by Judith Keim
“What’ll we do?” Lila shot Theodore a worried look.
“Wait here,” Theodore said. “I’ll check the pipes leading into the bathroom.”
He set down the note and crawled up onto the pipes that went into the bathroom. What he had thought was an opening appeared to be a space filled with a soft white substance, an insulation of some kind. Theodore pushed against it and felt it give. After much work, he was able to push most of it aside.
He turned back to the others. “Okay, I think we can get through the wall. Hand me the note.”
“I can’t lift it,” said Lila.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” grumped Cynthia. “Give it to me.”
She held it up for a few seconds then dropped it with a groan.
“Quick! Grab it,” squeaked Theodore. “It’s starting to fall down through the pipes.”
Lila and Cynthia each snatched a corner of the folded paper. Theodore rushed over to them and managed to lift it out of their arms.
“You sure are strong,” gushed Lila, fluttering her long eyelashes at him.
Warm pride filled Theodore. He hoisted the note even higher. “Follow me.”
He led Lila and Cynthia up the pipe, managed to push the note through the hole, and then helped them inside Simone’s room.
“This isn’t nearly as fancy as Juliet’s bathroom,” said Cynthia, glancing around with a look of disdain.
Lila frowned. “It’s beautiful just the same.”
“No bickering, remember?” said Theodore. “Take a careful look around. It’s the humans’ usual dinner hour. We need to make sure Simone and her dog are gone.”
Leaving the note on the floor of the bathroom, the three of them crept to the door and peered out.
All was quiet.
“Where should we leave the note?” Lila’s voice quavered with nervous excitement.
“Let me scout around.” Theodore scurried into the room. The bedspread for the king bed was folded and placed on the ottoman at the end of the bed. A chocolate candy was perched on each pressed pillowcase. He smiled. The maid had come and gone for the nightly turndown service. They shouldn’t be interrupted.
He went back to the bathroom and lifted the note. “Let’s put it on the pillows, next to the chocolates. She won’t miss it there.”
Lila and Cynthia took one end of the note. He took the other. They scampered up the bedspread and onto the bed, moving as quickly as they could.
“Mmm, that chocolate smells yummy. Could I just take a tiny nibble?” said Lila.
Theodore whipped around. “No way. A good detective leaves no evidence behind.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right,” said Lila. “I forgot.”
Careful not to rip the paper, they unfolded the note, spreading the words across the pillow.
“There,” said Theodore. “Now let’s get out of here.”
They scurried down the bedding, landing on the floor with three tiny thuds, just as the door to the room opened.
A flash of white fur charged their way.
“The dog!” gasped Lila.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Frantically searching for a place to hide, Theodore grabbed Lila’s arm and guided Cynthia ahead of him, encouraging her to hurry. They squeezed through the narrow space beneath the nightstand drawers next to the bed and huddled together, as far away from the edges as possible.
Fifi barked and pushed her nose under the nightstand as far as it would go. Her nostrils quivered at their smell.
Staring at the black tip of the dog’s nose so close to them, Theodore’s body turned cold. This dog was as persistent as the alley cat that had killed his father.
“Theodore, what are we going to do?” wailed Lila.
“We can’t make a run for it,” said Cynthia. “We can’t be seen.” Behind her glasses, her eyes blinked in nervous tics.
Theodore’s mind raced. “I’ve got an idea. Listen up.”
The next time Fifi stuck her nose under the bedside table, the three of them pounced on it with all their strength.
“Yowl!” Fifi let out a cry that brought Simone running over to her. “What’s the matter? Did you bump your nose? Poor baby.”
Fifi’s howl turned into high-pitched yaps.
“Lose your tennis ball again? Naughty girl,” Simone crooned. “Here. I’ll try to reach it for you.”
Theodore stared wide-eyed at Lila and Cynthia.
A hand with red painted nails appeared in the narrow space under the table and swiped Theodore off his feet.
“I almost got it!” Simone’s fingers wiggled, reaching for him.
