For some reason, I felt all tingly. “I did?”
Bogey gave me a paw bump. “Way to go, kid! Garnet already knew that our Mom and Gracie didn’t steal those diamonds. Otherwise, she would’ve raised a ruckus and insisted that Officer Phoebe search the whole house. For the rest of the missing jewelry.”
I stared at my brother. “But she didn’t.”
Bogey grinned. “That’s right, kid. Because she knew those diamonds were the only stones here.”
By now I felt like bouncing around like Mitzi always did. “Probably because she planted them on our porch. For us to find.”
“That would be my guess, kid,” he said and turned back to the computer. “It’s time we took a closer look at Garnet.”
And without another word, he typed her name into the computer and ran a quick background check on her. That’s when he found a video of Garnet talking about the sale at her jewelry store. Right away, Bogey clicked on the little arrow to make it play, and we watched the video together.
When it was almost over, Trixie appeared in the hallway and poked her head into the office. “Excuse me, was that a video you were watching?”
I nodded to her. “Uh-huh. We’re investigating a case.”
“That’s interesting,” Trixie added. “Because I recognized that voice.”
Bogey sat at attention. “Well, Trix, that’s even more interesting. Mind telling us where you’ve heard it before?”
Trixie made a graceful leap up onto the desk, reminding me of a beautiful, flying horse. “Not at all,” she said. “That’s the voice of the woman who owns the house where I was being held captive.”
Holy Catnip!
CHAPTER 21
Holy Mackerel!
Did I just hear what I thought I’d heard? Did Trixie really say what I thought she’d said?
Bogey’s ears immediately pointed in her direction. “Trix, are you sure about this?”
Trixie shuddered. “Believe me, I could not be more sure. You don’t forget the voice of the person who only shows up every once in a while to feed you. I spent hours and hours, and days and days, listening for that voice. Hoping and praying that I would hear it. Because that meant she might bring me some food and water. Or maybe she would let me go free, so someone else could take me in. I would’ve rather been out on the streets than locked in that room.”
I reached over and gave her a hug. “That must have been terrible, Trixie. I’m so glad you’re here now. I don’t know what kind of a person would want to starve a poor, helpless cat.”
“A real, rotten-to-the-core kind of person,” Bogey practically growled. “And after hearing your story, Trix, I think Garnet’s name just climbed to the top of our suspect list. Especially since her late-night visit to our house sent our Mom and Gracie off to the police station. I’ll bet she’s also the one who sent us on this wild goose chase, kid.”
I put my paw to my chin. “It sure does add up. Because, when you think about it, one thing led to another. The only reason we went to Garnet’s store in the first place was because we found that clue on our doorstep. If we hadn’t gone there to investigate, we never would’ve been caught in her store.”
Bogey frowned. “All this time, we thought we got caught because Mitzi jumped the gun. And landed on Pennypacker’s hat.”
My heart started to pound as I put more of the pieces together. “But Garnet probably left that clue of the diamonds on our doorstep because she knew we’d make a beeline to her store to investigate. Maybe she was just waiting there for us to sneak in. And maybe she knew we were there the whole time.”
Bogey shook his head back and forth, very, very slowly. “Could be, kid. Then she put on quite a show, acting like she’d caught us red-handed. So she could call our Mom and Gracie to come get us.”
I nodded. “Everybody knows our Mom and Gracie would come running for us. Just like they always do.”
Bogey rubbed his forehead. “You can bet it was a real stroke of luck for Garnet when Gracie bumped into that display. And sent that jewelry crashing to the ground. Because Garnet probably planned to blame them for a crime they had nothing to do with. Her crime. Gracie’s little accident made it all that much easier. I can’t believe we fell for it, kid.”
All the while, Trixie just watched and listened, taking it all in. The sadness in her eyes told me the whole case was really hitting home with her. So I figured now might be a good time for a round of treats. I grabbed the bag from its hiding place and passed a couple of treats to Trixie and Bogey. Then I took a couple for myself.
