“I gotta make sure. What color was it? Where’s your partner?”
“Hey, Lula!” I yelled.
Lula poked her head around the side of the house. “You call me?”
“What color cat did you see?”
“Say what?”
“You know, the cat you went to find . . . when you were walking around the house just now. What color was it?”
“White,” Lula said.
“Thank goodness,” Susan said. “My Fluffy is orange.”
“Case closed,” Carl said.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know if you hear from your husband,” I said to Susan.
“Yeah,” Susan said. “Likewise.”
We followed Carl and his partner to the curb.
“Was he in there?” Carl asked Lula.
“Not that I could see,” Lula said. “You’re talking about the white cat, right?”
“Right,” Carl said.
We all got into our cars and drove away.
“Now what?” Lula wanted to know.
“Now we visit Cranberry Manor. Did you see anything unusual when you were snooping?”
“I didn’t see any sign of Geoffrey Cubbin, but someone had been packing a suitcase.”
“Men’s clothes or women’s clothes?”
“Looked like women’s clothes.”
My cellphone rang, and Grandma’s number came up.
“I’m at the beauty parlor, and I need a ride,” Grandma said.
“Where are you going?”
“To the hospital, of course. I’m on the job. I just made that baloney up about the beauty parlor to get out of the house. I figured if your mother knew I was going to the hospital she’d head for the liquor cabinet.”
“We’ll be in big trouble if she finds out I took you to the hospital.”
“She won’t find out. I’m wearing a disguise, and I have a fake ID. As far as anyone knows I’m Selma Whizzer today.”
“What’s going on?” Lula wanted to know.
“It’s Grandma. She’s at the beauty parlor, and she needs a ride to the hospital so she can snoop for us. She said she’s in disguise.”
“I gotta see this. Is she at the beauty parlor on Hamilton by the bridal shop?”