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“So my dad put you up to this, did he?” she asked.

He became serious.“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about ever since your grandmother moved out. I just wasn’t sure how to launch into it. And since our dinner date was interrupted by this Chris Ackerman business…” He shrugged. “I just figured your dad might have a few tips for me.”

“Tips for what?” she asked.

“Odelia Poole,” he began, his gold-flecked eyes turning molten. “I’m not a man who minces words so here goes.” He’d clasped her hands in his and she discovered she was holding her breath. “There’s not a doubt in my mind that you’re the one for me—the woman I love. And I’ve been thinking it’s time for us to take the next step. To take this to another level. So what do you say we officially move in together? Technically I’d be the one moving in with you, as the alternative would mean you moving in with me and your uncle.”

She smiled. This was a no-brainer.“Yes, I would love to move in together, Chase.”

He grinned and then they kissed and little angels popped out all around and blew their little trumpets and sang their little hearts out. And not a single skillet zoomed through the air.

Finally, they let go and Odelia looked around. Something was missing from this scene and she suddenly realized what it was. Her cats. They were nowhere to be found.

Probably wandering about in the park. She couldn’t wait to tell them. Judging from the way Max and Dooley had taken a shine to the burly cop, they’d be over the moon.

She took Chase’s hand in hers and gave him a coy look. “Wanna check out your new digs, Detective Kingsley?”

“Don’t mind if I do, Miss Poole,” said Chase.

And as they headed up the stairs, she imagined the look on Max and Dooley’s faces when they finally arrived home and found Chase in Odelia’s bed. She smiled at the thought.

Chapter 39

Not for the first time I decided to engage cat choir in my sleuthing efforts. So Dooley and I—along with Brutus and Harriet—headed down to the park to enlist our friends in the scheme I’d worked out while driving home from Vena’s. As I’d expected, they were all game, and so the search began. I just hoped that not too much time had passed since the fateful events at the library. By now two whole days had passed, and Hampton Cove’s council had strict rules about garbage collection so our window of opportunity just might have closed.

Dooley and I had decided to search in the immediate vicinity of the library, while the other cat choir members looked along ever-widening circles. If my hunch was right, before this night was through we should be able to come up with something.

Brutus, who seemed reborn after Vena’s diagnosis, was our most enthusiastic searcher, along with Harriet, who, in spite of her initial grumblings, was happy as a clam.

“So you think Brutus will be all right?” asked Dooley as he tentatively checked the dumpster closest to the library.

“I think Brutus will be just fine,” I returned. “Especially with Vena’s treatment.”

“You know? I’m starting to think that Vena may not be our enemy, Max.”

I’d been thinking the same thing. Our visit had been distinctly painless and even—to some extent—enjoyable.

“Maybe she’s not out to hurt us,” Dooley continued.

“Only the future will tell,” I said, jumping down from the dumpster. I didn’t enjoy this consequence of my crazy theory. And if I was wrong a lot of cats were going to hate my guts.

Dooley had caught on, too.“What if we don’t find anything, Max?”

“Then we’ll probably get kicked out of cat choir.” Again.

“I don’t mind. You’re my friend and I will always stand by you,” said Dooley.

The unexpected statement gave me pause.“Aw, Dooley. You’re my friend, too.”

“You know—when the apocalypse finally comes, I hope we won’t be ripped apart by the tsunami’s massive waves and terrifying mayhem. Or by the hot lava that will push up through the earth’s cracked crust. When finally the end comes, I hope we’ll die in a blaze of fire and destruction together. Wouldn’t that be just great?”

Great wasn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe Dooley’s predictions. I decided to try one more time to change his mind. “Look, the apocalypse may never happen, Dooley.”

“Oh, I know,” he said to my surprise. “But you don’t really believe that, do you?”

“Actually, I do. I think everything is going to be just fine, buddy.”

Dooley smiled.“Oh, Max, I love you but you’re so naive. You believe everything you see on the internet. All these disinformation campaigns. All that fake news. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. No, you have to start checking out some of thisreal news. Like the fact that a comet is on its way to earth right now and will hit us in exactly three days.”

I shook my head. Absolutely hopeless. Just like our search in Hampton Cove’s dumpsters. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. And now Shanille would be upset that she’d skipped a cat choir rehearsal to prove my crazy theory.

Just then, a familiar cat trotted up to us. It was Clarice.

“Dumpster-diving, Max?” she asked.