Canines and Crime by Sandra Baublitz

Author:Sandra Baublitz [Baublitz, Sandra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Jill, one of the theater’s actresses, met us at the front doors in a rush of words. “We thought it was rats in the walls.” She wrung her hands as she turned and headed into the theater.

“Rats?” Bruce asked as we followed her through the theater where many of the lights had been turned down low.

Jill skirted around the stage to the side door and then through another door to the backstage area where dressing rooms and scenery were stored. “Of course. We thought Saber could handle it but who knew what the problem really was.”

Bruce exchanged a look with me. “Ah, we really don’t know what the problem is.”

Jill stopped so suddenly that we nearly ran her over.

Alma pushed through between Bruce and I and put her arms around Jill. “Perhaps you should explain from the beginning. Take a calming breath.”

Jill breathed deeply and nodded. “We’ve been hearing noises in the walls of the theater when we were having rehearsals in the evenings. We all thought it was mice or rats, and Jon borrowed Saber from Lillian to eradicate the problem. He tried traps first, but to no effect. So, he thought the cat would be a better deterrent.”

I nudged Bruce. “Harry mentioned that earlier.”

Bruce nodded. He waved his hand for Jill to continue.

Paw leaned against her leg, offering his own form of support.

She absently ruffled his ears as she continued her explanation. “We were having a rehearsal this afternoon when one of the props fell over backstage and we rushed to investigate. Saber was here and he ran ahead of us, so we decided to follow to see where the mouse hole was. Except when we got back there, we discovered Saber crawling behind a large wardrobe that hasn’t been moved in years. When we shined the flashlight behind the wardrobe, we saw eyes and discovered that it’s a child hiding in there. Saber went in and is curled up with the child, but we can’t coax him out. We called the chief but neither he nor his officer can get the child to come out. So, Harry thought that Paw might be able to entice the child out. We think it’s a small boy.”

Paw straightened up, swiveled his head, and ran through the gloomy corridor backstage.

Bruce and I ran after him with Alma and Jill bringing up the rear. When we got there, Paw’s head was wedged behind a tall wooden cabinet, the wardrobe, his tail waving languidly. Meowing, along with a small child’s voice, came from behind the wardrobe.

Paw wedged his head against the tall wardrobe and peeked an eye through the gap between the back of the wardrobe and the wall.

“Woof!”

“Mreow?”

A child’s giggle sounded from behind the wardrobe. Paw raised his right front leg and thrust it forward in the gap as he woofed encouragement to the child.

“Meow. Meow.”

I heard a rustling behind the wardrobe. A child’s voice said, “Hey! Come back here, Kitty!”

“Hiss!”

Paw jumped back, pulling his leg out of the gap and sat on his haunches just before Saber poked his head out from behind the wardrobe.

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