Hide! The Tiger's Mouth is Open Wide! Read Online Free PDF Page B

teeth,’ said Grandad.
    Sophie blushed and said, ‘Sort of.’
    Tom said, ‘We know absolutely everything! We saved that tiger’s life!’
    ‘Glad to hear it,’ said Grandad. ‘The thing is, we’ve been having a few problems over at the allotment. Probably better if I just show you, eh? That is, if you’re not busy here.’
    ‘No, we’ve fixed most of the zoo animals,’ Tom said, ‘We’re so good, we’ve run out of patients.’
    ‘Tom, that’s not completely true,’ said Sophie.
    ‘I bet it is true!’ Grandad exclaimed. ‘Knowing you two! Come on, let me show you the crime scene.’
    Grandad, Tom and Sophie went around behind the zoo cafe, through the staff turnstile and out into Regent’s Park. Grandad had previously been Chief Vet at London Zoo and he was still allowed to use the staff exits and short cuts.
    ‘Now, as you probably know,’ Grandad said as they walked, ‘I work in the Regents’ Park allotments a couple of evenings a week. We grow all kinds of things: flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruit bushes. It’s a gardener’s paradise in there. But last night we had a break-in.’
    Grandad led Tom and Sophie towards the allotment and opened a small brown gate. He showed them a row of half-eaten cabbages and what had been a row of broccoli. Everywhere there were small holes, disturbed soil and mangled plants.
    Then he led them into the shed at the end of the allotment and showed them the remains of a ham sandwich on the floor.
    ‘I was saving that sandwich for my supper,’ Grandad said, ‘but when I woke up, this was all that was left of it.’
    ‘You mean, you were in here?’ Tom asked.
    ‘Ah, er, yes,’ Grandad stammered, ‘just having a nap. I’d been hard at work, you see! So anyway, it happened at about eight o’clock at night. Whatever it was must be a nocturnal animal. Let me show you how he got in.’
    They went back outside and he took Tom and Sophie round behind the shed.
    The panel at the back had a small hole at the bottom, with claw marks at the edges. A section of the fence had also been nibbled away by very strong teeth.
    ‘Look at these bite marks here,’ said Grandad, pulling up the loose board at the bottom of the fence and showing Tom and Sophie the other side. A ring of teeth marks could clearly be seen in the wood.
     

     
    ‘The thing is,’ Grandad said, ‘I can’t think of a single British animal that would leave teeth marks like that. Particularly not one that eats flowers and vegetables and ham sandwiches.’
    ‘Right then, Soph,’ said Tom. ‘We’ve got a new case.’
    Sophie nodded. ‘Time to take a look at the evidence.’
     
    Tom and Sophie were standing on the outside of the allotment fence. Sophie was running her finger along the teeth marks in the wood.
    ‘Could it have been a cat?’ Tom asked.
    ‘Not sure,’ said Sophie.
    ‘All cats have similar teeth, right?’ Tom said. ‘These teeth marks are like a smaller version of a tiger’s – a bit like our pet cats’, in fact. Two big holes for the canines, two smaller holes for the incisors.’
    Tom felt the bottom of the fence.
     

     
    ‘A cat’s back teeth could have gnawed along the bottom here,’ he added.
    Sophie didn’t agree. ‘These marks are too shallow and close together,’ she said. ‘A cat’s teeth are giant compared to whatever did this.’
    ‘If you say so,’ said Tom.
    ‘I do say so,’ said Sophie.
    ‘So how are we going to find out what broke into the allotment?’ Tom asked.
    Sophie was silent for a few seconds.
    ‘If only we could make some kind of model of those teeth marks,’ Sophie said.
    ‘You mean like a set of fake teeth?’ Tom said. ‘Like those vampire fangs you can buy at Halloween.’
    ‘Exactly,’ Sophie said. ‘Then we could ask the keepers at the zoo if they recognise the teeth in the model. If they do, we’ll know which animal broke in.’
    They were both silent for another few seconds, thinking.
    ‘Violet . . .’ whispered