A Tiny Scrap
“A few months ago,” Colonel Bob said, “I started getting the feeling I was being followed. You ever get that feeling?”
“A few times,” Bernie said. That kind of surprised me. We were the ones who do the following, me and Bernie. We’re partners in the Little Detective Agency. We’d cleared so many cases I didn’t even want to think about it, so I didn’t. Instead I sniffed around under the desk, found a tiny scrap of burned toast; sometimes Bernie had a snack while he worked. Crunch crunch and it was gone.
“So one day – this was in Bakersfield,” said Colonel Bob, “I pulled over and let the traffic pass. Third car went by, just an ordinary econobox, driver looking straight ahead. But the sight of him gave me a shock, no other word for it.”
“Because?”
“He looked just like me, Bernie,” said Colonel Bob. “Me at twenty-five.”
Sorry Rio had a tough day yesterday.
Spencer Quinn will be at the Westwood Library (Westwood MA) Thursday April 8, 7:30 PM.
Tags: Bakersfield, Colonel Bob
This entry was posted on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 at 8:49 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
4:22 am on April 3rd, 2010
Toast is my favorite snack, Chet…with butter and jelly.
4:44 am on April 3rd, 2010
Whoa, we're back with Colonel Bob and a gut feeling.
Bernie does gut feelings.
Chet is mostly gut, as the old toast shows, but the Pack wouldn't want him any other way. It's the way they work. Also sounds like the way SiberH works. Well, maybe all of the Nation within the Nation. (Kats, especially on Chet's blog, would not stoop to snapping up toast from the floor. In fact, I remember (before the Newfoundlands) one of our kats looking at a moose and then looking at me saying "Well, kill it will you? then I'll eat it in your bed next to your head."
Does sound like CB's follower (if he was being followed) might just be related to CB.
Interesting . . .
4:58 am on April 3rd, 2010
Not a moose, a mouse. Bring on the caffeine.
Not that Bowl, the kat, wouldn't have liked a moose.
4:59 am on April 3rd, 2010
Cute!….There’s a new little critter on the slideshow today!… snort!… How cute can cute be anyway?…. heh… I wonder who that is….sniff!… I think they need their diaper changed though!
5:09 am on April 3rd, 2010
It has to be the twenty-five-year-old Ray Jason. Wonder why he's following Col. B. This is getting better and better.
5:10 am on April 3rd, 2010
Spence and Admin thank you for your kinds words…snort! …hmmm… I wonder if I left the house now…grunt!… maybe I could make it to the Westwood, MA library by April 8th!….wheeze!… I can go at a steady trot for about ½ hour a day….so maybe!…heh.
6:36 am on April 3rd, 2010
Jeez Rio,
You have been mentioned TWICE. If your head swells up too much you might just float away. Congrats there little buddy…er I mean you annoying pug you.
Alice Johnson
PS. You better stay home. If you actually meet Spence you will probably just pant and drool and make a fool of…er embarrass yourself. This is better. Don'tjathink? AJ
6:52 am on April 3rd, 2010
AAANNND,
I hate to say it Rio, but you were so right about the Tutor. Definitely the precursor to the Ingrid Stories. 'Tutor' was published in 2002, and the first Echo Falls book, 'Down the Rabbit Hole' was published in 2005. But Ingrid and Ruby are cut from the same cloth. I really enjoyed it! There are so many similarities in the two girls that I figure Tutor is really the first Ingrid book.
I wonder was it hard to change her name when he started the Echo Falls books? I wonder if his daughter helped with the name?
Donald Westlake said he couldn't write about John Dortmunder without using that name. Sometime after the movie Bankshot came out he was told that the movie people now owned the name and he tried to write a Dortmunder character using a different name and the character just wouldn't cooperate. He got John back, I forget how, and the rest is history. (What a loss that would have been.)
I also wonder why he publishes his books under the name Pas de deux? So many questions. I don't suppose Chet knows? Probably not. Rats.
So anyway, thanks Rio, for suggesting that book.
Abbie's staff
7:13 am on April 3rd, 2010
If Rio hadn't cancelled our credit card, we could have charged plane tickets for all of us to MA.
Mom's female Siberian was a great mouser, and then she would pick up the, umm, body and take it outdoors for mom. Me, I'm not putting one of those nasty creatures in my mouth. Moose, yes, mouse, no.
