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Coop grins, showing all his teeth. "Your mama is a fine woman, and the best mayor Friendly's ever had."
I roll my eyes. Few people even remember a mayor before her. She's held the position for more than thirty years, since I was a boy. Coop's been chief of police just as long.
Sometimes the crashing waves on the beach are the only proof that Friendly isn't frozen in time.
"Well, I'll be seeing you, Tuck." With a quick nod, he heads for the door.
"Take Houdini with you!" I look around for the cat. "Where'd he go?"
But Coop's already gone. Sighing, I begin searching the shop for the felonious feline. I never understood the termcat burglaruntil I knew Houdini. He's broken in and out of every business in town. As huge as he is, he's astoundingly stealthy. I listen for the sound of the bell on his new collar.Silence.
When I spot the collar in the middle of an aisle lined with fishing poles, I growl in frustration. Houdini goes through a lot of collars, but it usually takes a few days for him to break free of a new one.
The town of Friendly is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia. We're not built up like touristy beaches. There aren't high-rise hotels or swanky resorts on the island, and we like it that way. Even so, the size of our tiny town swells in the spring and summer.
Surrounded by ocean, river, and marshland, Friendly is a bird-watching mecca. To protect the birds, there are strict ordinances for pet owners. Domestic cats must be kept indoors.
Except Houdini.
It's impossible to keep him inside. Despite his immense girth, he's an impressive escape artist. Many have tried. All have failed.
After weeks of town meetings and countless hours of discussion devoted to theHoudini Problem, a decision was made.
Houdini can roam the streets and beaches of Friendly as its official feline mascot, and he shall be fed, watered, and loved by the entire town. And the Keeper of Collars will make sure he always wears a bell around his neck to give Friendly's beloved birds a fighting chance.
It’s a big ask of the poor shmuck tasked with being the Keeper of Collars.
After searching everywhere for the cat, I deduce that he must be lurking in the breakroom. Wedging my body between the refrigerator and a kayak, I crane my neck awkwardly to look inside the watercraft.
"What on earth are you doing?"
I jump at the sound of the voice, sending the kayak crashing into the one next to it, causing a domino effect. "Look out!"
My buddy Bishop jumps out of the breakroom just before the final kayak hurtles through the doorway. It slams into a display of fishing lures. Seemingly out of thin air, Houdini appears, pawing at the packages now littering the floor.
Bishop raises an eyebrow. He's dressed for court, but loosens his tie and drags the kayak out of the doorway so he can enter. "You need more space."
I snort. "You don't say?"
He helps me stand a kayak back against the wall. "About that…"
My head whips around to look at him. "Do you have news about Hildy's Hut?"
Two years ago, I had the bright idea to add kayak rentals to my business. Unfortunately, kayaks take up a lot of space. Located next door, Hildy's Hut is the perfect solution. I made her a great offer, well above the market value. But she refused to sell.
In fact, she said she'ddiebefore she'd sell. And she was true to her word.
Bishop nods. "I discovered that old Hildy died intestate."
Intestate?Coop told me she'd died of a massive heart attack, quick and without much suffering. "I hope it wasn't a painful way to go."
Bishop smirks. "It means she died without a will."
I scowl at him. "Whatever, Harvard Law. What's it mean for me?"
"The next of kin will have to be located. But it's unlikely they'll want to keep a rundown junk store, especially when there's a buyer already lined up. If I was a betting man, I'd say you'll have the keys by the end of the month."
By the end of the month.With a satisfied smile, I continue standing the kayaks against the wall. Hopefully, for the last time.
