“Let’s go,” he said therefore. “We’re never going to find out what happened to Vicky by hanging around this place.”
“But, sugar bear,” Harriet protested. “I’m sure we’ll find the vital clue soon!”
“Nah,” he said morosely. “We should have stuck close to Max. Max knows. I don’t know how he does it, but he always does.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” said Harriet finally, after watching a man draw a line with a Sharpie on a sales number board and screaming, “People, I just shifted my three-hundredth shipment this month. Huzzah!”
“Huzzah!” his colleagues all yodeled, then immediately hunched over their phones again, eager to break the man’s record by shifting their three-hundred-and-first shipment for the month.
“Okay, let’s get out of here,” said Harriet finally, and the two cats shuffled out of there without much pep in their step, this time in search of another clue: where was the exit?
And as they passed the water cooler, a young man and a young woman were chatting.
“So you think old man Gardner will finally hand the reins of this place to Garibaldi?” asked the young guy.
“Nah, I think he’ll hang on until they pry them from his cold, dead hands,” said the young lady.
“I heard Quintin is planning a coup.”
“A coup?”
“Yeah, bringing in a new guy.”
“To replace Garibaldi? He wouldn’t dare.”
“He’s never liked Garibaldi. Thinks he’s too soft to run a million-dollar business.”
“Garibaldi’s done a great job so far—even the old man can’t deny that,” said the woman, who was gripping a plastic cup and taking sporadic sips.
“No, I guess he can’t. But you know what Quintin is like. Stubborn to the core.”
“If he tries to dump Garibaldi there will be hell to pay. Marcia will never allow it.”
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall when those two get together,” chuckled the young man. “I’ll bet there’ll be blood in the water.”
Harriet’s eyes were gleaming, Brutus noticed, and he smiled. “Looks like we found our clue after all, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, looks like,” said Harriet with a note of triumph in her voice. “See, Brutus,” she said as they walked on. “It’s not just Max who’s a super sleuth. We’re not so bad ourselves.”
“Blood in the water,” he said. “Interesting turn of phrase.”
“Very interesting indeed…”
Chapter 30
We all met up in the parking lot: Gran and Scarlett were arguing with Odelia and Chase, and it took Dooley and myself a while to get a word in edgeways.
“If only you’d told us you were coming we could have coordinated our approach—that’s all I’m saying,” Odelia was saying.
“And if only you weren’t so secretive,” Gran said, “and didn’t make it your number one priority to shut out the watch, this could have been a great success and not the sorry mess it turned into.”
“I’m shutting out the watch? That’s rich, coming from you!” said Odelia. “You’re the one who keeps shutting me out!”
“Why are the veins in Odelia’s neck standing out like that, Max?” asked Dooley.
“It’s because she’s upset,” I said. “Which causes her blood pressure to spike, which probably isn’t a good thing.”
He gave me a look of consternation. “You mean her head is going to explode if she keeps shouting like this?”
“Well…” I said. I’m not a doctor, of course, but all this shouting couldn’t be healthy, especially for an older lady like Gran, or even a young one like Odelia. Scarlett, meanwhile, kept well out of things, and intently studied her fingernails while Gran did most of the shouting. Chase, too, had decided to be a random bystander as he randomly stood by and watched.
“Odelia, you have to stop shouting!” Dooley suddenly shouted. “Your head is going to explode and that’s very bad for you!”
His words had the effect of shutting both Gran and Odelia up for a moment. Then they glanced at each other and… suddenly burst out laughing!
“Why are they laughing, Max?” asked Dooley, nervously monitoring Odelia’s head as if it was the top of a volcano.
“I think it’s because they just realized how silly they were being.”
“I’m sorry, Gran,” said Odelia finally. “I should have told you I was planning this visit.”
“And I’m sorry, too, honey,” said Gran. “I should have told you about what I was up to.”
“Phew, finally,” said Scarlett. “Now kiss and make up and let’s get out of here, shall we? This place gives me the creeps.”
“We overheard something that might be important,” I now revealed. And so I conveyed the conversation we’d overheard between Bobby Garibaldi and his mother.
“Interesting,” said Odelia.
“Yeah, looks like this Marcia person is someone we should pay a visit,” Gran agreed.
“You guys!” suddenly a voice cried out from across the parking lot. It belonged to Harriet, and as she and Brutus came tripping up, it was clear they had important news to share. Panting a little, she announced, when she’d finally joined us, “There will be blood in the water.”
“Blood in the water?” asked Gran. “What are you talking about, Harriet?”
“That’s what one of the people working for Bobby Garibaldi said,” she explained. “There’s going to be a big fight between Marcia and Quintin Gardner about the succession.”
Odelia and Gran shared a look, then Scarlett and Chase shared a similar look, only this one was filled with confusion.
“Can anyone please explain what the cats are saying?” cried Scarlett. “It’s driving me nuts that y’all understand what they say and we’re just standing around like idiots!”
“What Scarlett said,” Chase grunted with a nod.
So Odelia and Gran dutifully relayed our words to the only non-feline language speaking members of the team, and soon we were all up to date.
“I think this succession business needs looking into,” said Chase as he leaned against the hood of his squad car. “Why don’t I pay a visit to Marcia Gardner and ask her point-blank what’s going on?”
“Good idea,” said Odelia. “I’ll go with you.”
“Can we come, too?” asked Harriet. “We found the clue, after all.”
“We found a clue, too,” I argued.
“Yeah, but our clue was bigger than yours,” said Harriet.
“Not true,” I cried. “Our clue was bigger and better than yours.”
“Oh, please can you not fight?” suddenly Dooley yelled. “I hate it when you fight. Max, please apologize to Harriet, and Harriet please apologize to Max, and then we can all be friends again, okay?”
Harriet and I shared a look of surprise. It wasn’t like Dooley to have an outburst like this, and it told us he was frankly fed up.
“All right,” I said. “Harriet, your clue is very important, and if you want to join us, please be my guest. And I’m sorry for calling your clue less important than mine.”
Harriet sighed. “And I’m really sorry for laughing at your mishap, Max. I shouldn’t have done that. Friends don’t make fun of their friends, and I apologize.”
“Me, too,” grunted Brutus. “That crack about your sixteen-pack was uncalled for and frankly plain rude.”
I smiled. “It’s all right, Brutus. Actually I thought it was kinda funny, to be honest.”
The big black cat’s face lit up. “See?” he cried. “I knew it was funny when I said it.”
“Sixteen-pack,” I chuckled. “Well done, Brutus.”
“Thanks, Max. I have my moments.”
“I know you do, buddy.”
“For the love of God can someone please tell me what they’re saying?!” Scarlett screamed.
“They’re resolving their differences,” said Odelia.
“Wait, cats fight, too?” asked Scarlett.