they come for the barbeque,” Brownie snorted. “And it’s The Loyal Order of Moose .”
Janie stared at the lodge. It wasn’t really a lodge. It was just a large building with a large sign with a moose and a number on it. It was large enough to have a pretty good-sized congregation in it, with a parking lot to match. It looked empty for the moment. No cars were about, and no one was coming or going. It was pretty dead for a Wednesday morning.
“What do we do?” she asked.
“I reckon we should take a look inside,” Brownie said. “All the signs point here. This place would be next on the map ifin someone had a push pin to stick in it.”
“It’s locked and breaking in is illegal,” Janie said.
“Wait,” Brownie said. “Do you hear that?”
“What?”
Brownie stepped closer to the lodge. Janie followed reluctantly. As they approached the main entrance, he said, “I hear someone calling.”
“I don’t hear anything, except— was that you farting?”
“I don’t think the French toast agreed with my tummy,” Brownie said, “and listen.”
Silent for a moment, Brownie cupped his hand over his ear so that he could hear better. “Listen,” he said again. “‘ Brownie, Janie ,’” he whispered loudly, “‘ come on in. It’s okay, ya’ll. You need to come in. ’”
They got up to the front door and Janie said, “No one is in there, and they aren’t calling us.”
“I’ll testify to it in a court of law,” Brownie said. “Someone said it was okay to go right in, make ourselves at home, grab a co-cola and a moon pie.”
“Since the door is locked, it shouldn’t be an issue— ” Janie started to say and reached out to pull the door’s handle. The door easily came open. “And now it’s an issue,” she sighed.
Brownie put on his most innocent appearing façade. “Since we’re not breaking in, how can it be illegal?”
Janie was outraged. “You’re like the uber master criminal of all the other master criminals. How can you think like that?”
“There could be a 10-c perpetrator inside. We might miss our golden opportunity,” Brownie wheedled.
Janie looked intrigued. She had missed out on the Christmas Killer, and she had missed out on rescuing her aunt, so clearly she was fully involved. “Well, there is evidence that points to a criminal in the vicinity,” she allowed. “The law is very clear about the pursuit of criminals.”
“Hello?” Brownie said to the emptiness beyond the open door. “We’re investigators, and we have reasonable probability.”
“Probable cause,” Janie corrected. Then she yelled it inside, “We have probable cause!”
No one answered.
So of course, they went right in.
Chapter 8
Brownie and the Shifty Skirts
Wednesday, April 4th
Brownie crept into the darkness. Janie followed closely behind him, holding onto the tail of his t-shirt. The shadows inside the long hall seemed to envelope them. She whispered, “It’s dark in here.”
“Blacker than a witch’s hindquarters,” Brownie said.
“Darker than pitch at midnight on the backside of the moon.”
Brownie didn’t want to be left out so he said, “Blacker than a republican’s heart, or democrat if you’re so inclined.”
“It’s blacker than a carpet of carbon nanotubes in bimolecular laboratory.”
“I don’t know what that means, but I think you whupped me something fierce,” Brownie admitted with no little amount of gall. I’ll have to remember that one.
The door behind them shut gently, and both children jumped at the soft click of the latch.
“Do you have a flashlight?” Janie asked.
“Do you ?”
“It’s broad daylight out, and I wasn’t expecting such a dark place,” Janie protested.
“Miz Demetrice decided that my Maglite was a potentially lethal weapon and took it along with the stun gun,” Brownie said. “I hadn’t really thought of it as a weapon, well, not until then .”
“Well, snap.”
They stood in the darkness for
Janie stared at the lodge. It wasn’t really a lodge. It was just a large building with a large sign with a moose and a number on it. It was large enough to have a pretty good-sized congregation in it, with a parking lot to match. It looked empty for the moment. No cars were about, and no one was coming or going. It was pretty dead for a Wednesday morning.
“What do we do?” she asked.
“I reckon we should take a look inside,” Brownie said. “All the signs point here. This place would be next on the map ifin someone had a push pin to stick in it.”
“It’s locked and breaking in is illegal,” Janie said.
“Wait,” Brownie said. “Do you hear that?”
“What?”
Brownie stepped closer to the lodge. Janie followed reluctantly. As they approached the main entrance, he said, “I hear someone calling.”
“I don’t hear anything, except— was that you farting?”
“I don’t think the French toast agreed with my tummy,” Brownie said, “and listen.”
Silent for a moment, Brownie cupped his hand over his ear so that he could hear better. “Listen,” he said again. “‘ Brownie, Janie ,’” he whispered loudly, “‘ come on in. It’s okay, ya’ll. You need to come in. ’”
They got up to the front door and Janie said, “No one is in there, and they aren’t calling us.”
“I’ll testify to it in a court of law,” Brownie said. “Someone said it was okay to go right in, make ourselves at home, grab a co-cola and a moon pie.”
“Since the door is locked, it shouldn’t be an issue— ” Janie started to say and reached out to pull the door’s handle. The door easily came open. “And now it’s an issue,” she sighed.
Brownie put on his most innocent appearing façade. “Since we’re not breaking in, how can it be illegal?”
Janie was outraged. “You’re like the uber master criminal of all the other master criminals. How can you think like that?”
“There could be a 10-c perpetrator inside. We might miss our golden opportunity,” Brownie wheedled.
Janie looked intrigued. She had missed out on the Christmas Killer, and she had missed out on rescuing her aunt, so clearly she was fully involved. “Well, there is evidence that points to a criminal in the vicinity,” she allowed. “The law is very clear about the pursuit of criminals.”
“Hello?” Brownie said to the emptiness beyond the open door. “We’re investigators, and we have reasonable probability.”
“Probable cause,” Janie corrected. Then she yelled it inside, “We have probable cause!”
No one answered.
So of course, they went right in.
Chapter 8
Brownie and the Shifty Skirts
Wednesday, April 4th
Brownie crept into the darkness. Janie followed closely behind him, holding onto the tail of his t-shirt. The shadows inside the long hall seemed to envelope them. She whispered, “It’s dark in here.”
“Blacker than a witch’s hindquarters,” Brownie said.
“Darker than pitch at midnight on the backside of the moon.”
Brownie didn’t want to be left out so he said, “Blacker than a republican’s heart, or democrat if you’re so inclined.”
“It’s blacker than a carpet of carbon nanotubes in bimolecular laboratory.”
“I don’t know what that means, but I think you whupped me something fierce,” Brownie admitted with no little amount of gall. I’ll have to remember that one.
The door behind them shut gently, and both children jumped at the soft click of the latch.
“Do you have a flashlight?” Janie asked.
“Do you ?”
“It’s broad daylight out, and I wasn’t expecting such a dark place,” Janie protested.
“Miz Demetrice decided that my Maglite was a potentially lethal weapon and took it along with the stun gun,” Brownie said. “I hadn’t really thought of it as a weapon, well, not until then .”
“Well, snap.”
They stood in the darkness for
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