To Catch a Thief

by Mandy Hartley

  By the time she got to his room two drawers of clothes had been emptied onto the floor with no sign of the Star Wars T-shirt. Harry was happily tossing clothes into the air and all over the floor while Mum searched through them. When Harry saw Annabelle he reached behind his pillow, pulled out the T-shirt and shouted: “found it, Mum!”

  “Harry!” said Mum crossly. “Can you put these clothes away? I’m off for a cup of tea.” The children waited till Mum was safely downstairs. They ran to Annabelle’s room. Harry grabbed the book bag and spread out the results on the floor.

  “Do you remember the DNA from the cigarette we found in the garden and the DNA from the syringe was from one man?” said Harry. “I’m going to put them here. The DNA from the hat and the glove were from a different man. I’m going to put them here. Now we just have to match them up and see who is who.” Harry watched as Annabelle placed the results in two different positions on her bed.

  The children looked at the samples on the floor. “Harry, help me sort these out,” said Annabelle as she checked her notepad. “Samples 21 to 25 are from Mr Baker. They’re from the fork, cup, coat and hairs on the coat.” Harry carefully placed them all together. They all matched.

  “Samples 26 to 30 are from Mr Baker’s son,” said Annabelle. Harry placed all the samples in a separate pile.

  “They all match too, Annabelle. But look – they’re different from Mr Baker, as they should be.”

  “Harry, you take Mr Baker’s samples and match them up to the samples on the bed. I’ll take Mr Baker’s son’s samples.”

  “It’s like criminal snap!” laughed Harry.

  “Criminal bingo!” laughed Annabelle. Then at the same time they both shouted “snap!”

  “It’s a match, Harry! The DNA from the baseball cap and glove match with the DNA from Mr Baker’s son. They belong to him. He was in our garden!”

  “I’ve a match too!” said Harry. “The DNA from the cigarette we found in the garden match with the DNA from Mr Baker and it’s his DNA on the syringes.”

  “Look Annabelle, you can see DNA from Mr Baker and his son in the samples from the cages and door handles.”

  “We’ve done it, Harry! We have the missing link, the proof that both men were in our garden when Milly was stolen. We have the DNA from Scally, Poppy and Milly to show the dogs were in the shed. We can also show that both men were in the shed and touched the cages and door handle and that Mr Baker was using whatever was in the syringes to drug the dogs. It’s time to tell Mum.”

  “What if she doesn’t believe us? She’s going to be cross that we broke into her lab,” said Harry.

  “If we don’t, then we won’t get Milly back. We have to do this, Harry,” said Annabelle. Still, she felt sick with worry at what Mum would say. Annabelle hated doing anything wrong and getting in trouble. They’d lied but with a good reason.

  As they expected, Mum was furious when she found out that they had broken into her lab, not just once but several times. She was utterly dumbfounded when Annabelle described how they’d collected samples from Mr Baker and his son without their knowledge. Initially she couldn’t speak and the three of them sat in an unnerving silence while the children awaited their fate. The evidence they had collected was spread across the kitchen table.

  “I don’t know what to say. I’m so cross with you both,” said Mum. “All the lies and sneaking around. Going into my lab without my permission and using my things. Worst of all you should never take someone’s DNA without their permission. I just don’t know how much trouble you might be in. I have to say the evidence you’ve collected is really strong. But I don’t think the police can use it because of the way you’ve got it. What a mess. I’m so cross with you but I know why you did it. I have to admit: scientifically, what you’ve achieved is incredible. I don’t know what to do!” Mum held her head in her hands. Then suddenly she jumped up.

  “Wait here!” she said and disappeared into the lounge.

  “I think she’s going to call the police,” said Harry.

  “Quiet! Let’s try and hear what she’s doing.” Harry opened the door and they both listened carefully. They could hear a muffled conversation. It went on for long time. Then there was the sound of footsteps and the door to the kitchen opened. Both children quickly returned to where they had been sitting.

