Sherlock Hoots & The Owl Investgative Network

Pocketed Locket - Part 4

If you missed part 1 you can fnd it here.
If you missed part 2 you can fnd it here.
If you missed part 3 you can fnd it here.



"Look," said Burp. "The trail leads right to that rocky bluff over there, and I think if we take a closer look we will find out who left the trail."

"I'll go check it out," said Chute as he raced off.

"Careful, it could be a prickly situation," Larry warned Chute and smiled knowingly to Burp.

"Whoa, sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm really sorry."

The others caught up to Chute just as he was backing out of a hole in the rocks, apologizing profusely to a large porcupine that emerged from the hole after him. The porcipine looked very unhappy. Larry quickly found himself standing with all the others hiding behind him.

"I'm sorry if we disturbed you," Larry said quickly. "We were just following a trail in hopes of finding out who took Amy the squirrel's locket."

"Oh," said the porcupine as she backed into her den a little. "So that was why she was making all that noise. Well it couldn't have been me because I was busy with my babies."

"You have babies," said Tune excitedly as he poked his head out from behind Larry. "Can I see one please? I've never seen a baby porcupine."

The porcupine thought for a moment, then disappeared into her den and reappeared with one of her babies. Tune ran up to the baby, forgetting his earlier fear of getting stuck with one of the sharp quills. For the first time the porcupine smiled as Tune walk around the baby.

"You can touch him if you want," said the porcupine kindly. "His quills are still soft. They haven't had time to harden up yet."

"Cool!"

Tune reached out and touched the soft quills on the baby porcupine. Just as he touched the baby, a scream echoed through the forest. The mother porcupine grabbed her baby and scampered inside her den without a word. Tune was frozen in place and the other animals were now pushed in tight against Larry.

"What was that? It sounded like a human woman screaming," said Chute.

The scream echoed through the trees again, but it sounded closer this time. Rapi and Darren leaped into the air and flew high above the heads of the others. Tune was still frozen in place and Burp, Rob, and Chute held onto Larry's pant legs.

"I think we investigated enough here," said Rob with a definite shiver in his voice. "Don't you?"

The other animals quickly agreed.

"I think it is time to report back to Connor anyways," said Larry. "Let's go."

Have you figured out who pocketed the locket yet? Find out in the next installment in this exciting tale of Sherlock Hoots & The OWL Investigative Network