We were looking around Marcel’s flat, but not finding much interesting, other than his laptop. That is, until Snow got excited about something she found. Fortunately we had remembered to bring several scramblers with us which we put around the flat so we could talk freely. We still tried to be quiet so neighbors wouldn’t hear us. I went into the bedroom to see what Snow had found. It was a bucket of cat litter.

I looked at her. Meowy mew!= Move bucket, move bucket! I looked at it. “Only 18 kgs,” I said, “that isn’t so bad.” I tried to lift it but it wouldn’t budge, not even a little. “Need some help, dear husband of mine?” asked Jennifer, somewhat sarcastically. “Help yourself,” I said and move out of the way. “18 kgs,” she said, “I can lift that easily enough.”

I just smiled. She couldn’t budge it either. So, we tried together. Still didn’t move. Now Snow was sniffing around the bucket again. Then she stopped and it looked like she was reaching for something behind the bucket. There was a slight click, so we tried again, together. Still wouldn’t move. “Try tilting it,” said Astrid. Jennifer and I looked at her.

She went over and tilted the bucket onto it’s side, revealing a small opening in the floor. I reached in and pulled out a book. Inside were numbers and letters arranged in columns, but most of the book was blank. There was nothing else in that opening so we put the bucket back and it clicked into place. “This is something for Aari, Clarence or Alfred to look at,” I said, “um, just a suggestion though.”

“Of course,” said Jennifer, “suggestion is noted and accepted.” Astrid giggled. We decided to keep looking around Marcel’s bedroom but we were not finding anything more. Jennifer and I then sat on his bed. “This has to be the hardest mattress I have ever sat on,” I said. “I don’t think there is a mattress,” said Jennifer. So, we had a look.

Sure enough, it was just wood, which was unusual, but it didn’t help us at all. We then looked under the bed, which the cats had already done, but they forgot to tell us about the briefcase under the bed. Jennifer and I saw it at the same time, and grabbed it at the same time also. “Let go,” said Jennifer, “or you will be cleaning bathrooms for months.”

So, I did what she said. I heard a “whack” kind of sound, then a bang, then a groan. Seems the briefcase hit Jennifer in the face which made her jump, hitting her head on the boards of the bed. “Good thing you’re a ghost,” I said, “or you might get hurt.” She just looked at me. To make matters worse, the briefcase was empty, but I said we would take it anyway.

“Why, may I ask?” inquired Jennifer. “There might be something in the lining of the briefcase,” I said, “but I knew you were already thinking of that.” “Of course,” she said, “I was just testing you?” Correct,” I said. “Good thing you passed that test,” she said, then we both started to laugh. We then went back to the living room where the cats had been playing with the photos that Eloise had given us to help in our investigation.

They were spread all over the floor. Jennifer and I looked at them. Meow, meow!= We find important clue, maybe! She then picked up a photo for us to look at. “Hmm, it’s a photo of this chair with Clarisse sitting on Marcel’s lap,” I said, “but I don’t get the importance of it.” Jennifer was looking at it too. “Hey, look!” she exclaimed, “It’s not the same chair!”

I looked a bit closer and sure enough, it was a different chair. “This photo was taken the day before they disappeared,” said Jennifer, “which means it was changed after they disappeared. And look, this carpet is different too, it is more worn in the photo, otherwise it’s the same color.” “So they changed the carpet too,” I said, “but the two items are close enough that Eloise likely wouldn’t notice the subtle difference.”

“Yes, but why did Meowser not notice that these things were changed?” asked Jennifer, “If he had been sleeping, the noise would have awakened him.” “Not if they gave him something to keep him asleep,” I said. “But why would they be afraid of a cat seeing them?” she asked again. “That is a good question,” I said, “but I have no answer for it.” “Useless male ghost,” she said smiling.

Just then Akila came out of the other bedroom carrying another laptop. “I found it hidden behind a false panel in the closet,” she said, “must be important to hide it like that.” We spent about 3 hours looking around that flat, but we didn’t find anything else, but something doesn’t seem right. However, we, I mean, Jennifer, decided it was time for us to go.

Once down at the car another car drove up and parked. “That car is trouble,” I said. “Hmm, I don’t sense danger though,” said Jennifer. We got in the car, but sat and waited. So did the people in the other car. I, meaning Jennifer, had called Aari and his team who were not far away and they soon came and parked beside us. The passenger window opened and Sherry tossed the flat’s keys in through the window and it closed again.

We then drove away. Four men then got out of the other car and went into the building. After a few minutes Aari, Rock, Bear, John and Cal went inside too. The others waited in the van. Sure enough, the first four men had gone to Marcel’s flat and could be heard talking inside. Rock opened the door quietly and in they went. “Put your guns on the table boys,” said Aari, “or die with them in your hands.”

They all put them on the table. “Now, who are you and what are you doing here?” asked Aari. “I would suggest you leave,” said one man in French, “before you get hurt. This does not concern you.” “When it concerns my friends, it concerns me,” said Aari in French, “now, answer my questions.” The man stepped a little closer to Aari, so Aari gave him a hard backhanded hit, knocking him to the floor.

Aari then told his men to search the others. Rock and Bear liked that idea and soon the other men had sore stomachs and had lost their wallets. Aari took photos of any ID they had, then they took their credit and debit cards and cut them in pieces and put them back in the wallets. Then they took the cash they had. “To help pay for our time,” said Aari.

He also took the keys that the one man had for the flat, then told them all to leave and not return. “If you are responsible for Marcel’s disappearance,” said Aari, “then you better run as far away as you can.”

To Be Continued. ©2025 Steve McLeod.