  “I’ve spoken to the police,” said Mum. A big grin filled her face. “They’re on their way to arrest Mr Baker and his son and search the shed and their house. They want to talk to you both and see your evidence.”

  “Are we in trouble?” said Harry looking worried.

  “No, not with the police, although they want to make it clear to you both that you must never take someone’s DNA without their permission. But you’re still in a little bit of trouble with me. Please cheer up you two – you’ve done it! You solved the mystery and hopefully they’ll find the dogs next door and our lovely Milly. It’s time to celebrate!” said Mum, holding out her arms for a hug.

  Annabelle rushed in for a group hug with Mum and Harry. There was a real warmth and happiness as they all held each other tightly. If Milly was here she’d have joined in too thought Annabelle smiling to herself. She loved it when Milly did that. Milly knew what “group hug” meant! Soon their little dog would be back home and it was all thanks to the “DNA Detectives”.

  he children watched with excitement as two police cars pulled up outside their house. Two police officers got out of the first car. They went to Mr Baker’s house and knocked on the door. The door opened. Shortly afterwards the children watched the police officers march Mr Baker and his son to their police car. The first police car then drove away. Next there was a knock on their door. It was the police officers from the second car.

  The police wanted to see all the evidence the children had gathered. Annabelle and Harry were proud to show them everything. They carefully explained to the police officers where the evidence had come from and how they had collected it. Annabelle handed over her notepad and the plaster cast of the footprint. Mum showed them the lab and Annabelle and Harry proudly explained how they had got DNA from the samples. They also showed them where they had found the evidence in the garden.

  Annabelle could see the policemen were surprised at the amount of evidence they had collected.

  “I think you’re after our jobs!” said one of the policemen. “You are mini detectives.”

  “No!” Harry replied. “We’re the DNA Detectives!”

  The policeman winked at Harry “You certainly are, young man. This is all very impressive. Although I think your Mum has explained that you must never take DNA without someone’s permission. Also, the evidence must be collected by our scene-of-crime officers if we want to make sure that the criminals are found guilty and sent to prison. With a bit of luck, though, if what you’re saying about your neighbours is true, there may be enough evidence left for us to collect.”

  Annabelle looked at Harry. His smile matched hers going from ear to ear. The police officers left shortly after but next door the searches of the house and the shed went on all day. The children could hear lots of banging about on the other side of the walls. They watched from Annabelle’s bedroom window as scene-of-crime officers went into the shed dressed just like Annabelle and Harry had been, in white overalls with facemasks and gloves.

  Much later there was a knock at their front door. It was another policeman. Dad got up and answered the door. “You two stay here,” he said smiling at them.

  “He’s probably come to tell us they’ve found Milly!” said Annabelle. It was unbearable to have to wait. Harry was fidgeting up and down on the sofa in nervous anticipation. They heard the door shut and watched the policeman walk away down the path.

  “I can’t hear Milly,” said Harry.

  “Maybe she’s still sleepy from being drugged,” said Annabelle. The door opened. The children could tell from their Dad’s face it was not good news. They both sat down dreading what he was going to say.

&nbs
p; “I’m so sorry. I’ve bad news. The police have done a thorough search of the house and the shed. They couldn’t find anything.”

  “That can’t be true,” pleaded the children. “We know they took Milly. We have the proof. What about the cages in the shed?”

  “They’ve gone. The police didn’t find any cages. There was nothing in the shed. They couldn’t find evidence of any dogs being kept in the shed or anywhere in the house. I’m so sorry, children. They’ve had to release Mr Baker and his son.”

  Annabelle felt her Dad’s arms around her giving her a hug. She sobbed uncontrollably. Mum had come in and was hugging Harry. He was really cross. “It’s not true. It can’t be true,” he said, over and over again.

  “Look why don’t you two go downstairs into the cellar and play some table football? I’ll bring down some of those chocolate chip cookies you like. We’ll find her,” said Mum, although Annabelle didn’t think she sounded convinced. They had been so close. How could this all be happening?

