Dognapped! Read online

  Scarface scoffed his burger, downed his coffee and then left. Mr Winkleberry followed a few minutes later. When he got up, I ducked down behind the plant, motioning Max to do the same, but I needn’t have bothered, Mr W didn’t even glance at our table.

  ‘Something’s going on and I’m going to find out what it is,’ I told Max. ‘Let’s follow that man and see where he goes.’

  Making sure we kept our distance, we followed Scarface through the narrow back streets to the other side of town, where he opened the back gate to a run-down terraced house and went inside. We waited a while, but he didn’t come out again.

  ‘Bit of a dump this,’ I said, peering over the gate. ‘The windows are all boarded up and the yard’s like a tip. There’s trash everywhere.’

  ‘It’s a squat,’ Max told me. ‘Mum said that homeless people live here. There’s no running water or electricity or anything.’

  Just then, something pink fluttering among the pile of rubbish by the wall caught my eye. It was a pink carrier bag with a white heart on it. It was the same carrier bag I’d stuffed with false notes and left in the bin on the dog beach.

  I ducked back down. ‘It’s him. He’s the one who sent the ransom note,’ I whispered to Max. ‘Yes, I know there are other carrier bags like it,’ I said as he went to interrupt, ‘but, I’m sure it was Scarface I saw looking over the wall at the beach yesterday.’

  ‘So, where do you think Fluffy is?’ Max asked.

  ‘I’m not sure, but I’m going to find out. The windows are boarded up, so no one will see me unless they come out of the back door.’

  I clicked open the gate and cautiously stepped inside, glancing over at the house. The back door was firmly shut. I ran over to the carrier bag and opened it up. It was empty. I dropped it and swept my gaze over the yard. The man might have thrown the carrier bag down and taken the envelope inside before checking the money. Then what would he do with it? Put it in the bin? I ran over to the garbage bin and opened the lid. Inside, was a big brown envelope, and peeping out of it was a fake twenty pound note! I’d just reached in to grab it when I heard the back door open.

  I shut the lid and pretended to be searching for something on the ground.

  ‘Hey, you! What are you doing here?’

  ‘My ball went over the fence. I was just looking for it,’ I said, getting up. It was Scarface.

  ‘Get out of here!’ he yelled.

  ‘But my ball …’

  ‘Want me to kick you out?’ He took a small, but threatening step towards me.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’m going!’ I ran out of the yard, slamming the gate behind me.

  ‘Run!’ I shouted to Max. We kept running until we reached the main street, then we both collapsed onto the nearest bench.

  ‘He was the one who sent the ransom note,’ I told Max when I finally caught my breath. ‘I saw the envelope full of our fake money in his bin.’

  ‘Really? Are you going to tell Auntie Sue?’

  ‘Not yet. I want to find out how Mr Winkleberry fits into this story. Gran said he persuaded her to call the police. Why would he do that if he was working with Scarface? And why did he give Scarface money? It doesn’t make sense.’

  When I got back home, Gran was sitting on the couch in the lounge, crying over a photo of Fluffy.

  ‘Oh, Amy, I wonder where my precious princess is,’ she sobbed. ‘She’s been gone almost a week now. I should be getting her ready for the show, having her coat clipped, booking her in for a shampoo and groom. How could anyone steal her?’

  I put a comforting arm around Gran’s shoulders. ‘I’m sure we’ll get her back, Gran.’

  Gran sniffed. ‘I know people think I’m daft about Fluffy, but she’s all I’ve got, Amy. She’s my baby and I want her back.’

  Poor Gran. First Dad went away, then Grandad and now Fluffy. I had to find that dog and bring her back home. If I didn’t, Gran would be heartbroken.

  Chapter 12

  The Interview

  Vince often tells his sidekick, Mac, that there was always a clue to the culprit if you looked hard enough. So, after lunch, I opened the drawer of my bedside cabinet and took out my notepad. It was then that I saw my micro-recorder lying right beside it. I suddenly remembered the interviews I’d recorded when Max and I had been giving out flyers. The first ransom note had arrived that night and so I’d forgotten all about them. I thought back to the people I’d interviewed. Nothing had struck me as suspicious, but then Max did babble on a bit, so I might have missed something important.

