The Mysteries of Brambly Hollow

her daughter a questioning look.
    “Well if you’d been awake half the night listening to them,” she hurled two hazel cannonballs at her brothers as she spoke, “and with the dog scratching at the door to get in the other half, you too might be a little peeved this morning.” Her nose was pinched, pulling up her top lip into a snarl that perfectly matched her tone, like a factious alley cat.
    Meli couldn’t find fault with Cassie’s sentiments. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him one of those rubber dogs beds today and a blanket, so hopefully he’ll get used to sleeping in that.” Maybe I should also get a stair gate, she thought to herself, wondering how much it would all cost.
    For some unknown reason, Quassi attached himself to Cassie that morning. It was almost as if he took perverse delight out of annoying her, as Meli found it hard to conceive that the interest was borne out of affection for her cussing, prickly daughter. He even barged his way into the toilet with her, and sitting beside the bowl, refused to be removed. “Mum,” she began screeching. “Will you do something?”
    “Go help your sister,” she cast an exasperated look at George as she finished loading the dishwasher. She didn’t bother asking David, who at that moment was staring out the window. Shifting her gaze Meli followed his line of vision. A grey squirrel was running along the top of a fence panel, making his daily trek to dine on the nuts they put out for the birds. He was their resident squirrel. She’d seen him in the garden before, instantly recognisable because half of his right ear was missing, making him very distinctive. Without a word David disappeared through the French door. Meli was quickly distracted when Cass and her undesirable minder reappeared. “Don’t do that,” she rebuked Cassie when her daughter resorted to violence, slapping Quassi squarely on the top of his head when he shoved his nose up her skirt.
    “Go away, will you?” Cassie stormed, giving him a look, that if it had been aimed at Meli, would have turned her to an ice statue. Quassi was obviously made of sterner stuff, as he didn’t even so much as bat an eyelid.
    “Where’s George? I sent him to help you.”
    Cassie threw her head about on her shoulders. “Well he never arrived.”
    “But you were in the toilet,” came the defensive retort from George as he pounded down the stairs. “Where’s David?”
    Meli indicated the garden with a nod of her head. “Don’t you two get dirty,” she warned. As soon as the door was open, Quassi gave up his single-minded hounding of Cassie and raced through it, ahead of George.
    “Who let the dog out?” Yelped David, his voice raised and angry.
    “Mum, we’re going to be late.” Cassie caught her mother’s arm as she went to pass her en route to the garden.
    “Okay then, you get the boys, and try not to cause World War Three, or we’ll never get away, and I’ll grab the lunches.”
    Within seconds, the three kids and an excited dog materialized in the kitchen, filling the room with an overture of an opera all too familiar: called Bedlam and Chaos. If Meli had had a magic wand she would have turned them all into little piglets and banished them to the farm! Just at that moment the phone joined in, adding its own discordant jingle to the pandemonium. With some dexterity, while clutching her car keys, she managed to stuff both lunch boxes under one arm so she could answer it. Her keys dropped to the floor. “Oh damn,” she cursed as she stooped down. One lunch box slipped, then the other. Both landed with cracking sounds on the floor, and both clasps burst open. Meli gave an irritated wheeze.
    “Hello,” she snapped into the receiver. “Will you kids shut up,” she called, placing her hand over the mouthpiece. “I can’t hear.” Silence fell instantly. It had always been a mystery to Meli why the children would always be cooperative and quieten down when the phone went? Possibly in case it was for them? It was a bit like the other big phone mystery. Why was it that a ringing phone had the same effect as a crying baby, and had to be dealt with immediately? Even when it went at the most inconvenient times, like right now when her hands were full, hence putting her into this annoying situation she thought, watching as an apple rumbled past her across the floor gathering bruises and dog hairs?
    “Hello. Mrs. Noble?”
    “Yes, who is this?” she gasped scrabbling on the floor, trying