  The children opened the trap door in the middle of the kitchen floor and walked down the stairs into the cellar. In the past the cellar was used by families to store coal. Some of their neighbours used theirs as a wine cellar but luckily for Annabelle and Harry their parents had turned it into a games room. Usually they would spend hours trying to beat each other at table football but today they just sat on the floor with their backs against the wall and their heads in their hands.

  “I don’t really feel like playing football,” said Harry. “I’m not sure I even want a cookie.” Annabelle knew if Harry didn’t want to eat he must be feeling really sad. She gave him a hug.

  “They must’ve taken all the cages out and hidden them,” said Annabelle “Maybe they knew we were onto them.”

  They sat in silence for a while when both children heard a whimper. It was muffled but definitely a whimper.

  “Did you hear that?” said Harry. “I thought I heard a dog!”

  “I did too. It’s coming from behind that wall,” said Annabelle. She pressed her ear against the wall so she could hear better. Harry copied her as the sound came again. “It’s Milly! I’m sure it’s Milly,” said Annabelle, her voice full of hope. “I think she heard our voices and is letting us know she’s there.”

  “What if Mr Baker is keeping the dogs in his cellar? All the houses along the street have cellars. Maybe the door to Mr Baker’s cellar is hidden and that’s why the police didn’t find it?” said Harry.

  “We’ve got to get into his cellar and look. We need to be quick before they remove any more evidence. Come on, Harry, we need to get a kit together. Can you get a torch, sandwich bags for evidence and cotton buds? I’ll get string, a screwdriver, Sellotape and a camera. This time we’ll photograph the evidence. They can’t argue with that.”

  “But the police said only their scene-of-crime officers should collect the evidence” said Harry, looking worried.

  “There’s no time to argue, Harry. We need to get Milly before they move her. I’m sure she’s in their cellar.”

  “Can’t we just tell the police we think the dogs are in the cellar and they can go and have a look?”

  “They won’t believe us Harry. They found no evidence in the shed or the house. They think we made it up. Come on! Go and get the kit and meet me in the lounge. We need to wait for Mr Baker and his son to go out.”

  Annabelle and Harry pretended to watch television but secretly they were watching to see when their neighbours left the house. The men had returned to the house at least two hours ago after being released by the police. Just when the children thought they would never go out they heard the sound of a car engine. They watched as both men drove off in their car. Annabelle pulled on the backpack which contained their detective kit. “Mum, we are just going round to Issy’s house,” said Annabelle.

  “Okay!” shouted Mum. “Be back for tea, please!”

  “See you later!” shouted the children as they rushed out into the garden. They climbed up onto the playhouse roof and then onto the fence where they both jumped straight down into Mr Baker’s garden. This time Annabelle didn’t stop. She was scared of jumping down from the fence just like last time but she knew they didn’t have long to find Milly. There was no time for any delays no matter how scared she was.

  “How are we going to get into the cellar?” said Harry.

  “We’re going to slide down the coal chute!” laughed Annabelle.

  “The what?”

  “The coal chute! It’s a small tunnel, a bit like a slide which leads down into the cellar,” explained Annabelle. “People used to tip coal down the chute as it was a quick way of getting the coal into the cellar. You know that little window in the back wall of our house? Well, that’s the entrance to our coal chute. Mr Baker must have one in a similar position in his house. Help me look for it, Harry.”

  “I think it might be under here,” said Harry pointing at some planks of wood which were leaning up against the back wall of Mr Baker’s house. “Help me move them.” The children worked together to move the planks, which were heavy and wet.

  “Uurgh! They’re covered in slugs and snails,” shrieked Annabelle.

  “I love snails and slugs!” said Harry in delight. “Wow! Some of them are huge. This is brilliant!”

