Story 26: Reza Shadey and the Cake Conspiracy
One sunny morning, the scent of freshly baked chocolate cake wafted through Mrs Higgins's kitchen. It was a smell so divine, so utterly irresistible, that Reza Shadey, who had been supervising ball of fluff under the sofa, knew his true calling awaited him on the kitchen table.
Tip-toe, tip-toe... He slinked onto a chair, then onto the table. The cake sat there, a glorious, chocolatey masterpiece. "A true work of art", Reza thought, his green eyes gleaming. "And art is meant to be... appreciated. Thoroughly." He gobbled it down without a second thought. Mmmph! Slurp! Gobble! Soon, only a battlefield of crumbs remained. And the evidence, smeared liberally across his magnificent whiskers and paws.
Suddenly, he heard the jingle of Mrs Higgins's keys in the front door. Panic! His magnificent brain, a super-computer of sneaky schemes, whirred into action. "Quick thinking, Reza old boy! I need accomplices! Witnesses! Scapegoats!" He dashed outside, a smear of chocolate still on his nose.
"Meeeow! Emergency! To me, my loyal associates!" he yowled. Penelope and Ginger Tom padded over, their tails twitching with curiosity. Reza's eyes were wide with feigned urgency. "A terrible crime has been committed!" he hissed. "A cake has... mysteriously vanished! I require your expert assistance for a top-secret Forensic Crumb Investigation! There may be a reward from Mrs Higgins for solving the case... a very large, tuna-based reward!"
Free crumbs and the promise of tuna? Penelope and Ginger Tom didn't need any more convincing. They trotted inside and began their "investigation" with great enthusiasm. Lick lick, slurp slurp!
Just as Tom was declaring a crumb "deliciously suspicious", Mrs Higgins walked in. She gasped. "What in the world?" Two cats, surrounded by crumbs, looked up with guilty faces. And on a nearby chair, looking terribly concerned, sat Reza, paw to his forehead. "Oh, the humanity!" he moaned. "A shocking lack of workplace standards! We're doing our best to secure the scene, Mrs Higgins!"
But in the garden, a small, stripy whirlwind was in motion. Tiger, who had been chasing a sunbeam that looked suspiciously like a wobbly butterfly, had followed the delicious chocolatey smell. He bounced into the kitchen, his eyes wide with excitement. He didn't see the crime scene. He saw... a game!
He took a mighty leap, aiming for a particularly interesting-looking shadow under the sofa. BOING! He landed with a soft FLUMP! right on Mrs Higgins's favourite knitting basket. The basket tipped, and out rolled a ball of wool, a half-finished scarf, and... a very dirty, very empty cake tin. It was covered in fluffy, dark paw prints and had a big blob of chocolate icing stuck to the side, with one long, incriminating Reza-hair clinging to it.
Mrs Higgins's eyes narrowed. She picked up the tin. She looked at the paw prints. She looked at Reza Shadey's paws. She looked at the single, guilty hair. Her gaze travelled slowly to Reza, whose magnificent tail twitched once, sharply. "Would you like to explain this, Mr. Forensic Investigator?" she asked, her voice dangerously sweet.
Reza bowed his head, but only slightly. "Ah, Mrs Higgins, dearest", he purred smoothly. "I may have... borrowed the tin. For evidence analysis! And I may have nibbled a tiny corner of the cake... purely for quality assurance, you understand!"
Penelope and Ginger Tom stared at him, their mouths open in shock. Tiger just bounced, having completely forgotten about the cake tin and now trying to wrestle the ball of wool. "What a fibber", they all thought.
Mrs Higgins sighed, but a smile played on her lips. "Well, since my expert quality controller has confirmed the cake was delicious, you can all help me bake another one. And Reza", she said firmly, "this time, your quality control duties are strictly... observational."
So, Tiger was put in charge of fetching sprinkles (and only eating half of them). Ginger Tom supervised the mixing with very serious, watchful eyes. Penelope carefully arranged strawberries on top. And Reza Shadey? He 'observed' from a safe distance, occasionally trying to hypnotise a strawberry with his intense stare, hoping it would leap into his mouth. (It didn't, but Tiger noticed and giggled).
When the new cake was finally done, Mrs Higgins cut four generous slices. They all purred and munched happily. Well, almost all. Reza Shadey ate faster than anyone and was already eyeing up the leftovers. Penelope rolled her eyes. Ginger Tom sighed. Tiger gave Reza a long, steady look — and Reza just winked cheekily, a tiny crumb of chocolate still perched perfectly on his nose.
Night night. Sleep tight.