Ned and the Chocolate Cheats

By Mark Jarvis

In a world where many animals can talk, an exuberant Jack Russell and his person must conquer foes and race across the world in an adventure of a lifetime!

When Gizzmo, the technologically talented cat from next door, tells Ned about a robbery at the local shop, he immediately gets his person to take him for a walk to investigate. Although he and Jeff mean well, in attempting to solve this mystery, they become embroiled in the mysterious world of MI5 and the battle against organised crime.

From the West Country, to London, and beyond, our reluctant heroes race across the world, to thwart a dastardly chocolate related plot. In doing so, they come face to face with the endangered tarsier, on the tropical, magical island of Bohol. With the blessing and support of the Royal Corgis (the real power behind the throne) and the leader of Britain, Larry the Downing Street cat, Ned and Jeff concoct a risky plan. Can they foil the chocolatey plot -  and will their foes receive their just desserts?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Nov 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781838597269

Mark Jarvis

Mark Jarvis has been a primary school teacher in Plymouth, Devon for the last 26 years. He has taught the skills of writing stories, enabled children to express their ideas through greater understanding of language, and promoted the appreciation and enjoyment that comes from a story shared.

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Copyright © 2020 Mark Jarvis

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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ISBN 978 1838597 269

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For Holly and Steffen,

who made the whole thing possible.

Contents

Prologue

It was dark now. They saw their moment.

Go! Rufus shouted.

Crash!

Mrs Perkins’ mobility scooter smashed into the shop window. It was not enough to break it completely, but weakened it for the pack of dogs to burst through. Broken glass tinkled and twinkled onto the ground around them.

The dogs furiously attacked the bars of chocolate on the shelves. Twelve sets of sharp teeth chomped and ate every one of them, including the wrappers. It all took seconds.

Now, as quickly as they had entered, the pack jumped out.

I’m going to wish I hadn’t eaten all that! panted Scruff as he scampered away.

Yeah, puffed Rufus frantically. Especially when those tin foil wrappers come out again.

The dogs raced through the streets, splitting up to avoid detection. They were on their way to the next target, but would it be so easy?

Chapter 1

Hey, Dude!

I stood at the back door. This is one of the ways I show people I want to go out to the garden.

The people think they are in charge, but who picks up my poop? Think about it! Dogs (especially handsome-looking, long-legged Jack Russell Terriers like me) are definitely in charge. Sort of.

The garden smelt good. I snuffled and sniffed the wall and the washing line post. They smelt nice and strongly of my wee. I weed on those places again to make sure others knew it was my garden.

I smelt another smell in the air and looked up. There she was, sitting on top of the stone wall.

Morning, Gizzmo, I called.

Hey, Ned, dude! the cat replied.

Gizzmo, like most cats, thought of herself as a cool surfer type. This is bonkers really, as most of them hate getting wet.

Cats like to behave in an ‘awesome’ and trendy way. I often saw Gizzmo hanging out in The Sticky Bun Café that I went past on my walks. Gizzmo could be seen with her Flat Bright animal coffee, writing something on her laptop. Now she was above me on the wall that separated our gardens.

Did you catch the news about the sweet shop, dude? she asked. As she spoke, she licked her paw and rubbed it over her ear.

That’s gross, Gizzmo, don’t do that, I said.

Gross? And this coming from a dude who sniffs bottoms! she laughed.

But no, Gizzmo, I didn’t hear the news. What happened?

She looked down at me. Hey, you know that old dude, Mrs Perkins?

Yes, I said.

Well, last night, a pack of street dog dudes drove that lady’s mobility scooter through the sweet shop window. They stole all the chocolate! Most uncool.

Wow! I replied.

I sat down and scratched the side of my tummy. This was not particularly bad news for me, as chocolate is poisonous for animals. For the people, this was very bad. Not only was all that chocolate stolen, but it also meant that animals were now committing crimes. This was serious stuff.

I hoped the dogs who stole the chocolate didn’t eat it. Being a dog myself, I knew that they probably couldn’t resist the urge to scoff it all.

It’s a doggy-dude ram-raid, dude! Gizzmo chuckled.

This is animal organised crime, I said. It’s a worrying thing. I need to tell my person about this.

Dogs and cats have been living in human company for thousands of years, so it was inevitable that they should learn to talk. It was bound to happen. Once the talking starts, it can lead to picking up all sorts of other human habits, good and bad. It didn’t take long for many other animals to learn the skill of talking. Some are better at it than others. Some don’t talk at all.

I looked up at the fluffy tabby cat, now stretched out in the sunshine. I tried to raise one eyebrow and appear serious. I couldn’t do it and just looked like I had wind.

Take a chill pill, dude, Gizzmo purred. They were only after the chocolate. She went to sleep.

Scrambling to my feet, I turned towards the house. I sniffed the air and walked towards the smell of my person.

