The Case of Black Tom - Part Four

A.B. Fox enthralled us all with the next episode from his memoirs... I came to and found my paws handcuffed behind a chair. A one-legged donkey stood guard over me holding a crossbow. He looked a little the worse for wear. “Nice cosy attic ain’t it? Andcuffs comfy?” he slurred “Nishe-bit of Black Tom this –cor I feel shleepy – shing me a lullaby or this crossbow might go off by mishtake.” I started to sing an old tune taught to me by a sailor on the Shanghai Ferry. The Donkey was soon nodding off. I quietly took his crossbow and spotted a chopper on a bench. I put it to good use. As I swung the chopper down the Donkey woke to find he had lost his wooden leg. As he hobbled around I covered him with the crossbow, in my handcuffed paws, and backed towards a ladder in the corner of the room.”Keep your mouth shut till I am out – you can ask Santa Claus for a new leg.” I shouted back. The ladder lead up to a trapdoor and out on to the roof. I could see the whole of Walmington-On-Sea before me. Below I heard a cry from the Donkey “Elp, Elp E’s got away.” Soon, the rest of the Badfort Crowd would be in hot pursuit. In the meantime I intended to find out their plans. I spotted a skylight and took a gander. I was in luck. Below me I could see Hootman swing a pendulum in the eyes of an intoxicated….Beefeater !”. Hootman clearly had him under some kind of Black Tom induced influence. “You will leave the security doors open and the alarms unset” he said in a mesmeric sing-song voice. “So, the Crown Jewels, is it?.” I murmured to myself – with some admiration for the audacity of Beaver’s scheme. Suddenly there was a clatter from the trapdoor. It was Siggi and Hitmouse giving chase. Hitmouse threw a skewer hitting me in the arm. The crossbow fell from my hands and clattered over the roof tiles dropping to the ground. I ran but found myself at the edge of the building. I had two choices. Jump or surrender. Siggi raised his crossbow. Hitmouse shouted “Shoot.” How would the fox escape this time ?