  I flung myself on top of the bed, sprawled out and turned the recorder on. I’d interviewed Mrs Crystal first, then the printer followed by several other people we’d met in the street. They all said that they hadn’t seen Fluffy, and then shared their own theory about what might have happened to her. The favourite seemed to be that she’d been taken by an organised gang. However, one woman seemed to think Fluffy might have wandered off and got trapped down a badger sett, (apparently that had happened to her dog once). I stopped the tape and replayed the conversation. Silly as it may sound, it was a possibility I hadn’t considered and there was a lot of countryside surrounding Little Cragg. I jotted it down in my notepad, then restarted the tape. We’d interviewed so many people – lots of them had dogs themselves and said how upset they’d be if they lost them. Suddenly, something caught my attention. I sat up and replayed the tape. I replayed it again. Then I sent a text to Max and asked him to come round straight away.

  ‘What’s up?’ he asked as he bounded in a few minutes later, without knocking on the door. ‘Auntie Sue said I could come straight up.’

  ‘But, did she say you could just walk in without knocking too?’

  ‘Sorry.’ Unperturbed, Max sat down on the bed. ‘Well, have you got some new evidence?’

  ‘I think so. What do you make of this?’ I replayed the interview:

  PODCAST 3

  Go to www.amycartermysteries.com/dognapped-3

  ‘Oh, I remember that lady, she was really nice,’ Max said. ‘Surely you don’t think she’s got anything to do with this?’ ‘Not her – but what about the young woman on the train, the one with the dog in the bag?’

  ‘There are other Bichon Frisés about and she didn’t say what train,’ Max pointed out.

  ‘No, but she did say it was the other day and she’s down here for a week, so it must be on a local train. And why would anyone put a dog in a bag?’

  ‘Lots of people do. I think it’s like the fashion or something.’

  ‘Yeah, for really small dogs like Chihuahuas maybe, Bichon Frisés are a bit big for that. I think it sounds really suspicious, so keep an eye out for someone with a colourful patchwork suede bag and text me immediately.’

  ‘I will,’ Max said. ‘So you don’t think the man who sent the ransom note took Fluffy then?’

  ‘I don’t know who did what,’ I admitted. ‘Everyone’s a suspect at the moment.’

  Max listened while I played the rest of the interviews, but there were no other obvious clues.

  ‘If you hadn’t interrupted me so much, I might have got more information from some of them,’ I told Max as I switched the tape off.

  ‘That’s not fair! If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even have known what the bag was like!’

  ‘Hmm, well come on, let’s have a ride around to see if we can spot anyone carrying a bag like that.’

  We both ran down the stairs, reaching the bottom, just as the front door opened and Emily came in. Over her shoulder was a big coloured patchwork suede bag. We both stared at the bag, then at each other.

  ‘What’s up with you two?’ Emily asked. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

  I wasn’t sure what to say. My head was reeling. Not Emily. It couldn’t be Emily. She loved animals and always made such a fuss of Fluffy. Luckily, Max came to the rescue.

  ‘Where did you get that bag from?’ he asked.

  ‘I’d like to get one for my Mum. It’s her birthday
soon and I think she’d like it.’ Not a very convincing story, but I think we got away with it.

  Emily glanced at her bag. ‘I got it from a market stall in Penzance on Saturday.’

  So, she bought it in Cornwall, which meant that probably quite a few other people owned the very same patchwork bag.

  ‘Excuse me kids, I want to go up to my room,’ Emily said with a smile. ‘Honestly, you two are on another planet today.’

  I realised that we were still standing at the bottom of the stairs, blocking her way, so I stepped aside. ‘Sorry Emily,’ I replied, a little distracted.

  ‘That’s okay.’ She smiled again and dashed up the stairs, out of sight.

  ‘It can’t be Emily. She’s too nice,’ Max said.

  ‘Maybe, but we can’t rule out anyone, not without investigating them. I’ve got to check out that bag. There could be some of Fluffy’s hairs in there. I need to sneak a look in it.’

  As it happened, I didn’t have to wait long for my chance. Gran collared us before we could go out and roped us into helping her prepare the tea. By the time we’d finished doing that, Emily had come down again, minus her bag, and asked Gran if she had any leaflets about local attractions. ‘I’m going home on Saturday and I’ve hardly done any sight-seeing,’ she said. ‘I’ve been on the beach every day but I’m sure there must be plenty more to see.’

