Purrfect Double. Purrfect Date

46. PURRFECT DOUBLE

Chapter 1

The Karat GroupÆs annual shareholdersÆ meeting didnÆt exactly go as planned. The shareholders were all there, and so was the chairman of the board, Diedrich Karat, but the star of the show was of course current CEO Cotton Karat. Or at least he should have been, as he was expected to lead the meeting and discuss both the groupÆs past yearÆs financial results as well as future expected earnings and projections. Instead, all he seemed interested in was to salivating over his new girlfriend, the delectable Ebony Pilay.

Many a shareholder, from the lowliest ones, with only a few Karat Group shares in their investment portfolio, to the biggest specimens, proud to own a large chunk of the company, was stunned as the meeting progressed, and the groupÆs current leader couldnÆt keep his eyes or his hands off his supermodel girlfriend. The fact alone that heÆd placed her center stage for this all-important event was a blatant departure from tradition.

As far as the collected shareholders, and the denizens of the financial press were aware, Ebony Pilay, though a well-known fashion model, owned no Karat Group shares, nor did she play any part in the groupÆs organizational structure. She wasnÆt a CEO, CFO, COO or any of the other acronyms one often sees bandied about in theWall Street Journal. Her only claim to that most coveted position next to the CEO was that she was his girlfriend. And Cotton Karat, the third scion of the Karat family to lead the luxury goods group, made sure no one could forget it. Lovey-dovey was one way to describe the scene.

It led to several members of the press corps to titter without inhibition, which was a strange spectacle to be sure. Usually the dreariest of journos, absolutely devoid of a sense of humor, and only perking up when being asked to write about interest rates or the price-to-earnings ratio, they now behaved as if they were all writing for theNational Enquirer, ears red and eyes glittering with glee at this awful train wreck in progress.

Diedrich Karat, CottonÆs dad and the groupÆs previous CEO, looked as if he was barely hanging on to his equanimity. HeÆd already engaged in a bout of furious whisperings with the groupÆs legal advisor Tobias Pushman, but what could they do? They couldnÆt berate Cotton in public, or frogmarch his girlfriend offthe stage. The rest of the groupÆs main players, all gathered on that stage, seemed to have accepted their role in the drama, and adopted a policy of grinning and bearing it and trying to act as if this was the most natural thing in the world, and not a complete meltdown of one of the countryÆsbiggest concerns.

The Karat GroupÆs stock was trading at a thousand dollars a share at the start of the meeting. By the time the meeting finally adjourned, the stock had dropped to five hundred a share. One hundred billion dollars in value had been erased from the market cap. In other words: the single-largest drop in share price since the crash of 2001.

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

ôHave you completely lost your mind?!ö

ôItÆs just a dip, Dad,ö Cotton said.

ôA dip? A DIP?!ö

Tobias Pushman, the groupÆs legal beagle, gave his former boss and current chairman of the board a look of concern. DiedrichÆs face had turned the color of a ripe tomato. Drops of sweat were beading the manÆs brow and skipping down his temples, and his hair was matted to his sizable dome. If his blood pressure kept rising, a coronary was a given.

ôSir, I think you better sit down,ö Tobias suggested.

ôI wonÆt sit down until this matter is resolved and resolved to my satisfaction!ö Diedrich thundered, swinging his arms dangerously. ôDo you realize what youÆve done? YouÆve singlehandedly wrecked the group! Reduced us to a Wall Street laughingstock!ö

ôYouÆre exaggerating, Dad,ö said Cotton, whoÆd placed his sneakered feet up on his desk and was throwing a stress ball into the air with his left hand and deftly catching it with his right. ôSo the stock dropped a couple of points. ItÆll self-correct. YouÆll see.ö

ôIt wonÆt self-correct,ö said Diedrich, shaking with righteous anger at so much ignorance. ôIt will self-destruct if you keep fornicating with thisà thisà this Jezebel!ö

ôHey, Ebony is a highly respected and extremely successful model, Dad. TwentyVogue covers and counting. And we werenÆt fornicating. We were merely displaying our mutual affection.ö

ôItÆs not done, son! You canÆt organize a petting session at the annual shareholdersÆ meeting!ö

ôItÆs not a good look,ö Tobias agreed.

Diedrich threw a copy of theWall Street Journal onto his sonÆs desk. The headline screamed, æCotton Kills Karat.Æ ôIf you keep this up, weÆre toast, Cotton. Toast!ö

ôIÆm sure itÆs not as bad as all that,ö Cotton tut-tutted.

ôItÆs worse! TheyÆre predicting weÆll be ripe for a hostile takeover bid before the end of the next fiscal quarter. Our shareholders are all threatening to sue!ö

Cotton rolled his eyes. He didnÆt seem overly concerned. On his desk, a framed picture of Ebony Pilay held pride of place. It was the first of manyVogue covers sheÆd graced with her willowy presence, and she was staring into the lens as lusciously as she had gazed at Cotton at that fateful meeting.

ôJust imagine if Warren Buffett brought a supermodel to Berkshire HathawayÆs annual meeting,ö said Diedrich, ôand instead of talking about the value of the company portfolio spent two hours canoodling with his girlfriend instead! The man would be vilified!ö

ôNow youÆre simply being dramatic,ö said Cotton as he aimed the ball at a mini basketball hoop in the corner of his office and hit it on the first try. ôAnd now if youÆll both excuse me, IÆve got a lunch date with Ebony, and the lady doesnÆt like to be kept waiting.ö

And watched on by his dumbfounded dad and his apoplectic legal advisor, the youngest CEO in the business left the room, carelessly hummingæYouÆre still the one.Æ

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

For a moment, silence reigned in the room, then Diedrich turned a look of desperation to the man whose legal acumen was only rivaled by his unparalleled knack for designing daring schemes, and said,ôGive me something, Tobias. Anything.ö

Tobias, a swarthy man with thick brows that concealed two cold blue eyes, steepled his fingers and brought them to his lips.ôI think I might have an idea for you, sir.ö

ôWhat is it?ö

ôItÆs a little risky, but it might offer a solution for all of our problems.ö

ôDoes it involve murdering Cotton and making it look like an accident?ö

ôNot exactly, sir. Though it does involve putting him on ice for a little while.ö

Diedrich allowed himself to drop down in one of the wingback chairs in the big office. His face was still an unhealthy shade of puce, and judging from the veins throbbing in his neck, the man was in urgent need of his blood pressure medication.ôWhat did you have in mind?ö

ôHave you ever seen a French comedy named æLe Con,Æ sir?ö

ôIÆm not really into French comedy, though I have a feeling IÆm in one right now. Though it could also be a French horror movie.ö

ôIn the movie, the CEO of one of those big French conglomerates finds himself at the center of some serious fracas, so his assistant comes up with the brilliant idea of replacing him with a double. The double is just a nobody, of course, with no real powers or authority. A puppet, if you will, controlled by the companyÆs board of directors.ö

ôA double?ö

The sharpest legal mind ever to graduate from NYU nodded earnestly.ôWe ship Cotton off to the Heartfield Clinic, where he can be cured of his sex addiction. We buy off Miss Pilay so she will sever all ties with Cotton, and while your son is safely tucked away at Heartfield, a double takes his place, his every decision controlled by us.ö

ôI see,ö said Diedrich thoughtfully. ôAnd where do you propose we find this idiot?ö

The lawyerÆs lips formed a devious moue. ôOh, I have one lined up for us already, sir.ö

Chapter 2

Eric Blandine was a man as bland as his name suggested. He was a lowly worker drone whoÆd spent his entire adult life stocking tins of foie gras, drums of caviar and boxes of exclusive pralines in one of the many warehouses that furnished these delicacies to airport stores and gift shops supplied by the Karat Group. And he was just fulfilling a large order of foie gras and boxing them up for imminent shipment when a low whistle sounded in his rear. He turned, and found himself looking at his buddy James Perkins.

ôBoss wants to see you, Goldie,ö said Jimmy with a cheeky grin.

Due to EricÆs uncanny resemblance to Cotton Karat, his colleagues had gotten into the habit of referring to him with the unoriginal nickname Goldie, short for karat gold.

ôWhat does he want to see me for?ö asked Eric, who didnÆt like to be disturbed when he was boxing up an order. He was one of those people who liked to do things the proper way, and being interrupted like this irked his sense of appropriate order and protocol.

ôYour girlfriend probably dropped by,ö said Jimmy.

ôGirlfriend?ö asked Eric, carefully descending the metal ladder and balancing the half-filled box in the crook of his elbow.

ôEbony, of course. Though to be honest I donÆt know what she sees in you, Goldie.ö

ôMust be all of his billions,ö said Margie, another one of EricÆs colleagues. She stood leaning against the rack, taking a break.

ôOr his sex appeal,ö said Jimmy. ôLetÆs not forget about GoldieÆs amazing sex appeal.ö

ôDid you see him at that meeting the other day?ö asked Margie.

ôWhat meeting?ö asked Eric, good-naturedly going along with the gentle ribbing. He was used to it by now, and didnÆt mind.

ôThat big shareholdersÆ meeting. Goldie here kissing and fondling Ebony in front of a room full of stiffs. Looked like he was having a great old time, werenÆt you, Goldie?ö

ôOh, absolutely,ö said Eric as he carefully placed down the box. ôA wonderful time.ö

ôI wonder what Maisie thinks about all this, though,ö said Jimmy, referring to EricÆs wife.

ôIÆll bet sheÆs fine with it,ö said Margie. ôSheÆs a forgiving wife, our Maisie is.ö

ôShe certainly is,ö said Eric with a smile.

ôWhat do you think youÆre doing!ö suddenly a voice rang out through the warehouse. ôGet a move on, Blandine! The boss donÆt got all day, you know!ö

ôYeah, hop to it, Goldie,ö Margie urged him on. ôLetÆs not keep Ebony waiting.ö

ôIÆm coming!ö Eric cried, and hurried off, watched on by his grinning colleagues.

He entered the office, fully expecting to find Norm there, eager to discuss the plans for his upcoming vacation, but instead he found Norm accompanied by two men heÆd never seen before, though one of them looked slightly familiar for some reason.

ôEric, please take a seat,ö said Norm, and gestured to a chair in front of his desk.

ôYes, sir,ö said Eric meekly, and quickly sat down, nervously rubbing his hands on his blue jumpsuit as he did.

Much to his surprise, he found the older of the two visitors eyeing him closely. The man, who was probably in his early sixties, and had one of those big flabby faces, even brought his face so close to his that he could smell the cigar smoke emanating from him.

ôMh,ö said the man finally. ôYou were right, Tobias. It is uncanny.ö

ôIsnÆt it?ö said the other man. He was dressed in an expensive suit, was clean-shaven and had one of those square jaws that reminded Eric of a G-man. He also had heavy brows that half-obscured two sharp eyes that were coldly scrutinizing him. Like a fishmonger studying a halibut and deciding how best to slice and dice it for later consumption.

ôEric,ö said Norm, ôthese two gentlemen have a special request for you.ö

ôOh?ö said Eric, wondering if they were here to place a large order of foie gras.

ôDo you know who I am?ö asked the older man.

ôNo, sir,ö said Eric truthfully.

ôThis is Diedrich Karat,ö said Norm.

Eric stared at the man. Then his eyes traveled to the large picture suspended on the wall behind Norm. It was the same man, only looking slightly younger and a lot skinnier. EricÆs eyes went wide. ôMr. Karat?ö he asked, his voice sounding squeaky to his own ears.

ôThatÆs right,ö said Mr. Karat, nodding with satisfaction at the other manÆs consternation.

ôHas anyone ever told you that you are the spitting image of Mr. KaratÆs son Cotton, Eric?ö asked the younger man, who hadnÆt yet been introduced.

Eric nodded wordlessly.

ôHis colleagues all call him Goldie,ö said Norm. ôFor karat gold?ö he added when the two men turned bland faces to him.

ôIs that so?ö said Mr. Karat with a sort of avuncular smile that didnÆt quite become him. Like a shark trying to affect a grin at its prey. ôWell, I donÆt know if youÆre aware of this, Eric, but my son has recently found himself in a spot of trouble.ö

Once again Eric nodded wordlessly. He now realized he was clenching his buttocks to a painful extent, and that his armpits were twin pools of sweat. ItÆs not every day that you suddenly find yourself in the presence of the big boss of your company.

ôCotton needs to go away for a couple of weeks, Eric,ö the G-man took over the narrative. ôAnd in the meantime we would like you to replace him.ö

EricÆs butt-clenching intensified. ôYou would?ö he squeaked.

ôOnly for a couple of weeks, mind you,ö said Mr. Karat. ôWhile Cotton works through a few issues that are of no concern to you.ö

ôButàö Eric began, but was immediately silenced by a look of warning from Norm.

ôYouÆd be doing the company a huge favor,ö said the G-man.

ôItÆs important that no one find out about Cotton disappearing from the scene,ö Mr. Karat explained. ôOur investors might get antsy. TheyÆre like vultures, you see. One sign of weakness and theyÆre likely to attack and rip the flesh from our bones.ö

ôAnd thatÆs where you come in,ö said the G-man, towering over Eric, as was Mr. Karat. If theyÆd have aimed a spotlight at his face he wouldnÆt have been surprised. ôWe need you to make sure things at the Karat Group look as if itÆs all business as usual. Though of course weÆll shield you off as much as we can. All you need to do is look the part.ö

ôB-b-butàö sputtered Eric.

ôLook the part but notact the part. I mean in meetings or negotiations with clients.ö

ôWeÆll take care of all that,ö Mr. Karat assured him. ôAll you have to do is show up and make it look as if Cotton is right where he should be, in complete control of the company.ö

ôWe donÆt have to tell you that discretion is an absolute necessity,ö said the other man.

ôYouÆre not to breathe a word about this to anyone, you hear?ö said Mr. Karat.

ôNot to your wife, not to your friends or colleagues. Absolutely no one.ö

ôAnd when all is said and done, youÆll be handsomely rewarded.ö

EricÆs ears pricked up. ôRewarded?ö he squeaked.

ôHandsomely.ö

He swallowed as he thought about this for a moment.ôIÆm not sure ifàö he began.

ôEric, this is not a proposition,ö said Norm warningly. ôThis is an assignment.ö

ôThe most important assignment youÆll ever get,ö said Mr. Karat.

ôI donÆt know about thisàö he muttered helplessly.

The two men converged on him, their combined bulk making him shrink and cower.ôYou want to help your employer, donÆt you, Eric?ö said Mr. Karat. ôBe a loyal company man?ö

ôWell, of course, butàö

ôStock options,ö said the G-man with a cold smile as his eyes bored into EricÆs.

ôYes, weÆll give you stock options,ö said Mr. Karat. ôStock options that will make you a very rich man indeed, Mr. Blandine. Stock options that will ensure a future for you and for your family. An unencumbered future for you and your loved ones. How does that sound?ö

ôGood,ö he admitted as he wondered if heÆd ever be able to go to the bathroom again.

ôThis is not a negotiation, Blandine,ö said Norm, as he also got up from behind his desk and joined the browbeating exercise. ôThis is an order. You will pretend to be Cotton Karat from now on, and you will not mention this to anyone. Is that clear?!ö

He meekly nodded. It was perfectly clear. The only problem was: how was he ever going to explain all this to Maisie?

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

ôI donÆt get it,ö said Maisie as she used a cotton pad to remove the makeup from her face. ôWhy do you have to go on a training weekend?ö

ôNot a weekend,ö Eric patiently explained, seated on the bed. ôItÆs a training month.ö

ôIÆve never heard such nonsense in my entire life. Why does a warehouse worker have to go train for a month? What are they going to teach you? How to print labels?ö

ôItÆs because of my promotion, Maisie,ö said Eric. ôI already explained this to you.ö

ôAnd IÆm telling you I donÆt believe a word youÆre telling me. So try again, and this time please donÆt insult me and tell me the truth for a change.ö

ôIt is the truth, sweetheart. Norm called me into his office today and said IÆm being promoted. From now on IÆm going to be team leader. And all team leaders have to train for a month in Garden City. ItÆs standard company policy.ö

Maisie made a skeptical noise as she studied her face in the mirror. She was a large woman, with coarse features and a square doughy face. But even though she wasnÆt exactly pretty, she was the apple of EricÆs eye, and had been since the day they met in high school. It wasnÆt so much that theyÆd fallen in love at first sight and had become high school sweethearts, but more that one day Maisie decided Eric would make a suitable husband and father to her kids and told him that from now on she was his girlfriend. And Eric, meek as usual, had simply accepted her dictum. Not that he had a lot of choice in the matter. When Maisie made a decision, that was the way it was, no back talk allowed.

She now fixed her husband with a curious look.ôYouÆre lying to me, Eric.ö

ôNo, IÆm not,ö he said weakly.

ôI can tell from the way your nose is twitching. ItÆs your tell.ö

ôMy nose isnÆt twitching,ö he said quietly, as his hand surreptitiously traveled to the traitorous appendage and took a firm hold of his schnoz.

Maisie planted both hands on her hips, a clear sign she was fed up with this nonsense.ôEnough of this, Blandine. You better start telling me the truth in oneùtwoùthreeàö

ôAll right, all right!ö he finally cried. ôMr. Karat and his lawyer were in the office today, and they told me I have to pretend to be Cotton Karat for a couple of weeks, while Cotton is off to some clinic somewhere to get cured of his sex addiction. They donÆt want anyone to find out aboutit since it might sink the stock price even further than itÆs already sunk and because I look so much like Cotton they chose me to be his double.ö

Whatever Maisie had expected, it clearly wasnÆt this. But the story was so unlikely, so outrageous, so crazy, that it simply had to be true. ôWell, IÆll be damned,ö she finally said.

ôTheyÆre giving me stock options,ö Eric said, not meeting his wifeÆs gaze. ôA lot of stock options. And if I manage to pull this off, and make the stock go up again, IÆll be a rich man. Or so they said.ö

ôHow much?ö said Maisie curtly. She wasnÆt the kind of woman to hem and haw, but as usual went straight to the heart of the matter.

ôTen stock options at five hundred dollars a share. If the stock starts trading at last weekÆs price again, theyÆll be worth ten thousand.ö

ôAnd if they keep sinking, theyÆll be worth zilch.ö She thought for a moment. ôWhat about Ebony Pilay?ö

ôSheÆs out of the picture. They bought her off.ö

Maisie uttered an incredulous laugh.ôOf course they did. And IÆll bet they offered her a lot more than ten measly stock options.ö

Eric shrugged.ôIt wasnÆt a negotiation, sweetheart. It was either this or I wasnÆt going to have a job anymore. Plus theyÆd blackball me. Make sure I wonÆt find a job elsewhere.ö

She thought for a moment, then finally nodded, her black eyes glittering.ôYouÆll go through with this, and when youÆre halfway through the assignment youÆll ask for another ten options.ö And when her husband started to protest she held up her hand. ôDonÆt you see? They need you more than you need them. How many Cotton lookalikes do you think there are in this country? They must be desperate to hatch such a ridiculous scheme.ö She rubbed her hands. ôThis is our chance to make some serious moolah. Lots and lots of it.ö

Eric sighed and let himself drop down on the bed.

He had a feeling his troubles had only just begun.

Chapter 3

I was peacefully sleeping at the foot of OdeliaÆs bed and dreaming of some prime kibble when suddenly a loud scream brutally tore through the gossamer cobweb of my dream. The scream seemed to come from somewhere close by, and when I opened my eyes and lifted my head, I saw that it was actually Odelia herself who was screaming!

Immediately I rose up and padded across the bed to find out what was going on. Was the baby she was carrying kicking up a fuss? Had Odelia had a nightmare and had it thrown her for a loop? When you live with a human you soon realize anything is possible.

But when I joined her, I saw that she was staring at something on her pillow in horror. It wasnÆt Chase, for he was now supporting himself on one elbow and staring at the same spot, his face also contorted in abject shock.

And then I saw it: a mouse, placed neatly on the edge of OdeliaÆs pillow.

Dooley, whoÆd been resting alongside me, now also came trotting up. He was smiling, and when I glanced over to him, he gave me a wink!

ôItÆs a mouse,ö said Chase dully. As a detective, that was some quick thinking on his part.

ôI can see itÆs a mouse,ö said Odelia. ôBut what is it doing there?ö

ôIt looks dead,ö said Chase, as he gave the critter a gentle nudge with his finger.

ôI donÆt get it,ö said Odelia. ôSo it crawled up onto my pillow in the middle of the night and then died?ö

Both she and Chase now looked in my direction, as if expecting an explanation from yours truly. I could see why, of course. IÆm a cat, you see, and cats are well known for being in the habit of catching mice and depositing them wherever takes their fancy.

ôI didnÆt put it there,ö I assured them. ôIn fact IÆve never seen this mouse before.ö

To be absolutely honest, IÆm not one for all this mouse-catching business. I always say live and let live, and that goes for every living creature under the sunùeven mice.

ôI put that mouse on your pillow,ö suddenly Dooley piped up, and he even looked proud as he spoke these immortal words.

ôDooley!ö Odelia cried. ôWhat the hell!ö

DooleyÆs smile faltered. ôI thought youÆd like it,ö he said in his defense.

ôYou thought IÆd enjoy finding a dead mouse on my pillow?!ö

ôWellàö he said. ôMost humans seem to like it.ö

ôOh, Dooley,ö Odelia sighed as she stared at the offending dead animal some more.

ôDid Dooley put it there?ö asked Chase.

ôHe did. He thought it was a good idea.ö

ôHave you been watching the Discovery Channel again?ö I asked my friend.

Dooley nodded, looking a little shamefaced now.ôThere was a documentary on last night. About how cats always bring their humans little presents. Like mice and birds andà and worms and such. And the humans in the documentary seemed to like it.ö

ôIÆll bet they did,ö I said, shaking my head.

Odelia regretted her harsh rebuke when she saw DooleyÆs discomfiture. So she patted my friendÆs head and said, ôItÆs very sweet of you to bring me a present, Dooley, but you didnÆt have to do that.ö She eyed him more closely. ôTell me you didnÆt kill that mouse?ö

ôOf course not!ö said Dooley, horrified at the idea. ôIt was dead when I found it.ö

ôGood,ö said Odelia. Clearly she didnÆt like the idea of her sweet cats turning into a couple of nocturnal predators all of a sudden.

