The Case of Too Many Clues

by Cindy Vincent

  “It’s going to be the best party ever,” she gushed. “A no-cell-phone party.”

  Our Mom smiled at her. “A no-cell-phone party. What a wonderful idea! Sounds like you figured out a way to solve your problem.”

  Gracie smiled back. “Well, it was the funniest thing. Lexie hopped up on my desk while I was doing some research. She walked across the keyboard and accidentally hit some of the keys. And the next thing I knew, this party idea popped up on the screen.”

  “That was fortunate,” our Dad chimed in.

  Gracie giggled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say little Lexie typed that in on purpose.”

  Our Mom and Dad laughed. But Bogey just arched an eyebrow in my direction and grinned.

  Because we both knew the truth.

  “I’m going to make cupcakes in the morning,” Gracie went on. “And when everyone gets here, we’re going to play a game to get people talking. It’s called an ‘icebreaker game.’ But I don’t know why they call it that. There isn’t any ice involved with it at all.”

  Our Mom wiped her mouth with her napkin. “An icebreaker game just means that you’re ‘breaking the ice.’ It’s an expression for getting a group warmed up and talking to each other.”

  “Oh, that makes sense,” Gracie said and took a bite of her pizza.

  Now I grinned at my brother. It turned out I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know what some expressions meant.

  “Anyway,” Gracie went on, “I already sent out emails to everyone and they’re all coming. Then I sent them a second email and asked them to tell me two interesting things about themselves. Something the others probably don’t know about them.”

  “Will you use this in your icebreaker?” our Mom asked.

  Gracie smiled. “Uh-huh. I’m going to put all the stuff together in a list. But I’m going to leave the names off, so nobody will know who is connected to which items. And when the party starts, everyone has to go from person to person and guess which items on the list belong to each other.”

  “Sounds like a lot of fun, Gracie,” our Dad added. “You’ve always hosted great parties. Your friends are lucky kids.”

  Boy, he could sure say that again!

  I was so proud of Gracie. Here she’d had problems with using her cell phone too much. And she didn’t like that her friends didn’t talk much anymore. But she figured out a way to stay off her cell phone and get her friends talking again. She was so smart and so sweet. Us cats were lucky to have her as our human sister.

  I gave her a quick rub around the legs before Bogey and I left the kitchen. Then we raced right for the stairs and took the steps two at a time.

  “We’ll have to run security for Gracie’s party, kid,” Bogey said on the way up. “Maybe Lil and Trixie would lend us a paw. It wouldn’t hurt to have some extra paws on board.”

  “What about Mitzi and Magnolia?” I suggested. “Maybe they could help, too.”

  “Nice idea, kid. Maybe when they’re a little older. But you know how kids are around kittens. They’ll be gushing all over that pair and forget to play Gracie’s game.”

  I nodded just as we reached the upstairs landing. “That’s probably true. And Gracie will have her hands full already. It won’t be easy to get all her friends to give up their cell phones for a while.”

  “You got that right, kid. Could be dicey,” Bogey added as we ran down the hallway.

  We turned into the sunroom, and right away, we spotted all the other cats in the house. Mitzi, Trixie, Magnolia, Lil, the Princess, and Miss Mokie. Of course, we paid the proper respect to Miss Mokie the very second we entered the room. Then we joined the rest of the group.

  Or maybe I should say, “the party.” Because that’s exactly what it looked like the moment we walked in. Even Miss Mokie seemed to be enjoying herself.

  She sat up straight on her purple velvet couch. “My, what a delightful group we have gathered here this evening.” Then she leaned forward, stretched out her legs, and started to purr. Something I hadn’t heard her do in a long time.

  Lil and the Princess were both smiling, and Trixie grinned, too, as she towered over everybody. Including me. I couldn’t believe how much better she looked already, even though it hadn’t been long since we’d rescued her. It even seemed like she’d put on a little weight, but it also seemed like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was so good to see her doing so well.

