The Mystery of Raven's Moor

By J Marie Beal

Thomas is having a normal morning when he hears screams coming from the new houses on Raven’s Moor Court. There’s been a break-in, and someone smashed Mrs. L'Espanye’s prize china doll! Can he and Rabbit help the humans track down the mysterious culprit before anyone gets hurt?

The second book in the Tales of a Watc

• Language: English
• Publisher: Golden Fleece Press
• Release date: Aug 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781942195245

Book preview

Tales of a Watch-Cat: Book 2

The Mystery

of

Raven's Moor

By J Marie Beal

Other books in the

Tales of a Watch-Cat Series:

Book 1: The Case of the Armadillo

Copyright © 2015 by J Marie Beal

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator, at the address below.

Golden Fleece Press

PO Box 1464,

Centreville, VA 20122

www.goldenfleecepress.com

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Epub ISBN 13:       978-1-942195-24-5

Mobi ISBN 13:       978-1-942195-27-6

Pdf ISBN 13:       978-1-942195-23-8

Print ISBN 13:       978-1-942195-22-1

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Figaro-

Someday there will be an arch-villain equal to your level of evil. Even then, you'll always be the fluff-ball that liked to sleep in the front pocket of my over-alls. We'll miss you. Nineteen years still wasn't enough.

Prologue

On a Cold and Misty Morning

Hello again! Have you come to hear me regale you with another story of my bravery and Rabbit's wit? No?

Then I suppose you want to hear another story involving a strange and incredible creature? Yes well, I was young once too. I found those the most thrilling tales.

It was a cold and misty morning, the Ravens engaged in their ever present battle to show the Crows who actually held court over our little neighborhood when I first met August Dupin.

Now, unusual as I find humans, you will not consider him to be a strange, exotic creature. Though he was. In those days finding an amateur detective was a rare thing indeed.

But we're getting away from the story. You wanted to hear about an animal. But to tell you about the animal, I first have to tell you about the poor girls.

Chapter 1

Diabolical Disaster on Raven's Moor Court

Thomas liked his routine. Every morning, after the humans fed him the left over bits of their breakfast, he leapt sprightly from the first floor window in the drawing room and did his first tour of the neighborhood.

He walked down the street past the still quiet houses and gardens until he reached the end of his prevue as watch-cat. Then he walked back up the other side to Rabbit's garden. He slipped under the holly hedge and fetched Rabbit, best friend and frequent deputy, so that they could patrol the rest of the neighborhood together.

Thomas did this every morning. Or at least every morning the weather would allow and he had any hope of convincing Rabbit to leave the warmth of her warren and join him.

Generally his morning patrols were simple and quiet. The animals in the area all knew him, and viewed him to be fair and helpful, and they all wished their neighborhood to run as smoothly as it might. They respected Thomas and the job he and Rabbit did.

The area he patrolled had increased, in the last year or so. He stretched past Bank street by two blocks now, and nearly all the way