That must be Lola’s cue, Nancy thought.
She saw Bess at the end of the runway, waving a biscuit high. Lola’s ears perked up. But instead of walking toward the biscuit, she just looked at it!
The audience stared at Lola.
“Come on, Lola!” Nancy whispered. “Work it!”
Bess waved the biscuit faster and faster. George ran over to help. She snapped her fingers to get Lola to come. But Lola stood frozen, like a big white poodle statue!
Nancy gulped.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong!
CHAPTER THREE
Sneaky Switcheroo
“Some diva dog!” Patsy Ray laughed from the stage. She was helping Lorette announce the show. “She can’t even fetch a biscuit!”
Nancy frowned. Patsy Ray wasn’t being very nice.
“Oh, well, folks,” Lorette announced, “I guess even dogs get stage fright sometimes.”
“Not this dog!” Maya shouted as she raced toward the runway. “Lola is a pro. A superstar!”
Maya grabbed the biscuit from Bess. She waved it herself—until she looked at it and shrieked.
“Waaaaa! This isn’t a Bone Appetit biscuit, it’s Lick My Chops!” Maya dropped the biscuit back into the basket and pointed to Bess. “And she switched the dog biscuits!”
“What?” Bess gasped.
Nancy was so surprised that she dropped Chip’s leash. Chip barked and raced toward the basket of Lick My Chops biscuits. All the other dogs charged down the runway for the biscuits too—all the dogs except Lola!
“Angus, come back!” Andrea called.
“Hudson—bad dog!” Kevin shouted.
Dogs barked and whined as their owners ran to catch them. Nancy had to jump over a dachshund to get at Chip.
“I didn’t switch any biscuits!” Bess said over the noisy dogs and shouting owners. “I didn’t!”
Nancy grabbed Chip’s leash. She saw two grown-ups standing next to Maya. They had blond hair like Maya’s.
“Mom, Dad, I know Bess did it,” Maya said. “Lola jumped on her with muddy paws. So Bess got even by replacing the biscuits with the kind Lola hates!”
“You made that up, Maya!” George exclaimed.
“George and I were in the trailer when Bess picked up the biscuits,” Nancy said. “She didn’t switch anything.”
“You’re Bess’s best friends,” Maya said. “You probably helped her switch the biscuits!”
“We did not!” Nancy said.
Mayor Strong formed the letter T with his hands. “Time-out, everybody,” he said. “Why don’t we get some of Lola’s favorite biscuits so she’ll walk down the runway?”
“Because I don’t want Lola in the fashion show anymore,” Maya said.
“What?” the mayor cried.
“Lola is Maya’s dog,” Maya’s mother said.
“So it’s her call,” added Maya’s dad.
“But Mr. and Mrs. Milton,” Mayor Strong reasoned. “All these people came to see Lola the Diva Dog!”
“They did not!” Patsy argued. “They came to see my fashions!”
“They came to adopt shelter dogs!” Lorette said.
“Can’t we just have a fashion show?” George groaned.
The dogs and their owners lined up again—minus Lola. Nancy could see Lola’s trailer zooming away. She couldn’t believe Maya had accused all three of them of switching the biscuits!
“And now, after a little excitement,” Mayor Strong announced, “the First Annual Cool Canines Fashion Show!”
Nancy tried not to think about Maya as she walked Chip down the runway.
“This is Chocolate Chip,” Patsy said into the microphone, “looking cookie-sweet in her denim doggy ensemble—on sale now at the Funky Fido Boutique!”
The fashion show was a success even without Lola. Ned’s dog Max needed some coaxing, but he walked down the runway like a pro. Andrea’s dog got lots of laughs. And big Huey left a puddle of sticky drool on the runway.
When the show was over, Nancy ran over to Bess and George. They were helping Mrs. Fayne load her catering van. “That was fun, wasn’t it?” Nancy asked.
“Fun?” George snorted.
“First my daisy top gets ruined,” Bess said. “Now everyone thinks we switched those dumb dog biscuits!”
