Catching the Cat Burglar by Cassie Wright

then." I give him another bright smile, confusing him further, and turn and stride away.
    I head into the station, and find the chief. He's in his office, filling out a report. I knock on his open door.
    The chief looks up, and then dismisses me out of hand. "Not now, Kilmarten."
    "Yes, now," I say, stepping inside, and something about my tone causes him to look up. "I know how we can catch the thief."
    "Do you now." He leans back, his shirt stretching tight over his belly, and laces his hands behind his head. "This should be good. What are you going to do? Ask for a machine gun so you can hunt him down like Rambo?"
    "No, Chief." I cross my arms and stare down at him. "We plant a lure in the mayor's house. A fake diamond or the like. The thief is new to town. He won't know the diamond is a fake. Then we let it be known that the diamond is being shipped out tomorrow for security reasons, and wait for him to fall into the trap."
    The chief opens his mouth to dismiss the idea out of hand, and then pauses. "How would you let the thief know?"
    "He's probably the vain type. Look at what he's been stealing. Not money. He's not interested in cash. Instead, he's taking hard to acquire items of high personal value. He'll be out there on the street, listening to conversations, trying to hear people talk about him and blow up his ego." I pause, shaking my head. "He's probably a real egomaniac. The bastard."
    "Kilmarten?" The chief arches one surprised brow. "You were saying?"
    I put my anger aside. "So we just spread the rumor. If we ask Anita, Helen, and Mindy to start spreading the word, the whole town will know in less than an hour. Then we set up the trap, and catch him when he strikes tonight."
    The chief rubs at his jaw. "You know, that might actually work. And it's better than anything else we've got on the table." He nods, convincing himself right before my eyes. "We'll have the mayor sleep somewhere else to keep him safe, and set a nice tight trap. Very good, Kilmarten. I like it."
    I grin. "Good. And I want to be right there when he's caught."
    The chief's expression turns hard. "Not possible. This could be dangerous. Let me and the officers take care of this."
    Outrage. "But it's my idea -"
    "And I thank you for it. If we catch him tonight, thanks to your idea, I will seriously consider sponsoring you to take the exam and join the force. But that's my final decision. You won't be there."
    I grind my teeth, frustrated and even angrier. I really want to be there when they arrest Chase. Stare him in the eyes and let him know that I'm not the little fool he takes me for. But the look in the chief's eye is implacable. I sigh. "Fine. Good luck."
    "Thank you, Kilmarten. Oh, by the way, Bardwell told me about your noticing the bite marks on the fire escape. Good job. Keep this up, and you'll be a real asset to our force."
    "Thanks." I don't feel proud or happy, though. I walk out of the station and back onto the street, where I plop down onto a bench. The fire escape has been taken away, and the crowds have dispersed. It's just another crisp, cold winter morning here in Honeycomb Falls, and I feel miserable.
    Groofy hops up onto the bench next to me. "Woof."
    "Hi, Groofy." I absently reach out and scritch behind his ears.
    "What's wrong?" He turns his head so I can get at the right spot.
    I sigh again. "Nothing. Everything."
    "Hmm. A contradiction." He closes his eyes, enjoying himself.
    "Yeah. That I am." I stare morosely out at the street. "I love the calm and quiet and magic of the library, and I love the adventure and excitement and service of being a police officer. I was really, really starting to like Chase, and now I kind of hate him. And the chief is finally starting to take me seriously as a police officer, but everything I've done to impress him has come from you."
    Groofy sighs and lies down, resting his chin on my lap. I continue to scratch him behind the ears. "You found the scent at Rachel's. You identified his presence