The next afternoon, the whole warehouse was in an uproar when Barney’s body was discovered lying next to his water bowl. Danny and Tony stood off to the side and watched the spectacle unfold. It felt good to be in control while those goons freaked out over a lousy mutt. “How’d you get him to swallow the Seconals?” Danny whispered to Tony.

“I just split them open, sprinkled them on a piece of chopped meat, rolled it into a meatball, and gave it to the dope. He gobbled it up.”

Phil, the warehouse manager and titular owner of Barney, was so distraught and preoccupied with the burial out back that he didn’t think to make certain all the windows were locked. Normally he wouldn’t have had to consider such things with Barney at his post, but without Barney’s presence the brothers easily managed to lug four cases into the truck and speed away into the night. Tony knew a guy in Chardon who would pay fifteen bucks for each saw, so with eight to a case, they would bring in a total of around five hundred dollars. They drove home and hid the boxes behind the shed and covered them with a tarp. Tony sat on the top of the pile and proposed a toast: “To the Turner brothers and the easiest haul ever made in the history of Chesterland.” They chatted excitedly and acknowledged their brilliance in planning the whole thing. Too bad about the dog, collateral damage, ya know … what the hell, we’re just making minimum wage … we were just getting our due. Finally they ran out of accolades and headed in to catch a few winks before getting up for work.

Old Man Tager was more pissed off than anyone had ever seen him the next morning, when he ordered the troops to gather near the back door to listen to his tirade.

“I know one of you punks stole those saws. Probably was a couple of you workin’ together.” He seemed to look at Danny and then at Tony as he said this—or maybe it was just their imaginations working overtime. Tony didn’t show any emotion, but Danny felt his heart pounding like a jackhammer and his face go flush. He might as well have been wearing an “I DID IT” sign, he thought.

Just then two cops came through the back door and, in feigned sotto voce, told Tager they knew the make of tire of the getaway car, and would need to look at all the trucks in the employee parking lot. Oh no! Tony thought. They’ve already narrowed it down to a truck. Man, are we screwed! He knew he could keep his cool, but had his doubts about Danny. He snuck a glance at him, and his brother’s panicked eyes confirmed his worst fears.