Page 73 of Don't Cross Mo Ellery

I let them run around and dig while I investigate the garage. No luck—the whole thing is locked up tight, even the little window.

Damn. I’d counted on hiding the envelopesomewhereat Claudia’s, but this is sort of a bust.

I decide to take one more pass of the house and yard when Lou suddenly does a dive roll in the tall grass, releasing a huge puff of pollen and sneezing accordingly. As I try to pull him out of the yellow cloud that he is clearly allergic to, I spot a cellar bulkhead door butting up against the house.

VeryWizard of Oz, Claud.

It looks like it’s rusted shut, but I give it a hopeful yank, and it opens with ease.Yes.

The steps look sturdy enough and not excessively spidery, so Imake my way down into the basement. There’s not much light from the small windows, so I hit the flashlight on my phone, hold it up, and instantly scream as a murderous Benny stares me down.

Okay, it’s notquiteBenny.

It’s sort of a messed-up Benny?

It takes my brainwaytoo long to realize this is just a statue. It’s probably Claudia’s rough draft of the Link statue upstairs—where she was clearly working out the... anatomical kinks. I’m standing in her workshop, while messed-up Benny looms in front of me, his chest cracked open, and his legs disappearing into one single stalk of clay.

“Smart, Claudia,” I whisper as my heart slows down. “A creepy basement scarecrow to keep prowlers away.”

I take a look around. There’s a couple empty shelves, a worktable, and a sign from the gas company saying they’ve shut off the gas (man, I would love to have seen their reaction to this horror statue) but it’s obvious where I should hide the money. Claudia made a hidey-hole in this prototype Link’s abs too. Boom.

The envelope is almost too big to fit, but I jam it in there, and with the 11.5K securely stashed in Benny’s chest cavity, I close those chiseled abs, and let myself back out of the basement.

“Part one accomplished, boys,” I say as I lead the dogs back to the alley. “Time for our next stop.”

We retrace my steps from earlier that day, and as we get closer to the house Tond disappeared into, the dogs start straining against their leashes. They go from impatient to insistent, and it takes everything I’ve got to keep them from running to the front door.

Do they know their uncle is in there?

The blinds are drawn and the lights are on, and I see a shadow moving inside. I quickly duck down into the geometrically sculpted shrubbery in a way that would be extremely suspicious to anyonewatching from across the street. The dogs reluctantly follow me into the bushes, their collars jangling loudly and Louis sneezing, neither of which are ideal for skulking, but hey, we do our best.

After a moment, the shadow passes, and I coax the dogs along through the shrubbery to the side of the house, hoping for a window I can see into. Branches scratch my arms and legs, but it’s all worth it because a little farther down the side of the house, there’s a window that looks like Imightbe able to see in it if I stand on my tiptoes.

We inch our way down, and the window’s starting to look a little too high for me, which makes me wonder—do these circus dogs do pyramids, and would they maybe let me be the top of the pyramid, just for a little bit?

I’m right under the window, about to figure out my next move, when there’s a loud explosion inside. It sounds, unmistakably, like a gunshot.

Something dark red splatters all over the window.

Chapter 24

What the actual hell?Who is there left to murder, Tond??

I hyperventilate in the middle of the shrubbery for a hot second and then try really hard to get my shit together. I cannotstay here. I’m way out of my league, way too unarmed, and this is way too many murders for one neighborhood.

My brain screamsAbort! Abort!

But then there’s a second bang from inside the house, and I flinch, instinctively reaching up to cover my ears. Which means I accidentally drop the leashes, giving the cursed dogs their much-desired freedom. They make a break for it.

“NO!” I whisper-scream, my soul leaving my body. I dive through the bushes to catch the leashes as they snake away from me and disappear into the night.

Shitshitshit.

I pick myself up and chase the dogs back into the front yard, just in time to watch them bolt up the front stairs where Jacques proceedsto stand on his hind legs, press on the door handle, open the door,and trot inside. The other two follow happily. I make a sort of gurgle sound and run after them.

Okay, this is the exact opposite ofAbort! Abort!But what am I supposed to do? I can’t leave the dogs there with a murderer. I’ve got to think on my feet. I’ve got to stay calm and take control of the situation. I’ve got to channel both Hannah and Rodney O’Malley. As much as I want to run, I can’t retreat when I’m this close.

The door is wide open, and I step inside the entryway, cautiously checking both ways for somebody waving a gun around. All I see is Jacques’s tail to the left, disappearing through the archway into the living room, where Jean and Lou are jumping on and off the sofas in a frenzy. The house is quiet, except for the sound of jingling collars and dog breath.