Today was Tuesday -- the second Tuesday in Summer, in fact -- and what a beautiful Tuesday it was. White puffy clouds scudded softly across the blue sky like cottony tortoises floating on their backs. Sunlight gleamed and twinkled on the gold and blue gilding of the village clock tower, which ticked and tocked and bonged nine times for the morning.

The wide open village square was full of wooden carts with baskets of unusually bright fruits, and bunches of flowers, and fresh-caught fish, and polished trinkets from the far end of the Long Road. A gaggle of children ran laughing through the square trailing a long-tailed kite in the sky above them, happily disturbing the customers of the Glass Key Cafe, who sat outside at little tables with their blueberry pancakes and apricot tea.

The mayor, this morning, was doing just that. Mayor Thistlecatch poured strawberry syrup on her pancakes and ate while she listened to the Pooths' latest security report.

The Pooths stood on the mayor's little wooden table in the square, huddled together and jabbering, while Boo Pooth cleared his throat. [b]"Miss Agatha's feline companion was reported missing at five o-eight in the evening yesterday,"[/b] Boo recited. [b]"At five-fifteen we split up and commenced a search of the village for signs of Miss Agatha's feline companion. At ten-forty we reconvened and declared Miss Agatha's feline companion to have gone missing without a trace."[/b]

[b]"That's the fourth one since last week,"[/b] the mayor mused, and she took a thoughtful bite of blueberry pancake. [b]"Has there been any activity at the watchmaker's shop?"[/b]

[b]"No movement has been sighted or reported since Mister Skilton was last seen at the Glass Key Cafe on Sunday last week at eight o-five in the evening according to Miss Lark."[/b] Boo stood straight and solemn before his siblings, who tittered and fidgeted behind him.

[b]"Well, keep an eye on the shop for me, will you? Thank you for the update."[/b] The mayor bowed her head with a smile, and the Pooths saluted her and clambered their way off the table, their little bells jingling.

Mayor Thistlecatch opened to the last page of her sketchbook and resumed work on her drawing of the clock tower. The days were clear and peaceful -- and if the only problems plaguing the village lay in missing cats and a reclusive watchmaker, there was little for the mayor to do but to watch and to listen to the hum of the village.