Greetings, I'm back with your old friend, furry detective Thomas. It's always like this: just when you let people know you have a talent, they start using it to their advantage. Especially if it's an unusual talent. I've just recently found a new case. What can I do? They can't do without me.
***
Do you like fairy tales? Yes? Well, I'm, shall we say, distrustful of them. But nevertheless, I recently met a real-life fairy tale character. And not just anywhere, but in the real world. Let me explain.
***
We have new neighbors. They look like normal people. Or so I thought, until I found out they had a bald cat. Yes, yes, you heard right, a bald cat. No, I know a few cats and even a few dogs, but they all have hair. I once had a chance to talk to a dog in the hospital, a Chinese Crested. She doesn't have hair on her back, but she does have hair on her head. A big tuft of hair. And our neighbors' cat Simona is completely bald!
When I saw it, I was shocked. I know I look pretty unusual myself, but everyone I've met has been positive about my peculiarity. I'd rather look like a houseboy than be bald and shriveled. That said, Simone's behavior is so unapproachable. She doesn't socialize with cats or dogs. Not at all. By the way, our neighbors also have a dog - a Russian spaniel Finn. Here he is - a normal guy, treats me well. And I also like in him that he is intelligent and reasonable. On their owners - Svetlana and her adult son Ivan, I did not pay much attention at first. And for nothing.
***
By the way, I forgot to add that while Finn lives quite a normal dog's life, Simone does not get out of shows. She goes from one to the next. That almost got me on the wrong track. Yeah, well, I digress. So let's get down to business.
***
This evening Svetlana came to us. She often comes over, but if she is usually cheerful and talkative (I would even say chatty), now she was not at all. I think I'm starting to guess what happened. Yeah, that's right-- Simone's been stolen. My first thought was that she was stolen the same way our Maddie was - for ransom. But that was quickly dismissed. Because the landlady asked:
- And when it was stolen? Was anyone home that day?
- Yesterday. I went to a friend's house, and Vanya went somewhere else on his own, and when I came back, Vanya and Finn were home, and Simone..." and Svetlana burst into tears again.
When she had calmed down, the landlady asked:
- If you've come to us with this, Sveta, then you want Valera and Tomas to help you?
Svetlana nodded. Then Valera came in, and Svetlana and the hostess repeated everything to him. Valera asked:
- Can Thomas and I take a look around?
- Of course! - Svetlana agreed.
- Only I'll have to take pictures of everything," Valera warned.
Svetlana agreed, and we went to her place.
And the first clue met us right at the entrance. The lock. The door wasn't forced.
Actually, I could have guessed that myself. For one thing, our houses are close, and one of us would have spotted the burglar. And most importantly, Finn is a dog! And he was walked after Simone was stolen. So he was home when it happened, and he would have seen the thief!
- It's very strange, I thought.
Valera and I went into the room and started looking through Simone's things. A sleeping pad, a toy (similar to Maddie's), and an almost full bag of cat food and fish.
For some reason, many people think that cats must love fish and food with it. But I don't like fish. By the way, Finn and I also agree on this - he never ate fish and fish food, although he was offered it. And more than once.
And then my master said something that made me respect him:
- I'll take a picture of it all now and we'll go home, but I'll have to come back every day and take the same pictures. Otherwise, there's no point in any of this.
Svetlana agreed. We really went there every day, and this is what I noticed: every day there was less and less feed in the bag. My owner noticed it too, and asked:
- Tell me, does your Finn eat fish or fish food?
- No, he'd never been interested in fish, or feeding with them.
- Like cat food, right? - Valera clarified - Here's what we'll do: you hide Simon's food now, and don't tell anyone where. Nobody at all. Understand? - Valera asked sternly. Svetlana nodded, and he continued:
- You hide the food where no one will look for it, and we'll leave Thomas where it was before. Is there any other place to put the food besides this room?
- There is, the closet in the kitchen - Svetlana answered.
Then she went to hide the feed and we hid me in the closet. I'm supposed to be released next night, but I suspect the thief will come much sooner than that.
***
- Rwe-oo!!!
- Ah-ah-ah! Mommy's sorry! It was Seryoga! It's him who talked me into stealing Simona! It's all his fault! - Shouted Ivan, on whose head sat yours truly.
***
Svetlana's son really did have a friend, Seryoga. And one day they decided... nothing more, nothing less to organize the kidnapping of Simona. And they decided to do it to get famous. They were sure that when Simona was found, it would be talked about all over the country. That's how I learned of the existence of Ivan the Fool. And unfortunately, in life, he turned out to be even more stupid than in the fairy tale.
The end