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“This is the claim center for the New York Lottery,” said Tex, choosing his words carefully, lest Mayor Butterwick suddenly stage an attack on his person—she looked a little manic, he thought.

“Lottery?”

“Yep,” he said, pointing to a large banner that said, ‘New York Lottery—We Always Go For Your Win!’

“Oh,” said Charlene, then seemed to give herself a little shake. “Then I guess I made a boo-boo,” she said, and promptly walked out again.

And Tex was still thinking about this strange conversation with Charlene when it was his turn to turn in his ticket. The woman behind the counter gave him a welcoming smile, indicating she was there to go for his win, and scanned his ticket in her little scanning gizmo. Her smile faltered when the results of the scan appeared on her screen.

“Is something wrong?” asked Tex.

“Where did you get this ticket, sir?” she asked.

“I bought it at the General Store,” he lied through his teeth.

The woman gave him a quick glance, then seemed to press a button underneath her desk.“I’m afraid there’s been some kind of mistake, sir. This ticket is a forgery.”

“A what?” he asked, aghast.

The woman nodded, then darted a look behind Tex. And when he turned, he saw they’d been joined by two very buff-looking gentlemen, who didn’t look like they were going to do whatever it took for Tex to get his win.

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Chase was on his way to the station when he got the call.“Yeah, Dolores,” he said, after pressing a button to activate his wireless headphones so he didn’t have to take his hands off the steering wheel. “Shoot. But not with live ammo, please.”

And he was still smiling at his corny joke when Dolores’s raspy voice announced, “Just got a call from the lottery office, sweetie. Looks like your future father-in-law was just caught trying to cash in on a forged lottery ticket.”

“Oh, God,” he said, and promptly made a U-turn.

“No, still Dolores,” said the station dispatcher, now chuckling at her own corny joke. “Maybe it would save us time if you just went and arrested your entire family, Chase,” she added. “We already booked Vesta yesterday, now it’s Tex’s turn, so I’m just wondering when we’ll have to haul in Odelia and her mom.”

“Very funny, Dolores,” he grunted, squeezing that accelerator closer to the metal.

“I knew I should have become a standup comedian,” she said and disconnected.

Moments later he was parked in front of the lottery office and heading inside. After introducing himself to the lady at the desk, he was buzzed into the office behind her, and the scene he found next was a little disconcerting: there Tex Poole sat, two very large security guys hovering over him, the good doctor looking very embarrassed indeed.

“I didn’t do it, Chase!” said Tex. “I didn’t doctor a fake lottery ticket!”

“I’ll take it from here, shall I?” Chase suggested, and escorted the doctor out of the office.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” said Tex once they were outside. “First Alec is abducted, then Marge loses her marbles, and now I’m arrested—am I under arrest, Chase?”

“No, you’re not,” said Chase. “Though the New York Lottery might press charges so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to call your lawyer.”

“Word will spread,” said Tex miserably, “and my patients will think I’m a cheat and a fraud. How am I ever going to face them?”

“Just tell them what you told me. That you’re not a fraud. Do you still have the envelope the ticket came in?”

“No, I threw it away.”

“Can I see the ticket?”

Tex handed him the ticket in question.

“Looks genuine,” said Chase, studying the winning lottery ticket that should have netted Tex fifty thousand smackeroos but had instead landed him in hot water—and not the Caribbean kind either.

“It’s a fake,” said Tex. “Those guys in there? They told me it’s not even a good fake. They say people try to defraud the lottery all the time, and as far as fakes go, they’ve seen it all, and this one looks like it was made by a ten-year-old.” He sighed. “So even as a fraud I’m atotal failure.”

Chase placed his hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “Don’t sweat it, Dad. I’m going to get to the bottom of this thing, and when I do, we’ll be able to clear your name, all right?”

Tex nodded.“These are strange times we live in, Chase. I just saw Charlene in there, and she didn’t even know who I was. Can you believe it? Looks like she lost her memory, too—just like Marge did.”

And as Chase watched the doctor walk down the street, on his way to his office, his shoulders stooped and looking distinctly dejected, the cop figured now was as good a time as ever to follow up with the Mayor.

Chapter 39

Charlene Butterwick was busy at her desk when Chase walked in.

“Yes, yes, YES!” the mayor practically screamed, which caused the cop to raise one eyebrow incrementally and wonder if perhaps the doctors at the hospital had discharged the burgomaster a little early.

“Hi, Charlene,” he said warmly. “Just thought I’d drop by to give you an update on the investigation.”