“No,” Nancy said, shaking her head. “Just because Maya thinks that doesn’t mean everybody does.”
Just then two boys rode by on their scooters. One pointed at Nancy, Bess, and George.
“Hey, there they are!” one boy shouted. “Those are the girls who switched the dog biscuits!”
“Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky,” the other said.
As the boys scooted away, Bess heaved a big sigh and said, “See what I mean?”
“Now what are we going to do?” George asked.
Nancy thought for a moment. There was only one thing for them to do. . . .
“We have to find out who really switched Lola’s dog biscuits,” she said.
“We?” Bess asked.
“As in the Clue Crew?” George chimed in.
“Sure,” Nancy said with a smile. “We always help others by solving mysteries. It’s time to help ourselves!”
CHAPTER FOUR
Trailer Bark
“Good morning!” Nancy said as she walked into the kitchen on Sunday.
“Morning, Sleeping Beauty!” Mr. Drew said. He was washing strawberries at the kitchen sink. Hannah Gruen was placing a plate of pancakes on the table.
Hannah had been the Drews’ housekeeper from the time Nancy was three years old. She had helped take care of Nancy ever since her mother died.
Nancy smiled when she saw the yummy pancakes. But when she glanced at the Sunday newspaper on the table, she gasped. Splashed across the front page was the headline FAMOUS DIVA DOG FLIPS AT FASHION SHOW!
“Lola!” Nancy said.
“I read about that diva dog,” Hannah said. “Why do you think she froze like that?”
“Somebody switched Lola’s favorite dog biscuits on purpose,” Nancy said. “The Clue Crew is going to find out who did it.”
Mr. Drew popped a strawberry into Nancy’s mouth. He was a lawyer and sometimes helped his daughter with her cases. “Sounds like an important case,” he said. “Where are you going to start?”
Nancy caught a whiff of the pancakes and answered, “With a good breakfast, Daddy. Pass the maple syrup, please!”
After breakfast, Bess and George rang the doorbell. Then the Clue Crew ran up the stairs two at a time to Nancy’s room, which was also Clue Crew Detective Headquarters.
“Okay. Let’s get to work,” Nancy declared.
George sat behind Nancy’s computer. Her hands flew across the keyboard as she opened up a file for the case.
Bess plopped down on Nancy’s bed. She tossed a stuffed unicorn up and down in the air. Throwing stuffed animals around was how she did her best thinking.
“First, let’s come up with a time line,” Nancy said. “When do you think Lola’s biscuits were switched?”
“Maya said her parents had just filled the basket with biscuits right before the lunch party,” George remembered. “And the lunch party started at noon.”
“If the party was at noon yesterday,” Nancy said, “and we got to Lola’s trailer a few minutes before the show—”
“Which started at one o’clock!” Bess cut in.
“That means,” Nancy continued, “that the biscuits were switched between twelve and one o’clock.”
“Write that down, George!” Bess said.
“What do you think I’m doing, Bess?” George joked as she typed. “Playing the piano?”
“Now that we have a time line, what about suspects?” Nancy asked. “Who would want to spoil Lola’s big moment?”
“Probably someone who doesn’t like Lola,” Bess said. She began tossing a stuffed kangaroo in the air. “Or doesn’t like Maya.”
“What about Nicki?” Nancy said. “She was mad at M
aya for giving her job to Bess.”
“But where would Nicki get Lick My Chops dog biscuits?” George asked. “She doesn’t even have a dog.”
“And all she fed Lola was that stinky kind,” Bess said.
“Nicki had to get the Lick My Chops biscuits from somewhere,” Nancy said. “In the meantime, she’s a suspect.”
George typed “Suspects,” and underneath she wrote Nicki’s name. Then Chip padded into the room. She was wearing the denim cap from the fashion show the day before.
“Chip looks so cute in Patsy’s clothes!” Bess giggled.
“Patsy!” Nancy remembered. “She was arguing with Mayor Strong yesterday because Lola wasn’t wearing the clothes she designed.”
