Mindy said, ‘Okay, Dad. We’ll be good.’
‘Yes, Shane,’ I agreed. ‘We’ll just stay in the car and stay out of sight until we hear back from you.’
Sounding relieved, he said. ‘Right. I’ve got some work to do. I’ll call you as soon as I can.’
The call ended and we sat in the car, doing as we were told and staying out of trouble.
How long do you think that lasted?
News that Changes Everything
‘That’s the Bleakwiths’ place right there?’ asked Mindy, peering through her window at a house visible through the trees.
I nodded. ‘We are looking at it from the back, but I can tell which one it is from the pergola in the garden.’
Mindy wriggled her nose from side to side. ‘It doesn’t look like anyone is in.’
It didn’t, but that was hardly a good reason to get out of the car. However, a little voice in my head whispered that all I needed was one little piece of solid evidence and I would be able to blow the case wide open. Wasn’t that what they said on cop shows?
Expressing my thoughts out loud, I said, ‘I wonder if the tub of cream Joanne had earlier is in the house somewhere?’
Mindy swung her head around to look at me. ‘Or the chemical she was putting in it to make his skin so bad.’
It was a dumb idea. It went against everything Shane had said and was breaking the law yet again, but I already knew I was going to do it anyway. I was going to get out of the car where I promised I would stay, and I was going to break into my client’s house.
I sighed and said a rude word but reached for the door handle anyway.
‘We’re going in?’ asked Mindy, genuinely surprised to see me getting out of the car. Getting her answer from the look on my face, she clapped her hands together. ‘Yay! Come on, Buster.’
Buster was strapped into his harness and trying to get free. ‘There’s adventure to be had and you need an Adventure Dog with you for protection!’ His tail couldn’t have wagged any harder without flying off.
‘I’m not sure Adventure Dog is a great name,’ I told him as I unclipped his harness.
Mindy giggled. ‘Is that what he calls himself?’
‘You’re darn tooting,’ barked Buster.
I put a hand over his mouth. ‘Shhh. We need to be stealthy,’ I reminded him.
Buster got out of the car and shook himself. ‘The name isn’t the problem, it’s the image. I need a cape. Might need a mask too,’ he added thoughtfully. ‘Ooh, ooh, a theme tune. That would send the right message. All the superheroes on TV have a theme that is played when they turn up. So the bad guys know who they’re about to get handed a whooping by.’
‘What’s he saying?’ Mindy wanted to know.
I started through the trees toward the Bleakwiths’ back garden. ‘He needs a theme tune and a costume.’
Mindy giggled again, trying to keep quiet but failing miserably. ‘Is he really saying that? He’s so funny.’
Buster made an audible growling noise.
Mindy listened intently. ‘What did he say then?’
This time I sniggered. ‘That he is not funny. He is a plague upon all evil doers and a curse to all who would challenge him. He is …’ I tilted my head to look down at Buster, ‘Devil Dog?’
‘Is that better than Adventure Dog?’ Buster asked with a tinge of sarcasm.
We were nearing the fence at the back of the Bleakwiths’ property. Unlike some of their neighbours, they didn’t have a six-foot high fence going all the way along. What they had was a post and wire fence, the type that is about three foot high. It would keep wild deer out, which was probably its purpose, but meant getting in for us would be a lot easier.
Mindy crouched down to smoosh Buster’s face. ‘I think Devil Dog is a great name for you. We’ll get you a cape with a great big D on it.’
Buster’s tail flicked back and forth like windscreen wipers on fast.
I rolled my eyes. ‘Don’t encourage him, please. He already thinks he’s part superhero.’
Mindy straightened to full height again. ‘So I guess we hop the fence. Here, I’ll give you a boost.’ Nimble little minx that she is, Mindy would get over the fence without the slightest bother. I can still do the splits with a little warming up – a hangover from my ballet days, but jumping a yard high fence with pointy tops was daunting enough that I was glad of the assist.
Before Mindy could get into position, Buster happened.
‘Devil Dog will make a hole!’ he barked. He was ruining our attempt at a stealthy approach, but before either one of us could do anything to shush him or stop him he added some sound effects for good measure. ‘Dun dun DAH!’ then he ran headfirst at the fence.
He only covered a distance of about four yards to get there but was moving at an impressive speed when he hit the wooden uprights.
The thing with this type of fence is that it is only properly anchored every two yards or so. In between, the wooden uprights are held in place with thick galvanised wire and it can flex. Which is precisely what it did. Good thing too because it certainly didn’t give.
Buster put his head down so the crown of his skull hit the wood. I guess he was expecting it to explode into smithereens or something, but all he succeeded in doing was
