Page 8 of The Case of the Vanishing Valuables

Bart’s eyes lit up. He started kneading the cushion beneath his paws—a nervous habit of his. That meant he had something juicy to spill. “Actually—meow—I’ve been hanging around Tranquility lately.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“They throw out the best food scraps—meow. I’ve hit the jackpot a few times. Humans there don’t eat half their meals, and it all ends up in the dumpster. Yesterday? Roast chicken and mashed potatoes. I’m telling you, Earl, it’s worth it.”

Typical Bart, always thinking with his stomach. I rolled my eyes. At least he was predictable.

But then, he leaned in, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “And while I was nosing around... I overheard something—meow—interesting. One of the humans was talking on the phoneup in the attic. I could hear them through the open window. They mentioned keys, rooms, and get this—meow—the attic!”

My ears perked up. “The attic?” I remembered the musty aroma I’d smelled in the common room earlier. It had come from above. Someone had been disturbing things in the attic.

Bart nodded, kneading faster. “Yep. Sounded like they were planning something. Maybe they’re hiding stuff up there—meow.”

Now, he had my attention. I glanced over at Ray, who was still too busy scowling over his notebook to notice the valuable clue Bart had just dropped. Ray could be clueless sometimes, which was where I came in. “What did the human look like?”

Bart’s ears twitched nervously, and he hesitated. “I couldn’t actually see them—meow.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Male or female?”

“Male,” Bart said, nodding uncertainly. “No! Female… It was hard to tell. They were whispering.”

Great. That narrowed it down. “Real helpful, Bart,” I said, trying not to sound too sarcastic.

He puffed up his chest anyway, as if he’d just solved the case. “Told you I’m useful! Keep me in the loop, Earl. I’ve got a nose for this stuff.”

More like a nose for garbage, I thought, but I kept that to myself. I was about to dismiss him when I felt another shift in the air—like a crackle of tension. Again, I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

And then I heard her voice.

“Well, well. Still brooding over crosswords, Ray? Thought you’d be solving real puzzles by now.”

Ray nearly spilled his coffee. His whole body stiffened like a deer in headlights, and there she was: Viv Moretti, in the flesh. With auburn hair pulled back in a messy bun that somehow looked perfect, she had sharp hazel eyes that scanned the room.She strolled up to the counter to order her coffee as if she didn’t have a care in the world, like this wasn’t the most awkward moment of Ray’s week.

Ray, bless him, tried to straighten up in his chair. “Viv,” he muttered, not nearly as cool as he thought. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Viv turned, her eyes flicking around the cafe until they landed on me. Her face softened, warmth lighting up her features as she rushed over. She knelt beside me, and her voice dropped to that sweet cooing tone that I secretly loved.

“Earl! You handsome devil, come here!” she gushed, scratching behind my ears. I couldn’t help but purr. And then, like she always used to, she pulled a treat from her pocket. “I still keep these for you, you know,” she said with a grin, feeding me the delicious morsel.

I purred despite myself. I didn’t like to admit it, but I missed Viv.

As Viv stood, her gaze drifted to Ray, and her expression shifted from soft affection to something more guarded. It was as if just looking at him reminded her of things left unsaid—old disappointments lingering between them.

“So, ahh... what are you up to?” Ray asked, trying—and failing—to sound casual. I could see the tension in his fingers as they twitched around his coffee cup.

She gave him a long, measured look before smirking. “Just grabbing a coffee. Heard you’re investigating some thefts over at Tranquility. How’s that going?”

Ray cleared his throat, eyes darting back to his notebook. “It’s under control. No need for... outside help.”

Viv took a slow sip of her coffee, raising an eyebrow. “Under control? Funny, the person I talked to didn’t seem convinced. Said they were thinking about calling in the cavalry. AKA me.”

I could practically see Ray’s pride deflate. He hated looking incompetent, especially in front of Viv. “I’ve got it handled, Viv. No need to step in.”

Her eyes softened—just a little. “I’m not trying to step on your toes, Ray. But keep me in the loop if things get out of hand. You know how these things go.”

Ray’s jaw tightened, his fingers gripping the cup like it was a lifeline. This conversation wasn’t just about the case, and everyone in the room knew it. Viv was playing it cool, but I caught a flicker of something in her eyes. Something she wasn’t saying.

Humans and their tangled emotions. So predictable.

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