7:43 am on April 3rd, 2010
Hello everyone! My name is Wolfie Wigglebutt and my mom and I read your comments every day! She finally left the computer on and now it's my turn to post! (Don't tell her because she doesn't know that I can read!) I LOVE Chet the Jet and can't wait to read TFAT so I hope you will invite me on your next mission! I am a GOOD dog but can be devious if needed. (All that talk about counter surfing – don't get me going! Ah, the memories……) I live in the Sierra foothills with a very old, smiley dog and five Kay Aye Tees and my mom and dad. I also have two boys who are 17 but they are going to school somewhere far away. I miss them but it also means I have extra time on my paws for missions! I think I can figure out how to order books on Amazon (shhh, Mom doesn't know that I know the password!) so if someone wants to recomend the best book to start reading by PA, I would be grateful. Mom and dad work all day and when it's cold outside, me and Teddy get to stay inside. Nothing like reading a good book while the folks are slaving away!
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7:46 am on April 3rd, 2010
I am a good writer but I am not good at putting up pictures. Mom doesn't teach me these things. Admin, could you so kindly erase the duplicates. Thank you. WW
8:05 am on April 3rd, 2010
Abbie's staff: I'm confused. Who publishes under the pen name Pas de deux?
9:16 am on April 3rd, 2010
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ChetTheDog. ChetTheDog said: A Tiny Scrap: “A few months ago,” Colonel Bob said, “I started getting the feeling I was being followed. You ever … http://bit.ly/94K5Pe […]
8:18 am on April 3rd, 2010
Hey, guys…do you think we have to re-post our pictures somewhere to get on the slide show? Our original theory that is would scroll down through the current Friends of Chet doesn't seem to be the case. And where did the human baby come from? We haven't see it on the Friends site. Rio, perhaps Wookie could get some info from Audrey (in a certain private pillow talk kind of way). Or maybe Mollypop could use her computer whiz tricks to find out. We'll leave the actual planning to you and your team. We just want to be on the show and to see all you guys there too! Chet, a little help here would be appreciated. We know you work with Rio at times.
8:25 am on April 3rd, 2010
AND how exciting to be learning more about Col Bob's son. That had to be him following CB!
We started reading the blog during the Greed case, pretty close to the beginning but didn't leave posts too often. We'll have to scroll back and find out when everyone actually started. Of course we remember when Rio started!! How far has he come…he couldn't even load his pic on Friends of Chet without help. Wow, Rio, you've come a long way and taken charge like a true leader.
8:38 am on April 3rd, 2010
Yeah, I had one of those moments before, C-Bob. I found some dog who looked exactly like me in a sleeping pose on the Internet with Megan. She was all like, "Lexi! It's you! I mean, wait. What?" then she told me that I was a celebrity, whatever that is. Then she realized that she was on the All Pets Club site where they got me and thatis was actually me getting advertised so I would be bought. Megan has these moments sometimes…
8:49 am on April 3rd, 2010
To G and BB, from Admin: All the friends will scroll through soon, just as you thought. Tech is still working on it.
8:59 am on April 3rd, 2010
Thanks, Admin!
Rio, we think the threat of another mission by you and your team to find out the slide show secret got that quick answer from Admin. He doesn't want to have to mess with you undercover guys again any time soon.
9:13 am on April 3rd, 2010
Hi WW. What a beautiful dog you are. The two PA books I've completed are Oblivion and The Tutor. I'm currently reading End of Story. I'd start with The Tutor.
9:29 am on April 3rd, 2010
Welcome Wolfie!!! Love the name "Wolfie", and you live in the Wild Wild West like me and Rio. We can always use another good agent. Our commander has temporarily gone missing, but he'll be back. I hope he is not going to spend another night in the bathtub.
I can honestly say that I don't have a favorite book by PA. Well, maybe "Their Wildest Dreams". All the books are very entertaining and extremely difficult to put down. You can't go wrong with any of them.
9:57 am on April 3rd, 2010
Let me add a warm welcome, tail wags and licks, to Wolfie. In case you don't know, i am PFC Wookie, secret agent and master of disguise (see earlier photo with mustache) extraordinaire. This is a great neighborhood, although we all may get a little wacky from time to time. But welcome to the pack and looking forward to hearing more from you soon. As to PA books, I would agree with SiberH that all are good, but I would particularly recommend Nerve Damage and Delusion. So read away.
