Brownie and the Dame Read Online Free PDF Page B

woman brought the two children inside. Brownie didn’t know what a consummate gossip was because he hadn’t had a chance to look it up in his dictionary, but he would remember the words that Miz Demetrice had used. He thought it was someone who talked too much about stuff they shouldn’t talk about. But hey , he frowned, don’t that make me that, too?
    “Hey, ya’ll,” Mary Lou said, “you just missed Deputy Gray. She went out to pick up Newt Durley again. Getting dried out this time dint last too long. He started drinking Nyquil because they wouldn’t sell him no more alcohol at the liquor place.”
    “Eel juice, hooch, a jorum of skee, giggle shine,” Brownie said helpfully.
    “I-uh-okay,” Mary Lou said. “Anyway, she said you should just go talk to Tee next door, and he’ll take them kids off your hands for a few hours.”
    “You ain’t gonna let him lock us up?” Brownie asked suspiciously.
    Miz Demetrice made a face, almost as if she had been thwarted. “Never crossed my mind,” she avowed.
    A few minutes later, Tee was showing Brownie and Janie pictures of his infant son. Tee Gearheart was a big man and the jailor of the Pegram County Jail. Brownie had to tilt his head back to look up at him. But Daddy and Bubba are both taller , he thought. Neither one of them weighs that much.
    Miz Demetrice snuck off. Brownie suspected that his great aunt was up to no-good. His mother had discussed Miz Demetrice’s illegal gambling ring with his father. Ma’s probably ticked because she dint get invited, Brownie thought. Although that weren’t Auntie D.’s fault. There were murderers about, and Auntie D. wasn’t thinking about gambling.
    “I’ve been in a jail before,” Janie announced. “The loo lets me play in the cells all the time.”
    “What’s a loo?”
    “A lieutenant,” Janie said to Brownie, “a police lieutenant. He’s in charge of the station house in Dallas.”
    “City jails,” Tee pooh-poohed. “Ain’t the same as our jails. We got a little room here. We kin put up to ten fellas in one cell.”
    Janie nodded. “Nice to know if there’s extreme circumstances,” she said. “Riots and such. I approve.”
    Tee glanced at Brownie. “Ain’t you spiffy?”
    “He’s a gumshoe,” Janie said. Brownie detected a note of sarcasm in her voice. He bristled and said, “We got a mystery, too.”
    Janie said, “What mystery?”
    “Someone stole Miz Adelia’s best spatula,” Brownie filled in.
    “Oh, that’s not good,” Tee said. “Miz Adelia is a fine cook. She can make biscuits that will make you cry like a baby.”
    “That’s a good thing?” Janie asked.
    “Ifin it’s so good and so tasty you cry,” Tee said, “then it is a good thing.”
    “We’ll ask for biscuits,” Brownie said. “Do you know anything about missing spatulas, Mr. Gearheart?”
    “Call me Tee,” Tee said. “I do not know anything about missing spatulas. Did Miz Adelia misplace it?”
    “Have you seen anyone suspicious recently?” Janie asked seriously. Brownie blinked. He should have said that. Regardless, Janie was getting right with the program. She might make an acceptable partner after all but only if she didn’t solve the mystery first.
    “Suspicious?” Tee repeated. “There’s that fella from Dogley Mental Institute, the one who wears the purple get-up and prances around singing out ‘Dah-da-DAH!’”
    “The Purple Singapore Sling,” Janie confirmed. “He’s a superhero. He likes dogs and isn’t afraid of master criminals. He’s okay.”
    “I don’t know about that,” Tee said. “He told me he was wearing purple underwear that gives him special powers.” The large man looked around to see if anyone else was listening. “ Women’s underwear.”
    “It’s because he can’t get men’s underwear in purple,” Janie said gravely. “Anyone else suspicious?”
    Tee straightened and thought about it. He had to stop to scratch the top of his head. “Foot Johnson was singing