Only the Dog Knows

by Diane Roads

CHAPTER 8

 

  There wasn't much Jasper could say about waking up in the morning. When the alarm went off, he would usually just roll over and get up. He had always been that way. The first thing he would do is put his watch on. The sun wasn't even up when he reached for it. He looked out and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. The rain must have stopped about 3:00 A.M. His mind went to the call he got last night, and he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep.

  Mulling over what he had heard he was startled by a noise. He reached to turn off the alarm, but it was a little early for his alarm and the sound was not coming from his alarm. It was the phone he heard.

  "Sheriff, this is Sara, sorry to bother you, but I just got an emergency call from Carl Carter. He says someone tried to break in at the Twilliger's. Said they must have scared him off. I thought you would like to know."

  "Thanks, Sara. Would you call him back and tell him I'll be there in about 15 minutes?"

  "Yes sir, bye."

  It was 4:30, and this was not the way Jasper wanted to start the day. A quick shower and Jasper was out the door. As he drove to Mrs. Twilliger's house, he thought about the first trip he had made to the Twilliger's residence. This was a different story, but still bad news and another trip he wished he didn't have to make. It was a little early for antacid, but he popped two anyway as he pulled in the driveway.

  He was surprised to find George answer the door and not Carl, "Hi George."

  "Hi Sheriff, I'll let dad know you're here. He's in with Mrs. Twilliger."

  As Jasper waited, he noticed a blanket and pillow on the couch. He figured Mrs. Twilliger must have had some problem sleeping in her bedroom.

  "Hi Sheriff, thanks for coming out," said Carl as he walked into the room.

  Jasper's first question was, "Was anybody hurt?"

  "No sir, not at all. The Mrs. is a little shaken up though, you know, with Mr. Tom being missing and all."

  "Can I ask why the alarm didn't go off?"

  "Well, Sheriff, I'm afraid that's my fault. I guess I forgot to turn on the alarm. Mr. Tom always took care of that. Mrs. Twilliger got up to get a drink and heard someone in the kitchen."

  "I thought you lived in the apartment above the garage?"

  "I do, but the Mrs. has been afraid, so I have been staying here at the house. I've been sleeping on the couch, and it's a good thing I was here tonight. Who knows what would have happened."

  "Why didn't Rollo bark?"

  "Rollo wasn’t here."

  "Do you have any idea who it was?"

  "No, I didn't see anybody; the Mrs. was the only one who saw him."

  "Could I talk to Mrs. Twilliger?"