Lucy on the Loose

by Ilene Cooper

  For Bill—and for Lucy, Jet, Mitzi,

  and all the other dogs of Dallas

  —I.C.

  To Angelise

  —A.H.

  Contents

  1. Who’s That Cat?

  2. Comic Books

  3. Lucy on the Loose

  4. Looking for Lucy

  5. Back to the Buy Lo

  6. Mrs. Agatha Adams

  7. The Parade

  8. Play Ball!

  9. Lost and Found

  10. A Party

  1

  Who’s That Cat?

  Lucy was Bobby Quinn’s dog. She was a great dog!

  She was a beagle. She was white and brown with black spots. Her eyes were soft and dark, like chocolate candy.

  Lucy liked to jump. She liked to run. She loved to run! Lucy loved running up to people. She thought everyone was her friend.

  Bobby was shy. Meeting new people made his heart pound fast. His face got red. Even his ears got red.

  But Bobby wasn’t so shy when he was with Lucy. She helped Bobby make friends. Shawn was a friend Bobby had made, thanks to Lucy.

  Shawn was a new boy in the neighborhood. He had just moved in that summer. At first, Bobby was afraid to go across the street and say hello. But Lucy wasn’t. And she pulled Bobby right along with her.

  Shawn was shy, too, just like Bobby. But Bobby and Shawn weren’t shy with each other. They played ball. They drew cartoons. And they spent lots of time chasing Lucy.

  Lucy loved to run in circles around Bobby’s big yard. The boys tried to catch her. Lucy tried to get away.

  Fast Lucy slipped between their legs.

  Slippery Lucy wiggled out of their grasp.

  Then she’d run around some more.

  Bobby and Shawn just laughed. It was hard to keep up with Lucy.

  One day, Shawn came over to Bobby’s house. Bobby was swinging in the hammock. Lucy was curled up at his feet. Summer was almost over, but it was still hot.

  “Hey, Bobby. Hey, Lucy,” Shawn said.

  “Hi, Shawn,” Bobby greeted his friend. Lucy gave a happy bark.

  “Want to go get some comic books?” Shawn asked.

  Bobby sat up. Lucy sat up, too.

  “Absolutely,” he said. Absolutely was Bobby’s favorite word.

  Bobby liked to draw. He used comic books to practice drawing his own super-heroes.

  Bobby ran inside. He asked his mother if he could go with Shawn to the Buy Lo store on Main Street.

  “I really, really need some new comics,” Bobby told his mother.

  Ms. Quinn laughed. “Oh, really? Then I guess you can go.

  “And can I take Lucy?” he asked.

  “All right,” Mrs. Quinn said. “But hold onto her. You know how Lucy likes to tug on her leash.”

  “Okay,” Bobby said. He thought his mother worried too much. He knew how to take care of Lucy.

  Mrs. Quinn gave Bobby some money for comics. Bobby raced back outside.

  Lucy was standing with her paws on the fence. She was barking short, hard barks.

  “What’s wrong?” Bobby asked Shawn.

  “A cat,” Shawn said.

  “What cat?”

  Shawn pointed. On the sidewalk was a big orange cat. A huge orange cat. The cat was licking his paws and swinging his long tail. The cat ignored Lucy. Lucy barked harder.

  “Calm down, Lucy,” Bobby said. “That cat’s not bothering you.” Bobby led Lucy away from the fence. He patted Lucy’s head as he snapped on her leash.

  Lucy’s warm tongue gave Bobby’s hand a lick.

  But her eyes were on that big orange cat.

  2

  Comic Books

  Bobby, Shawn, and Lucy walked past the big yellow house on the corner. It was where Mr. Davis lived.

  Mr. Davis was another friend Bobby had made with Lucy’s help.

  Bobby used to be scared of Mr. Davis. He thought that maybe Mr. Davis was a grumpy old man. But Mr. Davis was nice. He liked puttering around his garden.

  “Hi, boys,” he said. He clipped a rose from the rosebush. Lucy barked hello.

  “There’s my gal,” Mr. Davis said.

  “We’re going to get comic books,” Bobby told him.

  “Mind if I come?” Mr. Davis asked. “I could use the exercise.”

  Mr. Davis walked slowly, but Shawn and Bobby didn’t mind. Mr. Davis always had interesting stories to tell.

