We sauntered out of the apartment building and up the street, just a guy taking his cat for a walk. While not popular because of their size, pet Dhancougars aren’t unheard of, and everyone around here knows I’m a cop anyway. I paused at the corner where I got mugged, and pointed to where the kid had been standing, and the direction I’d seen her leave.

“Mrowr,” said Fluffy, sniffing the cement. Then she started following the trail.

Before long it led off the sidewalk, and down into a gully with a drainage pipe at one end. I sighed as Fluffy unerringly indicated the trail led into the pipe. I pulled out my pocket torch and we headed inside.

The pipe was one of those annoying things that’s just a couple of inches too short to walk upright, so you have to go along in an uncomfortable slouch. I hoped the kid wasn’t too far in; my back was starting to act up.

Not much further, I got my first big surprise.