ôWhere did you find it?ö I asked, curious.

ôIn the field behind the house,ö said Dooley.

ôIt died a natural death,ö Odelia assured her husband.

Chase grunted something under his breath. He didnÆt seem overly concerned whether the mouse had died from old age or from an attack by some ravenous stalker. ôIÆll get rid of it,ö he said, and picked the mouse up by its tail, then carried it off, presumably to dump it in the compost bin for later disposal and subsequent recycling.

ôDonÆt you think we should return it where Dooley found it?ö I asked. ôThat mouse has a mother and a father, and sisters and brothers, who are probably wondering where it went off to all of a sudden.ö

ôBetter put it in the field,ö Odelia instructed her husband. ôLet nature take its course.ö

ôIt will attract other, bigger animals,ö Chase warned.

Odelia shrugged.ôWe could give it a proper burial,ö she suggested.

Chase grinned, still holding the mouse between thumb and index finger.ôA proper burial for a mouse?ö

ôItÆs a living, breathing creature, Chase. It deserves our respect.ö

Chase inspected the dead mouse. I had the impression he wanted to point out it wasnÆt breathing or living anymore, but he wisely refrained from stating the obvious. Instead, he said, ôIÆll stick it in the fridge for now. We can bury it later on.ö

And since Odelia and Chase were up, they decided to get ready for their day. The sun had hoisted itself over the horizon and was casting its rays into the room. Rise and shine!

ôI donÆt get it,ö I told Dooley while Odelia took a shower and Chase rummaged around in search of a suitable coffin for the mouse. ôWhy would you think itÆs a good idea to put a dead mouse on OdeliaÆs pillow?ö

ôItÆs the baby,ö my friend explained, looking pained. ôOnce the baby is born, itÆs going to take up a big chunk of OdeliaÆs time and attention. And then what about me?ö

ôSheÆll still have time for us,ö I said. ôItÆs not as if sheÆll suddenly forget all about us.ö

ôShe wonÆt forget about you,ö Dooley clarified. ôBecause youÆre her favorite.ö

ôIÆm not her favorite,ö I said with a laugh.

ôOh, yes, you are. You solve crimes and make her look good. YouÆre her ace sleuth, Max.ö

ôOkay, so what about Harriet and Brutus? TheyÆre not ace sleuths and Odelia loves them just as much as she loves us.ö

ôShe loves Harriet because sheÆs pretty, and Brutus because heÆs big and strong. But me? I donÆt have any special qualities, Max. IÆm not smart like you, IÆm not pretty like Harriet, and IÆm not big and strong like Brutus. IÆmà superfluous.ö

I was taken aback, both from hearing Dooley use such a difficult word, and by the meaning behind it.ôYouÆre not superfluous, Dooley. YouÆreà sweet and cuddly.ö

He gave me a skeptical look.ôPlease. Sweet and cuddly is not an admirable quality.ö

ôIt is! And youÆre very sweet and very cuddly, Dooley.ö

But he didnÆt seem convinced. ôI need a USP, Max.ö

ôYou mean UPS, surely?ö

ôNo, I need a unique selling proposition. You and Harriet and Brutus all have one, and I also need one, or the moment that baby is born, theyÆll simply chuck me out.ö

ôNobody is going to chuck you out, Dooley.ö

ôThey will, unless I make myself indispensable. Which is why I thought of that mouse.ö

ôI very much doubt youÆll make yourself indispensable by festooning OdeliaÆs pillow with dead mice.ö

ôYeah, she didnÆt seem to like it all that much, did she?ö

ôNo, she did not.ö

We both looked on as Odelia removed the cover from the pillow and dumped it into the laundry basket, then picked up the pillow, thought for a moment, and dumped that into the laundry basket, too. Then she removed the cover from the duvet and put that in the laundry, and finally ended up putting both her and ChaseÆs duvets into the laundry, as well as the mattress cover, and if Chase hadnÆt entered the room and stopped her, I had the impression she would have stripped the mattress off the bed, too, for deep cleaning.

No, DooleyÆs new USP wasnÆt exactly a big hit with this expectant mother.

Chapter 4

Dooley and I were tucking into our first kibble of the day when a special news bulletin caught Odelia and ChaseÆs attention. As usual, the TV had been blaring away in a corner of the kitchen, supplying some pleasant background noise while our humans prepared breakfast for themselves, when Chase turned up the sound.

ôWell-known business tycoon Cotton Karat conducted his annual shareholdersÆ meeting, but had more eyes for his girlfriendÆs bottom than for his companyÆs bottom line,ö the newscaster intoned with visible glee. Footage of Cotton Karat kissing a stunning brunette supplied images to the newscasterÆs words. ôShareholders were less than impressed, and major shareholder Elvis Diamond even threatened legal action if Cotton doesnÆt stop acting like a lovesick puppy and more like the businessman heÆs supposed to be. Karat Group shares dropped like a stone, shaving off billions of dollars from the companyÆs value.ö The newscaster now turned to his co-host. ôWhat do you think, Karen? Would you buy from a man who is as loved up as Cotton Karat clearly is?ö

ôAbsolutely not, Mike. If a man devotes all of his time to his girlfriend and none of it to his company, why would he expect me to buy his products? He obviously doesnÆt care.ö

ôOuch. Looks like Cotton lost himself another customer.ö

The news bulletin turned to the weather forecast, and Chase turned down the sound.

ôWhat do they sell, this Karat Group?ö he asked as he buttered a piece of toast.

ôLuxury stuff, mainly,ö said Odelia. ôCaviar, foie gras, expensive cigarsà But also jewelry and designer clothes, watches, pursesà Anything that we canÆt afford,ö she finished with a rueful smile.

ôLooks like they can afford to lose a couple of billion in revenue.ö

ôNot sure they can. Ever since Cotton Karat took over from his dad, itÆs been one PR disaster after another. Frankly the investors and shareholders are getting fed up.ö

ôWell, as long as they donÆt kill each other over it, I donÆt care,ö said the cop as he took a sip from his piping hot coffee.

ôI actually interviewed Cotton Karat a couple of months ago,ö said Odelia, taking a seat at the kitchen counter. ôHe seemed like a nice enough guy. A real playboy, though. Seemed more interested in showing off his fancy car collection and his latest supermodel girlfriend than the company heÆs supposed to be running.ö

Just then, suddenly the glass sliding door opened and OdeliaÆs dad walked in. He was looking a little wild-eyed and was anxiously glancing behind him as if he was a character in a Robert Ludlum novel, being persecuted by some nefarious government conspiracy.

Without a word, he made a beeline for OdeliaÆs fridge, yanked it open and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for: a sizable sausage. He then cut a big chunk off the sausage, and still without a word of explanation, popped it into his mouth, closed his eyes in relish, and chewed on the delicacy as if it was a spoonful of Karat caviar.

ôDad!ö said Odelia with a laugh. ôWhatÆs going on?ö

ôVegetarians,ö said Tex with a dark look in the direction of the door. Like Jason Bourne, his attackers could presumably enter through that door at any moment, eager to kill him.

ôVegetarians?ö asked Odelia. ôWhat are you talking about?ö

ôYour grandmother has gone over to the dark side,ö said the doctor, continuing to be mystifying. When the others merely stared at him, he said, ôSheÆs become a vegetarian.ö

ôPoor Dad,ö said Chase with a chuckle. ôYou mean youÆre not allowed to eat meat anymore?ö

Tex nodded, as he eyed the rest of that sausage eagerly.

ôEat it,ö Odelia suggested. ôThereÆs plenty more where that came from.ö

ôAre you sure?ö said Chase. ôWe donÆt want him to break the vegetarianÆs pledge.ö

Tex gave his son-in-law a dark look.ôItÆs not as if IÆve got a choice. SheÆs making me eat tofu,ö he said. ôCan you imagine? Tofu!ö

ôI like tofu,ö said Odelia. ôItÆs very tasty.ö

ôBut I want chicken!ö Tex cried. ôAnd steak. And ribs. And sausage!ö And to show us he wasnÆt lying, he didnÆt bother with the knife, but simply bit off a huge chunk of sausage and chomped down like a man wrecked on some desert island who hasnÆt eaten for days.

Just then, another person arrived on the scene. It was Gran, and when she caught sight of Tex, taking another big bite out of that sausage, her face took on a grim look.ôTex Poole!ö she cried, planting her hands on her bony hips. ôWhat did I tell you about eating meat!ö

ôThat itÆs bad for me?ö asked Tex sheepishly.

ôVery bad,ö said Gran. ôBoth for your health and for the environment. Spit it out!ö She held a hand in front of her son-in-lawÆs face and we watched as Tex reluctantly spat out the half-chewed sausage into her hand. She then disposed of it and gave Odelia a nasty look. ôAnd you!ö she said, pointing a finger at her granddaughter, ôshould know better than to aid and abet a known meat addict!ö

Odelia and Chase shared a look of surprise, but before they could respond, Gran was already stomping back to the door, a sad-looking Tex in her wake.ôIÆve got a nice breakfast for you, Tex,ö Gran was saying. ôFully plant-based and filled with all of the necessary nutrients and vitamins, and none of those awful toxins that you only find in meat products.ö And after lobbing a warning look in our direction, she walked out.

ôPoor Dad,ö said Odelia once the coast was clear again.

ôYeah, and poor us,ö said Chase. ôCause knowing your grandmother, she wonÆt stop until sheÆs converted this entire town into vegetarianism.ö

ôMaybe I should have put that mouse on TexÆs pillow,ö Dooley suggested. ôI have a feeling heÆs going to need it.ö

ôPlease donÆt put any mice on anyoneÆs pillow, Dooley,ö I said. ôWhatever the Discovery Channel says, itÆs not a good idea.ö

ôBut itÆs my USP, Max,ö he said. ôIn fact itÆs the only USP IÆve got!ö

Chapter 5

Breakfast over, Dooley and I ventured outside.ôI just hope Gran wonÆt try and convince us to switch to a plant-based diet,ö I said as we passed through the cat flap. ôItÆs all good and well for humans, but cats are carnivores. We need our bits of meat.ö

ôI donÆt know, Max,ö said Dooley. ôI donÆt think thatÆs necessarily true. When I was holding that mouse in my mouth, I thought about eating it, and I actually felt nauseous.ö

ôThatÆs because weÆre basically spoiled, pampered cats, Dooley. For a cat like Clarice, a nice fat mouse is like a delicacy.ö Then again, our friend Clarice will even eat rats almost as big as she is. She truly is a rare specimen.

Stretched out on the lawn, we found Harriet and Brutus, taking in some of that early morning sun that is so pleasant. The rays were tickling their bellies, and they looked as well-fed as only two pampered, spoiled cats can look. They also looked thoroughly bored, as their next words indicated.

ôWeÆre bored, Max,ö said Harriet, a pretty white Persian. ôDonÆt you have a case for us to solve or something?ö

ôYeah, Maxie baby,ö said Brutus, a butch, black cat, ôa nice juicy murder case is exactly what we need right now.ö

ôI found a dead mouse this morning,ö Dooley announced. ôI put it on OdeliaÆs pillow but she wasnÆt happy.ö

ôThis mouse,ö said Harriet, perking up, ôwas it bludgeoned to death? Poisoned with some obscure poison? Its throat cut? Shot at close range? Or even garroted, maybe?ö

ôNone of the above,ö I said. ôIt probably died of old age.ö

Harriet sank back down again.ôOh,ö she said, quickly losing interest.

ôI donÆt get it,ö said Brutus. ôUsually youÆre knee-deep in some murder investigation, Max. So whatÆs going on, huh? Why isnÆt there some hot suspect youÆre pursuing?ö

ôBecause it isnÆt every day that a murder is committed in this town, Brutus,ö I said. ôAnd a good thing, too. Imagine that people got murdered left, right and center every moment of every day. Hampton Cove would be homicide central and would become uninhabitable.ö

ôTell me thereÆs some case youÆre working on, Max,ö Harriet pleaded. ôAnything!ö

ôNope,ö I said, also resuming a restful position on the lawn. ôNothing at all.ö And actually I liked it that way. I know that people think IÆm some kind of feline sleuth or something, and that IÆm not happy until I can sink my teeth into a case, but in fact that couldnÆt be further from the truth. All I want is to lead a quiet and peaceful life. Eat some kibble, take a nap, spend some time with my friends, eat some kibble, take another napà

In other words: the circle of life.

ôLook, I know weÆve been giving you a hard time,ö Brutus piped up. ôTrying to compete with you and all of that stuff. But IÆm here to tell you that from now on weÆll be good.ö

I frowned at the cat.ôWhat are you talking about?ö

ôIÆm offering you a truce, Max! LetÆs work together, eh?ö

ôI thought we were working together.ö

ôI thought so, too, but itÆs clear to me that youÆre holding out on us.ö He gave me a keen look. ôWhat are you working on right now? A shooting? A stabbing? A hanging? What?!ö

ôNothing!ö I said. ôIÆm not working on anything right now!ö

ôOh, donÆt be like that, Max,ö said Harriet. ôJust tell us!ö

ôYeah, talk to us, buddy. I promise weÆll collaborate.ö

ôAll IÆm working on right now is a nap scheme.ö

ôA nap scheme?ö

ôYes. IÆve been feeling a little weak lately, and itÆs left me wondering if IÆm getting enough sleep. So now IÆm wondering where to squeeze in another couple of hours.ö

Harriet shared a look of concern with her mate.ôHeÆs holding out on us,ö was BrutusÆs conclusion.

ôIÆm not holding out on you!ö

ôLook, Max,ö said Brutus. ôI get it. YouÆre smart. YouÆre clever. In fact youÆre probably some kind of genius. I donÆt know how you do it, cause you donÆt look like a genius. In fact you look more like a big orange blob.ö

ôBlorange blob,ö I muttered.

ôSo youÆve got a brain like Einstein inside a blorange blob body. It happens. I canÆt explain it, but itÆs probably one of those things. Like Cherry Coke or deep-fried butter on a stick. In other words: an anomaly. But IÆm here to tell you that from now on you can count on me and Harriet to do your legwork for you.ö

ôWhat are you talking about?ö I asked.

ôLikeJake and the Fatman? IÆll be Jake and youÆre the Fatman.ö He grinned. ôOr in your case more like the Fatcat.ö

ôI donÆt get it,ö I said, frowning.

He sighed.ôAll great detectives have a loony sidekick,ö he said, gesturing to Dooley, ôbut they also have a team of dicks who hunt down clues, spy on suspects and generally get busy with the rough stuff. And thatÆs where Harriet and I come in: weÆll be your dicks. So you better start talking, buddy, cause this offer is a time-limited one. WeÆre going to help you nail the perp, but only if you put your cards on the table and do it right now.ö

He gave me a warning look that spoke volumes.

Unfortunately, as appealing as his offer was, I had no case to offer him, and when I told him as much, he made a disgusted gesture with his paw.ôYou got a lot to learn, Maxie baby,ö he said finally. ôFor one thing, detective work is a team sport, not a solo venture. So if you donÆt get wise soon, this?ö he said, gesturing between us, ôis over before it started.ö

And so he and Harriet took their leave, presumably to go look for some hot case to pursue, and left me and Dooley to think about their words.

ôAm I a loony sidekick, Max?ö asked Dooley finally.

ôOf course not, buddy,ö I said.

ôIÆm not?ö asked Dooley, alarmed. ôWhy not?ö

I stared at him.ôYou want to be my loony sidekick?ö

ôOf course!ö

ôOkay, then I guess you are.ö

The smile he gave me was something to behold.ôThanks, Max. So maybe thatÆs my USP?ö

ôOf course, Dooley,ö I said, hoping I could finally get some nap time in now.

Chapter 6

As it turned out, my nap time was cut short when Odelia decided she needed us on an assignment in town. It wasnÆt a murder case, or even any kind of case. In fact it was just the kind of thing Odelia is good at: covering an event that is of interest to the general public. Or in other words: the people who buy theHampton Cove Gazette and in so doing pay her bills.

And so it was that we arrived at Town Hall, where a local captain of industry was being awarded some kind of medal in recognition of his contributions to the economy. And much to my surprise, it was in fact Cotton Karat who was the recipient of this award as doled out by Mayor Butterwick.

The award ceremony was a boring and long-winded affair, with plenty of speeches by the Mayor as well as several council members. Politicians may be chosen for their eloquence as well as their managerial qualities, but that obviously didnÆt apply to the can of council members theyÆd opened today, as the only purpose their particular oratorial set of skills served was a soporific one. I only woke up to watch Cotton Karat, who was a handsome man in his early forties, being offered his medal and accepting it gratefully.

The man was dressed in a snazzy suit, his hair was neatly coiffed and his face bronzed, but when it finally came time for him to launch into a speech of his own, a man with thick, heavy brows stepped in, and said that Mr. KaratÆs time was precious, and unfortunately he had a prior engagement that needed his urgent attention.

And so the playboy businessman was whisked off before he could entertain us with his words of wisdom and his business acumen.

Once outside, we watched as he descended the stairs en route to his limo, but as he reached that safe haven of luxury, suddenly a woman tore herself away from a pack of spectators and approached the business leader. She was holding a can of some substance in her arms, and before anyone could stop her, she was hoisting it in the direction of Mr. Karat, dousing him with some sticky red liquid that looked a lot like blood!

ôMurderer!ö the woman was screaming. ôAnimal slaughterer! Nazi butcher!ö

And suddenly out from the crowd, more people sprang forward, hoisting banners scribbled with slogans that echoed the blood-throwing womanÆs incendiary cries. They were like a flash mob from hell.

æMeat is murder,Æ read one, and æDucks are people, too,Æ another, while a third announced that æFoie gras is a crime against humanity.Æ

It all seemed very staged, somehow, as if it wasnÆt real. But then suddenly two familiar figures popped onto the scene, also hoisting a banner. They were Gran and her best friend Scarlett Canyon! And the banner they held aloft read, æCotton Karat is a mass murderer!Æ

ôIsnÆt that Gran?ö asked Dooley.

ôYeah, it is,ö I said, much surprised.

ôWhat is she saying?ö

ôSomething about ducks,ö I said, though it was hard to make out exactly what it was she was shouting, since a lot of people were shouting a lot of stuff, not least of whom were the two bodyguards Cotton had brought along with him, and who were now ushering their charge into the waiting limo. But before they could whisk the man away to safety, he held up his hand to wave at his attacker for some reason, and give her a kindly smile.

Not exactly a hard-boiled business shark, I thought as I watched the scene unfold. More like Santa Claus giving the children whoÆve come out to greet him a friendly wave.

While the limo drove off, the two bodyguards shouting something into their wrist mics, and jogging alongside the limo, not unlike the Secret Service when the President comes to town, Gran and her cronies kept screaming abuse at the departing tycoon.

ôItÆs going to be very difficult to clean that upholstery,ö Dooley remarked.

ôYeah, especially since I have the impression that it was paint, not blood.ö

ôYou think?ö

ôOh, absolutely.ö

Plenty of the fake blood had ended up on the sidewalk, which now looked as if a minor massacre had taken place there. We approached and took a sniff and indeed determined that it was paint.ôOdd,ö said Dooley. ôWhy would they pour paint on that poor man?ö

ôI think itÆs a symbolic thing,ö I said.

ôSymbolic, how?ö

ôThey seem to think eating meat is tantamount to murder, and to emphasize the fact, they canÆt think of anything better to do than to pour a few gallons of fake blood on the person they deem guilty of this murder.ö

ôMurder!ö my friend cried.

ôIt is a fact that the chickens, turkeys, cows and other animals killed to provide nourishment to a large cross section of the population, are killed without their written approval. So in a sense you might consider this a crime against the animal kingdom.ö

This gave my friend food for thought, for I didnÆt hear from him for the next ten minutes.

The protesters, now without a target to direct their protest at, were rolling up their banners and quietly conversing amongst themselves. Odelia, who had strolled up and was interviewing a few of them, wanting to get their view on the recent events, kept a keen eye on her grandmother and Scarlett, and I could sense that a rebuke trembled on the intrepid reporterÆs lips. ItÆs one thing to strictly forbid your son-in-law to eat meat, but quite another to be arrested for causing damage to public property. And that an arrest was imminent became obvious when the constabulary suddenly arrived on the scene. Belatedly, one might say, but to compensate for their tardiness they had arrived en masse.

Moments later, the protesters had been taken into custody, Gran and Scarlett included, and carted off into several paddy wagons, dispatched especially for the occasion.

And thus ended GranÆs first protest.

ôI wish I was a fly on the wall,ö said Odelia, ôlistening in when Uncle Alec discovers his people have just arrested his mother and her friend.ö

For some reason the prospect seemed to provide her with great joy, for she was grinning with obvious delight. I guess Odelia isnÆt much of a vegetarian herself.

The one thing I found myself wondering as we made to leave, was what had happened to CottonÆs girlfriend the supermodel. If I had understood correctly from the news report, those two were inseparable. And receiving a signature honor like a medal doled out by the town mayor would be just the event for this Ebony Pilay to grace with her presence.

So where was she? Or had Cotton already dumped her and replaced the model with a newer model? Judging from the manÆs track record the notion wasnÆt a far-fetched one.

Chapter 7

Ebony was staring at her phone, her mind a whirlwind and her chest ravaged by a storm of emotions.

æI think itÆs time for us to take a break,Æ the text said. æIÆm sure you understand. Cotton.Æ

SheÆd read it three times already, and by the time she reached the end once more, that whirlwind raging in her head suddenly became focused and hot like a laser beam.

Dumped! The bastard had dumped her! By text, no less!

Gritting perfect teeth, the supermodelÆs perfect face spelled the perfect storm. And as her nails furiously clicked on her phoneÆs screen, typing out an appropriately fiery response, she suddenly halted and made one of those quick decisions she was so famous for with anyone from top designers, photographers to fashion show stage managers.

Five minutes later she was zooming along in her silver Mini Cooper, making a mockery of the townÆs speeding laws, and another ten minutes later she pulled up outside the main offices of the Karat Group on the outskirts of Hampton Cove.

