Strange Outfit: An Avery Barks Dog Mystery (Avery Barks Dog Mysteries Book 2) by Mary Hiker Page A
Authors: Mary Hiker
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right in the center!
I sat back on the soft couch and tried to remember every word that Ben spoke to me the day we first met.
My biggest treasure holds the key to my treasure .
I wondered if he had been talking about Princess and her jeweled collar. I remembered the earnest look in his eyes as he almost frantically made that statement. That look was something I would never forget.
My thoughts were jarred when Bullfrog decided to become a sixty pound lap dog. He must have run out of treats and decided to find comfort in climbing up on the couch for cuddle time. I decided to spoil him as long as my legs were able to hold his weight, which wouldn’t be very long.
I slowly and softly rubbed the top of Bullfrog’s head, and a thought floated to my brain just like a feather drops from the sky.
Biggest treasure. As far as size goes, Bullfrog is the biggest treasure.
I looked at Bullfrog’s old red stinky dog collar. There was a drastic difference between that one and Princess’ beautiful collar. I ran my hand over the dirty collar and noticed a slight bump about an inch long. I unfastened the buckle, took off his collar and ran it between my fingers. At first I thought it was a blemish in the material, but the more I touched it, I became convinced that there was something inside the layers of nylon webbing.
I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out my trusted pocket knife. It had come in handy on many search and rescue missions, and now it would work to dissect a dog collar.
I carefully slit the thread stitching, and opened the layers. Inside the collar was a small metal key. And a little note.
Just like Ben, I thought with a smile.
I unfolded the small piece of paper and immediately recognized Ben’s handwriting:
‘Pull back the rug and use the key, and buried treasure you will see. Bullfrog protects the box.’
Bullfrog protects the box? What? All he does is sleep in his bed all day.
I looked at the note again, remembering Ben’s fervent words.
My biggest treasure holds the key to my treasure .
I pushed the hair back from my face, thinking hard.
Sleeps on his bed. Protects.
I rolled Bullfrog off my lap and moved across the floor toward his dog bed. I hesitated, then bent over and tried to slide Bull Frog’s dog bed aside. It wouldn’t budge. On closer inspection, I discovered that the wooden frame of the dog bed was nailed to the floor. Underneath was a navy blue area rug that covered the room’s tan carpet. Only one end of it was unattached to the bed.
Pull back the rug .
With three dogs now gathered around and watching me, I reached down and raised the edge of the blue rug. To my surprise, there was a locked door latch hidden underneath. The dog bed was actually attached to a homemade hatch door cut into the floor boards. I put the key into the lock and it opened easily.
I swung the entire contraption up and open while Bullfrog kept a wary eye on his bed. As I laid on the floor, I pushed aside some loose floor insulation covering the hole to reveal the dirt land underneath the mobile home.
I got up and grabbed Ben’s metal detector from behind his couch. Once I figured out how to get it started up, I placed it through the secret hole in the floor. The machine immediately honked and beeped like a dysfunctional smoke alarm.
The dogs barked and howled with the sound until I was able to shut it off. I went out to my truck and grabbed a mini shovel I kept for cadaver dog training, brought it in the house, and jumped down through the hole in the floor, the dogs barking behind me. It was a stinky place with lots of spider webs, but I focused on the task at hand and knelt down on the damp earth to dig.
As soon as the dirt started flying, Princess jumped down through the hole and decided to join in the fun. That dog was a little digging machine. She must have thought I had a big bone buried under there somewhere. I moved aside and
I sat back on the soft couch and tried to remember every word that Ben spoke to me the day we first met.
My biggest treasure holds the key to my treasure .
I wondered if he had been talking about Princess and her jeweled collar. I remembered the earnest look in his eyes as he almost frantically made that statement. That look was something I would never forget.
My thoughts were jarred when Bullfrog decided to become a sixty pound lap dog. He must have run out of treats and decided to find comfort in climbing up on the couch for cuddle time. I decided to spoil him as long as my legs were able to hold his weight, which wouldn’t be very long.
I slowly and softly rubbed the top of Bullfrog’s head, and a thought floated to my brain just like a feather drops from the sky.
Biggest treasure. As far as size goes, Bullfrog is the biggest treasure.
I looked at Bullfrog’s old red stinky dog collar. There was a drastic difference between that one and Princess’ beautiful collar. I ran my hand over the dirty collar and noticed a slight bump about an inch long. I unfastened the buckle, took off his collar and ran it between my fingers. At first I thought it was a blemish in the material, but the more I touched it, I became convinced that there was something inside the layers of nylon webbing.
I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out my trusted pocket knife. It had come in handy on many search and rescue missions, and now it would work to dissect a dog collar.
I carefully slit the thread stitching, and opened the layers. Inside the collar was a small metal key. And a little note.
Just like Ben, I thought with a smile.
I unfolded the small piece of paper and immediately recognized Ben’s handwriting:
‘Pull back the rug and use the key, and buried treasure you will see. Bullfrog protects the box.’
Bullfrog protects the box? What? All he does is sleep in his bed all day.
I looked at the note again, remembering Ben’s fervent words.
My biggest treasure holds the key to my treasure .
I pushed the hair back from my face, thinking hard.
Sleeps on his bed. Protects.
I rolled Bullfrog off my lap and moved across the floor toward his dog bed. I hesitated, then bent over and tried to slide Bull Frog’s dog bed aside. It wouldn’t budge. On closer inspection, I discovered that the wooden frame of the dog bed was nailed to the floor. Underneath was a navy blue area rug that covered the room’s tan carpet. Only one end of it was unattached to the bed.
Pull back the rug .
With three dogs now gathered around and watching me, I reached down and raised the edge of the blue rug. To my surprise, there was a locked door latch hidden underneath. The dog bed was actually attached to a homemade hatch door cut into the floor boards. I put the key into the lock and it opened easily.
I swung the entire contraption up and open while Bullfrog kept a wary eye on his bed. As I laid on the floor, I pushed aside some loose floor insulation covering the hole to reveal the dirt land underneath the mobile home.
I got up and grabbed Ben’s metal detector from behind his couch. Once I figured out how to get it started up, I placed it through the secret hole in the floor. The machine immediately honked and beeped like a dysfunctional smoke alarm.
The dogs barked and howled with the sound until I was able to shut it off. I went out to my truck and grabbed a mini shovel I kept for cadaver dog training, brought it in the house, and jumped down through the hole in the floor, the dogs barking behind me. It was a stinky place with lots of spider webs, but I focused on the task at hand and knelt down on the damp earth to dig.
As soon as the dirt started flying, Princess jumped down through the hole and decided to join in the fun. That dog was a little digging machine. She must have thought I had a big bone buried under there somewhere. I moved aside and
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