The New Arrivals

Chapter 3

10 weeks later~

The Harpercop siblings were over at the Newtons house that morning with Ted and Emily and had noticed Beethoven's odd behavior for the past few days and watched the st bernard sneak out of the house through the hidden basement door. 

"See? I told you he was acting strange" Ann said to the others.

"It's not like Beethoven though" Brock wondered. "What could he possibly be doing?"  

"I think Beethoven's got a girlfriend" Emily said. 

"What makes you think that?" Ted asked his sister. 

"He keeps sneaking out of the house like this" Emily replied.  

"What other good reason could he leave and not tell us?" Kali turned to the others, knowing there weren't many other options to why Beethoven hadn't been talking to them and sneaking out of the house these past few days. 

"Come on!" Ted led the other kids as they went back upstairs. 

The kids came outside the house and followed the sneaky st bernard at a distance all the way down town to Regina's condominium. 

Meanwhile, inside Regina's apartment~

Floyd had just gotten back from after a long nights search for Missy. 

"Any sign of the mutt?" Ramona asked, referring to Missy.

"No" Floyd replied. "I looked in the alley. I looked under the bridge. I even looked in the new sewer pipes they're putting in. I don't know where she went" 

"So what did you come back for?" Regina asked. 

"I need a shower" Floyd replied, taking off his shirt. 

"No, what you need is a brain transplant" Ramona scoffed the dumb man.  

"She's right. Now, Floyd, go back and find the dog" Regina demanded. "Without that dog, my divorce is worth peanuts!"

"Relax, honey" Floyd said. "We'll find the dog. I'll put notices up all over the place. Somebody's bound to see her and bring her back" 

"Somebody's bound to bring her back?" Ramona replied sarcastically. "Numskull, what year are you living in?!"  

"She's right" Regina agreed with her niece, adding. "No one is gonna bring back a missing dog! People don't do things for each other anymore" 

"Well, maybe the dog'll come back on its own! Dogs are very loyal" Floyd yelled. 

"No, Floyd. Dogs are stupid" Regina said. 

"And do you have to stand that way? Didn't my trainer teach you how to stand? How can we have a relationship if you can't even stand right?" She sighed in irritation. "I'm gonna kill that stupid dog"

Just then, there was a knock heard on the door. 

"That's her" Floyd said. "That's the dog"

"Dogs don't knock, Floyd" Ramona said to him like he was stupid.  

Floyd then opened the door to see an old man standing in front of him. "Who are you?" he asked. 

"Gus, the janitor" The old man explained. "I found your dog. She's down in the storage room. I think she's been sleeping there" 

"She has? Thank God" Regina closed the door, telling Floyd. "Take the luggage, put it in the car, bring it out front. We're getting outta here" 

Meanwhile, the kids had followed Beethoven down to the storage room in the basement. When they turned the corner, they were in for one big surprise. Make that four little surprises.