And Rio, you didn't hear from me later yesterday because I did not get back to the blog until today. I'm so sorry about your friend's loss, but she is so lucky to have you, and the sentiments expressed by all of the other members of your family here at the blog (whether members of the nation within a nation or otherwise) were hopefully of some comfort at a difficult time. My dad also offered that if you could at least make it to Chevy Chase, he'd drive you and me (and anybody else who showed up) all the rest of the way to the Westwood,MA library to see Spence. I think you'd really like to meet Audrey too, she is very sweet. And she has heard a lot about you too. Wookie
11:05 am on April 3rd, 2010
WW – Welcome! We could sure use you on our next mission. My cousin Mollypop did the computer work and ordered dog toys! She got in big trouble for this so we could use your help with the computer.
12:46 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Chet: I'm all agog, waiting for more.
Melanie: You had me going with that moose stuff. I thought you'd come up North to visit. Mice? The cats bring them to me wanting praise they do not receive.
Wolfie Wigglebutt from the Wild, wild West: With a name like that you deserve to have 5 or 6 pictures. Welcome.
Gus and Boobear: Thanks for keeping the Friends section on Admin's mind. Can hardly wait for the slideshow.
Spencer Quinn: Is that your grandbaby?
1:02 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Spence can't be old enough to have grandbabies!
1:52 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Hmmphf!… Well, I made it all way to the end of our road… snort!… But that took forever!… grunt!…well at least a half hour…huff!… Then they came and picked me in the car and I got a good talking to again!…. Damn!… I guess I won’t be visiting Spence in the Library with the Candlestick on April 8th… snarl!..
Wolfie!… please tell me you don’t like your full name!… snicker!… Wot is up with that wigglebutt stuff?… yee!… The whole Agent/Mission thing….snort!.. we will see… sniff… No one gets in easily…wheeze!… but I do like the fact that you “think” you can tell Admin what to do already…heh!… You got stones pal!
Puss N’ Boots!… Awesome threatening technique!… snort!snort!… That’s more Intel from Admin that we have gotten in some time…grunt!… Has Wookie been working with you guys on Spy Tactics?…golly!
Today!…. We were visiting an old friend and I got to play with Pepper!… growl!!… That one gets on my nerves real quick!… snort!… They tried to take photos of us but neither of those humans could use the camera on the new phone very well… grunt!
1:55 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Rio – I thought Pepper was your good friend???
Did you have Bloody Mary's?
1:57 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Wookie!… My dear faithful friend… snort!… Thank you so much for all your kind words as well… sniff!… I wish I even knew where Chevy Chase was…hell!… I thought you were living with a comedian….snicker!… Very nice of your dad to offer the ride though… grunt!… That is way more support than I get from these guys around here!…hmmmphf!
2:01 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Molly!… Pepper is my good friend some times!… snort!… Today she was trying to show-off and kept biting my legs and pushing me down with her big paws!… grunt!… I was ready to draw blood at one point!….growl!…Speaking of Bloody – No liquor has pasted these lips today… sniff!… [ Yet ]!
2:05 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Welcome to the Newbies from the Newfies!
We're all tired here. Been playing hard in the sun. Zoë got her clippers working and worked on Mattie and then was going to give her a bath. But the water pressure was very low. Turns out the whole neighborhoods water pressure was low.
A call was made and there was a fuse blown at the town water pump. We WILL have water for Easter.
The last time we had no water was in the middle of winter for three days. And we had to tie a rope to a bucket and throw it into the river and bring it up.
The Newfs enjoyed that. The human pack got tired of boiling water.
2:21 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Melanie!… Did you have to boil the water to get all the Newf drool out of it???…..ick!
2:27 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Siber-H!… Way up above in the comments …Are you talking about the same Siberian female who would set traps for birds??… heh!… I would have liked that female husky!…snort!
2:37 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Rio, I thought all drinks come with Newf drool.
Siber-H, please make sure your female Siberian husky friend doesn't not teach the Newf Pack any ideas about catching mice and birds.
We have enough excitement here already.
3:17 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Rio, no, I wasn't talking about my dear friend, Molly. I was talking about a female Siberian, who has since gone onto Rainbow Bridge, my mom once had.
Beyond Rainbow Bridge, is a land of snow
that's where the huskies go.
