Chapter 13: Tracking the Creep

“It’s about time!” Johanna yelled, lowering the window to shout out of her car.

Halfway across the parking lot, Phineas threw out his hands while people stopped to stare.

“What? I wasn’t even in there for very long,” Phinn shot back, but his ride had already raised the car window.

“Thirty-seven minutes. That’s how long you were inside,” Johanna announced, tapping the digital radio clock, once he got inside. “I told you I have other business to attend to. So I don’t have time to waste while you bribe another government worker.”

“I didn’t bribe anyone this time,” the teen detective denied while Johanna raced out of the parking lot.

“Sure, you didn’t. We just stopped at city hall for a random errand.”

“I told you that I needed to see Billing,” Phinn reminded.

“And that doesn’t sound like code for a bribery?” Johanna challenged. “Oh, so you really meant that you needed to pay a bill inside.”

“Billing, not a bill. It’s his last name. He’s a clerk in the Register of Deeds office,” Phinn explained. “I called him this morning, and he put aside the property records for 5611B Lafayette Avenue. That's the address that Mimi von Essen was told to bring her payment to, and that Veronica Strecker confirmed using for a time, too.”

"Why didn't you just say that before going inside? Your secrecy bullshit gets annoying quickly," the influencer complained, rechecking the clock. Pushing down on the pedal, she raised her speed to 15 mph over the limit while weaving around traffic.

Next to her in the passenger seat, Phinn opened the large manila envelope to skim the property records. The title had either been sold or transferred nine times over the last half-century. Vague corporate names such as Visionary Properties, Serendipity Holdings, and Lafayette Assets painted Phinn a partial picture.

“Anything?” the brunette asked, flipping off a honking trunk.

“The more recent owners appear to be shell companies, I suspect,” Phinn deduced until he flipped to the oldest record. “Well, isn’t this something. A sole proprietorship listed under the name Vincent Kronen. Sound familiar?”

“Mrs. Walcott mentioned a Nan Kronen!” Johanna exclaimed, whipping around a corner. “A relative?”

“Or a shared fictitious surname,” Phinn suggested, glancing up from the records. “Are you trying to kill us?”

“I told you that I have an appointment in less than twenty minutes. I’m doing a beauty tutorial at a salon for my subscribers!”

“Wow, that sounds like a waste of time,” Phinn replied, earning a backhanded slap to his face.

After Johanna pointed out that she could aim for his bruised ribs next time, the smartass sleuth opted to stay silent for the final five minutes of the drive. Johanna barely stopped the car on nearby 34th Street before ordering Phinn to get out. Although a bit put off by the drop-off, the teen wasn’t averse to getting rid of the influencer for the rest of the day.

Crossing over to Madison Avenue, Phinn shook his head at the still sizeable groups showing up to shop at the rummage sale. Walking past Jake’s house, Phinn turned up the driveway to find his best friend, Corky, and Wally sitting around. A tired Bandit woofed softly before going back to sleep.

“Ah, I see you’re putting in long hours today,” the bespectacled teen remarked to the youngest person.

“Mom said I could stay longer, since you left,” the copper-haired assistant replied cheerfully.

“And how did your stealth mission go? Were you like a ninja?” Phinn inquired.

“We’ll get to that later. First, we have a problem,” Jake began. He held up a finger until a pair of browsers left. “My phone was stolen. No, not today. Yesterday. Likely switched with a similar-looking one at the library. So that’s why I didn’t get your messages last night.”

“At Dillingday, when you were locked in the storeroom? That means—”

“I know. It’s probably the reason for the whole trap, but why?” Jake asked. “We only found the second photo shortly before we left.”

“I can’t say. Too much is going on around here that doesn’t match,” Phinn admitted. “Shit! I sent you a copy of Mimi von Essen’s picture. That means if it is the blackmailer, then they know we know about her. Wait, where’s the fake phone?”

“Don’t worry. I already thought it could be used to spy on us, so I put it back inside.”

Phinn nodded, pleased with his partner for considering the possibility.