  “Come on,” said Annabel, impatiently. “We haven’t got time for that. Look, here it is! That little window is the entrance to the coal chute. Just like it is in our house. Pass me the screwdriver from the bag and I’ll see if I can open it.” Luckily the little window was very rusty and the damp had made the wooden frame soft. Annabelle was able to lever it open easily. There was enough space for them to squeeze in.

  “Harry, can you see if you can pull some of the planks over the entrance so it looks like it hasn’t been disturbed? Shall I go first?” Harry peered into the darkness. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to slide down there.

  “Okay. You go first, Annabelle. Be careful though.” Annabelle nervously climbed into the coal chute. It was made of brick and seemed to go down a long way. It was so dark she couldn’t see the bottom. The walls felt slimy and smelt of damp. She took a deep breath and slid down into the darkness letting out a shriek as she plummeted downwards. Harry pulled the planks over the entrance behind him and quickly followed her. His heart thumped hard in his chest with fear and excitement.

  uch!” exclaimed Annabelle as Harry slid down the coal chute and landed right on top of her. It was pitch black in the cellar apart from a few shafts of light coming in from the window at the top of the coal chute. The room felt cold and smelt of damp mixed with bleach and a strong doggy smell.

  “We’re not going to be able to climb back out,” said Harry, looking back up at the coal chute. As their eyes became accustomed to the dark they could see the coal chute came to an abrupt stop half way up the wall. Then there was a long drop to the floor of about two metres where they were now sitting in a heap. Luckily a pile of dusty old blankets had cushioned their fall.

  “There’s no way we can get back up to the coal chute to climb out. It’s too high up and the walls are too slippy to climb out,” said Harry.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find a way. Let’s see if we can find Milly. Hold on I’ll switch on the torch,” said Annabelle. She could see black shapes all around them in the dark but couldn’t make out what they were. Annabelle shone the light around the small, damp cellar. The black shapes all around them were suddenly lit up and started to make sense.

  “Look Harry – cages!” exclaimed Annabelle. “I think there are animals inside them.”

  The children ran round shining their torches in the cages. It was then that they found her.

  “Harry, quick,” said Annabelle excitedly.

  “You’ve got to come quickly… It’s Milly!”

  Harry ran as fast as he could to where Annabelle was shining her torch so he could see for himself. He looked in and there she was – their beloved little black dog, Milly. With a seemingly huge effort the li
ttle dog in the cage lifted her head and was just able to wag her tail. The children stuck their fingers through the bars to try and touch her. They had found her!

  “Milly! We missed you. We’ve been looking for you. Are you okay? Oh Milly,” said Harry breathlessly, stroking her nose with his finger. Her beautiful big brown eyes looked adoringly into his eyes.

  “She must’ve been drugged,” said Annabelle.

  “She’s really drowsy.”

  “Her cage is on the wall nearest our cellar. It must’ve been Milly who we heard when we went to play table football. Bless her! She must have wanted us to know she was here.”

  They could see there were at least five other cages with dogs in them. But the room was silent.

  “None of the dogs are making a sound,” noted Annabelle, peering through the darkness. “Look – they’re all lying down. They must be drugged.”

  “I’m sure that one there is Poppy. And, hold on, this one is definitely Scally. Look – there are two, no, hold on, three other dogs.” The children quickly counted the dogs. There were six in total. The cages were very small and cramped, each with a padlock on the outside securing the doors. Inside every cage was an old blanket, some newspapers spread on the floor and a dirty bowl with some water in it.

  The children could see the water bowls were secured to the cage with old bits of wire to stop the dogs tipping them over. Scattered on the floor were the discarded syringes the men had been using to drug the dogs. The room also smelt of bleach presumably to clean the cages, and in the corner was a black bag containing the dirty newspaper.

  “That bag stinks!” said Harry, holding his nose.

  “We need to get Milly out,” said Annabelle, anxiously. “Look those steps must lead to the trap door in the kitchen. Just like it does in our house. Let’s see if the trap door at the top is open.”