Trixie thanked me and smiled. As she ate her treats, I couldn’t help but notice how different she looked now. She had been skin and bones when we rescued her. She could barely even walk then. Yet here she was, putting on some weight and teaching cat karate to kittens. Not to mention, enjoying life in a house where she was safe and cared for. Even so, she acted like the cat treats in front of her were the most precious thing in the world. I probably would’ve felt the same way if I had been in her paws. And if I had been through the same things that she’d been through.
I had to say, I was so happy we’d rescued her. Even more now than I had been before. Sure, we’d gone through a lot to save her from that creepy house. A house that we now knew belonged to Garnet. And that night had been extra scary, since there’d been thunder and lightning and wind and rain. Lots and lots of rain. Yet it was all worth it just to have Trixie out of that horrible place.
And that’s when it hit me.
Really hit me.
How much I enjoyed being a cat detective. No, it wasn’t all cat treats and Drive-N-Dash rides. But it still felt good to help out another cat or person who needed us. And I realized that, more than anything, I didn’t want to close down the BBCDA. Especially not when one rotten crook was trying to force us to.
Instead, I wanted to put that crook behind bars, where she belonged. So she couldn’t harm any more cats. Or people.
“It would have been easy for Garnet to put clues on our porch,” I told my brother. “Since she lives so close by. She could have dropped those jars off and left, without anyone even seeing her.”
Bogey nodded. “You got it, kid. Nobody would’ve given her a second look. They probably thought she was just out for a stroll.”
Trixie’s big ears perked up. “I think Garnet’s capable of doing all kinds of horrible things. And if you’re investigating her, I’d really like to help. Any way I can.”
“Me, too,” Lil said as she suddenly appeared in the doorway and stepped into the office. “When someone harms my friends or family, I take it very personally. So if you’d like some extra paws on the case, I’d be happy to join in. Just say the word.”
Bogey glanced at me and I nodded in agreement. Without one bit of hesitation. If Trixie and Lil wanted to help out, then I was all for it. After all, the more cat detectives we had on this case the better. Especially since our Mom and Gracie still hadn’t come home from the police station.
“We’d be glad to have you gals join the party,” Bogey said. “Because the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
Lil jumped up onto the desk. “Mind catching us up to speed? It sounds like quite a case.”
“It’s a real doozie, all right,” I agreed.
Then Bogey and I filled them in on all the details. Starting with the first jar on the porch and ending with the jar I found at the cat treat factory. And then our Mom and Gracie going down to the police station.
“Whew . . .” Lil said, shaking her head. “I guess I’ve been too busy teaching cat karate and catching up with Trixie to pay attention to anything else. So tell me, any ideas on how Garnet figured out that you’re behind the BBCDA?”
I passed out another round of cat treats. “Maybe she overheard us talking when we were running surveillance at our Mom’s store.”
Bogey arched an eyebrow. “Could be. We chat in human language sometimes. But only when we’re sure nobody is listening. Even so, it’s possible she caught us off guard
and put two and two together.”
“It makes sense,” Lil said before munching on another treat. “Since she sounds like a pretty sneaky character. She’s probably the type who eavesdrops.”
Trixie’s mouth formed a grim line. “Then she used me as bait to confirm it. She probably figured you’d hear about my captivity and come to the rescue. I’ll bet she even left that laptop in my room to see if I would contact you somehow. Of course, I did, through Lil.”
Lil’s eyes practically gave off sparks. “And she probably watched us the whole time we rescued Trixie.”
“How creepy,” I murmured. Just the thought of Garnet watching us during that awful thunderstorm gave me the shivers.
“You got that right, kid,” Bogey said under his breath.
“So that’s why nobody came running right away when we set off the alarm,” I added.
“I think you nailed it, kid,” Bogey went on. “In the meantime, she’d already set up her little game. We even had that first clue jar inside our house before we took off to rescue Trixie.”
