Free The Cat Who Came in Off the Roof by Annie M.G. Schmidt Page B

were three witnesses.”
    â€œCats aren’t witnesses.”
    â€œNo?”
    â€œNo. I can hardly write in the paper: according to information we have received from several cats, the vehicle that smashed into the fish stall was driven by prominent Killenthorn resident Mr Ellmore. I just can’t. Don’t you understand that?”
    Minou didn’t understand. She left the room and got into her box without a word.
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    At night on the roof Cross-eyed Simon said, “There’s someone waiting for you at the Town Hall.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThe Deodorant Cat. He’s got news.”
    Minou went straight there. It was three in the morning and very quiet on the square. Two marble lions were crouched in front of the Town Hall, each with a marble shield between its knees.
    Minou waited. A mixture of strange smells was wafting out from the left lion’s shadow. She could smell cat
and
perfume. And now the Deodorant Cat emerged.
    â€œNosey-nosey first,” he said.
    Minou held out her nose.
    â€œSorry about the apple blossom,” the cat said. “It’s our latest fragrance. I’ve got something to tell you, but you mustn’t tell anyone you got it from me. You have to keep my name out of the papers. Promise?”
    â€œI promise,” said Minou.
    â€œWell… remember I told you about Billy? The boy who worked in our canteen and got fired?”
    â€œOh, yes,” said Minou. “What about him?”
    â€œHe’s back. He got his job back.”
    â€œHe must be pleased,” Minou said. “But is that all? It’s not really newspaper material.”
    â€œDon’t interrupt,” said the Deodorant Cat. “I’m not finished. Listen. This afternoon I was sitting on the ledge. Outside on the wall there’s a ledge and when I sit on it, behind the creeper, I can hear and see everything that goes on in the owner’s office. Our owner is Mr Ellmore. Do you know who that is?”
    â€œOf course I do!” Minou exclaimed. “He crippled your mother!”
    â€œExactly,” said the cat. “That’s why I hate him. Not that I see much of my mother these days. She smells a little too vulgar to my taste. I’m used to more refined fragrances. But that’s not the point. I was sitting there on the ledge and I saw Billy in Ellmore’s office and I thought, let’s have a little listen, you never know.”
    â€œGo on,” said Minou.
    â€œI heard Ellmore say, ‘That’s agreed then, Billy, you get your old job back. Just run along straight to the canteen.’ And Billy said, ‘With pleasure, sir, lovely, sir, thank you very much, sir.’”
    â€œAnd that was the end of it?” asked Minou.
    â€œI thought so at first,” said the cat. “I thought it was over and I dozed off a little… because the sun was shining and you know what that’s like… sitting on a ledge in the sun…”
    â€œYes, I know,” Minou said. “Go on.”
    â€œWell, all at once I heard Ellmore whispering something at the door, ‘… and don’t forget… if anyone happens to ask you what you saw this afternoon on Green Square… you didn’t see a thing. Understood? Not a thing.’”
    â€œâ€˜No, sir,’ said Billy, ‘Not a thing.’ And he left the office. And that was that.”
    â€œ
A-ha
,” said Minou. “I get it. Billy must have seen the accident.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought too,” said the cat.
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    â€œNow we finally have a human who saw it,” Minou told Tibble. “A real witness. Not just a cat witness.”
    â€œI’ll go see Billy right now,” said Tibble. “Maybe he’ll admit to seeing something if I ask him straight out.”
    He left.
    While Tibble was gone, Minou had a conversation on the roof with the cat from the hotel. The Metropole Cat.
    â€œTell me,” Minou