Truly Tan Baffled

‘Tan. Please take off those gloves while you eat,’ says Mum as I pull up a chair. ‘They don’t belong at the dinner table.’ I decide not to argue. That would waste my time and I am a Secret Spy. My time is precious. Plus, I am eager to get hold of some food. I need roast lamb and crispy potatoes right now . ‘Where’s Awesome?’ I say. ‘He loves a Sunday roast.’ ‘Precisely,’ says Mum. ‘That’s why I’ve locked him and Doodad in the lounge room. They can watch TV while we eat.’ ‘Poor Doody,’ says Amber with a sigh. ‘Excluded from the family festivities again.’ ‘They dribble and beg and drive us crazy!’ says Emerald. ‘They’d be locked out of the kitchen permanently if I had my way.’ ‘That’s a bit harsh,’ says Dad as he reaches for the gravy. ‘Harsh is my middle name,’ says Emerald, stabbing a potato, and I think that might be the truth. ‘Who was on the phone, Tan?’ says Amber, changing the subject. ‘That’s my biz,’ I say. ‘But I can tell you this: strange things are happening in the bustling town of Peppercorn Valley …’

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