Devi was her name–I could tell you more stories about her–like how my folks would let her out in the middle of the night to go pee, and she'd find and kill a skunk in the blink of an eye in her own yard. There was a plague of skunks that year. Mom spent the summer de-skunking Devi.
Female Siberians seem to be the specialists in small game. I'm only interested in big game. I just like to chase the small stuff. Makes life easier for mom, except when I see a horse.
3:30 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Welcome Wolfie, You are another good looking dog. And your pal seems quite attractive too.
~Rio, PA uses the name Pas de deux as the owner of the copyright for each book. I was wondering why. I have a lot of why's right now.
Gotta go to dinner.
Spent the day quilting and repairing a vintage sewing machine, a model 15-91 Singer made in 1952. Way too much fun!!!
Staff
3:33 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Siber-H, we have horses down the block. The dogs do not approve of animals larger than they are and bark when they see them. Our neighbors have taken to training their horses not to act up by bringing them by the Newfs.
Bess, who watches TV, does not like zebras. They are just wrong.
Here she is watching "All Creatures Great and Small"
3:34 pm on April 3rd, 2010
When will I learn to wait for the pic to load????
Well, I'll try again, then I'm off to bed. Good night all you guys in the West!
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3:34 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Devi!… sounds just short of Devil!… snort!…But I have a feeling she was a good female Husky!… heh!… Nice goodbye poem for her too!…sniff!
Oh!… I hate skunks!…gag!… Bravo to any guy killing a skunk if its not where it should be… grumble!… Just protecting our territory!… grunt!… So what happens when you see a horse Siber-h???…. snort!
And!…Remind me never to drink the water at Melanie’s place!… ugh!… Newf gooo everywhere!…urp!
3:39 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Welcome Wolfie. Love your name and pic. There was a skunk in my yard last night. I ran to all the heat registers in the floor and got a good sniff of that critter. Then I ran to all the windows and let that stinky devil know that he better get outta my yard! I spent the afternoon at the Grand Rapids airport viewing area with my mom watching planes land and take off. I like the airport. My mom reads books and I sniff the air. Mom lets me run outside and say hi to all the other nation within a nation peeps that hang out at the airport to watch the planes. Who knew that plane watching was a way to meet the laides?
3:51 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Abbie!… Tell your “staff” that B. Stover is the one who asked about who writes under the Pen Name of “Pas de deux”…. Snort!… For all the reading you do one would think your writing would be a bit clearer at times!… grunt!… Just a kind word of suggestion …wheeze!…Take some time and write your thoughts out clearly, and then think of B. Stover and remember your grammer!…heh! … Alice this means you too Fluffy one!…smurk!
3:58 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Wow!…Fellas!… Jaspers got quite the angle going with the Laidies… heh!… Who would have thought of the Aero Plain Port to sit out in and hit on the female kind!…brilliant!… Except for one big thing!… snort!… They are all going someplace else! …quickly!… oh bother!
4:04 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Rio, I totally lose it when I see a horse–yelling, screaming, leaping up in the air. There have been cowboys practically fall off their horse laughing at me. All the while, mom is trying to pretend she doesn't know me. This is very hard to do when we are hooked together with a 6 ft. leash.
Jasper, be careful with the skunk in your yard. They are not afraid of us or humans. Mom has a lot of skunk experience–the smell doesn't even bother her anymore.
4:32 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Hmmm!… Siber-H!… This probably means you can never come visit me!… sniff!… I am not afraid of them at all!… snort!… I try to nip!nip! their thin ankles…blasted horses!… grunt!…all that kicking and shuffling around… Daft!…Then playing dodge ball with the big globs of poop!…ugh!
Heh!… Did you see Bess the Newf watching “All Creatures Great and Small”??? … snicker!… She is so big, broad and black, but yet she must have a sweet heart!… snort!… I like Bess a lot. .. wheeze!… I bet she watches Mid-Somer Murders too!…heh!
Hmmm!… I wonder if she likes Edward Norton, Kevin Spacey and Keifer Sutherland??? …whoa! …. That would be something!… heh!… AND if she watches baseball…Well! Sniff!… say no more…
4:55 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Gosh Rio, I was rushed today. Had to get to my sewing machine party. Give me a break little snorter. Son't make me go get Alice. Then you will have to spend the rest of the night typing with sunglasses on. Such is Alice's power.
You know until I met you I didn't know how much power Alice had.
