It was later that day and Chief Hightower sat behind his desk reviewing paperwork. He actually had to sit on a four-inch thick phone book.
He finished reading the paperwork and placed it on a sixteen-inch stack of other papers inside the “Government Corruption Leads” bin on top of his desk.
There was a knock on the Chief’s door. “Enter,” Chief Hightower called out while he picked up some more paperwork and started reviewing it.
Carter raced into the office extremely excited. “Chief!” Carter cried out.
Chief Hightower cringed when that voice sounded familiar. He looked up from his paperwork and looked bothered at the sight of Carter. “Get out of my office Remake!” he yelled while he pointed at his door.
Carter ignored his orders. “Chief! I know of some stolen evidence that blows the lid on government corruption. It’s on a stolen memory stick!” he said while he rushed up to the Chief’s desk. “I'm taking the case to find it!” he said while he sat down in a chair by the Chief’s desk.
Chief Hightower got pissed while he glanced up at Carter. “No!”
“But Chief!”
“No!”
A smirk grew on Chief Hightower’s face. “Oh yeah. You now have a partner,” he said while he pointed to the side of his office.
Carter looked where the Chief was pointing and saw a shaggy sheep dog named Sabrina sitting in the corner of the room. She had a police badge on a chain slung around her neck.
“I have an ugly shaggy dog as a partner?”
Sabrina the dog gave a little whine indicating Carter’s comment hurt her feelings.
“Don’t worry, she's house broken,” Chief Hightower said with a smirk.
“But Chief. I can't solve this case with a dog!”
“If you get anywhere near that stolen government corruption evidence in that ceramic Pink Panther, you'll be fired!” Chief Hightower yelled at Carter. “I don’t want Senator Cheatham breathing down my neck.”
“But Chief!” replied and stomped his feet a little boy while he threw a short temper tantrum.
“I mean, never ever being a detective fired!” Chief Hightower yelled spraying the room with slobber.
Carter looked at the Chief and he could see it in his eyes that he meant business.
Carter looked at Sabrina the dog wagging her tail.
She held up her paw for a friendly shake.
Carter ignored her and Sabrina the dog put her paw down and felt rejected.
“Her name is Sabrina,” Chief Hightower told Carter.
“Now get out of my office!” the Chief yelled at Carter.
Carter looked unhappy while he walked to the door leaving Sabrina the dog behind.
“Ah excuse me, you forgot someone,” Chief Hightower called out.
Carter turned around and looked at his boss. “No I didn’t.”
“That dog Sabrina goes with you,” Chief Hightower said.
“With me?”
“Yep, like I said earlier, she’s your partner and you will take care of her and that’s an order!” Chief Hightower responded with a stern tone of authority.
Carter looked at the Chief and realized he didn’t have a choice. He left the Chief’s office with Sabrina the dog following.
Carter hated life while drove his Torino with Sabrina the dog sitting in the passenger seat. She poked her head out her door window and let the wind blow across her head with her tongue dangling out of her mouth.
Carter and Sabrina the dog arrived at his apartment. Carter couldn’t believe his eyes to find that Alvin cleaned his place and it was so tidy and organized.
Alvin waited by Carter’s small dining room table where he had a white tablecloth draped over it. He looked surprised when he laid eyes on Sabrina the dog. “You bought a dog?”
“No, she's my stupid partner named Sabrina.”
Sabrina the dog flipped Carter off with one of her paws when Carter turned his back.
“My place looks great,” Carter said while he looked around his home. He sniffed the air when some food cooking on his small stove hit his nose. “What smells so good?”
“Dinner, sir,” Alvin replied with his polite butler tone of voice then walked over to the small stove.
Carter sat down at the table while Alvin brought over some pot roast with mashed potatoes and cream corn on a plate.
“I talked with that news reporter Bob Biff and he's anxiously waiting for that evidence. So are you going to start searching for that Pink Panther?” Alvin asked while he placed the plate of food down in front of Carter.
Carter felt a little guilty while he stared at the mouth watering pot roast. “I'm not allowed to search for that evidence.”
Alvin looked upset while Carter picked at his food.
Sabrina the dog walked over and rested her head on Carter's leg. She gave him the saddest puppy dog eyes and a little sympathy whine.
Carter looked down at her and rubbed her head. “Come to think of it, you are kinda cute and sweet for a dog.”
“No, I didn’t want you to tell me I’m cute, I want some food,” Sabrina the dog barked out in doggie language and wagged her tail.
“Please don’t bark in the house,” Carter scolded Sabrina the dog.
Alvin looked at Sabrina’s sad eyes. “I do believe she’s hungry sir,” he said then proceeded to slice up some roast beef. He placed the meat on a plate and set it on the floor.
“Now you’re talking,” Sabrina the dog barked out while she ran over to the plate. Her tail wagged while she gobbled down the pot roast.
Alvin prepared himself a dinner plate and sat down with Carter.
After dinner was finished, Alvin paced around the room while he pondered his fate.
Carter watched the news and pouted that Chief Hightower wouldn’t allow him to search for the Pink Panther.
“We have breaking news,” Channel 200 news reporter Harry Talltale told the audience.
Alvin continued to pace while Carter half listened to the news.
“Oh, oh,” Alvin said when he glanced at the TV and saw news reporter Harry Talltale standing by the gate to Senator Cheatham’s mansion.
Alvin and Carter watched the news channel.
“Senator Cheatham has just announced that his Butler, Alvin Bentley was caught on a security video stealing a fist full of dollars and other expensive personal items from his mansion. An arrest warrant by Chief Hightower, of the Remakewood police department, has been issued and Senator Cheatham is offering a ten thousand dollar reward for the capture of his butler,” Harry Talltale told the news audience.
Carter turned off the TV with his remote.
He looked at Alvin who paced around the room scared to death.
“I'm going to die! I just know it,” Alvin cried out while he sweated.
Sabrina the dog whined feeling sorry for Alvin while she watched him pace around the room.
“You'll be safe here Alvin.”
Alvin stopped pacing and looked at Carter. “But won't your landlord start raising questions and turn me in for the reward?”
“Nah, Misses Bates never comes out of her room. She's stuck up and just sits in her rocking chair, staring out her window,” Carter replied.
“Does she have family members that could come around?”
“Naw. Her only son Norman is locked up in the loony bin again.”
“Then, who'll get the evidence on government corruption if you’re not allowed?” Alvin said then started nervously pacing around the room.
Carter felt bad that he couldn’t help Alvin. He wanted to help but really needed his paycheck.
The rest of the evening was quiet for Carter, Sabrina the dog, and Alvin.
Sabrina slept on the floor next to Carter’s bed while Alvin slept on the couch.