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“That’s not true, Dooley,” said Max. “If they wanted Randy to die, they’d have killed him when they had the chance. No, what they really want is money, most probably. In exchange for the antidote.”

“So why doesn’t Randy Hancock go to the police?” asked Harriet. “They’re the ones who should be chasing after these dangerous people, not Odelia—or us, for that matter.”

“Because the people that injected the poison told him not to go to the police,” said Max.

“They’re criminals!” said Harriet. “Of course they don’t want Randy to go to the police—but that’s no reason for him to drag us into his mess.”

Dooley thought Harriet was being a little bit selfish. It was true that Randy had landed them all in the soup, but he was also a nice person, and a good fitness guru, and his big dog Little Randy was very nice, too, and helping people and their pets was what Odelia liked to do. In fact she had made it her mission in life to help people. A little bit like Mother Teresa, but without the headscarf.

“I don’t like it either, Harriet,” he said now. “But maybe helping people is a good thing. Even though Odelia should probably have told Randy and Little Randy to go and stay in a hotel instead of here. But she has a big heart, and that’s why we all like her so much.”

Harriet stared at him.“You know, Dooley, just when I think you’re probably the dumbest cat alive, you say things that actually make sense.”

“Thanks, Harriet,” he said, grateful for the nice compliment. Though the thing about him being the dumbest cat alive somehow detracted a little from the rest of her words.

“So let me ask you again. Have you seen Brutus? And don’t give me this ‘Dying in a ditch somewhere’ nonsense, because I don’t buy that for one minute. Brutus is not the kind of cat who’d allow himself to be poisoned, and even if he were, he wouldn’t go and lie in some awful ditch but scream bloody murder and bring the whole house down.”

“Brutus is at the beach,” said Odelia, who just happened to be passing by just then, and overheard Harriet’s words. “Gran took him and his pet turtle to look at the ocean.”

“Pet turtle?” said Harriet. “What pet turtle!”

Odelia shrugged.“That’s all I know. I’m sorry, sweetie. Now do you want me to introduce you to Little Randy? I’m sure you’ll get along famously.”

“This is a nightmare,” Harriet grumbled, but allowed herself to be led to Little Randy, and dutifully said hi to the dog.

“This is going to be an interesting four days,” said Max.

“Three days and one night,” Dooley corrected him. But Max was right. Things looked to be hotting up at the Poole household. But then when were they ever not?

Chapter 10

Brutus, as Gran started on the drive home from the beach, felt a renewed sense of purpose now that he’d taken Pinkie under his wing. Of course he felt responsible for Harriet’s wellbeing, and to a lesser extent Max and Dooley, but he’d never had a living creature being so dependent on him as this turtle. She was looking at him with those tiny eyes of hers, filled with gratitude and awe at the selfless way he’d taken on her case.

It took a lot for a tough cat like Brutus to experience those mellow feelings often associated with heroes like firefighters or even doctors and medical professionals fighting for people’s lives on a daily basis, but the look on Pinkie’s face definitely did it for him. It totally melted the heart of this tough cat, and oddly enough, he liked it!

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Pinkie,” he said now, patting the tiny turtle on the back. “We’ll find those friends of yours and we’ll save them—or my name isn’t Brutus.”

“Your name isn’t Brutus?” asked Pinkie surprised.

“No, it is. What I meant to say was that—”

“What are you guys talking about?” asked Gran as she steered them through traffic.

“Well, Pinkie here says that her friends are having an awful time at the pond, and now she wants me to help them escape.”

“Escape the pond? What pond? What are you talking about?”

“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I told Pinkie I’d help her, and so I will.”

“Better you than me, pal,” Gran grunted. “So where is this pond?”

“I’m sure Pinkie will take me there in due course, isn’t that right, Pinkie?”

“We better wait until dark,” said Pinkie. “There are always less people around when it’s dark.”

“People?” he asked. “What people?”

“Well, the pond guards, of course.”

For some reason, as he listened to Pinkie talk about pond guards, he had the distinct impression he’d managed to get himself involved in something he probably shouldn’t have gotten involved in.

Too late to back out now, though.

“Oh, before I forget, Odelia just texted me. She and Chase have a guest,” Gran said. “And her guest is none other than… Randy Hancock!”

“Who?”

“Randy Hancock. The fitness guy?”

“Never heard of him,” Brutus intimated.

“He’s been poisoned, and now Odelia wants to find out who did it, and how to get the poison out of his system before it kills him. Oh, and he’s brought his dog along, so it looks like you’ve got company, buddy.”