She waltzed into the building, paid no attention to the receptionistÆs annoying yapping, and immediately set foot for her boyfriendÆs office, her high-heeled Louboutins clacking on the marble floor. The receptionistÆs shouts in her rear were like background noise as she steeled herself for the upcoming confrontation with the bastard. Then she threw the doors wide and stormed into the manÆs office.

Cotton was in conference with that weaselly lawyer of his, but she didnÆt care.

ôHow dare you!ö she screamed as she placed her phone on his desk. ôHow dare you break up with me by text!ö

ôE-E-Ebony!ö the man cried as he got up from behind his desk.

ôYou could at least have the guts to dump me in person!ö she said, and assumed one of her favored positions: three-quarter turn, hip thrust out, chin up, hand resting on opposite hip. It was the pose she ended every show with, and which had earned her the title æQueen of the catwalk.Æ Invariably a thunderous applause followed this stance, but today all it earned her was a blank stare from her lover and irate glances from the lawyer.

ôBut E-E-Ebonyàö Cotton bleated helplessly.

She frowned at the man. SheÆd expected some fireworks, not this pitiful display of snivelly weakness. ôWell?ö she demanded. ôWhat do you have to say for yourself?ö

ôI-I-Iàö the man stuttered. He seemed to have gone through some sort of transformation, she saw. One in which his balls had been removed and replaced with jelly.

ôItÆs another woman, isnÆt it? Who? I have a right to know!ö

ôNo, no, nothing like that!ö Cotton assured her as he seemed to hide behind his desk.

She walked around the desk, and now stood in front of him, studying him up close and personal. Then she frowned.ôYou look different,ö she said. She placed an imperious hand on his head and tossed his hair like a salad. ôYour hairà did you cut it? And your eyes, they look different, too.ö She narrowed her own eyes. ôAre you wearing colored contacts?ö

ôY-y-yes,ö he stammered. ôYes, thatÆs it. Colored contacts.ö

ôLook, Miss Pilay,ö said the lawyer. ôCotton is a very busy man, soàö

ôSomething is not right,ö Ebony said finally. ôWhat is it? It canÆt be another woman. ThereÆs no one like me. Are you sick? Is that it?ö

ôYes,ö said Cotton, nodding furiously. ôI-I donÆt feel so good.ö And as his knees suddenly failed him, he dropped down in his chair.

Ebony immediately pounced on him, pinning him down by placing both hands on the arms of the chair and bringing her face within inches of his.ôYou canÆt do this to Ebony, Cotton. Ebony wonÆt be dumped by text. In fact Ebony wonÆt be dumped, period. ItÆs not done.ö And as she gazed deeply into his eyes, she sensed something was seriously wrong here. Usually when she was up close and personal with the man like this, the animal magnetism that had brought them together and caused electricity to crackle like wildfire, invariably made him drag her mouth to his and consume her in an explosion of heat.

But not now. She didnÆt feel a thing. The man was as passionate as a wet blanket.

She frowned at her former loverùthe man who had set her world alight from the moment they first met at a Met Gala after-party. ôSomething isnÆt right,ö she determined. She pulled back, studying the wet blanket. ôSomething isnÆt right at all,ö she concluded.

She glanced to the lawyer, who seemed to have lost his tongueùa rare occurrence.

ôThis isnÆt over, Cotton!ö she shouted as she retreated and walked out. ôYou havenÆt seen the last of me!ö

And as she slammed the door, she wondered what the hell was going on.

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

Tobias stared after the woman, and winced as she slammed the door. The moment she was gone, Eric Blandine gave him a typically insipid look.ôDo you think she knows?ö he asked.

Tobias rubbed his chin thoughtfully.ôI donÆt know. But she suspects something, thatÆs for sure.ö

ôMaybe you should have told her the truth?ö Eric suggested.

ôAnd have her run to the first reporter to spill the story? No way.ö

ôWhat if she runs to the nearest reporter now?ö

ôShe wonÆt. She canÆt be sure that youÆre not Cotton.ö

Eric directed a dreamy look at the closed door.ôWhat a woman,ö he sighed. EbonyÆs perfume still hung in the air, and Tobias had to admit it was as intoxicating as the lady herself.

But then he steeled himself.ôThis is exactly the kind of thing we have to avoid at all cost. If Ebony finds out, weÆre sunkùand that means this entire operation is sunk. And if the operation is a bust, Karat Group is dead meat.ö

ôSo what do suggest, Mr. Pushman?ö

ôI suggest that we tighten security. First that fracas at Town Hall, and now this?ö He slammed the palm of his hand with his fist. ôItÆs exactly this kind of thing we canÆt afford.ö

ôShe looked very upset,ö Eric mused. ôI think she must love Cotton a great deal.ö

ôThatÆs not love,ö the lawyer scoffed. ôItÆs lust.ö

ôLust,ö said Eric with a sigh. It was obvious he didnÆt know the meaning of the word. Then again, Tobias had seen EricÆs wife. Not exactly a woman who inspired the kind of torrid emotion that Ebony Pilay seemed to inspire in the men she dated. ôSheÆs certainly something else,ö Eric concluded.

ôWhatever she is,ö the lawyer concluded, his jaw working, ôMiss Pilay is a problem.ö

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

That night, Ebony was gazing out of the window of the loft she inhabited. A glass of Chardonnay in her hand, her mind was filled with images of Cotton. Even though Ebony prided herself never to fall in love with the men she dated, she had to admit that Cotton had gotten under her skin. She wouldnÆt go so far as to say sheÆd fallen for the guy, but he was certainly a hard man to forget.

He was also the first man whoÆd ever dumped her.

She took a sip from the wine and savored it on her tongue. It brought back sweet memories of their first date. SheÆd only gone out with Cotton because a mutual friend had set them up, not expecting them to hit it off. But they had. In fact they hadnÆt even finished their meal. The night had ended with her in his arms in some hotel room near the restaurant, and theyÆd experienced one of those whirlwind romances you always hear so much about but which only seem to happen to people in the movies or on TV.

Cotton had taken her breath away, and frankly sheÆd already started allowing herself to think that he just might be the one.

And now this.

And as she thought back to that afternoon, suddenly a thought occurred to her. Was it possible that CottonÆs entourage had drugged him? Or hypnotized him? He certainly hadnÆt seemed like himself. More like a watered-down version of the man sheÆd come to know so intimately she felt she knew him better than he knew himself.

And whoever the man she met was, it sure as hell wasnÆt Cotton.

Suddenly she thought she heard somethingùa noise that seemed to come from the entrance to the flat. And as she glanced over, suddenly a tiny sliver of fear struck her.

If these people could make Cotton disappear, what else were they capable of?

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

Eric Blandine had had an eventful day. HeÆd been doused with fake blood, accosted by the woman he had supposedly dumped, and so when heÆd received the invitation, heÆd figured it was just one more hurdle on the road to making this assignment a success.

For make no mistake: Eric might be the meekest, kindest man on the planet, but he was also determined to make a go at playing Cotton Karat. Even though he loved his job, it hadnÆt escaped his attention that here was the opportunity of a lifetime: the opportunity to make a great deal of money.

He could buy a house in the suburbs. He could get a decent car. He could take Maisie on the kind of holiday she deserved, instead of taking her camping again. In other words: if he played his cards right, this unusual request could completely turn their life around.

He entered the barn where the ducks were kept and wondered why they were meeting here. ItÆs not as if he didnÆt have a perfectly nice condo where they could meet.

The odor of the ducks filled his nostrils and he grimaced. All around him, there was a kind of soft quacking, produced by the thousands of ducks gathered in the barn. Subdued light filtered in through grimy windows, and since he was afraid to make his presence known, and hadnÆt brought his phone or a flashlight, his well-shod right foot suddenly trod in something soft and squishy that he instantly knew was duck dung.

Yuck.

Sidestepping the first turd, he stepped in another turd with his other foot, to even things out.

Double yuck.

One nice thing about being Cotton were the fine clothes the man wore. HeÆd been granted access to CottonÆs wardrobe, and he had to admit that whatever his faults were, the guy had taste. He checked his expensive watch and frowned when he noted the time.

ôWhere isùö he started to mutter, when suddenly he heard the sound of a footfall behind him. But when he whirled around to face the person, suddenly pain shot through the back of his head, a pain so sharp and unexpected that he cried out in agony.

And as he sank down to his knees, the last thought that passed through his mind was that now his five-thousand-dollar Tom Ford pants were going to be ruined, too.

Chapter 8

I woke up early again the next morning. Once again a loud scream tore me from a pleasant dream about a soft couch and a favorite blanket.

ôDooley!ö Odelia yelled, and immediately I was wide awake.

I searched around, fearing the worst, but when my gaze encountered my friendÆs, and he looked back at me guiltily but very obviously alive and well, I let out a sigh of relief.

ôWhy!ö Odelia cried. ôJust tell me why!!!ö

I frowned when I took in the scene. On OdeliaÆs pillow this time no mouse, thank God. But when I looked closer, I saw that a tiny feathered thing had found its way thither. I had to really approach to discover what the little present was that Dooley had picked out for our human.

It was a bird. A tiny bird, but still a bird.

ôI-I found it lying outside,ö Dooley explained timidly. ôAnd I thought youÆd enjoy the present.ö

ôWhat is it?ö asked Chase, yawning. Then he frowned. ôIs thatà a bird?ö

ôIt is!ö Odelia said. She was sitting bolt upright in bed and had folded her arms across her chest and was giving Dooley a look that brooked no contest. ôWell? IÆm waiting for an explanation.ö

ôItÆs my USP!ö Dooley said, a little lamely, I thought.

ôYour what?ö

ôMy USP. Max is the brains of this family, Brutus the brawn, Harriet the beauty, and I like to bring you little presents. ItÆs what cats do,ö he added helplessly. ôItÆs what I do.ö

ôWell, I want you stop doing it, Dooley. I want you to stop bringing me little presents in the morning, especially if they consist of dead mice and dead birds!ö

ôDid Dooley kill a bird?ö asked Chase with a note of concern to his voice.

ôI didnÆt kill it,ö said Dooley. ôIt was already dead.ö

A worm now came poking its head to the surface of the dead birdÆs chest and both Odelia and Chase cried out in horror. It wasnÆt unlike that chestburster scene inAlien, only on a much smaller scale, of course.

ôLooks like this bird has been dead a couple of days,ö Chase remarked dryly.

ôJust get rid of it, will you?ö said his wife.

ôWant me to bury it, like I buried the mouse?ö

ôYes, please do!ö said Odelia, sounding out of sorts.

Then again, it probably isnÆt a pleasant sensation to find a dead bird on your pillow first thing in the morning.

ôI thought youÆd enjoy the present,ö said Dooley dejectedly.

ôWell, I donÆt,ö said Odelia in a voice that brooked no contest.

And as we watched, the whole ritual started anew: after Chase had found a box appropriate for the mortal remains of the bird to be buried in, Odelia tore off the cover of her pillow, then tore off the cover of the duvet, and finally shoved covers and pillow and duvet into the washing machine, giving the knob a vicious twist as she did.

ôLooks like that didnÆt hit the spot,ö said Dooley finally.

ôNo, it clearly did not,ö I agreed with him.

ôWell, IÆll just have to keep looking for my USP.ö

ôNo, Dooley, you donÆt,ö I said, but the mulish look on his face told me that I could argue until the cows came home, it was no good. He was going to look for his USP if it killed him. Or us. Then again, dead mice and birds probably arenÆt a health hazard. Or are they?

Moments later we were downstairs in the living room, chillaxing on the couch and keeping an eye on our humans as they got ready to start their working day. All of a sudden the doorbell chimed, and moments later Uncle Alec walked in. OdeliaÆs uncle drops by so often Odelia has given him a key to the place. But like the nice guy he is, he rings first.

ôBad news, people,ö said the Chief as he ambled up. ôThereÆs beenàö He sniffed the air. ôIs thatà bacon?ö

ôYeah, want some?ö asked Chase. He had donned an apron and was presiding over the stove, cooking up strips of bacon for himself and Odelia.

ôDonÆt mind if I do,ö said Uncle Alec as he graced a kitchen stool with his bulk. ôCharlene has gotten it into her nut that weÆre going to be vegetarians from now on,ö he explained. ôAnd frankly itÆs driving me to despair.ö

ôShe must have been talking to Vesta,ö said Chase with a grin.

ôDonÆt get me started on my ma,ö said the Chief, holding up his hand. ôDid you know she was arrested yesterday for staging a protest against some foie gras guy?ö

ôYeah, I heard about that.ö

ôI had her released the moment I found out, of course. Otherwise IÆd never hear the end of it.ö

ôDid the foie gras guy file a complaint?ö

ôWell, thatÆs just the thing. HeÆs been murdered.ö

ôMurdered!ö said Chase, the wooden spoon hovering over the pan. ôWhat do you mean, murdered?ö

ôJust what IÆm telling you. Cotton Karat has been found murdered this morning. So you and Odelia better get out there ASAP and see whatÆs going on. Meanwhile IÆll take care of these for you,ö he added, sticking his fork into a glistening strip of bacon.

ôOut there where?ö asked Chase.

ôDuck farm,ö said the Chief, tucking into his bacon with visible relish. ôAnd get this, his liver has been removed.ö

Chase gulped at this.ôHis liver was removed?ö

ôUh-huh,ö said Uncle Alec, chomping his meaty treat with unabashed delight. ôCut out of his body with a carving knife.ö

ôIs that what killed him?ö

Uncle Alec shrugged.ôGuess so. IÆm not a doctor, but IÆd say itÆs probably tough to survive your liver being removed with a carving knife. Got any more of this stuff?ö

Odelia had also arrived downstairs, and as the Chief filled her in on what had happened with Mr. Karat, it was obvious that contrary to Uncle Alec, neither Odelia or Chase had any desire to have breakfast after the gruesome details of the murder had been placed before him. The upshot was that the Chief got to eat their portions of bacon, too.

I guess when youÆre an involuntary vegetarian, itÆs all about those silver linings.

Chapter 9

It was our first murder case in a while, and obviously the killer hadnÆt stinted on the gore. When we arrived, the dead man was lying on his back in what appeared to be a pile of duck muck. Which wasnÆt all that surprising since this was, after all, a duck farm.

Abe Cornwall, the county coroner, sat hunched down over the corpse, and was scratching his head with an air of bewilderment. He looked up when we arrived.

ôHe seems to be missing his liver,ö said the frizzy-haired coroner.

ôYeah, the Chief intimated as much,ö said Chase.

ôOh, he did, did he?ö said Abe as he got to his feet with some effort and a certain creaking of the joints. ôWell, if itÆs true that the killer took the manÆs liver, I think IÆve just solved the murder for you.ö He spread his arms. ôMust be Hannibal Lecter, in need of a liver enjoyed with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.ö

And chuckling unreservedly at his own little joke, he tore off his plastic gloves.

ôSo is that what killed him, you think?ö asked Odelia, ignoring the gallows humor.

ôIÆm not sure,ö said Abe, fingering his fleshy chin. ôHeÆs got a nasty bruise on the back of his head and his throat is slightly engorged.ö

ôKnocked unconscious, then strangled?ö

ôNo, not strangled. More as ifà someone forced something down his throat. Though I doubt thatÆs what killed him. I didnÆt find any other obvious injuries. No stab wounds or contusions. No defensive wounds on hands or arms. Nothing underneath his fingernails. In fact he appears to have been in excellent health before he lost one of his vital organs.ö

ôDid you find the liver?ö asked Chase, glancing around.

ôNot yet,ö Abe said. ôBut if it really was Hannibal Lecter, I wouldnÆt, would I?ö

ôDo you have a time of death for me, Abe?ö asked Chase a little curtly.

ôBetween ten and midnight, IÆd say. And before you ask: judging from the copious amounts of blood and lividity he was killed right here on the spot. Killed and gutted.ö

ôMurder weapon?ö

ôIÆll go out on a limb here and say that youÆre looking for a serrated knife. Long, thin blade if IÆm correct. Though IÆll know more once IÆve had him on my slab.ö He grinned and stalked off, but not before adding, ôYou can expect my report on your desk, Kingsleys!ö

ôItÆs the same man who received that medal yesterday,ö said Dooley as we studied the dead man. ôThe one who got all of that fake blood thrown over him.ö

ôYeah, he didnÆt get to enjoy his medal for very long,ö I said.

ôDo you think it was an accident?ö

ôI doubt it, Dooley. People donÆt accidentally lose their livers.ö

ôYou mean it couldnÆt accidentally have fallen out?ö

ôNo, as far as I know a liver is firmly attached to a personÆs body.ö

ôOh.ö

ôI wonder what he was doing out here,ö said Chase as he took in the grisly scene.

A uniformed police officer had walked up and tapped his head with his index finger as a sign of respect.ôDead man is a Cotton Karat, sir. Main client of this farm.ö

ôKarat was a client of this duck farm?ö

ôYes, sir. This place right here is where they produce the famous Karat foie gras. Best liver p?t? in town, apparently, though IÆve never tasted it. Definitely the most expensive.ö

ôWho found the body?ö

ôThat would be a Merle Poltorak. HeÆs the owner, sir. Arrived for work this morning and came upon the dead body of Mr. Karat here. Says he recognized him immediately.ö

ôWell, he would, wouldnÆt he, if Karat was his main customer.ö

ôWhat do you want us to do, sir?ö asked the officer.

ôTalk to the neighbors. Find out if they saw anything. Did you find KaratÆs car?ö

ôYes, sir. ItÆs parked out front.ö

ôCheck the GPS. See where he arrived from. Oh, and did you find his phone?ö

ôYes, sir,ö said the copper, and handed Chase a plastic evidence bag containing a phone.

ôDo you think this is connected with yesterdayÆs incident?ö asked Odelia once the officer had left to advise the rest of the team.

ôThe protest in front of Town Hall? It might be. They seemed a pretty determined bunch. Protesting against animal cruelty, were they?ö

Odelia nodded.ôEspecially the process used to produce foie gras.ö

ôFoie gras,ö said Chase musingly. ôIsnÆt that French for fatty liver?ö

ôThere must be a connection,ö said Odelia. ôWeÆre in a duck farm, where foie gras was produced, and the farmÆs main client just lost his liver and had something forced down his throat.ö When Chase gave her an uncomprehending look, she added, ôFoie gras is produced by force-feeding ducks or geese in a process called gavage. Basically they stick a tube down their throats, straight into their stomach. The treatment engorges the liver to unnatural proportions, which is then harvested and sold as a delicacy.ö She made a face. ôItÆs a particularly cruel practice thatÆs been banned in several countries.ö

ôI see,ö said Chase as he surreptitiously touched his own throat.

ôPoor ducks,ö said Dooley. ôBeing fed is nice, but being force-fed doesnÆt sound like a lot of fun.ö

ôNo, it certainly doesnÆt,ö I agreed. We glanced over to the ducks quacking away nearby, and decided to wander over and ask them if they saw anything last night.

The first duck we met looked a little swollen, as if his meal hadnÆt agreed with him. And of course I shouldnÆt wonder, if it was being forced down his gullet with a metal tube.

ôHiya, fella,ö I said in as pleasant a voice as I could muster. ôHowÆs things?ö

ôNot well,ö he said, sounding as if his food might come up at any moment. ôIn fact I feel a little peaky today. Must be theàö He burped a squelchy sort of burp. ôà the weather.ö

ôYeah, must be,ö I said quietly. ôSo did you notice this guy arriving last night?ö

ôWhat guy?ö asked the duck, who stared at us, a little cross-eyed I now saw.

ôThe guy who was found dead out there this morning.ö

ôA dead guy? What dead guy?ö

ôCotton Karat. He was killed sometime last night, right in front of your stall.ö

The duck thought for a moment, then finally his face cleared.ôSo thatÆs what it was. I thought I heard some kind of fracas. I just figured it was humans doing human stuff, you know.ö

ôDid you see what happened by any chance?ö

He shrugged.ôNot really. I like to keep myself to myself. Think itÆs rude to pry.ö

ôWhatÆs your name, Mr. Duck?ö asked Dooley.

ôFred,ö said the duck with a vague sort of smile.

ôIÆm Dooley,ö said Dooley. ôAnd this is my friend Max. WeÆre detectives.ö

ôDetectives, huh? And what are you detecting?ö

ôThe murder of Cotton Karat,ö said Dooley helpfully.

ôOh, right.ö

ôSo you didnÆt hear anything?ö I asked. ôSome kind of argument, maybe?ö

ôI did hear a scream. Very high, girly sort of scream.ö

ôBut you didnÆt think to take a look who it was that screamed?ö

ôSome human, I guess. I mean, who cares, right? TheyÆre always up to something, humans are. Strange breed, if you ask me. A little cruel and not very nice to us ducks.ö

ôYou didnÆt see one person stabbing another person?ö

ôI did take a quick peek, if thatÆs what you mean.ö

ôAnd?ö I asked, anticipation making me a little breathless.

ôOne human was lying on the floor for some reason, and another was bent over them, doing something with a knife.ö

ôDid you get a good look at the person?ö

ôOh, sure.ö

ôAnd?ö I urged.

ôIt was a human,ö said the duck.

ôI know it was a human,ö I said, trying to keep the exasperation out of my voice. ôBut what did this human look like is what IÆd like to know.ö

The duck shrugged again.ôThey all look the same to me, humans do. If youÆve seen one, youÆve seen them all.ö

I suppressed the urge to scream.ôWas this person a man or a woman? Tall or short? Fair-haired or dark-haired? ItÆs very important, Fred, to get a detailed description.ö

The duck thought for a moment, then finally shook his head.ôNope,ö he said. ôIÆm drawing a complete blank here. Like I said, all humans look the same to me.ö

Now I did let out a groan of despair, but it was wasted on the duck, who simply gave me a sort of blank look, then smiled and said,ôWeÆre in the same boat, arenÆt we, cat?ö

ôWhat do you mean?ö I asked.

He thrust out his rather bulging belly.ôYouÆre being groomed to have your liver removed too, arenÆt you? Though you look as if youÆre almost ready for harvesting.ö

Dooley suppressed a giggle at this, even as I threw the duck a dark look. It wasnÆt helpful, of course, since he was obviously a valuable witness. ôLook, if something springs to mind about what happened last night, please let us know.ö I would have given him my card, but since cats donÆt carry cards, or smartphones, that wasnÆt really an option.

