Page 18 of The Case of the Vanishing Valuables

Ray nodded, thinking. “Thanks for the info.”

Grunting, Rick picked up his wrench again. “Yeah, yeah. Just leave me out of this. I’ve got enough work to do around here without getting mixed up in some thief hunt.”

Chapter

Fifteen

Ipadded up the stairs from the basement behind Ray, my paws silently judging every creak and groan of the old wood. Ray, meanwhile, was muttering to himself—something about Rick, sticky locks, and maps.

We finally reemerged in the common room, where the usual suspects were scattered about. The air felt... different. Tense. Too quiet. And then I saw why.

Viv.

Standing at the front desk, talking with Mrs. Hargrove, looking every bit the sharp-witted detective she was. Auburn hair in that messy bun, detective’s badge hanging off her jacket, and—oh boy—that look in her eyes. This was bad. The moment her hazel eyes landed on us, I knew Ray was done for.

And, naturally, her eyes lit up—not at Ray, mind you, but at me.

“Earl! You’re looking great,” she practically squealed, and before I could even prepare myself, she bent down and scratched me behind the ears.

Well, well, well. Looks like somebody still knows who the real brains of this operation is.

Ray, poor guy, was standing there like someone had knocked the wind out of him. I leaned into the petting a bit, not because I needed it, but because why not? If he was going to let this whole situation get awkward, I might as well enjoy it.

“Yeah, hey, Viv,” Ray muttered, clearly trying to regain some shred of control in a conversation that didn’t even include him.

“Ray,” Viv said, standing up and finally acknowledging his existence—barely. She crossed her arms, that no-nonsense expression taking over as she switched back into professional mode. “Sally called the police. She’s not happy with how things are being handled here. So here I am.”

Ray’s face tightened, and I could practically feel the annoyance radiating off him. He hated when people went over his head, and having Viv swoop in? Well, that was like throwing salt on an open wound.

“I’ve got this under control,” he said, trying to sound confident. Too bad I could hear the strain in his voice, and from the look on Viv’s face, so could she.

Mrs. Hargrove, bless her, stepped in, wringing her hands even harder. “Ray, I just don’t know... Things keep going missing, and the residents are getting worried. Sally’s right—maybe we need more... help.”

“I’m making progress. I just talked to Rick, and I’m piecing it together.”

Viv raised an eyebrow, and I could already tell she wasn’t buying that. “You keep saying you’ve got it under control, Ray, but how many more things need to go missing before you actually solve this?”

Ouch. Direct hit.

“Viv, I’m close. There’s no need to bring in backup,” Ray insisted, trying to cling to some dignity.

Viv sighed, glancing at her notepad. She had already started writing something down, probably a list of all the ways Ray wasfumbling this case. “I’m not here to step on your toes, but I need to take some basic info back. This has been going on for weeks, and we need to wrap it up before it gets any worse.”

I flicked my tail, observing how Ray stiffened at the word “worse.” It didn’t take a genius to see how much this conversation was bugging him. Humans and their egos. So fragile.

“Fine, but you’re wasting your time. I have it already solved… pretty much,” Ray said.

Before the situation could get even messier, Viv’s phone buzzed. She checked it and sighed, her face shifting from irritation to focus in an instant.

“I’ve got another call. Something urgent.” She slid the notepad back into her pocket, giving Ray a look that wasn’t exactly sympathetic. “I’ll be back.”

Viv turned to leave but not before throwing one last smile my way. “See you later, Earl. Keep an eye on him for me.”

I gave her a slow blink, which I knew she’d take as a “sure thing.” After all, somebody had to keep Ray from losing it completely.

Mrs. Hargrove watched Viv go then turned to Ray with that hopeful, worried look humans always got when they were placing all their bets on him.

“Mr. Leonard... are you really close to solving this?”

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