I awoke to whispering:

Someone was in my house, downstairs the sounds came from my living room.

I slowly rolled off my bed, wondering why my Airedale had not barked, he usually slept on the landing by the front door. He did not tolerate strangers usually had a fit of barking if anyone came even close to the house.

Creeping to the bedroom door, I opened it a crack, there laying at the door sound asleep was my watchdog. Whoever was in my house had given Buster something to put him out. I listened and could make out two different voices that sounded very young and male. They where going through drawers not being that quiet as they went. I could see shadows as they moved around the room with a big plastic bag half-full.

Going over to the table, I went to dial the police no dial tone, maybe they were young but not stupid. My cell was charging so I dialed 911 told the operator my address, giving them a brief explanation of what was going on. She said a car was on its way.

Locking my bedroom door I quickly put on some clothes, , I would let the police deal with these two. Then I heard footsteps climbing the stairway, my bedroom was the last door on the landing as they opened up the other two rooms I could hear the sirens in the distance. More whispering, as they ran downstairs. As the police car stopped, the two where caught in the headlights I opened the door in time to see the two handcuffed and put into the backseat.

My bag of stuff brought back inside. Buster started to move looking up with a guilty look as much as to say what happened. I guess I better feed him more.

The boys where charged with break and entering and remanded to juvenile detention and would come before a judge in a week.

Two phone calls came the next day from both the boys fathers who where well known in our community and very well off. The rude one I hung up on as he started by telling me his son was a good boy who he was and what harassment he could cause me, if I testified against his son. The second one was a smooth operator asking me if I would meet him for lunch at his office. I declined. 

As I sat in court two suits arrived with two lawyers each, they had tried many times over the week to intimidate me with phone calls. The police had told me the two boys had been in trouble many times and the fathers always got the charges dropped.

The police had asked me to come and tell the judge what had gone on and about them giving my dog something to put him to sleep. Buster had to have his stomach pumped by the vet.

A women judge sentenced them both to six months in juvenile detention after I had told her what had gone on that night. As I was leaving, the two fathers passed one bumping me whispering I had not heard the last of him. The other one just glared as he and his wife hurried out the door.

Two nights later I had just gone to bed, Buster lay beside me in his bed I had moved him up beside me, his growl started low then his loud bark reverberated through the room. Then a loud bang the sound of glass breaking he was up and out the door before I had time to get out of bed. My front room window shattered with huge rocks lying on the carpet.

Looking out nobody was in the street a light went on across the way and a man peered out his window from behind his drapes. I could hear a siren close someone had phoned for them I assumed. As the police pulled up the lights in the neighborhood started to come on.

They asked if I had any enemies, telling them only two giving them the father’s names and relaying what had happened in court. One of the older cops shook his head saying I sure knew how to pick my enemies.

 A week passed, I was called into my boss’s office he looked very unhappy. He asked me what was going on as he just got off the phone from a client that spent mega bucks on advertising with us and he said if I was not fired he would pull all advertising with us  now and in the future. He had to let me go, as the company could not afford to lose this client. Mr. Mega bucks was not going to let up. I had worked for this company for five years that did not seem to mean anything. I stormed out of the office saying I would see him in court for wrongful dismissal. 

The sun was just setting as I walked home from work, as I turned my corner I could see a crowd beside my yard, my door had been spray painted with graffiti, calling me a liar and prostitute. One of my neighbors came towards me telling me she had already called the police when she saw two young men leaving my yard, unfortunately she could not see their license plate number. However she, thought the color was blue or black, apologizing her eyesight was not that good.

Another report filled out, the police could not question the fathers they had no evidence that they were responsible. Both having high priced lawyers they had to tread lightly, they looked for fingerprints on the door and porch. I told them that would be waste of time, as they would not do it themselves. The young cop told me they would send a car passed regularly and to call them if needed.

Buster greeted me jumping up then out the door for a piddle, sniffing around as he went down the stairs. I was afraid to leave him outside alone in case they poisoned him again. Putting him on his lead I walked to the paint store, tomorrow I would have to spend my day painting my door.

That night the phone kept ringing until I pulled the jack from the wall, then my cell phone started, I had an unlisted number on both phones but I guess people with influence could get them. I called the police to see if they could trace my calls, they told me they would get back to me.

I was up early put on old clothes and started to stir the paint on my porch when a dark car drove by slowly two male bodies inside, a hand came out the window pointing fingers like a gun when I went down my stairs to get a look at their license plate they sped up rounding the corner quickly. My neighbor came over handing me a piece of paper with numbers written on it. She had gotten the last digits and I had seen the first three numbers, I had them! I called the numbers into the station, explaining what just happened.

That night I sat on my porch in the shadows of my trees with Buster at my side told him to sit. He occasionally heeded me. There was a chill in the breeze, I had prepared with a large warm sweater and a blanket around my knees. It was not long before the same car rounded the corner, with no headlights on. Buster moved but I told him to sit or he would be put inside, looking up his head went down he was going to sulk.

The car pulled over to the curb, the door if you were not listening you would miss it being shut. Footsteps came towards my gate, Buster growled I put my hand over his mouth he stayed quiet.  They both reached the bottom step as I took off the safety on my gun they both reacted, as they knew what the sound was, I told them to get down on their knees and let Buster growl. They both look terrified as I told Buster to guard, he knew exactly what that meant from his dog training.

I told them it could be easy or hard whichever they chose, I wanted to know the names of who has sent them if they did not tell me then they would be missing a private part that they would need in their future. Telling them the police had their plate number, it took all of two minutes before I had the names of the fathers of the boys. I had 911 on speed dial, it only took the police a short time to get there, they had their confessions and where arrested and taken away to the station.

Both the fathers were picked up had their lawyers and denied even knowing the two. They had recorded the conversations with the father’s to make sure they would be paid the lawyers were over heard saying how stupid can you two be.

The judge threw the book at both of them with a huge fine and community service for the next year, the embarrassment of that would affect them more than the fine.  

My old boss phoned to offer me my job back, my lawyer thought I would get a settlement of twenty thousand dollars, as I was one of the top sales people. All I said was I would see him in court unless he wanted to save court cost and settle.

 
Buster got a big bone