The next day it was Saturday. Roy and his parents were having breakfast.
"Hey Mom, is it illegal for a kid my age not to go to school?" Roy asked her.
"Well I'm not sure if it's an actual law-" Roy's mom started but his dad cut her off.
"Oh yes it is." He said.
"I bet I know what this is really about, I told you the letter was to assertive." She said.
"Oh that letter was just fine." Roy's dad told her.
Roy's dad then noticed something in the paper he was reading. "Listen to this, "A Coconut Cove police cruiser was vandalized at a construction site when an unknown prankster spray painted the cars window's black, while the officer was asleep inside." He read aloud. "There were three different incidents this week at this location, the soon to be home of Mother Paula's All American Pancake House."
Roy's mom was astounded. "Oh we're getting a Mother Paula's, that'll be nice."
"Can I see the newspaper?" Roy asked his dad. He handed it to him, "Thanks."
Meanwhile Officer Delinko was meeting his boss and boy was he in trouble.
"You'll notice your name wasn't mentioned, because we refused to release it to the media." The Boss said.
"I'm really sorry sir. I assure you it won't happen again."
"It better not, or else your name will be on the paper under the headline Officer Terminated." The Boss threatened.
"I copy, captain." Delinko said. "What about my cruiser."
The Boss started to lighten up. "Oh I have the perfect replacement." He said laughing. Outside he showed Delinko his new ride.
Everyone laughed.
Meanwhile Roy was in his room putting shoes in a box and putting in his backpack before heading off.
Roy's POV: After reading in the paper about the gators and all the other stuff, I couldn't help but wonder if the barefoot kid was involved with what was going on, so I thought I'd check things out for myself.
Roy made his way to the construction sight and parked his bike. After he noticed something, it was a pair of burrowing owls in a hole. He bent down. "Hey little guys." But before he could continue spectating, Curly came out and the owls left.
"What are you doing here?" He asked Roy. "What do you and your friends got planned for tonight?"
Roy had no idea what he was talking about. "What? Nothing." He answered. Curly started coming so Roy grabbed his bike and rode off.
"That's right, you better run." Curly said, and don't you ever come back here."
Meanwhile all the way back at the boatyard the barefoot kid was there, and he was with, none other than, Beatrice Leep, only she wasn't wearing her glasses.
"Here's all the stuff you wanted." She said. "I also made my special banana-mango loaf."
"Special?" He asked. "I'd better feed that to a gator." Beatrice just stared at him with a smile. "I'm kidding, you know I love your cooking.
Beatrice changed her expression to a more serious one. "You know you can't stay out here alone forever."
"Was there anybody looking for me?" He asked.
"No. Not yet, but I can only cover for you for so long before your gonna get caught." She replied.
"I know. I've been trying to stay outta sight, but I've only got a few days left to stop them." He said.
Suddenly Roy's voice echoed across the boatyard. "Hello, hello."
"It's that kid that's been following me around." The boy said.
"Don't worry, I'll keep him out of your hair." Beatrice said. "But we are are not done discussing this." The boy took off while Beatrice began spying on Roy from where she was.
He was riding his bike then came to a stop. Beatrice knew this was the time to make her move. Roy soon made his way to one of the boats and tapped it a few times.
"Hello? Look I'm not here to hassle you." Roy soon noticed the remains of a campfire and went to get a better look. Suddenly he heard a noise and noticed something was missing. "My bike." He looked around for a bit.
"Looking for this?" A voice said. Roy turned and saw Beatrice sitting on his bike. "Beatrice?"
"That's my name, now don't ware it out." She told him.
"That's my bike." He told her.
"Yeah it is." She said. "Now hop on."
Roy was confused. "What?"
"The handlebars, get on the handlebars you dork. We're going for a ride."
Roy didn't argue and hopped on. As soon as he was on Beatrice began peddling until they were in the forest. "What's in your backpack?" She questioned.
"What nothing. Can I get off now?" Roy asked.
"Sure, when you tell me what's in the box." She said.
"Nothing."
"Come on cowgirl give it up what's in the shoe box?"
"Shoes."
"Yeah sure." Beatrice said.
"I swear it." Roy said.
Beatrice opened the box and saw that Roy was telling the truth. "Why are you carrying around an old pair of sneakers?" That is weird cowgirl really weird."
"There not for me there for this barefoot kid-" But Beatrice cut Roy off. "Maybe he doesn't want shoes did you ever think about that. Why do you even care about this kid anyway?"
"I don't know, he looked like he needed help." Roy answered.
"Tell you what, I'll give him the shoes. Now get outta here."
"So you do know him, who is he?" Roy asked. She decided to tell him. "Can I trust you." She asked. "Of course." Said Roy.
