Dlameni & Jones Part 1

By Kevin Taylor

Dlameni & Jones Part 1 is a Boy's Detective Series, specifically for teenagers and young at heart adults. It is the first book in a Trilogy which solves all the mysteries involved.

It all started with the disappearance of silverware. Digby Jones and Jabulani Dlameni, two adventurous high school boys, take on the challenge to help find the missing valuables. When they eventually find the missing items, they stumble on much more than they bargained for.

From that moment the two eager detectives are caught up in a real Sherlock Holmes mystery. As the mystery unfolds, they soon discover that the hair-raising facts that arose from the case were far beyond their wildest dreams! The problem is, will anybody believe them?

This exciting story is packed to the brim with mystery, action and humour. It will keep you spell-bound and in suspense up and till the last sentence and then leave you with a million questions - only to be answered in subsequent parts of the trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kevin Taylor
• Release date: Jun 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9780986976681

Kevin Taylor

Kevin retired from the business world five years ago and with his wife Nola moved to Knysna in the Western Cape. He grew up in the rural districts of Kwa Zulu Natal and having Zulu boys as playmates learnt to speak the language. He was educated at Pietermaritzburg College in Kwa Zulu Natal and for a few years studied Zulu as a second language. Unfortunately due to lack of teachers he had to give up Zulu and switch to Afrikaans. He now spends his spare time writing and playing bad golf. Kevin is the proud owner of a vintage Mercedes Benz sports car and with his wife Nola, enjoy their Sunday drives to lunch at all the quaint restaurants in the Garden Route area. There are two more Dlameni and Jones books in the pipeline and the fourth book in the series should make its appearance in the latter half of 2020.

Book preview

Dlameni & Jones

Part 1 of the Trilogy

ISBN Number: 978-0-9869766-8-1

All characters and events in this publication, other than

those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and any

resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely

coincidental.

Thanks

To Aunt Joan Snyman, who once lost her teaspoons and drove the family insane.

To my friends, too numerous to mention, from decades past. We still talk today and laugh like the boys we were, when I forget my Zulu words.

To Nat Goodchild. What can I say, a genius, a gentleman, a great friend and a man with the patience of Job.

Knysna October 2018

South Africa.

Dlameni & Jones

Boy Detectives

Part 1 of the Trilogy

Synopsis

It all started with the disappearance of silverware. Digby Jones and Jabulani Dlameni, two adventurous high school boys, take on the challenge to help find the missing valuables. When they eventually find the missing items, they stumble on much more than they bargained for.

From that moment the two eager detectives are caught up in a real Sherlock Holmes mystery. As the mystery unfolds, they soon discover that the hair-raising facts that arose from the case were far beyond their wildest dreams! The problem is, will anybody believe them?

This exciting story is packed to the brim with mystery, action and humour. It will keep you spellbound and in suspense up and till the last sentence and then leave you with a million questions - only to be answered in subsequent parts of the trilogy.

Knysna

South Africa

October 2018.

Dlameni & Jones

Boy Detectives

Part 1 of the Trilogy

Chapter 1

Digby Jones was bored. It was school holidays and he definitely did not want to do any schoolwork revision. Lying on top of the garage roof sunning himself in the weak winter sun was what he liked to do. The quiet solitude of his morning was suddenly shattered when he heard his mother’s voice calling him.

Digby, Digby my boy, where are you?"

Oh no, he thought, what have I done now?

Yes Mom, he replied leaning over the garage roof and looking down at his mother.

Please help me …Digby, what are you doing on the roof? You’ll fall off and break your neck. Get down here immediately.

Yes Mom, replied Digby, resigning himself to the fact that his mother was going to chew his ears off……. again.

Digby was sixteen years old and in grade eleven. His father had repeatedly stated that all boys aged twelve and over are in trouble twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It was just the depth that varied. Digby was long past that age and he knew by the tone in his mother’s voice that the peace in his life was gone and furthermore, she had an onerous task for him. The young man could sense trouble coming and he knew the worst thing he had done all day was lie on the garage roof.

Digby, I was having tea with Mrs Dlameni here in the garden, said his mother, and when we had finished, Mrs Dlameni left and went home while I gathered up all the cups and saucers. I had just placed them on a tray when the phone rang. I left everything where it was and ran inside. When I returned I did not at first, notice anything amiss. It was only when I reached the kitchen that I realised that two teaspoons were missing.

