Amy and the Missing Puppy

by Callie Barkley

  Ellie nodded. “That sounds much better than hanging out with crazy Lenny all day!”

  Follow That Puppy!

  The next day Amy rode her bike to Ellie’s house. Together she and Ellie pedaled toward the park. It was the first place on their list.

  “Can you believe today is Wednesday?” Ellie called to Amy. “Spring break is already halfway over!”

  Ellie was right! Wow! thought Amy. She had imagined spending the entire week reading a mystery. Time sure does fly when you’re solving one!

  On their way to the park, Amy and Ellie passed Liz’s house. Amy was shocked to see Liz’s family’s van in the driveway. “Look!” Amy called. “Liz is back early!”

  As the girls parked their bikes, Liz came out of the house. “Yay! Liz!” Ellie cried.

  The three girls hugged. “You’re back early!” Amy said.

  Liz nodded. “We had to cut our beach trip short thanks to Stewart’s sunburn. So long, sun and sand . . . and all because he forgot to put on sunscreen!”

  Stewart was coming around the side of the house. “I heard that!” he said. Stewart’s face, arms, and legs were bright red like a tomato.

  “Hi, Stewart!” Ellie shouted cheerfully. She gave him a funny little wave.

  Stewart was too grumpy to notice. “This day gets worse and worse,” he said. “Three hours in the car, sitting on sunburned legs, and now I get pawed by some stray puppy! Man, that really hurt!”

  Stewart turned. There, on his shorts, were two muddy paw prints! Amy and Ellie stared. Rufus prints!

  They crowded around Stewart. “What puppy?” Amy asked.

  “Where?” Ellie cried. “Which way did he go?”

  Stewart looked confused. “A Saint Bernard, I think,” he said. He pointed toward the backyard. “He ran that way.”

  Amy and Ellie dashed around the side of Liz’s house. Liz followed. “Wait up!” she shouted. “What’s going on?”

  Amy didn’t have time to explain. She and Ellie got to the backyard—just in time to spot Rufus!

  Right before he disappeared under the fence.

  Amy and Ellie dashed over. “RUFUS!” they shouted. The girls peeked through the fence to watch Rufus run through the neighbor’s yard. In seconds, he was gone.

  Liz caught up. She looked over the fence too. “Who was that?” she asked.

  “Come on,” said Amy. “We’ll fill you in.”

  The three girls hurried to the clinic. Amy wanted to tell her mom they’d seen Rufus! On the way, Amy and Ellie told Liz about Ms. Sullivan’s missing puppy.

  “Hi, girls!” said Dr. Purvis when she saw them. She was out back by the supply shed. “Hey, Amy, have you seen that new case of Fitter Critter treats?”

  Amy remembered it had been delivered the other day. “I put it here by the shed door.”

  “Huh,” Amy’s mom said, looking around. “Maybe Gail moved it.” She looked at Amy. “So, what’s up?”

  The girls told her about seeing Rufus in Liz’s backyard. Dr. Purvis was excited! “That means Rufus is still in the area and he’s okay!” she said. “That’s great news!”

  Dr. Purvis suggested they put up MISSING PUPPY flyers around town. “I believe one of you loves to draw . . . ?”

  Ellie and Amy looked at Liz. She grinned.

  The girls worked together. Amy described what Rufus looked like while Liz did the drawing. Amy decided what the flyer should say. Ellie picked an eye-catching shade of hot pink paper for the flyers. They finished just as Dr. Purvis was locking up the clinic for the day.

  “Are you guys busy tomorrow?” Amy asked her friends. She would need help putting up the flyers.

  Ellie and Liz smiled. “We are now!” Liz said.

  A New Lead

  Dr. Purvis made copies of the flyer on the clinic’s photocopier. Then Amy, Ellie, and Liz spent all day Thursday handing them out. They started with number one on their list of places to check—the park.

