Atticus Claw Breaks the Law Read Free

badge and opened its beak.
    ‘Over my dead body!’ Inspector Cheddar sprung out of his chair and ran to the sink. ‘Shoo!’he shouted, flapping his hands at the birds. ‘Shoo!’
    The two birds hopped along the windowsill, but they didn’t fly away.
    ‘Nasty things, magpies,’ Mrs Tucker muttered, shaking her head.
    ‘Why?’ asked Callie.
    ‘They’re just birds,’ said Michael. ‘Aren’t they?’
    ‘They’re not
just
birds,’ Mrs Tucker said in a hushed voice, as though she didn’t want the magpies to overhear her. ‘They steal things. And you should never cross them.’ She shivered. ‘It’s like breaking a mirror. Magpies bring bad luck.’
    ‘Now then, Mrs Tucker.’ Inspector Cheddar turned his back on the magpies. ‘None of your superstitious old wives’ tales, please. Michael’s right – they’re just birds.’ He started to pin his badge to the top of his sleeve. ‘OUCH!’
    ‘What’s the matter now?’ Mrs Cheddar asked anxiously .
    ‘I just stuck the pin in my arm!’ Inspector Cheddar moaned. ‘What a morning!’ He grabbed his cap and left.
    ‘I told you magpies bring bad luck,’ Mrs Tucker said darkly. ‘How’s it going up at Toffly Hall, dear?’ she asked, changing the subject.
    Mrs Cheddar was helping to organise an antiques fair to be held in the grounds of a nearby stately home. The fair was going to be filmed for the TV show
Get Rich Quick!
    ‘All right, I suppose,’ Mrs Cheddar sighed. ‘But it’s only ten days away and there’s still so much to do. We’re expecting hundreds of people to bring things to be valued. I just hope it all goes smoothly.’ (Mrs Cheddar was also secretly hoping that if it
did
go smoothly then Rupert Rich, the presenter, might offer her a job on the programme.)
    ‘
Attack the attic, make a packet!
’ Mrs Tucker roared. (That was Rupert Rich’s famous catchphrase.)
    ‘Can we come?’ asked Michael excitedly.
    ‘Of course you can,’ Mrs Cheddar said. ‘You’ll love it. There’s going to be a real mixture of stuff. Lots of trash, probably – there always is – but some really beautiful things as well; people will bring jewellery and watches – and of course there’s Lady Toffly’s tiara.’
    ‘What’s a tiara?’ Callie asked.
    ‘It’s a sort of hairband,’ Mrs Cheddar smiled, ‘made of diamonds.’
    ‘It sounds wonderful,’ Mrs Tucker sighed. ‘I wish I had something like that tucked away in the roof.’
    ‘You should have a look,’ Mrs Cheddar said. ‘You never know what might be there.’
    ‘
Attack the attic, make a packet!
’ Michael and Callie shouted.
    ‘Huh!’ Mrs Tucker snorted. ‘All I’m likely to find is a load of Mr Tucker’s old fish hooks. Now come along, you two,’ she told the children, ‘let’s get you off to school.’ She went to get their bags while Mrs Cheddar kissed them goodbye and set off to work.
    When their mum had left, Michael and Callie got down from the table and went to wash their hands. The magpies were still at the window. They gazed at the children with black beady eyes.
    ‘Chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka!’ cawed one.
    ‘Chaka-chaka-chaka-chaka!’ the other cackled.
    Callie frowned. ‘It sounds like they’re laughing at us,’ she whispered.
    ‘I know what you mean,’ Michael said. He studied the birds carefully. One was thin and scrawny with a hooked foot, the other was fat with feathers missing from its tail. The birds stared back at him. ‘It’s as if they’ve been listening to our conversation!’ Michaelshivered. For some reason the two birds gave him the creeps. Maybe Mrs Tucker was right – maybe they
did
bring bad luck.
    ‘If we had a cat, it could chase them away.’ Callie grinned.
    ‘Yeah, like
that’s
going to happen! You heard what Dad said, Callie – he
hates
cats. We’ll be lucky if we get a goldfish.’ Michael leaned over the sink as far as he could and pulled the window shut.

4
    Two days later, Atticus Grammaticus Cattypuss Claw purred goodbye