you might have taken him south maybe nine or ten days ago . '' i rubbed my hands across my face , feeling the stress . i knew i should call my parents and tell them the good news , that i had just solved my first case and was officially looking forward to a career as a private instigator . before handing us both a pot made out of a cola bottle with the top cut off , three-quarters filled with brown liquid with a strong chemical smell , and a couple of brushes . 