For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
We stopped and stared…it was the real estate agent. “How did you get in here?”, I asked him. “Oh, Baldwin warned me about your little alarm system, so I climbed over the wall,” he answered, “I have all the papers ready for you to sign for selling the chateau.” “Did Baldwin also warn you that I carry a gun?”, I asked, then I pulled it out and continued, “now leave very quickly unless you wish to be carried out.” He looked at me, then at my gun. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Oh, I think you understand completely,” I said, getting a little irritated now, “get out of here now, or I will shoot. And you can tell Baldwin to stay away as well.” He continued to look for a minute, then picked up his papers and briefcase and left. “I will be back,” he said sternly as he left. “Don’t push me,” I said, “I’m not in the mood for that sort of thing.”
I watched him until he was over the wall and drove away. Something isn’t right about this, Baldwin and I had a deal, I just don’t believe he would try to push things now. Makes no sense. I decide to call the police as I would like to check on Linnea’s body. They told me her body had been delivered to the funeral home and it would be ready for burial tomorrow. “Let’s go take a look,” I said, “I want to make sure that Linnea is actually dead.” “I thought you checked her at the hospital?”, asked Calanthe. “I did, but since she has shown up here I just want to satisfy myself once more,” I said. So off we went. I park out front and ask Calanthe if she wants to come in also. “No,” she said, “I’ll stay here, looking at dead bodies is not something I enjoy.” “Yes, some things about being a PI are not too enjoyable, but they must be done,” I said. “I don’t think I could make it as a PI,” said Calanthe. Hmm, just what Lena said.
I told Mr. Cat to stay with Calanthe and put him on top of the car. I whisper to him. Then Muffin and I went inside. Linnea’s body was lying in a coffin alright and she is definitely dead or she certainly does a good job of faking it. But I will be here tomorrow to make sure she gets buried. I come back out with Muffin. Meow.=Car keep driving by slow. Have very dark windows, can’t see who it is. Hmm, that means someone is watching, and I think I know who that might be. Meow.=That the car now. It drove right up to us this time and the back window opened. It was Baldwin. “Good day my friend,” he said, “checking on the body I see. I did so this morning, I wanted to make sure Ms. Linnea was truly dead.” “Don’t like dealing with me?”, I asked him. He laughed heartily. “No, no,” he assured me, “but I was curious since there is someone else in this “game”, as you put it.”
“By the way,” I added, “I was not impressed with you sending that agent over today with papers to sign for the sale of the chateau. We have a deal of 7 days, or did you forget that already?” “What?!,” he said, “I never sent him or anyone else over there, when I want to conclude our business then I will come in person.” “Hmm, then perhaps he was representing the other party and was hoping I wouldn’t notice when signing the papers,” I said, “guess I should go pay him a visit and find out who this other party is.” “Do you mind if I come along?”, he asked, “I would like to know as well.” Normally I would say no, but this time I decided to accept his invitation. I feel trouble coming up.
Off we went and arrived together at the agents office. Hmm, no secretary at her desk, so we just go into his office, he apparently is a loner in this business. We stood at the door of his office and there was the agent before us, but we were too late, someone had shot him. We looked around a bit but couldn’t find the papers he had wanted me to sign and the secretary was nowhere to be found. “Time to call the police,” I said, “would you like to stick around Baldwin?” “Actually I do have another appointment,” he said, “so I’ll leave this to you.” And with a big smile he left in a hurry.
To Be Continued.
Pictures of Mr. Cat are kindly supplied by his human, Nina.
Previous chapters of this story, and other stories, can be found on my home page under “The Investigators, Inc.” and “20/20 Investigations, Inc.”
Β©2021 Steve McLeod.
You’re tallying quite the body count on this case!π²π³
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Hmm, as I recall that’s only 2 so far. But I could be wrong. Who am I missing? Linnea and the agent. This would be bad since it’s my story!π³πππ΅οΈββοΈπ©
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That’s true! I think the last case kinda bled into this one!πππ (did you see what I did there?πππ hih? Did ya?)π€π€π€
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Aha!π I’m not going crazy, see?ππ³ What did you do?π€
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If I need to tell you.. you missed it!!πππ I worked really hard on it too..ππ
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Naturally I missed it,π that’s why I asked.π€ I think the reason you got mixed up there is because the first story was kind of bleeding it’s way into the next one.ππΉ
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Hehehe… see?? There you go!!
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What? Where did I go?π² Actually I did. Sigh.π
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No worries, you came back.. you did come back? π€π¬
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I think it’s me. Let me check.
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Oh whew… I’m so glad!ππ I don’t know what I’d say if it were someone else..π€π€
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Yep, it’s me, I looked in the mirror and fainted, so I knew for sure.π²π¬
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Good thing you landed on your head.. didn’t break the furniture or dent the floor? ππ
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I didn’t say I landed on my head. Didn’t fall down at all. Ha!πππππππππ
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Well how can you faint standing up?
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Practice.
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LOLπ€£π€£π€£π€£ okay…
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Are you laughing at me?π€¨
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I think I am lolπ€£π€£π€£π€£
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Hmmm….I still feel you shouldnβt trust Baldwin ππ thereβs something very wrong here! And is really Linnea dead? Then whoβs the other βLinneaβ? π΅οΈββοΈπΎ
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I know Linnea is dead, but perhaps there is someone pretending to be her. But then why does she keep warning me? Is she really a ghost? This is really getting strange. Sometimes the bad guys are easier to trust when they are open like Baldwin is, but I only trust him a bit. I don’t think he’s our main adversary though, there’s someone else.π€πΎπΎπ΅οΈββοΈπ©
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Oh, my …what is going on here ?!…Linnea could be under a strange drug which can make a person seem dead and yet be alive…even at the hospital and in a coffin…thankfully Mr. Cat and Muffin are there with you ! Be vigil ! π΅οΈββοΈπΎπΎπ©βοΈβοΈβοΈπͺπͺπͺ
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Yes, that’s true, but doing it too much can be deadly anyway. And how does she get from there to here? This is very strange indeed. And who is the other people involved? What do they want? Yes, those cats are good to have around.π€πΎπΎπ΅οΈββοΈπ©
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Hmm, perhaps Linnea has a twin or she is now a ghost(s)! Seems there is a lot more than meets the eye! π»ππ¬πππβοΈβοΈ
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It would have to be an unknown twin since she said she had no living relatives. But it could be someone that has been made to look like Linnea. It’s a strange setup and who is the other(s) that are in this too? They don’t seem to mind killing. Unless it really is Baldwin…π³π€πΎπΎπ΅οΈββοΈπ©
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π¬
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Who said Linnea had no living relatives? I feel someone was lying. Also It appears the other party does not like to be told no. Where is Lena during all this? I would rather have her around that Calanthe. I still don’t trust her.
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Linnea told me herself, that was in the last case. That’s why she inherited her cousin’s chateau, no other relatives. And that’s why she left it to me. I think more than one person is lying right now. Lena seems to be staying away, but don’t forget, she did turn against me once before, so can she be trusted? There is something about Calanthe…π€π³πΎπΎπ΅οΈββοΈπ©
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I guess you’re on your own
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With the cats. And Calanthe, maybe. Or not.
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Not Calanthe
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Hmmm, could you be right?
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Laughter can move mountains
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Maybe I should laugh more on this case.
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