For previous editions, go here.

Birdie glanced around a second time, just to make sure the sidewalk had cleared.  “I think Max is a cat.”

Frankie blinked.  “Excuse me?”

“I think Max is the black cat in the window that was staring at us last night.”

“A black cat is bossing a man that turned himself into a cat around?”  Frankie repeated, dubious.  “Birdie, are you sure you shouldn’t just go home and take a nap?”

Birdie frowned. “Well, if you don’t want to be involved…”

Frankie sighed.  “No, no, you’re right.  It just all sounds so ridiculous.  Why would a black cat care if you go to a zoo?”

“Don’t you see?” Birdie replied excitedly, waving the letter.  “This proves my theory about Mr. Pemberely.”

“That he’s a whack job that’s going to take over the world by turning everyone into puppies and kittens?”  Frankie grimaced.

“No, no.”  Birdie shook her head, the letter shaking between her fingers.  “It proves my theory that Mr. Pemberely is at heart, a good guy, just confused.  Whoever this Max is, he’s the one pushing him to do all these experiments.”

“How can you prove that?”  Frankie raised an eyebrow.

“Easy.”  Birdie grinned, leftover syrup gleaming at the corners of her mouth.  “I’m going to go talk to our old friend Percy.”

Frankie sighed.  “I’ll go with you.”

“No.”  Birdie shook her head.  “If we’re both gone, it’ll look really suspicious.  Besides, your mom would be furious.  Go on and tell everyone I’m sick.  I’ll call you tonight after I meet Detective Michaels and your dad.”

Frankie pressed her lips together.  “Birdie, maybe you should just let things drop.”

“And leave all the animals to suffer?  No way!”  Birdie narrowed her eyes.  “Whoever this Max is, he’s wrong.  And I’m not going to stop until I stop him.”

Leaving her friend gaping after her, she rushed down the sidewalk, fueled by nearly a entire bottle of syrup humming through her veins.

***

Scuttling around the aisles, Percy avoided her eyes.  “I can’t talk now,” he muttered, ducking his head behind a stack of gerbil cages.

“Then when can you talk?” Birdie countered, blocking his path.

“I don’t see what you want from me,” he hissed, his long neck bobbing over the cages.  “I’ve told you everything I know.”

“You didn’t tell me about Max.”

He stopped, the cages dropping from his arms and shattering into thick plastic parts on the floor.  Dropping to pick them up, his shoulders quivered.  “You know about Max?”

“He sent Frank to give me a note.”  Birdie crossed her arms and gave Percy a hard stare.  “About interferring with the zoo plans.”

“You know about the zoo?” Percy squeaked, his arms flying up.  The gerbil cages tumbled to the ground again, the hard plastic smacking the floor.  Birdie winced and several dogs howled in protest.

“That’s right.  And now, I need to know why Max doesn’t want me interferring with the zoo.  And I want to know what exactly they’re planning on doing there.”

Percy sighed.  Peering up at her from his sprawled position among the pieces of plastic gerbil cages, he sighed.  “Well, that depends.”

“On what?”

“On who you’re talking to.”  Fiddling with a plastic lid, he glanced around and lowered his tone.  “Mr. Pemeberely thinks they’re going to rescue the lonely zoo animals and bring them back here.  He’s hoping by taking a sample of their DNA he can create more miniature animals like he has in the back room.”

“Would that hurt the current zoo animals?”

Percy shook his head.  “It’s like getting blood drawn.  One prick and they’re done.  Max, on the other hand….”

Birdie leaned closer.  “What?”

Pressing his lips together so tightly they turned white, Percy shook his head.  “Max is bitter.  Very bitter.  And after the accident, when he reached out to Mr. Pemberely and things didn’t turn out the way he wanted…well, it made a bitter man into a sick, twisted…”

A cat yowled, making them both jump.  Birdie turned back to Percy, her eyes wide.  “A sick, twisted, what?”

Percy shook his head, his trembling fingers gathering up the bulky cage pieces.  “I’ve said too much.”

“You haven’t said enough!”  Birdie tore her fingers through her hair in frustration.  “Listen, can you meet me tonight?  At the park bench, at 7?  I’d like to learn more about this.”

Percy shook his head.  “I can’t.  I can’t…”

“Percy, please.”  Birdie grabbed his arm.  “You want to save the animals as much as I do.  You know it.”

He raised fearful eyes to her.  “How did you know…”

“I just had a feeling.”  Birdie had guessed, and she’d been right.  “Tonight?”

“Tonight.”  Percy sighed.  “I’ve got to get back to work.”  Stacking the cages on the shelf, he avoided her gaze.

“What’s Max’s last name?” Birdie asked.

He didn’t reply, but she saw his shoulders stiffen.  Just as she was about to repeat the question, he sighed.  “Max Westing.”

“See you at seven.”  Looking as pleased as a cat with a bowl of cream, Birdie hurried out of the store.

She’d go home, get Sassy and hit the library before she met Detective Michaels and Frankie’s dad tonight.  And hopefully, between her and Percy, they would know Mr. Pemberely’s plan for the zoo in a few days.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  Tomorrow we have a delicious recipe and Friday, a new Dallas Jean!  Stay tuned!

More