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The question was moot, of course. When not spending time at her dad’s doctor’s office, Gran liked to sit in the outside dining room of the Star with Scarlett. Watching the world go by and doing some intense people-watching. It was all part of the activities of the neighborhood watch the two friends were a part of. In fact as far as Odelia could ascertain the watch was pretty much an excuse for these two elderly ladies to stick their noses where they didn’t belong, and spend their time prying into other people’s affairs. At one time there had been four members of the watch, but ever since they’d kicked out the male members for lack of cooperation only Gran and her friend remained.

“What areyou doing here?” Gran countered immediately, then a keen look came over her. “You’re going to interview that English lord, aren’t you? Say, mind if we tag along?”

“Tag along? Why?”

“There’s something we need to find out.”

“Lord Whatshisname is suspected of hiding a girl of ill repute in his suite,” Scarlett explained. “And the hotel staff would like to know what he’s planning to do with her before hotel management finds out.”

“Oh, dear,” said Odelia. “I don’t know. Lord Hilbourne’s rider specifically stated I had to come alone for the interview. No pets and no—”

“We’re not pets, though, are we, honey?” said Scarlett. “Look, I promise we’ll be very discreet.”

“Discreet is our middle name,” Gran agreed.

Odelia’s grandmother and her friend were anything but discreet. Then again, if this Lord Hilbourne really was hiding a girl in his suite, she didn’t see the harm in bringing two members of the neighborhood watch along with her to make inquiries. “Look, just make sure you don’t do anything to getme kicked out,” she said, finally relenting.

“We’ll be quiet as church mice,” said Gran.

“Quieter even,” Scarlett said, judging from the look on her face well pleased, which was the exact same look a cat wore after he’d spotted a mouse. Well, any cat except Odelia’s own cats, which were too kindhearted to bother with catching mice. They’d rather make friends with the critters. Or with snails, apparently.

“Let’s go,” she said. “I don’t want to be late. He only gave me twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes! How are you going to conduct an entire interview in twenty minutes?” asked Gran as they hurried through the hotel lobby, their feet sinking into the plush carpet, and proceeding in the direction of the elevator.

“Plenty,” said Odelia, who was a seasoned reporter and could extract a front-page article out of twenty minutes’ worth of conversation. As the elevator rode up, she asked, “Have you found out anything new about the Potato Guy?”

“Potato Guy,” said Scarlett with a laugh. “Is that what you’re going to call him in your newspaper?”

“Not exactly,” said Odelia with a smile. “His real name is Bob Rector, and according to Max and Dooley he was recently kidnapped. His girlfriend paid seventy-five thousand dollars in ransom money for his safe release, but all she got back was his body, shot through the chest and dumped in a potato truck.”

“That’s more than we knew,” said Gran, cutting a quick look of surprise to her co-watch member.

“Yeah, I had no idea he’d been kidnapped,” said Scarlett. “Who’s the girlfriend?”

“Evelina Pytel.”

Gran whistled through her teeth.“The queen of party supplies. I know Evelina. Seventy-five thousand is chump change for her. And you say she paid and they still shot the boyfriend?”

Odelia nodded.“Looks like a kidnapping gone wrong to me. Now all we need to do is find out who kidnapped Bob and why they killed him, even though the ransom was paid. Though I have to say that Max and Dooley’s source seems convinced Bob arranged his own kidnapping so he could lay his hands on the money.”

“Really,” said Scarlett, arching a perfectly stenciled eyebrow. “Who’s the source?”

Odelia swallowed.“Evelina’s pet… snail.”

Both ladies’ eyes went wide as saucers. Luckily the elevator had jerked to a stop and the door opened before Odelia had to explain the finer points of this peculiar new friendship that had formed between two cats and a snail.

A young woman with a clipboard was waiting for them when the elevator door opened. She was wearing glasses and a look of professionalism.“Odelia Poole?” she asked. She then frowned at the two older ladies. “And you are…”

“My two assistants,” Odelia hastened to explain. “Vesta Muffin and Scarlett Canyon.”

The woman’s eyes traveled the length of Scarlett’s body. As usual, Gran’s best friend was dressed to impress, with an ultra-short skirt, fishnet stockings, and a crop top that did much to emphasize her sizable bust.

“Um… I’m not sure…” said the woman, glancing down at her clipboard.

“It’s all right,” said Gran. “We’ll be quiet as church mice.”

“Quieter!” Scarlett added cheerfully.