Dog-Gone Mystery

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “But nothing will happen to him. I would never hurt Watch. He’s safe with me.”

  Jessie still hesitated.

  “Look,” said Mr. Kovack, “I will stay right in this room and I won’t let Watch out of my sight.”

  Jessie looked at Watch, who wagged his tail.

  “Watch and Christie can be together,” said Mr. Kovack.

  Roxanne spoke up. “Mr. Kovack will take very good care of Watch,” she said. “I know he will.”

  “Well,” said Jessie. “Okay.” She looked at Watch. “Stay!” she ordered. And then the children walked into Roxanne’s office.

  Benny was the last one in. He made sure he did not close the door all the way. He left it open just a little, so he could look over his shoulder into the training room. Benny heard Mr. Kovack telling Watch and Christie down! Both dogs lay down.

  “I know why you’re here,” said Roxanne, sitting at her desk. She put her head down and held it in both hands. “You want to take Watch out of training class, and you want your money back.”

  “Why would we do that?” asked Jessie.

  Roxanne looked sad. “Because you’re afraid your dog will be stolen,” she answered.

  “We don’t want to take Watch out of your class,” said Jessie.

  “It’s a good class,” added Violet. “We like coming to it.”

  Roxanne looked up. “Really? Then why are you here?”

  Benny looked over his shoulder again. Mr. Kovack was walking in big circles all over the room, and Christie and Watch were following him, one on each side.

  “Is it true that you worked at two other dog training places?” asked Henry. “One in Northport and one in Elmford?”

  With a moan, Roxanne put her head back in her hands. “I know what you’re going to say,” she said. “Dogs ran away from both of those places. You wonder if I had anything to do with it, don’t you?”

  “Maybe they ran away,” said Henry, “or maybe they were stolen.”

  Roxanne moaned again. “I didn’t steal them,” she said. “I don’t know who did, but—” Roxanne stopped.

  Violet, Jessie, and Henry all looked at her. “But, what?” asked Jessie.

  “I shouldn’t tell you this,” said Roxanne, “but I’m doing something about it.”

  The children looked at each other. “What are you doing?” asked Violet.

  Roxanne shook her head. “I can’t tell you.” Benny looked over his shoulder. Mr. Kovack was kneeling in front of Watch. He had taken Watch’s collar off and was holding it in his hands!

  CHAPTER 8

  A Cover Uncovered

  Benny tugged on Jessie’s arm. “Look,” he whispered.

  Jessie turned to see what Benny was doing. She noticed the door that he had left ajar. “Good work, Benny,” she whispered back.

  Jessie looked through the open crack. She saw Mr. Kovack holding Watch’s collar in his hand. Then she saw Mr. Kovack put the collar back on Watch.

  “Excuse me,” Jessie said to everybody. “We need to see Mr. Kovack and Watch. Right away.”

  Henry and Violet turned to see what was the matter. They followed Jessie and Benny out the door. “Excuse us,” said Henry to Roxanne.

  Mr. Kovack was just standing up as the children approached him.

  “Watch,” Jessie called. “Come!”

  Watch ran to Jessie. “Sit!” she said, and Watch sat.

  “See how much better your dog listens,” said Mr. Kovack.

  “Why did you take off Watch’s collar?” Benny asked.

  “Who, me?” asked Mr. Kovack.

  “I saw you,” said Benny.

  Mr. Kovack grunted. “You kids see everything, don’t you?”

  The Aldens said nothing. They waited.

  “Watch’s collar was loose,” said Mr. Kovack. “I took it off then put it back on, that’s all.”

  Roxanne came out of the office. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is there a problem?”

  “We’ll see,” said Henry. He looked as Jessie knelt down and took Watch’s collar off.

  Jessie looked at the outside of the collar. She looked at the inside of the collar. She looked at the buckle. Jessie didn’t see anything strange. She was confused.

  “See,” said Mr. Kovack. “There’s nothing wrong.”

  “Let me see,” said Henry. Jessie gave him the collar, and he examined it closely. At first it looked fine, but then Henry noticed a very thin line on the inside of the collar. It looked as if somebody had cut the leather. Henry ran his thumbnail alongside the line. Yes, it was a cut. He pushed his thumbnail into the cut to open the slit up. Henry felt something inside the slit. He took it out and held it in his hand. It was a small, very thin piece of metal, like a dime, only thinner. “What’s that?” asked Violet.