“Maybe Patsy switched Lola’s biscuits,” Bess said. “To make Lola look bad.”
“Patsy Ray,” George declared as she typed. “Suspect number two!”
“Two suspects but zero clues,” Nancy said. “I wish we could go back and search Lola’s trailer.”
“How?” Bess asked. “We don’t even know where to find it!”
“That’s what you think!” George said.
She went online. After a bit of typing, Lola’s own website came up. There was a picture of the poodle, surrounded by pink and silver stars. George clicked on the star marked “Meet Lola!” A page opened up, showing a list of Lola’s appearances.
“Lola is signing pawtographs at the new pet store on River Street,” George said. “Today at eleven-thirty!”
“Her trailer might be parked there too,” Nancy said. “River Street, here we come!”
The girls each had the same rule: They could walk up to five blocks away from any of their houses, as long as they walked together and asked permission. River Street was less than five blocks away, so they were in luck!
When the three friends reached River Street, they spotted Lola’s trailer. It was parked outside the new pet store, Ruffs and Meows.
Nancy, Bess, and George peeked through the store window. They saw Maya standing with Lola as kids lined up for her pawtograph.
Maya’s mom stood outside. She was busy talking to a news reporter and a cameraperson. Lola’s trailer was just a few feet away.
“The door is open,” Nancy whispered. “Let’s go!”
The girls slipped quietly into the trailer. Once inside, they scurried around looking for clues.
George studied the table where the basket used to be.
“If someone did switch the biscuits,” she said, “what would they do with the Bone Appetits?”
“Maybe throw them away,” Nancy guessed. She looked inside a small trash can, where she found shreds of paper.
“Somebody ripped up a note,” she said. “That could be a clue.”
Nancy never went anywhere without a pocket-size spyglass and plastic bags for her clues. She pulled a bag out of her pocket and filled it with the paper shreds.
“Look!” Bess said. She pointed to a framed picture on the wall. “It’s Maya holding a poodle puppy. I’ll bet it’s Lola’s baby picture!”
“We don’t have time for that, Bess,” George said. “We have to look for clues before—”
“—Mom!” a voice called from outside.
The girls froze.
It was Maya!
“I’m just going inside the trailer to get something, Mom,” Maya’s voice said next.
“Oh, no!” Bess gasped. “She’s coming!”
“What do we do?” George whispered.
“We have to hide,” Nancy said. “Right now!”
CHAPTER FIVE
Clothes Call
“Hide? Where?” George said.
The girls quickly looked around the trailer. Nancy spotted a large wire dog crate. Draped over it was a satiny blanket.
“Lola’s crate,” Nancy whispered. “There’s room in there for all of us!”
“Gross!” Bess groaned.
The girls crawled inside.
Nancy gulped as she sat on a rubber steak dog toy that squeaked. George reached out to drape the cloth over the front of the crate. The girls held their breaths as the trailer door creaked open.
Nancy could hear Maya walking into the trailer. She also heard a click-click sound—like dog paws on tiles.
“What a time to run out of pictures, Lola,” Maya said. “Now where did I put your latest publicity photos?”
The girls were twisted inside the crate like pretzels. They heard Maya moving stuff around. Suddenly the click-click-click noise got louder and louder—as if Lola was walking toward the crate!
Back, Lola, back, Nancy thought.
Lola popped her head under the blanket and into the crate.
“Oh, noooo,” Bess groaned.
After sniffing Bess’s elbow and Nancy’s sneakers, she began licking George’s face!
George squeezed her eyes and mouth shut as Lola’s tongue washed her face. Nancy hoped that George wouldn’t yell out. But then Lola began licking George’s mouth.
“Yuck! Ick! Phooey!” George yelled, wiping her mouth with both hands.
“Woof!” Lola barked.
One by one the girls spilled out of the crate. Maya stared at them as if they were from outer space.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Nancy, Bess, and George all spoke at once.
“We’re detectives!”
“We were looking for clues!”
