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“Yeah, but isn’t it nice, though? We should all love our jobs so much.”

Dooley gave me a strange look.“We don’t have a job, Max.”

“Oh, but we’ve got the most important job in the world, Dooley.”

“We do?”

“Taking care of our human—and making sure she doesn’t get in harm’s way.”

Okay, all right. I know you think that only dogs fall into that category of pets, but make no mistake: cats love their humans too! We just don’t like to show it. Unlike dogs, the show-offs.

And so we settled in, and took our time to study each and every person who walked into the breakfast room.

“What if our cat burglar takes breakfast upstairs?” asked Dooley after a while.

“Then whoever delivers him breakfast in his room will report back to Barney. That’s how he’s arranged it with select members of his staff.” The ones he was absolutely sure he could trust, in other words.

“I have a good feeling about this, Max. I think we’re finally going to catch this guy.”

“Yeah, I have a good feeling, too,” I said.

Just then, a man walked in with a large bruise on the side of his face, and I immediately nudged Dooley.“Look at that guy!” I hissed.

“It’s him!” Dooley cried. “It’s the killer!”

“Odelia!” I said, emerging from underneath the table. “Look over there. It’s our guy!”

“Odelia looked up from her croissant and studied the man intently.

“I’ll go and tell Barney,” she said, and wiped her lips and got up.

Chase gave the man a surreptitious look, and murmured under his breath,“He certainly has the build for it.”

And he was right. The man was built like an athlete: tall and muscular, with a closely cropped head of dark hair and one of those elongated faces with piercing black eyes. He now spotted us, but if he recognized us from the roof last night, he didn’t give any indication. He just took a tray and lined up for the breakfast buffet along with the rest of the guests.

Odelia, meanwhile, had returned with Barney, and casually indicated our mystery man to the hotel manager. Barney gave him a quick once-over and then smiled indulgently and shook his head, tsk-tsking freely.

The two of them came over, and Barney sat down at our table.

“Do you know who that is?” he asked, visibly amused that we would peg the man as our nighttime marauder. “That’s Jermaine Durkavic.”

“Let me guess. Tennis player?” asked Chase, wiping his lips with his napkin.

“He’s a Serbian prince!” said Barney, lowering his voice. “He’s next in line for the throne, should Serbia ever decide to reinstate the monarchy. Jermaine’s grandfather was the last king ever to rule Serbia, before the monarchy was abolished and the king had to flee the country.”

“So he’s not our guy? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Prince Durkavic is a very wealthy man, Chase. He doesn’t have to steal. If anything, he’d make the perfect target for our real thief. Which is why maybe I should have a discreet word. Ask him if he’s taken the necessary precautions and tell him to keep his valuables in the hotel safe at all times.” He promptly got up.

“But what about the bruise?” asked Odelia.

Once again that indulgent smile was back, as if to say: oh, you silly, silly person.“Prince Durkavic is a great sportsman. He’s a first-class swimmer and also enjoys fencing, horse riding, polo, and kickboxing. I imagine he received that bruise while engaged in one of his many athletic pastimes. Now please excuse me.” And then he was gone, making a beeline for Prince Durkavic’s table. The two men soon engaged in polite and pleasant conversation, and from the way Barney was all smiles it was obvious the Serbian prince was not our man.

Finally his minor audience with the royal was at an end, and the manager serpentined his way back to our table.“It is just as I suspected. He fought a friendly boxing match yesterday and his opponent got a little too close for comfort and hit him on the eye. But he has a rematch planned today and he promised me to be more careful.” He sighed and shook his head. “Such an amazing man. Such a talent. Andsuch kindness.” And then he was off again to run his hotel.

“So… he’s not our guy?” asked Dooley.

“No, it would appear not,” I said. “He’s a Serbian prince who likes boxing and is very rich so he doesn’t need to burgle people.”

“Oh,” said Dooley, clearly disappointed. “I didn’t even know there was a country named Serbia. Where is it?”

“Europe has a lot of countries,” I said. “Dozens or even hundreds of them, and a lot of them I have never heard of either.” I glanced up to Odelia, who was still watching the Prince. The man must have noticed, for he smiled in her direction, and held up his croissant, as if to say:‘Bon app?tit!’

CHAPTER 28

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