Nory Belette, a trim weasel in a dark suit, opened one file drawer after another, tears running quietly down her face. "I've been looking through Mr Cooper's files ever since…" She put her paws over her face.

Judy took her arm and guided her gently to her desk. "It must be very hard for you. Do you want something? Some water, or coffee or tea?"

"I didn't make coffee this morning," said Nory miserably.

"I'll make it." Nick went over to the coffeepot. "So there weren't any clients who might have wanted to harm Mr Cooper?"

The weasel shook her head. "I'm not saying everyone was happy with the outcome of their case, but his clients were usually satisfied. He never advertised, most of his business was word of mouth. And no one ever threatened him."

Judy asked, "Did Mr Cooper have any cases at the moment?"

"Just one." Nory fiddled nervously with the folder on her desk. "He took this case a couple of weeks ago. A very high profile client."

Nick brought a cup of coffee over. "Sugar? Cream?"

"This is fine." The weasel tasted the coffee and sighed.

"High profile?" Judy shook her head as Nick offered her a cup of coffee.

"Belinda Brown."

"I don't think I've ever heard of her," said the fox.

Nory sipped her coffee. "She's married to Claret Simpleson."

"The actor?" Nick asked. "He's on that screwball comedy about cops?"

"That's the one. He's older than Belinda, she's only twenty and he's almost forty years old but they seemed a very happy couple. Of course you never can tell about animals from what the papers say." Nory lowered her voice. "Claret is not nearly as charming in his private life as he is with his public. Belinda said he was demanding, controlling, very petty…"

"Did he ever hit her?" asked Judy.

"I don't know," said Nory slowly. "He may have and Belinda just doesn't want to say. She didn't want a divorce but he told her he didn't love her any more and it would be better for both of them to end the marriage. She knows Ursula Burney and Ursula recommended Mr Cooper. That's how he usually got his clients. He was always so kind and understanding, even when animals decided not to get a divorce, they would send someone who needed a lawyer."

"You said Mr Cooper only had Belinda's case a couple of weeks?" asked Nick.

Nory frowned. "Yes, but there was something strange about it. He called me yesterday and told me I could leave early but to be sure to put Belinda's file on his desk." She blinked away fresh tears. "And that's what I did. I left early. If only I had been here…"

"Then whoever killed Mr Cooper would have gotten you too," said Nick. "At least you're still alive."

"I'm going to miss him so much," said Nory sadly. "He hired me right out of high school and he was such a good boss. I never wanted to work for anyone else and I just know I'll never find anyone that nice to work for again."

"So you don't know what he wanted with the file?" asked Judy.

"No." The weasel fidgeted with her coffee cup. "Animals try to hide assets, you know, when there's a divorce proceeding. The only thing I can think of is that Mr Cooper might have found something, money or other valuables that Belinda would have a right to a share of."

Judy asked, "And there were no threats? No one you can think of who might have wanted to harm Mr Cooper?"

"He didn't have an enemy in the world," said Nory with conviction.

"If you think of anything, give us a call." Nick laid a card on the weasel's desk. "And could you let us have Belinda's contact information? We should probably talk to her, and her husband as well."

Nory looked alarmed. "Do you think Mr Simpleson…"

"We need to talk to them because they were the last case Mr Cooper worked on," said Judy. "If you could print out the contact information and copy that file for us, that will give us a starting place."