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“I don’t know.” I kept my eyes on Nan instead of looking toward Mr. Milton. “I couldn’t see the face, but they put her into the back of a white van and drove away. I didn’t even get the license plate number.”

“Well, that’s a rotten thing to do and not with keeping the spirit of the season either,” Nan mumbled into my hair. “But we’ll get her back, I promise.”

I fell apart in my grandmother’s arms, asking her the many frantic questions that swirled through my mind. “What if it was the same people who killed the judges? What if they’re going to kill her, too? It’s all my fault. She doesn’t even know anyone here. I don’t understand. Why would they take her? I mean, why would anyone want to take Mags, especially someone who doesn’t even know her?”

A small paw patted the back of my calf. I turned around and bent down, expecting to find Paisley, but instead, it was Octo-Cat who sat there looking rather pleased with himself.

“Now that I’ve finally filled my stomach, I can think a little clearer,” he explained, then stopped to lick his paw and drag it across his forehead. I waited impatiently as he licked and dragged—licked and dragged half a dozen times—without providing further commentary.

Finally I blurted out,“Do you know something? Do you know who took Mags?”

He dropped his paw back to the ground and stared up at me with large amber eyes.

“I don’t know anything,” Mr. Milton answered, assuming I’d been talking to him. How could I have forgotten he was here? I needed to be more careful with my secret, no matter how much I was worried about my cousin in that moment.

“Of course I don’t knowthat,” Octo-Cat answered with an exasperated groan.“But I think I know something else that might help.” He paused again for emphasis, the way he so often liked to do when he was building the drama of the scene.

My cat’s love of theatrics would be the end of me one day. Quite literally. I’d probably have a heart attack while waiting out one of his dramatic pauses.

“Well?” I demanded, unable to take it anymore as I moved my hands to my hips. I shifted my eyes from the cat to Nan, pretending she was the target of my ire so that I’d at least have a cover in front of Mr. Milton.

Ugh. Why had she brought him along?

“Yeesh. So impatient.” My cat stopped again and stared at me, challenging me to push him again.

I bit my tongue and waited him out while Nan filled the silence to keep up our charade.

After several moments, Octo-Cat seemed appeased and blinked his eyes slowly before continuing.“Even though you’re being a bit rude, I’ll tell you what I know. You know how all humans look the same? You and Mags look even more the same than most.”

Even though I was pretty sure I knew what he was getting at, I asked for clarification, anyway.“What do you mean?”

Nan gave an answer, but my ears were focused firmly on Octo-Cat.

He shook his head, flicked his tail, and sighed yet again.“I mean whoever took Mags probably meant to take you instead. Think about it, and you’ll see that I’m right. As usual.”

Chapter Eight

The moment Octo-Cat spoke those words, I knew they were true. Mags didn’t know anyone in Blueberry Bay besides my family and me.

No one had any reason to take her.

True, she had no friends here, but also no enemies.

Me, on the other hand… Well, let’s just say I’d ruffled more than a few feathers during the course of my investigations. But was that enough for someone to want to kidnap me?

Rather than continue to puzzle over this myself, I decided to ask Nan. Even though I already knew I believed in Octo-Cat’s theory, I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that someone had meant me harm.

“Do you think the people who took Mags meant to take me instead? Everyone is always saying how similar we look, and well, maybe…” I let my voice trail off.

She bit her lip and nodded.“It would seem that way, wouldn’t it?” she asked, shaking her head now.

Mr. Milton wrapped an arm around Nan’s shoulders and pulled her tight into his side. The familiarity of this gesture made my stomach turn over.

“Who would want to take her—or you—so badly that they’d risk doing it in the middle of a crowded festival?” he asked, his eyes boring into mine.

Although that was an appropriate question, it still rankled me. I wished Nan would ask Mr. Milton to go away and leave the investigation to us.

He was also wrong. The streets had begun to fill out a bit more as the morning wore on, but we still didn’t have anything near a crowd, especially in the mostly empty area that housed the ice sculpture garden outside of the main action.

Scanning the streets, I did a quick count and noticed four people in the nearby vicinity. If they’d seen what happened with the van, they certainly weren’t letting on. Those who had witnessed my frantic run had already departed, more than likely not realizing how serious matters had become.

Nan remained cuddled up against Mr. Milton, although the lovey-dovey look she’d had in her eyes earlier had long since flown the coop.