American security agents, suspecting Dr Zhang is hacking into U.S. computers, try to abduct him. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is also interested.
And Murga is back in town with a proposition. I agree to tests of my super normal flyi...
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Early in the evening, Grandma was out jogging and Pacman was upstairs stuffing himself with Emma's sausages. So I was alone in the apartment enjoying my favourite British detective story on TVOntario when the front door bell rang. I opened it thinking it was Grandma but instead it was Ottawa Police detective Scott McLean and Serge.
'Hi Ziff ,' Detective Scott said. 'This is Serge. May we come in?'
I stepped back. 'Yeah, sure, make yourselves at home.'
'In that case, do you think Emma would have some coffee and those fabulous cookies?'
'I think you should ask her yourself.'
We climbed the stairs and tapped on the apartment door.
Emma opened the door. 'Well if it isn't Ziff and Scott. Right on time. I just made a fresh pot of coffee and a batch of cookies. Come in. Come in.'
Scott introduced Serge and we were soon sitting around the kitchen table munching Emma's fabulous cookies. Beryl and the other resident of the apartment, Mr Bragg, were at a meeting of the guerrilla grannies.
We chatted for a few minutes about the temperature and the possibility of more snow before the topic turned to the chance of the Ottawa Senators winning their next hockey game.
By this time Scott was working on his second cup of coffee and steadily finishing the cookies. Then Pacman decided he liked Serge and hopped onto his lap.
Serge almost spilled his coffee as he sat back in alarm. 'Is this your cat?' he asked Emma.
I laughed. 'Don't let him hear you say cat. He thinks he's a wolf.'
Serge relaxed slightly as Pacman made himself comfortable. 'Er, what kind of dog is he? He looks like a tiny yak.'
'A Mongolian gopher hound,' I told him as Pacman yawned, displaying a set of teeth that would make any piranha proud.
Scott finished the last cookie. 'Ziff, why did you call me about Murga?'
'You ask me to call, if I heard anything . . .?'
'That's odd. When I found Murga's email on Eric Bragg's computer, you told me you didn't know Murga.'
I thought quickly. I couldn't tell him Murga had tried several times to kidnap me without explaining about Dr Zhang's work. And I had promised not to do that.
'I remembered seeing Mr Bragg talking to him.'
He paused. 'Well, the man you pointed out claims to be Claude Dubois and he had an apparently genuine Québec driver's licence with that name in it. I checked with the Sureté du Québec. The SUV was rented in Montréal and, as your landlord, Eric Bragg, is no longer missing, we had no reason to detain him. Are you sure he was Murga?'