“Alright, let’s do damage control. You never brought it outside this morning when we discussed last night, correct? Good. That only leaves what we discussed yesterday when you returned and any messages I sent,” Phinn estimated. He gave Jake an inquisitive expression, who shrugged as he couldn’t think of anything else they had talked about yesterday afternoon or evening. “Still, this is concerning. If your phone theft was in response to our discovery of the bugs, then this blackmailer moves quickly. The question is why.”

“All this trouble for blackmail dating back to the 1970s?” Jake questioned.

“It’s got to be still going on,” Corky replied.

“Maybe it’s just not hot women who won Miss Paddle. This blackmailer could be manipulating high-level people, such as the mayor, the district attorney, the chief of police, and the governor,” Wally suggested, stretching his legs before yawning. “It’s past lunch time. Do you guys want to get something to eat?”

“The assistant DA is hot for a cougar,” Jake noted. “Yeah, we should grab something. I’m starving.”

“Broome is a lightweight consumed with his image,” Phinn pointed out about the mayor. “The governor is too much of a moron to realize he’s being blackmailed. However, let’s not focus on far-fetched hypotheticals for now. Did you have any luck with the security cameras next door?”

“It was close to being a disaster,” Jake teased, as Corky held up the flash drive.

“Excellent. Let’s see what you found, and afterward, I’ll let you know what I learned at Hardyhill,” Phinn replied. Then, he shook off the idea of watching the footage on Corky’s tablet. Phinn preferred to use the Magnums’ PC for its larger screen.

Yet, Jake wouldn’t budge from his seat until they decided on lunch. Phinn dismissed the idea of ordering a pizza since they had done so two nights ago. Corky worried about money, but Jake assured him and Wally that lunch would be their treat. Already hoping to pocket some of the money his parents left behind, Phinn suggested a cheap fast-food place like Baron Broil. However, Corky and Wally each had burgers the night before. Eventually, they agreed that Wally would go pick up Count Chick-O’s only after he watched the tables while they checked out the footage.

“Damn production,” Phinn mumbled about the lunch decision.

On the way inside to the Magnums' den, Jake filled his partner in on the retrieval mission. Reluctantly, Phinn agreed that they should've accounted for the alderwoman's possible intervention. The Rieses' hated next-door neighbor did laugh out loud when he heard how Eli stopped Mrs. Riese from going back inside.

“I don’t envy the lecture she gave your friends,” Phinn told Corky.

“I’m still a bit worried about using Howie and Halle,” Jake admitted.

“Why? It sounded like a brilliant idea. While Halle is probably unlikely to remember much, I’m sure that Howie made a lifetime memory that he’ll embellish over time. He got to help his hero, the great Jake Magnum, foil a dastardly old shrew,” Phinn proposed.

“That does sound about right for his imagination,” Jake agreed about his five-year-old neighbor.

Fortunately for the impatient Phineas, their younger neighbor had already rewatched the videos several times. Knowing where and when to select, Corky showed the Masked Creep arrive at 11:41, sixteen minutes before Phinn looked outside his window.

“He came from the street?” the surprised sleuth asked, watching the footage of the huge, hulking man walk past the Riese’s home on the sidewalk.

“Even weirder that he didn’t come the other direction,” Jake noted.

Coming down Madison Avenue from 34th Street only required passing two homes: Jake’s and the Plouffes’. However, choosing the other direction from 36th Street required passing seven houses before reaching Phinn’s.

“He does appear to have a Sonny Snyder mask on,” Corky semi-confirmed Phinn’s guess. “It’s hard to see as he has a hood up while walking to your house, and it’s difficult to see details later. But if I hadn’t known, I would’ve guessed that mask or Michael Myers.”

“Jesus, that’s a big dude,” Jake marveled, shaking his head.

One of the two cameras the Rieses allegedly had covering their backyard appeared to cover a larger portion of the Farris yard. It was that footage that allowed them to watch the towering figure stand still for nearly fifteen minutes before he started tossing pebbles at the window. The viewers couldn’t tell much, but Phinn did point out when the Masked Creep cocked his head to the side and when he wagged his finger.

Eventually, the footage showed the lighting change when Phinn closed his blinds. After that, the Masked Creep stayed for an additional five minutes before leaving the way he came.

