儿童英语读物 The Dog-Gone Mystery CHAPTER 8 A Cover Uncovered

Benny tugged 1 on Jessie’s arm. “Look,” he whispered.



Jessie turned to see what Benny was doing. She noticed the door that he had left ajar. “Good work, Benny,” she whispered back.



Jessie looked through the open crack. She saw Mr. Kovack holding Watch’s collar in his hand. Then she saw Mr. Kovack put the collar back on Watch.



“Excuse me,” Jessie said to everybody. “We need to see Mr. Kovack and Watch. Right away.”



Henry and Violet turned to see what was the matter. They followed Jessie and Benny out the door. “Excuse us,” said Henry to Roxanne.



Mr. Kovack was just standing 2 up as the children approached him.



“Watch,” Jessie called. “Come!”



Watch ran to Jessie. “Sit!” she said, and Watch sat.



“See how much better your dog listens,” said Mr. Kovack.



“Why did you take off Watch’s collar?” Benny asked.



“Who, me?” asked Mr. Kovack.



“I saw you,” said Benny.



Mr. Kovack grunted 3. “You kids see everything, don’t you?”



The Aldens said nothing. They waited.



“Watch’s collar was loose,” said Mr. Kovack. “I took it off then put it back on, that’s all.”



Roxanne came out of the office. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is there a problem?”



“We’ll see,” said Henry. He looked as Jessie knelt down and took Watch’s collar off.



Jessie looked at the outside of the collar. She looked at the inside of the collar. She looked at the buckle 4. Jessie didn’t see anything strange. She was confused.



“See,” said Mr. Kovack. “There’s nothing wrong.”



“Let me see,” said Henry. Jessie gave him the collar, and he examined it closely. At first it looked fine, but then Henry noticed a very thin line on the inside of the collar. It looked as if somebody had cut the leather. Henry ran his thumbnail alongside the line. Yes, it was a cut. He pushed his thumbnail into the cut to open the slit 5 up. Henry felt something inside the slit. He took it out and held it in his hand. It was a small, very thin piece of metal, like a dime 6, only thinner. “What’s that?” asked Violet.



“I’m not sure,” said Henry, “but I can make a good guess.” He looked at Mr. Kovack. “I think this is a small tracking device.”



Mr. Kovack looked away.



“Let me see,” said Benny. He looked at the small silver disc.



“This looks just like what fell out of Mr. Kovacks hand when he took Grayson’s collar off. Mr. Kovack said it was a dime, but it isn’t.”



Roxanne looked down at the floor.



“Why did you put this in Watch’s collar?” asked Henry. “Were you planning to steal him?”



Mr. Kovack sighed. Then suddenly he smiled, and then he laughed. “You kids really are good detectives,” he said.



He looked at Roxanne. “I guess I have to confess,” he said.



“I guess so,” she said.



Mr. Kovack reached into a pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened the wallet and pulled out a card. He handed the card to Henry.



The card said:



    Mike Kovack



    Private Detective



    No Case Too Small



Henry handed the card to Jessie, who read it out loud.



“Are you really a private detective?” Jessie asked.



“Yes,” said Mr. Kovack.



“How do we know this card is for real?” asked Henry “Anybody could have a business card printed up.”



“That’s true,” Mr. Kovack replied. “But I have an office in Silver City, and I’m listed in the phone book.”



“He really is a private detective,” said Roxanne. “I hired him Monday night, after Boxcar was stolen.”



“That’s why Mr. Kovack’s first day of dog training class was Tuesday,” said Violet.



“And that’s what you’re doing about the stolen dogs,” said Jessie to Roxanne. “You hired a private detective.”



Roxanne nodded.



“I was trying to put one of those tracking devices on Grayson Majesty,” Mr. Kovack explained. “But Benny saw me, and I had to stop.”



“We overheard you and Mr. Brooks 7,” said Henry. “You said that the malamute would be the next dog stolen.”



“And I was right,” said Mr. Kovack.



“Do you suspect Mr. Brooks?” asked Violet. She hoped not.



“I can’t share that information with you,” said Mr. Kovack.



Jessie wasn’t thinking about Mr. Brooks. She was thinking about what Mr. Kovack had said—about trying to put the tracking device on Grayson. “Mr. Kovack,” she said, “do you think that whoever the thief is, he might try to steal Watch next?”



At the sound of his name, Watch looked up and barked happily.



“You’re right,” Mr. Kovack answered. “I think that if another dog is stolen from this class, it will be Watch.”



Jessie knelt down and put her arm around Watch’s neck. “Why?” she asked.



Mr. Kovack looked at Watch and smiled. “Watch is a wire-haired terrier. He’s a very good-looking dog. He’s a happy dog. He’s fun to be with. That makes him easy for a thief to sell.”



The Aldens agreed with Mr. Kovack’s description of their dog. Benny, Violet, and Henry formed a circle around Watch to protect him.



“We can’t let that happen!” cried Violet. “Watch is our dog. He wouldn’t be happy without us.”



“We won’t let it happen,” said Henry firmly.



Mr. Kovack looked sympathetic. “You told me that Watch doesn’t have papers that show his breeding. You don’t enroll 8 Watch in dog shows. And that,” he said, “also makes it easy for a thief to sell Watch.”



“How do you mean?” asked Jessie, still kneeling and holding Watch.



“I mean, if Watch had papers and could be traced, if Watch was recognized by people who go to dog shows, the thief would have a harder time not getting caught. Somebody might recognize Watch and report it to the police.”



“I see,” said Henry. “The thief wants a dog that will sell for a lot of money, but the thief doesn’t want the dogs that would sell for the most money.”



“Because the dogs that sell for the most money are better known,” said Violet.



“The thief is very sneaky,” said Benny. “Maybe he would make the dogs look different.”



“That’s true,” said Mr. Kovack. “But he couldn’t make them into show dogs. Anyway, we’re going to find out who the thief is, aren’t we?”



“Yes,” said the Aldens together.



“Good,” said Mr. Kovack. “Do you think we should keep the tracking device in Watch’s collar?”



“Yes,” said Jessie.



Everybody watched as Henry put the little disc into the slit in Watch’s collar. Jessie fastened the collar back onto Watch.



“I am very impressed with what you kids have learned so far,” said Mr. Kovack. “Who do you suspect the thief is?”



“I’m sorry,” said Henry, “but we can’t share that information with you. Not until we’re sure.”



Mr. Kovack laughed. “Spoken like a true detective,” he said.