Spotted Dog Last Seen by Jessica Scott Kerrin Read Free Book Online

written the solved code into my knapsack.
    For once, I couldn’t wait for cemetery duty that afternoon so that I could share my results with Pascal and Merrilee.
    â€œHey,” I said as soon I got to the iron gate.
    Pascal and Merrilee had already arrived.
    â€œI solved the code,” I boasted.
    â€œWe did, too,” Merrilee said. “Trevor Tower keeps secrets, twenty-eight, thirty-four, eighteen.”
    â€œOh,” I said, a bit deflated.
    â€œSo what do you think it means?” Pascal asked. “We already know it’s not the title of another mystery book.”
    â€œThe other codes. Did they have numbers?” I asked Merrilee.
    â€œNo,” she said. “They didn’t.”
    â€œAnd you don’t know who Trevor Tower is?” I asked.
    â€œNo idea,” Merrilee said. “But he’s not an author. I checked that out at the library, too. So this is definitely the last code to solve.”
    â€œTrevor Tower keeps secrets,” I repeated. “Twenty-eight, thirty-four, eighteen.”
    â€œHere comes the Brigade,” Merrilee reported.
    We all turned to watch the trio navigate the crosswalk and plow through the gate. They carried clipboards and, for the first time, buckets.
    â€œWhat do you think we’ll be doing today?” Pascal asked dryly. “Surely not cleaning gravestones, even though that’s what I thought we had signed up to do.”
    â€œGood afternoon,” Creelman said when the Brigade had assembled in front of us. “Today’s lesson: cleaning gravestones.”
    â€œReally? That’s great!” Pascal exclaimed. “But before we begin, do you know Trevor Tower?”
    Creelman frowned. He set down his bucket and flipped through sheets of paper on his clipboard. Preeble and Wooster did the same.
    â€œNo,” Creelman said. “He’s not listed as buried here. Why are you asking about Trevor Tower?” Creelman inquired reluctantly.
    Merrilee shot Pascal a warning look.
    â€œNo reason,” Pascal said, but the way he kept bouncing from foot to foot told the entire Brigade otherwise.
    Creelman scowled while he worked out whether to pursue his line of questions, move on to the lesson of the day or go for a cigarette.
    â€œAs I was saying,” Creelman finally continued, “today we’re cleaning gravestones.”
    Pascal and Merrilee fell into a silent line beside me.
    â€œThe first thing you must figure out is what type of material you need to clean off the gravestone.”
    Creelman held up his hand and began to count down on his fingers.
    â€œThere are five common materials that plague markers. Soot. Dirt. Organics such as lichens and moss. Stains caused by metal or oil. And salt.”
    Creelman picked up his bucket.
    â€œMost of our cleaning will be to remove organics.”
    This time, I dared to ask a question.
    â€œWhy are lichens and moss a problem for stone?”
    â€œMoss stains, and its root system pries stone apart. Lichens hold water on the stone, delaying evaporation. This makes the stone prey to frost damage.”
    I nodded. I had no idea moss and lichen could be so evil.
    â€œIn this cemetery, we use the least aggressive cleaning method along with good clear water. And we always clean from the bottom up. This avoids stains from streaking down on the area you’ve just cleaned. Now, grab your buckets.”
    The Brigade handed the buckets to us.
    â€œEach bucket has a set of rubber gloves, a sponge and a soft bristle brush. Put the gloves on and go fill your buckets from that spigot,” Creelman said, pointing his cane to a nearby tap that the groundskeepers used for water. “Then select a gravestone from these three rows. We’ll come by with a cleaner, depending on the type of material you’ll need to remove.”
    We went to fill our buckets, then wandered among the rows to pick a gravestone. I chose a slate one that belonged to a man who