  ‘I usually leave a pile of brochures in the hall, but I’ve been a bit distracted lately, what with poor Fluffy going missing,’ Gran said. ‘I think I’ve got some in the drawer here, I’ll just check.’ She opened the kitchen drawer and rummaged through it.

  ‘Is there still no news about Fluffy?’ Emily asked in a concerned voice.

  ‘I’m afraid not,’ Gran said sadly.

  I motioned to Max that I was going upstairs. I needed him to follow me and keep an eye out.

  Emily’s door was half-open and I could see the patchwork bag on her bed. ‘Keep watch at the door and cough if you hear Emily coming,’ I told Max.

  I pushed open the door, ran over to the bed and picked up the bag. It was almost empty. Just a couple of magazines and a purse. I peered inside for small white dog hairs. None. I picked it up to check for a doggy smell.

  ‘What are you doing here, young man?’

  I jumped as Mr McFarlane’s voice boomed in the hall outside. He was standing in the doorway talking to Max. Any minute now he was going to glance around and see me looking in Emily’s bag. I threw the bag on the bed, dropped to my knees and peered at the carpet.

  ‘And what are you doing in there, Amy?’ Mr McFarlane demanded.

  I looked up to see him glaring at me.

  ‘Are you sure you saw a spider in here?’ I asked Max, desperately hoping he’d be quick-thinking enough to play along.

  He was. ‘Yes, it was about to run under the bed.’ He pointed. ‘Look, there it is, by your knee.’ He gave a little scream for effect.

  I picked up one of Emily’s shoes and pretended to swat the troublesome spider.

  ‘Did you get it?’ Max pleaded, convincingly.

  ‘Get what?’ Emily was now standing in the doorway too.

  ‘I saw a big black spider scuttle into your room and Amy went in to get it,’ Max explained.

  Emily screamed and clasped her hand over her mouth. ‘It hasn’t crawled into my bed has it? Tell me it hasn’t crawled into my bed.’

  ‘No, it’s okay. I hit it with your shoe.’ I upturned the shoe and looked at the sole. ‘Ew, it’s a bit splattered. Anyone got a tissue?’

  ‘You mean you killed it?’ Emily looked horrified.

  ‘I’m really sorry, but it went to run under your bed and I just grabbed the nearest thing I could find to hit it with.’

  ‘Here you are,’ Max had fetched some bathroom tissue to keep the story going.

  ‘Thanks.’ I wiped the imaginary splattered spider from the sole of the shoe, then put the shoe back down on the floor. I crumpled the tissue in my hand and walked out of the bedroom.

  ‘I’m petrified of spiders. Thank goodness you spotted it. I do wish you hadn’t killed it though,’ she added.

  I went to the bathroom and flushed away the tissue, then gestured to Max to follow me.

  ‘Did you get a chance to find anything in Emily’s bag?’ he asked as soon as we were in my room with the door firmly closed.

  ‘Nothing to show that Fluffy had been in the bag, but I did find this.’ I held out a train ticket.

  ‘What, for Tuesday?’ Max gasped.

  ‘No, the ticket is for yesterday. But, it proves that Emily uses the train. And she has a big patchwork bag, so we need to consider her as a suspect too.’

  Chapter 13

  Suspect Everyone

  ‘I don’t get it. If Emily was the one who stole Fluffy, where’s she taken her to?’ Max asked. ‘And why would she steal her anyway? She’s potty about animals.’

  ‘Maybe that’s why. She loves Fluffy so much, that she wants to keep her. It’s possible.’

  ‘Then why didn’t she steal her next Saturday when she goes home?’

  ‘Er … Let me think. Fluffy goes missing just as animal-mad Emily leaves. Now, I wonder who could have taken her?’

  Max scowled. ‘There’s no need to be sarky. I’m just saying, it doesn’t make sense for Emily to steal Fluffy. Why would she do that? And what would she do with her?’

  ‘I don’t know, but we can’t just dismiss the possibility. I can’t afford to eliminate anyone from the enquiry just yet.’