  Today he told the boys about growing up listening to radio shows. There was no television when he was a boy. Bobby and Shawn couldn’t imagine a time without television. Even Lucy liked to watch TV if there were dogs on.

  “Oh, there were great shows,” Mr. Davis said. “The Lone Ranger was my favorite. He was a cowboy. Wore a black mask over his eyes. And he rode a horse named Silver.”

  “The Lone Ranger,” Bobby said softly. He liked the sound of that. The Lone Ranger and Silver might be fun to draw.

  Main Street was only two short blocks from Mr. Davis’s house. “Where do you buy your comics?” Mr. Davis asked when they got to the corner of Main and First.

  “Right here at Buy Lo,” Bobby said.

  “Why don’t I wait outside with Lucy?” Mr. Davis suggested. Lucy yipped. She seemed to like the idea.

  Mr. Davis sat down on a bench in front of the store. Lucy got busy sniffing the feet of the people who walked by.

  The boys went in the Buy Lo. It sold all sorts of things from lipsticks to notebook paper. It was a big store, but it wasn’t very busy today. Bobby and Shawn hurried to the aisle where the comics were kept.

  “Hey!” Shawn exclaimed. “They’re not here.”

  A rack of ladies’ stockings stood where the comics used to be. Bobby looked around. “It looks like they moved a bunch of stuff.”

  “Why did they have to do that?” Shawn muttered.

  “Let’s check out the other aisles,” Bobby said. “Maybe we’ll find them.”

  The boys walked up one aisle. They walked down another.

  No comic books.

  The boys looked at each other. “Now what?” Shawn said.

  “I suppose we could ask someone,” Bobby answered slowly.

  Maybe Bobby was not as shy as he used to be, but talking to a salesperson still seemed hard.

  “Naw,” Shawn said, “we can find them on our own. Let’s look around more.”

  Toothpaste. Brushes. Bags of candy.

  No comics.

  Magazines. Paper towels. Tummy medicine.

  No comics.

  “Stupid store,” Shawn muttered.

  A man wearing a name tag pinned to his bright blue jacket walked by. He worked in the store.

  Should I stop him? Bobby wondered. Bobby felt his stomach go up and down. The rest of him didn’t make a move.

  “He looked busy,” Bobby murmured.

  “Yeah,” Shawn agreed.

  Both boys were glum.

  “I guess they don’t sell comic books anymore,” Bobby said.

  “Stupid store,” Shawn repeated.

  The boys trudged toward the door.

  They were just about to leave when Bobby cried, “Hey, look!”

  There was a big wire rack filled with comics next to the checkout counter.

  Bobby and Shawn ran over to the rack. Bobby picked out a Spiderman comic. Shawn took a Superman comic. “Brand-new ones,” Shawn said happily. “This store is okay!”

  The boys went outside. Mr. Davis and Lucy were waiting.

  “That took a while,” Mr. Davis said. “Did you find the comics you were looking for?”

  “Yes,” Bobby said. He and Shawn looked at each other. They were thinking the same thing.

  They almost didn’t find the comics at all because they were too shy to as
k.

  3

  Lucy on the Loose

  “Mom, can Lucy and I go over to Shawn’s?” Bobby asked the next day.

  Mrs. Quinn was settled down in the living room. She was enjoying her morning cup of coffee and her newspaper.

  “All right,” she said. “But be sure to keep Lucy on her leash. Shawn’s house doesn’t have a fence, you know.”

  Bobby knew. His mother reminded him about that every time he took Lucy to Shawn’s. She really did worry too much.

  Bobby pulled Lucy’s leash out of his pocket and clipped it to her collar.

  They had just crossed the street when Lucy jerked to a stop. She stood still. Her nose quivered.

  “What is it, girl?” Bobby asked.

  Lucy started to bark. She jumped up on her hind legs. Bobby looked to where Lucy was pointing with her nose.

  “I knew it!” he muttered. The cat was behind a big fir tree.

  Lucy tugged and pulled. Bobby held her leash tight.

  “C’mon, Lucy,” Bobby told her. “Just ignore that old cat. We’re going to Shawn’s.”

  Lucy followed Bobby as he pulled her along. But she kept looking back.

  Bobby glanced back, too. He knew cats couldn’t smile. But this cat looked like he was grinning right at them.