  Ellie taped a flyer to the notice board by the playground. Meanwhile, Amy checked the field. Liz looked over by the water fountain for pets. There was no sign of Rufus anywhere.

  Next on the list was the dog run. The girls handed a few flyers to dog owners. No one had seen Rufus, but everyone said they’d look out for him.

  The girls headed over to the pet store on Main Street. “I walk by here with Sam sometimes,” Ellie said. Sam was her family’s golden retriever. “He always stops and barks like crazy.”

  Amy wasn’t surprised. There were always cats in the front window. Today there were some beautiful tabby cats and three cute black-and-white kittens.

  Amy froze. There was also something else: a muddy paw print, right on the window glass! “Aha!” she said, pointing.

  The girls spoke to the pet store owner. They gave her a flyer. She remembered a dog that looked like Rufus. “Yesterday afternoon. I saw him out front, all alone. When I went to check on him, he ran off. I haven’t seen him since.”

  Amy wrote down the info in her notebook. The girls thanked the owner and headed for number four on their list, the bakery.

  The smell of baking bread and cakes made Amy’s mouth water. She’d bet a hungry dog could smell this place from miles away, but no one at the bakery had seen Rufus.

  They hung up more flyers: at the grocery store, the post office, the café, and on every bulletin board downtown.

  But they didn’t find another clue, until . . .

  “What’s that?” Ellie asked. Amy had stopped on the town square. She was bending over a piece of trash on the grass.

  “Good for you, Amy,” said Liz. “We should all do our part to keep the Earth clean.” Liz and her family were really into the environment. “Want me to toss that?”

  “No, wait. Know what this is?” Amy said. She held up the piece of trash. It was an empty bag of Fitter Critter treats. “And look here.” Amy pointed to one corner. “It’s chewed open.”

  Ellie and Liz understood and nodded. “By a hungry puppy?” Ellie said.

  Amy wrote down the clue in her notebook. The list now took up two pages. There had to be something the clues could tell them?

  “So, here’s what we know,” Amy said. She sat down under a shady tree. Ellie and Liz sat down next to her. “Rufus is leaving paw prints everywhere.”

  “He’s been to the pet store,” Ellie added, “and Liz’s yard . . . and in front of the clinic . . .”

  “His prints are always muddy,” said Liz, “even though it hasn’t rained since Monday.”

  “Right!” said Amy. “Hmm. Someplace that’s always wet . . . ?” She held up the empty treat bag. “And where did Rufus find these?”

  The clues and the events of the last week swirled in Amy’s mind.

  Then it hit her! Lightbulbs went off in her head. That case of Fitter Critter treats her mom was looking for . . . The flower bed at the clinic, watered every morning . . . The rustling sound she’d heard from her backyard Monday night . . .

  “Of course!” Amy shouted. “I think I know where to find Rufus!” She jumped up and led the girls toward the clinic.

  Amy had a plan.

  Gotcha!

  On Friday morning Amy slowly and quietly ate her cereal. Her mom sipped her coffee. She looked across the table at Amy. “Nothing yet?” she asked.

  “Nope,” Amy said, shaking her head. “Not yet—”

  Clatter, clatter, CRASH! came a noise from outside. Amy’s eyes brightened. She jumped up from the table.

  Dr. Purvis rushed to look out the back window. “It’s Rufus!” she cried. She grabbed the leash they had ready. Together, they darted out the back door.

  Rufus was by the metal trash can, which had been knocked over. The lid was off, and a very muddy Rufus was slurping Fitter Critter treats off the driveway. Quickly, Dr. Purvis clipped the leash to his collar.

  “Hooray!” Dr. Purvis cheered. “Amy, I’m so proud of you! Your plan really worked!”

  Amy grinned. She felt proud of her plan too. The clues had got her
to thinking. Had Rufus been hanging around the clinic the whole time? On Thursday afternoon Amy and her friends had searched all around the clinic. They didn’t find Rufus, but they did find what was left of the missing case of Fitter Critter treats. They also found lots and lots of Rufus prints.