“I’m more surprised that he didn’t use the park and your gate,” Phinn admitted to his partner.

“Maybe he wanted to avoid Jake’s house. He could know you have a dog,” Corky suggested.

“That’s possible,” Phinn replied. “Good work, Cormac. You performed an excellent mission. Although Jake needs to work on his distraction planning.”

“What the hell? I thought I did a great job of adapting when it fell apart,” the stocky detective complained.

Phinn waited until Corky left the den ahead of them.

“You did fine. I just wanted Corky to feel good about his experience.”

“I thought you didn’t like him hanging around our cases,” Jake reminded.

“I don’t, but I need his help this week with the rummage sale,” Phinn admitted, causing his partner to grumble. “Just wait until you hear what we learned from Veronica Strecker and Verity Walcott’s grandmother.”

“Wait, what? How did the South High newspaper girl get involved? Man, we don’t need Erin pissed off like Johanna is about dealing with their rivals,” Jake moaned.

With Wally off to grab their food, Phinn filled Jake and Corky in on what they had learned. Immediately, Jake palmed his forehead when Phinn recounted Johanna’s stunned expression when the antisocial sleuth straight out asked Veronica if she’d slept with the pageant judges.

“I don’t know why you bothered with a cover story. Everybody knows you guys,” Corky stated, sounding shocked.

“Not everybody knows us, particularly Phinn. Mrs. Strecker only knew of him because of his great aunt,” Jake clarified.

“But she mentioned the Phantom Diver and Crystal Charmer cases,” their young admirer pointed out.

“I prefer that people don’t know my name. Flamand had a leg up on us during that latter case because he saw the media coverage. It nearly cost us our lives,” Phinn stressed before continuing.

“Holy shit!” Jake exclaimed, whistling. “She just dropped her blackmailer’s name like that?”

“Imagine my surprise. Those details never fall into our laps.”

At two points in the conversation, Phinn needed to order the listeners to stop interrupting. By the end, Jake had Phinn’s phone clutched in his hand while he studied the picture of Mimi von Essen and Nan Kronen locked in a 69 position.

“I knew it. I just had a feeling that this other woman was up to no good,” Jake declared.

“You did? Wow, how could you tell?” Corky questioned.

“It’s just a sixth sense you get over time.”

“Sure it is,” Phinn mumbled, shaking his head at his partner’s boast.

Suddenly, Jake nearly screamed as the phone in his hand started to vibrate. Then, he realized a call was incoming. “Oh, it’s your mom.”

“Shit!” Phinn cursed, holding out his hand. “Hey, Mom, how’s the trip going?”

“Phineas,” Pamela began, causing her son to wince. “What’s this I hear? You weren’t at the rummage sale today?”

Phinn rolled his eyes while Jake mouthed off a list of names of the people who stopped by earlier. Mrs. Mercer with donuts again, along with Mrs. Capshaw, Mrs. LeClaire, Mrs. Donnelly, and others.

“Mom, I’m at the rummage sale right now.”

“But you weren’t doing what you promised for several hours, and I hear there was a commotion next door at the Rieses.”

“I had nothing to do with that, and those cultists can’t prove that I did,” Phinn stated. “A couple of Corky’s friends got into an argument, which led to a fistfight. Jake broke it up for Mrs. Annable and told me all about it when I returned.”

“Hmph, we’ll see,” Pamela responded, clucking her tongue. “Now, where did you go? And it better not be for one of your investigations.”

“I didn’t want to leave, Mom. I swear. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“What? Who’s she?”

“You gave her too much power, and she’s lording it over me. This needs to stop, or I’m going to explode, Mom. It needs to stop,” Phinn repeated, causing Jake to shake his head.

“Who? Who are you talking about?” his mother questioned.

“Johanna! Your little matchmaker is out of control,” Phinn insisted. “She forced me to accompany her to one of her stupid influencer interviews this morning. Not just one, Mother, but two!”

“Oh, well, I’m sure that Johanna had a solid reason to make you accompany her. That’s a young lady with a clear head on her shoulders,” Pamela replied, but her son could hear in her tone that his mother wanted to believe it more than she did.