  “I’m not sure,” said Henry, “but I can make a good guess.” He looked at Mr. Kovack. “I think this is a small tracking device.”

  Mr. Kovack looked away.

  “Let me see,” said Benny. He looked at the small silver disc.

  “This looks just like what fell out of Mr. Kovacks hand when he took Grayson’s collar off. Mr. Kovack said it was a dime, but it isn’t.”

  Roxanne looked down at the floor.

  “Why did you put this in Watch’s collar?” asked Henry. “Were you planning to steal him?”

  Mr. Kovack sighed. Then suddenly he smiled, and then he laughed. “You kids really are good detectives,” he said.

  He looked at Roxanne. “I guess I have to confess,” he said.

  “I guess so,” she said.

  Mr. Kovack reached into a pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened the wallet and pulled out a card. He handed the card to Henry.

  The card said:

  Mike Kovack

  Private Detective

  No Case Too Small

  Henry handed the card to Jessie, who read it out loud.

  “Are you really a private detective?” Jessie asked.

  “Yes,” said Mr. Kovack.

  “How do we know this card is for real?” asked Henry “Anybody could have a business card printed up.”

  “That’s true,” Mr. Kovack replied. “But I have an office in Silver City, and I’m listed in the phone book.”

  “He really is a private detective,” said Roxanne. “I hired him Monday night, after Boxcar was stolen.”

  “That’s why Mr. Kovack’s first day of dog training class was Tuesday,” said Violet.

  “And that’s what you’re doing about the stolen dogs,” said Jessie to Roxanne. “You hired a private detective.”

  Roxanne nodded.

  “I was trying to put one of those tracking devices on Grayson Majesty,” Mr. Kovack explained. “But Benny saw me, and I had to stop.”

  “We overheard you and Mr. Brooks,” said Henry. “You said that the malamute would be the next dog stolen.”

  “And I was right,” said Mr. Kovack.

  “Do you suspect Mr. Brooks?” asked Violet. She hoped not.

  “I can’t share that information with you,” said Mr. Kovack.

  Jessie wasn’t thinking about Mr. Brooks. She was thinking about what Mr. Kovack had said—about trying to put the tracking device on Grayson. “Mr. Kovack,” she said, “do you think that whoever the thief is, he might try to steal Watch next?”

  At the sound of his name, Watch looked up and barked happily.

  “You’re right,” Mr. Kovack answered. “I think that if another dog is stolen from this class, it will be Watch.”

  Jessie knelt down and put her arm around Watch’s neck. “Why?” she asked.

  Mr. Kovack looked at Watch and smiled. “Watch is a wire-haired terrier. He’s a very good-looking dog. He’s a happy dog. He’s fun to be with. That makes him easy for a thief to sell.”

  The Aldens agreed with Mr. Kovack’s description of their dog. Benny, Violet, and Henry formed a circle around Watch to protect him.

  “We can’t let that happen!” cried Violet. “Watch is
our dog. He wouldn’t be happy without us.”

  “We won’t let it happen,” said Henry firmly.

  Mr. Kovack looked sympathetic. “You told me that Watch doesn’t have papers that show his breeding. You don’t enroll Watch in dog shows. And that,” he said, “also makes it easy for a thief to sell Watch.”

  “How do you mean?” asked Jessie, still kneeling and holding Watch.

  “I mean, if Watch had papers and could be traced, if Watch was recognized by people who go to dog shows, the thief would have a harder time not getting caught. Somebody might recognize Watch and report it to the police.”

  “I see,” said Henry. “The thief wants a dog that will sell for a lot of money, but the thief doesn’t want the dogs that would sell for the most money.”

  “Because the dogs that sell for the most money are better known,” said Violet.

  “The thief is very sneaky,” said Benny. “Maybe he would make the dogs look different.”

  “That’s true,” said Mr. Kovack. “But he couldn’t make them into show dogs. Anyway, we’re going to find out who the thief is, aren’t we?”

  “Yes,” said the Aldens together.