We returned to the scene of the crime, and I must confess I found it baffling that a murder could have been committed in the presence of a barn full of ducks, and apparently no one had seen anything. But maybe Fred was right. Maybe for them all humans did look alike. To most humans all ducks look alike, too, of course.

And weÆd just joined Chase and Odelia, when the police officer returned and said, ôA man is here to see you, sir. He says itÆs urgent.ö

ôWhat man?ö asked Chase, whoÆd been crouching over the body, taking a closer look.

ôHe says heÆs Cotton KaratÆs lawyer? A Tobias Pushman.ö

Moments later, we all stood outside with Mr. Pushman, who I remembered from the day before, when heÆd been accompanying Mr. Karat to Town Hall. He looked as slick and well-dressed as yesterday, only his demeanor was more subdued, which was hardly surprising, considering heÆd just lost his client.

ôWhat IÆm going to tell you has to stay between us,ö the lawyer urged Chase and Odelia.

ôIÆm sorry, sir,ö said Chase. ôBut I canÆt make that promise.ö

The lawyer thought for a moment, then decided to take his chances.

ôThat man in there? The man who died? His name isnÆt Cotton Karat.ö

Chase frowned.ôAnd I have it on good authority that it is.ö

The lawyer sized Chase up for a moment, as if wondering if it was a good idea to take the detective into his confidence.ôCotton Karat is holed up in a rehab clinic right now, kicking a nasty addiction. I just spoke to him on the phone and heÆs alive and well.ö

Chase and Odelia shared a look of confusion.ôSo who is the dead man?ö asked Chase.

ôHis name is Eric Blandine, and he was standing in for Cotton while heÆs staying at the clinic. You see, it was imperative that people thought it was business as usual at the Karat Group, in light of certain recent events that involved Cotton displaying behavior that reflected badly on the group.ö

ôYou mean the shareholdersÆ meeting where he was drooling all over that model?ö

The lawyer winced.ôYou can understand how a drop of fifty percent in share price had us all on the ropes. So it was decided that Cotton would take a step back, until he got his life back on track. In the meantime we asked Blandine to step in. And he did a great job.ö

ôAre you telling us that it wasnÆt Cotton Karat who received that award yesterday?ö asked Odelia. ôBut Eric Blandine?ö

The lawyer nodded.ôThatÆs exactly what IÆm saying.ö

ôI thought he acted a little out of character,ö said Odelia.

ôEric was still learning the ropes. It was early days. But with a little help from me and CottonÆs family, he was getting there.ö He dragged a hand through his perfect coiffure. ôAnd now this,ö he said, gesturing to the barn.

ôDo you have any idea who might have killed Mr. Jardine?ö asked Chase.

ôBlandine. And yes, I have a pretty good idea,ö said Tobias Pushman, his expression hardening. He reached into his car and came away with a sizable tin of foie gras. ôThis arrived at the office this morning.ö

ôFoie gras?ö asked Chase, staring at the tin.

ôNot exactly,ö said Mr. Pushman, and opened the tin.

Judging from the horrified expressions on Chase and OdeliaÆs faces, I understood it wasnÆt the delicacy that had made the Karat Group famous that was in that tin. But it was only when Odelia lowered the tin so Dooley and I could take a sniff that I understood.

The tin contained a perfectly preserved, gleamingly fresh human organ.

And if I wasnÆt mistaken, it was in fact Eric BlandineÆs liver.

Chapter 10

ôThere was also a message,ö said Tobias Pushman as he handed an envelope to Chase.

Odelia had quickly closed the tin and had put it in an evidence bag her husband had supplied. She and Chase now read the message the envelope contained.

Odelia read out loud for our benefit,ôæThe ducks will have their revenge! This is your first warning! Stop the atrocity or more people will die! Foie gras is murder! Ducks are people, too!Æö She looked up. ôSounds a lot like the animal rights activists we saw yesterday.ö

ôThey like their exclamation marks, donÆt they, Max?ö said Dooley, whoÆd listened with bated breath, just like I had.

ôActivists in general arenÆt known for their subtlety,ö I said. ôThey like bold statements, and bold statements seem to include a lot of exclamation marks.ö

ôLook at this,ö said Tobias as he pointed to the envelope.

Chase and Odelia squinted as they took in what looked like a symbol printed on the envelope.ôDLF,ö Odelia finally read, and looked up at her husband. ôItÆs the Duck Liberation Front. The group my gran and Scarlett joined.ö

ôWait, your grandmother is part of the group that killed Mr. Blandine?ö asked Tobias.

ôIÆm sure she wasnÆt aware theyÆre as radical as this,ö Odelia assured the lawyer.

ôSo this envelope arrived with the tin?ö asked Chase.

Tobias nodded.ôWas on CottonÆs desk when I arrived at the office this morning.ö

ôWe better have it checked against Mr. Blandine,ö said Odelia. ôBut as far as I can tellùthough IÆm not an expert on human livers, obviouslyùthis could very well be the murdered manÆs liver.ö

ôIn which case this Duck Liberation Front have just turned to murder as a way of protesting against foie gras,ö Chase concluded.

ôDo you have any idea what Blandine was doing here last night?ö asked Odelia.

ôNone. He certainly didnÆt advise me of his plans.ö

ôWhen was the last time you saw him?ö

ôYesterday at six. We left the office together. I went home, and I assumed he was going home, too.ö

ôWhere was home for Mr. Blandine while he was playing the part of Cotton Karat?ö asked Chase.

ôWeÆd set him up at CottonÆs place for the time being. It was important that he looked the part, so weÆd instructed him on the kind of clothes Cotton likes to wear, CottonÆs hairstylist had given him a haircut, but otherwise weÆd told Blandine to keep a low profile. He wasnÆt to go out to restaurants or socialize if he could avoid it. In fact weÆd cleared his schedule as much as we could. The awards thing yesterday was something we couldnÆt get out of, unfortunately, but otherwise we were working to limit BlandineÆs exposure to an absolute minimum.ö He sighed. ôWhich is why IÆm surprised he came here last night.ö

ôDidnÆt he have security?ö

ôOf course. He had two bodyguards assigned to him at all times.ö

ôSo what happened?ö

Tobias looked sheepish.ôHe gave them the slip. Said heÆd gone to bed, but he must have snuck out through the bedroom window and taken off. They only found out this morning, when the maid came to open his bedroom curtains and discovered him gone.ö

Chase nodded, and studied BlandineÆs phone through the clear plastic of the evidence bag. ôHe must have received a message to meet him here at some point. A message from a person he thought he could trust. And walked straight into a trap.ö

ôWell, it wasnÆt me,ö said Tobias, looking alarmed. ôI had nothing to gain from BlandineÆs death. On the contrary. If the Karat Group goes belly-up IÆm out of a job. Not to mention my stock options will be reduced to zero.ö

ôNevertheless I have to ask, Mr. Pushman. Where were you last night between ten and midnight?ö

ôI told you. I left the office at six and went home. I worked out at my home gym for an hour, then had dinner and spent the rest of the evening figuring out ways and means to further clear BlandineÆs schedule so we could pull off CottonÆs big disappearance trick.ö

ôCan anyone vouch for you?ö

Tobias shook his head.ôI live alone. But why would I kill Blandine? It makes no sense.ö

Chase grunted something, but I think we could all see that the lawyer had a point. Why would he go out and murder Eric Blandine? He had absolutely no reason to.

Which brought us right back to the Duck Liberation Front.

[╩α≡≥ΦφΩα: img_2]

The next person to talk to was of course the poor guy whoÆd found the body. Merle Poltorak looked as distressed as anyone would be if the first thing they saw when they arrived for work were the murdered remains of their biggest client. Merle might be used to murdering ducks on a regular basis, but clearly the sight of Eric BlandineÆs corpse had affected him greatly. His weather-beaten face was quite pale and drawn.

ôWhen exactly did you come upon the body of the dead man, Mr. Poltorak?ö asked Chase.

ôSeven oÆclock,ö said Merle, rubbing a stubbled cheek. ôIÆd mucked out the big barn and was going to start on the smaller one when I practically stumbled over him. I knew he was dead the minute I laid eyes on him.ö

ôDid you recognize him as Mr. Karat?ö

Merle nodded.ôIÆd never met Cotton in person, but IÆve seen his picture plenty. It was him, all right. So I called the cops, and ten minutes later they were all over the place.ö

ôWere you here last night, Merle?ö asked Odelia.

ôI was, until about eight. Then I went home.ö

ôAnd where is home for you?ö

ôRight next door. The big farmhouse. CanÆt miss it when you drive up from the direction of town. I live there with Mrs. Poltorak and our four little ones.ö

ôFour kids!ö Dooley cried. ôDid you hear that, Max? That man has four kids!ö

ôMust be a lively household,ö I commented. ôThough itÆs a big farmhouse, so plenty of space.ö

ôWhat if Odelia and Chase have four kids, Max! ItÆs going to get very crowded!ö

ôI very much doubt whether theyÆll have four,ö I said. ôBesides, if they do, theyÆll simply have to move, wonÆt they? The house will be too small.ö

ôBut I donÆt want to move, Max! I like where we live!ö

ôLetÆs not worry about that now, shall we? Odelia is having one baby. One.ö

ôWhat if itÆs quadruplets? Or quintuplets? Or sextuplets!ö

ôI very much doubt that Odelia is having more than one. We would have noticed.ö

He stared at Odelia very hard.ôI see it now, Max.ö

ôSee what?ö

ôThe bump!ö

And he was right. Odelia was starting to show, which wasnÆt unusual, since she had been pregnant for a couple of weeks now.

ôIÆll bet itÆs septuplets or even octuplets,ö Dooley said morosely. ôAnd no amount of dead mice or birds will make Odelia take any notice of me once those eight babies arrive.ö

ôOh, Dooley,ö I sighed. ôLetÆs just focus on the case for now, shall we?ö

ôSo what do you do here, exactly, Mr. Poltorak?ö asked Chase.

ôWe raise ducks for slaughter,ö said Merle.

ôAnd produce foie gras, right?ö asked Odelia.

ôBest foie gras in the county. Maybe even the country.ö

ôAre you the sole producer of foie gras for the Karat Group?ö

ôThatÆs right. WeÆve always produced foie gras, though not exclusively for Karat. That changed about ten years ago. Since then weÆve only worked for the Karats. First Diedrich, and now Cotton. Though I have to admit that Diedrich was a much better boss than Cotton. Cotton is a little too wild for my taste, if you know what I mean.ö

ôWith his predilection for supermodels, you mean?ö asked Chase.

ôYeah, that and his fondness for fast cars. One of these days heÆs going to get himself killed, I always said, and now it looks as if someone else has done him in.ö

ôDo you have some kind of security in place at the farm?ö

ôNot really. Who wants to steal ducks? ItÆs not exactly gold or diamonds.ö

ôDo you have any idea who might have done this to him?ö asked Odelia.

ôMust be those animal rights nutters,ö said Merle. ôThey picketed outside the farm only last week, even threw a bucket of paint on my truck. And they threw a bucket of paint on Cotton yesterday at Town Hall. Though what I canÆt figure is what he was doing here in the middle of the night. HeÆs never set foot on the farm before.ö

ôWhat do you think will happen now?ö

ôI have no idea. Looks like the Karats ran out of people to run the business.ö

ôDoesnÆt Cotton have a brother?ö

ôHe does, but heÆs not interested in running the company. Or at least thatÆs what IÆve heard.ö He held up his hands. ôHonestly I donÆt care. IÆm in charge of this here duck farm, thatÆs all. What the Karats wonÆt do is take away their business. We make them way too much money. Karat Foie Gras is pure gold. And CottonÆs death wonÆt change that.ö

Chapter 11

ôI donÆt understand, Max,ö said Dooley. ôWhat did Odelia mean when she asked if Cotton had a brother? Cotton isnÆt dead. Of course heÆll return now and take over from poor Mr. Blandine again.ö

ôItÆs not that simple,ö I said. ôThe whole point for Eric Blandine to step in was to whisk Cotton out of the limelight for a while, until this whole hubbub about his lurid ways had died down. The company stock took a big hit with that disastrous shareholdersÆ meeting, and if it came out that he was being treated for sex addiction and that his replacement was murdered in his absence, it would probably hit the stock even harder, and send it plummeting into the basement, trading at cents on the dollar. It might spell the end.ö

ôI donÆt think so. I think people will be so happy that Cotton didnÆt die, the stock will go up.ö

But since it wasnÆt up to us to figure out the right strategy to handle this murder from a business perspective, I didnÆt want to spend valuable time thinking up possible strategies. That was for the Karat GroupÆs PR department and the company principals.

In the meantime, we were heading to the home of Eric BlandineÆs wife to give her the bad news. Never a pleasant task, but nevertheless one that has to be done.

Odelia had been on the phone and now disconnected.ôLooks like Blandine didnÆt get contacted through his phone,ö she said. ôThe tech department didnÆt find any messages setting up last nightÆs meeting, and no phone calls either.ö

ôEmail, maybe?ö

ôNo email either, as far as they can tell. TheyÆre still looking at his laptop, though, so maybe theyÆll have better luck there.ö

ôHe was using his own mobile, not CottonÆs?ö

ôNo, he still had his own mobile. All calls for Cotton were forwarded to Tobias Pushman for the time being, who was acting like a shield.ö She absentmindedly chewed her fingernail. ôSo how did they get in touch with Blandine? And how did they manage to get him out there in the middle of the night?ö

ôOdelia?ö asked Dooley, scooting forward a little on the backseat.

ôMh?ö

ôIf youÆre having octuplets you would tell us, right?ö

Odelia laughed at this.ôOctuplets! I hope not!ö

Chase glanced over to his wife.ôWhoÆs having octuplets?ö

ôMe! According to Dooley, at least.ö

ôImagine having eight,ö Chase grunted, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.

Odelia darted an amused look at her hubby.ôOh, I donÆt know. I think it would be a lot of fun. A house filled with joy and laughter and all that.ö

ôBut babeùeight!ö Chase cried, going white around the nostrils.

ôSo? I was an only child, and so were you, so donÆt tell me you never thought of having a little brother or sister when you were growing up?ö

ôI did, but not eight!ö

ôI think itÆll be fun.ö

ôFun!ö

ôOh, relax, sourpuss! IÆm not having eight babies.ö

Chase blew out a sigh of intense relief.ôOh, phew.ö

ôBut IÆm not ruling out septuplets.ö

ôSeptuplets!ö Chase and Dooley cried out in unison. ôNo way!ö

ôOkay, fine! How about just the one then?ö

ôOne I can handle,ö said Dooley. ôThough only barely.ö

ôOne is fine,ö Chase grunted. ôOr even two or three.ö

ôWell, itÆs just the one,ö said Odelia, sinking lower in her seat and putting her feet up on the dash.

ôBabe, donÆt do that,ö said Chase. ôAnd make sure that seatbeltÆs securely fastened.ö

ôOkay, grandma,ö said Odelia with a grin, but she removed her feet from the dash and sat up straighter. ôThough you can drive the legal limit, you know.ö

She was right. For some reason we were crawling along the road, with at least a dozen cars behind us, a few drivers leaning on their horns.

ôItÆs important to be safe,ö Chase pointed out. ôRoad safety is no laughing matter.ö

ôI know, babe,ö said Odelia, rubbing the copÆs arm affectionately. ôBut at this rate weÆll arrive there next week. And we still have lots of people to see, you know. Or donÆt you want us to nab this nasty killer?ö

ôOh, all right,ö said Chase, and sped up a smidgenùbut only a smidgen.

I glanced over and saw that Dooley was beaming for some reason.ôWhy are you so happy all of a sudden?ö I asked.

ôOne baby, Max,ö he whispered. ôSheÆs only having one baby!ö

I smiled.ôI know.ö

ôOne baby I can handle. I think.ö His face clouded a little. ôOr maybe not.ö

ôOf course we can handle one baby,ö I said. ôBesides, babies arenÆt dangerous, you know. TheyÆre not live grenades that can go off any second.ö

ôSays you,ö he said, and his frown had returned. I had the impression that as long as that baby hadnÆt been born, my friend would continue to fret and worry. Then again, Dooley always frets and worries. If itÆs not about babies, itÆs about the sky falling or some terrible disease laying waste to the entire family. He watches too much television, I guess.

WeÆd finally arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Blandine, and we all got out. It was a modest little home on a quiet street. I wondered now how the Karats had discovered the likeness between Cotton and Eric, but I was sure the manÆs wife would tell us all about it.

Mrs. Blandine was a short, stocky woman with a bob of dark hair and a square face. SheÆd been crying, I saw, which meant that either sheÆd been peeling onions, or someone had already broken the news to her.

ôIÆm very sorry to say that I have some bad news for you about your husband, Mrs. Blandine,ö said Chase as we stood on the porch.

ôI know!ö the woman wailed. ôHeÆs dead, isnÆt he!ö

ôHow did youàö

ôWe heard the news this morning,ö said a man, stepping to the fore. He looked very much like Cotton Karat, or indeed Eric Blandine, only there was more of him. Twice as much, actually, a lot of it centered around his waistline, and the rest evenly distributed across his face and neck. It was uncanny. As if Cotton Karat was donning a fat suit. ôIÆm EricÆs brother Fabrizio,ö the man explained.

ôHow did you hear about what happened?ö asked Chase as we stepped into the house.

ôThe company lawyer called,ö Fabrizio explained. ôTobias Pushman. Asked us to refrain from comment in case we heard it on the news. And reminded us that Eric signed a nondisclosure agreement which extended to his immediate family.ö

ôThey donÆt want us to talk to the media,ö said Mrs. Blandine, sniffling as she took a seat on a baggy couch and grabbed a handful of tissues from a box on the coffee table.

ôIÆm very sorry for your loss,ö said Chase.

ôIÆm going to sue them, you know,ö said the newly widowed woman. ôThey killed him!ö

ôWe donÆt know that, Maisie,ö said Mr. Blandine, patting the womanÆs hand. HeÆd taken a seat next to her, and was playing the part of the consoling relative to perfection.

ôOf course we do!ö Maisie cried, lifting a teary face to her brother-in-law. ôThey asked him to pretend to be Cotton Karat and now those crazies killed him! This would never have happened if he hadnÆt listened to them.ö

ôIt wasnÆt as if he was in a position to refuse,ö said Fabrizio quietly.

ôWhat do you mean?ö asked Odelia.

ôI mean they put a lot of pressure on my brother.ö

ôThey practically forced him,ö said Maisie. ôSaid that if he didnÆt do what they wanted they were going to have him fired. So he decided to play along. And then there were those stock options, of course.ö

ôThe stick and the carrot,ö said Fabrizio wryly. ôFirst they threatened him, then they dangled stock options in front of his nose. Said that if the stock went up, heÆd be on velvet.ö

ôHow much, if I may ask?ö asked Chase.

ôTen,ö said Maisie. ôAt todayÆs stock price that means five thousand, and if the stock went back up to a thousand, like it was before Cotton screwed up, ten thousand.ö

ôHow long was he going to have to pretend to be Cotton?ö

Maisie shrugged.ôCouple of weeks. A month, maybe. It all depended on how long it took Cotton to get his act together.ö

ôSex addiction,ö said Fabrizio tersely. ôFirst time I heard of it.ö

ôOh, itÆs a thing,ö Maisie assured him. ôSome Hollywood actors have it.ö

ôIÆll bet they do,ö Fabrizio grumbled. It was obvious he didnÆt have a high opinion of Cotton Karat.

ôI noticed how CottonÆs girlfriend Ebony Pilay wasnÆt at the award ceremony at Town Hall yesterday,ö said Odelia.

ôThey dumped her,ö said Maisie. ôBy text, if you please. She wasnÆt happy, I can tell you that. Came into the office and started screaming all kinds of abuse at my Eric. Poor sweetheart didnÆt know what to do. ItÆs not his fault these people are inhuman. They told him they bought her off, but instead they told her to take a hike. She didnÆt take it well.ö

ôEbony came into the office yesterday?ö

ôShe did. And she was furious. WouldnÆt you be? A supermodel like her? Dumped by text? She was screaming bloody murder!ö She then seemed to realize what she was saying, for she quickly glanced to her brother-in-law. ôNot that I think sheÆs capable of murder, mind you. But she definitely was very upset, and quite rightly so.ö

ôItÆs that lawyer,ö said Fabrizio. ôHe cooked this all up.ö

ôNot just the lawyer. Him and Diedrich are in this together.ö

ôCottonÆs dad set up this whole business with your husband?ö asked Odelia.

ôHe most certainly did. Wants to protect the Karat GroupÆs bottom line, doesnÆt he?ö

ôHow did your husband get roped into this, Mrs. Blandine?ö asked Chase.

ôEric has always been teased about his resemblance to Cotton. His colleagues all call him Goldie, for karat gold? And a couple of weeks ago there was a factory visit by the big brass. Though only Tobias showed up. Norm must have told him about Eric, cause a couple of days ago he was suddenly in NormÆs office, along with Diedrich himself.ö

ôHold onùare you saying your husband worked for the Karat Group?ö

ôYeah, in one of the groupÆs warehouses. TheyÆve got plenty, spread out across the country. EricÆs worked there for years. Hard work, but the pay isnÆt too bad. At least you have to give them that. They take care of their own. Not like some of those bloodsuckers.ö

I watched as she picked up her used tissue, and carefully tucked it away in a shoebox. When the others watched on, she said, with a touch of embarrassment,ôI dry them and reuse them. Same for teabags. Did you know you can still get a decent pot of tea out of a teabag thatÆs been used twice before? People these days throw away stuff too quickly.ö

ôMaisie here is your true environmentalist,ö said Fabrizio warmly. ôSheÆs the queen of recycling.ö

ôItÆs just a habit,ö said Maisie. ôDrives Eric up the wall sometimes.ö Her face crumpled. ôOh, my poor Eric! Who would want to kill my sweet, sweet husband!ö

ôWhen did you last talk to Eric, Maisie?ö asked Chase.

ôLast night around eight. He called every night. ThatÆs when he told me about Ebony barging into his office yesterday, and also about that paint those terrible people threw on him, ruining a perfectly good suit. Though he assured me those spots were going to come out. Tobias had promised him theyÆd pay for the dry-cleaning.ö

ôDid you notice anything out of the ordinary when you talked to him?ö asked Odelia.

