eb93c43e214c621f9157c05b4b6a6878

“I’m sure that can be arranged in one of those nice Airbnb’s. We could rent it under our own name, for instance, and nobody will be any the wiser.”

She gave him a thoughtful look.“That’s not such a bad idea, actually.”

“We can discuss it over dinner,” he said. “I’m making my signature dish, which I’m sure the Boggles will love, and we’ll hear what they have to say.”

“You’re not making spaghetti bolognese?”

“Of course. Who doesn’t love a nice bolognese?”

“But they’re vegetarians.”

He shrugged.“So I’ll remove the meatballs.”

“Did you manage to get the box spring and the mattress?”

“They’re upstairs being installed as we speak.”

“Oh, Chase, I’m so sorry for this mess. I shouldn’t have said yes to Tessa.”

“I’m sure it’ll all work out fine,” he assured her, and they shared a hug. Which is when he noticed that two cats were intently staring at him. “Honey?”

“Mh?”

“Have you fed the cats?”

“Oh, shoot,” she said, disentangling herself from his embrace. “Completely forgot about that.” She knelt down next to Max and Dooley. “You guys are probably starving. Let’s get that fixed right now.” She tickled them under the chin, which seemed to mollify them to some extent. She hurried into the kitchen, and he could hear her rummage around in the pantry, then utter a curse.

“What’s wrong?” he said as he was starting to grow a little uneasy under the cats’ enduring stare—which could almost be qualified as a hostile glare at this point.

“We’ve run out of kibble! I gave the last portions to the Boggle dogs.”

“That’s all right. I’m sure your mom will have some.”

“No, she ran out, too. Said she was going shopping tomorrow anyway.”

“Didn’t you go shopping this morning?”

Odelia reappeared, looking flustered.“I did, but Janine gave me such a long shopping list I completely forgot to buy kibble.”

“We’ve got nothing left?” asked Chase, swallowing as Max and Dooley’s stare turned lethal. “Not even some pouches of that nice, delicious wet food?”

“Nope. The Boggle dogs ate the lot. They might be tiny, but boy can they eat.”

Just then, the cats broke out in some sort of remonstrative wailing, and Odelia looked startled.

“Oh, dear,” she said.

“What are they saying?”

“This was the last straw. They’re moving out and moving in with Charlene.” She frowned as Dooley seemed to say something else. “At least if Charlene doesn’t turn them into sausages. In which case they’ll move in with Scarlett instead.”

And to show them they weren’t kidding, the two cats marched in the direction of the front door, which was still open, and strutted out and were gone.

CHAPTER 22

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

We’d just left the house, making our big exit—though without slamming the door, since cats aren’t into slamming doors—when a limousine came gliding along the street and pulled to a stop in front of us. A blacked-out window rolled down and the face of Tessa Torrance appeared. She removed her sunglasses, glanced down to me and Dooley and recognition registered on her refined features. “Look, Dante, isn’t that Odelia’s cat? That fat orange one?”

A second face joined the first, and I recognized Prince Dante.“I don’t know, sugar plum. All cats look the same to me.”

“I’m sure it’s them,” said Tessa, and called out to the driver. “Park over here, will you, George? Thanks.” And she got out.

I would have told her I was neither fat nor orange but was distracted by her exquisitely fashionable appearance: she looked as if she was on her way to aVogue shoot, in a black strapless dress and black lacquered heels. Dante, too, was dressed to impress in a charcoal tux.

“Are you sure this is the place?” the Prince asked.

“This is the address I’ve got.” She directed her attention to me, giving me a thousand-watt smile. “Hey, cutie-pie, is this where Odelia Poole lives?”

“Odelia Kingsley,” I said automatically. “And I’m not orange—I’m blorange.”

“And he’s not fat either,” Dooley put in. “He’s simply suffering from big bones.”

“Not suffering, per se,” I said. “Just one of those things one learns to live with.”

“See?” said Tessa. “I told you I got it right the first time.”

“How can you tell from a couple of meowing cats?”

“How many times do I have to tell you? Cats don’t just meow—they talk.”

They started up the short path to the front door.“So you can understand cats now?”

“Of course not, silly. Just trust me. When have I ever been wrong?”

And as they approached the house, Odelia appeared, looking distraught. Her first instinct was to bellow our names, and she’d just started, “Max, Doo—“ when she caught sight of Tessa and Dante. “Oh…” she said, brought up short.

“Odelia!” Tessa cried, and opened her arms for a hug.

“Oh, Tessa,” said Odelia, and suddenly burst into a flood of tears.

“What’s wrong?” Tessa cried.

“Nothing—everything!”

And as the human contingent moved inside, Dooley and I shared a look of distress.“Suddenly I don’t feel so good about moving in with Charlene, Max,” said my friend.

“Me, neither.”

“And it’s not because she might have a sausage factory in her basement.”