It was a late-spring night, still a bit chilly and the ground was damp with dew to be only just after midnight. I had fell to my knees when I came over the wall. How was I to know they'd have a bassett hound. I had prepared for a doberman or rotwielder by wrapping my arm with several layers of cloth. Come on attack me and the chloroform in my other hand will send you to doggie dreamland for a while...but noooo, a darn bassett hound that wouldn't come near but sure could bark. Just come closer I had coaxed but the perfect guard dog just stood his ground.
   Then the lights in neighboring houses started coming on and I had to split. So much for this months bills. All the planning and waiting for these nice folks to go on vacation down the drain.
   I couldn't stand around and think though, I had to get outa there. Walking faster than normal I headed for the bridge where I had told Jerry to wait. As I got closer I noticed he had laid down in the seat and when I got to the door I could hear him snorring. I hit my open hand hard on the hood and watched him fly up wide-eyed in surprise and fear.
   "Man that was quick", he muttered. "Did you find the box under the bed"? No, I didn't I stated bluntly and didn't elaborate. A few minutes later I said,"a bassett hound started barooffing". "Baroofing" He said? Yea, it wasn't a bark and it wasn't a howl, it was a baroof. "We won't get another chance on this one" he said, and I agreed with a nod though he couldn't see it in the dark.
    "Well, I guess one of us will have to look for work or we won't be eating for the next few days", I said. It got quiet for the rest of the ride home.
     Jerry was my brother-in-law and he was just plain lazy. I'm not lazy, but lately I just haven't found the right job. After my wife split town Jerry came to live at my house for a while. Since I was between real jobs I figured we'd pull a quick job. After-all part-time work was just putting me farther and farther in debt.
    I was a bouncer at the local skating rink. Bouncer is a bit strong, rule enforcer would be more like it. I got paid under the table but only worked a couple of nights a week just making sure everyone followed the rules. Smoking in the smoking area only, no under age smoking, no running, food only in the concession area and no fighting.
   One of the "rich" kids had been bringing in a couple of hundred dollar bills every Friday night. I had over-heard her tell one of her girlfriends that she had stolen them out of a cigar box under her mothers bed. The other girl had asked wouldn't they be missed and she had replied "No her mother had been putting 2 or 3 hundreds a week in that cigar box for over ten years and that no one ever counted it". "It's cash money from there business, they'd rather die than pay taxes".
   To good to be true ... and then I learned they were going to the Outer Banks for a weeks vacation at the end of the month. Look out folks here comes the Tax Man!
   Well you know the rest of the story... almost anyway...
   I got my call two weeks later. The interview went great, I had the job.

   Guess who my first audit was on as a new IRS field agent!