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“I just wish Chase was here to conduct these interviews alongside Odelia,” said Dooley. “They’re so much stronger working as a team, don’t you think?”

“Oh, I think she’s doing pretty well on her own,” I said. “And let’s not forget that Odelia was a great detective long before Chased arrived on the scene.”

“That’s true,” he allowed.

Once upon a time Odelia had done all of her detecting all by herself, with only Dooley and myself providing backup. Harriet has never been much of a sleuth, and Brutus only joined when Chase arrived. Though it is true that Chase had quickly become a much-appreciated fixture in our lives, and when the two of them worked in tandem, they got results.

“What I really want is to interview Astra’s former costars,” said Odelia now. “Amalia, Natalie and Penney. I have a feeling they’ll be able to shed some more light on the circumstances surrounding Astra’s death.”

“Impossible,” said the manager, shaking his head virtuously. “They are too old! I adore Amalia Pulpweed, but can you imagine her on the roof of my most excellent hotel in those high heels! She will totter into the abyss! Just like that!”

“Like I said, I’m not sure your cat burglar theory holds water, Barney,” said Odelia with a smile. “And I’d like to pursue every avenue available to me.”

“Fine,” said the manager, holding up his hands. “But they are not here, the leading ladies ofHearts& Roses. They are filming, so you will have to be patient.”

“Yeah, too bad about that,” murmured Odelia thoughtfully. I could tell she wouldn’t mind breaking up the shoot so she could talk to the three ladies right this instant, but then Oscar Kinetic would probably pop a major blood vessel.

“Besides, they could not possibly be involved,” said Barney, patting Odelia’s arm.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because they are stars! Celebrities! And everybody knows that celebrities never commit a major crime. Small ones, yes. Shoplifting. Drunk and disorderly. Drugs. But murder!Jamais! That would be bad for their careers, and celebrities love being celebrities. They know once convicted of murder they are stars no more.” He laughed a deprecating laugh as he rocked back on the settee. “Can you imagine Julia Roberts going to prison? Or Sandra Bullock?Impossible!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” said Odelia dubiously. Obviously she wasn’t as relaxed about the possibility of celebrities committing heinous crimes as Barney.

“There have been celebrities who were convicted of murder, though. Isn’t that right, Max?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Though no one immediately came to mind, fame and fortune certainly didn’t make one immune to the baser emotions and the fact that they could act upon them when so inclined or provoked.

“I think we should talk to Harriet. Ask her opinion. Harriet always has good instincts in cases like these.”

I regarded my friend with surprise. As far as I could tell, Harriet had almost never contributed in a meaningful way to any investigation we’d ever been involved in. “How could Harriet possibly know who killed Astra Jacobs?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Dooley vaguely, as he described hearts and arrows on the carpet with his paw. “She’s a girl, and you know what they say about girls.”

“No, I don’t know what they say about girls,” I said, watching my friend with amusement.

“Well, they’re very clever. And intuitive. So I’m sure she’ll have something to say about our case.”

“Is that a fact?”

“And she’s probably a big fan ofHearts& Roses.All girls are. So she’ll be able to provide us with background information on Astra and, and, and…”

“Yes?”

He sighed.“Is it hot in here or what?”

“Not particularly. Just comfortably toasty.”

“Well, I’m hot. And I think we should go and get some fresh air.” And as he walked off, he called out across his shoulder. “Are you coming, Max?”

I toddled after him, wondering what had suddenly gotten into him now. But when I saw he wasn’t heading for the lobby door but in the direction of the reception, I had a pretty good idea about his intentions. And they had nothing to do with fresh air and everything with a certain lady cat of mysterious allure.

CHAPTER 21

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The reception area proved utterly devoid of cats answering to Marion’s description, and since Odelia’s investigation had hit a momentary snag in the form of an absence of potential suspects to be interrogated, she decided to hit the town and exchange her detective’s cap for a more touristy one—a beret, perhaps.

And since being out and about in a big city like Paris doesn’t appeal as much to cats as it does to humans, Dooley and I once more were relegated to our room while Odelia visited various places of interest, with the aid of her trusty tourist guide.