Page 11 of The Case of the Vanishing Valuables

When we arrivedat Tranquility Terrace, it was business as usual. The residents were scattered around the common room, most of them engrossed in their own routines. Ray wasted no time heading straight for Mr. Benedict, who was sitting by the window and holding a bag in front of him. He reached in and pulled out a top hat.

I trotted along beside Ray, but my focus wasn’t on the magician. I had bigger things on my mind.The attic, I thought furiously, hoping Ray would pick up on the telepathic waves I was sending his way.Get to the attic. Forget the magician. You’re barking up the wrong tree, Ray!

Ray, predictably, was not on the same wavelength. He flashed Benedict a friendly smile. “Morning, Mr. Benedict. Mind if we chat for a minute?”

Benedict gave a showy bow from his seat. He stuck his hand into the top hat and pulled out a long string of scarves. For a minute, I thought he might pull out a rabbit, but he retrieved only scarves. “Detective Leonard! Always a pleasure. What can I do for you today?”

Ray pulled out his notebook and tried to sound casual. “Just a couple of questions. You mentioned before that you haven’t had anything stolen, right?”

Benedict nodded, grinning. “That’s right. Nothing’s gone missing from my room. Maybe I’m just too sharp for the thiefto get past. Or perhaps I don’t have any valuables that interest them.”

Ray jotted something down, nodding thoughtfully. “Interesting. Almost everyone else has had something stolen, but not you. That’s curious.”

Curious?I thought, pacing beside Ray’s feet, my tail twitching with irritation.There’s something even more curious in the attic.

Ray, oblivious as ever, was still focused on Benedict. “So, you’ve never noticed anything unusual? Maybe someone lurking around your room?”

Benedict shuffled his cards again with a flourish. “Not a thing. I keep my eyes peeled, though. Can’t let your guard down.”

Oh, for the love of catnip.I flicked my tail in frustration.Upstairs, Ray. There’s something in the attic!I tried pushing the thought harder, willing Ray to get the hint.

At last, he glanced down at me, frowning. “What’s up, Earl?”

Finally! I leapt onto a nearby chair and stared at the ceiling.Upstairs. The attic. Come on, Ray. This is important!

Ray followed my gaze and shook his head. “You’re restless today, huh?”

Restless? Restless? I’m trying to solve this case for you!I wanted to throw my paws in the air in defeat.

Benedict was watching me with a knowing smile, like he was in on some joke I wasn’t privy to. “Your cat seems quite intent on something. Maybe Earl’s on to something you haven’t thought of yet.”

Ray chuckled, patting my head absentmindedly. “Yeah, maybe.”

Yes! Maybe!I darted toward the hallway, hoping Ray would finally catch on and follow me.Upstairs, Ray! The attic!

But no. Instead, he turned back to Benedict. “So, you’re saying the thief hasn’t been able to get into your room. Do you have some kind of special locks or something?”

Ray, please. The attic, the attic, the attic!I groaned inwardly, realizing this was going nowhere.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rick, the handyman, crouched down at the far end of the hallway, working on a lock. He kept glancing around, looking as guilty as a kitten caught knocking over a vase. Now, that was suspicious.

My ears perked up. Interesting.

Ray must have caught it, too, because he finally turned away from Benedict and narrowed his eyes. “Wait a second…”

Finally! I darted down the hall toward Rick, leading the way.Come on, Ray. Follow the cat!

Ray followed, his pace quickening. “What’s Rick up to?”

As we got closer, Ray cleared his throat. “Hey, Rick! What’s going on with that door?”

Rick straightened up so fast I thought he might fall over, his face turning pale. “Oh, uh… just fixing this old lock. It’s been acting up.” He shoved his tools into his pocket with a little too much enthusiasm.

Ray pointed at the door. “Where does that go?”

Rick hesitated then sighed. “The attic. No one’s supposed to go up there. It’s mostly just storage, old stuff. Off-limits for safety reasons.”

The attic!My tail flicked triumphantly. I knew it!

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