Mom, asked a now totally bored Digby Jones, didn’t Mrs Dlameni come back and take them home by mistake?

No, definitely not, the alarm would have flashed on if somebody opened the gate. Now please, get down from there and find my two silver tea spoons.

Wearily Digby climbed off the roof and then started poking around the lower reaches of the hedge which surrounded his parents’ property.

What's up Diggers? Digby looked up smiling for he recognised the familiar voice. It was Jabulani Dlameni from next door. He had snuck into the Jones’s property without setting off the alarm. The two boys were of the same age with Digby been older by two short months. Jabbers still using our tunnel under the hedge? asked Digby.

Yip, came the easy reply, what are you looking for?

My mother lost two teaspoons and she wants me to find them

Okay, replied Jabulani, where did she last see them?

On the table over there, said Digby pointing at the garden table.

Tell me, said Digby, Have you not perhaps got a metal detector? It would make life much easier.

Nope, replied Jabulani, I’m making a G.P.S. transmitter.

And what is a G.P.S. transmitter? asked Digby.

Jabulani wandered over and peered down at the table. Digby continued to peer around in the lower reaches of the hedge. One end of the garden was complete and he now had three other sides of the garden to scratch through.

Diggers, called Jabulani, come and look at this.

I’m coming, but what is a G.P.S. transmitter called Digby.

Your Dad has a G.P.S. receiver in his car which tells him his co-ordinates in latitude and longitude. It helps him find any address in Durban. Conversely, a transmitter tells the rest of the world where you are, now come and look at this on the table.

Oh I know, similar to the box of tricks people put into their cars so that when it’s stolen they will be able to find their car.

Exactly, replied Jabulani, now what do you think of that? said Jabulani as he pointed at the table.

Digby wandered over and peered down at the table. Jabbers that's gross. It looks like bird droppings. My mother will be mad if she sees that. My life is constant work, mimicked Digby in a high pitched voice, if it’s not kids, its bird droppings.

Mothers are all the same, said Jabbers as he repeated exactly what Digby had said in a high pitched voice. If it’s not kids, it’s bird droppings.

The two boys both stood there laughing and staring at the bird droppings. Suddenly Digby stopped laughing and got serious. He pointed at the mess on the garden table and asked his friend, Jabbers do you know what type of bird left its calling card? Jabulani shook his head and with the aid of a twig he continued to try and scrape the droppings off the table.

Jabbers, I’ll bet you it’s a crow.

Jabulani stopped what he was doing and looked at Digby in surprise. You know what, you might be right, but what's that have to do with the missing teaspoons?

Well, replied Digby, I read somewhere that crows steal shiny objects. I’m going inside to fetch my father’s binoculars and then we can climb onto the roof of the garage and keep a sharp look out.

Ten minutes later two boys were standing on the garage roof. One armed with a pair of binoculars, the other searching his pockets for a pencil and a scrap of paper. They then stood back to back straining their eyes as they scanned the heavens.

Tell me Jabbers who would want a G.P.S. transmitter.

Marine biologists.

How would they use it?

They could attach it to a whale and then track its movement across the oceans.

Got him, whispered Jabulani as he swept the binoculars up to his eyes.

"Describe him,’ urged Digby as he continued to search his pockets for a pencil.

Black all over with a white ring around his neck.

That's all? asked Digby.

That's all, replied Jabulani as he lowered the binoculars, the bird is out of sight. It has flown the coop, it has vanished into the wide blue yonder.

Jabbers you are so dramatic, let’s sit down and discuss all we know about crows in general and especially ring-necked crows.

Okay, said Jabulani, I’ll fetch my Dad's book of birds and you get a note book and make notes.

Good idea, said Digby as he climbed off the garage roof and hurried inside to find a note book amongst his school books. He then carefully searched his pockets, no pencil. Mom, he yelled, have you seen my blue propelling pencil?

Top left hand pocket on your shirt, came the instant reply from somewhere deep inside the house. Digby reached up and immediately felt the familiar shape. I love you Mom, he shouted as he raced outside to wait for Jabulani.