Trixie picked up a treat and held it in her paw. “And from that moment on, Garnet kept you good and distracted. So you wouldn’t interfere when she robbed her own store.”
I nodded. “Uh-huh. Officer Phoebe even made the comment that the robbers had gotten all the jewels out really fast. Between the time when the alarm went off and then the police got there.”
Lil glanced my way. “Which makes sense. Since Garnet would’ve taken all the jewels out earlier. Then she set the stage to make it look like someone had broken in. Right before she set off the alarm.”
“So where is all the loot?” Bogey asked.
Trixie gave us a sly smile. “Probably in the big safe she’s got in her house. On the third floor.”
Bogey turned an ear toward Trixie. “You’ve seen the safe, Trix?”
“Yes, I have,” Trixie told us. “Garnet took me in there right after she brought me to her house. She put me down inside the safe and let me walk around while she got something out. I even watched her punch in the code for the keypad lock. This was all before she shut me away in that upstairs bedroom.”
Bogey squinted his eyes. “Then it sounds like we’d better have a look-see inside that safe. What do you want to bet it’s full of jewelry? The stuff that was in Garnet’s store?”
“I’ll bet it is, too,” I said as I stashed the cat treat bag back in its hiding place. “When should we go and look?”
“Tonight,” Bogey said without even batting an eye. “Before Garnet has a chance to move any jewelry out. And sell it. Or stash it someplace else.”
“But what if she’s home?” I sort of choked. “We could get caught.” The very idea of going back to that big, creepy mansion made my fur stand on end. Going there once had been plenty for me.
Trixie shook her head. “She and her husband always go out for dinner and a movie this night of the week. So this is the best night for us to go in. And I even know the code for the burglar alarm. I saw her punch the numbers into the keypad at her back door when she first brought me in. She’s got a double-redundant system.”
Lil nodded. “That means you have to punch in the code twice. If you only punch it in once, it just becomes a silent alarm. It’s something they use to trick burglars.”
“Exactly,” Trixie said. “A burglar might think they’ve turned off the alarm, but the police still get notified. It’s very sneaky.”
It seemed like everything about Garnet was very sneaky.
“Great information, Trix,” Bogey said as he glanced at the clock on the computer. “Could save us a lot of headaches. So why don’t we figure out a game plan and get this show on the road.”
Lil smiled. “Don’t forget, those two kittens are getting pretty good at cat karate. I think we should take them with us. They could come in handy.”
“Huh . . . what?” I gulped. “Do you really think Mitzi and Magnolia are ready to go out on a case?”
Lil smiled at me and nodded. “You should see those two girls, Buckley. They’re naturals. And they’re very advanced already. Some of the best students I’ve ever seen.”
“Yes, they are,” Trixie added. “They’ve got feet of fury.”
Feet of fury?
I had to say, I didn’t exactly like the sound of that. And I didn’t like the idea of them going with us tonight. After all, it had only been yesterday when I watched Mitzi pretend like she knew cat karate. Okay, maybe it had actually been a few days ago. But any way you looked at it, it hadn’t been very long at all. And the thought of those two little kittens going into that big, scary house . . . well, let’s just say that a lot of bad things could happen to a couple of little kittens in a place like that. Especially since it was the same place where Trixie had been held prisoner. And she was fifteen times the size of one of those kittens. Plus, Trixie was a seasoned cat detective. Not just a CDIT.
But whether I liked the idea or not, the four of us cat detectives still got down to business and came up with a plan. A plan that included Mitzi and Magnolia. Though I did have to admit, it was a really good plan. Provided everything went just like it was supposed to go.
Then afterward, everyone elected me to go tell the two kittens.
So I made a beeline for the sunroom. I found Mitzi and Magnolia there, practicing their cat karate while the Princess and Miss Mokie watched. And when I told the kittens about our plan, they started to bounce around with excitement.
“Oh, Buckley, that’s the best news ever!” Mitzi gushed. “Mags and I are going to be real cat detectives!”
