0aeaa1e36e6f2e625b6ba8d48f773062

“Yeah. Stomach contents reveal the remnants of what probably was a so-called smoothie, and enough sleeping pills to kill an elephant. The glass on his desk contained traces of the same smoothie and those same pills. Fingerprints on the glass are his. Fingerprints on the suicide note are his. So that’s it, Odelia. Case closed.”

“Okay.”

“See? I told you you wouldn’t like it.”

“The thing is, Rose just came to see me.”

“And?”

“And she’s still convinced her dad didn’t commit suicide. She seems convinced he was murdered. And now she wants me to catch his killer.” She heaved a deep sigh. “Problem is, there’s absolutely no evidence to back up her claim.”

“Do you want my opinion?”

“I do,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Uncle Alec grinned and patted his practically bald head, making sure those few remaining wisps of hair remained in the right place.“I think it’s only natural for a girl like Rose to be convinced her dad was murdered. I mean, what’s the alternative? That he killed himself and left her all alone? That’s very hard to stomach for anyone, and definitely for a girl as young as she is—practically a child.”

“I know. So what do you suggest I do?”

“You could tell her the truth: that her dad wasn’t the victim of a crime, and no matter how much you want to help her, you can’t take a case that’s only going to lead nowhere.”

“Or I could take her case, and prove once and for all that her dad wasn’t killed,” said Odelia.

“What’s the point, honey? You’re going to waste a lot of time proving something that’s already obvious from the evidence.”

She scooted forward in her chair.“So he died from the same pills that were in that pill bottle on his desk, right?”

“Yep, that’s what the coroner said.”

“What about the note? Did you check the handwriting?”

Uncle Alec hesitated.

“See? That’s what we need to ascertain so we can put Rose’s mind at ease. Make sure that all the facts align and that there is no room for doubt.”

Uncle Alec tapped the desk.“So you’re going ahead? You’re going to take this case?”

Odelia shrugged.“I feel like I have to. She’s so devastated by the loss of her dad. If only to put her mind at ease, I feel like I can’t just tell her to get lost.”

“No, I see what you mean,” said her uncle, then shrugged. “Fine. You do what you have to do, and if there’s anything you need, just tell me and I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s great. Thanks, Uncle Alec.”

“Sure thing, honey.” He glanced out the window, and frowned. “Why is it that every time I look out this window I see those two cats of yours lounging on the windowsill listening in on all of my private conversations?”

Odelia glanced over to where her uncle was looking, and found Max and Dooley intently staring back at her, the way only cats can.

She laughed.“Oh, you guys,” she said as she walked over to the window. “So now you’re spying on me, too?”

She opened the window a crack and let them into her uncle’s office.

“Honey, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” said her uncle, but before he could stop her, Max and Dooley had already jumped down to the floor and were padding around, sniffing here and there, and generally making sure they were well acquainted with their new surroundings.

“Please tell me they’re not going to become fixtures here,” said Uncle Alec. “I’ll be the laughingstock of the precinct. They’ll call me the cat chief from now on.”

“Just for a little while,” said Odelia. “They like to get a feel for the place, and then they’ll be out of your hair.”

At the mention of hair, Uncle Alec sneezed.

“I didn’t know you were allergic,” said his niece with a grin.

“I’m not—at least I wasn’t. But maybe now I am?”

“So are you going to take the case?” asked Max, once he’d completed his examination of the office and found it to his liking.

“Yes, I am,” said Odelia. “There may not have been a murder, but clearly Rose thinks there’s something fishy about her dad’s death. And if only I can convince her that it was suicide and not murder, she’ll be able to move on.”

“I think he was murdered,” said Dooley, who’d jumped on top of Uncle Alec’s desk and was now sniffing at the Chief’s framed portrait of Mayor Butterwick, his girlfriend.

“You do?” asked Odelia. “How so?”

“I think he was murdered by the same man who sent that picture of a sausage to his daughter,” said Dooley. “I think we should be looking for Dick, Odelia. Dick is our guy.”

“There was no piece of sausage in his throat, Dooley,” said Odelia. “He didn’t choke.”

“Oh,” said Dooley, processing this.

“What is he saying?” asked her uncle, watching with a worried eye as Dooley placed his tush on top of his files and started licking himself.

“Dooley thinks we should be looking for Dick,” she said.

“Dick?”

“The man who sent Rose pictures of his sausage,” said Odelia with a wink to her uncle.

“Oh, right,” he said. “If I catch the bastard who sent those…”

“Any clues on his identity?” asked Odelia.