The mystery of the missing cats that has been perplexing the police over the last few weeks was finally solved when local allotment owner Len Cooper discovered hundreds of cats on a disused cargo boat on the north bank of the River Thames while looking for vegetables that had been stolen from his allotment. ‘I’ve heard of Puss in Boots,’ Mr Cooper told us, ‘but this was a case of Puss in Boats.’
Then he read another:
CATNAPPERS CAUGHT
Following an anonymous tip-off, the police have finally caught the perpetrators of the mysterious catnapping crimes. Mr Arthur Holt and Mr Reginald Norman are currently being held in custody. Although both men deny any involvement, forensic tests showed that the cats had all been transported in the back of a van registered in Mr Holt’s name, while Mr Norman’s fingerprints identified him as the driver of the van.
The two men’s motives are so far unknown although Mr Holt’s lawyer has released this statement: ‘Arthur Holt denies any charges of cat theft levelled against him as he has long since suffered from a condition known as felinophobia, a fear of cats and all things catlike, which he contracted while holidaying on the Isle of Man.’ Mr Norman’s lawyer issued the statement: ‘Reg says he didn’t know nothing about no cats.’
Dirk put down the papers and peeked through the blinds at the street below. Across the road, leaning on a lamp-post, was the man in the wide-brimmed hat. Ladbroke Blake. But if he was still following Holly then where was she?
‘Mister Dilly?’ called the familiar voice of Mrs Klingerflim, knocking on the door. ‘Your niece is here. She’s bringing you some of my home-made medicine.’
‘Thanks, Mrs K,’ said Holly, entering the room, holding a brown bottle.
Dirk looked at her and smiled. ‘I’m not drinking that stuff again,’ he said. ‘It tastes worse than Amphiptere blood.’
‘Dirk!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re better.’ She ran across the room and threw her arms round his neck.
Dirk returned the hug, then got embarrassed and said, ‘All right, let’s not get all sentimental. You’re still being followed, you know.’
‘Ladbroke? Yes, he gave me a lift. It’s quite handy being followed by somebody with a car. He gets to keep a close eye on me and I get a lift from someone who can actually see the road.’
‘How long have I been out?’ he asked.
‘A whole week this time. I’ve been so worried. I’m glad you’re OK. They found the rest of the cats.’
‘Yes, I just read that,’ said Dirk. ‘Mandy must have been sneaking them across the river when the Kinghorns weren’t looking.’
‘So what was she eating?’
‘My guess is that she could reach far enough to pinch vegetables from the allotments on the other side.’
‘Then her blood hadn’t turned to gas at all?’
‘Exactly, otherwise when I bit into her tail I would have seen bubbles instead of liquid.’
‘So what would have happened if the police had hit her?’
‘Her blood would have infected the water. Bad for the fish, but it wouldn’t have taken to the air as the Kinghorns planned.’
‘So we didn’t save London?’ said Holly, trying not to sound too disappointed.
‘We saved much more than that. If the police had got their hands on that Amphiptere’s body, humans would finally know about dragonkind. We would stop being the thing of myths and stories and become the thing of science and exploration. They would start hunting dragons with as much vigour as they did in the Middle Ages, only this time armed with sonar, radar, guns and missiles. It would have been the beginning of the war. Together we stopped that, not to mention saving a perfectly innocent Amphiptere called Mandy.’
Dirk sent a puff of smoke into the air in the shape of an Amphiptere and they both watched it gradually lose its form and disappear into nothingness.
‘So,’ said Dirk, ‘unconvincing film monster?’
Holly explained about her encounter with the police and Ladbroke’s timely arrival and how they got Dirk back to the office in the back of Ladbroke’s car.
‘You mean he knows about me?’ said Dirk, alarmed.
‘I had no choice.’
‘You think he’ll say anything?’
‘He’s given me his word that he won’t. Do you want me to bring him up here?’
‘No,’ said Dirk. ‘I’ll speak to him another time. Is he following you indefinitely?’
‘It’s his last day today,’ said Holly.
‘Great,’ replied Dirk. ‘Because this case isn’t over yet. We didn’t even get close to finding Vainclaw. Tomorrow I want to go back and check out that warehouse . . .’
‘You’ll have to go alone this time,’ said Holly.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’m being sent away,’ said Holly sadly.
‘Away? Where?’
‘To boarding school.’
‘Why?’
‘Dad’s big-haired wife hired the detective because she knew I was bunking off school. Ladbroke didn’t tell her what I’d really been doing, but there was no getting away from the fact that I haven’t been at school.’
‘What kind of woman sends a private detective to follow her step-daughter?’
‘She’s worried that I’m a liability to dad’s career. Next year is likely to be an election year. He’s hoping to make the cabinet. She says she can’t risk the press finding out about his wayward daughter.’
‘What did your dad say?’
‘Nothing,’ replied Holly. ‘He never says anything.’
‘Will you be able to get out at all?’
‘It’ll be tricky. The school is really strict and has really high security. Apparently there are loads of celebrities’ kids there, even the prime minister’s son.’
‘So, when are you going?’
‘They’re taking me up today. Ladbroke helped me slip away to see you. I’m not even allowed to take Willow. I was hoping you might want to look after her.’
Dirk picked up the cat and stroked her. She purred contentedly.
‘No problem,’ he said, looking at the brown-haired, brown-eyed girl. She seemed older than when he had seen her for the first time only a couple of weeks ago. Taller, even.
Outside, a horn beeped.
Holly said, ‘I’d better go. Thanks for everything, Dirk.’ She hugged him one more time and then pulled away and wiped her eyes.
‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘Maybe it won’t be so bad, this new school.’
Holly nodded. ‘I’ll write,’ she said.
‘Be careful what you put in those letters. You never know who might read them,’ Dirk said. Then he added, ‘Hey, kiddo, it’s been good having you around.’
‘We’ll still be friends, won’t we?’
‘Friends,’ replied the red-backed, green-bellied, urban-based Mountain Dragon. ‘Yeah, we’ll still be friends.’
First published in Great Britain in 2006 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square,
London, WC1B 3DP
This electronic edition published in September 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Text copyright © 2007 by Gareth Jones
Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Nick Price
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
eISBN: 978-1-4088-3684-2
Visit www.bloomsbury.com to find out more about our authors and their books
You will find extracts, author interviews, author events and you can sign up for newsletters to be the
first to hear about our latest releases and special offers
The Case of the Missing Cats Page 11