  The girls put a plan in motion. They took a package of Fitter Critters and left a trail of treats leading to Amy’s trash can. They put a bunch of treats on the lid so when Rufus jumped up to get them . . . CRASH!

  “It worked perfectly!” Amy cried.

  “Ms. Sullivan will be so happy!” her mom said. “I’ll go call her. And then . . .” She looked down at Rufus and pinched her nose.

  Amy smelled it too. “Woof . . . Rufus needs a bath!”

  Ms. Sullivan’s Idea

  Amy called Liz and Ellie from the clinic. Liz came over right away. Ellie arrived next. “Look who I found on the way,” she said. Marion came in behind her. She held up her blue ribbon. She and Coco had won first place at the horse show! Amy, Liz, and Ellie crowded around her for a group hug.

  Rufus ran in from the other room. He put two muddy front paws on Marion’s knees. Marion patted him on the head. “Hiya, Rufus,” she said. “Ellie was just telling me all about you . . . and your muddy paws!”

  Rufus wagged his tail. And it didn’t stop wagging as the girls splashed, soaped, rinsed, dried, and brushed him.

  When they were done, Rufus was one clean and happy dog.

  “Wait!” said Marion. “He needs a little something extra.” She tied her blue ribbon to Rufus’s collar. “Perfect!”

  “Awwww,” said Amy. “Nice touch, Marion.”

  “I agree,” said Dr. Purvis from the hallway. “Girls, Ms. Sullivan is in the waiting room. How about we bring her this handsome pup?”

  Amy noticed her friends looked a little nervous. “Don’t worry, guys,” she said. “You’ll like Ms. Sullivan.”

  Rufus led the way. He ran right to Ms. Sullivan. She knelt down with her arms wide open. Rufus jumped up and licked her face over and over. She hugged him tight and smiled from ear to ear. “My Rufus!” she cried. “Oh, thank you, Dr. Purvis, and thank you, girls! Amy, your mom told me how you tracked Rufus down. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am.”

  Amy could feel herself blushing, but she didn’t mind. “Glad to help, Ms. Sullivan,” Amy said quietly.

  Ms. Sullivan stood up. “I want to ask you and your friends for help with something else. I was just discussing it with your mom.” Dr. Purvis nodded.

  “After this Rufus adventure, I’ve decided that I want to open an animal shelter here in Santa Vista,” Ms. Sullivan went on. “I have a big barn that’s empty and isn’t being used. I thought it might be the perfect spot.”

  Amy gasped. “What a great idea!” she cried.

  Ms. Sullivan smiled. “I’m so glad you think so, Amy. I can’t do it alone. I mean, I do have the money and the barn. Dr. Purvis has kindly offered to be the veterinarian for the shelter, but there will be lots of other work to do. Feeding and taking care of the animals . . .” Ms. Sullivan looked at all the girls. “Would you four mind helping me get it started?”

  The girls looked at one another, wide-eyed. “Mind?” cried Marion.

  “Are you serious?” asked Liz.

  “It’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me!” cried Ellie.

  Amy jumped up and down. “We’d love to!”

  Dr. Purvis smiled at the girls. “Ms. Sullivan, I think you have a deal.”

  The End and the Beginning

  That night the girls were all sitting around Liz’s bedroom. It was Friday night and there was time for one more sleepover before spring break was over.

  “What a week!” said Liz, drawing in her sketch pad. “That was the shortest beach vacation I’ve ever had. Thanks to Stewart.”

  Ellie was pecking out a tune on Liz’s electronic keyboard. “Yeah, spring break was not long enough. At least Lenny’s singing is getting better,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  Marion had brought her scrapbook. She was adding photos from the horse show. “I had a blast at the show,” she said, “but I feel like I missed all the fun here!”

