The Curious Crime Chronicles of :Matty Jones,Detective at Large: Dead Dogs Tell No Tales

By P. R. Goodman

With a nostalgic flavor of Sam Spade and vintage noir a four-footed force for justice treads the sidewalks of glittering, glamorous Charm City. Introducing Matty Jones, loyal and devoted pet by day, street-savvy detective by night a ten pound Bichonese with a heart of gold, and a steely determination to get the job done. Mystery and fun abound as Matty always gets his manthe four footed kind that is! A quiet evening at home finds Matty dozing on a favorite pillow. Then a visit from his trusted side-kick Scooter informs him that trouble is on the way; Gang-dogs disembarking at Pier Three with their sights set on Charm City! To make matters worse, Mattys best Friend Sadie-Cat will fi nd herself in the thick of it. Matty must somehow enlist human aid to stop the gang-dog takeover, as well as rescue Sadie while theres still time. Its another exciting case for Matty Jones - Charm Citys most popular Detective at large!

Grateful thanks to Rachel Malikow for editing

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469175430

P. R. Goodman

The real Matty Jones lives with his family in lovely Carroll County, Md., where instead of “gang dogs” he fearlessly defends his property against encroaching thousand pound bovines. His favorite past-times are playing fetch and sleeping atop freshly folded clothes in his favorite chair.

Book preview

The Curious Crime Chronicles of:

MATTY JONES,

Detective at Large

P.R. Goodman

Copyright © 2012 by Pamela Goodman.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4691-7542-3

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-7543-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover art by Nathan D. Goodman

Vintage photo of Batlimore city, courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Co. Collection

Character art by Michele Foshee, at [e-mail]

Back cover photo by author, courtesy of Matty Jones.

Very special thanks and love to Robb, Ben, Nate, Ryan, and Muffin head.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

99140

CONTENTS

SUMMARY OF CHARACTERS:

ACT 1

ACT II

ACT III

ACT IV

ACT V

ACT VI

ACT VII

ACT VIII

ACT IX

ACT X

EPILOGUE

SUMMARY OF CHARACTERS:

Matty Jones, known as Mugsy on the street, this ten and a half pound Bichon-Maltese mix, is known throughout the animal world of Charm City as a crime-fighting force to be reckoned with. Loyal, and devoted to his beloved owner Precious, he champions the cause of the little guy with a heart of gold, and a steely determination to get the job done. Only Precious, and his true love, Lorna come before his love for Charm city, and his passion for justice.

Precious, Matty’s beloved owner, Fiona Falon keeps Matty’s home life running smoothly—most of the time. She’s a defense attorney specializing in hard luck cases, very much like her best companion, Matty. Together they call one of Charm City’s historic row houses their home.

Scooter, his faithful, fluff-witted chum of a mutt, who’s always got Matty’s back.

Sadie, his long-time best feline pal, though she’s still a mystery to him.

Belvedere, top-dog at Canine Central, and second only to the Chief.

And Blinks, one of Central’s many operatives, a ready source of information for Matty’s investigation work.

Last, but not least, there’s Lorna Lovelylocks, the raven-furred beauty that holds Matty’s heart. His true lady-love, he dreams of spending forever by her side, in a doghouse built for two.

ACT 1

It was a dark, stormy night in Charm city. Dog days the locals call them, when August turns summer into a steam bath. Heavy, humid skies by day melt into raucous storms each night. Looking back, it all seems strangely fitting.

The darker elements of my beloved city were about to erupt like the downpour outside my window, but not yet.

For now, all was quiet.

Outside the asphalt glistened like glass, and the glare of the traffic lights ran like wet paint from one end of Calvert Street to the other. Thunder rattled the china in our cupboard, and lightning stabbed at my eyes.

But what did I care?

I had a warm, soft bed to sleep in, and an adorable moll to scratch my fuzzy chin every evening after six.

This was the life.

I had it made and I knew it.

Not like some of the poor stiffs I’ve seen, wandering about the warehouses, and docks, scrounging for every morsel, and fighting off gang dogs at every turn.

Sure, I’ve seen some memorable sights in my four plus years in this town. But none of them would compare with the adventure I was about to take part in. And had I known, I’d have played dead under the bed for a week! Better still, I might have been able to protect a good friend from harm.

As it was, I was ignorant of impending peril, and ignorance, they say is bliss.

So I sprawled lazily across the big, plaid cushion that Precious had so considerately placed before the third story window. From my comfortable perch I could see everything that went down in the streets below, as well as a dozen alleyways beyond. My front row seat to the action as it were; and in Charm city, action is seldom hard to find.

Beneath me, sprawled that bold and picturesque city, aptly named for her beauty and charm, the object of countless artists and writers. In particular my favorite, the stark and crowded lower east side that I call home. It leads, as the crow flies, straight to that silvery horizon of water we proudly call our thriving port.

Let’s just say I like to keep an eye on things, and I’ve learned to watch my back. It may not be a typical dog’s life, but it’s a dog detective’s life in busy, bustling Charm city, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, the thunder rumbled, and the distant harbor lights twinkled at me through the rain drops.

A big foreign ship had pulled into port, Brindezian the paper said, and it was lit up like the fourth of July. It was their first night ashore. There’d be music and dancing onboard, if the weather didn’t keep them away.

Suddenly… . a noise.

My wonderfully acute dog ears caught a soft thump on the fire escape outside my window. A familiar bell tinkled softly. It was Sadie Cat,