Free Return to Howliday Inn by James Howe

happen to you once there wasn’t a place for you to stay?” he asked.
    Hamlet closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly. “I’m afraid I was destined for . . . the Big Sleep,” he said.
    A hush fell over the room. We all knew he wasn’t talking about a long nap.
    He opened his eyes and continued. “I think Dr. Greenbriar likes me,” he said. “He’s been keeping me here in his study instead of in one of the kennels down in the basement. But I know it’s only a matter of time now.”
    â€œUnless,” said Chester.
    All eyes turned to him.
    â€œUnless we can find Archie.”
    â€œBut how?” Hamlet asked.
    â€œI’m going to check out your file,” Chester answered. “I know my way around the office. I’ve been inside before. Your file should tell us where Archie is.”
    â€œBut if he’s in Europe—,” Hamlet said.
    â€œI doubt that. No, my guess is that he’s much closer to home.”
    And with that Chester exited.
    Hamlet regarded us all with sad eyes. “I’m sorry to be so much trouble,” he said.
    â€œMy goodness,” said Georgette, “it seems to me you put yourself through a lot more trouble making up stories about secrets and talking bones than any kind of trouble you could put us through.”
    â€œThat’s what I don’t get,” said Bob. “Why didn’t you just ask us to help you?”
    Hamlet sighed. “I’m a useless old mutt,” he said. “Nobody wants me anymore. Not Archie. Not his cousin. I couldn’t ask, don’t you see? What if you had all said no?”
    No one had an answer to that. All I could think about was how lucky I was to have theMonroes—and how I couldn’t wait to get back home and roll around the living room floor with Toby.
    I heard sniffling. Bob said, “There, there, dear, it’s all right.”
    I turned. Linda shook her head sadly as she looked at us looking at her. “It’s the kids,” she explained. “We haven’t heard from them in over a week. It’s so unlike them. They said they would write every day. Bob was trying to break out of here in order to find them. What if . . . what if something’s happened to them? What if . . . they’ve left us here and they’re never coming back?”
    She began to cry. Georgette ran over to her and licked away her tears.
    Felony turned to Miss Demeanor. “It’s a regular weeporama around here,” she said. The fat cat nodded.
    â€œIf you don’t mind my interruptin’ group therapy,” Felony said to the rest of us, “I got a question for Hamlet. It’s about Rosebud. We all heard her speak. So’s what I wanna know is—”
    â€œOh, that,” said Hamlet. If dogs could blush, he would have been blushing. He opened his mouth to explain, but didn’t get a word out because Chester suddenly burst into the room.
    â€œI’ve found Archie!” he cried. “There’s only one problem—he’s got two addresses. One is here in town. The other’s in London.”
    â€œLondon!” Hamlet exclaimed. “I knew it, I knew it! He’s playing the palace, sipping tea with the queen, watching the changing of the guard—”
    â€œExcuse me,” Chester said. “London is the name of the next town. It’s only a couple of miles from Centerville.”
    â€œReally?” said Hamlet. He seemed relieved but disappointed at the same time. “Archie always wanted to sip tea with the queen. Ah, well, another time perhaps.”
    â€œWhat’re we waiting for?” asked The Weasel. “I’ve already used the code to disarm the security system here. I’ll bet the same code’ll work on the gate.”
    â€œNow yer talkin’ like a weasel!” Felony exclaimed,and I couldn’t help noticing The Weasel puff up with pride.
    â€œIt’ll be