  It was a fun week in Santa Vista, Amy thought. She’d been so busy that she hadn’t had time to finish her Nancy Drew book! Amy looked down at the last page.

  At last, all the clues added up. Nancy could prove that Sandy Jessup had taken the pony. But if Sandy wouldn’t admit it, how would Nancy ever find the pony?

  Just then, there was a knock at Alice’s door. Nancy stood by Alice’s side as she opened it. Standing on Alice’s front porch was Mr. Gilbert—with the pony!

  “I believe this little lady belongs to you?” Mr. Gilbert said. His tone was as gruff as ever, but Nancy could swear she saw a twinkle in his eye.

  “That reminds me,” said Amy. “Isn’t Ms. Sullivan the best?”

  The girls all agreed. “You were right, Amy,” said Ellie. “We were judging the book by its cover.”

  “She’s not at all what I thought,” said Marion. “Can you believe she let us pick the name for the shelter?”

  Liz turned her sketch pad around. “Look!” she said. “I drew up an ad. Maybe we could get it in next week’s edition of the Santa Vista Star?”

  “The Critter Club!” Marion read Liz’s poster. “I love the name we came up with,” she said happily.

  Everyone else nodded.

  “I bet Rufus will like the name too!” said Ellie. “It sounds a lot like Fitter Critters, his favorite treat!”

  Amy laughed. “As long as we stock the barn with those treats, Rufus won’t care what we call it!”

  She smiled, thinking about all the other animals that The Critter Club would help. Spring break was almost over, but it felt like the beginning of a big, new adventure.

  Read on for a sneak peek at the next Critter Club book:

  All About Ellie

  “Okay,” said Ellie, kneeling on her bed. “Here’s what I planned for us to do tonight!”

  Her best friends, Liz, Amy, and Marion, had just arrived. Ellie was so excited. It was her turn to host the sleepover that they had almost every Friday night.

  “First I can teach you this really cool dance I learned at dance class,” Ellie began. “And after that we can put on the play we made up that time at Liz’s house! And—”

  “Ellie, hold on,” Liz said with a giggle. “We just got here!”

  “Yeah,” said Marion, “all that sounds fun, but maybe we could relax and talk first?”

  Ellie’s face fell a little. She’d been looking forward to this sleepover for . . . well, forever. After all, she only got a turn to host every four weeks. Being the host was special. It meant planning everything—and being at the center of it all!

  “Oh!” said Amy. “We have some Critter Club stuff to talk about. Remember?”

  Ellie got excited again. “The bunnies!” she cried.

  “Right,” said Amy. “Our first animals at The Critter Club!”

  “Your mom doesn’t know who left them?” Marion asked Amy.

  Amy shook her head. “There was no note,” Amy replied. “Just three baby bunnies in a cardboard box.”

  “Poor things!” said Ellie. “How could someone just leave them?”

  Amy shrugged. “Mom thinks someone’s pet rabbit had babies. Maybe they couldn’t take care of them all.”

  “Well, speaking of taking care of them,” said Marion, pulling out a notebook, “let’s make a schedule.” Marion was superorganized. She was always writing things down and making lists.

  Ellie hopped off her bed. She sat on the floor next to Marion. In her notebook Marion made a chart.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON


  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 www.SimonandSchuster.com Copyright © 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com. Designed by Laura Roode.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barkley, Callie. Amy and the missing puppy / by Callie Barkely ; illustrated by Marsha Riti. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (The Critter Club ; #1) Summary: During Spring Break, mystery lover Amy looks for clues to the disappearance of wealthy Ms. Sullivan’s Saint Bernard puppy. [1. Mystery and detective stories. 2. Lost and found possessions—Fiction. 3. Spring break—Fiction.] I. Riti, Marsha, ill. II. Title. PZ7. B250585Am 2013 [Fic]—dc23 2011052780

  ISBN 978-1-4424-5769-0 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4424-5770-6 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4424-5772-0 (eBook)