  “I’m still here,” the cat seemed to say. “What are you going to do about it?”

  Bobby forgot about the cat as soon as he got to Shawn’s house. Shawn was sitting on the front steps. He was reading his new Superman comic.

  Bobby plunked down on the step next to Shawn. “Is it good?” he asked.

  “It’s great!” Shawn said.

  Shawn’s little brother came up to the boys. “I want to look, too!” said Ben.

  Ben always wanted to do everything Bobby and Shawn were doing.

  “Ben, go away,” Shawn said.

  Shawn had an older sister and a younger brother. Bobby didn’t have any brothers or sisters. He thought Shawn was being a little mean. “Ben, maybe there’s a good show on TV,” Bobby suggested.

  “Yeah, Ben, go inside and watch TV,” Shawn said.

  “No. N-O,” said Ben.

  Ben was starting kindergarten in the fall. But he was already learning to spell.

  Shawn shook his head. “All right, stay. But you can’t look at the comic book.”

  Ben stuck out his lower lip. He plopped down on the grass next to Lucy.

  Lucy tried to make Ben feel better. She licked his cheek. Ben petted Lucy’s back.

  “That’s good, Ben,” Bobby said. “You can play with Lucy.”

  “Lucy is a D-O-G,” Ben spelled.

  Bobby laughed. “Right. D-O-G spells dog. L-U-C-Y spells Lucy.”

  Ben repeated the letters carefully. “L-U-C-Y.”

  “Oh, don’t encourage him,” Shawn said. “He spells all the time. He’s driving everybody crazy.”

  Bobby looked down at the comic book. “What’s this one about?” he asked Shawn.

  “Superman is trying to save an airplane,” Shawn told him. “It’s going to crash. See?” Shawn pointed at one of the pictures. “He’s keeping the airplane in the air. With one hand.”

  “Cool!” Bobby said. He started reading the comic book over Shawn’s shoulder. “You know, I could draw a Superman comic strip.”

  “Yeah?” Shawn looked impressed.

  “Absolutely,” Bobby said.

  “I’ve got some paper and markers in the house,” Shawn said.

  “We can make up a comic strip for the Lone Ranger, too,” Bobby said.

  “That’s a great idea,” Shawn said. “Maybe Superman and the Lone Ranger could join forces.” He jumped up. “I’ll be right back with the stuff,” Shawn called as he ran into the house.

  Bobby started thinking about an adventure for the Lone Ranger and Superman. Maybe he could put Lucy in the comic strip, too.

  Lucy! Where was she?

  Bobby looked around for Lucy. She was playing with Ben.

  Ben tossed a stick. Lucy brought it back. Just like she learned in obedience school.

  “Having fun, Ben?” Bobby called.

  Ben nodded. “Yep. Does Lucy catch frisbees?”

  “Not yet. But we can teach her someday,” Bobby said. “She loves to run and catch stuff.”

  Shawn brought out the markers and paper. Bobby and Shawn spread out over the steps. They started drawing.

  Shawn drew Superman flying through the air. Bobby drew the Lone Ranger on his horse, Silver.

  “Drawing a horse isn’t that easy,” Bobby grumbled.

  Shawn looked over at Bobby’s drawing and chuckled. “Silver looks more like a cow.”

  Bobby had to laugh, too. “Yeah, I guess he does, kind of.”

  Just then Ben came running up to the boys.

  “Bob-by,” Ben stammered.

  “What’s wrong?” Bobby asked. He looked around. “Hey! Where’s Lucy?”

  Ben looked scared.

  “Ben!” Shawn said. “What happened to Lucy?”

  “She … she ran away!” Ben said in a shaky voice.

  Bobby jumped up. “Lucy ran away? Where?”

  “That way.” Ben was confused. He pointed in one direction. “Or maybe that way.” He pointed in the other direction. “Which way was it?” Shawn demanded. “I’m not sure.” Ben was almost crying. “But she was chasing a big orange C-A-T!”

  4

  Looking for Lucy

  Lucy was gone.

  For a few seconds, Bobby just stood there, not knowing what to do. Even though it was hot, he could feel a cold sweat on his forehead.

  Bobby asked Ben, “Are you sure you don’t know where Lucy went?”

  “Think, Ben,” Shawn said.