  When I thought about it, I could hardly believe that we’d been through two rescues in just a few days. First Trixie and then Magnolia. And it was the only thing anyone wanted to talk about tonight. Sure, at the time it had been really scary, but now it all seemed kind of fun and exciting. Especially now that everyone was safe and sound.

  And as near as I could tell, Mitzi and Magnolia weren’t fazed by it at all. They were playing and laughing and just having fun. I was amazed by how much they looked alike, and at the same time, how different they were. They were both tiny and probably about the same age. And they were both calico cats with the exact same colors in their fur. But that was as far as it went.

  Because the weird thing was, those colors weren’t in the same places on both girls. Magnolia’s face was mostly white while Mitzi had an orange nose and a black mustache. Mitzi also had orange across her shoulders, and black and orange swirls on her back. But Magnolia was covered with big splotches of orange and black that mostly went down her back. It was like someone had taken a big paintbrush, dipped it in paint, and then dropped it on those kittens just any old place.

  Funny, but when I thought about it, Trixie had the same colors, too. Colors that looked like they had been painted on.

  I was amazed at how well the three girls had made themselves at home, even though I knew our house was only a pit stop for them. Since Trixie and Mitzi were both foster cats, I figured Magnolia must be, too. Just as soon as our Mom and Dad realized we had another calico living with us, that is. I only hoped all three girls would end up together in the same forever home. Because they sure made a happy bunch.

  Though at that moment, Mitzi appeared to be the star of the show. She was busy showing off her new cat karate moves. She kept on jumping high into the air and spinning in tight circles. Then she did some fast kicks with her tiny feet — all before she landed again.

  She paused for a moment and turned to her friend. “Now you can take cat karate lessons with me, Magnolia! And you can take lessons from Buckley with me, too. He’s teaching me to be a cat detective. Wouldn’t it be fun if you were a cat detective, too?”

  Magnolia nodded really fast. “That would be fun! Lots of fun!”

  I waved to get Mitzi’s attention. “You did a really good job out there today. You followed orders just like you were supposed to. And you helped us save your friend.”

  “And get our latest clue,” Bogey added with a grin.

  Tears suddenly formed in Mitzi’s eyes and she reached over to hug the other kitten. “I was so scared out there, Magnolia! I was afraid something really bad was going to happen to you. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

  “I was even more scared,” Magnolia answered back in a sweet Southern accent.

  The two girls hugged for a moment and I looked over to see Trixie fighting back tears. The Princess dabbed at her eyes with her paw and the Wise One gave them a queenly nod.

  Then Mitzi broke away and pointed to me. “Buckley is the one who gave me my name, Magnolia.”

  The other kitten smiled. “It’s such a pretty name. I never thought it was right that I got a name but the other cats didn’t.”

  Mitzi pranced over to me. “Magnolia got her name when a lady found her under a Magnolia tree. And that lady brought her over to Mrs. Bumble’s house to be one of the foster cats.”

  “The lady who dropped me off told Mrs. Bumble my name,” Magnolia said as she joined Mitzi. “Later, I met my friend here when I was sitting in the screened-in porch. She was outside and couldn’t get in. So I sneaked some food to her through a hole in
the screen.”

  “So she wouldn’t go hungry,” Trixie murmured with a smile.

  “That’s right,” Magnolia said. “Because Mitzi wasn’t officially one of Mrs. Bumble’s foster cats.”

  Mitzi shook her little head. “Mrs. Bumble didn’t have any more room when she found me. So she brought me over here.”

  “But now we’re together again,” Magnolia said. “And I can’t even thank y’all enough for saving me. Those bees were mean and they had me surrounded. I don’t know what I would have done if you two hadn’t rode in to the rescue.”

  I didn’t even want to think about what might have happened.

  But I did want to find out if she knew anything that might help us with our case. “Believe me, Magnolia, we’re really happy we found you just in the nick of time. But how did you end up there in the first place?” I asked her. “Right by that jar?”