ôYou mean apart from the Pilay woman and those duck-loving freaks?ö

ôYes, apart from that.ö

Maisie shook her head.ôHe sounded a little rattled, but wouldnÆt you be if you were attacked twice in one day, first with a bucket of paint and then by some furious model?ö

ôHe didnÆt mention that he was planning to meet someone last night?ö

ôNo, he didnÆt say anything about that. You mean he went out there to meet his killer?ö

ôHe must have received a message or a phone call,ö said Chase. ôWhy else would he head down to a duck farm in the middle of the night?ö

ôHe hadnÆt been there before?ö asked Odelia.

ôNo, never. IÆve never even heard of that place.ö

ôItÆs those duck lovers, isnÆt it?ö said Fabrizio. ôThey probably kidnapped him and then killed him, mistaking him for that Cotton Karat.ö He gritted his teeth. ôMy brother should never have gone along with this crazy business. If he hadnÆt, heÆd still be alive today.ö

At this, Maisie picked up one of the used tissues and loudly blew her nose in it.

She was right. You probably could use those more than once. Who knew?

ôHe wasnÆt kidnapped as far as we can tell,ö said Chase. ôWe found his car parked in front of the farm, so he must have driven there under his own steam.ö

ôMaybe they took him there at gunpoint?ö Fabrizio suggested. ôMade him drive his own car?ö

ôI can promise you that weÆre looking into all of that,ö said Chase. ôBut for now, can you tell us where you both were last night between ten and midnight?ö

Maisie and her brother-in-law shared a look of surprise.ôYou donÆt think we had anything to do with what happened to my husband, do you?ö asked Maisie.

ôJust a routine inquiry, I can assure you,ö said Odelia kindly.

ôWell, I was right here,ö said Maisie. ôAfter Eric called, I watched some television and went to bed.ö

ôAnd you, Mr. Blandine?ö

ôSame. I mean, I watched TV and went to bed.ö

ôCan anyone vouch for that?ö

They both shook their heads.

ôYouÆre not married?ö asked Chase.

ôI was married, but my wife left me,ö said Fabrizio unhappily.

ôLook, how is this important?ö asked Maisie.

ôWeÆre trying to form a picture of your husband, Mrs. Blandine,ö said Odelia. ôWhat he was like, what kind of life he led, the people he knewùeverything we can find out.ö

ôBut isnÆt it obvious that he was killed because someone thought he was Cotton?ö

ôItÆs all right, Maisie,ö said Fabrizio. ôMy wife left me for her fitness instructor. HeÆs about ten years younger than she is. This was five years ago. We never had kids, so thatÆs why I was home alone last night, just like IÆve been home alone every night for the past five years. I hope that satisfies your curiosity?ö

He was starting to get a little belligerent, which wasnÆt surprising. People whose relatives have just been killed donÆt enjoy answering a lot of questions probing into their personal lives, especially when those questions touch upon a sensitive topic.

ôI hope youÆll catch EricÆs killer,ö said Maisie when she escorted us to the door. ôAnd I hope youÆll let us have his body as soon as possible. We have a funeral to arrange, after all.ö And with these words, she slammed the door shut.

ôThat was fun,ö said Chase as we returned to the car.

ôIt always is,ö Odelia said.

ôAt least Tobias didnÆt tell them about the removed liver,ö said Chase as he clicked his seatbelt into place. ôThough at some point they will need to be told.ö

ôBest they hear it from us,ö said Odelia, ôand not the newspaper.ö

Which was ironic, since Odelia is a reporter, after all. Then again, sheÆs not that kind of reporterùthe kind that loves to dish out the most gruesome and gory details of a case, hoping to shock people and drive up circulation.

Just at that moment, a message came in on ChaseÆs phone. He read it, a frown on his face. ôAbe,ö he clarified. ôLooks like Eric Blandine was stabbed to death. Single stab wound to the abdomen, his liver removed after the fact. Also, the liver that was sent to the office was indeed BlandineÆs.ö He shared a look with his wife. ôLetÆs have a chat with the Duck Liberation Front.ö

Chapter 12

The person in charge of the Duck Liberation Front or DLF was a young woman named Lita Fiol. She worked behind the checkout at the Happy Bean, a shop that sells all manner of product that might appeal to your health-minded fellow man, and has a selection especially devoted to the vegetarian section of the population.

The Happy Bean wasnÆt exactly buzzing with life when we stepped into the store and listened to the happily clanging bell attached to the door. Only a single customer was present, and seemed to have a hard time deciding between various iterations of tofu.

Lita Fiol wasnÆt thrilled to see us, and with us of course I mean Chase, as a representative of the police department.

ôIÆve talked to your people already,ö she said the moment Chase had produced his badge and so had Odelia. ôAnd IÆve got nothing to add. The man got exactly what he deserved for murdering thousands upon thousands of innocent ducks. It was one bucket of paint, for crying out loud! Send me the bill for the dry cleaners and IÆll happily pay it.ö

She was a petite sort of woman, dressed in an eclectic assortment of clothes. I detected a tie-dye T-shirt in psychedelic colors, a black sleeveless shirt draped across it, a chain around her neck from which a small dreamcatcher dangled, and black leggings over white lace-up sneakers. Her hair was short and stylishly messy, and she wore plenty of black eyeliner and a nose piercing. All in all, I guess, she looked like your average teen, though she was probably in her early to mid-twenties.

ôWeÆre not here about the paint, Miss Fiol,ö said Chase.

ôIÆm afraid thereÆs been a murder,ö Odelia explained.

The girlÆs eyes went wide. ôA murder!ö

ôA man named Eric Blandine was murdered last night,ö said Chase. ôHeÆd been hired by the Karat Group to replace Cotton Karat for the time being. The man you dumped paint on yesterday was in fact Mr. Blandine, and not Mr. Karat.ö

The girl blinked.ôI donÆt understand.ö

ôFor reasons we wonÆt go into, Blandine was hired to take CottonÆs place.ö

ôMr. Blandine was murdered at a duck farm,ö said Odelia. ôHis liver was removed and placed in a foie gras tin, then delivered along with a message to his office this morning. The message was sent by the Duck Liberation Front.ö She showed the message on her phone, and Lita read it with bloodcreeping up her cheeks until they were both a bright crimson.

ôDid you send this message, Miss Fiol?ö asked Chase finally.

ôNo, of course not! Are you crazy? Send a manÆs liver toàö She blinked. ôWait a minute. Are you accusing me of murdering this guy and shipping his liver off to his office?ö

ôIn light of the fact that youÆve been staging multiple protests against Mr. Karat and the foie gras his company produces, and after the protest yesterday at Town Hall, I donÆt think itÆs hard to imagine you or one of your members are behind this business.ö

She held up her hands in a gesture of defense.ôLook, I admit I had a beef with the guy. But I would never murder him. IÆm not a violent person, Detective Kingsley.ö

ôShe looked a little violent yesterday,ö Dooley commented.

ôThey all looked a little violent,ö I agreed. ôEven Gran and Scarlett.ö

ôDo you think Gran is behind this? Her and Scarlett?ö

ôI donÆt think so. Though it probably wonÆt hurt to ask.ö

ôWhere were you last night between ten and midnight, Miss Fiol?ö asked Chase.

She blinked.ôHome. Alone.ö

ôIs that right?ö

ôYes, thatÆs right,ö she said, taking a defiant stance.

ôIÆm going to need a list of all the members of the DLF.ö

ôImpossible.ö

ôWe could get a warrant,ö said Odelia.

ôAnd search your house,ö said Chase, ôsearch this shopùget that list off your computer.ö

ôYou wouldnÆt dare.ö

ôI donÆt think you understand the trouble youÆre in, Miss Fiol. A man has been brutally murdered, his liver removed as if he was a duck, and a message from your organization sent to his office claiming responsibility for the murder.ö

ôBut I didnÆt do it!ö she cried.

Just then, the client whoÆd been perusing the tofu section approached the counter. It was an elderly lady who was holding up two packets of tofu. ôCan you please tell me which one of these has chicken, miss?ö

ôIÆll be with you shortly,ö said Lita with a strained smile. ôAfter IÆve dealt with these people.ö

ôOh, all right,ö said the woman, and wandered off again.

ôLook, I was at a DLF meeting last night, all right?ö said Lita. ôI didnÆt want to tell you, since some of our members donÆt appreciate it when their names and pictures are plastered all over the paper.ö

ôSo why do they join the protests?ö asked Odelia, not unreasonably. ôThey must know theyÆll be photographed.ö

This had Lita stumped for a moment, then she rallied.ôNot all of our members take part in our protests. Some of them prefer to work behind the scenes.ö

ôFine,ö said Chase. ôIÆm going to need the names and addresses of all the people who were present at your meeting.ö

ôButàö

ôWhat time did the meeting break up?ö

ôEleven-ish.ö

ôPlenty of time to drive down to Karat Farm and gut Mr. Blandine.ö

ôNo! I didnÆt leave the house again. My boyfriend can confirm that.ö

ôWhat boyfriend? You just said you were home alone all night.ö

The girl emitted a resigned sigh.ôHe doesnÆt like to be dragged into DLF business.ö

ôName?ö Chase demanded curtly, his pencil poised over his notepad.

ôTobias Pushman.ö

This caused a small measure of consternation, then Odelia asked,ôTobias Pushman as in the head of the Karat GroupÆs legal department? That Tobias Pushman?ö

Lita nodded.ôWeÆve been seeing each other for the last couple of months. We met at one of the DLF protests. I chucked a bucket of paint at him, and instead of sending me the dry-cleaning bill he dropped by the store to hand me his soiled suit. We got to talking, and for some strange reason we hit it off. We had lunch, then we had dinner, then we started dating. We havenÆt told anyone.ö

ôI canÆt imagine why,ö said Chase.

ôPlease donÆt tell him I told you,ö she pleaded. ôHeÆs going to be in so much trouble if the Karats find out heÆs been dating their worst enemy.ö

ôI wonder what they talk about when theyÆre alone in bed,ö said Dooley.

ôDucks, probably,ö I said. ôTheyÆre both in the duck business, after all.ö

ôYes, but sheÆs trying to save ducks, and heÆs murdering them on an industrial scale.ö

ôOr maybe they donÆt talk about ducks at all? Probably better to leave the topic unaddressed.ö

ôThank you for your time,ö said Chase. ôAnd donÆt forget: IÆm going to need that membership list on my desk by tonight, or else.ö

ôBut IÆve given you my alibi!ö

ôAnd donÆt think we wonÆt check it,ö Chase warned her.

As we left the shop, we heard the old lady ask,ôWhich one of these has beef, miss?ö

ôThereÆs no meat in tofu, all right! ItÆs soyùjust soy!ö

ôSoy? What kind of meat is that? Not pig, surely.ö

ôOh, my God!ö

Clearly the best friend ducks ever had was under a great deal of strain.

Chapter 13

The main offices of the Karat Group looked like any other office building the world over: a bland block of glass and concrete, absolutely devoid of personality or individuality. In other words: a joyless mass created by an uninspired architect who, like most captains of industry, seemed to believe that in order to be productive, one must also be miserable.

Chase parked his car in the parking spot reserved for Cotton Karat himself, correctly assuming that the man wasnÆt in need of it right now, and we entered the soulless complex.

We were soon greeted in the lobby by Tobias Pushman, and I must say I found myself looking at the lawyer in an entirely different light.

ôI really canÆt see him with Lita Fiol, Max,ö said Dooley. ôThey just donÆt seem to fit.ö

ôNo, theyÆre worlds apart, thatÆs for sure,ö I said. ôThough you know what they say about opposites, Dooley.ö

ôTheyÆre sworn enemies?ö

ôNo, they attract, apparently.ö

ôI donÆt see it, Max. I really donÆt.ö

Tobias led us into his former bossÆs officeùthough it was in actual fact his current bossÆs office, since his real boss was actually still alive. It was his fake boss whoÆd been murdered.

EricÆs laptop had already been removed by the tech people, whoÆd also processed the office for possible clues as to the manÆs late-night meeting with his murderer.

ôWe interviewed Lita Fiol just now,ö said Chase, and I think we all watched the lawyer closely to see how heÆd react. He didnÆt flinch. Not even a squint or a grimace.

ôCool customer,ö was DooleyÆs estimation of the man.

ôOh?ö said Tobias. ôWho is she?ö

ôYou know very well who she is, Mr. Pushman.ö

A smile spread across the lawyerÆs face. ôOf course. The Duck Liberation Front. So what did Miss Fiol have to say for herself?ö

ôShe claims she couldnÆt have killed Mr. Blandine, since she was in bed with you at the time.ö

This time the lawyer did flinch. He even blanched, then tucked a finger between neck and collar and tugged.ôIs that what she said?ö

ôOh, yes.ö

ôA case of opposites attract, Mr. Pushman?ö asked Odelia with a fine smile.

The lawyer coughed into his fist, clearly buying himself some time.

ôWhat do you talk about at night, I wonder,ö said Chase. ôDucks?ö

ôNo, we avoid the topic,ö said Tobias, then sank down onto the edge of Cotton KaratÆs desk. He rubbed his face. ôLook, I never asked for this, you know. It just happened. I still donÆt know why. Cruel twist of fate, maybe? And IÆve asked Lita a million times to stop badgering my employer. But she believes in her cause. And I can only admire her for it.ö

ôWhat did you think when that box arrived with a letter from LitaÆs action group?ö

ôI was hoping sheÆd have an explanation for me,ö said Tobias. ôWhich is why I tried calling her this morning, but of course I couldnÆt reach her since she tends to switch off her phone when sheÆs at work.ö He held up his hands. ôLook, I know Lita. SheÆs the ultimate nature lover. In that she would never harm anyone, man or beast.ö

ôYouÆre not covering for her, are you, sir?ö asked Odelia.

ôNo, of course not!ö

ôWhy did you say you were home alone last night?ö

ôBecause I want to keep my relationship with Lita Fiol a secret, of course! Can you imagine what it would look like if people knew? The lawyer of one of the biggest foie gras producers in the country dating the leader of the Duck Liberation Front? It wouldnÆt look good, I can tell you that. Notfor me, and not for her.ö

ôOkay, so how do you explain the DLF connection?ö asked Chase.

ôI canÆt! ThatÆs whatÆs so infuriating. Look, Lita is harmless, all right? Apart from a couple of dry-cleaning bills the extent of her actions are some bruised egos and maybe a raised awareness that the way this industry has been treating animals is something we need to look at.ö

ôSheÆs a big threat to your bottom line.ö

ôSheÆs not. No, really,ö he added when Chase quirked a skeptical brow. ôWe all know that we need to make sure that animals are treated in a more humane way, and I can assure you that the Karat Group is well aware of this, and that steps are being taken in that direction. In that sense Lita and I are both on the same sideùabsolutely. No, all I can think is that one of her members has decided to take matters into their own hands.ö

ôBehind LitaÆs back?ö

ôOf course,ö Tobias agreed. ôA lot of people have signed up recently. In fact Lita told me only yesterday about two members she felt were a little overzealous.ö He took out his phone. ôI even wrote down their names. Ah, here they are. Vesta Muffin and Scarlett Canyon. They actually wantedto use real blood yesterday, instead of the usual red paint.ö

ôWeÆll look into them, sir,ö said Chase, exchanging a look of amusement with Odelia. ôNow can you take us to the person who received that tin containing BlandineÆs liver?ö

Tobias nodded and picked up the phone on Mr. KaratÆs desk. A moment later, he hung up. ôIÆve asked her to come up.ö

ôHave you decided how to handle the death of Mr. Blandine?ö asked Odelia.

ôIÆve been in conference with Diedrich and the PR people all morning, and they seem to think that the best way is to be honest. Simply tell the truth and get it over with.ö

ôI can imagine thatÆs going to be a tough pill to swallow.ö

ôYeah, well, it canÆt be helped. LetÆs just hope people will understand. Ah, here she is.ö

While Chase and Odelia interviewed the person in charge of the mailroom, and tried to track down how exactly the package had arrived, when it had arrived, and which route it had traveled to finally arrive on Cotton KaratÆs desk, Dooley and I wandered off and inspected a potted plant nearby. I wonÆt conceal that I was starting to get a little peckish. WeÆd been on the go all morning, without so much as a bathroom break, and frankly IÆd hoped that these Karat people would have something edible in store for us.

Unfortunately they did not condone pets in the office, and therefore had no pet food to dispense either.

ôIÆm still wondering how Eric Blandine died,ö said Dooley as we hopped up onto a nice blue sofa and settled in for the duration. If we couldnÆt eat, at least we could nap.

ôWhat do you mean? He was stabbed and his liver was removed, Dooley. The human body canÆt survive a harsh treatment like that.ö

ôItÆs a liver, Max. CanÆt people survive without a liver?ö

ôNo, they canÆt.ö

ôBut itÆs not a heart, or a pair of lungs. Now if his heart had been removed, or his lungs, I could understand, but a liver? I didnÆt even know humans had livers until this morning.ö

ôWhat do you mean? Of course humans have livers. Just like we have livers.ö

ôAre you sure?ö

ôOf course!ö

ôBut why?ö

ôWhat do you mean, why?ö

ôI mean, what does it do? Why do we need it?ö

ôThe liver helps with digestion, eliminates toxins, synthesizes proteins and hormones. ItÆs a very, very important organ.ö

ôI still think he could have survived a couple of hours without it. Which means he was probably poisoned. And we all know that poison is the murder weapon of choice for the female killer. Which means that Lita Fiol is the person weÆre looking for, Max.ö

ôBut she couldnÆt have done it, Dooley. She was with her boyfriend Tobias.ö

ôSo they did it together. Tobias was lured over to the dark side of duck activism, and so they both decided that Cotton had to die since he was in the duck-harming business.ö

ôTobias knew that Eric Blandine was replacing Cotton Karat. So why kill him?ö

ôTo send a message, of course! DonÆt mess with the ducks! Of course Tobias didnÆt want to kill the real Cotton Karat, since that would mean his stock options would drop in value and also heÆd be out of a job. But this Eric Blandine? No problem. So they decided to sacrifice the poor man as avictim of the cause.ö

ôOh, Dooley,ö I sighed. Looked like my friend didnÆt have all his ducks in a row.

Chapter 14

Before continuing their investigation, Odelia and Chase decided to take stock for a moment, and dropped by OdeliaÆs office. It allowed Dooley and myself to finally enjoy half a bowl of kibble, and a visit to the litter box Odelia has installed in her office. And not a moment too soon, either, for IÆd been wondering how much longer I could tell my bladder to behave!

It transpired that the package that arrived at the Karat Group offices had been hand-delivered sometime during the night or early morning. After a thorough reconstruction had been carried out, it was determined that the package had been found in the Karat Group mailbox by Laurence Grifka, the person in charge of the mailroom, who had personally placed it on a trolley destined for the upper floor.

She remembered so distinctly since it was the only package in the mailbox, since it was already there before the post arrived. Also, it had been tied up with string and looked like something either a child or the Unabomber had dreamed up.

Once the actual post had arrived, and had been sorted, the trolley had started its ascent through the company, until it had finally arrived on the top floor, where Cotton KaratÆs personal secretary Opal Saryusz had taken reception of the package along with the rest of CottonÆs mail, and had placed it on her bossÆs desk. Opal was one of the few people who knew that Cotton wasnÆt actually Cotton, since she knew the real man too well to be so easily deceived.

The last link in the chain had been Tobias, who had opened the package and made the gruesome discovery.

Which meant that we still had no idea who had delivered the package, since there were no CCTV cameras covering the mailbox, and the cameras that covered the parking lot hadnÆt picked up any strange activity last night or in the early part of the morning.

ôOdd that Tobias and the woman who runs the duck group would be dating,ö said Odelia as she tucked into a cheese sandwich Chase had picked up from the deli around the corner. He himself had procured a ham sandwich, defying potential abuse from Gran and Scarlett.

ôI think they make a cute couple,ö said Chase. ôAnd who knows? Maybe theyÆll be able to make the foie gras industry more ethical.ö

HeÆd received Abe CornwallÆs final report, which contained one gruesome detail we hadnÆt yet been made privy to. Apparently whoever killed Eric Blandine had shoved a pipe down the manÆs throat and poured the same mixture of corn and fat down his gullet that they used on the ducks to artificially fatten up their livers to unnatural proportions. The mixture had been found in the manÆs stomach as the last meal he digested.

And the tech people had finished examining EricÆs laptop and phone and had found no trace of a message heÆd received setting up his late-night meeting.

ôIt must be the duck people that did this,ö said Odelia. ôIf not Lita, then someone whoÆs part of her outfit.ö

ôMaybe we should talk to your grandmother. SheÆs already part of this group. She might be able to tell us who are some of the more radical elements.ö

ôAccording to Lita and Tobias she and Scarlett are the radical elements,ö said Odelia with a grin.

ôWhy am I not surprised,ö said the cop.

ôSo whatÆs next?ö

ôWe still have to talk to Ebony,ö said Chase, consulting his notebook. ôAnd I just got confirmation from Tobias that heÆs managed to set up an interview with the man himself. Cotton Karat has carved out five minutes of his busy day for us.ö

ôHeÆs home?ö

ôArriving home later today. The interview will take place at the clinic, though.ö

ôThat was a very short stay. So heÆs fully cured of his sex addiction, then?ö

ôI very much doubt it. But heÆs got a press conference at four.ö

ôThat sounds promising.ö

ôIf youÆre a reporter, sure. As a cop? Not so much. Though it might be interesting to keep a close eye on the room. If the killer thought he murdered Cotton, and now all of a sudden that same Cotton turns up alive and well, that must be a great blow.ö

ôYou think the killer will turn up at the press conference?ö asked Odelia.

ôWouldnÆt you?ö

Odelia nodded thoughtfully.ôWhy donÆt you talk to my uncle? Get a couple of cameras covering the room, and officers spread out to listen in on conversations, look at people texting on their phones. Maybe weÆll pick up on something that way.ö

ôGreat idea, babe,ö said Chase, and took out his own phone. ôConsider it done.ö

ôWe can also spread out, Odelia,ö I suggested. ôWe can ask Harriet and Brutus to join us. If we all cover a part of the room, we might be able to glean something important.ö

ôThanks, Max,ö said Odelia, giving me a pat on the head. ôThat would be great.ö

ôDo you really think the killer will turn up?ö asked Dooley.

