The detective Slattery mysteries

with Dr. Murphy

 

By Peter Slattery

The Letter

 

 

         It all started off as a normal day, I was in my office doing the crossword in the paper, and Murphy he was watching the rug rats. I took a short break from my crossword to talk to Murphy.

                     "Well Murphy, after that case I think I am ready for what ever life throw's at me." I said

                     "You sure." He said

                     "Yea I think I am ready." I said. "Ouch!, what you do that for."

                     "You said you were ready for what ever life throw's at you." He said

                     "I meant literally not for people to throw books at me." I said

                     "Right Slats I knew that." He said

 

         Things were quiet in the office for a while, except for the television. Then the chief came in.

                     "Hi lads I just received a letter for you two." He said

                     "Who is it from." I said

                     "The postman." He said

                     "What does the postman want to write for us for." Murphy said

                     "No the postman gave it to me for you, I don't know who wrote it." He said

                     "Give me a look." I said. "No I don't recognise the writing."

                     "Go on slats read it." Said Murphy

                     "Ok I will." I said, I opened the letter and read it aloud.

         "So detective Slattery you thought you got rid of me. Well you haven't I am back, and I have your dog. Go to the Chinese and ask for Paul. He will have more information."

                     "Oh no not him again." I said

                     "Who." Said the chief

                     "No, Why." I said

                     "What." The chief said confused.

                     "Why. He is back." I said

                     "Now I am confused." Said the chief

                     "He Tried to kill his cousin." I said

                     "Why. Yea I know him now." The chief said

        

So after I explained to the chief then Murphy got confused, so it was three hours later, by the time we left to go to the Chinese take away. We went in there was no one in the take away except one girl behind the counter.

                     "Hi I would like to talk to Paul. Is he here." I said

                     "You detective Slattery." She said

                     "Yea. I am." I said

                     "Ok I will get him now." She said, and then she went in to the back. She came back a minute later with a short bald guy.

                     "Hi lad's were you sent here by Why." Paul said

                     "Yea we got a letter from him." I said

                     "So did I, he said in his letter to give this to you." Paul said, and gave me another letter. I took it and went out said where I read the letter.

"Confused, You should be. I want you to follow these directions and that is where you will get tickets to Japan. There you will get another letter with more directions, if not followed your dog will get it, I am not talking about bones."

                     "He want's us to go to Japan." I said to Murphy

                     "Goodie, I have never been there." Murphy said

                     "You're not meant to be happy my dog's future is on the line." I said

                     "Where, I don't see it." Murphy said

                     "What." I said

                     "The line." Murphy said

 

         We followed the directions to the travel agent's, we got lost in our first attempt because Murphy had the letter upside down. We got there just in time, because it was just about to close.

                     "Wait I need to get my tickets." I said to the travel agent.

                     "Are you Detective Slattery." He said

                     "Yea, I have to get tickets to japan." I said

                     "Did a man called Why send you." He said

                     "Yea he did." I said

                     "I have them in side, hold on a minute."

He said and went to get the tickets. He came back a little later.

"Here you are, the flight does not leave until tomorrow." He said

                     "Thanks. Did he tell you what he was up to." I said

                     "No, but I asked him.

He said: ”mind your own business, don't mess with a genius. “

                     "Right very well, bye." I said and went off.

 

 

         It was a lonely night with out my beloved dog. I missed his barking in the middle of the night, keeping me up until the sun rose.

Biting the hand off me when I try to take my shoes out of his mouth.

Coming down stairs in the morning and having to clean his mess off the kitchen table. Opening the back door, and finding dead bird's on the lawn. What a great dog. But I really had a good sleep and arrived in to the office on time for once.

 

         I was early but Murphy was late, and we arrived at the airport with about ten minuet's until the flight left. We just got on the plane as the door's were closing. We had to stand because all the seats we're taken, and Why was such a cheapskate to reserve our seats. The flight was long. I  managed to squeeze in beside one of the thin passengers. Which was nice, except my behind was killing me when I got off the plane.

 

         We were waiting in the airport at baggage claim for an hour waiting for our bag's when I remembered we didn't bring any. I got a smack round the head from Murphy, and we were off to our hotel. At the hotel reception we got another quizzing about Why. The receptionist did not know any thing, I was beginning to get confused. We got the key's to our apartment and went up.

 

         When we went in to the room there was another letter on the bed. I went over to it and read it

                     "Meet me at Nine in room 106. Missing you already, Love Robert."

                     "Oop's wrong letter." I said and threw it away. The real letter said

         "you have two hours to find the next letter which will tell you the truth. Your only clue is 'Nintendo'. This maybe easy but the next won't."

                     "Well I don't have a clue." I said

         "I think I know. Said Murphy. "We have to go to the offices of the Nintendo computer company."

