Five Have Grown Up ~ The Whistler Strikes (Part 9)
[b]Part 9: The Whistler Strikes[/b]
[i]Continuation from:
1. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P222]The First Engagement[/url]
2. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P225]Old Clear-Oof to the Rescue[/url]
3. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P226]Dog Tricks[/url]
4. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P229]Serving God, Queen and Country[/url]
5. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P232]Vern’s Dilemma[/url]
6. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P240]Betty’s Woes[/url]
7. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P254]The Mysterious Whistler[/url]
8. [url=http://www.coolcatalyst.com/index.php?id=P260]The Truth About Fattie[/url]
[/i]
“Oh blast it, Fattie! You’ve let the Whistler go!” Larrie groaned in frustration.
“Didn’t you know that the Whistler can’t be bound by ropes or handcuffs? He’s a pro at freeing himself from things like that. Why do you think we have had such a hard time nabbing him?” Vern said. “You are not very intelligent after all, are you?” It was so unlike the normally good natured Vern to say things like that.
Poor Fattie. For the first time in his life, he felt dumb under the wrathful looks of his friends. It was a most unpleasant experience.
“I’m sorry, guys. I…,” before Fattie could continue, he felt something pressed against his back.
“Drop your guns,” a smooth voice said behind him.
Larrie and Vern looked dazed with shock and anger. How could they failed to see the Whistler sneaking up behind Fattie? They put their guns slowly on the ground.
“Now, step back and get into the shed. All of you,” the Whistler continued in a deadly calm voice as he pressed Fattie forward with his gun.
The three men marched glumly towards the shed. The Whistler will get away yet again. This was too awful to contemplate. They glanced at each other helplessly, they must do something!
Suddenly, a miracle happened. They heard the sweetest and most welcomed voice ever.
“Oi, what’s going on ‘ere?
Goop was awake!
Bettie was sitting by her window sill, wondering on earth had what happened to the guys, when Dottie suddenly burst into the room. Her chubby face was pale and her ample frame was shaking.
“What is it, Dottie?” Bettie cried out in alarm. “What happened?”
“There was a shootout at Goop’s. Fattie, John and Vern were somehow involved in it and now they are at the hospital. Goop called and I tried to get more details from him but he wasn’t making sense after a while. He kept slurring and sounded like he was on drugs or something.”
Bettie felt faint and clutched at her bedpost to keep from falling, “W-why are the guys at the hospital? Are they hurt?”
Dotty looked at the younger woman with a pang of pity. She shuddered to think if Phil was one of the guys sent to the hospital. She felt very sure now that Bettie had given her heart to one of the men. But now wasn’t the time to find out exactly who it was.
“Come, Phil’s outside waiting in the car for us. We’ll find out the truth at the hospital,” she said as she led Bettie out of the room.
Bettie nodded silently. Tears threatened to course down her cheeks and she tried her best to hold them back. No use worrying unnecessarily until the facts are proven. She kept chanting that to herself until her mind went numb. But the icy hand that gripped her heart remained.
[b][i]To be continued…[/i][/b]

