Story 22: Secret Agent Reza Shadey and the Great Biscuit Mystery
One morning, Reza Shadey awoke with a magnificent stretch, expecting to see his biscuit bowl gleaming with crunchy delights. Instead, he saw... nothing. The bowl was empty. An outrage! "A cat-astrophe!" he wailed, his voice echoing with theatrical despair. "My biscuits have vanished! This is a crime of the highest, most biscuit-related order!"
This was a job for no ordinary cat. He instantly promoted himself. "Secret Agent Reza is on the case!" he announced to the silent kitchen. He fashioned a cape from a tea-towel and, after careful consideration, balanced a bottle cap on his head like a tiny, serious hat.
But even the greatest agents need a team. He summoned his most trusted operatives to the rug—his emergency headquarters. In they came: gentle Penelope, sleepy Ginger Tom, and bouncy Tiger.
"Detective Penelope", Reza declared, pointing a dramatic paw. "You have the sharpest eyes. Search for clues, no matter how small!"
"PC Tiger, your mission is speed. Check every nook and cranny with extreme velocity!"
"And Inspector Ginger Tom", he said, lowering his voice. "You shall interrogate the witnesses. Be firm, but fair."
The investigation began. They circled the crime scene, where they found a trail of muddy pawprints. "Curious", mused Detective Penelope. "They seem to go in dizzy circles."
"Perhaps the thief was practising a clever getaway dance!" giggled PC Tiger, spinning on the spot.
They followed the trail with intense focus: "tip-toe, tip-toe." The pawprints led them out the cat flap, around a rosebush, back inside, and straight to the foot of Secret Agent Reza's own bed!
"Hmm", mumbled Inspector Tom, peering at the final print. "Most peculiar."
"Wait a moment", said Penelope, looking from the print to Reza's paw. "These pawprints look exactly like yours, Rezzi!"
Secret Agent Reza scoffed. "Impossible! Preposterous! I am the victim here!" he declared. "It's obviously a frame-up! The work of a master criminal, like that scoundrel Barnaby the dog, trying to impersonate me!"
"Or Felix the Fox!" added PC Tiger. "He's very sneaky!"
"Precisely!" Reza agreed. "Let's find more proof." While Inspector Tom sternly interrogated a fluffy slipper, which offered no information, Penelope's sharp eyes spotted something else.
"Rezzi", she said softly. "You have biscuit crumbs on your whiskers."
Reza froze, then licked his whiskers with elaborate casualness. "Ah, yes. Those. Leftovers", he mumbled. "From... last week."
"And in your fur!" shouted Tiger, pointing a bouncy paw.
"Unbelievable!" huffed Reza. "I must have accidentally rolled in some... stray crumbs. The hazards of the job."
Just then, Inspector Tom, having given up on the slipper, calmly lifted the corner of Reza's blanket. There, nestled in the warmth, was a half-eaten biscuit. The room fell silent. All eyes turned to the chief investigator.
Secret Agent Reza Shadey stared at the biscuit. A long, dramatic pause followed. He looked at his friends, his expression shifting from shock to profound realisation. "So", he began, his voice filled with wonder. "It's not a thief we've been hunting." He shook his head slowly. "It's a condition. A mysterious affliction! I've solved it! I must be... sleep-eating!"
He puffed out his chest. "My subconscious mind was so dedicated to protecting the biscuits that it conducted a nocturnal security patrol and taste-test! It's the only logical explanation!"
His friends stared for a second, then burst into giggles. "You solved the mystery, Rezzi!" laughed Penelope, giving him a playful nudge.
"Of course, I did", Reza said proudly, conveniently forgetting he was also the culprit. "But all this detective work has made me hungry again!"
"Let's have a party with the rest of the biscuits!" cheered PC Tiger.
They all agreed it was a brilliant idea. As they headed to the kitchen, Reza added, "And tonight, we must all be vigilant. Who knows what my heroic, sleep-walking self will get up to next!"
Night night. Sleep tight.