  She sat back and looked up at me. “Well, I wanted to go outside and play. So I snuck out this morning when Mrs. Bumble left. And I had plenty of fun for a while. I played and played in the flowers and the grass. But then I got tired and fell asleep. I guess I slept for a long time.”

  Bogey raised an eyebrow. “I’ll bet you were pretty hungry when you woke up.”

  She nodded her little head. “Uh-huh. I sure was. Really hungry. So I tried to figure out a way to get back inside the house to get some food. But all the doors and windows were shut up tight. Mrs. Bumble doesn’t like to keep anything open because of the bees.”

  “Probably so they won’t come into her house,” I suggested.

  “She’s really careful about that,” Magnolia went on.

  “So were you in the backyard?” Bogey asked.

  “Nope, I was in the front. But I wandered down the driveway to the garage. To see if Mrs. Bumble’s car was there. But it wasn’t. So then I decided to go through that hole in the fence and into the backyard. That’s when I smelled those treats in that jar. They smelled so good that I could even smell them with the lid on. And I was so hungry . . .”

  Bogey nodded, and I knew if anyone understood what it was like to be tempted by cat treats, well, it was him. “So you were willing to take a chance,” he said. “And go near all those bees. Just to have some treats.”

  “Uh-huuuh.” She shuddered. “But I didn’t know it was going to be so dangerous.”

  I shook my head. “It’s not your fault. Nobody should’ve put cat treats out there in the first place. While you were outside today, did you see anyone near the house?”

  She crinkled her tiny forehead. “Well . . . something woke me up when I was sleeping. I’m not sure, but I think somebody went by me. I sort of remember a big shadow going past.”

  Mitzi joined us. “Did you get a good look at that shadow, Magnolia?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I sure didn’t. I’m so sorry I can’t be more help.”

  I smiled at her. “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re safe. And I’m glad you didn’t get hurt.”

  “Me, too,” the Princess said as she stood between the kittens and put an arm around them both. “And since you two want to be cat detectives, I’d be happy to give you a little lesson on diamonds tonight. Would you like that? We can start right after our human family has gone to sleep. I know a lot about gems.”

  Mitzi started to bounce around. “That sounds so cool! What do you say, Magnolia?”

  Magnolia smiled. “Why, yes, ma’am,” she drawled. “That would be swell!” And then she started to bounce around, too.

  The Princess beamed at them both. “We’ll have our lesson in the dining room. There’s a little jar down there with some diamonds in it. It’ll be perfect for teaching you all about them.”

  “Can’t we do it now?” Mitzi sort of whined.

  I shook my head. “Remember what we practiced? About being patient?”

  Mitzi turned to Magnolia. “I’ve just got to show you the trick that Buckley taught me last night. It’s about learning how to be patient. There’s some treats behind a plant in the dining room. We can go down there and try it out. Right now.”

  And before I could say another word, they were off.

  The Princess glanced at me with her big, green eyes. “Should we go help them, Buckley?”

  She stared into my eyes and batted her lashes, and right away my insides went kind of mushy. Before I knew it, I found myself nodding my head yes. I have to say, I sure didn’t understand it. I could manage to be big and brave and do things like save a kitten from a bunch of bees. A whole, huge swarm of bees. Yet when the Princess stared at me with her big, beautiful eyes, well, I couldn’t even think straight. And I sure couldn’t say no.

  So the next thing I knew, the Princess and I were following those two girls down the stairs and to the front room. We used the same, exact trick that we’d used the night before to teach the little kittens about patience. Soon, Mitzi was getting so good at waiting that she even started to help Magnolia. Finally, they could both wait an entire minute before going after a treat.

  We practiced clear until Gracie went to bed. That’s when I asked Mitzi to hide Magnolia on a dining room chair under the table. And we kept her hidden while our Mom and Dad locked up the house for the night.

  Along the way, our Mom reached down and picked me up. “Buckley, I could sure use a hug after today.”