ôWho knows?ö I said. ôIf Cotton was the intended victim, the killer might want to take another crack at him. And heÆll definitely want to see for himself if the man is still alive.ö

ôI hope theyÆll protect Cotton from now on,ö said Dooley. ôIf the killer tries again, they have to stop him before another man loses his liver.ö He frowned, then directed himself to our human. ôAre you sure that a person actually needs their liver, Odelia? It doesnÆt sound like something important. I mean, people lose their appendix or even a kidney and it doesnÆt make a difference.ö

ôYes, Dooley,ö said Odelia with a patient smile. ôPeople really do need their liver. ItÆs a vital organ.ö

ôOh. Well, too bad.ö

ôTell that to Eric Blandine,ö I muttered, then devoured another helping of kibble. I had the distinct impression that today was going to be a long day.

Chapter 15

IÆd just managed to strengthen the inner cat when Gran came storming into the office, followed by Scarlett and Harriet and Brutus. They all looked a little hot under the collar.

ôWhatÆs all this I hear about you arresting the leading light in duck salvation?ö Gran demanded heatedly.

ôIf youÆre referring to Lita Fiol, sheÆs not under arrest at this moment,ö said Chase, not too bothered by this outburst as evidenced by the leisurely way he was scrolling on his phone. ôShe is, however, a person of interest in our investigation, that much is true.ö

ôA person of interest! SheÆs as white as the driven snow! The girl is a peach!ö

ôSheÆs also the leader of the Duck Liberation Front, and as such the most likely suspect in our case,ö Chase pointed out, looking up from his phone and directing a warning glance at Gran and her cronies.

But if he thought a mere threatening look would silence Gran, he was sorely mistaken. Warning looks only serve to embolden that old lady.ôSheÆs a role model! A paragon of heroism. Setting an example for her generation! If not for her, ducks will continue to be slaughtered by the ravenous bloodlust of the common masses! You should give her a medal, and not that no-good, head butcher Cotton Karat.ö

ôYou do know that this head butcher of yours was himself butchered last night?ö asked Odelia, lifting an eyebrow.

GranÆs mouth opened and closed a few times. ôButchered? What are you talking about?ö

ôCotton Karat, or at least the man who was pretending to be Cotton Karat, was murdered last night. Someone shoved a tube down his throat, forced duck food into his stomach, and then proceeded to cut out his liver. Suffice it to say the man did not survive the treatment.ö

ôDid you say the man who was pretending to be Cotton?ö asked Scarlett, the first to recover from the shock.

ôYeah, turns out Cotton is in a rehab clinic, trying to kick a sex addiction,ö Chase grunted. ôSo the guy they hired to replace him for the time being ended up being the one who was murdered. Though itÆs safe to say that it was actually Cotton they were after.ö

ôSo let me get this straight,ö said Gran. ôThe man the killer thought was Cotton Karat was murdered in a manner very similar to the way ducks are slaughtered?ö

ôThatÆs exactly what happened,ö said Odelia, nodding. ôOnly his liver was subsequently removed and delivered to his office with a message from the Duck Liberation Front, announcing that this was only a first warning. So it looks as if your precious DLF is only getting started and more victims might follow this first one.ö

ôEspecially when they find out they got the wrong guy,ö Chase muttered.

ôI donÆt buy this,ö said Gran. ôMy DLF would never do such a horrible thing.ö

ôNo, weÆre all peace-loving people,ö Scarlett chimed in. ôWe donÆt condone violence.ö

ôAnyway, you can relax about Lita,ö said Odelia. ôTurns out she has a solid alibi for the time of the murder. Which isnÆt to say that someone else in your group isnÆt the murderer.ö

ôSpeaking of which,ö said Chase, ônow might be a good time to take a long, hard look at some of the other members, and find out who might be the person weÆre after.ö And to show them what he meant, he gave the twosome a long, hard look.

ôOh, no!ö said Gran immediately. ôYouÆre not going to get us to spy on our own!ö

ôVesta, maybe Chase has a point,ö said Scarlett. ôIf one of us is a killer, itÆs going to reflect very badly on the rest.ö

ôBut weÆre not police spies!ö

ôI thought that crime prevention was what the neighborhood watch did?ö asked Chase finely.

It was clear that two powerful emotions wrestled in GranÆs bosom: her allegiance to the duck cause on the one hand, and her leadership of the neighborhood watch on the other. Finally, the watch won, and she rolled her eyes. ôOh, all right. If youÆre going to get all heavy-handed on us.ö

ôSo youÆll take a closer look at the DLF membership?ö

ôYes, of course. Having a murderer in our midst probably is not a good thing.ö

ôIÆll say it isnÆt,ö said Harriet, as she gave me a curious look.

ôWhat?ö I asked, after having endured the look for all of five minutes.

ôI thought you were going to call us in when you needed our assistance?ö

ôI would have,ö I said. ôBut itÆs been one of those days. Hectic, if you see what I mean.ö

ôWeÆve been running around like headless ducks,ö Dooley added with a knowing nod.

ôAll right, fine,ö said Brutus. ôApologies accepted. So what do you want us to do?ö

I blinked. It only very rarely happens that Harriet and Brutus put their fate in my paws, and now that it had happened, I was unsure how to proceed. You see, IÆm one of those loner cats who like to do things all by themselves. I mean, I have Dooley assisting me, of course, but thatÆs it. IÆm not management material. I donÆt like to boss cats around.

ôWellàö I said, thinking hard if there was indeed stuff I could delegate. ôUmàö

ôOh, I see,ö said Harriet, her temper flaring up. ôYou donÆt want us around, is that it?ö

ôNo, of course not!ö I cried.

ôMax wants to have all the glory for himself, tootsie roll,ö Brutus grunted, giving me a dangerous look. ôHe wants to be the hero of this investigationùall the credit for himself.ö

ôNo, thatÆs not true!ö I said. ôOkay, look, I was thinking that maybe you can join Gran and Scarlett and infiltrate this duck group. And also, Cotton is holding a press conference this afternoon, and it might be a good idea to spread out and keep tabs on the crowd.ö

ôWay ahead of you, Maxie baby,ö said Brutus. ôAnd for your information: when the credits are finally awarded, I want it on record that we thought of it first, all right?ö

ôAll right,ö I said. ôOf course.ö

ôSo as it stands: weÆre the ones who are going to nab this vicious killer,ö said Harriet. ôNot you and Dooley. Me and Brutus. Capeesh?ö

ôAbsolutely,ö I said.

I must say that when the neighborhood watch finally rolled outùor should I say the Duck Liberation FrontùI was secretly relieved.

No, IÆm definitely not a born leader.

Chapter 16

Ebony Pilay lived in a very nice condo on the top floor of a very nice building. It sported a gym, a heated pool, a spa, and even concierge service, whatever that meant. Miss Pilay herself seemed to live alone, and when we walked into her flat it wasnÆt hard to see why: life-sized pictures of herself adorned the entrance, the main wall of the living room, and even the bedroom. It made me wonder who in their right mind would want to stare at a picture of themselves all the time. And conversely: who in their right mind would date a woman who was so clearly in love with herself?

The supermodel bade our humans to take a seat on a very uncomfortable-looking sofaùbuilt for style, not comfortùand patiently waited until they launched into the interview.

I had to admit she was quite easily as gorgeous in reality as she was in all of those pictures she had used to wallpaper her condo. She had large hazel eyes, the smoothest skin IÆve ever seen, and silky hair that lay close to her head in the finest curls.

She was dressed in a silver kimono and her feet were slippered in the kind of fluffy bathroom slippers they hand out in fancy hotels. In others words: she had the out-of-bed look down pat, though it wouldnÆt surprise me if she hadnÆt been busy getting out of bed for the better part of the morning and had shot an Instagram Story showing her millions of followers how she went about it and had bagged an endorsement deal in the process.

ôWe talked to Tobias Pushman this morning,ö said Chase, taking out his little notebook, ôand he told us how you made quite a scene in Cotton KaratÆs office yesterday.ö

Ebony lifted the corners of her lips fractionally. I think it was her way of smiling.ôAnd can you blame me? The man had just dumped me by text. By text, sergeant!ö

ôDetective,ö Chase corrected her gently. ôYou clearly werenÆt happy about it.ö

ôWould you be happy if your girlfriend dumped you in such an obscenely rude way?ö

ôNo, I guess I wouldnÆt,ö Chase admitted, casting a quick glance to Odelia.

ôLook, I can understand that for a man in CottonÆs position, a fling doesnÆt mean a thing, but come on, detective. A little respect, please. Especially when heÆd just told me I was the love of his life, and had started murmuring about weddings and honeymoons!ö

ôCotton had proposed marriage?ö

ôNot in so many words,ö Ebony admitted. ôBut the man definitely had marriage on his mind when we last spoke.ö She inclined her head. ôThough he did a lot more than speak, if you see what I mean.ö

ôI think I do,ö said Chase.

ôWhat can I say? The man was enamored with me. Crazy about me. And who wouldnÆt be? I am a very desirable woman, detective. All men want me, in fact I drive them crazy, and Cotton was no exception. Which is why I was shockedùshocked, I tell youùwhen he sent me that text. Out of the blue he suddenly broke up with me!ö

ôAnd so you stormed into his office and gave him a piece of your mind.ö

ôYes, I did. But if youÆre going to conclude from that that I killed him, youÆre very much mistaken. I would never raise a hand at anyone in anger, detective. IÆm a peaceable girl. In fact I abhor violence of any kind.ö And to prove her words, she rested her hands in her lap and assumed the facial expression of a Buddha. A very beautiful Buddha, of course.

ôCan you tell us where you were last night between ten and midnight, Miss Pilay?ö asked Odelia.

A small frown appeared on the modelÆs brow, then instantly was gone as she relaxed those all-important facial muscles. ôI was here, on the phone with the editors for the next edition ofVogue. We were discussing my involvement. It will be my twentieth cover, you see, and weÆre thinking about doing something really special this time.ö She waved a delicate hand as she gestured to a framedVogue cover that hung behind Chase and Odelia.ôMaybe something withà clouds this time. Orà paint, maybe. Blue paintà or pink.ö

ôWeÆre going to need the name of this editor,ö said Chase, cutting through this impromptu brainstorming session. ôSo we can verify your alibi.ö

ôYou were on the phone the whole time?ö asked Odelia.

ôIt was a conference call, with several members of the creative team. It didnÆt run too long, though. A girl needs her beauty sleep. Sleep regenerates collagen, you see.ö She studied OdeliaÆs face. ôI see that you havenÆt had enough sleep. If youÆre not careful it will lead to the collagen in your face to break down, which could lead to premature wrinkles.ö

Odelia inadvertently touched her face, presumably to keep that collagen from breaking down.ôAfter you left the office yesterday, did you come straight here?ö

ôNo, actually I didnÆt. I went for a drive.ö

ôWhere did you go?ö

ôJust driving along, you know, with the top down.ö She smiled. ôNow I know what youÆre thinking, but I did put on sunblock first. In fact I put on sunblock every time I leave the house. And I was wearing sunglasses, of course, to protect my eyes.ö She carefully touched the tips of her fingers to the puffy part underneath the eyes. She seemed to like what she was feeling, for she smiled again. ôYou should try sunblock, detective. I donÆt like the look of those pores. I think your skin might have suffered some damage already.ö

Chase obviously didnÆt bother too much about his pores, for he asked, ôCan you think of anyone who would want to harm Cotton?ö

ôApart from myself, you mean?ö she asked finely. ôActually, I do. The manÆs ex-wife once sent me a very threatening message. I kept it, of course, since a girl in my position has to be extra careful.ö

She didnÆt elucidate what her position was, but she did produce her phone, and brought up the message in question.

ôHere,ö she said, placing her phone on the coffee table, which, not coincidentally, also had a very large coffee table book with her face on the cover.

Chase took the phone and read,ôæStay away from my husband. IÆm warning you.Æö

ôThereÆs another one there,ö said Ebony.

ôæIf you donÆt leave my husband alone, IÆll rearrange your face and make sure no man will ever look at you again.Æö

ôThe odd thing is that when she wrote that, they were already divorced, so technically Cotton was her ex-husband. But clearly she still feels very proprietary about the man.ö

ôWere you the reason Cotton divorced his wife?ö asked Chase as he took a picture of both messages with his own phone.

ôNo, of course not. IÆm not a homewrecker, detective. When I met Cotton he was already divorced.ö

ôSo why did they divorce?ö asked Odelia.

Ebony shrugged a pair of shapely shoulders.ôYouÆd have to ask Cotton.ö

Both Chase and Odelia looked up at this.

ôOh, yes. I know that the man who was killed last night wasnÆt Cotton but some hapless lookalike,ö said Ebony as she flicked an imaginary piece of lint from her kimono.

ôWho told you?ö asked Chase.

ôTobias. He phoned me before you arrived. Turns out it wasnÆt CottonÆs idea to dump me but his so-called advisors. They shipped him off to some rehab clinic and tried to get rid of meùall because some of the Karat shareholders are unhappy with Cotton. All nonsense, if you ask me. Then again, a lot of men are afraid of a woman who wields as much power as I do. Which is exactly what I told Tobias. You see, I know his little secret, and if he and Cotton donÆt tell the truth at the press conference later today, IÆll make sure TobiasÆs affair with the leader of that duck action frontwill be front-page news tomorrow.ö She gracefully rose with a swishing of her kimono. ôAnd now if thereÆs nothing elseàö

Chapter 17

ôI really thought Ebony Pilay would have a cat,ö said Dooley once we were back in the car, en route to our next destination. ôShe seems like the type.ö

ôIs there a cat type?ö I said. ôI wonder.ö

ôOf course,ö said Dooley. ôThereÆs a cat type and a dog type, and Ebony Pilay is definitely the cat type.ö

ôThat James Bond villain who was always stroking his cat, was he the cat type?ö I mused. ôErnst Stavro Blofeld. Always trying to dominate the world by launching rockets at some far-flung destination.ö

Dooley gave me a curious look.ôDo you think Ebony Pilay is actually a James Bond villain in disguise?ö

ôI shouldnÆt wonder,ö I said. ôShe struck me as a very villainy type, to be honest.ö

ôSoà do you think all cat types are villains in disguise?ö

We looked at Odelia. Of course, since we were in the backseat, all we could see was the back of her head, but it suddenly struck me as very villainy indeed. But then she turned and gave us both a dazzling smile, tickled us under our chins, and turned to face the front again.

Dooley and I shared a look of intense relief.ôDefinitely not a villain,ö I said.

ôDefinitely.ö

ôSo maybe Odelia is the exception that proves the rule.ö

ôYou mean sheÆs the only cat person in the world who isnÆt a villain?ö

ôItÆs possible,ö I said. It was a revolutionary thought, of course. Until now IÆd always thought that dog people were all villains, but now I was starting to think the opposite was true. And it stood to reason: dogs are notoriously dumb creatures, whereas cats are clever and, dare I say, even devious, to a certain extent.

Clever, devious, gorgeous, fastidiousà all traits of a supervillain.

In other words: if Odelia hadnÆt taken me in, I might have been BlofeldÆs pet!

It boggled the mind to even contemplate such a horrendous contingency.

We had finally arrived at destinationÆs end, and after taking a few wrong turns, with Chase freely cursing the GPS and Odelia coming to his assistance by using an app on her phone, the Heartfield Clinic loomed up large before us.

ôThis place once belonged to a local sausage king,ö said Odelia, reading from her phone. ôBut after a dozen people died from eating his sausages he went bust and sold the place to a philanthropist who launched the Heartfield Clinic.ö

ôDo they only treat sex addicts here?ö asked Chase as he parked his car between a Rolls Royce and a Jaguar.

ôNo, all kinds of addicts,ö said Odelia. ôTheyÆre not choosy.ö

ôI wonder if they also treat meat addiction,ö said Dooley as we hopped from the backseat and gracefully landed on the cobbled ground.

ôMeat isnÆt an addiction, Dooley,ö I said. ôCats need meat. WeÆre carnivores, after all.ö

ôBut Gran said that meat is very bad. In fact she says that meat is murder.ö

ôGran has some strange ideas sometimes,ö I said. ôThough it probably is true that people in general eat too much meat. There are other foods they could eat but donÆt.ö

ôMaybe we should become vegetarians, too,ö said Dooley. ôI mean, poor ducks.ö

ôYeah, poor ducks,ö I said, thinking back to that nice Fred the duck, pining in his stall back at the duck farm. ôAt the very least they could allow them to roam free.ö

ôMaybe Gran and Scarlett should stage a breakout? Free the ducks?ö

ôPlease donÆt mention that to them. They might just go ahead and do it.ö

WeÆd entered the clinic, which was airy and bright and clean inside, with a woman dressed like a nurse behind the reception, who greeted us with a radiant smile.

ôWhat can I do for you?ö she said, and I could see she was already sizing us up: were we addicted to sex, drugs, alcohol or some other more exotic substance? Glue, perhaps?

The moment Chase produced his badge, and so did Odelia, the womanÆs smile diminished somewhat. ôOh,ö she said. Addicted to law and order. Probably incurable.

ôWeÆre here to see Cotton Karat,ö said Chase. ôWe believe heÆs expecting us.ö

ôOf course,ö said the woman, much sobered. Like most people, she didnÆt enjoy coming face to face with the long arm of the law, or even the strong arm of the law. ôPlease take a seat.ö

And so we took a seat.

ôI wonder if Uncle Alec shouldnÆt give us badges, too,ö said Dooley. ôIt would make life a lot easier for us.ö

ôWe donÆt need badges, Dooley,ö I said. ôWeÆre cats, and cats can sneak into any place, no questions asked. ItÆs the humans theyÆre adamant to keep out for some reason.ö

We glanced around, then Dooley said,ôI think itÆs more that they want to keep people in.ö And he was right, of course. Clinics like Heartfield want to keep those addicts in, and prevent them from wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting society. Though as far as I understood, Cotton Karat didnÆt actually suffer any addiction. The sex addiction thing was just a pretext to remove him from circulation for the time being, while the shareholders all calmed down and stopped the stock price from dropping like the proverbial stone.

It took about ten minutes for the staff to track down Cotton, but then we were led outside into the garden, and moments later we were seated on a nice bench next to the fallen business tycoon, looking out across a field of green as far as the eye could see.

ôNice place,ö said Chase.

ôOh, absolutely,ö said Cotton. ôYouÆd almost think youÆre on vacation here, if it wasnÆt for the people screaming the house down in the middle of the night and having to be restrained.ö He sighed. ôTobias told me theyÆre getting me out of hereùand not a moment too soon, I can tell you.ö

ôSo I take it you heard about what happened with Eric Blandine?ö

ôYeah, poor schmuck. What are the chances, right?ö

ôSo you think they were gunning for you?ö

ôOf course. Blandine was just a lowly worker drone as far as I can tell. Who would want to kill him? Whereas I am in charge of a multimillion-dollar company. Of course I was the intended target. I hope Tobias has learned his lesson and is going to tighten my security. If you think IÆm looking forward to having my liver removed youÆre very much mistaken.ö He glowered at no one in particular, arms folded across his chest.

He was a handsome man, this Cotton Karat. Wavy dark hair, refined features, patrician nose, eyes that some people would have described as molten chocolate when they were smoldering as they were now. And of course an athletic body, as evidenced by rolling biceps stretching the pink polo shirt he was wearing.

ôDo you have any idea who could have done this toà Blandine?ö said Odelia. SheÆd almost said æto youÆ but of course nothing had been done to Cotton. It was the ælowly worker droneÆ whoÆd gotten it in the neck, poor guy. No stock options for him.

ôTake your pick,ö said Cotton, gesticulating angrily. ôUpset shareholders, those crazy duck lovers, angry investorsàö

ôYour ex-wife Dawn?ö Odelia suggested.

Cotton looked up at this.ôDawn? What makes you think that?ö

ôWe talked to Ebony Pilay just now,ö said Chase. ôAnd she said sheÆs received several threatening messages sent by Dawn. Threats that might extend to you, since youÆre the one who divorced her.ö

Cotton smoothed his shirt.ôShe wasnÆt happy with me, thatÆs for sure. But murder? I donÆt know, detective. That seems a little excessive, even for Dawn.ö

ôWhy did you divorce her?ö

ôBecause we were through. Simply speaking, I fell out of love with Dawn. Well, you know how it is. When you meet a person for the first time, youÆre madly in love, and you think sheÆs the only girl in the world. But then you get to know her, and the love light gradually fades, until one day you wake up next to a complete stranger, and wonder what you saw in her in the first place. And also, Dawn really let herself go after we had Inari.ö

ôYour daughter.ö

Cotton nodded.ôYou should have seen her when we met. She was gorgeous. But then she got fat and ugly, and even though I told her on several occasions to get her act togetheràö

ôYou told her she was fat and ugly?ö asked Odelia incredulously.

ôI believe in the power of truth, Mrs. Kingsley,ö said the CEO, unrepentant. ôIf you canÆt handle the truth, you have no business being alive. And Dawn, IÆm afraid to say, didnÆt take it well.ö He lowered the collar of his shirt and showed us a tiny scar. ôThrew a mirror at me.ö He shrugged. ôSo I gave her an ultimatum. Drop thirty pounds or IÆd divorce her. She told me to go and boil my head, so we got divorced.ö

ôI donÆt think I like Cotton Karat very much, Max,ö said Dooley.

ôNo, me neither,ö I said, giving the man a dark look.

ôSo how about Ebony Pilay?ö asked Chase, since Odelia seemed too mad to continue asking questions.

