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“How could I forget? Is this about Gran performing at tonight’s event?”

“Your dad was supposed to be the local talent. But your gran has usurped him.”

“I’m sure they’ll both get to do a song. So have you seen Harriet and Brutus?”

“But that’s just it. He’s not going to do a song. Gran has taken his place. And I think this time she’s gone too far. She knows how much your father was looking forward to tonight. First she took over his basement for her own rehearsals, and now she’s taking over his gigs. Soon he will have to call it quits, and that would be a real shame.”

“Why don’t I talk to Gran?”

“Yes, please. Talk some sense into her. Make her realize how much pain she’s caused with this latest stunt. Tex is a good man, and all this nonsense is preying on his mind.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

She moved into the living room, where Gran was watching Jeopardy.

“Have you seen Harriet and Brutus, Gran?” she asked.

“They’re around somewhere,” her grandmother grunted, her eyes fixed on the screen. “What is Belgium!”

“Around where? I’ve been looking all over the place.”

“Aren’t they over at yours? They usually hang around your place around this time. Harriet figures this house is too noisy, and she’s taken a sudden dislike to Jeopardy for some reason. No idea why. Best show on TV. Who is Cary Grant!”

Odelia took a seat next to her grandmother. “Gran, I need to talk to you.”

“Uh-oh.”

“Yeah. Is it true you took over Dad’s gig at tonight’s event?”

“I did no such thing. Can I help it if the Mayor thinks my act is better suited for an event of this magnitude than your dad’s?”

“Did you ask him to bump Dad from the lineup?”

“No, I didn’t. All I did was call Marjorie, who’s in charge of the thing, and ask her what she preferred: three boring old coots singing a boring old jazz song, or a fun new act fronted by an exciting hit sensation. A no-brainer. She practically jumped at the chance.”

“But Gran—you know how much Dad was looking forward to tonight. He and the other doctors have been practicing all week. It was supposed to be his crowning glory.”

“Look, darling, it’s show business, not show charity. You have to be tough to make it in this business, and I’m sorry to say that Tex just ain’t got what it takes.”

“That’s very mean-spirited of you, Gran. I didn’t know you hated Dad so much.”

Gran looked up with a frown. “I don’t hate your father. In fact I kinda like him. In his own goofy way he’s good for Marge, and he’s a good dad. But this is my chance to shine, honey, and it may very well be my last one, too. I’m seventy-five. I might never get to perform in front of this crowd again. This is my shot at the big leagues and I owe it to myself to grab it. For Tex this is just a fun little hobby. For me it’s make-or-break time.”

Odelia shook her head. “Still, it’s a pretty raw deal for Dad.”

“Okay, fine, you’re probably right. You know what I’ll do? I’ll give one of my two slots to Tex. How about that? I’ll go first, and Tex can go next. That all right with you?”

“I thought you gave one of your two slots to Harriet?”

“They can do the interlude.”

Odelia smiled and got up. “Thanks, Gran. I’ll tell Dad right now. He’ll be thrilled.”

“And don’t accuse me of never doing anything for this family!” Gran cried as Odelia left the room. “I’m only making this sacrifice because I care!”

“Thanks!” she yelled, and hurried into the kitchen to tell her mother the good news.

Chapter 20

That evening, the Poole family was out in full force. Gran and her band were due to perform, and so were Tex and his Singing Doctors. As a reporter for the Hampton Cove Gazette , Odelia had snagged a much-coveted invitation, and as a plus-one to the talent, Marge was also there.

Odelia had managed to smuggle Dooley and me in via the hotel’s service entrance. No cats or other pets were allowed, not even the pets the stars usually lugged around, like Chihuahuas or pugs or even those potbellied pigs. The only exception to the rule were pets as part of the evening’s entertainment, like Harriet and Brutus, who were now holed up in Gran and Tex’s dressing room. And with them present, Odelia wisely figured we wouldn’t look out of place either. So she’d dropped us off around the corner from the Hampton Cove Star, we’d quickly made our way to the service entrance, and had waited patiently for Odelia to usher us in. Right on schedule the door had opened and Odelia had bundled us both up in her arms and quickly deposited us in Gran’s care.

I was surprised to find that Harriet was now as nervous as Brutus was. “I can’t do this!” she cried, pacing the room. “People are going to laugh at me! They’re going to think this is all a big joke! Oh, Gran, why did you ever agree to this! Why, oh, why!”

Tex was also pacing the room, and didn’t look very relaxed either, nor did the two doctors who were part of his band. Denby Jennsen is a man who could have played a part in Grey’s Anatomy , he’s that movie-star handsome, and Cary Horsfield is as distinguished-looking as Tex. All three were dressed in matching charcoal suits.

Meanwhile, Gran was entertaining her own band, which consisted of half a dozen elderly men, all dressed in white tuxedos. Gran herself looked like a million bucks. Her face was made up, her hair done up, and… she was only wearing white underwear. Lacy bra, lacy panties, silk stockings and even a garter belt. She also wore red stilettos.

“You can do this, twinkle toes,” said Brutus, affectionately patting Harriet’s paw.

“They’ll think we’re a pair of freaks! No cats have ever performed live in front of an audience like this, except to jump through hoops or dangle from a trapeze. Why did I ever think this was a good idea?” She directed a dark look at her mate. “Why didn’t you talk me out of this, Brutus. Why?!”

Dooley and I watched the scene with keen interest. It’s a lot more fun to be in the dressing room before the big show when you’re not an actual part of the lineup.

“I think Harriet will do great,” I said. “Usually when singers are this nervous it’s because they’re about to blow everyone away.”

“Or she will be so bad she can already feel it,” Dooley said.

“That’s also a possibility,” I allowed.

Whatever the case, a bomb or a hit, the show was bound to be a smash. The local doctor, his elderly mother-in-law and their cats? What more could an audience want?

We walked out of the dressing room into the corridor and padded towards the stage. Watching on from the wings, I saw that the ballroom was gradually filling up. I could see the Mayor and his wife, and I could see Dan Goory, Odelia’s editor, who was also a guest. He was there along with his wife, who looked resplendent in a shimmering evening gown. In fact I saw pretty much everyone who was someone in Hampton Cove, as well as plenty of the town’s nobodies. I also recognized Laron Weskit and his wife, whose pictures Odelia had shown us. They were seated at the Mayor’s table—guests of honor.

If we’d wanted to, we could have snuck up to their room right then. But we’d already decided to wait and see the show first. It wasn’t something I was prepared to miss.

And yet for a moment it looked as if that was exactly what was going to happen, when a man dressed like a bellhop grabbed us both by the necks and growled angrily, “How did you two hairy pests get in here?” and started dragging us away!

Lucky for us Odelia was also keeping an eye on the proceedings, and quickly negotiated our release. She then bent down, and placed a nice ribbon around my neck, a small card dangling from it, and repeated the procedure on Dooley.