. Though the thing about Mr. Ed is something Brutus came up with just now. I swear I had nothing to do with that.”

“A teensy tiny snail could never have eaten all of that food, Brutus,” I said. “If he had he’d be just about ready to explode now.”

“It’s all your fault, Max!” said Brutus.

“My fault!”

“If you hadn’t made such a big fuss about that silly snail I would never have felt the need to try and put him in his place. At the bottom of the food chain!”

I had just about had enough of this whole food chain business, and so I said, “Brutus, Mr. Ed is my friend, and so are you. But if you insist on disparaging him, you’re not my friend anymore.”

He just stared at me for a moment, then said, “Mr. Ed is your friend?”

“Yes, he is. He may be small, and he may be a snail, but he’s also a living, breathing creature, and all creatures, whether great or small, deserve our respect. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Max,” he said, much sobered by my little speech.

“And when I see Kingman next I’m going to tell him exactly the same thing. In fact I should have told him the first time he started spouting this food chain nonsense.”

“You know?” said Harriet as she gave me a tentative smile, “I was wrong and you were right, Max. Mr. Ed does deserve our respect. Especially since it’s obvious he’s been looking out for his human all along.”

“He’s got his own TV set,” Dooley said, “and he watches it twenty-four seven.”

“Yeah, I think Mr. Ed is probably the best-informed snail in snail history,” I said.

“Brutus?” said Harriet, addressing her mate with some bite to her tone. “What do we say now?”

“I know nothing?” Brutus tried, but when Harriet fixed him with a look that could kill, he added, “I’m sorry, Max. I should never have eaten your food. You, too, Dooley.”

“Oh, that’s all right, Brutus,” said Dooley. “You can eat my food any time you like.”

Brutus smiled. “No, I can’t. It’s your food, and I shouldn’t have dipped into it. Or lied about it.”

“It’s fine, Brutus,” I said. “I forgive you. So now that that’s settled, what have you guys discovered about the murder of Bob Rector?”

Two shame-faced looks from both Harriet and Brutus told me all I needed to know.

Chapter 22

Odelia sidled up to Chase, who was standing near the back of the room, looking bored.

“Hey, babe,” said the cop when Odelia joined him. “How was your interview with Evelina Pytel?”

“Embarrassing. She didn’t know that Bob was dead, so I pretty much put my foot in my mouth.”

“Oh, dear.”

“That’s what I said. She did confirm that she paid the ransom money, but then when she didn’t hear from the kidnappers or Bob, she figured she’d either been duped by Bob, or that something terrible had happened. Her sister convinced her it was the former, though I think in her heart of hearts she knew it was the latter.”

“The sister seems to feature into this story pretty prominently, doesn’t she?”

Odelia smiled. “Better have a talk to her?”

“You read my mind.” He gestured to the stage, where Lord Hilbourne was still speaking. The man simply couldn’t stop.

“Want to blow this thing?”

“Yeah, let’s,” she said. “Though there’s a good chance that Emma Bezel is here.”

“Yeah, looks like all of Hampton Cove has managed to cram themselves into this room.”

“I did see Evelina.”

“And I saw your cats—all four of them. They’re huddled underneath those chairs over there, the poor creatures.”

“Let’s at least get them out of their predicament,” said Odelia, and went in search of her four fur babies.

She found them huddled underneath the chair of Father Reilly, of all people, and they looked overjoyed to see her. And immediately followed her out of the reception, which looked like it was only getting started and could last much, much longer. Soon the champagne would come out, and things would liven up even more.

Once they were outside, Chase took out his phone and called Emma Bezel. After talking into his phone for a moment, he announced, “She’s at work. But she can see us now.”

“Where does she work?”

“Nail salon,” said Chase. “It’s only two blocks, so I suggest we walk and you tell me everything you and Evelina discussed.”

“Not much to tell, really. Evelina was really falling for Bob,” said Odelia as they crossed town square and passed the police station then moved in the direction of Myrna Loy Boulevard, where apparently Emma Bezel plied her trade.

Behind them, four cats trailed along in their wake.

“So the kidnappers sent proof of life in the form of a video, and that’s the last time Evelina saw Bob?”

“Yep. I told her to meet Uncle Alec at the precinct to make a formal statement but I don’t know if she’s done it yet.”

“I better get in touch with her and set up an interview,” said Chase. “And take a look at her phone while I’m at it.”

“Any idea how Bob got in the truck yet?”

“Well, the driver said he can