ôWhat about her?ö

ôShe was pretty angry with you.ö

ôNot with me. With my entourage.ö

ôShe didnÆt know it wasnÆt you who dumped her.ö

ôI guess not,ö he said with a frown. ôDo you think she killed that sap Blandine?ö

ôDo you?ö

ôMh. SheÆs got a temper, Ebony has, but murder? I donÆt knowà SheÆs crazy about me, you know. As am I about her.ö

ôDo you think youÆll get back together?ö

Cotton slapped his thighs and heaved a deep sigh.ôI wish. My dad has really tightened the screws. If I ever go near Ebony again heÆs going to kick me out of the company, and IÆm afraid heÆs not kidding this time. I meanàö He gestured around. ôHe practically kidnapped me and put me in this institution! That must be some kind of humanrights violation.ö He gave Chase a hopeful look. ôShould I press charges? Surely people have gone to jail for less?ö

But Chase wasnÆt allowing himself to be drawn into this family dispute. ôEbony seems to think youÆll be an item again.ö

ôWell, she can think again. IÆm not going anywhere near that woman. I mean, I donÆt want to lose everything over a piece of skirt.ö

Suddenly Odelia got up and stomped off. We all watched her leave, and it could have been my imagination but I had the distinct impression smoke was coming from her ears.

ôYouÆre a real piece of work, arenÆt you, Mr. Karat?ö said Chase, shaking his head.

ôIÆm just saying it like it is, detective. YouÆre thinking it, and IÆm saying it.ö

ôOh, no,ö said Chase. ôThis is all you, Cotton.ö

ôFine. So IÆm the last honest man on the planet. Sue me. Are we done?ö

ôYeah,ö said Chase, getting up and glowering at the man. ôWeÆre done.ö

Chapter 18

ôWhat a nasty piece of work!ö Odelia fumed once we were en route to Hampton Cove again. ôI canÆt believe what Ebony sees in the guy!ö

ôHeÆs rich, handsome, and IÆm sure he can be charming when he wants to be,ö said Chase.

ôWell, heÆs not fooling me. And in my next article IÆm going to lay it all out, no holds barred.ö

Chase chuckled.ôLooks like Cotton is in for some more trouble.ö

ôHeÆs got it coming. What a thoroughly despicable person.ö

ôI think itÆs all that foie gras he eats,ö said Dooley. ôEating that much liver canÆt be healthy. It probably affects his own liver and now heÆs turned into a grinch.ö

ôNot a grinch,ö I corrected my friend. ôMore like a misogynist.ö

ôThat sounds bad,ö said Dooley, eyeing me curiously. ôIs that like cancer?ö

ôAbsolutely,ö I said with a smile. ôA cancer to society.ö

ôSo where are we going now?ö I asked, addressing my question to Odelia since Chase still didnÆt speak our language for some reason, even though heÆd been rubbing shoulders with us for a while now.

ôWeÆre going to talk to the rest of the family,ö said Odelia. ôCottonÆs dad, ex-wife and daughter. Find out what they have to say about this murder business.ö

ôI hope Harriet and Brutus are all right,ö said Dooley. ôInfiltrating a duck group could be dangerous, especially if one of them is a killer.ö

ôIÆm sure theyÆll be fine,ö I said, though I did experience a slight twinge of unease, too. Going undercover in a group of animal rights activists did indeed sound like a mission fraught with danger. I just hoped that these duck rights activists would extend their love of ducks to other species of animals, too. Like cats. Then again, bird lovers are often the most virulent cat haters, since they seem to think we alone are to blame for the decimation of the bird population. Even though personally I donÆt know any cats whoÆd want to be seen dead with a duck, so hopefully that gave these duck people pause when they went on their rampage.

Diedrich Karat lived in a house easily as big and nice as the entire Heartfield Clinic. His wife, CottonÆs mom, had died some years ago, so the businessman had the house all to himself.

ôHe must have sold a lot of foie gras to afford a place like this,ö said Dooley when we were staring up at the facade, which consisted of dark brick which lent it a touch of ominousness. Like those dark and stormy night stories the Bront? sisters liked so much. When the door opened I half expected a tortured-looking Heathcliff to be staring back at us, eyes burning like lumps of coal. Instead, it was just a regular butler with no visible signs of insanity.

ôItÆs not just foie gras the Karats are selling,ö I said as we followed our humans across the threshold and into the Karat dwelling. ôTheyÆre a luxury goods company, which means they sell everything your rich person likes, be it expensive watches, cars, jewelry, clothes, shoes, perfume, tobacco productsà If itÆs expensive and exclusive, the Karats will sell it.ö

ôAre there so many rich people in the world who can afford that kind of stuff?ö

ôOh, absolutely. There are plenty of billionaires and even more millionaires.ö

ôIs Odelia a millionaire?ö

ôNo, not exactly,ö I said with a smile. ôNot on a reporterÆs salary.ö

ôIf she works hard enough, and saves enough money, do you think sheÆll ever be a millionaire?ö

ôItÆs possible,ö I said. ôBut only if she lives to be five hundred years old.ö

Dooley thought about this for a moment.ôI donÆt think humans live that long, do they?ö

ôNo, they donÆt.ö

ôPity.ö

Diedrich was waiting for us in what the butler called the smoking room. Fortunately for us no smoking was going on at that moment, since smoking irritates my sensitive sense of smell.

CottonÆs dad was one of those barrel-chested men. He was also one of those potbellied men, and the combination of that barrel chest and that potbelly made him look very big indeed. In contrast, he had a rather small head and spindly legs, and so the end result was disconcerting.

He got up from a squeaky leather couch with some effort, and greeted us with a kindly smile and an outstretched hand.ôHow did you find Cotton? In good spirits, I hope?ö

ôHe seemed fine,ö said Odelia, perhaps a little more curtly than a loving father might have hoped.

Diedrich must have picked up on it, for he said,ôHe hates it there, I know. But it is for his own good. You canÆt go around frolicking all over the stage in front of a room full of shareholders and expect them to like it. Cotton singlehandedly collapsed our stock. So we had to do something.ö

ôHeÆs giving a press conference this afternoon?ö asked Chase.

ôYes, after what happened with Eric Blandine we owe it to our investors to talk turkey. ItÆs very unfortunate but it canÆt be helped.ö

ôWill you come out of retirement, sir?ö asked Odelia.

ôI donÆt think so. My health isnÆt what I would like it to be. High blood pressure. The doctors have advised me to take a backseat. Let others take the reins from now on.ö

ôSo Cotton again?ö

ôYes, Cotton again. Only this time weÆll keep him on a much tighter leash. No more canoodling with young models in front of the worldÆs cameras. He has a lot of growing up to do, but IÆm confident weÆll get him there yet.ö He gave Chase and Odelia an expectant look. ôSo? What have youfound so far? Any imminent arrests I should know about?ö

ôNot yet, sir,ö said Chase.

Diedrich frowned.ôI thought you were here to give me an update?ö

ôWeÆre here as part of the investigation. Collect background information on your son and the people that are closest to himùlike you, sir, and his ex-wife and daughter.ö

ôWhat good is that going to do? You should be out there, hunting the bastard down!ö

The manÆs head had turned red, and I could see a vein throbbing in his neck.

ôIf he keeps this up heÆll drop dead before the interview is over,ö said Dooley.

ôBoth Chase and Odelia know CPR,ö I said. ôTheyÆll give him the kiss of life.ö

ôWhatÆs the kiss of life?ö asked Dooley, much interested.

ôMouth-to-mouth resuscitation.ö When he continued mystified, I explained, ôWhen a person collapses you put your mouth on theirs and breathe into their lungs. In the meantime you give them a heart massage to keep the old ticker going until the paramedics arrive. ItÆs saved a lot of lives.ö

Dooley studied the Karat patriarchÆs lips, and shivered. ôThat canÆt be hygienic,ö he said.

ôWhy not? Odelia kisses Chase all the time.ö

ôYes, but thatÆs because she makes allowances: because she loves him. But I donÆt think they love Diedrich, do they?ö

ôItÆs not about love, Dooley. ItÆs about saving a life.ö

ôBut cooties, Max! Think about the cooties!ö

Luckily Chase managed to calm the man down, and his face lost its dark color.

ôItÆs just a routine part of our inquiry, sir,ö said the cop. ôNow can you tell us if your son has any enemies that you know of? Apart from those angry shareholders, of course.ö

ôWell, Ebony Pilay was pretty upset with him, at least according to Tobias. And then thereÆs those duck people. The Duck Liberation Army or whatever theyÆre called.ö

ôDuck Liberation Front,ö Odelia corrected him.

ôIt must be them, right? TheyÆre the ones who sent BlandineÆs liver to the office.ö

ôThe person in charge of the Duck Liberation Front has a solid alibi,ö said Chase. ôSo it canÆt have been her.ö

ôSo one of her followers did it. TheyÆre all nuts, as far as IÆm concerned. Absolutely bonkers. Who would want to save a duck? You might as well try and save the pigeons. Though IÆm sure thereÆs probably a Pigeon Liberation Front out there as well. Or even a Rat Liberation Army. The worldhas gone stark-raving mad, thatÆs all I can think.ö

Dooley turned to me with a questioning look on his face, but even before he could speak, I said,ôNo, there is no Pigeon Liberation Front or Rat Liberation Army, Dooley. At least I donÆt think there is.ö

ôThere should be, though, wouldnÆt you agree? Those poor pigeons having to beg for corn kernels and those poor rats having to sniff around dumpsters and stuff.ö

I sighed.ôIÆm sure both pigeons and rats are perfectly happy with their lot in life.ö

ôAre you planning to increase security now that Cotton is returning home?ö asked Chase.

ôOh, absolutely. Tobias is handling all of that. And I hope he doesnÆt screw up,ö the retired business mogul added in a threatening tone. ôOr else IÆll have his hide.ö

Dooley chuckled quietly.ôTheyÆll have to start a Tobias Liberation Front soon,ö he said.

Chapter 19

Even though Cotton had pretty much dumped his wife like one does a pair of old socks, Dawn Karat hadnÆt suffered financially in the divorce, as the big pile where she lived proved. It wasnÆt as grand as Pop KaratÆs place, but it was nothing to be sniffed at either.

The former Mrs. Cotton Karat received us in what she called her library, though I didnÆt see a lot of books in evidence. Instead the shelves were loaded with DVDs.

I saw that Dawn still hadnÆt lost those thirty pounds, and probably had gained another thirty since the divorce, but she was still a handsome woman. She was dressed in a colorful flowing kaftan and was wearing a silk scarf around her head. Shiny gold earrings peeped from beneath the scarf, and she looked as healthy as shedid happy.

In fact it wasnÆt too much to say the woman was absolutely radiant.

ôSo they cut out his liver and shipped it off to his own office, did they?ö she asked. ôHow ghastly!ö But her beaming smile belied her words. ôHow absolutely ghoulish.ö

ôWhere were you last night between ten and midnight, Mrs. Karat?ö asked Chase. But if heÆd hoped to put a dent in the womanÆs sheer delight, he was disappointed.

ôI was right here, of course. A real homebody, me.ö

ôCan anyone vouch for you?ö

ôMy daughter, and a brace of servants. In fact Inari and I watched one of our favorite movies last night.Bedazzled! You know, about the man who sells his soul to the devil.ö She winked. ôRemind you of someone?ö

ôIf youÆre referring to your ex-husbandàö

ôOf course! Though in his case he couldnÆt sell his soul since he never had one to begin with. Or a heart, for that matter. Oh, there you are, sweetie. These people are from the police. TheyÆve come to question us about that gruesome murder.ö

A young woman had entered the room, looking a lot like her mother. Though she wasnÆt dressed in a kaftan but simple ripped jeans and a sweater. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders and she wore no makeup to speak of. She was pretty enough to pull it off. Not supermodel pretty, but beautiful in a wholesome way. She took a seat next to her mom, toed off her sneakers and sat cross-legged. ôSo was it really Dad they tried to kill?ö

ôAbsolutely!ö said her mother. ôThe man who died was pretending to be your dad, wasnÆt he?ö

ôWill he be all right?ö asked the young woman. ôDad, I mean. Is he being protected?ö

ôHeÆs fine,ö Dawn assured her. ôTheyÆre not going to let another madman near him now, are they?ö There was a touch of wistfulness in her voice. ôThe policeman just asked me where I was last night.ö

ôHere,ö said Inari immediately. ôWe were watchingBedazzled.ö

ôInari is studying to be a film director,ö Dawn explained. ôSo weÆve been watching a lot of movies together, havenÆt we, darling?ö

Inari nodded, and chewed a thoughtful fingernail.ôSo was it the duck people who killed that man? Did you arrest them?ö

ôThe investigation is ongoing,ö said Chase. ôRight now weÆre trying to paint a picture of your fatherÆs life.ö

Dawn laughed at this, going so far as to throw her head back.ôJust round up a couple of dozen models and there you have CottonÆs life!ö she cried. ôIn that sense Cotton is exactly like Hugh Hefner. Only Hugh had the decency to stay loyal to whoever he was married to at the time, which is more than can be said about Cotton.ö

ôMom, please,ö said Inari, looking embarrassed at her motherÆs outburst.

ôItÆs true, isnÆt it? The man is in a clinic for sex addicts, darling. That tells you all you need to know about him.ö

ôYeah, but heÆs not actually being treated for a sex addiction, is he? ThatÆs just a ruse to get him out of the way for a while. Until all this hubbub dies down.ö

ôIs it true that they told the Pilay woman to pack her bags and buzz off?ö asked Dawn.

ôNot in those terms,ö said Chase reluctantly.

ôWell, good riddance. Parasites, every last one of them. All trying to bleed him dry.ö

ôHe never should have left us,ö said Inari. ôIf heÆd stayed here he wouldnÆt be in this mess.ö

ôYour father could never resist a pretty face,ö said Dawn as she studied her own nails. She frowned when she caught her daughter nibbling a cuticle and slapped her hand away. ôBad habit,ö she muttered. ôHer exams are coming up,ö she said apologetically. ôShe always gets nervous. For no reason, because sheÆs a brilliant student.ö

ôItÆs only midterms,ö Inari murmured.

ôSo Ebony Pilay told us that you sent her some threatening messages,ö said Odelia, trying to get the interview back on track.

ôOh, that,ö said Dawn with a throwaway gesture that made her gold bangles jangle. ôI was just trying to make sure she didnÆt expect too much from CottonÆs latest infatuation.ö

ôYouÆve been divorced how long now?ö asked Chase.

Dawn pursed her lips.ôFour years.ö

ôæStay away from my husband,Æö Chase read from his phone. He looked up at the woman. ôYouÆve been divorced four years and you still send threatening messages to your ex-husbandÆs girlfriends?ö

ôYou carry a torch for a person, detective, and even though that person no longer wants to stay married, you donÆt simply turn off that affection.ö

ôYou still love Cotton?ö

ôLetÆs just say I care deeply for him. And I donÆt like it when people take advantage.ö

ôSo you thought Miss Pilay was taking advantage of him?ö

ôOf course. They all do. If Cotton wasnÆt a Karat, do you really think these girls would be all over him? TheyÆre after his money, and his standing in society. All of them imagine themselves becoming the next Mrs. Cotton Karat. Well, there is only one Mrs. Cotton Karat and thatÆs me.ö SheÆd tilted her chin and was throwing down the gauntlet, as if daring anyone to contradict her. As it was, both Odelia and Chase kept schtum, letting the silence drag on. Finally Dawn said, ôOkay, so IÆm a caring person. In fact I probably care too much, and much too deeply. But what can I do? ThatÆs the way IÆm built. IsnÆt that right, petal?ö

ôOh, Mom,ö said Inari, and gave her mother a stroke on the arm.

ôAnd what about you, Miss Karat?ö asked Odelia. ôDo you still care about your dad?ö

ôWhat kind of a question is that!ö Dawn burst out, but Inari smiled.

ôOf course I do. HeÆs my dad, isnÆt he? And frankly I donÆt care about the girlfriends or the glitzy parties or the fancy cars he likes to drive. When itÆs just the two of us that all falls away. HeÆs just my dad, you know, and I know he loves me and I love him.ö

ôHeÆs not a bad person,ö said Dawn. ôHeÆs justà immature, I guess. And I blame Deirdre and Diedrich. They spoiled him and they spoiled Jared. Spoiled them both rotten.ö

ôUncle Jared is different, though,ö said Inari. ôHeÆs got an artistÆs soul.ö

Dawn scoffed at this, but when her daughter gave her a critical look, she masked it by coughing into her fist.ôHeÆs different, all right,ö she said. ôAnd also the same, of course.ö

Chapter 20

That afternoon, emotions were running high in anticipation of the press conference Cotton was holding after the murder of the man who was hired to replace him. Rumors and innuendo were flying around the room of the press center, and reporters were clamoring for a good seat so they could launch a barrage of questions at the beleaguered business tycoon.

When Cotton finally walked on stage, half an hour late, he looked fine, and so did Tobias Pushman, who took a seat next to his CEO. Diedrich didnÆt put in an appearance, though I saw him hover at the edge of the stage. He didnÆt look so hot, but then high-pressure situations were probably a big no-no for the manÆs high blood pressure.

And then, much to everyoneÆs surprise, Inari Karat also joined her dad on stage.

ôShe didnÆt mention she was going to participate,ö Odelia told Chase.

ôShe probably didnÆt think it was important,ö Chase reciprocated.

ThereÆs often a vast chasm between what witnesses think is important and what the police deem so. And more often than not it concerns things those witnesses prefer to keep a secret for whatever reason.

Since Odelia and Chase were in the first row, so were Dooley and I, which afforded us an excellent vantage point to follow this all-important briefing.

ôAs you are probably aware,ö said Cotton, addressing the room full of journos, ôa man was murdered late last night. This man was an employee of the Karat Group. His name is Eric Blandine and he was a much-appreciated and hard-working member of the Karat family. LetÆs please observe a minuteof silence in remembrance of Mr. Blandine.ö He inclined his head and folded his hands in prayer. All of five seconds later, he looked up again. ôEric Blandine put his life on the line for this company, and I think we can all appreciate his familyÆs bereavement, so IÆm going to ask you to respect their privacy.ö

ôI thought Cotton thought that Eric Blandine was just a lowly worker drone?ö asked Dooley.

ôI have the impression Eric Blandine is about to become canonized,ö I said.

ôMr. Blandine stepped forward at a time when the Karat family found itself under duress. My relationship with Ebony Pilay recently broke down, and I found myself unable to cope with this personal tragedy that had befallen me. So I decided that I needed some time to come to terms with the loss andtake a break. But of course the Karat Group needs leadership. And so Eric volunteered to provide this leadership at this difficult time. In so doing he provided the group with an essential service, and me with much-needed time to grieve. I will answer questions later,ö he snapped when three handsrose up in the room.

ôHeÆs lying through his teeth,ö said Dooley.

ôHeÆs being creative with the truth,ö I said. ôItÆs called PR.ö

ôSo PR is like creative lying?ö

ôSomething like that.ö

ôAnd of course we know what happened next. Some dastardly criminals decided to take EricÆs life last night, a life he sacrificed for the group he worked his entire life for. The company he served with honor and dignity. With pride and dedication. LetÆs take another minute to commemorate such a remarkable man.ö Three seconds later, he went on, ôBecause of what happened, IÆve decided to cut my break short, and assume full control of the group once more. There is a time to grieve, but thereÆs also a time to take oneÆs responsibility. The Karat Group employs fifty thousand people across the globe. They deserve a strong leader. A leader who will make sure that the people who took Eric Sardine away from us will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. ItÆs what Eric Sardine deserves. ItÆs what Eric Sardine died for.ö He bowed his head nobly.

ôItÆs Blandine!ö we could hear Tobias hiss, even though he held his hand over his mic.

Cotton looked up again, his mournful expression replaced by a smile.ôAnd now my daughter would like to say a few words. Inari?ö

And as the youngest scion of the Karat family took the stage, the reporter to OdeliaÆs right leaned over and whispered, ôThis holier-than-thou attitude is making me sick!ö

ôWhose? CottonÆs?ö

ôThe daughter, of course.ö

ôWhy?ö

ôShe pretends to be all lovey-dovey with the world, but I saw her go toe-to-toe with the girlfriend only last week. Shouting abuse at her like some truck driver. Who would have thought that a girl who looks like a saint would know language as foul as that!ö

ôAre you sure it was Inari?ö asked Odelia, clearly surprised.

ôAbsolutely. Told the Pilay woman that she was a right so-and-so and that if she didnÆt stay away from her dad she would cut off her head and stick it up her you-know-what!ö

We all stared at Inari, who was smiling sweetly, and telling the congregation how important her fatherÆs values had always been to her and that he was a shining example of the true business leader. She also hinted she was considering a change of career so the next generation of Karats would be ready to take the group into the future and beyond.

ôI thought she wanted to be the next Steven Spielberg?ö said Dooley.

ôLooks like she wants to be the next Cotton Karat instead,ö I said.

ôLetÆs all give a warm round of applause to my fatherùthe incomparable Cotton Karat!ö Inari finished her speech.

There was lukewarm applause from a few of the journalistsùthe ones writing for the womenÆs magazines, most notablyùbut then hands rose up and the shouting started as a barrage of questions were shot, like bullets, at the collected Karats on stage.

ôTough crowd,ö I said as a reporter asked if it was true that Ebony Pilay had been dumped by text and another asked if it was true that Eric Blandine had been a forklift driver in one of the Karat warehouses until a couple of days ago, and had been called Goldie by his colleagues on account of his remarkable likeness with Cotton himself.

You can try to PR yourself out of a mess, but sooner or later the truth will out.

The press conference finally over, Odelia and Chase hurried to the side of the stage, hoping to have a quick word with Cotton. But when we arrived there, the man was being chewed out by his dad.

ôAn unmitigated disaster!ö Diedrich was hissing, spittle flying into CottonÆs face. ôYou couldnÆt even remember the guyÆs name, for ChristÆs sakes!ö

ôBlandine, Sardineùwho cares?ö

ôThey care!ö Diedrich said, pointing in the direction of the room. ôI can imagine what theyÆll be writing about this train wreck. Your second train-wreck performance in the space of a week! If you keep this up the stock price will hit rock bottom by this time tomorrow! And what were you thinking to drag Inari up on stage with you!ö

ôItÆs called future-proofing the business, Dad.ö

ôShe doesnÆt have the skills! And besides, she doesnÆt want to take over the business.ö

ôSheÆll do what I tell her to do,ö said Cotton stubbornly.

ôYou are such a moron,ö his dad grumbled.