Theodore held in a squeak and scuttled out of the way.
Simone’s hand swept the area once more.
Theodore, Lila and Cynthia scampered to the back wall, where they huddled together, shaking so hard Theodore feared the table might wobble.
Fifi’s black nose appeared beside them.
“Look out!” Lila cried. She gathered the skirt of her dress and made a dash for the other side of the narrow space. Theodore and Lila caught up with her.
“My heart’s pounding,” gasped Lila. She placed a shaking paw upon her chest.
“How are we going to get out of here?” Cynthia’s hysterical squeaking could barely be heard above Fifi’s barking.
A knock at the door brought a sudden silence.
“Now what?” Simone groaned. Her hand disappeared from beneath the table.
Fifi barked and stuck her nose beneath the nightstand.
Taking a deep breath, Theodore swung his foot back and kicked Fifi’s nose as hard as he could.
Fifi let out a yelp and began barking again.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” said a man’s voice above the din. “You either have to silence the dog or place her in a kennel. She’s disturbing everyone on the floor.”
“Do you know who I am?” Simone’s voice was shrill with indignation.
“Yes, Miss Skinner, I do,” came the polite reply. “Might I suggest taking the dog for a walk? Perhaps that will calm her down.”
“Wait until I tell the general manager how rude you’ve been to poor little Fifi and me,” said Simone.
“I’m sure he’d like to hear from you,” came the steady reply. Theodore smiled at the sarcasm in the man’s voice.
“Well, I never!” pouted Simone. “Here, Fifi. Come.”
“I’ll walk you to the elevator,” the man said. “I’m sure someone at the Concierge desk can direct you to the nearby dog park. It’s a very popular spot.”
“Fifi, stop barking and come here.” Simone’s voice turned shrill again.
From his place beneath the nightstand, Theodore watched Simone grab the dog and leave the room, slamming the door behind her. He turned to Lila and Cynthia. “We’d better move fast.”
“But I wanted to hear what Simone had to say about the note,” whined Cynthia.
“She didn’t even notice it.” Lila’s voice was full of disappointment.
“C’mon, hurry,” said Theodore firmly. He knew when Simone finally read their note, she’d tell everyone. And that could only mean more trouble.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The moment Theodore walked into the cafeteria, he knew something was wrong. A crowd had formed around Cynthia. She was showing everyone the bump on her head.
“I know one of you did that to me. My friends and I are going to find out who you are, and then you’ll be sorry.” She glanced over at Theodore. “Right, Theodore?”
Inside, Theodore’s stomach scrunched into a knot of dismay. Didn’t she realize a good detective never gives out his plan? “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Cynthia. I’m just the doorman, remember?” He gave her a stern look and walked away. Now, to find the culprit who’d attacked Cynthia, he’d have to change his strategy.
“What’s she talking about?” asked one of his brothers when he sat down with his family. The mousekin’s eyes glowed with excitement.
Theodore glanced at his mother and shrugged.
“I don’t have time to worry about it. I have to eat quickly and get to work.” But he’d already made up his mind to do some interviewing during coffee break.
As the general manager had predicted, traffic in and out of the hotel slowed. On good days, Theodore barely had time to straighten after one bow before beginning another. Today, with so few arrivals and departures, he was bored.
When his coffee break came, Theodore hurried into the hotel, hoping to find Lila in the cafeteria. She was a late riser who usually ate breakfast mid-morning, but she was nowhere to be found.
On an impulse, he decided to go to Zanna’s room. Maybe Lila would be there. He waited until the coast was clear and then slipped into the shadows of the plumbing network. Up, up, up he climbed. Theodore had just entered Zanna’s closet when he heard loud voices. He edged toward the door. A paw on his shoulder made him jump. He whipped around.
“Yo, bro,” said Bandit.
“What are you doing here?” squeaked Theodore. His heart was still stuttering at the shock Bandit had given him.
