In the last post: Chief Inspector Dobbs wasn't happy. If the two hot-heads gave him lip he'd throw them in jail...

Dear friends, if you like a good chuckle, dim-witted heroes, and larger-than-life villains, then you'll love this fascinating series. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, I’m blogging nibble-sized chunks of new ‘Life in the Clouds’ stories. You can check in regularly and read them for free, or wait to buy the entire story when published.
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​Enchanter on the Roof ® James Field. Part 13

Chief Inspector Dobbs had given an order and he expected obedience. If he'd been attired properly, he'd have given them five seconds. Dressed as he was, he'd give them ten.

Dick Charmer blew kisses to the young girls and swagged over the dance floor to see what was wanted of him. Olive straightened her see-through blouse and dragged her miniskirt down over her bulging hips far enough to hide her knickers. With her arms folded across her chest, she sidled to join them.

“Right, you two,” said Chief Inspector Dobbs. “I’m in the stages of retirement and don’t need this hassle. Promise to behave yourselves or leave.”

Dick Charmer gave him a dismissive nod, glanced at the dance floor, and waved to the young girls.

Much more of that arrogance, thought Dobbs, and he'll find himself standing behind bars with no one to wave at but a brutish prison guard. “I’m making investigations about you,” he said in his best authoritarian voice. “Preliminary reports suggest you might not be who you claim to be.”

“Really?” Dick Charmer turned the corners of his mouth down. “That's news to me. I’m a roofer not a goofer, good at it too.”

Not wanting to intimidate him too much just yet, Dobbs swallowed his sneaking suspicion and played along. “Good lad. I didn’t think someone as talented and popular as you could be a criminal. It’s not your fault, or a crime, if all the women assume you’re a Don Juan.”

He couldn't be sure, but Dobbs suspected his name wasn’t Dick Charmer at all. He didn't know his proper name either, only that his nickname was Four-Ps, a slippery customer who always escaped arrest at the last moment. Not this time though. Other policemen might have had trouble catching this young delinquent, but not the legendary Chief Inspector Dobbs.

"Right on, man." Dick Charmer grinned and raised his hand for a high-five.

Dobbs ignored it; he hated anything other than gentlemanly handshakes. “You still need to promise you'll behave yourself,” he said and forced a practised smile. As much as he despised the boy, he didn’t want to scare him away. He wanted him right here at The Stables where he could keep an eye on him. When he found out exactly what sort of crook he was, and had enough evidence to prove it, he'd cart him off to a prison cell where scum like him belonged.
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To be continued…
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Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

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Like to know more about Alf, Bert and the rest of the gang? You can read their chaotic history in What on Earth.