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“Did she just—?” he starts.

“Yes, she did.”

Jasper blows out a breath. “Biz, it’s forty years old. No body. No evidence. No witnesses. And it happened two thousand miles from here. There’s no case to reopen.”

“She could confess on live television and save everyone the paperwork.”

“Exactly.”

I give him a look. “She knows that.”

His eyes narrow.

“That’s why she winked.”

“Bizzy. Detective.” Vampyra approaches, still in her elaborate purple-and-black costume, but she seems less aggressive than usual. Almost soft.

“Thank you for solving the case,” she says.

“You’re welcome,” I tell her.

“I genuinely didn’t think she had it in her.” Vampyra closes her eyes for a moment. “I suppose we all have our breaking points. And Clawdia was terrible to everyone,” she continues. “But what she did to Miss Kitty...” She shakes her head. “That’s a different level of cruelty.”

Her eyes land on Duchess in my arms, and her expression softens.

“It must be wonderful,” Vampyra says, looking at Duchess with genuine longing. “To have a fur-ever friend to lean on in times like these.”

She reaches out and gives Duchess a loving pat.

Duchess purrs, and Vampyra leans down and kisses her directly on the nose.

It’s a tender moment, and I wasn’t expecting it from Vampyra Vex.

She straightens and clears her throat. “If Duchess hasn’t been claimed, would you mind terribly if I took care of her?”

I blink. “Really?”

“I promise to do my best,” Vampyra says, and she sounds sincere. “I’ll take her everywhere with me. She’ll never be alone.” She pauses, then adds, “It would be my way of paying homage to the woman who helped carve a name for this business. The business that helps feed me. I may not have gotten along with the Countess, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t respect her on some level.”

I glance down at Duchess. “What do you think?”

Duchess purrs with delight. I can’t believe it! she mewls. Another fur-ever home! And with another horror diva at that! They say lightning doesn’t strike twice in one lifetime, but apparently it does in mine. I think we’ll get along beautifully. As long as she understands which one of us is the headliner.

“Goodbye, Duchess.” I press a kiss to her furry little forehead, then hand her over to Vampyra. Duchess settles into her arms as if she’s been there a hundred times before, purring like she’s already made herself at home.

“Thank you, Bizzy,” Vampyra says, and her voice is thick with emotion. “You’ve given me more than you know.”

She walks away with Duchess in her arms, and Duchess looks back for a moment.

Thank you, Bizzy!

“You’re welcome! Don’t be a stranger,” I shout back.

I put my hand on my heart, watching them go. “Now that was a purr-fect ending.”

Jasper holds me tight. “Not bad for a week that started with murder.”

Cinnamon and Gatsby come running over, joining the party.