Kate Dunlap

The next evening everyone was in high spirits – it was the night of the symphony! “Do I look all right?” Edward asked Emilie before the family was about to walk out the door.

Emilie giggled softly. It wasn’t like her brother to be concerned about how he looked. “You look splendid,” she reassured him.

“And you look pretty good yourself,” replied Edward. “Dad? Mom? Isn’t it about time to go yet?”

Mr. Dunlap checked his watch. “We’ll leave in about five minutes.” He was right; the Dunlaps were in the car in five minutes.

On entering the auditorium they noticed that the place was packed. There were very few empty seats. Kate was glad that their family had made reservations; otherwise they might not have been able to find seats together!

Once the family found their seats and were all situated, the children began discussing the different sections of instruments. Kate liked the strings best – especially the violins. Edward’s favorite was the brass section, but Emilie couldn’t decide between the strings or the woodwinds. Very soon the music began and the Dunlap family was wrapped up in watching and listening to all of the different instruments. Kate and the twins forgot all about the mystery of the stolen watch. They sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the music.

All too soon it was time for intermission. “It’s already half over,” mourned Kate.

“Look at the bright side,” her father advised cheerfully. “We still have half left!”

Kate smiled. “You’re so right. May I go out to the restroom if I take Emilie with me?”

“Why don’t we all go,” Mr. Dunlap suggested. “It will be good to stretch our legs. The rest of us might want to get a drink and use the restroom, too.” The family left their seats and headed for the side exit doors. Mrs. Dunlap and the twins went straight for the drinking fountain. Just then Mrs. Dunlap noticed a man glance in her direction. He looked at the twins, and then at her for a moment. Then he quickly turned around and walked the other way.

What was that all about? she thought. Then she had the thought that maybe the man was someone that the twins knew. She got Edward’s attention to ask him about it. But by the time Edward turned to look, the man had disappeared into the crowd.

“Oh, well,” he said. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. I’m sure that if he wanted to talk to us he would’ve come over. Besides, are you sure you aren’t imagining things?”

Mrs. Dunlap was not sure. She let the matter drop, though, and soon the family was on their way back to the auditorium to listen to the rest of the concert. The last half was just as good as the first. Maybe even better, Emilie thought. Later she would be sure to thank her parents for taking them to the symphony!

		*		

The next day Mr. Dunlap got home from work early. After supper, he proposed that the family go together to their favorite place to buy ice cream, Get the Scoop! That went over well. The children piled into the car and waited while Mrs. Dunlap grabbed a few “Get the Scoop” coupons that she had received recently (Mrs. Dunlap was very good at getting a steal-of-a-deal price on anything – for example, the great discount on the tickets to the orchestra. Kate and Emilie planned on taking lessons from her before they got married and had homes of their own! In fact, they were learning already.)

Mr. Dunlap had only driven the car a little ways from home before they heard, “thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.” Mr. Dunlap looked at his wife, and she looked at him. “Uh-oh,” they said at the same time. Mr. Dunlap pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. “Everyone, stay in here,” he commanded as he opened the door. “I’m just going to check the tires. I’ll be right back.” He stepped out of the car and walked all the way around it. Sure enough, the right front tire was flat, and it had a large nail protruding from it. When he told the rest of the family the news, Mrs. Dunlap let out a sigh of relief.

“James!” she exclaimed, putting her hand on her husband’s arm. “Thank the Lord that we’re didn’t get far from home! Think of what could have happened if this had happened on a busy street! Thankfully we’re still in the neighborhood on slow, residential streets.”

“You’re right, Jodi. Thank the Lord!” he repeated.

“So, Dad, do you want all of us to get out so you can change the tire?” asked Kate.

“Yes, please do. Let’s see, this shouldn’t take too long. All I have to do is take the damaged tire off and put the spare on instead.” Mr. Dunlap walked around to the trunk where the jack was kept. All of the sudden, the thought hit him. “Oh, I can’t believe it,” he cried. “Of all times for the tire to go flat!”

“Why, what’s that matter?” Mrs. Dunlap asked. “Are you missing... the spare! It’s being used on one of the rear wheels right now!”

“What?” all three of the children asked at the same time.

Mr. Dunlap explained that he had gotten a flat on his way home from work the previous week and had not yet gotten a new tire. So the spare was still on the rear wheel and there was no other spare for the front!

“What’re we going to do?” Emilie worried.

“Everything will be okay,” Mr. Dunlap reassured her. “It’ll be easy to get home; we can walk back – it’s only a little ways!” he continued cheerfully. “I’ll have to call a tow-truck to bring the car home. And after that maybe we can take the other car to Get the Scoop! if it’s not too late by that time.” He closed the trunk and locked the car, and the Dunlap family began the four-block walk back to their house.

They had just reached the foot of the driveway when Kate, who was looking up at the house, gasped in terror. “What’s the matter? Did something bite you?” Mrs. Dunlap questioned anxiously.

“No! Quick, everyone! Duck behind these bushes before he sees you!” Kate said in a loud, urgent whisper as she followed her own advice.

