The Dashing Dog Mystery Read Online Free Page B

hello,” Rex greeted them. He was holding a small white collie in his arms. “I was just about to give Snowflake a special herbal bath. It’s very relaxing. What can I do for you?”
    â€œI’m still trying to find out who stole Chip’s collar,” Nancy told Rex. She hugged her blue notebook to her chest. “I’m trying to collect all the information I can.”
    Rex frowned. “I feel terrible about that. Just terrible! But I’m afraid I have no new information for you.” He added, “What about you? Have
you
learned anything?”
    Nancy was about to reply when she noticed something. The raffle jar from Friday was still on the front counter. She could see all the entry slips inside.
    Most of the slips had black letters on them. She remembered that there had beena black pen sitting on the counter, for the guests to use.
    But looking at the raffle jar now, Nancy saw that a bunch of entry slips had been filled out in a different color: green.
    â€œThat’s strange,” Nancy said out loud.
    â€œWhat is it, Pudding Pie?” Carson asked her.
    Nancy walked over to the jar and turned it upside down. The entry slips spilled out onto the counter.
    Nancy picked out the slips with green ink on them. There were twelve of them. And the name on all of them was Cahill!

6
The Thief Strikes Again
    Nancy couldn’t believe it. Alice had stuffed the raffle jar with a dozen entry slips! She had wanted to increase her chances of winning the Stella Sipowitz collar.
    Nancy turned to Rex. “Didn’t you say on Friday that each customer got only one entry slip?” she asked him.
    Rex nodded. “Absolutely! I was very clear about that.”
    Nancy’s mind was racing. Alice must have wanted the Stella Sipowitz collar badly enough to break the rules.
    Could she have wanted the collar badly enough to steal it? Nancy wondered.
    â€œWhat’s going on, Pudding Pie?” Carson asked her curiously.
    â€œI need to talk to Alice Cahill right away,” Nancy replied.
    The two of them bid Rex goodbye and rushed back to Chez Meow. Alice was still there. She was wrapping up her interview with Meow and her owner.
    â€œSo what do you think is the best part of being a restaurant cat?” Alice asked Meow.
    Meow purred loudly. Alice scribbled something in her notebook. “Uh-huh, I quite agree. Leftovers
are
a great thing! Well, that wraps up my interview.”
    Nancy waited until Meow and her owner had gotten up from Alice’s table. Then she and Carson walked over to Alice.
    Alice glanced up. “Oh, hello!”
    â€œExcuse me, could I talk to you for a minute?” Nancy asked her.
    â€œUh-huh, sure,” Alice said. “But then I
must
rush off. I have an interview with themayor’s pet parakeet in twenty minutes.”
    Nancy pulled from her pocket the dozen entry slips from the Dashing Dog. She let them tumble onto the table.
    Alice gasped. “What ... where did you . . .” Her eyes grew enormous.
    â€œRex Rumford said only one entry slip per customer,” Nancy said. “There are
twelve
entry slips here.”
    â€œI . . . that is, well. . .” Alice fell silent.
    Nancy stared at her and waited.
    â€œOkay, I admit it,” Alice finally confessed. “I wanted to make sure my precious Pierre won the collar. He would have looked so handsome in it!”
    Nancy frowned. “Did you steal the collar after I won it, Ms. Cahill?”
    Alice shook her head. “Absolutely not! I draw the line at stealing.”
    Nancy wasn’t sure whether or not to believe her. Alice
seemed
to be telling the truth, though.
    Alice glanced around the restaurant. “I beg you, don’t tell anyone,” she whispered.
    â€œI’m not making any promises,” Nancysaid. “If it turns out that you
did
steal Chip’s collar . . . well . . .”

    â€œI didn’t,” Alice insisted. “Dog’s honor! I