  Ben looked like he might cry. “I was getting a bigger stick. Then I looked up. Lucy was chasing the cat. They ran behind the house, and I ran to get you.”

  “Maybe she hasn’t left the yard yet,” Shawn suggested.

  “Yeah!” Bobby said.

  He started running around the house. Shawn was behind him. Ben was right behind Shawn.

  They looked in the backyard. They looked behind the garage. No Lucy. But Shawn did find her leash.

  Shawn held it up. “Ben, did you take off Lucy’s leash?”

  Ben nodded slowly. “It made it hard for her to fetch the stick. She kept tripping on it.”

  Now Bobby was even more worried. Without her leash flapping, it will be easier for Lucy to run, he thought.

  “That was dumb,” Shawn told Ben.

  Tears started to roll down Ben’s cheeks.

  “What should we do?” Bobby asked. He felt like he might start crying, too.

  “Maybe Lucy chased the cat back to your house,” Shawn said.

  “Maybe,” Bobby said. He felt his hopes rise a little.

  “Let’s go,” said Shawn.

  Ben tried to follow them.

  “No, Ben. You stay here,” Shawn told him.

  “I don’t want to.” Ben wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

  “Please wait here, Ben,” Bobby said. “Maybe Lucy will come back. Somebody has to be here.”

  “That’ll be your job, Ben,” Shawn told him. “Take her leash.”

  Ben finally nodded. He took the leash. “Okay. I’ll wait here. I’ll wait for Lucy.”

  The boys ran across the street to Bobby’s house.

  “Don’t let my mother see us,” Bobby whispered to Shawn. “She’ll ask where Lucy is.”

  He peeked in the window. Mrs. Quinn was still inside the house reading the newspaper. Should he tell her about Lucy? No. They might find her any minute and then he wouldn’t have to.

  Bobby and Shawn searched around the house for Lucy. Maybe she had gotten tired of chasing the cat. Maybe she was resting in one of her favorite spots.

  But she was not in the garden. She was not under the shady oak tree.

  Bobby felt like a small boat was in the middle of his stomach, rocking up and down.

  “Now
where?” Shawn whispered.

  Bobby tried to think. “Let’s check the park. Maybe Lucy chased the cat there.”

  There was a small park on the next block. It was mostly for little kids. But today, a couple of big kids were kicking a soccer ball around.

  “You could ask them,” Shawn said, scuffing the dirt with his feet.

  Bobby nodded. But he didn’t say anything.

  The ball rolled in their direction.

  “Hey, kick it over here,” one of the kids said.

  Bobby kicked the ball.

  “Thanks,” the kid said. He turned back to the game.

  Bobby was shy with most people. But he was really shy around bigger kids. He had to ask, though.

  “Hey!” he called.

  The kid turned around. He frowned. “What?”

  “Did you see a beagle chasing a cat?” Bobby said the words quickly before he could think about them.

  The older boy looked surprised. “Yeah.”

  Bobby took a deep breath. “She’s my dog. Where did she go?”

  The boy pointed in the direction of Main Street.

  This news made Bobby feel really scared. Even more scared than talking to a big kid.

  Main Street was a busy place on Saturday. There was noise. There was traffic. It was absolutely no place for a dog on her own.

  5

  Back to the Buy Lo

  The boys rushed downtown. Now they stood on the corner of Main and First. They looked up and down the street. They didn’t see Lucy.

  “Where do we start?” Shawn asked.

  “I don’t know,” Bobby said helplessly.

  “Maybe we should ask around,” said Shawn.

  “We have to do something,” Bobby answered.

  Shawn looked in the window of the Buy Lo. “Hey, Bobby, come here. Look how busy the store is.”

  The store was full of people today.

  Some were plucking items off the shelves and putting them in their baskets. Other shoppers were standing in line to pay.

  “Lucy wouldn’t chase a cat into a store,” Bobby said.

  “No,” Shawn said, “but there are lots of customers in there. Maybe one of them saw Lucy. Of course,” Shawn said more slowly, “that’s a lot of people to ask.”

  “Wait a minute!” Bobby exclaimed. “We don’t have to ask them all. There’s a loudspeaker in the store. I’ve heard it. We just have to ask the clerk to make an announcement. Everyone in the store will hear it.”