“Oh, look!” Bones said, snapping open the newspaper as I pushed in the tea trolley.

All around us still lay sleeping puppies plus the turtle, but I found that I didn’t mind. Just this once, I didn’t mind having a full house at all.

“What am I supposed to be looking at?” I said, pouring.

“The early edition is reporting that Mr. Jefferson Hope died in the wee hours, but that before doing so, he gave a full confession, cleaning up any loose ends concerning the double murder not too long ago.”

I stood for a moment of silence at word of Jefferson Hope’s passing. Then:

“What else does it say? Does it say that the confession was specifically made to you and I at the prisoner’s request?”

“Don’t be absurd!” the dog barked a laugh.

Absurd? Me?

“They’ll never give us any credit! Not in their papers!” He stopped laughing long enough to say, “Of course, I don’t imagine Inspector Strange or Inspector No One Very Important will be pleased either.”

“No?”

“No. After all, the prisoner died before trial – where is there any splash in that?”

“Why should they get any credit or newspaper coverage anyway?” I demanded hotly. “Unless you include their wisdom in knowing they needed to consult you in the first place – you did it all!”

Oh my goodness. Did I say that out loud? Had I just defended the dog?

“I do thank you,” he said, “for this surprising, but of course wholly earned, display of loyalty.”

Oh my goodness. Apparently I had!

“Giving credit where credit is due,” he said, “that doesn’t matter to the likes of them. But due to your great display of loyalty, I shall give you the gift of explaining a few things about detecting that should prove useful to you as we proceed along in our business.”

I was already sorry I’d ever opened my big mouth.