Bandit held a finger to his lips. “Sssh. Listen.”
“Don’t try to deny it,” screamed Simone. “It had to be you! You can’t even spell!”
Theodore peeked outside the closet. Simone was waving a note in her hand in front of Zanna’s face.
Zanna snatched the note out of Simone’s hand and stared down at it. Her cheeks were pink with anger as she turned to Simone. “I did NOT write this note, and for your information, I can spell very well. Whoever wrote this note must have had a good reason to give it to you.” Zanna’s eyes narrowed. “Are you the one who gave me those sleeping pills? And what about Juliet? Did you try to do something to her?”
Holding up her hands, Simone backed away. “No, honest! It wasn’t me! I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Zanna shook a finger at her. “I know how much you want the role of Gloria in the movie. You’d do anything for it, wouldn’t you?”
Simone shook her head. “Not that way. No.”
A knock came at the door.
Sam Horner entered the room, along with Rocky Strong.
“What’s going on here?” said Sam. “I can hear the two of you battling all the way down the hall.”
Tears rolled down Simone’s cheeks. “Zanna is being awful to me, Sam. Just awful!” She sobbed into her hands.
“She’s really good, huh,” scoffed Bandit, standing beside Theodore. “She deserves an award for this performance.”
Theodore nodded. He’d never seen tears form so fast.
Lila entered the closet and hurried over to them. “I was spying on the general manager, and ...” she took a deep breath “... and he was packing up some things in his office. It can’t be a good sign.”
Theodore shook his head. “No, that’s not good at all.”
“What’s going on?” asked Bandit.
“Business at the hotel is slowing down,” said Theodore. “And if it becomes too slow, the owners might close it down.”
“Bummer. That would ruin things for us, huh?” Bandit shook his head.
Lila tugged on Theodore’s shirtsleeve and nodded toward the humans. “Listen!”
“C’mon, Zanna,” said Rocky. “Take my hand. Let’s you and me get some fresh air.”
After the door to the room had closed with a bang, Sam began talking. “Simone, now that Rocky and Zanna have left the room, listen to me. I know you want the starring role in this movie. That’s probably not going to happen, but don’t worry, I’ll give you the starring role in my next movie. It’s even a better role than this one. Trust me.”
Shocked, Theodore edged closer to the closet entrance and peered out.
Simone’s lips formed a perfect pout. “Oh, all right, I’ll play along with you. But this idea of all of us staying here and becoming friends is ridiculous. We hate each other. See you later, Sam. I need to go lie down after the fuss with Zanna. It upset me so.”
Lila came up beside Theodore. “Simone is very self-centered. Stupid, too.”
Theodore gave her a questioning look, but Lila ignored it.
Simone left the room, and Sam plopped down on the couch. “I don’t know how I ever got into this mess,” he grumbled aloud. “I’ve invested too much money in this film to stop now. It better work out, or I’ll be broke.”
During the talk that followed, Theodore checked his watch and let out a gasp.
He was late! Very late!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Please, Grandfather! You don’t understand! I’m working on something that is very important to all of us mice!”
Grandfather shook a finger at him. “I warned you about being tardy, Theodore. I have no choice but to let you go. Beau Beady is next in line. He deserves a chance to do a better job than you.”
Tears stung Theodore’s eyes, but he blinked them away. His shoulders slumped. Somehow he’d get his job back. He had to, or his family would be kicked out of the hotel.
Beau Beady appeared wearing the uniform of a doorman. He gave Theodore a sharp, triumphant look that felt like a dagger entering Theodore’s heart.
Grandfather put a hand on Theodore’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I have to be fair with everyone, and you were twenty-nine minutes late. Please turn in your uniform.”
Theodore wished he could tell Grandfather about his detective work, but even that might not help. His grandfather didn’t approve of any mouse in the human part of the hotel or of their having anything to do with human guests. He’d tell Theodore it was too dangerous. Theodore let out a sigh. He couldn’t tell anyone what he was doing until he discovered who was hurting the humans and who had attacked Cynthia.