Being a Jack Russell, I am short and strong. I found it quite easy to nudge open the back door, which had closed a bit in the breeze. Once inside, I bounded across the room.

Jeff was sitting on the old leather sofa, reading a book. I jumped up next to him and pushed my nose up under his arm, to make sure I had his attention.

What on earth…! he exclaimed in surprise. Ned, old pal, what’s the matter?

Hey! Hey! Listen to this! I shouted excitedly. I reached up and licked his face. Slurp!

Being able to talk didn’t mean that I could stop myself doing dog things. He had the crumbs of this morning’s breakfast still in his beard. Hmm, cornflakes! Nice.

Yuk! my person said, as he wiped his face on his sleeve. Okay, you have my attention. Do try and sit still; you’ll get hairs everywhere. Jeff scratched his tummy through his unironed t-shirt.

My person’s proper name was Cornellius Jefferies, but that is rather a mouthful. Ever since he was at school, everyone had just called him Jeff. All that matters to me is that he is my person.

Okay, Ned, this seems important, he smiled. That will make a nice change! As he grinned, his eyes twinkled behind his round glasses and he pushed back his unbrushed dark hair. I do love you, I thought. But you are scruffy.

People might shower every day, but I still look and smell better than them.

I stood up and shook, shedding little hairs everywhere, and then sat down again. Jeff brushed the hairs onto the floor.

Listen, I said, trying to get to the point. You know the sweet shop just down the road from here? The one that smells of liquorice? Well, Gizzmo, the cat that lives next door to us, told me that yesterday evening, just as the shop was closing, the window was smashed and all the chocolate was stolen and eaten! I said this quickly and stood up, my tail wagging in excitement.

No way! Jeff exclaimed. But who would do such a thing? He shrugged his shoulders.

Ah, well, that’s the really amazing part. It was a gang of dogs.

Wow! Jeff said in wonderment. But isn’t chocolate poisonous for dogs?

Yes. Dogs know that, but we just can’t help eating it. It’s the wonderful smell. It just smells so good! I wagged my tail again at the thought of chocolate.

You dogs are always thinking of your tummies, Jeff laughed. He picked up the remote control and flicked on the television that was fixed up on the wall. It came to life, showing one of the news channels.

I looked away and started on some serious self-grooming. It’s important to always look your best, I think.

People like us to look good. Some of them spend a lot of time and money paying for us to be groomed. If we look good, they look good. It’s just one of the many ways we help each other out. Mainly, though, we just like spending time in each other’s company.

Cats, on the other hand, are different. Most of them only spend time with people when it suits them. Goodness knows what cats get up to at other times. Most other animals think it’s better not to spend more time with humans than necessary.

"A gang of dogs, you say? Jeff asked. He scratched the end of his nose in thought. That means that they must have organised the crime themselves, doesn’t it? Now I think you should look at this." With a flourish of his wrist like a magician, he pointed the remote control at the television and unpaused it from where he had been watching. It came on to the rolling news channel.

Read the ‘breaking news’ that’s going along the bottom of the screen. I know you are a good reader, he said, turning to me now as I sat beside him. I saw you reading an article about ticks and fleas on my smartphone yesterday. By the way, how did you learn my passcode? He raised a questioning eyebrow. Never mind that now, though; look at the screen.

I read the line of sentences that was moving along the bottom of the television on a red bar. It said, More mysterious chocolate robberies. Reports from around the country. Police baffled.

Well, what do you think of that? Jeff asked, turning around to me again. Gizzmo’s story is just one of many. It’s happening everywhere. Did the dogs organise the crime themselves, I wonder, or is someone organising them?

I sat up smartly on the sofa. Right! I ordered. Take me for a walk. I need to speak to other dogs and cats and find out what they know.

My person slowly got to his feet. Considering he ate so much, he still looked quite slim. I guess it was all the walks that I made him take me on that kept him so fit.

I jumped down onto the carpet, which was once a cream colour, and gave him my best ‘you’re not going out looking like that’ look. He must have understood, because he mumbled something and disappeared for a few minutes. I sat and waited patiently. There might be a biscuit in this for me, I thought.

When Jeff returned, he was looking a lot smarter and smelling soapier. He said, Ah, good boy! and fed me a meaty-flavoured treat that he found in his pocket.

I tried to be still as he was putting on my lead, but the whole thing was getting so exciting!

Okay, Jeff announced. Are you ready…? Walkies!

Jeff leaned over me to open the front door (I haven’t yet worked out how I can open it by myself) and I pulled him out, down the short path and onto the street.

I think of my lead and harness as a safety belt. People wear safety belts in cars to keep them safe, if something unexpected happens. My lead is the same. For example, I might come across a really important smell that I have to investigate. I might not be able to think carefully as the smell takes me across a busy road.

You have to really concentrate on these smells, and you have to follow them wherever they go. Then wee on them, of course. I have to let everyone know I was there.

The worst is fast-moving things, as I just can’t help myself. I have