“Well, something needs to change once you return. I can’t handle this meddling in my life for much longer. I’ll start acting out,” Phinn threatened, leading Corky to chuckle. “Now, enough about me. How’s the trip going?”

“Don’t try to change the subject. How is the sale going?”

“A lot of lookers, not many buyers. To be honest, I’ve had to chase away a few jerks.”

“Phinny!”

“No, I’m entirely right on this one. Some lady totally lowballed me on Grandma and Grandpa’s furniture. Luckily, I recognized her as a reseller from Anchor Rock,” Phinn recounted. “No, don’t make that disappointed sound. She immediately went over and lowballed Mr. Higgins so badly that he lost his cool.”

“Oh, my!”

“Yeah, the guy is so laidback. Plus, we’ve already had a tiff between Mr. Greene and Mrs. Bethune. I mean, our neighbors are crazy, to be honest, Mom.”

“Phinny, don’t say that about them. We have some very nice neighbors to go along with a few complicated individuals,” Pamela described.

“Complicated with multiple mental illnesses, I guess,” Phinn responded before changing the subject again.

“The trip is okay.”

“What did Pug do now?” Phinn asked, catching his mother’s disappointed tone.

“Nothing really yet. However, you know how your father’s cousins can be.”

“Judgmental as hell!”

"I wouldn't put it that way precisely, but Putnam did let slip that you shot that man while at dinner last night."

“I told you that the gun slipped out of my hand. It was raining out!”

“Yes, I know that’s what you told your father,” Pamela replied, making it clear that she knew better. “However, your father’s cousins’ wives made several snide remarks throughout the rest of dinner about parenting. I’ve already had it with them, so I skipped lunch to go shopping.”

"You left Dad and Pug alone with them?" Phinn's eyebrows raised at that development. For his mother not to use the two women's names said something, but to not do the polite thing and skip lunch meant she was pissed.

"They said you were at a sex cult, Phinny!" Pamela shrieked.

"Oh, fuck them! You know that's tabloid trash. Hell, you know the Ellisons and even talked to Catherine Dall on the phone," Phinn reminded.

"I know that! Those women had the nerve to act like they never watched Jealous City, when I know they did," Pamela fumed.

"Uh, who are you visiting next?"

“Your uncle, then your grandparents, before we finish with your aunt,” Pamela listed.

“Yikes. Well, I guess you get somewhat of a break in the middle. I thought you were going to see a few of Dad’s old friends,” Phinn mentioned.

“We will when visiting his brother, sister, and parents,” Pamela revealed. Then, she asked about the house, any problems, and who would be staying over that night.

“Jake and Bandit are sleeping over tonight.”

Although news to Jake, he accepted the plans with a shrug.

“Fine. Now, remember that Katie will return on Friday. She said that she’ll definitely babysit you on Saturday and Sunday. In the meantime, if you can’t get any other friends to stay over, then ask Lance.”

“Ah, I don’t like to bother Lance,” Phinn replied, causing Jake to wonder when that started. “Fine, fine, I’ll think about it. Now don’t kill any of…well, I’m fine if you kill Dad’s cousins or their prefect offspring.”

Jake waited until Phinn finished before asking about their plans.

“I’m not sure. It feels like we’re being manipulated with the photographs, break-ins, and phone theft.”

“I meant about Bandit and me staying over.”

“Oh. Well, I think we should prepare a stakeout and tail this Masked Creep if he returns again,” Phinn proposed.

---

“This is Third, I’m in position,” Jake reported on his walkie-talkie.

“Good, don’t break your neck,” Phinn replied.

“Very funny, First.”

Phinn’s warning didn’t seem funny to him. Although athletic, Jake had chosen to climb the large oak tree in the Plouffes’ backyard. Sitting on a thick branch, the football player watched his and Phinn’s backyards through a pair of binoculars. The plan they selected involved waiting for the Masked Creep's potential return and then following him. Of course, the watcher might not return for a second night in a row, but Phinn believed he’d return either tonight or tomorrow night.

“This is Guest. Nothing’s happening yet.”