I was thinking that I liked the Tutor best of PA's adult books. I liked Oblivion too. I haven't been able to start End of Story yet. I think it will scare me and working at a tax office this time of year is scary enough.
I loved the Ingrid books. Best yet. The last one is dedicated to School librarians. Great dedication!
And I am really liking the Col. Bob story.
Abbie and Alice's staff
4:56 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Melanie – I love seeing Bess watch TV. What does she do when she sees a zebra?
5:10 pm on April 3rd, 2010
That is a cute picture of Bess. Mom thinks Newfs are sweet, adorable, huggy bears. She can't resist the old kissy face when she sees a Newf. Usually, us huskies can't be bothered with much of that.
Rio, we have the same attitude about horses. I'm not afraid of them. I don't like them. Mom won't let me be more explicit about what I would like to do to them.
Rio has a crush on Bess. I will say no more.
5:12 pm on April 3rd, 2010
AbbieTheKat!… Please forgive me for being a critic of your writing!… snort!… It’s just my nature. Heh!… But, I bet B. Stover could probably chime in about how badly I write too!…grunt!… I have so much to learn myself!…snuff!…. Do not even acknowledge what I said to you AbbieTheKat!…Cuz!…We all love you!…gruff!… Its Alice who puts us all on RED ALERT!… heh!… One has to wonder what Alice is up to Right Now!… scary!… And yet at times, Alice is up to some good!… wheeze!… It is all hard to figure out sometimes.
5:33 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Abbie!…Snicker!… A Sewing Machine Party, Really? Hey, are you taking the 15-91 Singer as your date!??… snort! …And just so you know, threatening me with the likes of Alice only makes me stronger!… gruff!
So!…. at this Sewing Machine Party do you sit on all the patterns and test them?…heh.. This is interesting!… ha!.. What about the needles??… snicker!… Do you test them too?? … And then there’s the thread, scissors, buttons and brick-a brac!?… goodness!… heh.. oh my!…What a busy butt party!…snort!
7:37 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Hi guys! Hi everyone! When mom goes to work on Monday I will order The Tutor, as a start. I'm sure I will like it but I am also sure that I won't like it as much as Chet's books. The Tutor doesn't seem like it is a book with members of the Nation, but maybe it's about a dog (Chet?) who needed extra help passing Dog Obedience School? If that's the case, it would be a funny book, ha ha. I still want to know what happened in Chet's class. I don't remember exactly but it seems to me that he conveniently "forgot" to give us the whole story. Whadda think, Spence? We promise not to laugh too much.
Rio, bud, you're right about the name. Personally, I prefer to be called Wolf Dog, but unfortunately for me, mom says it's my legal name. It's even on my dog license, whatever that is. Sigh.
Thanks for the warm wecome, Nation within the Nation within the Nation.
WW from the WWW
PS I thought I asked Admin very nicely to whittle down my boo-boos, and you can see where that got me. I can see that Admin has earned his repuation, fair and square.
7:44 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Melanie
Seems a little suspicious that a water fuse got blown on the same day as BATH day. Were any of the pack missing this morning? I'm just saying…..
8:50 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Chet: Finished reading T.H.A.T. to Lonnie and Gord today. We all relished every page. Lonnie keeps wanting me to post things on her behalf but I tell her I'm already in enough hot water. All agog waiting for the next book. Good night.
8:57 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Wolf-Dog!…. Seems to me you have at least done a little homework before showing your muzzle here!… Nice!… You are correct in thinking that the Spencer vs Charming Mr. Abrahams books are very different… snort!… They are night vs day my dear fellow!… heh!… But the quality is excellent nonetheless! … grunt!… You will not be disappointed in any book you decide to read! … wheeze!… However, I think someone suggested ‘The Tutor’ as a jump off point…snort!… This is NOT his first book by all means! …grunt!… So start where ever but please do give us a recommendation after you are done (without giving away the story please!)…heh.
And!… there is a charming guy in "The Tutor" who you will enjoy alot till the very end… heh!
9:00 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Good night all!…mmmmm… Easter Sunday tomorrow!…Excellant!
8:55 am on April 12th, 2011
Hello All, I’m in need of a number of solutions for fixing an old vehicle or possibly scrapping it. Could somebody aim me in the right direction where I may locate some good instruction.
4:11 am on July 17th, 2011
I appreciate, cause I found just what I was looking for. You have ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye