Hour of the Doomed Dog Read Online Free PDF

we’re just about to go in for dinner.”
    “No!” wailed Frankie.
    But Dad was already steering Joe back towards the lounge. “You can keep Damian company – he looks really fed up!”
    “Great!” muttered Joe.

    “More for me, please!” said Uncle Len, holding his glass up for a waitress to refill.
    They were halfway through dinner and Joewas supposed to be keeping a lookout in case the two waiters tried to sneak off while everyone was eating. Meanwhile, Frankie was guarding the lobby. But there wasn’t any time for the waiters to sneak off. They were too busy.
    Joe glanced round their table. As usual, he and Damian had been put next to each other.
    “Can I have a go?” Joe asked Damian, who was playing on his games console.
    “No!”
    Joe sighed. He tried listening to the grown-ups talking instead. Uncle Len was dominating the conversation…
    “Of course, I’ve always loved collecting antiques. Take that clock on the mantelpiece over there – it’s very rare, incredibly valuable…”

    Joe tuned out. Then he looked up and noticed that the two waiters had disappeared. He felt his heart beat faster. Somehow he had to get away and see what they were up to.

CHAPTER NINE
    “I’m just going to the toilet,” Joe muttered, getting up from the table.
    He dashed back into the hallway and found Frankie barking wildly…
    “One of the robbers is in Sylvia’s office!”
    “What? Now? Why didn’t you come and find me!”
    “I was just about to! You’ve got to stop him! Quick, Joe!”
    “I’ll get Dad…”
    “No!” wailed Frankie. “He might escape!”
    Joe looked at the door. He had to find a way to trap the thief inside! He searched around for something to block the doorway.
    “Maybe we could move that big vase,” Joe began. But then he spotted something even better. “Look, Frankie! There’s a key in the lock!”
    Joe dashed round the back of the reception desk and turned the key in the lock.
    “We’ve done it!” Joe beamed. “We’ve caught the thief!”
    The door handle rattled and there was an angry shout. The man began to bang on the door and yell, “LET ME OUT!”
    “What’s going on?” Mrs Stanway appeared next to them. “Who’s in my office?”
    Frankie gave a whimper of joy. “Tell her what we’ve done, Joe. How we’ve saved her cash!”
    “Where’s Dale?” Mrs Stanway asked.
    “Dale?” Joe frowned.
    “Yes, he’s a waiter. I sent him to fetch myspare pair of glasses from the office. I seem to have mislaid my others.”
    Mrs Stanway looked at Joe, and then at the key in his hand. “You haven’t locked him inside my office, have you?”
    “Er…”
    “Tell her!” barked Frankie. “Tell her the man’s a thief!”
    “Well, you see, Mrs Stanway,” said Joe. “That waiter is actually a robber. He’s only working here so he can steal your money!”

    “What?” Mrs Stanway sighed. “Give me the key, please, Joe.”
    “But Mrs Stanway, he really is a thief!”
    She took the key from Joe’s hand and unlocked the door. The waiter stumbled out, confused and cross, with a pair of purple glasses in his hand. “What’s going on?”
    “Just a misunderstanding, Dale,” said Mrs Stanway. “Thank you for fetching my glasses.”
    The waiter glared at Joe, then stalked off.
    “No!” howled Frankie. “He’s getting away! Tell her to check the safe, Joe. He’s probably got the cash already!”
    “Mrs Stanway, please could you check everything’s OK in there?”
    “I appreciate your concern, Joe, but really there’s nothing to worry about. Dale’s a waiter, not a thief. Look, I’ll show you.”
    She swept inside her office. “See! Nothing’s out of place. And the dial on the safe hasn’tmoved since I last touched it. Now, I think perhaps you’d better get back to the dining room.”

    “What do we do now?” asked Joe.
    Joe and Frankie were in the toilets, where no one could hear Joe’s voice.
    “You spy on them in the dining room,” said Frankie,