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I pricked up my ears at the mention of the word‘Thailand’. As everyone knows, cats aren’t frequent travelers, but lately we’d already flown to LA and even the UK, all in the wake of our human, who’s something of an amateur sleuth when the mood strikes.

Dooley and I locked eyes, and I could see that he, too, was impressed by this sudden turn of events.

“Thailand,” said Brutus. “Isn’t that where they eat cats and dogs for dinner?”

“Brutus!” Harriet cried.

“I’m sure they don’t eat cats in Thailand,” I said reassuringly.

“No, they do,” Brutus insisted. “And dogs.”

We all watched Uncle Alec step inside, followed by a young woman of petite dimensions. She had long dark hair and horn-rimmed glasses perched on a cute little nub of a nose. She glanced around nervously, not entirely at ease. I wondered if she was the travel agent Uncle Alec had secured for this unexpected trip he’d just mentioned.

“I don’t want to go to Thailand, Max,” said Dooley, wasting no time getting worked up. “I don’t like to be eaten.”

“Nobody likes to be eaten, Dooley,” I assured him.

“What’s this all about?” asked Chase, throwing down his napkin and joining his commanding officer in the living room.

“First let me introduce this young lady,” said Uncle Alec. “Kimmy Flannery, meet my niece Odelia and her future husband Chase, also known as Detective Kingsley. Kimmy works for a production company in the capacity of assistant producer, isn’t that right, Kimmy?”

Kimmy nodded.“I work for Sunshine Pictures. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them?”

Both Odelia and Chase shook their heads.

“No, I guess the product we make is more famous than the company. Passion Island is our main product right now, and has been a big hit for the past five seasons, now in prep for season six.”

Odelia’s mouth opened, and Chase’s jaw dropped. And when I glanced around, I could see that both Brutus and Harriet were very impressed indeed as well.

“This is serendipity,” Harriet said in a low voice. “I’m a believer, you guys.”

“A believer in what?” asked Dooley.

“Serendipity!” said Harriet.

“I’ve heard about that,” said Dooley. “It’s a national park in Africa.”

“I think that’s the Serengeti,” I said, and brought my paw to my lips in the universal sign of ‘Better shut up now or risk Harriet’s ire.’

“First off, this is not official,” said Kimmy, as everyone distributed themselves amongst the couches, or at least those spots that hadn’t been taken up by yours truly and my three friends. Cats are not easy to dislodge, so we simply stayed put, even if it meant that Uncle Alec had to remain standing, and Chase had to take the arm of the couch.

“I’ve worked for Sunshine Pictures from its inception,” said Kimmy, as she glanced around nervously, as if expecting nefarious elements to spring up from behind the curtains. “And don’t get me wrong: I love my job, and my colleagues. But something very strange has been happening, and I don’t know what to do about it, or how to proceed.”

“Kimmy is Charlene’s niece,” Uncle Alec explained. “And when Charlene heard about what happened, she told her to come and see me.”

“At first I didn’t want to,” said Kimmy, giving Uncle Alec an apologetic look. “In fact going to the police was the last thing I wanted to do.”

“But Charlene told her not to look upon me as a cop,” said Uncle Alec. “I mean, I’m a cop, of course, but I’m also a guy who has a very talented niece—a niece who’s a natural sleuth.” He gave Odelia a wink.

“So what’s the problem?” asked Chase. “What’s going on?”

Kimmy took a deep breath and launched into her story.“I’m not sure, but for the past five years we’ve staged five productions of Passion Island, with increasing success. And in those same five years, five of our participants have gone missing.”

“Probably eaten alive,” Brutus muttered.

“What do you mean?” asked Odelia with a frown.

“I don’t know if you’re familiar with our show?” asked Kimmy.

“I am,” said Odelia.

“Then I don’t have to explain that four men and four women participate each season. It’s my job to make sure they’re taken care of, not only their physical well-being but also psychologically. Which is why we always stay in touch with all participants even after the show has been taped and aired. Well, the strange thing is that I haven’t been able to contact several of the women of the past seasons, five altogether, one from each show.”

“You mean the winners?”

“Not the winners,” said Kimmy. “Contestants, not seductresses.”

“What’s a seductress, Max?” asked Dooley.

“Um…” I said.

“In Passion Island four couples are sent to Thailand,” Harriet explained. “The men are dropped on one island, the women on another. Once there, the men are joined by six seductresses and the women by six seducers, whose sole task it is to, well, seduce them. Make them perform an act of infidelity. If the candidates succumb to the charms, they lose. The couple that manages to remain faithful to each other wins the big prize.”