"He's my stepbrother." She answered.
"Why doesn't he live with you?" Roy asked.
"My stepmom shipped him to some military school in Alabama. He lasted two days and ran off he hitch hiked back here." Beatrice explained. "Nobody else knows he's here and nobody's gonna tell them right?"
"Not me." Said Roy. "But tell me the whole story." Roy told her. Beatrice nodded.
"It all started years ago after my parents got divorced, my mom left and we never saw or heard from her again. My dad and I on the other hand used to live in Vermont where he used to play pro-basketball, he met a cheerleader named Lonna. Then at the wedding she showed up with a son she didn't like at all."
"She didn't even like her own son?" Roy said.
"I'm the only one he talks to these, days." Beatrice said.
"What's his name?" Roy asked.
"Well I can't tell you his real name, yet, for both your and his own safety. But I can tell you that I call him Mullet Fingers." Beatrice explained.
"Why?" Roy asked.
"I think you've heard enough for one day cowboy." Beatrice told him. "Besides it's getting late."
"Yeah, looks like I'm gonna be late for dinner." Roy told her.
Beatrice smiled and grabbed a nail. "I have an idea." She led him back to his bike. Then what happened next completely shocked Roy into gaping and jaw dropping. Beatrice grabbed the bike by the sprockets and chewed into the tire with enough force to give it a flat, before impaling the nail into where she bit in.
"There's your excuse." Beatrice said.
Roy couldn't say anything.
"What are you waiting for?" Beatrice asked. "Go."
"It's just-" Roy began but she cut him off. "What? You wanna kiss me?"
"What? No!" Roy said.
"Then go." Roy did what she said and left. But more was gonna happen.
While Roy was walking home Officer Delinko pulled up next to him.
"Looks like you could use a lift." He pointed out. "Why don't toss your bike out back and hop on."
"Thank you, sir." Said Roy. Roy got in and buckled up.
"This is just a temporary arrangement." Delinko told him about the new ride. "What's your name son?"
"I'm Roy, Roy Eberhardt." He said.
"Can I ask you something Roy?" Delinko said. Roy nodded. "Now you go to Trace, right? Ever here anything about what's been happening at the pancake house sight?"
"No, but I saw the paper about the police car getting painted." Roy answered.
"Well, police aren't superheroes Roy and a stakeout can be a real test of focus. Even for a cop as good as that cop." He said. "See how I'm looking at you? Police work requires focus, Roy." Suddenly Delinko narrowly avoided crashing into another car by just secnonds.
"Watch it." Roy said.
"And extreme tiger-like reflexes like what I just did." Delinko said.
Meanwhile at the Mother Paula building two people were currently watching one of their commercials.
The people were the Mother Paula actress and CEO.
"We have to re-shoot before we leave." Said the CEO who's name was Chuck Muckle
"I don't wanna go to Florida."
Before the conversation could continue someone came in.
"Uh. Mr. Muckle you have a call." He said.
"Thanks, Felix." Muckle said as the actress and Felix left.
"Mr. Brannit, what does 100 pancake houses sound like?" Muckle asked Curly on the phone."
"Sounds like a lot of pancake houses." Curly said.
"A record-breaking accomplishment. I will be the first CEO in the history of Mother Paula's to have made 100 pancake houses, and that is what food and beverage industry legends are made of." He said. "It's my life's goal, and you Mr. Brannit are responsible for making a small piece of it come true."
"I understand sir." Curly said.
"So then why are we behind schedule, with an over budget, and on the front page of the crime report?" Muckle asked.
"Well, we got us a trespassing problem." Said Curly
"Then solve it or I'll replace you with someone who can." Muckle threatened.
"What about the owls?" Curly asked.
"What owls?" Muckle said.
"Well you know the ones we got living in the little holes." Curly said.
"This time at half speed. Ignore owls or lose job, Brannit." Muckle said clearly not caring. "Go out and do what it takes to keep those vandals away. Attack dogs, Rottweilers Dobermans, I don't care, just do it!"
"Yes sir." Said Curly as Muckle hung up.
Curly waisted no time in getting a dog trainer and a pair of attack dogs. Rottweilers.
"You sure them dogs will do the trick?" Curly asked the dog trainer.
"It's best you stay away as possible." The trainer commanded.
"Alright, just look a little tame to me." No sooner had Curly said that when the trainer released the dogs. "Sic 'em"
"Alright call them off." Curly begged so the trainer did. "You can go now, don't worry the dogs will take care of your problems by tomorrow." Said the trainer.
Later at night the boy now known as Mullet Fingers ran from the dogs. "Woah."
The dogs backed him to a corner. "Easy, oh." He said as the dogs barked angrily and jumped at him barking louder.