Chase and Odelia decided that under the circumstances perhaps it was better to postpone their questions to a later date. At least if Diedrich hadnÆt murdered his son by then.

Chapter 21

It had been a long day full of interviews and not a lot of toilet breaks or naps, so when the time to head out to cat choir rolled around, I found myself hesitating. A nice long nap on the couch sounded very appealing. Then again, having a little chat with my fellow cats is one of those pleasures of life itÆs hard to say no to.

So as the moon rose in the sky, to paint the tops of the trees a milky white, Dooley and I made our way to the playground which is located in the heart of the park, and soon were relaxing atop the jungle gym.

Shanille, cat choirÆs conductor, was frowning as she tried to decide on the musical program for the night, and our friends were all chattering excitedly, as only cats can, blithely ignoring those few neighbors who like to try and spoil the fun by throwing some old shoes in our direction. They donÆt seem to realize that cats donÆt even wear shoes!

ôIÆm very disappointed in you, Max,ö said Harriet as she gave me her best frowny face.

ôOh? And why is that?ö I said, trying to balance on top of that jungle gym. It was harder than I thought. Usually I prefer to stay safely on the ground. For a cat as big-boned as me having to position his body on a narrow metal tube is always a challenge.

ôIÆm bored, thatÆs why! No suspects to talk to, no clues to suss out. I feel so useless!ö

ôMe, too,ö said Brutus, giving me a dark look. ôIÆm a cop cat, Max. IÆm the one who should be out there with Chase, hunting down this liver-eating maniac.ö

ôHe didnÆt actually eat the liver,ö said Dooley. ôHe just put it in a tin.ö

ôAll the same, itÆs me who should tag along with the police squad, not you guys.ö

ôWhat can I say?ö I said. ôOdelia likes to have us around. And four cats is too much.ö

ôSays who?ö Harriet demanded heatedly.

ôSays anyone. Imagine a cop with four cats on their trail. ItÆs like the punchline of a joke.ö

ôTom Hanks had Hooch,ö said Brutus. ôAnd Hooch was as big as a dozen cats.ö

ôHooch was a dog, and people are used to seeing cops with dogs,ö I argued.

ôMax is right,ö said Dooley. ôPeople always give Odelia a strange look when she walks in with her two cats.ö

ôOkay, fine,ö said Harriet. ôBut at least we should have a chance to participate. Why not flip a coin? Then one day you can join Odelia, and the next itÆs me and Brutus.ö

ôYeah, itÆs only fair that we get to tag along for a change,ö Brutus grumbled. ôNow you and Dooley are hogging all the attention. ItÆs just not fair.ö

ôBut what about your undercover mission? I thought you were looking forward to infiltrating the Duck Liberation Front?ö

ôNothing doing. As long as Eric BlandineÆs killer hasnÆt been caught, Lita Fiol has suspended all DLF activities. She says she doesnÆt want to have another murder on her conscience.ö

ôSo she thinks itÆs one of her members?ö I asked.

ôLooks like,ö said Harriet. ôThough a fat lot of good thatÆll do us. ThereÆs no way weÆll be able to find out who it is.ö

ôLita was ordered to hand over a list of members,ö I said. ôSo chances are the killer is among them.ö

ôSo?ö

ôSo you can go and visit them one by one and spy on them.ö When both Harriet and Brutus gave me an unhappy grimace, I said, ôItÆs bona fide detective work. In fact itÆs probably more important than what weÆve been doing all day.ö

ôIt was moderately boring,ö said Dooley. ôOdelia and Chase talked to people, and then they talked to some more people, and then some more. In fact all they did all day was talk. And still we didnÆt get anywhere.ö

ôThatÆs also part of being a detective,ö I said. ôTry to find out who was where, when and why. ItÆs boring but essential. As is studying police reports, poring over forensic evidence, and trying to find a connection to all the elements pertaining to the case.ö

ôAnd here I thought being a detective was all about finding the missing clue,ö Brutus grumbled. ôA nice footprint, a fingerprint, or a little-known toxin in the victimÆs blood.ö

ôSee!ö Dooley cried. ôI knew it! He was poisoned!ö

ôNo, he wasnÆt,ö I said. ôHe was stabbed to death.ö

ôOh,ö said Dooley, slumping a little. He cut a glance to Harriet. ôBoring, Harriet.ö

ôI hear you, Dooley,ö said our Persian friend, but she suddenly looked a lot less harried.

Dooley was right, though. Police work can be boring, and most of it feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. But itÆs important to put in the work, even though sometimes it feels useless. But as long as you take enough naps, and thereÆs always plenty of kibble to keep you going, itÆs fine by me. I like to discover those human foibles that make them tick, or to listen to them gossip about other people. Or being caught out in a blatant lie.

ItÆs all very human, isnÆt it? But then murder is a very human thing.

Kingman came clambering up the jungle gym, then thought better of it and decided to remain on terra firma. Kingman is a big cat, and even though in the actual jungle big cats like to climb trees and take a nap there, in Hampton Cove big cats stick to the ground.

So instead I climbed down and left Harriet, Brutus and Dooley to exchange plaintive stories about how boring it is to be a pet detective.

ôHey, buddy,ö I said once IÆd joined my friend. ôHow are things at the General Store?ö

ôNot so good,ö said Kingman. ôWilbur caught another pickpocket today. ItÆs the third one in a week. And the more he catches, the more seem to crawl out of the woodwork.ö

ôA pickpocket? Not a thief?ö

ôNo, an actual pickpocket. They position themselves behind a customer whoÆs squeezing an orange or reading the fine print on a packet of chips, stick their hands in their pockets and come away with their wallets. Or their phones or whatever. According to the cop who came over to make the arrest, itÆs a regular plague. TheyÆre all over town.ö

ôProbably some gang,ö I said. ôThey seem to travel in packs, these pickpockets.ö

ôYeah, but itÆs frustrating. People seem to think itÆs WilburÆs fault.ö

ôI very much doubt that, Kingman.ö

ôNo, but they do. They figure that if theyÆre being robbed, itÆs because Wilbur didnÆt do enough to keep these people out. But thereÆs only so much you can do. You canÆt look at a personÆs face and know theyÆre going to try and rob your customers, can you?ö

ôNo, I guess not,ö I said. His words seem to ring a bell in my head, for some reason, though for the life of me I couldnÆt quite grasp it.

I decided to drop it for now.

It would come to me.

Or not.

Chapter 22

The next morning, we decided to pay another visit to Diedrich Karat, since we had the impression the man had been less than honest with us the first time around.

ôWhy is it that people lie all the time, Max?ö asked Dooley as we entered the manÆs lair.

ôBecause theyÆre afraid that if the police find out the truth, it will make them look guilty,ö I said. ôOr maybe they have some skeletons hidden in their closet they donÆt want anyone to know about.ö

ôSkeletons in their closets?ö asked Dooley, his eyes swiveling to a nearby cupboard. He took a step back, as if expecting the cupboard to open and the skeleton to tumble out.

ôOkay, so Cotton wasnÆt exactly my first pick as my successor,ö the old man admitted. ôBut what could I do? ThereÆs always been a Karat at the helm of the Karat Group.ö

ôWhy doesnÆt CottonÆs brother Jared step up?ö asked Chase.

ôJared is a numbers man. HeÆs not interested in taking the lead. And besides, he doesnÆt have the chops. ItÆs not so easy to lead a company of these dimensions.ö

ôWhatÆs going to happen now?ö asked Odelia.

Diedrich shrugged. He looked as if heÆd shrunk a little overnight. His cheeks were hollow and so were his eyes. HeÆd probably been up half the night thinking about the future of his company. ôMaybe Tobias is right. Maybe we should get an outsider to run the company. A proven leader. Cotton is clearly not up to the task, and neither is Jared.ö

ôWhat about Inari? Cotton seems to want her to take over.ö

ôOut of the question. InariÆs interests lie elsewhere.ö

Just then, Inari walked in. When she saw us, she halted.ôOh, I didnÆt know you had company, Grandpa.ö

ôItÆs all right, sweetheart. ItÆs the police.ö

ôYeah, I know,ö said Inari, giving us a curious look.

ôWe were surprised to find that youÆre interested in taking over the business,ö said Odelia. ôYou didnÆt mention that when we talked to you and your mother yesterday.ö

ôYeah, my dad asked me to say a few words at his big press conference, so we decided to tell them what he thought they wanted to hear.ö

ôIn other words, your dad asked you to lie for him?ö

She darted a quick look to her grandfather, but when he nodded she relented.ôItÆs not really lying. I might take an interest in the company at some point. After all, the movie industry and the luxury goods industry have a lot in common. So our futures might converge at some point.ö

ôRubbish,ö said Diedrich. ôDonÆt listen to your dad with his twisted ideas of the truth, honey. You just do what you want to do, and let us figure out how to get out of this mess.ö

ôAre you sure? Because Dad seems to feel I have a lot to contribute.ö

ôYes, IÆm sure. Your dad has wasted his life in the pursuit of idle passions. Please donÆt make the same mistake. You just follow your heart, sweetheart. And forget about this convergence nonsense.ö

Inari seemed to perk up at this. She took a seat on the couch next to her granddad, only when she put her sneakers up onto that fine leather, he gave her a not-so-grandfatherly look and she quickly lowered them to the floor again.

ôThereÆs one more thing we need to ask you, Inari,ö said Odelia. ôIs it true that you and Ebony Pilay were engaged in an argument last week? You were heard telling her to stay away from your dad or else.ö

ôYou used some very strong language, according to a witness we spoke to,ö said Chase.

The girl had the decency to blush.ôI may have said a few things in the heat of the moment,ö she said. ôBut she had it coming,ö she rallied. ôAll sheÆs interested in is my dadÆs money. If he wasnÆtthe Cotton Karat she wouldnÆt give him the time of day.ö

ôThe same thing can be said for most of the women my son has dated,ö Diedrich pointed out.

ôEbony Pilay is a horrible person,ö said Inari, ôas everyone who knows her will tell you. I happen to know her ex-PA, and he said sheÆs the worst person in the world. She made him work day and night, paid him a pittance, and treated him like dirt.ö

ôLook, if your dad wants to date women like that, itÆs his funeral,ö said Diedrich.

This made Odelia and Chase raise their eyebrows in surprise.ôWasnÆt it your idea to break off the affair by sending your son into rehab, sir?ö asked Chase.

Diedrich grunted,ôTobias came up with that one. But sometimes you have to admit a person is beyond salvage. Cotton isnÆt six years old anymore. I canÆt make him behave.ö

ôWhat are you going to do, Grandpa?ö asked Inari, affectionately placing her head on her grandfatherÆs shoulder.

ôI donÆt know, child. But it looks as if weÆre going to have to cut your dad loose.ö

ôWhat do you mean?ö

ôRemove him from the company once and for all. In other words: sever all ties. Professionally, at least,ö he added for Odelia and ChaseÆs sake. ôCotton will always be a beloved son, but maybe not the Karat Group CEO anymore. After all, enough is enough.ö

Chapter 23

We met up with Jared Karat at the office. The man might not have an office as nice as his brother Cotton, but it was still nice and big enough. Jared was the companyÆs CFO, which meant that he was in charge of the groupÆs financial affairs.

ôShoot,ö said Jared once we were all settled in. HeÆd raised his eyebrows when Odelia and Chase had waltzed in, accompanied by two cats, but then a man who works for a luxury goods company probably doesnÆt bat an eye at the peculiarities of his customers.

He looked a lot like his brother, actually, only his face was more lined, and the horn-rimmed round glasses he wore lent him a more intellectual aspect. He was dressed to impress, though, in a Brooks Brothers suit if I wasnÆt mistaken.

ôYour dad tells us that you have no interest in being CEO,ö said Chase, not beating about the bush. ôWhy is that, exactly?ö

The man smiled.ôIs this the part where youÆre going to get all Freudian on me and tell me I harbor a deep-seated grudge against my older brother and have wanted to smother him since I was in the cradle?ö

Chase gave him an indulgent smile in return.ôIÆm just curious to know why a man as obviously successful and intelligent as yourself wouldnÆt be more ambitious.ö

ôI see. Now youÆre asking me why my dad allows a loose cannon like Cotton to run the company into the ground while heÆs got a perfectly balanced member of his offspring waiting in the wings, jumping at the chance to take over.ö

ôThatÆs not what I said.ö

Jared took off his glasses and carefully polished them. I saw he had the same chocolate eyes as his brother.ôLook, I have absolutely no desire to run this company. IÆm a numbers guyùalways have been. I love to stay on top of everything and make sure things run smoothly. But I have no interest in flying across the world visiting factories, negotiating contracts, wheedling our suppliers into better terms, or talking to our investors. It takes a people person to do that job, and I may be a man of many talents, but thatÆs not one of them, IÆm afraid. In this business itÆs important to know oneÆs strengths and oneÆs limitations, detective, and IÆm perfectly aware of mine.ö

ôBut your brother isnÆt doing so hot right now, wouldnÆt you say?ö

Jared grimaced and placed his glasses back on his nose.ôCotton has one great weakness, and thatÆs his love of women. If he could only curb his desires in that area, he could be the best CEO this company has ever had, bar none. But unfortunatelyàö

ôThatÆs not the case.ö

ôNo, obviously not.ö

ôSo youÆre not going to step up to the plate and take over as CEO?ö

ôOh, no. There are people much better equipped for that role than me. And so I leave it to them to make sure that the group is led professionally and with a lot less hassle than it has been in the past. And IÆll make sure that the financials are in order.ö

ôAny ideas on who might take over from your brother?ö asked Odelia.

ôNo idea whatsoever,ö said Jared, ôbut I can assure you that it wonÆt be me.ö

I had the impression he wasnÆt as forthcoming as he could have been. No doubt he was much better informed than he was letting on.

ôOne more question, Mr. Karat,ö said Chase.

ôWhere was I two nights ago between ten and midnight? I was home with my wife. And if you call Susan, IÆm sure sheÆll be happy to confirm my alibi. I think we had salmon mousse, before watching an episode ofLaw& Order on TV. My wife is a lawyer, andLaw& Order is one of her guilty pleasures.ö He smiled. ôAnd now if thereÆs nothing elseàö

ôI donÆt think he did it, Max,ö said Dooley once we were back in the car. ôHeÆs much too nice to murder someone in such a gruesome way. And also, if he eats salmon mousse heÆs definitely not a vegetarian, and our killer clearly is a vegetarian.ö

ôOr our killer is trying to make it look as if heÆs a vegetarian,ö I said.

ôThen Jared might be the killer. He struck me as a very clever guy.ö

ôYeah, heÆs definitely very clever. A lot cleverer than his brother at any rate.ö

ôSo maybe he does want to become the new CEO, and is trying to get rid of Cotton.ö

It was a tough one, to be sure. The clever ones enjoy playing games with the police, and I had the impression that Jared was not above that kind of behavior. Then again, when he told us he had absolutely no interest in the CEO job, he struck me as sincere. He also struck me as a much nicer person than Cotton. Then again, nice people can be killers, tooùespecially when they decide to murder not-so-nice people likeà Cotton!

Chapter 24

Brutus wasnÆt entirely sure if this mission Max had decided to send them on was appropriately suitable for two cats in his and HarrietÆs position. They were, after all, master sleuths in their own right, and for some reason spying on some gang of duck fans seemed below them somehow. More the work of a feline lower on the pecking order. Then again, if Gran and Scarlett had been roped into this spy business, it might be up to snuff.

In spite of her earlier protestations, Lita Fiol had decided to call a meeting of the Duck Liberation Agency or Front or whatever the hell they were called, and here they now were, all gathered in LitaÆs basement, with the latter waxing lyrically on all things duck.

Gran and Scarlett were doing their utmost to look interested, even though their initial excitement to take up the cause had waned to a great degree, while Brutus and Harriet had been relegated to the hefty bags both women had dragged in with them.

The official line was that duck lovers are also cat haters, since cats and ducks are mortal enemies, so sneaking a couple of cats into a meeting of duck fans was a no-no.

And so Gran had outfitted two bags with the necessary holes for oxygen, and now here they sat, having to keep absolutely mum for however many hours this farce would last.

It all seemed soà undignified. Especially for a pair of proud cats like them.

ôPssst!ö suddenly the bag next to BrutusÆs bag hissed.

ôWhat!ö Brutus whispered back.

ôI have to tinkle!ö

ôYouÆll just have to hold it in, wonÆt you?ö

ôIÆve been holding it in for the past hour. How much longer is this going to take?ö

ôNot much longer.ö He hoped. A pat on the bag told him that Gran had overheard their whispered conversation and wasnÆt in full agreement on this breach of a policy that clearly outlined that a bag, when brought into a meeting, is not supposed to start talking!

ôSo are we all clear?ö asked Lita. ôWeÆre very close to our goal now, people. One last push and I think weÆll finally be able to get the public onside and show them what a horrible practice theyÆve been perpetuating by consuming the flesh of the duck.ö

ôHear, hear!ö a few other members of the DLF called out, stomping their feet for good measure. It made Brutus fear for his life, since those feet felt too close for comfort.

He now realized how James Bond must feel when sneaking around BlofeldÆs lair. Of course James Bond always had some pretty blonde traipsing along, but then Brutus had Harriet by his side, which practically amounted to the same thing.

ôWhat about the death of Eric Blandine?ö asked one member.

ôWhat about it?ö Lita returned, a little frostily.

ôWell, the police seem to think it was one of us, donÆt they?ö

ôYeah, they came to my door this morning,ö another voice piped up. ôStarted accusing me of all kinds of stuff. Seemed to think I was BlandineÆs killer, just because IÆve got a poster in my window that reads æDeath to All Duck Killers!Æö

ôSame here,ö said another member. ôWeÆre under attack, Lita. WeÆre being painted as this ragtag group of murderers and extremists. Pretty soon now theyÆll come for us.ö

ôThey wonÆt come for us,ö Lita assured her people. ôBecause we know we didnÆt do it.ö

ôDo we?ö asked Gran. ôThe man was killed by removing his liver, for crying out loud.ö

ôYeah, it must have been a member of this group,ö Scarlett chimed in.

Worried murmurs rose up, before Lita cut in,ôRubbish. We all took an oath.ö

ôI didnÆt take no oath,ö said Gran. ôWhat oath is this?ö

ôThe oath of nonviolence. We want to save the ducks the Gandhi way. And that means we donÆt raise a finger against the enemy, and we most definitely do not go out and murder them.ö

ôAt any rate, whoever killed Eric Blandine messed up, didnÆt they?ö a member said. ôThey should have killed Cotton Karat instead!ö

ôDo you think ætheyÆ will try again?ö asked Gran.

ôHow should I know?ö that same voice returned. ôI didnÆt do it.ö

ôThen who did?ö Gran asked. ôIt must be one of us, right?ö

Silence reigned for a moment, then another round of recriminations started. Clearly everyone thought that one of this lot had killed Mr. Blandine, but no one was prepared to own up to it.

ôYou know what?ö Gran finally cut in. ôI know this might not be a politically correct thing to say, but as far as IÆm concerned, whoever killed Eric Blandine deserves a medal. TheyÆve done something heroic for the duck cause. An eye for an eye is what I say!ö

ôOr a liver for a liver,ö Scarlett quipped, earning herself a mild smattering of laughter.

ôEnough!ö suddenly Lita cried, and judging from a chair that was scraped back, their fearless leader had risen to her feet. ôThis is no way to talk about that poor man. Have we forgotten why we started this protest? Because we cherish life! Not only human life but mallard life, too! And IÆmsorry, Mrs. Muffin, but I canÆt condone this kind of statement!ö

ôWhat did I do?ö asked Gran.

ôIÆm sorry, but you canÆt be a member of the Duck Liberation Front any longer.ö

ôYouÆre firing me?!ö Gran cried.

ôThatÆs right. Your membership has been revoked. Now please leave. And that goes for you, too, Miss Canyon.ö

ôButàö

ôI really canÆt hold it in any longer, sweetums,ö Harriet said. ôHere goes nothing.ö

ôMrs. Muffin?ö Lita suddenly said. ôWhy is your bag leaking?ö

ôThereÆs something moving in there,ö another voice cried out.

Suddenly Brutus was unceremoniously lifted up, bag and all, and moments later oxygen was finally restored to him. Though when he found himself staring at three hostile faces hovering over him, his equanimity quickly left him.

ôCats!ö Lita cried. ôYou brought cats in here!ö

ôTraitors!ö one of her followers screamed. ôGet them!ö

ôRun for your lives!ö suddenly Gran yelled.

And then Brutus found himself running like the wind, Harriet hot on his trail, with the two older ladies surprisingly quick off the mark and coming right behind them.

ôEnemies of the duck!ö Lita was shouting. ôTheyÆre all enemies of the duck!ö

Up the stairs it went, through a long, dark corridor, and then finally out the front door. And even then the foursome didnÆt stop to catch their breath. Those duck people might pride themselves in all of that Gandhian nonviolence guff, but they seemed pretty violent to Brutus! In fact he had a strong suspicion that if they finally managed to get their hands on them, their livers wouldnÆt stand a chance!

Finally they rounded a corner, and Gran paused to take a breather.

ôI thinkàö she panted heavily. ôWeà lostà them.ö She was resting her hands on her knees and sucking in big gulps of air. ôJeez! These people are completely screwy!ö

ôThey love ducks more than they love people, thatÆs for sure,ö Scarlett chimed in. She, too, looked a little the worse for wear.

ôIÆm sorry, Gran,ö said Harriet. ôBut I really couldnÆt hold it in anymore.ö

ôThatÆs all right, honey,ö said Gran. ôThat meeting went on a lot longer than I thought.ö

ôI actually had to tinkle myself,ö said Scarlett.

ôSo what did we learn?ö asked Brutus. ôThat the duck people killed Eric Blandine?ö

ôIf I were a betting woman,ö said Gran, ôwhich IÆm not, IÆd put good money on it.ö

ôYouÆd put good money on what?ö asked Scarlett.

ôYou really have to learn my catsÆ lingo,ö said Gran.

ôIÆve tried, all right! ItÆs no good. It all sounds like gibberish to me.ö

ôAnyway. I think weÆve got enough here to get an arrest, donÆt you think?ö said Gran, and took out her phone and clicked on the æStopÆ button on her recording app.