The Case of the Rock 'n' Roll Dog Read Online Free Page B

you,” I said.
    â€œBut,” she added, “I’ll like you better if I do get invited.”

    I wasn’t looking forward to being trapped in the van with Nate all the way home. But it turned out not to matter. The second our seat belts were buckled, Granny said, “Hooligan is AWOL again, and Mr. Ross is not happy.”
    Like I said, Mr. Ross is the head usher. I know that sounds like a job in a theater, but actually he’s in charge of the whole White House. The job got the name in the 1800s when the main thing that person had to do was usher people in to see the president.
    â€œSo this time,” Granny continued, “I think we should apprehend the fugitive ourselves—if you don’t have too much homework, that is.”
    â€œWe don’t!” we all said at the same time. And we spent the rest of the drive discussing what Grannycalls logistics. In the end, we decided to search from top to bottom. So, after eating our single solitary cookies along with a bunch of grapes and some celery sticks, we deployed to the solarium.
    The ground and state floors of the White House are the public parts. The family part is mostly on the second and third floors. Mom and Dad, and Tessa and I have our bedrooms on the second, while Aunt Jen and Nate’s rooms are on the third. From the third floor, there is a ramp that leads up to the solarium.
    â€œAll right, troops,” Granny said when we reached the top of the ramp. “It is now—” she looked at her watch “—sixteen fifteen hours. Cammie, you take the rooms north of the hall. Tessa, you’re going south. Nathan—your job is to search up here in the kitchen and storage rooms. We reconvene at sixteen twenty-five. Is that clear?”
    â€œYes, ma’am!” we said.
    â€œA-a-a-a-a-and
fan out
!”
    The three of us ran back toward the hall. Nate went straight ahead. “Hoo-hoo-
hooligan
!” we yodeled. But the only answer was an echoing “Hoo-
hooligan
!”
    Ten minutes later, we had looked under beds and tables and behind curtains and toilets, but there was not a snuffle or a whimper or a
scritch-scratch
.
    â€œWe now know for sure where Hooligan is
not
,” Granny said. “I’ve done a pretty good search of the second floor myself, so let’s go downstairs.”
    In the morning, the public can tour the state floor of the White House, so we stay out of the way. Butin the afternoon there aren’t tours, so we can come down if we want. I was looking under a sofa in the Blue Room when Tessa came running.
    Something was wrong. Was Hooligan hurt?
    â€œNo, no, not
Hooligan
!” Tessa was out of breath. “The baton—the historic Who-za one Nate knows about? It’s
missing
!”

CHAPTER SEVEN

    â€œNOT Who-za—
Sousa!
” I said.
    Tessa waved her arms. “What
ever
.”
    Then she explained.
    She had gone into the East Room looking for Hooligan and found Colonel Michaels. “He told me the baton is missing,” Tessa said.
    I said, “That’s too bad,” because I could see she was upset. But really, I was relieved nothing bad had happened to Hooligan.
    Tessa shook her head. “You still don’t get it, Cammie. It’s not too bad. It’s
really
bad! Without the baton, there’s no Song Boys!”
    â€œWhy not?” I asked.
    â€œThe Marine Band can’t play unless they have it. Nate said so. No band—no Song Boys.”
    Was this true? Or was this Tessa drama?
    â€œCome on,” I said. “We better talk to Colonel Michaels.”
    We found him in the East Room. Rememberinghow he hadn’t exactly forgiven us, I was extra polite. “Good afternoon, Colonel Michaels.”
    â€œGood afternoon, Cameron. I suppose your sister has explained?”
    â€œIt’s becoming a real mystery!” Tessa said. “Cammie and I are good at solving mysteries. Dad asks us to find his missing glasses