This work is supported by the generous backers who adore my cat stories at Patreon.com/amberunmasked and they also get first access to what’s happening with my books and projects.
Where We Left Off:
Oliver and Gus found a suspicious note on the ground and investigated its origin to make sure no one was in danger.
Buried:
The middle of March was an active time for finding evidence. After snow melted, Oliver and Gus discovered all kinds of things like that note on the ground in the previous case file. They had been enjoying more time outside on days that were tolerable even if that meant shorter patrols around the neighborhood. It was important to keep fighting crime and solving mysteries even if the weather wasn’t the most accommodating.
We ended up next to a pile of rocks at the base of a lilac bush where daffodils would bloom in April. Those rocks have been moved several times because they tumble into the area where I need to carefully back my car into its space. It seemed some of the rocks had slid down into the private road again. More heavy lifting. Great.
I engaged the brakes on Ollie’s buggy so that he wouldn’t roll away. Gus started to sniff through the rocks searching for any edible bristle grass blades. His Super Smeller went on full alert!
“There’s something here!” He pushed his face close to the crevasses between rocks.
“Is it a chipmunk?” Ollie perked up and placed his paws on the ledge of his screened convertible top.
“Not a chipmunk. Not an animal at all.” Gus stepped on to higher rocks then circled around while keeping his focus on a targeted spot.
“Let me see.” I pulled my work gloves from my bag and began moving the lowest rocks, heaving them higher onto the pile.
Gus and Ollie got excited by the aroma of freshly uncovered soil. It was a lovely smell even for those of us who are terrible at gardening.
“That looked like fabric.” I heard Ollie say while my back was still to him. He was right. There was dark fabric buried between the stones.
I pulled at, but it barely moved. I had to rearrange more heavy rocks to get any purchase on the fabric. It was stiff as if Mother Nature starched it with embedded dirt and small plants. Whatever it was, it was keeping the shape it had while wedged into the mound.
We started speculating what it could be while I tried to dislodge enough dirt to spread the fabric out. We couldn’t even tell what color was supposed to be. It sure looked dark brown, but there were much lighter spots that hadn’t been consumed by the earth. Maybe it had been light grey.
Eventually, I straightened the artifact enough to see that there were sleeves and it was a thick shirt. It definitely wasn’t anything I had lost. I spread it out on the road. Gus couldn’t wait to examine it closer. There were fully rooted plants growing from the shirt. It looked like something a monster in a horror story would have been wearing as a former human was overtaken by fungi.
Gus moved over to be next to Oliver. “Any traces of pheromones left aren’t from anyone I’ve been close enough to in order to have a solid memory of them.”
I gave the boys some treats while we thought about this strange piece of evidence. Evidence of what, we still had to figure out.
“I’ll go to the Fort,” Ollie said. “Gus, you go to the mobile command unit and see what our tech system there comes up with.”
I escorted both of them to the mobile command unit in order to open the door for Gus. Then Ollie and I headed to Fort Winchester where he could think on the problem and potentially find critters to question. One of our squirrel friends scampered down a large dead tree. She ran almost faster than I could see. There was a blur that stopped at the water tub. Before Ollie and I could get into a conversation with her, Gus pinged us through the comm device on his collar.
“I’ve already got some answers,” he said.
“Should we begin a search and rescue operation?” Ollie’s tone conveyed urgency and seriousness.
“Pick me up and we’ll go over everything back at the office.” I did as Gus commanded, pushing Ollie’s carriage over the bumpy grounds to get back to the private road. I opened the door for Gus to exit the mobile command unit and we headed home from there.
We gathered snacks and met in the office. It was a good day to have the windows open, although, that meant having to deal with the sounds of traffic. All we were missing were the click-clack sounds of a dame’s high heels approaching from the hallway.
The Investigation
We had a lot of questions about this earth-encrusted shirt found under heavy rocks next to the private road. Was someone missing who lost this shirt? Was it someone in need of being rescued from the harsh winter? How long ago was this shirt lost? Does this have anything to do with the legends of Earth-life things (fungi, plants, insects, swamp water) taking over a human body? Did someone simply throw off their shirt while plowing or shoveling?
I wrote the questions up on our board for brainstorming. The best case scenario was that someone was shoveling or unpacking a car accidentally dropped it. Then it snowed and plow pushed it towards the rocks where there was more shoveling and it got buried.
Ollie suggested we call in Rocco, our Jersey Shore and only canine employee. Rocco helps whenever needed. He is always on-call. This case required an addition to Guster’s Super Smeller and a hound was the next logical step. In the American Kennel Club classes, the Weimaraner is in the Sporting Group. Rocco definitely loves hunting. He was more athletic in his youth. Like all athletes, his joints have required some special attention in his mature years.
One other trait about Rocco is that he cannot stand being bored. Bringing him a case to work is perfect for keeping him busy and stimulated. The Butler frequently visits Rocco’s house so we made arrangements to package a sample of the evidence and transport it to him.
Rocco’s Report
The last known human to wear the shirt was a male who wore fragrant cologne. There’s a trace of cigarette tobacco smoke and ash. The shirt must have been lost between 3-5 years ago based on the contents of the soil, plant growth, and debris.
“That sounds like it could be one of the neighbors,” Gus said.
“The shirt is much too small for the father,” Ollie said.
“And for the youngest boy,” Gus added.
That meant the shirt must have belonged to the second oldest boy. It had been blown, dragged, and pushed over from next door when it was ultimately buried under rocks.
Case Findings:
We discovered a shirt buried under rocks and so full of dirt that plants were sprouting from it. The original color might have been a light grey, but it was hard to tell. Our fear was that the shirt was a sign of a terrible crime, possibly a Missing Persons case or worse.
We called for backup from Rocco, a canine of exquisite pedigree in the family, who helps us out once in a while.
The shirt was in terrible condition. I didn’t think the best of recyclers would have been able to save it for scrap fabric. With our in-house testing and Rocco’s report, we determined this was not an emergency situation. The article of clothing had simply been misplaced and could not be restored to wearable condition (up to a certain standard).
Case Status: Closed