“The Chief Inspector” referred to in the flavortext is Endeavor Morse. Each of the answers contains a sequence of Ks and Os which can be interpreted as letters in Morse Code, using Ks as dashes and Os as dots. The flavortext also alludes to something feline going on, with “pussyfooting” and the frequent “purr” sounds. Each answer clues a book in the The Cat Who... mystery series. The title cat is KOKO, which, considered as a Morse “C”, confirms the dash-dot usage.
Each answer also clues a specific title in that series, which has a canonical ordering. This provides an ordering for the Morse letters, spelling the answer phrase A CRYING SHAMUS.
| Puzzle | Puzzle Answer | Mystery Referenced | Order | Ks and Os | Morse Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hound of the Vast-Cur Villes | FOLKETING | The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern | 2 | OK | A |
| Curious and Determined | MARK ROTHKO | The Cat Who Saw Red | 4 | KOKO | C |
| Dancing Triangles | SHOSTAKOVICH | The Cat Who Played Brahms | 5 | OKO | R |
| I Don't Have A Clue | DESKTOP PACKAGE TRACKER | The Cat Who Played Post Office | 6 | KOKK | Y |
| Strange Garnets | OTHELLO | The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare | 7 | OO | I |
| SparksNotes | KINGS CROSS ST PANCRAS | The Cat Who Went Underground | 9 | KO | N |
| Once is Happenstance | KARAKORAM RANGE | The Cat Who Moved a Mountain | 13 | KKO | G |
| The Downtown Murders | COATROOM | The Cat Who Went Into the Closet | 15 | OOO | S |
| Please Prove You Are Human | PHOTOSHOOT | The Cat Who Said Cheese | 18 | OOOO | H |
| Trickster Tales | BIBLIOKLEPT | The Cat Who Tailed a Thief | 19 | OK | A |
| Mysterious Mechanics | SKYLARKS | The Cat Who Sang for the Birds | 20 | KK | M |
| Crooked Crossings | BROOK | The Cat Who Went Up A Creek | 24 | OOK | U |
| The Thin Pan | ALAMOGORDO | The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell | 28 | OOO | S |