“She’s the cat I told you about,” Kingman continued cheerfully. “About the sweatshop? I heard they closed down that operation. Can you believe it? A sweatshop? In our town? What is this, the nineteenth century or something?”
I studied Norma with more interest this time. “So you were out at the sweatshop, huh?”
“I was,” said the cat in a melodious voice.
“That was really brave of you,” said Dooley.
“Hardly,” said Norma. “Humans never take any notice of cats. I could come and go as I pleased, even slip past the guards and walk right into that place.”
“So do you think this guy Ziv Riding was involved?” I asked.
“Oh, definitely,” said Norma. “He came out there at least once a month, to check up on production, and do some spot checks for quality control. I’d say he knew exactly what was going on out there.”
Now this was news. Kingman grinned excitedly. “I told you she’s the real deal, didn’t I, Max? Huh? You owe me, right? Big time. Am I right or am I right?”
“You’re right,” I said reluctantly. Owing Kingman wasn’t much fun. I needed to bring him a piece of gossip at least equal in size to the Ziv Riding sweatshop story, which was going to prove hard. Then suddenly I got an idea.
“Was Riding out there the night Niklaus Skad was killed?”
Norma displayed a hint of a smile. “If I tell you, what’s in it for me?”
Let me tell you, all cats are hustlers. There are no exceptions.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I heard you can talk to your human, is that true?”
“Yeah, it’s true,” I said with a dark look at Kingman, who shrugged.
“So tell her to bring me chocolate. And not the cheap kind Kingman’s human carries. I want Swiss chocolate. The really expensive stuff.”
“I’ll get you your chocolate,” I told her. “But chocolate isn’t good for you.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“So? About Riding?”
“He was in town. He drove up to the farm in his black Tesla around ten o’clock. Wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly. I heard him talking to the guards. He said he had an appointment in town. Said he needed to get rid of a pesky problem and that he’d never been there.”
“Get rid of a pesky problem. Were those his actual words?” I asked.
She gave me a cool, lingering look from beneath her long lashes. “I never lie, Max. If you’d bother to get to know me you’d realize that.”
I gulped a little, and backed away slowly. The recent episode with Harriet and Diego was still fresh in my mind. I did not need female felines in my life right now. “Thanks, Norma,” I said. “Much appreciated.”
“Thanks, Norma!” said Dooley. “And we’d love to get to know you, wouldn’t we, Max?”
She gave Dooley an appraising look, then said, “No, thank you. I don’t date babies.”
“Oh, burn!” Kingman shouted as Dooley and I walked away. “You owe me, Max!”
“And don’t forget about the chocolate!” Norma added. “Swiss chocolate, Max! No cheap junk, you hear?!”
I held up my paw to show her I’d heard her loud and clear.
“What did she mean when she said she doesn’t date babies?” Dooley asked. “I’m not a baby. I’m just as old as you, Max. Should I have told her?”
“I thought you said you didn’t need the complications of a relationship?”
Dooley glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah, but she looks really nice. I guess I could make an exception for her.”
“Oh, Dooley,” I said.
Chapter 31
Odelia was on her way to the Gazette when a squad car waylaid her. The car jumped the curb and she bumped into the hood. What the… She was even more surprised when Chase called out from inside the car, “Get in! You were right!”
“Of course I was right,” she said as she got in. She slammed the door shut. “What was I right about, exactly?”
He gave her his best grin. “I owe you an apology, Odelia. First of all, you don’t have to feel obligated to reveal your sources to me. You’re a reporter. Your sources are sacred. I get that. Secondly, you were right about Riding. He and Skad were connected. Riding invested in Skad’s business, and threatened to reveal the sweatshop business if Riding didn’t increase his investment.”
“I knew it!” she said, pounding the dashboard with her fist. “So what now?”
“Now we’re going to talk to Riding. He’s staying at the Hampton Springs Hotel.”
He put the car in gear and it bounced off the curb. “Oh, wait!” she said.
He halted the car with a jerk and she opened the door to let Max and Dooley inside.
“God, not those cats again!” Chase said.
“They look tired,” she said. “They need a ride.”
Actually they didn’t look tired. They looked excited.
“Odelia! You were right!” Max cried. “Riding was in town the night Niklaus was killed. He even told one of the guards at the sweatshop that he needed to get rid of a pesky problem, and then he drove off. That was around ten o’clock.”
“Did he do it, Odelia?” asked Dooley. “Did he kill Skad?”
She couldn’t very well answer that with Chase in the car. One day she might tell him about the cats, but not now. Not when he was convinced she was working with some secret informant.
“She can’t talk with us in front of Chase, Dooley,” Max said.
“Why not? Chase is a nice guy. He’ll understand.”
“No, he won’t. He might be nice, but he’s also just a guy.”
“He’s not just a guy. He’s Odelia’s guy,” Dooley insisted stubbornly.
She smiled. “While you were finally realizing I’m always right, I had a word with my informant,” she said.
“Oh? And what did they say?”
“Riding was definitely involved with the sweatshop.”
“Yeah, he came out here all the time,” Max chimed in.
Chase grinned. “Your cats are talking again, Odelia. It’s so funny.”
“Don’t mind them,” she said. “The night Skad was killed, he was in town. And I’m sure the sweatshop workers and the guards will be able to confirm that.”
“I’ll talk to the NYPD officer in charge. He’ll be happy to hear it.”
Chase had switched on the police siren and the blinkers and they were roaring through town, moving at a healthy clip. It only took them ten minutes to arrive at the hotel and Chase swung his car into a parking spot reserved for VIPs, right next to a black Tesla.
“There’s something I haven’t told you yet,” Chase said as he cut the engine. “You know the best part?”
“No, what?”
He smiled. “Remember Abe found a fortune cookie in Skad’s stomach? Well, the sweatshop was full of the stuff. Bags and bags of them.” He popped a fortune cookie out of his pocket and handed it to her. “See how it says ZR?”
“Ziv Riding,” she said slowly, turning the cookie over in her hands. “But how did it get into the victim’s stomach?”
Chase shrugged. “Only thing I can think of is that Riding gave Niklaus the cookie and he ate it. And then Riding killed him.”
“But wouldn’t the cookie have been chewed to pieces? I thought Abe said the cookie was still intact?”
Chase frowned. “So?”
“So I think Riding shoved that cookie down Skad’s throat and choked him with it.”
Chase stared at her. “You have a devious mind, Odelia Poole. And you may just have solved our murder!”
“Odelia is brilliant,” Dooley said.
“Yeah, she is,” Max agreed.
They got out and walked to the hotel. Now the only thing they needed to do was make Ziv Riding confess. How difficult could that be?
They walked up to the lobby and Chase showed the clerk his badge and asked which room Ziv Riding was staying in. The hotel tapped a few keys. “Room five twenty-five. The Royal Suite. Mr. Riding always uses that suite when he’s in town.”
Odelia and Chase shared a look. “Can you check a date for me?” Chase asked, and gave him the date Niklaus Skad was murdered.