Woolfe and McClaw - A Series of Eggs-traordinary events

Hi folks

Thanks to all of you that have submitted your drawings and sketches for The Great Eggscape. We need more so please keep them coming. It must be a good idea since none other than JK Rowling (a slightly more famous Edinburgh based author) is doing something similar to support mental health. For those that have sent in illustrations for W&M, you might want to try your hand at her latest adventure, The Ickabog, too.

In our story the egg puns keep coming, now that Dave has recovered from his egg induced anaphylaxis, he and his sidekick Brian are back at the farm to interview more potential suspects. But just as they seem to be getting to the knub.....disaster strikes!

 

Chapter 5 – A series of eggs-traordinary events

 

Brian arrived at CSA HQ, bright eyed and bushy tailed, at about 8 AM. Dave had been up for a while having walked about town trying to figure out how Frank Fox had managed to come by the eggs without anyone seeing or hearing anything. And why would he just want to sell them quickly and cheaply to the nearest Chinese restaurant. Dave smelled a rat. Not the ‘delegate to Brian to catch type rat’ but something not right with their main suspect.

 

“Right Brian, Let’s get down to the farm, and speak to those we missed yesterday, and we need a little chat with Mr Fox too”. “How are you feeling today?” asked Brian. “Much better thanks Brian, but I’m staying well away from anything egg related. Talking of which, we better drop the egg off at the lab on the way”.

 

When they arrived at the farm, Mr Hensworth was outside in the yard, taking rubbish into an outhouse. “Mr ‘ensworf?” shouted Dave. “That’s me” crowed Richard “You must be the detectives solving the mystery of our missing eggs?” “That’s right” said Dave. “We’d like a word with yourself, your wife, and everyone else who was in the farmhouse yesterday”. “Well, of course. Let’s go in and see Mrs H. Colin will be with the sheep I suspect”

 

They went in the farmhouse and sure enough Mrs H was in the kitchen. “Oh, hello again gentlemen, how goes the investigation?” “Well we haven’t talked to everybody yet, but it seems like the eggs were taken early in the morning, but no material witnesses to anything. It would be really helpful if you could both outline what you were doing between 11pm and 7am on the night in question”. Richard Hensworth was a rather large and foreboding rooster and had ruled the roost for many years. “So, you must be quite annoyed that someone could slip in and steal your chickens’ eggs so easily? goaded Dave. “Listen, Agent Woolfe, running a busy farm is a tough job…” Dave interrupted “So can you tell us where you were between 11pm and 7am?” “I was tucked up in bed” Richard said with a slight air of indignation. “That’s right detective, both my husband and I were in bed. In fact, we slept in, normally Richard is up at the crack of dawn sounding the farm alarm clock,” added Mrs H.

 

“And you heard nothing unusual during the night?” said Agent Woolfe. “I didn’t hear anything” said Mrs H. “Did you dear?” signalling to Richard. “Nor me. Not a dickie bird” said Richard. Agent Woolfe thought for moment. “They must by very heavy sleepers”. “Do either of you have any idea who this might have been?” “We’re as baffled as you are Agent Woolfe” said Mrs H. “Nothing like this has ever happened before. We occasionally get the Tumbles climbing over or digging under the fences, but only the odd carrot and cauliflower go missing”

 

“We would like to speak to Sophie Benedict and Colin the Collie too please while we’re here”. Mrs H explained that Sophie had been very unwell with chicken pox and wouldn’t be up to being questioned. Then Richard suggested, “We’ll give her your number and ask her to get in touch when she’s feeling a bit better. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can find Colin so you can speak to him. Follow me gentlemen.”

 

Richard Hensworth and the two agents then left the farmhouse and walked over to the field where Colin was supposed to be looking after the sheep but was nowhere to be seen. Richard shouted over to Rachel and Rebecca who were closest to the gate. “Have you seen Colin, girls?” “He was here a moment ago, but I saw him running to the fence at the edge of the farm” Said Rachel Cashmere-Jones. “Will I go and fetch him Mr Hensworth?” She offered dutifully. Dave felt this was a little ironic since it was surely Colin’s job to do the fetching and not the other way around. “No don’t worry Rachel, we’ll take a wander and see if we can find him”

 

Richard led them towards the edge of his farm, and in the distance, they could see Colin barking for Mr Hensworth’s attention. “Boss, boss!” barked Colin “Come here and see what I found”. At the corner of the sheep’s field and the fence with the neighbour’s land, Colin was standing next to a hole in the fence. “OMG!” shouted Richard, realising that this was a children’s book and blasphemy is generally frowned upon. “My fence, my fence, some blighter has taken a pair of bolt-cutters to my property, the little rat! ‘why who do you think is responsible for the damage?’’ Dave asked ‘I bet its that rogue Frank Fox” fumed Mr Hensworth. Brian wandered over to the fence while Dave questioned Colin the Collie. “Hi Colin. You’ll be aware of the egg robbery, I take it?”. “Oh yes, and I feel really bad about it. Although I am trained as a herder, the Hensworths also see me as a bit of a guard dog. But I didn’t see or hear anyfink” whimpered Colin, feeling very sorry for himself. “Don’t worry” reassured Dave, “Our job is not to pass judgement. We just want to find the facts and bring the culprits to justice. So where were you between 11pm and 7am on Monday night/Tuesday morning?” “I was curled up in bed from about 9pm to 7am, when Mrs Hensworth came in’t kitchen and woke me up,” added Colin.

 

Dave beckoned over Brian and they began walking back to the farmhouse with Richard and Colin. “We’ll be sure to be speaking to Frank Fox after our visit here” Dave said purposefully, “I think he has some explaining to do” gesturing to the hole in the fence. “Frank and I have known each other a long time, and if he’s behind this I’ll know. If either of you remember anything, anything at all, then please give Agent McClaw or myself a ring”

 

“I’m no’ being funny” said Brian in an uneasy voice, “But what’s that smoke?” Richard looked up and in a state of distress began to sound the alarm “Fire, fire!” and began to run towards the farmhouse. Just shortly afterwards, there were two fire engines speeding down the farm drive, heading towards the spiralling black smoke that was beginning to occlude the bright blue sky above the farmhouse. Richard, Colin, Dave and Brian arrived at the farmhouse. “Oh thank goodness you’re here Richard, the Outhouse went on fire, but luckily no one has been hurt.” Screamed Mrs H. “Thank Goodness” sighed Richard, looking distressed at the destruction of the outhouse building.

 

“We’ll get oeuf and out of your way” said Dave, making yet another bad egg joke. “And follow up with your next door neighbours”. On the way to the car, Dave had a quick word with one of the fire fighters. “What was that about Dave?” enquired Brian. “Just making sure, we don’t miss any evidence. We want to find out how the fire started and whether it was deliberate or not. I’ve got my suspicions. Buckle up; there’s a certain fox we need to talk to, toots.” With that, Dave sped down the farm drive and headed over to Frank Fox’s place.