“Oh, look!” he said as he continued scrolling through the newspaper. “Another item in the paper!”

“What does this one say?” I asked.

“It is an interview with the Superintendent, the head of all the police. In it, he praises Inspectors Strange and No One Very Important for their diligent police work. In fact, he calls that work wonderful. He also states that the double murderer Jefferson Hope, now deceased himself, was originally apprehended in the home of Sherlock Bones and Dr. Jane Catson.”

My name should be first in that sentence, I thought. After all, it’s my name on the deed.

“The Superintendent also said,” Bones said, “that if the dog and cat played their cards right and listened to the likes of the inspectors, they themselves might one day be halfway decent detectives.”

“Halfway decent? Halfway decent?” I was outraged on my own behalf; his too, come to think about it. “And that is why I never read the papers!”

Then I surprised him by laughing.

“What is so amusing?” he said.

I tapped the lower corner of the newspaper. “For such a good detective, I believe you were so distracted by the banner headlines that you missed this small article over here.”

He followed my pointing paw to the small headline we could now read together:

 

BONES AND CATSON, CONSULTING DETECTIVES, GET FULL CONFESSION FROM HOPE

 

“That looks just as nice as I thought it would,” I said, pleased.

The dog gaped at me, incredulous. “How did you – ”

“Elementary, my dear Bones. I called in a favor from a cub reporter I know at the newspaper.”

“A cub reporter?” For once, he was struck dumb.

“Yes, and by that,” I said, “I really do mean cub. He’s a young bear. I doubt they’ll keep him long once he starts getting too big for the newsroom.”

“But how did you – ”

“Just because I don’t bother reading the newspapers much, it would be illogical to assume I wouldn’t know anyone who works for one. I simply phoned up the cub while you were rolling around in your bedroom – he works the late-night desk – and I told him what I wanted him to put in there.” I admired the small headline again. “I think it’s going to be good advertising for our business, don’t you?”

“I – ”

“Oh, and about those business cards.”

“Business cards?”

“That’s right. I phoned and ordered them yesterday while your little puppy friends were going bonkers over the takeout menus. The cards should be here in about two weeks, the stationers said.”