  ‘You’ll be telling me you suspect me next!’ Max replied, jokingly.

  That took me aback. It had never crossed my mind that Max could be involved in Fluffy’s disappearance, but I should consider it. Vince always said – suspect everyone – no matter how innocent they seem. And Max had been first on the scene when I discovered Fluffy was missing.

  ‘What? You mean you do suspect me?’

  ‘Er … no, of course not. Unless … ’

  Max folded his arms and said slowly in a very quiet voice, ‘unless what?’

  ‘Unless you saw Fluffy in the garden and went to play with her and accidentally let her out, but didn’t like to own up.’ I watched Max’s expression carefully to see if I could see any sign of guilt. No, he just looked furious.

  ‘You really think I’d be that horrible to Auntie Sue? That I’d let her worry so much about Fluffy?’ He jabbed a finger into my chest. ‘Well if you want to suspect everyone, how about you?’ Another jab. ‘You couldn’t stand Fluffy! Maybe you got rid of her, so you could have your Gran all to yourself?’

  ‘Stop doing that!’ I yelled as he went to poke me again with even more force.

  Max leaned towards me, angrily. ‘You’re the one who put Fluffy in the garden. Maybe you left the gate open on purpose so that she would run away.’ With that final remark, he stormed out.

  ‘What on earth was that all about?’

  Gran was standing right behind me, and by the look on her face, had heard everything.

  ‘Nothing. Just Max overreacting,’ I told her. ‘He’ll be back when he’s calmed down.’

  Gran gave me a searching look. ‘Dinner will be ready in half an hour,’ she said. ‘Don’t be late.’

  I felt a bit uncomfortable as Gran went back downstairs. Had Max made Gran suspect me now?

  I had to find Fluffy, and quick, before we all started falling out with each other. I took my notepad out of the drawer and turned to a clean page. Then I wrote down some questions and answers, just like Vince did when he was trying to solve a crime:

  That leaves me with the following strong suspects:

  It’s time to test your detective skills!

  Note down all of the clues you’ve discovered so far, then decide who or what was responsible for Fluffy’s disappearance.

  At the end of the book, you will find out if you’re right!

  I read through all of my notes again. The strongest suspect was definitely Mr Mudlark; he was the one with the most to gain. A
nd what about that phone call between him and Mrs McFarlane. I had to find out how those two were connected. And the best way to do that was to keep Mrs McFarlane under surveillance. From now on, wherever she goes, I will be close behind her.

  I glanced at my watch, better get going. Gran said dinner would be in half an hour and I didn’t want to make her mad by being late.

  ‘Amy, come and listen to the news. Another boarding kennel’s been broken into and the dogs have been let loose,’ Gran called as I walked into the kitchen. I poked my head around the door of the private lounge and saw Gran sitting on the couch, glued to the television screen. For once, Mr Winkleberry wasn’t with her.

  She turned the television up a bit and beckoned me over to sit with her.

  ‘So far none of the missing dogs have been found,’ the newsreader said. ‘There are unconfirmed reports that it’s the work of the Animals Have Rights Society, who have threatened to disrupt the Rivington Dog Show this weekend. No one from the society has been available for comment so far.’

  ‘Someone’s broken into the boarding kennels at Kimpton – about twenty miles from here – and let out all the show dogs,’ Gran told me. ‘First it was Fluffy, then there was that break-in at Mr Mudlark’s when Maisy-May got away. Someone must be deliberately targeting the dogs entered in the Rivington Show.’ Gran got up from the couch and paced around agitatedly. ‘That means poor Fluffy could still be wandering around somewhere, lost and hungry. Or lying injured.’ Her voice tailed off as she reached in her cardigan pocket for a well-used tissue.

  One of the women I’d interviewed told me that her dog had got trapped down a badger sett. Was Gran right? Had Fluffy been let loose by Animals Have Rights fanatics and got lost or injured?

  But what about the ransom note? And the phone call I’d overheard between Mrs McFarlane and Mr Mudlark? Besides, it was me who had taken Maisy-May, so Mr Mudlark’s dogs hadn’t been targeted, had they? And what had happened at Kimpton might have no connection with Fluffy at all. Someone might have a grudge against the owner and let out their dogs to spite them.