Kate’s parents could tell that something was wrong, but they did not know what it was. “Huh? What are you talking about?” Mr. Dunlap asked her.

“Hurry! Get down behind the bushes and I’ll explain!” she replied in the same voice as before. This time the rest of the family ducked behind the bushes. Once everyone was hidden from view of the house, she said, “There is someone in our house.”

“You’ve got to be imagining it!” Mrs. Dunlap said. But all the same, she remembered the last time Kate said there was a person sneaking around their house – and she had been right!

“No, I’m not imagining it,” Kate stated quietly. “I saw that person through your bedroom window, Mom.”

“Let me look,” Mr. Dunlap said. He took a quick peek around the bush before he said quietly, “Kate’s right. There’s a person in our bedroom.” He crouched behind the bushes again, quickly thinking of what he must do.

“Look down the street!” Edward said with his eyes wide. He pointed it the right direction.

Emilie gasped, “It’s a silver Toyota and the front of it is all beat up!”

Kate whirled around to see it. “It’s the very same one,” she gasped. There was no need for an explanation. Mr. and Mrs. Dunlap understood at once.

“Okay, this is serious. I’m calling the police right now,” Mr. Dunlap decided. He dialed the emergency number on his cell phone. “I’m outside at my house at 223 Cherry Tree Lane,” he spoke into the phone in a low voice, “and there is a burglar inside…Yes, my family and I are well hidden from the view of the house… No, I don’t think he saw us… No, we weren’t here when he broke in; we were just returning to our house when my daughter detected him…”

In just a couple of minutes the police arrived. They kept their lights and sirens off so the burglar would not hear them coming, and they parked about a block away. “I’m Officer Donnellson, and this is my partner, Officer Clayton,” one of the officers introduced himself as he and Officer Clayton walked up to the driveway and ducked behind the bushes.

“Ah, yes! Officer Clayton! Nice to see you again,” Mr. Dunlap said, shaking the officer’s hand.

“Oh, Mr. Dunlap, is it?” Officer Clayton was obviously glad to see Mr. Dunlap, also. “Good to see you, too.” To Officer Donnellson he explained that he recognized Mr. Dunlap as one of the men who worked at Pennington’s Computer Store, where he often went for his personal computer needs.

“You guys did well to hide back here where he can’t see you,” Officer Donnellson said, directing the conversation towards catching the burglar. “It won’t do for him to notice anything now!” he continued. “Okay, your wife and kids need to stay back here for now. That guy may be dangerous. Mr. Dunlap, what we want you to do is to wait until Officer Clayton and I are in position up at the house, ready for you. We’ll give you a signal. Then walk up to your front door, open it a crack, and yell loudly to him that you know he’s there. We’ll be in place, waiting to arrest him as he comes out. Okay, here we go!” The officers walked quietly up the driveway and each went to guard one side of the house, not knowing where the burglar would come out. Then Officer Donnellson waved to Mr. Dunlap.

He emerged from his hiding place behind the bushes and walked boldly up the driveway to the front door. After unlocked it and opening it just enough for him to poke his head in, he shouted, “You’re trapped! I know you’re in here. You had better give up now!” Then he closed the door and stepped away from the house about twenty feet.

Then the excitement began. The robber exited out of a window on the side of the house opposite from Mr. Dunlap and Officer Donnellson. Officer Clayton was hot on his trail, but too far behind to grab him! From their hiding place behind the bushes in the front yard, the rest of the Dunlap family could see that the thief was heading toward the retaining wall. He was going to jump down and get away! He was going to escape!

On perceiving that the thief was not carrying a weapon, Officer Clayton called out, “Everyone, after him! Stop him before he gets away!” At a nod of consent from their mother, Kate and the twins joined in the chase, too. Kate went around a different way and beat the thief down into the neighbors yard by a split second. He tried to run right past her, but Kate was quicker than he had anticipated. She spied the bag that he had used to collect the stolen items, and instantly she knew what she had to do. Quickly she yanked the bag right out of the robber’s hand!

When the thief saw that Officer Clayton was still a little ways behind – too far away at the moment to catch him or rescue Kate, he turned to her. “You little brat!” he hissed. “If you don’t give that back this instant—”

But Kate interrupted him, not waiting to hear his threat. “Emilie, Edward, catch!” She threw the bag towards them and jumped back, away from the burglar.

“Got it!” Edward shouted. He an Emilie ran back to where Mrs. Dunlap was watching everything. Edward handed the bag over to her.

Meanwhile, the thief looked back to see Officer Clayton, Officer Donnellson, and Mr. Dunlap very close behind him by this time. He made a last dash for freedom, but Officer Donnellson was too quick for him. “Oh, no, you don’t!” he exclaimed triumphantly as he caught the thief’s arm. Quick as a flash Officer Clayton snapped handcuffs on the man’s wrists. “Now you’re coming with me,” he said and he led the wrongdoer back up the street to the Dunlap’s yard.