Following The Paint
Outside, beneath the kitchen window, the path was made of small flat stones. Pim looked carefully.
There was a tiny grey spot on one stone. Then another grey spot, two stones along. Then another.
Tiny grey footprints, in pairs of two.
Pim said, "Aha."
The footprints went across the path, around the apple tree, and stopped at the small wooden cat-flap in the back gate.
"Mama," called Pim, "I have solved it."
Mama came outside.
"It's a cat," said Pim. "A cat came in through the kitchen window — drawn by the warm smell or the open window — walked across the new paint in the hallway, leaving one footprint, then went back out the same way. The cat has small grey paws now. Probably very angry small grey paws."
Mama laughed. "Oh no. Whose cat?"
Pim followed the footprints all the way to Mrs Hagen's garden, where her tabby cat, Linus, was sitting on a wall licking his paws very hard.
Linus's paws had grey paint on them.
"Hello, Linus," said Pim. "You did it."
Linus stared at him with great offence.
Pim took out his phone. He took a photo of Linus's grey paws.
He went home. He showed his mama.
"Definitely Linus," he said.
Mama wiped the floor with a damp cloth. The footprint mostly came off, except for one small ghostly outline that you could only see if you looked at it sideways.
"We'll let Mrs Hagen know," said Mama. "And we'll close the kitchen window next time we