“Roger, Guest,” Jake responded, shaking his head. He didn’t understand why they couldn’t call Corky by the callsign Fourth or something. Guest felt insulting.

Their fan club president’s sole role for tonight would be to see if the Masked Creep entered or exited Madison Avenue from the direction of his home. Seated upstairs in his bedroom at the corner of 36th and Madison, Corky could also look down 36th Street for several homes in the direction of Monroe.

“Okay, buddy, now we just wait,” Phinn told Bandit as they went upstairs to his bedroom.

With it approaching ten o’clock, he wanted his house to appear as dark as it did last night. Only the light in his bedroom would stay on with the blinds raised again. Also, this time, Phinn had his brother’s crossbow ready for use.

The clock ticked by slowly as Phinn lay across his bed with Bandit curled up beside him. Although the potential action tonight consumed the junior investigator, he couldn’t help but go over the inconsistencies he’d noticed already with the case and events.

Maybe Jake’s right, and Angelo Manfredi broke into our houses. The bugs don’t feel like his style, but he always had a plan for his crimes.

Around 10:45, Phinn’s earpiece came alive.

“Guest here. We have movement. Repeat, we have movement. He just crossed 36th while on your side of the block. Passing Mrs. Potts’ house,” Corky reported. “Huh, that’s funny. He doesn’t look as big from up here.”

“Are you sure it’s him, Guest?” Phinn questioned.

“Who else is wearing a light-colored mask with a black hood up, First?”

“He’s got a point, First,” Jake agreed.

"I should be able to watch him for most of the way to your house," Corky assured, reaching down to pick up his binoculars. The street lights and various porch lights left on along the block provided enough light for him to watch the Masked Creep amble down the block. "Okay, he's near your house."

“Is he coming alongside my house by the Rieses, Guest?” Phinn asked, sitting up on the bed.

“It’s unclear, First.”

“This is why we needed to have Lance watch,” Jake argued. Their older neighbor and past helper lived directly across the street from Phinn’s home.

“And I told you that Lance is getting old enough that he might not go along with all our schemes. What if he tried to intervene or insisted on calling the cops?” Phinn counterargued.

“Uh, Phinn, I think he just climbed onto your porch,” Corky reported.

“What?” the scrawny sleuth responded, automatically.

Slipping out of his room, he crossed over into Putnam’s bedroom, which faced the street. Moving carefully to the side of the window, he peeked slightly through a blind. That’s when he heard the sound.

“It sounds like he’s tapping on the window,” Phinn relayed. “Can you see him, Guest?”

“No, I don’t see…wait! He just went down the porch stairs, and I think over to your large front window.”

Seconds later, Phinn confirmed that he heard tapping again, this time at a louder level. Twenty seconds passed until the tapping stopped. Corky lost sight of the Masked Creep after he turned the building’s corner.

Leaving Putnam’s bedroom, Phinn slowly moved down the hallway until he reached the stairs. Dropping to the floor, Phinn inched forward until his head hung off the top floor. Listening, he ignored Bandit, who thought his position was for a game of some sort.

“First, here,” Phinn called in, moving away from the stairs. “It sounds like he’s tapping on the kitchen windows.”

“Damn, he’s getting awfully risky. My parents could look out and see him,” Jake remarked.

“Okay, I have a new plan. This person either wants to scare me further or provoke a confrontation. If he stays on the same course, he’ll eventually end up in the backyard. If so, we’re going to throw him a curveball,” Phinn began. “I’ll put Bandit on his leash, take him out the front door, and for a late-night walk towards Corky’s house.”

“Shit, that sounds risky, Phinn,” Jake responded, dropping the use of a callsign.

“I know. So once you see him follow, you’re to climb down that tree and head toward the alley. I’ll lead him around the corner toward the park, and if we time it right, you’ll be there to help box him in.”

“I don’t know about this,” Jake fretted. “A lot could go wrong.”

“I know. However, we’ll have two options: Make a break for the park or run toward Corky’s house,” Phinn proposed.

“Yeah, that sounds better. Crap, he just rounded the corner and is at your back door,” Jake reported.