Five minutes later two heads were bowed in concentration. One was reading out loud information on crows and in particular ring-necked crows. The other was carefully making notes in his note book. At last they were finished and the two leant back in their chairs.

Diggers, said Jabulani, what else do we know about crows that is not in this book. No mention was made of stealing teaspoons?

Jabbers you are such a dope, your father’s book clearly stated that the crow has, and I quote a singular fascination for shiny objects."

Okay, said Jabulani, I understand. Now what do we do?

We have to find its nest. The only thing we can go on is crows build nests in trees and not on cliff tops.

Number one for your note book, said Jabulani, crows like shiny objects. Digby bent his head to his task as he started writing.

Number two, continued Jabulani, they build nests high up in trees.

They do not fly to great heights, and oh yes, said Digby, crows fly in a straight line.

The two boys continued to make notes one dictating, the other writing, till eventually they had two note book pages on crows and their habits. Digby sat back in the garden chair and read aloud all the notes he had made. The two boys were satisfied with what they had achieved.

Well, said Jabulani, we know an awful lot about crows and we are still not sure as to whether it was a crow that stole you mother’s spoons.

You are quite right so after lunch I’ll meet you on your bike at the corner and don’t forget to bring the binoculars.

Why? asked Jabulani.

We are going to find a crow’s nest, answered Digby.

No sooner had he reached the confines of his bedroom and started to review his notes for the third time his mother queried the whereabouts of her spoons, find my spoons yet son?

No Mom, but this afternoon I will be very close.

It was while he was eating his lunch that Mrs Jones looked up at her son and suddenly said, Digby, what do you mean very close to my spoons?

Mom, I once read in a book that crows like shiny objects and I think they were taken by a crow. This afternoon we are going to find the crow’s nest. Digby’s sister, who was three years older than her brother laughed out loud and said, Diggers, you are such a nerd, you are the only person I know who looks for his mother’s missing teaspoons by reading a book.

Digby looked at his sister with contempt. There were days when he loved Shelly more than other days and today was one of those days when he loved her less.

Shelly mark my words, Jabulani and I will find those spoons and you will tell me what a clever man I am.

No I will not, I will call you a snooty nosed little boy. Men are at the very least at university and you’ve got two years to go.

Eighteen months Sis, arithmetic is not your favorite subject.

Math’s, I do math’s now not ..............

Stop it you two, interrupted Mrs Jones, now help me clear the table then you two can go your separate ways.

Ten minutes later Digby Jones was waiting at the corner for his friend Jabulani Dlameni.

What kept you? asked Digby.

My mother insisted I telephone my father and get his permission to use the binoculars.

Well I’m glad he said yes, replied Digby as he noticed the bulky mass suspended around Jabulani’s neck.

They rode to the area where Jabbers had last seen a crow. For a whole thirty minutes they scanned the sky and there were no crows to be seen.

Jabbers, said Digby, I’m going home to get some aluminum foil. I’m then going to cut it in strips about the same length as a teaspoon and then we can leave a few lying around.

Crows have a singular fascination for shiny objects, recited Jabulani.

Exactly, said Digby as he climbed on his bike and raced home.

Twenty minutes later Digby was back. Carefully he placed the strips of foil on the ground and to stop them blowing away in the wind he used a few of his Dad’s golf pegs to pin the foil down. While Digby was getting the aluminum foil Jabulani had not been idle. He had fashioned a hide some meters away. The boys would be able to observe the lures pinned to the ground and at the same time be able to notice the flight paths of any crows that came to steal the aluminum foil. They did not have long to wait.

Within ten minutes a black bodied crow with white ring around its neck landed on the grass and immediately plucked a strip of foil up in its beak. Without looking around, it took off immediately and headed in a northerly direction. Digby immediately set his compass and plotted the course the crow had taken. From notes he had made earlier the boys knew that crows fly in a straight line and that they do not fly higher than necessary. Within seconds the crow had vanished but the boys were not deterred. They were well aware the nest was not far away.

Carefully they cycled amongst the trees. Every tree was thoroughly scrutinised for nests but nothing was noted. The boys had navigated about two hundred meters into the bush when suddenly they spotted a ring necked crow flying straight towards them. It was not necessary to