  That made two of us. So naturally, I gave her a nice, big hug.

  “I can’t believe anyone would think that Gracie or I would rob a jewelry store, Buckley,” she murmured. “Anyone who knows us knows we’d never do something so horrible.”

  Well, she sure had that right. I gave her a goodnight kiss on the nose and meowed to her. It was the first time I’d seen her laugh all day.

  “You always know the right thing to say,” she said as she put me down again.

  Then she gave me a rub around the ears before she turned out the rest of the lights and headed for bed.

  And that’s when the Princess decided it was a good time to teach Mitzi and Magnolia about diamonds.

  So I helped her move that little clue jar out from behind the potted plant. I used my big paws to unscrew the lid, and then I tipped the jar on its side. So the diamonds all tumbled out. I have to say, those diamonds were really sparkly. Even in the little bit of light that came in from the porch light.

  “My goodness, these are nice ones,” the Princess said with a smile. “I’ll bet they even have serial numbers on the side.”

  Mitzi raised her paw to ask a question. “Diamonds have numbers on them?”

  The Princess nodded. “Some diamonds do. Especially diamonds that are really valuable. But the numbers are so tiny that even cats can’t see them without a microscope.”

  Magnolia crinkled her brow. “If they’re so small, then how do they get the numbers on there?”

  “Jewelers use a very special machine with a tiny laser cutter,” the Princess told her. “It’s all done by computer.”

  Bogey joined us and let out a low whistle. “Those are some pretty spiffy stones, all right.”

  The Princess moved them around with her small paw, making them twinkle and sparkle even more.

  That’s when Bogey murmured to me. “Time for us to run our rounds, kid. Let’s leave the Princess and her students to their gems.”

  So I said a quick good-bye before my brother and I took off. We ran to the kitchen door in the back first and checked every window along the way. By the time we returned to the front of the house, the Princess was just finishing up her talk. Mitzi and Magnolia were both batting the diamonds from one side to the next. Giving them a really good going over. As near as I could tell, the Princess had given them lots of good information.

  Not a one of them even glanced up as we trotted past and headed for the front door. After we finished there, we planned to check out the windows, too. Then we would race up the stairs and run our surveillance on the second floor. Just like we did every night.

  Only tonight, we didn’t get that far. Becaus
e I barely started to sniff the edges of the front door when I heard something.

  Outside.

  Right away, I froze in my tracks and every hair on my entire body stood at attention. Bogey must have heard it, too, because he stood perfectly still.

  “Somebody’s out there,” I said just above a whisper as chills ran all over my body.

  “Get the girls upstairs,” Bogey murmured back.

  I nodded and tiptoed into the dining room.

  I must have looked pretty rattled because the Princess’ eyes went wide when she saw me. And all I had to do was motion toward the stairs, and she knew just what I meant.

  She put a paw to her lips to let the kittens know they should be quiet. Then she quickly scooted them out of the room and straight up the stairs. On tiptoes. How she managed to keep them quiet the whole way up, I’ll never know. But for some reason, they sensed the danger and obeyed her. Just like we’d trained them to do.

  In the meantime, I moved closer to the window in the dining room. I could hear someone moving around outside. And I could hear a little sliding noise. The same kind of sliding noise that one of those clue jars had made when I moved it across our front porch.

  Was someone out there, leaving us another clue?

  Whoever it was, they had no business being on our front porch at this time of night.

  That’s when it dawned on me. If I peeked out carefully between the blinds, I might just catch them in the act.

  The thought of it sent my heart racing.

  Because there was one thing we knew about the person who’d been leaving us clues — they were pretty nasty. Very nasty, you might say. And I wasn’t exactly crazy about the idea of having nothing but a window between me and such an awful person.

  Still, a cat detective has a job to do. And scared or not, I had to do it.

  So I put one of my big paws on the edge of the wide, wooden blind. And I pulled it down, just a little bit. Enough so I could see the front porch outside.