04-THE TELLTAIL TAVERN

THE TELLTAIL TAVERN Trap began his story. "Do you remember that friend of mine I used to play pool with?" he asked. "The one with the scar on his tail and a black patch on one eye? His name is LEFTY LIMBURGER. Last Sunday I was playing pool with Lefty at the Telltail Tavern. Have you ever been there?" I frowned. "I'd rather eat a piece of moldy cheese than be seen in that place!" "You don't know what you're missing," Trap said. "Each night, there's something exciting going on. Yesterday there was a wrestling match between a karate black belt and a pool champion. You should have seen it! The black belt's paws were flying, but then the pool champ started

slapping him with slices of swiss cheese...." "Get to the point!" Thea snapped. "Well, I met up with my old friend Lefty. And he told me a secret," Trap began. He lowered his voice. "You see, his niece is a friend of the mailmouse's cousin. And she lives next to the brother-in-law of one of the guards at the mouseum. Well, he told the brother-in-law, who told the mailmouse's cousin, who told Lefty's niece, who told Lefty." "Who told who what?" I asked, growing IMPATIENT. "Don't get your tail in a twist, Gerry," said Trap, smirking. "That's what I'm about to tell you. The mouseum guard said that the Mona Mousa has been taken to a lab to be X-RAYED. And that can only mean one thing. There is something hidden underneath the painting!"