“I thought it was a man’s voice,” said Brutus.
“And I thought it sounded like a woman,” said Harriet.
“Did you recognize him or her?” asked Odelia anxiously.
But Max shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. They were wearing a mask.”
“The car was a dark blue town car,” said Brutus, “though it could have been dark brown, dark green or dark red, and it could have been a sedan, I’m not entirely sure.”
“So did they catch him?” asked Gran, who came hurrying up, panting heavily.
“No, they didn’t. He managed to get away before they got close,” said Odelia.
“Oh, darn it,” said Gran. “I’ll bet it was that Suzy woman though. She had homicidal maniac written all over her face.”
“This vacation is really turning into a Hollywood movie,” said Marge, who stood hugging herself. It was chilly out there, and she hadn’t brought a coat. Chase, always the gentleman, must have noticed, too, for he took off his jacket and draped it around Marge’s shoulders.
“Thanks, honey,” said Marge gratefully.
“So the kidnapper got away?” asked Uncle Alec.
“Yeah, got away clean,” said Chase.
“Took the money?”
“Took the money and fired off a shot—which hit Opal in the shoulder.”
“Man, if this were Hampton Cove we’d be organizing a manhunt now.”
Odelia walked up to Opal. “Are you still sure about not involving the police?”
“No police,” Opal croaked. “The important thing is we have Marilyn back.”
“He tried to kill you!” said Marilyn. “You have to go to the police, Opal.”
“No police!” Opal insisted with a grimace of pain. “If the media finds out it’s going to be a feeding frenzy.” She turned to her friend. “Did you get a good look at the guy?”
“I’m not even sure it was a guy,” said Marilyn. “Could have been a woman. He or she never took off their mask.”
“How did it happen?” asked Chase. “How did they get you?”
“I’d just arrived home after our night out, and I’d just put my car in the garage when I was attacked from behind. They pushed some rag into my face and the next thing I knew I woke up in the backseat of that car, with a terrible headache and feeling nauseous.”
“Chloroform,” said Uncle Alec, nodding. “And then what happened?”
“And then we were driving and he parked the car and waited for you to arrive.”
“He didn’t talk to you?” asked Chase.
“Not a word. I demanded to know what he intended to do with me but nothing. Like talking to a wall. My hands were tied, and the doors locked, so I couldn’t escape.”
“What about the phone call? Did he say anything?”
“They got out to make that call. I couldn’t hear a thing.” She pressed her eyes closed and shivered. “It was horrible. The absolute most terrifying moments of my entire life.”
“It’s over now,” said Harlan, placing an arm around her shoulder. “It’s all over now.”
“I’ll never feel safe again.”
“You need to hire security,” said Chase.
“I know. And I will. Though I hate to go through life looking over my shoulder all the time.” She turned to Odelia. “Do you have any idea who’s doing this? Any idea at all?”
Odelia was embarrassed by her response. “Not a clue, to be honest.”
“Oh, we do have a clue,” said Gran. “It’s that Suzy woman, I’m a hundred percent sure.”
“No, it’s not,” said Odelia. “Suzy was with us when the kidnapper called.”
“So? She could have had an accomplice. A boyfriend or whatever.”
“Oh, Gran,” said Odelia.
“What?! It’s a plausible theory. We need to give her the first degree. Go good cop bad cop on her. Alec, you tell her. You know how it works.”
“I’m usually the good cop,” said Alec.
“No, you’re not,” said Chase. “I’m the good cop, and you’re the bad cop.”
“Let’s not split hairs,” Alec grumbled.
“Can’t you interview her?” asked Opal.
“We don’t have jurisdiction here,” said Alec. “Not as good cops, or bad cops. We’re civilians, just like you. With no rights to arrest people, or to subject them to questioning.”
“It wasn’t Suzy,” said Opal. “That much I know.” She sighed deeply. “But then who was it?”
Chapter 33
You would have thought that Opal, after yet another trip to the emergency room, would finally have decided to chuck it in and take a nice long vacation, but no. The next day she insisted on heading into the studio to do her Monday show.
“But I can do your show,” Marilyn had said. “I can easily take over for a couple of days—weeks, even.”
“No, thanks,” Opal had said. “It’s my show and I’m going to be there to run it. Bullets fired at me or not. It’s you who should rest, darling. You were the one being kidnapped.”
So the next day we were all back at the studio. Or at least Odelia and Gran were, and their entire cat contingent, of course.
Tex and Marge had gone into town again, this time to Universal Studios to get the studio tour, and Chase and Uncle Alec had their conference to attend. Apparently the mayor had gotten wind that they’d been skipping lectures and had called Uncle Alec to give him a piece of his mind. It hadn’t been pretty.
Opal and her team were holed up inside the conference room, discussing that afternoon’s show, and even Suzy was present, even though she could have been excused for staying home—or handing in her resignation.
“Max?” asked Dooley as we lounged around in Opal’s office, interspersed with long visits to the canteen, where our food bowls were located.
“Yes, Dooley?”
“What is a toodle pip?”
“Toodle pip is not a thing but a greeting,” I said. “And if I’m not mistaken it’s something the Brits like to say. Basically it means goodbye.”
He was silent for a moment while he chewed on this. Then he said, “So is Kurtz a Brit?”
“Not that I know, why?”
“Well, he said toodle pip when he dropped by the house for his interview with Odelia.”
“I’m sure he just said it as a joke,” I said. “I don’t think he’s British.”
“And then there’s the kidnapper,” said Dooley. “He said the same thing last night.”
I stared at my friend.
“What is he saying, Max?” asked Brutus.
“Wait, let me get this straight,” I said. “You heard the kidnapper say toodle pip?”
“Yeah, when we were running to the car. I got there first, remember? And just before he slammed the door, he looked at me and said ‘toodle pip.’ Which I thought was odd.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I said.
“What did he say, Max?” asked Brutus.
But I was already out the door of Opal’s office, and heading down the hallway in the direction of the conference room. I burst in and made a beeline for Odelia.
“It’s Kurtz,” I told her. “He’s the kidnapper. He’s the one behind this whole thing!”
Odelia smiled politely at her colleagues as they all turned to her at the sound of my mewling. “I’m sorry. Feline emergency. I think he forgot where his litter box is.”
And to laughter from the others, she got up and walked out.
“Kurtz? Are you sure?” she asked the moment we were out of earshot.
“Dooley heard the kidnapper use the phrase ‘toodle pip’ last night, the same thing Kurtz said when he was at the house a couple of days ago. That can’t be a coincidence, Odelia.” And then I remembered something else. “At the salon and spa, Prunella said that Kurtz was a regular. And she didn’t mean at the salon but at the clinic where they perform plastic surgery. Is it possible that Kurtz used to be a woman and transitioned to a man? And that’s why he sounded like a woman when he phoned the salon?”
“I noticed the first day that Kurtz doesn’t have an Adam’s apple,” said Odelia. “You’re absolutely right, Max. He’s the kidnapper. He’s the one behind this whole thing!”