“Alright, I have Bandit’s leash on. Let me know once he either moves to another window or resumes his position from last night. I’ll flip on the living room light just as I open the door and leave. That ought to throw him off,” Phinn said, listing his upcoming actions.

“You know, he does look somewhat smaller from way up here,” Jake agreed with Corky’s assessment. “Okay, he’s over by your dining room window.”

“First and Watchdog have left the house,” Phinn announced over the walkie-talkie.

Jake watched as the Masked Creep jumped back from the window as the living room light turned on. Then, he heard his best friend loudly tell the bulldog not to take too long selecting a perfect spot to poop, as it’s getting late. Waiting until the Masked Creep started slowly around the corner and driveway, Jake climbed down enough so that he could drop the rest of the way to the ground. Ordering Corky to keep an eye on Phinn and Bandit, he raced out of the Plouffes’ backyard and onto the sidewalk parallel to 34th Street. A short distance later, he turned left down the alley.

Phinn passed the Rieses and Higginses while ordering Bandit not to stop yet. He could tell the dog wanted to mark his territory, but he needed to wait until they reached the corner.

“First, he just appeared in front of your house,” Corky relayed.

Unwilling to use his walkie-talkie, Phinn wiped his brow as a partial salute to the Eye in the Sky. The high school gumshoe had the device hidden in a plastic bag, the type usually used to carry up another baggie filled with dog pooh.

“Okay, Bandie, no looking back. Keep moving forward. We’re on a case, so you need to turn on detective doggie mode, got it?”

Jake always swore his dog didn’t understand his best friend, but the soft woof in reply told Phinn otherwise. Looking up, Phinn paused momentarily before continuing to walk forward, yet at a slower pace.

“Oh, crap! Phinn, we got a second Masked Creep! He’s straight ahead of you and me!” Corky announced.

Picking up the hand with the plastic bag, Phinn brought it across his body to scratch his shoulder while pressing the talk button.

“I see him.”

“What’s going on?” Jake radioed in.

“A second guy in a mask has appeared. He’s directly in front of Phinn,” Corky relayed to Jake.

“Shit! Peel off across the street, Phinn.”

“No, keep coming this way. I’m betting he moves before I reach him. This one looks a lot shorter,” Phinn said, stopping to bend down to fix his shoelace while talking. When he stood up, the shorter masked man turned to cross 36th Street.

In front of Mrs. Potts’ house, Phinn jerked his thumb toward his body for Corky’s benefit.

“He’s still behind you, but moving slowly. Around the Rieses’ driveway, and just about to step foot in front of the Higgenses.”

“I’m going to cross 36th to follow this one. Jake, are you nearby yet?”

“No, I'm probably barely ahead of the other guy in the alley. I stopped to listen as I thought I heard something, but I must have imagined it,” the stocky detective reported.

“This smaller one is two houses down the next block. Corky, watch my back, I’m going to cross over. And give Jake a heads up once he’s closer. Perhaps, he can follow the first guy,” Phinn suggested, getting an acknowledgment from both.

Crossing the street, Bandit picked up the speed as he thought they were on a new adventure, which technically they were. Telling the bulldog to slow down, Phinn glanced down for a second, and when he looked up, he barely caught a glimpse of the other Masked Creep cutting between the third and fourth houses on the block.

“This one is cutting between the houses. I don’t like it, but I’ll follow anyway. I’m going to do the same, but a house earlier,” Phinn disclosed.

Following the new path he set, Phinn started up a driveway. Unfortunately, a motion sensor tripped a sidelight on the home, next to the driveway. Sighing at his luck, Phinn pressed on.

“Easy, Bandie, we might be walking into a trap.”

“Phinn, Jake, the second guy just took off in a sprint. He’s turned to run down 36th toward Monroe,” Corky yelled.

"Jake, you'd better be close. Jake? Jake?!" Phinn called in.

“He’s not responding,” Corky reported needlessly.

"Shit. Alright, keep trying. I'm entering the backyard."

Unlike the homes on the north side of Monroe Park, which the short Rush Avenue split, the houses on the south side had larger backyards and an alley separating the homes on Madison and Monroe. Walking slowly around the home’s rear, Phinn kept an eye on his surroundings until he rounded the corner to the side that the Masked Creep would’ve taken.

