“No, I didn’t. In fact nobody is supposed to know Rose was arrested. We’re still hoping she’s innocent.”
“Well, the news is all over the Gazette,” said Marge and took out her phone.
Suddenly all the humans in the room took out their respective phones, and after a moment of frantic surfing, Odelia cried, “Oh, no, she didn’t!”
“Who did what now?” asked Gran, who was always a little slower operating her phone than the younger generation.
“Kimberly! She wrote an article accusing Rose of murder!” Odelia seemed terribly incensed, for her face had turned red and she was gripping that phone so hard I was afraid it would fold under the pressure. “That’s my story! She had absolutely no right to…”
“Police sources,” said Gran, who’d managed to pull up the story and was intently staring at her phone. “What police sources?”
“Someone must have blabbed,” said Odelia. “And it sure wasn’t Chase or my uncle.” Her face had taken on a mutinous look. “I’m going to talk to Dan. This is outrageous.” But before she could call her editor, her phone sang out a tune and she immediately picked up. “Yes, Chase? Any news?”
“Put it on speaker, will you?!” Gran loud-whispered.
Odelia complied, and suddenly Chase’s voice sounded from Odelia’s phone. “I’m afraid we found some very damning evidence in Rose’s room, babe,” the cop said.
“What damning evidence?”
“A quick look at her computer reveals she’s been googling ‘Ways to make a murder look like a suicide’ and ‘How many sleeping pills does it take to kill a person.’”
“Oh, dear,” said Odelia, closing her eyes.
“Also your uncle discovered a police report filed three years ago. Turns out Rose stabbed her dad with a kitchen knife. Police were called for a domestic disturbance incident, but no charges were ever brought against her.”
“This isn’t good,” said Odelia, probably the understatement of the evening.
“So I’m afraid the Chief has placed her under arrest for the murder of her dad and the murder of Jared Zmuda. I’m sorry, babe.”
“I don’t understand. Why would she ask me to investigate her dad’s murder if she was guilty? And why kill Jared and then leave those wire cutters lying around, covered in her fingerprints?”
“She’s not a professional killer, Odelia. She’s just a girl who’s very disturbed. Look, I gotta go. Rose’s mom just arrived with a lawyer and we’re going to do the first interview.”
“Keep me informed, will you?”
“Will do,” he said, and signed off.
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the room, then that man on TV said, still in those same unctuous tones, “And there is the female of the species now, answering the male’s mating call. His colorful plumage has sealed the deal again.”
And Rose Wimmer’s amateurism had sealed her fate.
Chapter 27
That night Odelia slept a little fitfully. Chase hadn’t come home—he was probably still working on the case—and finally our human had decided to go to bed. And instead of going to cat choir, as we usually do, we decided to stay home and keep her company.
“Sad, isn’t it, Max?” said Dooley quietly.
We were both lying at the foot of the bed and didn’t want to disturb Odelia by talking too loudly.
“Yeah, terrible business,” I said commiseratively.
“Do you think that second male bird, the one whose feathers weren’t as colorful, will also find a female? Or do you think he will die alone, never having enjoyed true love?”
“I thought you were talking about Rose,” I said.
“Oh, no. I was talking about those birds.”
“Yeah, Dooley,” I said. “I’m sure that second male bird will have found a mate for life, too. And if he didn’t it’s not as big a deal as Rose Wimmer having to go to prison for life.”
He thought about that for a moment, then conceded, “Yeah, that’s not a good prospect for Rose, is it?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“So you think she’s guilty, do you?”
“Chase seems to think so, and he has the proof to back it up.”
“Yes, I guess you’re right,” he said. “It’s a pity. She seems like such a nice girl.” He shrugged. “Oh, well. At least that nice housekeeper Gran mentioned won’t have to clean up after Rose and her dad anymore.”
I stared at him. “Say that again?”
“What?”
“What you just said.”
“That the housekeeper won’t have to clean up after Rose and her dad?”
I nodded thoughtfully. “You know, Dooley. I’m not sure if you’re a genius or an idiot savant, but you just gave me an entirely new perspective on this case.”
“I’m not an idiot, Max,” my friend said softly.
“I didn’t say you were an idiot. I said you were possibly an idiot savant.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Yes, it is,” I said with a grin. “Now let me think, Dooley. I have the impression I’ve been very complacent about this whole case. Very complacent indeed.”
“I have no idea what you just said but I’ll be quiet from now on.” And he promptly dozed off.
The sun was already rising over the horizon when I finally managed to put the entire puzzle together—or at least I thought I had.
Odelia woke up with a groan and patted the empty spot next to her. “Chase didn’t come home?” she asked.
“Nope,” I said.
Just then, the front door opened and moments later heavy steps on the stairs announced the lanky cop’s arrival. When he appeared at the door he looked exhausted.
“I’m bushed,” he announced and dropped into bed without removing his clothes, and pressed a quick kiss on Odelia’s cheek.
“So what’s the verdict?” she asked.
“Guilty,” he said. “Though she’s not admitting a thing. Says we’ve got it all wrong and someone is framing her.”
“Framing her!”
“Yeah. Your uncle accused her of watching too many crime shows but she stuck to her guns. Says someone is trying to make it look as if she’s a killer and she swears up and down she’s not. She also said you’re looking into the case and she’s sure you’ll be able to prove that she’s innocent.” He yawned.
“I’m not sure her confidence is entirely justified,” said Odelia ruefully.
“Yeah, well, she fooled us all.”
“Though me most of all,” said Odelia.
“Do you mind if I take a quick nap?” said Chase, and before Odelia could respond, his head was lolling to the side and he was fast asleep.
She carefully slipped from beneath the covers, placed a blanket on top of the cop, and tiptoed from the room.
“Odelia?” I said. “If you have time could I bounce some ideas off you?”
“Sure thing, Max,” she said. “I’ll take a quick shower and then you can bounce all you want.” But then she caught sight of the clock on the nightstand and said, “Shoot. I had no idea it was this late. We’ll have to do this later, Max. I should have been in the office twenty minutes ago.”
Dooley, who’d only now woken up, yawned and said, “What did I miss?”
“Not much,” I said. “I had a brainwave last night, but apart from that…”
His eyes had widened considerably. “A brainwave! Max, we have to go to the doctor immediately! Are you in any pain?”
“I’m fine, Dooley!” I said with a laugh.
“But your brain! It’s waving!”
“I just had an idea, okay? One of those bright ideas that suddenly come over you.”
He stared at me, clearly having no idea what I was talking about.
“I’m absolutely fine, Dooley. Just that I may have just solved this murder.”
“But… wasn’t it solved already?”
“I don’t think so. I think Chase and Uncle Alec arrested the wrong person.”
“You have to tell them. You have to tell them all about that wave in your brain.”
“It won’t do Rose much good,” I said. “You see, I don’t have any proof. And without proof they won’t be convinced.”