Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
T he moment Mrs. Hargrove disconnected the call with the police, the crowd of residents that had gathered around the shed buzzed with excitement. Daisy, still sitting on the grass, looked defeated, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. Ray stood tall, arms folded, looking rather proud of himself, and I couldn’t blame him. He’d cracked the case!
We waited for only a few minutes before the distant wail of police sirens broke the chatter. The residents looked around, whispering to one another as the sound grew closer, and then, sure enough, a police car pulled up onto the lawn, crunching the gravel under its tires.
Ray didn’t seem nervous—at least, not until the police cruiser’s door swung open and Viv stepped out, looking all business in her crisp uniform and sunglasses. Ray’s confident posture wavered just a little, and I could practically feel him trying to stand a little taller.
Here we go , I thought, eyeing him with mild amusement. Ray might have had the situation under control, but when it came to Viv, things always got interesting.
Viv strode toward us, the picture of cool, calm professionalism. She took off her sunglasses when she reached the crowd, and her eyes landed on Ray. For a moment, her expression was unreadable, but then her gaze flicked to Daisy, who continued to sit on the grass.
Mrs. Hargrove, clearly relieved the police had arrived, rushed over to Viv. In a voice bubbling with gratitude, Mrs. Hargrove cried, “Oh, Officer Moretti, thank goodness you’re here! You won’t believe it—Ray figured it all out! He caught Daisy red-handed! All the stolen jewelry and valuables were hidden in the shed!”
Ray straightened his back again, looking pretty pleased with himself as Mrs. Hargrove kept gushing. “We didn’t know what to do! It’s been going on for months, and Ray—well, he solved the whole thing! He’s just been fantastic!”
I flicked my tail, glancing up at Ray. He had that look— that look—on his face. The googly-eyed expression he got over Viv, like some kind of lovesick puppy. Honestly, I’d never understand humans and their silly emotional entanglements.
Ray shot a glance at me, trying to play it cool, but I could see it in his eyes—he was hoping Viv would be impressed.
Viv finally turned to Ray, and for a second, her cool demeanor softened. There was a flicker of something in her eyes—something warmer than I’d seen in a while. “Good job, Ray,” she said, her voice quiet but genuine. “Looks like you really pulled this one off.”
Ray’s chest puffed up a little, and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, just doing what I do. It wasn’t easy, but we got there in the end.”
Oh brother , I thought, rolling my eyes. Here we go. It was all part of that human love thing that made no sense to me. I didn’t know why Ray cared so much about what Viv thought, but humans got all tangled up in these things. It was a mystery even I couldn’t solve.
Viv’s eyes lingered on Ray for a beat longer, and I could practically hear his thoughts spinning. But then, her professional demeanor returned, and she turned to Daisy, her voice hardening once more. “Daisy Barker, you’re under arrest for theft.”
Daisy let out a soft whimper as Viv pulled out a pair of handcuffs and moved toward her. “I didn’t mean to! It just… happened!” Daisy babbled, still sitting on the grass. “I didn’t think anyone would notice!”
Viv gave her a sharp look. “Tell it to the judge.”
Without another word, Viv helped Daisy to her feet and snapped the handcuffs on her wrists. Daisy stood there, looking forlorn as Viv led her toward the police cruiser. The residents murmured among themselves, some looking shocked, others just relieved the ordeal was finally over.
Ray watched Viv walk away with Daisy in tow, his eyes following her until the cruiser door closed with a soft click. I could tell he was still basking in the afterglow of Viv’s praise, probably imagining all kinds of dramatic things—like how she might come to respect him even more after today.
Viv turned to Ray one last time as she climbed into the driver’s seat. She gave him a small nod, her voice just loud enough to hear. “Good job, Ray.”
Ray smiled, and I could swear he looked like he was about to float off the ground. “Thanks, Viv,” he said, his voice soft.
The engine roared to life, and just like that, the police cruiser pulled away, taking Daisy off to her new home in the local jail.
The crowd of residents slowly began to disperse, most of them heading back inside to admire their returned possessions and swap stories about the capture. Benedict muttered something about “next time, they should make it a chase,” and I caught him and Martha exchanging a few bucks from their earlier bet.
I glanced up at Ray, who was still standing there, staring off into the distance where Viv’s car had disappeared. I flicked my tail against his leg, trying to snap him out of whatever daydream he was having.
Come on, Ray, I thought, nudging him telepathically. You caught the thief. You saved the day. No need to keep floating on cloud nine just because Viv gave you a pat on the back.
Ray finally snapped out of it, shaking his head like he was coming back to reality. He glanced down at me, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. “What, Earl? Can’t a guy enjoy a little victory?”
I let out a soft purr, circling around his legs. Sure, Ray. But next time, maybe don’t get too distracted. We’ve got cases to solve.