Spotting no one, Phinn scanned the decently maintained lawn. However, he noticed the short chain-link fence could be easily climbed over. Moving in that direction, Phinn flicked on his flashlight. With bushes and a pair of trees lining the fence, he couldn’t risk somebody jumping out.

Once satisfied that nobody lurked in waiting, Phinn picked up Bandit and climbed over into the alley. He didn’t detect anyone in either direction of the alley, with the sleuth paying particular attention at 36th Street. The other Masked Creep must have already passed the alley opening, he deduced. Shining his flashlight, Phinn spotted a pair of planks missing from a wooden fence.

The most logical path for escape and to lay a trap, the teen detective and the curious bulldog ventured slowly and carefully forward toward the hole. Leaning over from a distance, Phinn didn’t see anything from his vantage point. The opening appeared to be next to an old corrugated shed.

Telling Bandit that he'd go first, Phinn heard Corky pleading for Jake to respond as Bandit followed him. Despite the younger kid asking Phinn to say something, the brainy sleuth held his tongue. Something suddenly felt off. Almost as if he sensed a presence waiting ahead.

With his back against the shed, Phinn slowly inched forward. One quick glance told him that Bandit also sensed a presence ahead, on the opposite side of the shed. Nearly at the edge of the rusty building, Phinn heard breathing. Cursing again for not finally purchasing that stun gun, Phinn performed a double-take as a shadow appeared in the alley behind him.

Darting forward, Phinn barely jerked back as a snaring animal jumped forward to bite him. Barking from the animal and Bandit ensued as Phinn tripped slightly to fall further backward. Then, as he attempted to regain his balance, the teen detective lost his grip on the leash as a pair of strong arms shoved him.

Tumbling to the side, Phinn hit the shed’s floor. Hurrying to turn around, he saw the door slam shut. Laughter rang out as Phinn slammed his body into the door. It barely gave a few centimeters, leading the sleuth to realize he’d been locked inside.

“Tough luck, Losereas!” Todd Haldorn cackled.

“That’s for the 4th, bitch!” Shane Grogan yelled, punching the rusty door, sending Phinn back. “Don’t worry; we’ll take care of your dog.”

“Toby. Toby, what are you doing? Get back here!”

“Oops, you hear that, Farris. Your dog just raced off. I hope nothing happens to it,” Shane teased, snickering.

“Todd! You know what Bandit means to Jake and Libby! Todd!” Phinn screamed.

The angry detective began to panic as the laughter drifted away before something scraped across the shed’s side.

Rushing over in that direction, Phinn slammed the corrugated metal.

“You better not harm Bandit, Grogan. The same for you, Haldorn! I will fucking torture you. I mean it! I’ll…I’ll kill you,” Phinn vowed, dropping to his knees in despair. “Oh, gawd. What did I do?”

Panicked and scared to death about what the two bullies might do to the helpless dog, Phinn started to sob.

Finally, after precisely twelve seconds, Phinn started to wipe away the tears that rolled down his cheeks. Snapping out of his funk, the brainy sleuth began to formulate a plan to get out of this locked shed and rescue Bandit.

First, Phinn realized that he’d also dropped the bag with the walkie-talkie during the commotion. That left only his phone. Pulling it out, Phinn discarded the idea of calling Jake since he’d lost not only contact with him a few minutes ago, but also because of the stolen phone. Second, Phinn rejected Corky as an option. Even if the twelve-year-old could sneak out past his parents, he wouldn’t be able to pick or break the lock.

Libby wasn’t an option, as Phinn knew she’d gone out on a date. That left Lance Nook. Pulling up Lance’s number, Phinn quickly tried to deduce his precise location.

I crossed between the second and third houses on Madison before going into the backyard of the third house from the corner on Monroe. That means I’m…Oh!

Changing his mind, Phinn scrolled up his list of contacts. With a few options to choose from, he selected the most likely person to pick up his call. As it rang and rang, Phinn began to feel another panic attack coming on.

Finally, the person he’d called picked up.

“Hey, this is Phinn. I’m in trouble and need a huge favor, and I need it right now.”