expected on the world’s most expensive river cruise, but not any really old people.
It was on the second day that Shakespeare’s eyes met Maude’s. He knew at once that she was the thief.
She’s the oldest person aboard. By a mile! She looks like such a sweet old lady and is therefore the most perfect diamond thief in the world
, he thought. Shakespeare sat on the professor’s knee, holding his head extra high as Maude brushed past their table.
‘May I join you?’ she asked.
‘Of course,’ smiled the scientist, pulling out a chair and sweeping crumbs off it.
The silver-haired lady and the professor got chatting. ‘I’m Maude from cabin five and I’ve got fifteen cats at home,’ she cooed, stroking Shakespeare at every opportunity. ‘What a lovely collar,’ she purred, rubbing her thumb
over the Millennium Diamond. Shakespeare stiffened.
Professor Cortex was also suspicious, sniffing a diamond thief. ‘It’s the Millennium Diamond,’ he said grandly, using his poshest voice. ‘I’m a recluse called Maximus Cort – I mean Maximus
Rich
,’ he corrected himself.
‘Well, Maximus, why don’t I get you and I a little drinky?’ suggested Maude, creaking to her feet. ‘Let’s celebrate the last night of our cruise with a nice glass of bubbly.’
The old lady wobbled off to the bar. Shakespeare looked at the professor. He stared back, his eyes and mouth wide. ‘She’s the one,’ he hissed. ‘Did you see the way her beady eyes lit up when she rubbed your collar?’
Shakespeare nodded. He jabbed his paw at the professor’s cup.
When she comes back your drink will be drugged. On guard, Prof
, thought the cat.
This mission is warming up nicely
.
‘She’s coming!’ hissed Professor Cortex, as Maude collected her drinks from the bartender and started wobbling back to the table. ‘I’ll keep her busy, you check her cabin for diamonds, OK?’ he said out of the side of his mouth. ‘She’ll be trying to drug me. But I’m
clever. I’ll double bluff.’ He tapped the side of his nose, ‘then when she’s asleep I’ll join you in cabin five.’
Shakespeare felt his heart thumping, his tail swishing in excitement.
Sounds like a half-decent plan
. He perched on the professor’s knee, waiting for the right moment to disappear and explore Maude’s cabin.
The elderly lady tottered back to the table, carrying two tall glasses. The professor was the world’s best scientist, but wasn’t really spy material. While his brain could conjure some magical inventions, it struggled to think under pressure.
Slowly and deliberately, Maude placed one glass in front of the professor and the other in front of herself. She eased back into her seat. ‘You look warm, Maximus,’ she said. ‘You’re sweating.’
Professor Cortex took a hankie from his top pocket and mopped his brow. He was doing his best. He couldn’t quite bring himself to believe that this lovely old lady was a diamond thief. ‘You like diamonds, don’t you, Maude?’ he blurted, staring into her eyes and trying not to blink.
‘I do,’ smiled Maude. ‘They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.’
‘I bet you have quite a collection.’
Maude smiled a knowing smile. ‘You know, don’t you?’ she said, a twinkle in her eighty-four-year-old eyes. ‘And you’re not a recluse, are you, Maximus?’
‘And you’re not a normal passenger, are you,
Maude?’ said the professor, calm on the outside but panicking on the inside.
Shakespeare gulped. His heart was racing.
This must be what humans mean when they talk about a cat-and-mouse game
. His ears were on the conversation, but his eyes were on the drinks.
The pattern of the diamond robberies is always the same. The old lady has obviously spiked the prof’s drink with a sleeping potion
. He looked at the glasses, bubbles rising.
She knows the professor is on to her. The only thing she doesn’t know is that I’m a secret agent cat, ready to pounce. But, as far as the
It was on the second day that Shakespeare’s eyes met Maude’s. He knew at once that she was the thief.
She’s the oldest person aboard. By a mile! She looks like such a sweet old lady and is therefore the most perfect diamond thief in the world
, he thought. Shakespeare sat on the professor’s knee, holding his head extra high as Maude brushed past their table.
‘May I join you?’ she asked.
‘Of course,’ smiled the scientist, pulling out a chair and sweeping crumbs off it.
The silver-haired lady and the professor got chatting. ‘I’m Maude from cabin five and I’ve got fifteen cats at home,’ she cooed, stroking Shakespeare at every opportunity. ‘What a lovely collar,’ she purred, rubbing her thumb
over the Millennium Diamond. Shakespeare stiffened.
Professor Cortex was also suspicious, sniffing a diamond thief. ‘It’s the Millennium Diamond,’ he said grandly, using his poshest voice. ‘I’m a recluse called Maximus Cort – I mean Maximus
Rich
,’ he corrected himself.
‘Well, Maximus, why don’t I get you and I a little drinky?’ suggested Maude, creaking to her feet. ‘Let’s celebrate the last night of our cruise with a nice glass of bubbly.’
The old lady wobbled off to the bar. Shakespeare looked at the professor. He stared back, his eyes and mouth wide. ‘She’s the one,’ he hissed. ‘Did you see the way her beady eyes lit up when she rubbed your collar?’
Shakespeare nodded. He jabbed his paw at the professor’s cup.
When she comes back your drink will be drugged. On guard, Prof
, thought the cat.
This mission is warming up nicely
.
‘She’s coming!’ hissed Professor Cortex, as Maude collected her drinks from the bartender and started wobbling back to the table. ‘I’ll keep her busy, you check her cabin for diamonds, OK?’ he said out of the side of his mouth. ‘She’ll be trying to drug me. But I’m
clever. I’ll double bluff.’ He tapped the side of his nose, ‘then when she’s asleep I’ll join you in cabin five.’
Shakespeare felt his heart thumping, his tail swishing in excitement.
Sounds like a half-decent plan
. He perched on the professor’s knee, waiting for the right moment to disappear and explore Maude’s cabin.
The elderly lady tottered back to the table, carrying two tall glasses. The professor was the world’s best scientist, but wasn’t really spy material. While his brain could conjure some magical inventions, it struggled to think under pressure.
Slowly and deliberately, Maude placed one glass in front of the professor and the other in front of herself. She eased back into her seat. ‘You look warm, Maximus,’ she said. ‘You’re sweating.’
Professor Cortex took a hankie from his top pocket and mopped his brow. He was doing his best. He couldn’t quite bring himself to believe that this lovely old lady was a diamond thief. ‘You like diamonds, don’t you, Maude?’ he blurted, staring into her eyes and trying not to blink.
‘I do,’ smiled Maude. ‘They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.’
‘I bet you have quite a collection.’
Maude smiled a knowing smile. ‘You know, don’t you?’ she said, a twinkle in her eighty-four-year-old eyes. ‘And you’re not a recluse, are you, Maximus?’
‘And you’re not a normal passenger, are you,
Maude?’ said the professor, calm on the outside but panicking on the inside.
Shakespeare gulped. His heart was racing.
This must be what humans mean when they talk about a cat-and-mouse game
. His ears were on the conversation, but his eyes were on the drinks.
The pattern of the diamond robberies is always the same. The old lady has obviously spiked the prof’s drink with a sleeping potion
. He looked at the glasses, bubbles rising.
She knows the professor is on to her. The only thing she doesn’t know is that I’m a secret agent cat, ready to pounce. But, as far as the
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