At home, Theodore took off his uniform and pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater. It pained him to see his uniform hanging limply on a hangar, ready to be turned in.
“Did you come home early to play with me?” asked his little brother, Sam. He looked up at Theodore wide-eyed, twitching his whiskers hopefully.
Theodore shook his head.
“Why aren’t you at work, Theodore?” his mother asked, coming over to him. A worried look spread across her furry face.
Theodore hung his head.
“Was there a problem?” she asked gently.
Theodore nodded. “I was twenty-nine minutes late after coffee break.”
“That’s not like you,” said his mother. “What happened?”
“I can’t talk about it. Not yet.”
Theodore’s mother gazed at him. “Okay, son. When you’re ready to discuss it, let me know. In the meantime, I’ll have to figure out how to feed the family.”
Guilt ate at Theodore. He left his home determined to do more detective work. And he really, really wished his replacement was anyone but Beau. They’d never gotten along. The memory of Beau’s beady eyes shining with glee at Theodore’s dismissal ate at Theodore’s insides. Searching for Lila, he entered the cafeteria. At the sight of her empty table, he headed for the wall of plumbing and scurried up the pipes to Zanna’s room.
He poked his head through the opening into Zanna’s closet and blinked in surprise. Bandit was standing next to Lila at the entrance to the closet, and he had his arm around her.
“It’s so romantic,” sighed Lila.
“Yeah, it’s like perfecto,” said Bandit, pulling her closer.
Theodore gulped. Lila and Bandit were definitely romantically involved. Disappointment speared him. He was about to leave when Bandit noticed him.
“Yo, Ted! What are you doing here?”
“Well, I ... I ...” Theodore stammered.
“Your uniform! Why aren’t you wearing it?” asked Lila.
“I lost my job,” Theodore reluctantly admitted.
“You mean you’re nothing now?” Lila said.
Theodore’s cheeks turned fiery hot. He struggled for something to say, but his throat had closed with pain.
Lila hurried over to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.�
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Theodore nodded, but inside him, hurt strummed his heartstrings. Lila was lost to him forever. She was right. He was nothing. He couldn’t even say he was just the doorman anymore.
Bandit eyed him. “So, what’cha doin’ up here?”
Theodore tried to focus on the problem that faced all of them. If he didn’t solve the mystery behind the attempted murders, it wouldn’t matter to him or anyone else if he was a doorman at The Winston. It would be closed down.
“I need to talk to everyone about ...”
“Sshh!” said Lila. “Listen!”
Theodore crept to the opening in the closet door and peered out. Rocky and Zanna were sitting and facing each other on the couch.
“I love you, Zanna! Will you marry me?” Rocky’s words held a tenderness Theodore recognized as true love.
Zanna’s voice was soft with affection. “Yes, Rocky! I will! I will! But not until after the film is done.”
Lila turned to them, her hands clasped. Her sweet pink eyes grew teary. “I’m so happy I could cry.”
Zanna spoke up again. “For now, Rocky, no one must know about us, especially Simone. You know how she feels about you and me together.”
“Do you love me?” Rocky asked.
She nodded, and Rocky kissed her.
“Let’s get out of here. It’s way too mushy in there,” said Bandit, sticking a finger down his throat.
“Oh, but it’s so sweet,” gushed Lila.
Theodore cringed at the adoring look she gave Bandit and cleared his throat. “I need to talk to both of you. Follow me.”
The three of them scampered down to the conference room. Bandit leaned back in one of the chairs around the table. “Yeah? So what’s on your mind, Ted?”
“Is it something about the mystery?” asked Lila.
Bandit looked sharply from Lila to Theodore. “What mystery? What are you talking about?”
Lila nodded to Theodore. “Go ahead, tell him.”
“Someone has been making the stars sick. We think it might be attempted murder.”
Bandit started to laugh.
“Why are you doing that?” Lila asked, wide-eyed.