“And the real person who switched the dog biscuits—”
“MOM!” Maya shouted.
“Maya—no!” Nancy said. “We can explain!”
Maya’s mom peeked into the trailer.
“Guess what, honey?” she asked. “A nice television reporter wants to interview you with Lola. It’s for the six o’clock news on WRIV-TV!”
“TV?” Maya said. A smile spread across her face.
“What should I tell them?” her mom asked.
“Tell them we’re ready for our close-up!” Maya declared. She threw back her shoulders. Then she and Lola marched out of the trailer.
“I think I’ve seen you girls before,” Maya’s mom said. “Aren’t you—”
“Lola’s biggest fans!” George cut in.
“And we were just leaving,” Nancy added.
“Bye-bye,” Bess said.
The girls bumped into one another as they squeezed through the trailer door. As they ran down River Street, Nancy glanced over her shoulder. Maya was happily chatting to the reporter.
“That was close!” Nancy said when they slowed down. She pulled the plastic bag with the paper pieces from her pocket. “But we did pick up this clue.”
“And dog hairs!” Bess said. She pulled out her Hairy Fairy Wand and swept it across their clothes. “I knew this would come in handy someday.”
The girls talked about the case as they walked down River Street. With all its stores and places to eat, it was the busiest street in River Heights.
A woman walked by carrying a Funky Fido Boutique shopping bag.
“The Funky Fido Boutique is open today,” Nancy said. “Let’s go there and question Patsy.”
The boutique was just down the block. Its window was filled with all kinds of dog clothes and accessories—sailor suits, hats, even angel wings!
“I don’t get it,” Bess said. “Why would someone who designs such sweet dog clothes do something so mean?”
“She did say mean things about Lola,” said George.
“Yeah, and I just thought of something,” Nancy added.
“What?” Bess asked.
Nancy stared at her friends and said, “What if Patsy is mean to us?”
CHAPTER SIX
Piece by Piece
“May I help you?” Patsy asked. Her back was to the girls as she hung fashion sketches on the wall. They were of dogs wearing ballet costumes.
“Why are those dogs wearing tutus?” George asked.
“I’m designing costumes for a doggy ballet called The Muttcracker,” Patsy said. She turned ar
ound and peered over her red-framed glasses.
“Weren’t you and your little dog in the fashion show yesterday?” Patsy asked Nancy.
Nancy gulped as she nodded. Then she gathered her courage and got right down to business.
“Patsy, do you remember when Lola wouldn’t walk down the runway yesterday?” Nancy asked.
“How could I forget?” Patsy said. “I laughed so hard my contact lens almost popped out.”
The girls traded looks. Patsy was still saying mean things about Lola!
“Do you think you know who switched the biscuits?” Nancy asked Patsy.
“How should I know?” Patsy said with a shrug.
George stepped forward. “Then maybe you know where you were between twelve and one o’clock yesterday afternoon!” she said.
Patsy blinked hard. Then she smiled and said, “I’ll take a wild guess. You girls are playing detective, right?”
“We’re not playing, Ms. Ray,” Nancy said.
“We are detectives,” Bess added. “We’re the Clue Crew!”
“You just gave me a super idea,” Patsy said. She grabbed a sketchbook and began drawing on a fresh page. “I’ll design detective clothes for dogs. Like tiny trench coats and those tweedy Sherlock Holmes caps—”
“Ms. Ray, please,” Nancy cut in. “Can you tell us where you were yesterday?”
“Okay, let’s see,” said Patsy. “Yesterday between twelve o’clock and one o’clock I was at the mayor’s lunch party. That’s it.”
Patsy turned back to her sketching. The girls began to whisper.
“She’s acting like this is a big joke,” Bess complained. “How do we know she’s telling the truth about the mayor’s lunch party?”
“I have an idea!” George declared.
She walked up to Patsy and said, “Ms. Ray? Do you recall what you ate at Mayor Strong’s lunch party on Saturday between twelve and one o’clock?”
Patsy smiled for the first time, a big, bright smile.