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“They’re not. Just look at them! They’re so cute!”

And she was off again, with the gibberish. Ugh.

“For one thing, they can’t stop biting my tail,” I said.

“They think it’s a pacifier,” said Odelia.

I didn’t even know what a pacifier was, nor was I interested to find out.

“Second, they climb the curtains, they pee in the plants, they dig for the roots, they eat my food, they drop little balls of paper into my water bowl… Do I have to go on?”

“All true, but they’re also very, very cute,” she said, and tickled Bom until he giggled and crowed with delight.

Ugh. Yes, they were. Even I, official member of the Cat Curmudgeon Club, had to admit that kittens were cute.

“Harriet wants to know how long they’re going to stay,” said Dooley. “I don’t think she likes them a lot either.”

“Harriet is a curmudgeon, too, and so is Brutus and so are you, Dooley. There’s actually a lot you can learn from these little guys. They’re playful, they don’t grumble or nag, they’re still looking at the world with wondrous eyes and they’re so, so cuuuuuute!”

“You’re doing it again, babe,” said Chase, walking in from the bathroom. He had casually slapped a towel around his waist, and was displaying that finely honed musculature some human females go all gaga over—almost as gaga as they go over babies or, yes, kittens.

Odelia went gaga now, jumping into Chase’s arms. “I’m a crazy cat lady, you told me so yourself, crazy cat dude!”

“Yes, but they’re so cuuuuute!” he said with a wide grin.

Kissing ensued, and Dooley and I dutifully covered the kittens’ eyes.

They did not need to see this.

“So Clarice told us something weird last night,” I said when Chase had disappeared down the stairs to start breakfast.

“Oh? What did she say?”

“She said Gran is taking pills and going up and then going down.”

“She’s also crashing and burning,” said Dooley. “Like a rocket.”

Odelia frowned.“Pills? What pills?”

“They’re not what she thinks they are,” said Dooley.

“She mentioned ecstasy?” I said.

“Oh, my God,” Odelia muttered. “Are you sure that’s the word she used?”

“Uh-huh. Pretty sure. Ecstasy. Overwhelming feeling of great joy?” Gran had never struck me as a particularly ecstatic person, but then maybe she had her moments in private.

“Ecstasy is a drug. People take it so they can party long and hard. It gives you an energy boost and a sense of euphoria but it’s highly addictive and can also make you very, very sick. If Gran is taking ecstasy, she shouldn’t. How did Clarice know?”

I shrugged.“She didn’t say. But you know Clarice. She has her sources.”

“Just like me,” said Odelia with a smile. “Thanks for the warning, you guys. Looks like Gran is buying something off some guy that she shouldn’t. I wonder why she didn’t tell me.”

“Have you made any progress with the case?” I asked.

“Not much. Today I’m going to start interviewing people. Wanna come?”

“Oh, sure,” I said, my heart making a little jump of joy. Anything to be away from these three cuuuuuuute kittens.

Yes, I know. I’m a curmudgeon. But a cuteness overdose is just as bad as an overdose from that stuff that Gran takes, don’t you think? No? Well, that proves you’re not ready to become a member of the Cat Curmudgeon Club.

Odelia scooped up the kittens and headed downstairs, followed by yours truly and Dooley. In the kitchen, Chase was pouring himself and Odelia cups of coffee.

“Mh,” Odelia said as she looked down at the three balls of fur. “I don’t want to leave them alone and I don’t think I should take them along with me. What to do?”

“Don’t look at me,” Chase said. “I may be crazy cat dude now, but I’m not ready to tell your uncle I can’t come to work because I have to babysit a bunch of cats.”

“Can’t you take them to work?” she asked.

He narrowed his eyes at her.“Is this a test?”

“No test,” she said with a grin as she placed the kittens on the counter and her arms around Chase’s neck. “I just don’t feel comfortable leaving them alone all day. And since I’m not going to be in the office much today…”

“Conducting your big investigation, huh?”

“Exactly.”

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug.“Okay, sure. I’ll take them. And in case I have to go out, I’ll just leave them at the desk with Dolores. That sound like a plan to you?”

“Perfect,” she said.

“At least they’re not joining us for the investigation,” Dooley whispered.

“I heard that,” Odelia whispered back when Chase’s back was turned.

“I heard that,” said Chase.

“Chase knows I talk to you guys from time to time,” said Odelia, taking a bite from the piece of toast he offered her. “And he’s fine with that, isn’t he?”

“Of course I’m fine with it,” said Chase. “And I’m also fine with the notion that cats are intelligent creatures that respond when you talk to them. Isn’t that right, Max?”

“Absolutely, Chase,” I said.

Chase grinned widely.“See? What did I tell you? Max is a talker!”

“Oh, yes, he is. A big talker,” said Odelia.

“Too bad we’ll never know what they’re saying, huh?”

“Yeah, too bad,” said Odelia, and gave me a fat wink.

Chapter 19