Page 73 of Fish and Chip: Nine Lives One Murder
I’m still wrapping my enormous, gloriously orange head around that. One hundred acres of popcorn, mystery, and prime nap real estate. It’s like we stumbled into a cozy movie—if cozy movies had more murder and better snacks.
Fish and I are perched outside what used to be the manager’s office, which now has a fancy OWNER sign that makes my whiskers twitch with pride. I stretch, yawn, and soak in the moonlight like a mob boss surveying his empire.
Can you believe this, Fish? We hit the feline jackpot.
She doesn’t even blink. Just straightens her already straight spine and flicks a paw like royalty waving off the paparazzi.Obviously. Look at us. We were born to rule. This just makes it official. Although I was made to rule an empire. You were made to rule the refrigerator.
And yet, she still eats her food like a raccoon in a trash bin, but I won’t say a word.
I’m just saying, we have thrones now,I go on.Actual thrones. And fans. And themed snacks with our faces on them.
She eyes me.We also had a murder in the funhouse, remember? And a killer who flung popcorn at us.
Fair. But still—kind of exciting, right? I mean, we stopped the killer! You sat on the suspect’s chest while I supervised from a safe and heroic distance.
We fall into a companionable silence, which is only broken when Josie walks out of the office. She’s got that post-crime-solving spring in her step, the kind that says,I just took down a corrupt politician and still managed to look cute doing it.
She’s definitely happier,I say.
She has us,Fish replies like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.Of course, she’s happier. We fixed her.
“You sure did,” she says, reaching down and scooping us both up and dropping a kiss to each of our furry little foreheads.
I purr.Do you think Detective Drake will be hanging around more? I mean, he gives me bacon. That man is boyfriend material.
Oh, he’s not going anywhere,Fish says.Did you see the way he kissed her? That man is ready to move in, set up a cat treat auto-delivery, and pick out matching Halloween costumes.
Josie belts out a laugh and it fills the night sky before saying goodnight to the security guard as we head into the parking lot.
Ready to rule the kingdom tomorrow?I ask.
Always,Fish mewls.And maybe, just maybe, we’ll get lucky and no one will die for a whole twenty-four hours.
I snort.Doubt it. Trouble follows us like cat hair on black leggings.
We pause and glance around the moonlit park, the scent of caramel and wood smoke in the air, and I have to admit, I’ve never been happier.
Murder, mayhem, funnel cake, and family. What more could a cat want?
Okay. More bacon. But we’ll work on that.
I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble finds us next.
Because let’s be real, in a place like this, with our track record, there’s definitely going to be more trouble. And probably more murders. But hey, at least we’ll face it together, with full bellies and the best napping spots in Maine.
And did I mention snacks?
And probably murder.
Thank you for reading Fish & Chip’s first Cozy Mystery! Pick up—> Fish & Chip: Nine Lives, One Dead Body and head back to Huckleberry Hollow NOW!
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