So here we are. Nearly at the end. But so many unsolved clues. How will Dave and Brian piece the puzzle together and still get home in time for tea?! Will the chickens come home to roost? Has the sly fox managed to escape again? And will Dave have enough mints to get him through? Well if wasn't for one key eye witness, the villain or villains might have got away with it.....Do you think you know whodunnit?
Chapter 8 – Eggs-posed. The agents close in.
Back at CSA, Dave and Brian grabbed a beer and sat in front of the white board piecing together the evidence and the clues so far. Moments later the phone rang. “Hello, is that Dave Woolfe” said the voice at the other end. “Yeh, who’s this?” said Dave a little gruffly. “Never mind who I am, do you want some intel on the robbery?” (Intel is short for intelligence – not the good at maths and reading kind, but the information kind). “I’m all ears” smiled Dave as he flicked his Panama hat off by raising his ears up. “I think I saw what happened.” “Have we spoken before?” asked Dave, “your voice is familiar?” “We have met before but I am nothing to do with the farm, if that’s what you’re thinking”. Dave was puzzled, as this was not Sophie Benedict – this was a male voice. The voice then went on to explain what he had seen. It was plausible and accurate enough to convince Dave that this was not a time waster. “Thanks very much” said Dave ”If I promise you witness protection, will you testify to what you have just told me? The voice went quiet, but after a few moments… “alright, but I can’t have anyone knowing that I’m a grass” (not the green stuff your lawn is mad of but a nickname for a tell-tale-tit). “You have my word” confirmed Dave.
“So come on Dave, who was that?” asked Brian eagerly. “I think we have all the pieces of the puzzle. That was Clive Crowe, who had been resting on the farmhouse roof at the time and saw a chicken taking eggs to the edge of the farm where the fence was cut”. “So we have our robber then” proclaimed Brian “Well not quite, he wasn’t able to identify which chicken. Although I have my suspicions now” mused Dave. “Me too” Brian added “It also ties in with Frank Fox’s story”.
“
I don’t think everyone has been telling us the whole truth, and of course, we
still have to speak with Sophie Benedict. Tomorrow Brian, I want you to speak
to the Hensworfs and tell them that we plan to have all the farm residents, the
Foxes and the Tumbles in the farmhouse at 3pm. I also want Sophie Benedict
there”. “Right Boss, I’ll get on to it first thing. We should also have the
forensic report by then too”
The next day Brian met Dave at CSA around 10am, having managed to secure cooperation of the Foghorn Farm Community and neighbours. “Everything in place Brian?” “Yes boss, and I’ve also arranged for Clive to join anonymously by video link through their TV with face and voice distortion”. At 2.30pm Dave and Brian jumped in the Jag and headed to Foghorn Farm. “Turn on the radio, I just want to relax for now.” As Brian tuned in to Radio 1, sure enough Lewis Catpaldi’s number 1 was playing. “On second thoughts, turn it off”. At the stroke of 3pm, the Jag pulled up outside the farmhouse. As they entered, there was an eery silence, (apart from the Grandfather clock in the hall that rang out, Dong! – Dong! –Dong!) which was amazing considering the number of animals in the living room.
“Ladies and gentlemen” began Dave. “I’ve gathered you here because Agent McClaw and are very close to finding the thief, but we just want to check a few more facts before we lift ‘em” (lifting is a police term for arrest rather than actually lifting them up).
“So, its now becoming much clearer what happened the other night. Sharon Omlette and the other chickens apart from Sophie Benedict were asleep in the chicken coup. Sophie had chicken pox and was quarantined in the farmhouse, except that Sophie doesn’t have chicken pox, do you Sophie?” Looking even redder than her chicken pox spots, Sophie began to cry. “Sophie was seen taking a bag of eggs towards the edge of the farm at about 3.30am.” Brian then switched on the TV, and a voice came through confirming that someone matching Sophie’s description was seen walking towards Frank Fox’s boundary with the farm.