                      "Clever, Murphy I don't know if you are right but it is worth a shot." I said

                     "What you are agreeing with me, one of my ideas." Murphy said surprised.

                     "Yea, Now where is the Nintendo offices." I said

                     "Where's my home." Said Murphy.

 

         So we set off to find the building. We had to get directions off one of the locals, which was

We eventually found our way after a few wrong turns. It was the one with Nintendo in bold letters on the building. We went in to the building and up to the reception.

                     "Hi do you have alter for detective Slattery." I said

         "Yea I was wondering when you were going to come. It has been lying around for a week now." The receptionist said

"A week yea, we only got our first letter three days ago." I said and took the letter and read it. It said

"Why detective if you are reading this letter you probably figured out my clue. Now I want you to the phone box on the corner where I will ring you, if you have stayed under the two hour limit."

                     "Come on Murphy lets go to the phone box we only have ten minutes." I said

 

         So we went straight to the phone  box, but we nearly stopped for an ice-cream one you can only get in Japan. They looked so tempting, but we had to get to the phone. We got there with one minute to go. Five minutes the phone rang.

                     "Hi why." I said

         "Why detective Slattery you made it." He said, "Well I have some good and some bad news for you. Which do you want first."

                     "Tell me the good news." i said

                     "Your dog is still alive. That's the good but the bad is, we are still in Ireland." He said

                     "What how, why?" I said

         "Exactly." He said, "You have Three day's to get back here and rescue your dog, from death by being killed."

                     "Where are you" I said

                     "Ah that will be telling." He said. Then he hung up.

 

         We have three days to get back home, or else my dog gets it. We went to a travel agent to see if we could get tickets home.

"Hi I was wondering if I could get two tickets on the next flight to Ireland." I said to the travel agent.

"We only have one available, on the next flight, which leaves in five hours if you want it." She said

                     "Yea I will take it, guess you will have to stay here for a little longer Murphy." I said

                     "What, no you stay here." He said

"No you do what I say, it's my dog." I said as I took and paid for the tickets.

 

         Murphy was still complaining about being left behind after we left the travel agent's.

                     "But you will like it here." I said

                     "No I won't." He said

                     "You can get the next flight." I said

                     "But Slats come on don't leave me behind." He said

                     "There's nothing I can do." I said

 

         We went to the airport, along the way Murphy wouldn't shut up. He even kept the taxi driver quiet. We were sitting in the airport waiting for my plane.

                     "But Slats there must be another way to get back the two of us." Murphy said

         "No I cant waist any time. Why don't you try asking one of the passengers for there ticket." I said

                     "Ok I will." He said and went off to try and find a ticket.

         He came twenty minutes with a black eye, a cut on his cheek, and a ticket in his hand.

                     "What you do fight for it." I said

                     "Yea." He said

 

         So the two of us got the plane back to Ireland. When we got back we went straight to the station. We walked in to my office and the chief was in there.

                     "Where were you two, half way round the world or something." He said

                     "We were actually." I said

         "Well you could have told me." He said, "While you two have been away your friend Why has been wreaking havoc in the city." The chief said

                     "Has he now, so that is why he wanted us out of town." I said

                     "You also have another letter." The chief said

I took it off him and read it.

"Why detective I see you are back. Enjoy your trip. Now its time we met, again. Follow the directions."

"Sorry chief but we are off again." I said

 

So we followed the directions to a caravan park, he was in one of the caravans. I knocked on his one, it was the one with Why on it. Why answered the door.

                     "Why come in." He said, we went in there was my dog in a cage.

                     "What are you up to Why." I said.

Then why went out of the caravan and locked the door. The caravan was connected to whys car, and a few seconds later we were moving. We were trapped in Whys caravan.

                     "So Murphy what do you think we should do." I said

                     "Why are you asking me." He said

                     "you came up with the answer to Whys question in Japan." I said

                     "Well I can't think of anything." He said

                     "I think I have it." I said,  "What we will do is when..............."

 

         So when why stopped the car, I heard his door opening and closing, I gave Murphy a warning to put the plan in to action. I heard foot steeps out side, then the stopped. The door opened, he stepped in side, and there was my dog standing in front of him with his teeth showing, and growling. Then he lunged at him, and we fell to the ground with my dog on top of him, he could not move.

                     "So Why who is the clever one now." I said

                     "Get him off Slattery." Why said

                     "Wait until the squad cars got here to take you away." I said

 

         It was not long until I was back in the station closing the cell door on Why. Then I was back home putting food in my dog's bowl and putting a plaster on another cut I got from him.

"So Murphy what an interesting week, being in Japan one minute and in a caravan the next." I said

                     "Yea, Slats this job really lets you see the world." He said

        

 

The end

 

till next case

 

The chiefs murder mystery