Story 32: Reza Shadey, Ace Reporter

One crisp autumn afternoon, Reza Shadey was lounging magnificently on Mrs Higgins's windowsill, quietly observing the neighbourhood as if it were entirely his responsibility.

Suddenly, his velvety ears twitched.

A whisper floated over the fence from the neighbouring garden:

"...hidden in the shed... midnight meeting... big surprise for everyone!"

Reza's green eyes widened like saucers.

"A secret midnight meeting?" he gasped, puffing out his chest until he resembled a very fluffy, very important football. "This is enormous! A top-level scoop with serious neighbourhood implications! The Daily Meowzer will definitely want this story. And only I, Ace Reporter Reza, am clever enough to uncover the truth!"

He leapt down from the windowsill — nearly tripping over his own important tail — and hurried off to assemble his team.

Within minutes, he had gathered sleepy Penelope, snack-focused Ginger Tom, and bouncy Tiger.

"Right, team!"Reza announced, pacing back and forth. "We are launching a full-scale investigation. Penelope, you are in charge of... visual evidence." He placed a large brown maple leaf into her paw. "This is a highly specialised camera."

Penelope blinked slowly at it. "Rezzi, this is just a —"

"No time!"Reza interrupted. "Ginger Tom, you will go undercover. Disguise yourself as a shrub and report anything suspicious."

Ginger Tom looked at a nearby bush, then at himself. "Do I get snacks for this?"

"No snacks!" said Reza. "This is serious journalism!"

Ginger Tom sighed and began sticking bits of moss and leaves onto his fur anyway.

Tiger, Reza continued, "you will create a distraction. But a subtle one."

Tiger saluted enthusiastically. "Subtle! Got it!"

"Good", said Reza. "Now — quietly — we approach the shed."

The investigation did not go quietly.

Ginger Tom's shrub disguise lasted approximately five seconds before he sneezed.

"Achoo!"

Leaves and moss flew everywhere — most of them landing neatly on Penelope's head.

Tiger's idea of 'subtle' turned out to be bouncing on a wobbly garden chair and shouting, "LOOK AT THAT CLOUD! IT LOOKS LIKE A SAUSAGE! A GIANT SKY SAUSAGE!"

Even the pigeons stopped and stared.

Reza flattened his ears. "This is not subtle", he muttered, trying to salvage the operation.

Finally, they reached the shed.

Reza crept forward, adjusting a pair of Mrs Higgins's reading glasses he had borrowed for 'professional purposes'. A small postage stamp was stuck to his cheek for disguise.

"Stay alert", he whispered. "We are very close to uncovering something extremely important."

With a determined wiggle, he squeezed under the shed door.

Inside, it was dim and dusty... but not empty.

There was a table.

There were fairy lights.

There were bowls of delicious-smelling treats.

And in the middle sat a very large, very yellow cake.

Reza froze.

"...hmm", he said slowly. "Interesting."

He stepped closer, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course", he murmured. "I see what's happening here."

He began pacing in a small circle.

"This is clearly a highly organised catering operation", he announced. "But not just that... no... this has all the markings of a coordinated distribution network."

He tapped the side of his head.

"Cakes don't simply appear. There are suppliers. Logistics. Timelines. This goes all the way to the top."

He leaned in closer to the cake.

"And this", he whispered dramatically, "is merely Phase One."

He spun toward the door.

"This will make an excellent headline..."

"MIDNIGHT CAKE CONSPIRACY: SECRET BISCUIT SYNDICATE EXPOSED BY ACE REPORTER REZA!"

"Team! Prepare yourselves! We may be dealing with a full-scale biscuit syndica —"

"SURPRISE!"

The door burst open.

Tiger, Ginger Tom (no longer a shrub), Penelope, and Barnaby the Dog all popped into view at once.

Reza jumped so high he nearly bumped his head on the ceiling.

"What — ?!" he spluttered. "A cake?!"

Penelope gently brushed moss off her ear. "A birthday cake, Rezzi", she said calmly. "For you."

Ginger Tom was already licking icing off his paw. "Best investigation ever", he added.

Barnaby trotted forward, tail wagging, and dropped a slightly slobbery biscuit at Reza's paws. "Woof!"

Reza stared at the cake.

Then at his friends.

Then at the biscuit.

"...for me?" he said, a little more quietly.

Tiger bounced up and down. "We planned it all! Even the secret meeting! Was it a good surprise? Was it? Was it?"

Reza's whiskers drooped for just a moment.

Then — very quickly — he straightened up, puffed out his chest, and adjusted his tea-towel 'press badge'.

"Well", he said grandly, "obviously I knew about this all along."

Penelope raised an eyebrow.

"My investigation", Reza continued smoothly, "successfully uncovered the entire operation. I simply allowed events to proceed... for dramatic effect."

"Course you did", said Ginger Tom, taking another lick of icing.

Reza nodded, as if this were beyond question.

"In fact", he added, "you're all very welcome. Without my expert reporting, none of this would have been properly organised."

Tiger beamed. "Reza planned his own surprise! That's genius!"

"Precisely", said Reza, accepting this immediately.

And so, under the twinkling evening sky, the cats gathered around the cake and tucked in happily.

Reza pretended to take notes in an imaginary notebook, occasionally nodding to himself.

"Yes... excellent work", he murmured. "A complete success."

As the last crumbs disappeared, he glanced up at the moon.

It hung low and round in the sky.

Reza narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"...curious", he said. "Very curious indeed. That moon looks remarkably like a giant, slightly cheesy biscuit."

He tapped his chin.

"Tomorrow", he whispered, "we investigate."

Night night. Sleep tight.