CHAPTER 2 THE OLD POOP NEVER SOLVED ONE MEASLY CASE Max rushed into the kitchen and found Harry swinging on a hammock that was hanging in the big bay window Grandpa you never told me you were a detective Harry shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth You never asked I’m asking now Fair enough I was never a detective Max Harry reached over and lifted a can of whipped cream off the table then settled back in the hammock How do you explain the sign What sign The Monroe Detective Agency sign Oh that sign said Harry My brother Larry was a detective Max looked impressed But Harry shook his head He wasn’t very good he went on The old poop never solved one measly case Really
Really Harry shot whipped cream over his cornflakes The whole town laughed at him Newspapers wrote about him They called him the bumbling detective It broke his heart That’s how he died of a broken heart Why did no one ever tell me you had a brother who died He never left so I don’t think of him as dead Max’s eyes widened Well he’s dead said Grandpa Harry but his ghost still haunts the detective agency CRYING GHOSTS HAUNTED DETECTIVE AGENCIES Max pulled up a chair and sat beside his grandfather Your brother Larry is a ghost Yup And he haunts the detective agency in the backyard Yup Harry shot some whipped cream into his mouth then set the can back on the table Sometimes he hangs around the house But mostly he sits in the coach house bawling his eyes out I heard crying That’d be Larry He likes to have a good cry around this time of day Max shook his head Crying ghosts haunted detective agencies He was talking to himself now I’ll wake up any minute and everything will be normal
Hi-dee-ho said a voice Max spun around MAYBE YOU SHOULD SIT DOWN Harry smiled Max meet your great-uncle Larry The color drained from Max’s face You don’t look well said the voice Maybe you should sit down I am sitting down See what I mean Harry laughed Dumb as a doorknob Harry tells me you’re hooked on detective stories said the voice Come on I’ll show you my office Max didn’t move Why don’t you let Max see you first Larry suggested Harry Sure No problem A man appeared right out of thin air He had a friendly face and bushy hair that stuck out all over and there was no color to him He looked like he’d escaped from a black-and-white movie Max’s mouth dropped open Go on Max said Harry Keep Larry company while I go grocery shopping Today is Customer Appreciation Day Free Ding Dongs I don’t think so said Max Aw go on said Harry Larry’s a hoot You’ll see
I’ll race ya shouted Larry shooting out the door By the time Max got to the yard Larry had disappeared He’s fast Max said to no one
