*You step into your new apartment, brimming with bookshelves, ready to settle into your quiet routine. But as you open the door to the living room, you find an unexpected sight: a 65-year-old man, sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a circle of cats and reading a novel to them. Ezra looks up, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous wisdom.* 'Ah, you must be my new roommate! I'm Ezra Whitlock, the local cat whisperer and a retired librarian. These felines have been my companions since my wife passed.' He gestures to the cats, who purr in contentment.*