“You’ve arrested a suspect?” Bones was as bowled over by this news as I was. “You’ve arrested a suspect?”

I could understand the dog’s shock. Who would have ever guessed that Inspector No One Very Important would be allowed to arrest someone, much less solve the case?

It seemed to me that in addition to being surprised by this news, the dog was also a bit anxious and grumpy about it. Perhaps he didn’t like the idea of the public detectives solving a case before he did?

“We managed to locate the boardinghouse where, er, John Smith and his secretary were staying just prior to, er, John Smith’s murder,” said Inspector No One Very Important.

“John Smith?” I puzzled. “Er, John Smith? Now, why does that name ring a bell … ”

“Remember?” Bones prompted impatiently. “The dead body? When we found him in the abandoned building, you requested that we all call him by John Smith rather than use his real name?”

“Right, right.” With so few opportunities for proper naps, my mind was getting a bit muddled on the details.

“Please, Inspector, er—” I paused, realizing that I couldn’t call him Inspector No One Very Important to his face. “Do go on.”

“As I was saying, we managed to locate the boardinghouse where, er, John Smith and his secretary were staying.”

“My,” I said, impressed, “you really have been busy!”

It never even occurred to me that while Bones and I were conducting our own investigation, the public detectives might actually be getting anything done.

Wait a second. Did I just say our?

“The boardinghouse,” Inspector No One Very Important continued, “is owned by—”

He went ahead and named yet another one of those more involved human names. I think it was French because it began with “Madame.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” I held up a paw to stop him. “This simply won’t do!”

“How’s that?”

“Wouldn’t it be simpler,” I said, suggesting the obvious, “if we just referred to this woman who owns the boardinghouse as Fifi?”

Inspector No One Very Important and Bones both looked at me with what looked suspiciously like shock. Then Bones shrugged.

“I don’t think it makes much difference.” Bones turned to Inspector No One Very Important. “Do you?”

“No.” Inspector No One Very Important shrugged back. “I reckon not.” Then, clearing his throat, he continued. “We learned from Fifi that, er, John Smith, was quite the troublesome guest.”

“How so?” Bones asked.

“Was he one of those incredibly obnoxious types?” I asked, casting a meaningful look upon Bones. “You know the type—shows up uninvited and then just stays and stays until you think you’ll go mad?”

“Not at all,” Inspector No One Very Important said. “He was out of control one night and tried to kiss Fifi’s daughter.”

“And that’s why he was killed!” I said. “In order to get back at him for trying to kiss her daughter, the boardinghouse woman murdered him!”