“This is going to be fun,” Magnolia said before she did a somersault.
The Wise One looked down from her purple velvet couch and nodded. She was clearly pleased with the two kittens.
But the Princess sat on the floor nearby, and for once, her beautiful green eyes were clouded over with worry. “They’re awfully young for this,” she murmured. “Please promise me you’ll watch over them, Buckley.”
“He will, he will!” Mitzi and Magnolia both said at once.
“Don’t worry, Princess Alexandra,” Mitzi chirped. “We’ll be fine!”
Then both girls went back to practicing their cat karate moves. Mitzi went spinning into the air with a roundhouse kick and Magnolia did kind of a paw-spring and came up kicking.
I had to say, I was really amazed by what I saw. I even felt like clapping for them. Because they were already pretty good when it came to cat karate.
But that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous about taking them with us. Sure, Mitzi had tagged along a couple of times. And she was doing so much better than when I’d first met her. Even so, we were going into a very creepy house that was owned by a very nasty person. One who wouldn’t hesitate to harm a kitten, or us big cats, for that matter.
I put my paw in the air to get the young kittens to settle down. Just like I’d done when I had started to train Mitzi. And right away, they both sat at attention. Very, very quietly. Then they stared up at me and waited for my command.
I stood just as tall and straight as I could. “Umm . . . okay, you two, it’s very important that you can take orders tonight. Do I have your word that you’ll follow instructions?”
They both nodded their little heads. “Yes, Buckley.”
“Good,” I said. “We’ll be leaving in five minutes. We’re all going to meet at the back door.”
“Okay, Buckley,” they chimed in together. Their tiny faces were practically bursting with excitement.
“There’s one more thing,” I started to say. “I’m very . . . I’m very . . .” Then for some reason, I suddenly had a hard time getting the words out. Because my throat felt funny and my mouth just wouldn’t work right and I got all choked up. What was going on?
“Are you all right, Buckley?” the Princess asked in her sweet voice.
I shook my head and coughed a couple of times. “Everything is fine,” I finally squeaked out. “I just wanted to say that . . . well . . . I�
�m really proud of you two kittens. I can tell you’ve both worked extra hard to learn cat karate. And you’re both doing such a great job.”
Mitzi looked at Magnolia, and the two kittens absolutely beamed at each other.
While I just kept on choking up. “Now be sure to stick with me when we go on this case. So you can come home safely. Because I don’t know what I’d do if . . .”
And those were all the words I could manage to get out at that moment.
Little Mitzi raced right over to give me a hug. “Buckley, you’re the best! In the whole wide world! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even be going on a case. Now I’m going to be a real cat detective! It’s a dream come true!”
Then Magnolia joined her and gave me a hug, too. “I’m so happy, Buckley. I can’t believe Mitzi and I are going to be cat detectives! Together!”
I hugged them back and for some reason, now my voice wasn’t the only thing that wasn’t working. Because my eyes started to feel strange, too, and they got a little misty and kind of blurry. Especially when I looked over at the Princess and she absolutely sparkled up at me with her big, green eyes. Of course, looking into those beautiful eyes didn’t exactly help things. Because I suddenly started to feel dizzy on top of everything else.
Thankfully, the Princess spoke up. “I’d better get you girls ready to go. Come with me.” Then she herded the young ones out.
Right after she’d gone, I couldn’t help but sigh. I really didn’t want those two little kittens to go with us tonight. Even if Lil and Trixie and Bogey thought they were ready.
Because, the truth was, I wasn’t ready for them to be ready. How could they grow up so fast? How could they be ready to go into a dangerous situation when they were still so tiny? All of a sudden, the whole world seemed pretty topsy-turvy to me. It was spinning like a cat toy that someone had batted across the room.
“I can see that you are troubled, young Detective,” the Wise One said from her position above me on the couch. “Clearly something is weighing heavily on your mind. Do you wish to tell me what has distressed you so?”
The Case of Too Many Clues Page 21