Atticus Claw Lends a Paw by Jennifer Gray Read Free Book Online Page B

me!’
    ‘It’s not stupid.’ Mimi gazed at him in silence for a moment. ‘Aisha says that cats have a sixth sense,’ she said eventually.
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Well, most animals have five senses: smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight,’ Mimi explained.‘But cats have another one: my owner Aisha says they remember things from their other lives. She calls it “instinct” – they just seem to know things without being taught.’
    ‘That’s exactly what I feel!’ Atticus exclaimed. ‘I know I have to protect that book. I have to stop the magpies and Biscuit stealing it. Which means I have to steal it myself. What should I do, Mimi? I don’t want to be a cat burglar again.’
    ‘Follow your instinct,’ Mimi said. ‘Protect the book. It’s not stealing.’ She squeezed his paw. ‘If it really does belong to you.’
    ‘But how could it?’ Atticus asked, bewildered.
    ‘I don’t know,’ Mimi said. ‘Just do what you have to. We can’t let Klob get her hands on it. And don’t worry,’ she reassured him, ‘the kids and I will watch your tail.’
    She waited until Atticus had fallen asleep again. Then she padded back into the kitchen and settled down in the basket. She decided she would check on him later, just to make sure he didn’t have any more nightmares.

    ‘What are you two doing out of bed?’ Mrs Cheddar asked. ‘It’s three o’clock in the morning!’
    Michael and Callie were standing in her bedroom doorway in their pyjamas. ‘It’s Atticus,’ Michael said. ‘He’s gone.’
    ‘Gone?’ Mrs Cheddar rubbed her eyes. ‘He’s a cat. He goes out at night. He’ll be all right.’
    ‘No he won’t, Mum,’ Michael insisted. ‘Mimi woke us. We can tell she’s worried.’
    Mimi jumped on to Mrs Cheddar’s bed. ‘Meow!’ she yowled. Her golden eyes looked anxious. She put out a paw and touched Mrs Cheddar’s hand.
    ‘Maybe he went with Dad,’ Mrs Cheddar suggested. ‘To stake out the Home for Abandoned Cats.’
    ‘I don’t think so,’ Michael said. ‘Dad told him to stay here. He’s taken him off the case. He thinks Atticus tipped off the kittens.’
    ‘Well, where do you think Atticus is, then?’ Mrs Cheddar struggled out of bed and put her dressing gown on.
    ‘We think he’s gone back to the crypt,’ Callie gulped.
    ‘
Back
to the crypt?!’ Mrs Cheddar repeated.‘What are you talking about?’
    Michael and Callie traded guilty looks.
    ‘You tell her,’ Callie said.
    ‘Okay.’ Michael took a deep breath. ‘Don’t be cross, Mum,’ he said, ‘but it’s like this.’ He explained what had happened that afternoon with Mr Tucker. ‘The magpies took the wrong book.’
    ‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’ Mrs Cheddar asked.
    ‘Because Mr Tucker didn’t want us to,’ Callie explained. ‘He thought Mrs Tucker would get mad with him if she found out what he’d been doing. But now Atticus has disappeared and it’s our fault.’ She was close to tears. ‘He’s gone back for Howard Toffly’s book.’
    ‘How can you be so sure?’ Mrs Cheddar asked.
    ‘Atticus didn’t want to leave without it earlier.’ Michael said. ‘He was acting weird: like he wanted to stay and protect it from the magpies.’
    Mimi began to purr.
    ‘Is that where he is, Mimi? At the crypt?’ Mrs Cheddar reached out and stroked her. Mimi arched her back. She purred harder. It wasn’t anything like as loud as Atticus’s throaty roar but MrsCheddar got the idea anyway. ‘We must tell Dad,’ she said firmly. ‘He needs to know the magpies are back. He needs to know the Tofflys have put Klob on to Howard Toffly’s book.’ Suddenly a thought struck her. ‘I’ll bet those villains are behind the graffiti knitting.’ She reached for her mobile. ‘I’ll call him now.’
    ‘There isn’t time!’ Callie said. ‘And anyway, Dad won’t believe you. He’s convinced the kittens did it.’
    Mrs Cheddar hesitated. ‘All right,’ she agreed. ‘Get dressed. We’ll go to