“Sophie was then seen giving the eggs to Frank Fox. Receiving stolen goods Frank – not too clever. It was actually Frank’s van that you heard Alice not the farm van – which hadn’t been driven recently. Frank went on to sell the eggs cheap (sorry) to the Chinese Restaurant for a small profit” explained Dave presiding over matters, a bit like a combination of Hercule Poirot and Columbo. (These are famous detectives in other stories) “Isn’t that right Sophie?” accused Dave. Sophie nodded and by this time was sobbing.
Dave looked around the room, slowly and deliberately. “While these are the undisputed facts, I’m still struggling to understand why. Why would Sophie go to all the trouble to steal these eggs and give them to the rogue next door?, questioned Dave, “what was to be gained? Was this a feud with the other chickens, did she have anything to gain? It has been really puzzling me, that is until the fire.” Dave then leant against the mantle piece positioning himself for some further revelation.
“So we have a thief and a fence (not like the one between the Hensworths and the Foxes but the one that passes on stolen goods on the quiet), but what’s still missing is the why”. He went on “After Sharon Omlette and the hens went to bed, Sophie entered the coop around 2 am while everyone was asleep and applied a small amount of chloroform to each of the chickens so she wouldn’t be heard. She then took the eggs and went over to the fence, as we know. We also know that Frank was an obvious place to offload the eggs because it would make sense for a known villain to be framed for the crime. But I still struggle with the why? Who would gain from this? And how did the fire start? Pete whispered to Penny “This is so exciting Pen” “Please don’t interrupt Mr Bacon- I’m nearly at the climax!”
“When I saw Mr Hensworf take rubbish to the outhouse, I realised that this was a little odd when your eggs had been stolen. It wasn’t Mr Hensworth that started the fire” There were sharp intakes of breath as many in the room – opened mouthed, thought that Dave was about to reveal that Mrs H was the arsonist. “Nor was it Mrs H. It had to be Sophie. She was the only one that had access to a lighter from the kitchen and was able to act when the Hensworfs were elsewhere”
“You’re
an evil chicken, Sophie” shouted Sharon “and after all the love and support we
have given you” added Mrs H. “Why, why?” she went on. “I’ll tell you why” said
Dave. Sophie was not acting alone and in fact was the accomplice rather than
the one hatching and orchestrating this plot – wasn’t she Mr Hensworth?” “Uh
uh” Richard began to stutter and spread his feathers. “Let me finish” Dave
insisted “Richard had been jealous of Sebastian’s popularity with the chickens
– as a threat to his alpha male status (this is the law of the jungle where the
number one male gets to rule the roost) that he decided to undermine him by taking
the eggs, or rather conspiring with Sophie to steal them; and in return Sophie
who was blindly in love with you, was promised to become the new Mrs H. That
fire was intended for roast chicken, but Sophie wasn’t able to apply the
chloroform in time, and Mrs H. inadvertently escaped. It could have been
murder. It was Sophie’s choice to do your bidding, but it was your plan, your
manipulation of an innocent vulnerable chicken. Anything you want to add Richard?”
Richard looked at Henrietta and whimpered, “I’m sorry darling. I didn’t mean it. She was the on who manipulated me, I was an old fool and fell for her charms.” Sophie sobbed even more, and Mrs H stood up and in a fit of pique (that’s very angry by the way) screamed, “Save your breath Richard, I never want to speak to you again. I hope that you get what you deserve – and that isn’t me or the support of others on this farm that have worked for your loyally for years. I don’t blame Sophie for being a stupid young chicken. I blame you”
“Brian, call it in please” said Dave and within seconds the farm was surrounded by police officers who then arrested Richard, Sophie and Frank. “I’m sorry Mrs H” said Dave. “Oh don’t be Agent Woolfe. If it hadn’t been for you and Agent McClaw, it might have been much worse. Time for me to move on to the next chapter in my life”
Dave nodded and with a brief wave to the gathered, bid goodbye. “A good day’s work Brian” Dave philosophised, “But how did you work out it was Richard” Brian asked. “I had a hunch, laid a trap and he fell right into it. I don’t know about you but I’m eggs-hausted and think we deserve a stiff drink and a good feed”
The Jag pulled away and headed into town, with Lewis Catpaldi blaring out.
The End
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