Page 3 of The Case of the Vanishing Valuables

I nodded subtly, already sizing up the situation. A retirement home, a bunch of missing valuables, and a cat with a death omen reputation? Something was fishy here—and it wasn’t the bland mush someone was making in the kitchen.

This situation had all the elements of a mystery worth solving. Sure, it might not have been the glamorous world of high-stakes jewel theft I’d hoped for, but something about a locked-room mystery got my whiskers twitching.

Chapter

Three

Tranquility Terrace had the kind of atmosphere you’d expect from a creaky old Victorian. Dark wallpaper, oriental rugs, and the scent of something medicinal lingering in the air. The effect made me feel both amused and uneasy, like this was a place where time stood still—pleasant but just a little too calm, like the quiet before a storm.

Mrs. Hargrove led us into the common room, where a few residents were waiting. They made a mismatched group of personalities, all eyeing one another with that mix of suspicion and boredom you only found in places like this.

“Everyone, this is Ray Leonard and his... partner, Earl,” Mrs. Hargrove said, gesturing toward us.

Mrs. Hargrove pointed atan elderly man in a worn cardigan who was sitting by the window. “And this is Ethan Sanders.”

Mr. Sanders barely looked up, giving us a grunt. “Private detectives, eh? We’ll see about that.”

Mrs. Hargrove turned toward a white-haired woman whose lips were painted with bright-red lipstick. “And this is Martha Bixby.”

Martha fluffed her hair and smiled. “Lovely to meet you.”

“And beside her, Sally Johnson, Natalie Cartwright, and Josh Jenkins.”

The three seniors nodded.

“And that’s Daisy Landon over there.” Mrs. Hargrove pointed at a small woman who wore a bright-pink shirt and was sitting in one of the chairs.

Daisy leaned in, her smile bright. “Welcome! Hope you can solve this mystery quick. We need some excitement around here.” She gave me a quick scratch behind the ears, and I couldn’t help but purr.

“And over here is Mr. Benedict,” Mrs. Hargrove said, gesturing to the older man in a pinstriped suit who was trying to shuffle a deck of cards. He gave us a dramatic bow.

“Benedict the Magnificent,” he corrected, flashing a smile. “Retired magician. But I still know a few tricks.” He made a card disappear from his hand, then he flicked it back out of nowhere. Honestly, the trick was not very impressive, especially since his hands were shaky and he dropped the card.

A blonde in scrubs bustled in, holding a small paper cup. “Time for your meds, Mr. Benedict.” Her gaze flicked up at Ray, and she frowned.

Mrs. Hargrove introduced Ray and me to Gina, the resident nurse.

“Gina here is the real magician.” Mr. Benedict took the cup and knocked back the pills without even taking a sip of water. “Saved me when I had a heart attack last year.”

Gina blushed, giving him a modest smile. “I was just doing my job.”

“Just doing your job? You’re a regular Florence Nightingale.” Benedict winked. “Without Gina, I’d be performing card tricks in the afterlife.”

“Same here,” Mr. Billings grumbled from his spot by the window, his thick eyebrows furrowed. “Heart attack nearly did me in too. Gina saved me.”

Sally, sitting nearby, crossed her arms. “She saved me too. Flu so bad I thought Mortimer was waiting to see me off.” She gave Gina a quick nod. “And that chicken soup you made? I swear it pulled me back from the brink.”

Looking a little uncomfortable with the attention, Gina replied with a soft laugh. “I’m just happy to help.”

Ray smiled at her. “Seems like you’ve saved quite a few lives around here.”

Gina shook her head, clearly wanting to move the spotlight elsewhere. “It’s what I do.”

With that, Ray turned his attention back to the group and focused on the real reason we were here. “So, I understand some of you have had things go missing?”

“Gone without a trace,” Mr. Sanders said, his smile fading as he twirled the deck of cards in his hands. “My gold cuff links. One day, they’re on my dresser, the next—they’ve disappeared like one of Benedict’s bad magic tricks.”

“And you’re sure your door was locked?” Ray asked.

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