  “Good,” said Mr. Kovack. “Do you think we should keep the tracking device in Watch’s collar?”

  “Yes,” said Jessie.

  Everybody watched as Henry put the little disc into the slit in Watch’s collar. Jessie fastened the collar back onto Watch.

  “I am very impressed with what you kids have learned so far,” said Mr. Kovack. “Who do you suspect the thief is?”

  “I’m sorry,” said Henry, “but we can’t share that information with you. Not until we’re sure.”

  Mr. Kovack laughed. “Spoken like a true detective,” he said.

  CHAPTER 9

  More Blue-Eyed Dogs

  After dog training class was over, the Alden children stood in the parking lot of Dog Gone Good.

  “Let’s talk to Ms. Wilson,” said Jessie. “We haven’t had a chance to ask her about the missing dogs.”

  “Good idea,” said Henry.

  The children looked for Candy Wilson, but they couldn’t find her or her van. Clip and Yip was closed.

  Jessie peeked into the window of the closed store, but she couldn’t see anybody there. “Something about this bothers me,” said Jessie.

  “What bothers you?” asked Benny.

  “Do you remember what Ms. Wilson said the first day of class, as she was leaving?” asked Jessie.

  “She said she had to leave because she had grooming appointments,” said Henry.

  “That’s right,” said Jessie. “But what did Benny and I find when we searched for Boxcar that day?”

  “Clip and Yip was closed!” said Benny.

  Jessie smiled at Benny. “That’s right. And what did Ms. Wilson say two days later, as she was leaving class?” Jessie asked. “Just before Roxanne asked us to tie our dogs up outside the building.”

  “Ms. Wilson said the same thing again,” said Henry. “She said she had grooming appointments. That could only mean appointments at Clip and Yip,” he explained. “She doesn’t make house calls.”

  “And there are no dog grooming tools at her Northport store,” added Violet.

  “Not long after Ms. Wilson left, Grayson Majesty was stolen,” said Jessie slowly. “Mr. Smith and I walked by Clip and Yip, to ask her if she had seen Grayson. But her store was closed.”

  “Ms. Wilson told a lie,” said Benny.

  “We need to talk to Ms. Wilson,” said Henry.

  After breakfast the next morning, the children walked into town again. Clip and Yip was still closed.

  That afternoon, the Aldens waited in the Dog Gone Good parking lot, hoping to see Candy Wilson’s van. But once again, Ms. Wilson didn’t come to class.

  “There’s no reason she should be here,” said Violet. “She’s given a coupon to everybody in the class.”

  The Aldens waited in the parking lot so long that Roxanne came out to get them. “Time for class,” said Roxanne.

  “We’re sorry,” said Jessie. “We were waiting for Ms. Wilson.”

  Roxanne bent down to pet Watch. “Candy Wilson usually comes to the first two or three classes, to give out coupons. Then she doesn’t come again until I teach a new group.”

  “Did she come to the places you used to work?” asked Henry.

  “Yes,” said Roxanne, still bending down to pet Watch. “Ms. Wilson has come to every class I’ve taught. She says the classes bring her a lot of business.”

  Benny stepped closer to Roxanne. He stared at her hair.

  Roxanne stood up and led everybody to class.

  “I saw Roxanne’s hair roots,” Benny whispered to Violet. “They’re brown, just like Mr. Kovack said.”

  “That’s what happens when hair is dyed,” said Violet. “Pretty soon the real color grows in again.”

  Before dinner that evening, Henry called Clip and Yip and left a message. He said who he was and asked if the four of them could come in the next morning or afternoon.” Please call back,” he said, and left their home telephone number.

  Nobody called back that evening. Nobody called back the next morning.

  The children looked at one another. “I know where we can probably find Ms. Wilson,” said Jessie.

  “Yes,” said Violet. “Grandfather has another dental appointment Tuesday morning.”

  On Tuesday the children piled into Grandfather’s van.

  “You all seem very eager to get to Northport,” said Grandfather as he drove. “Do you want to buy something at the computer store?”

  “No,” said Benny. “We need to talk to Ms. Wilson.”

  “Why?” asked Grandfather.

  “I’m sorry,” said Benny, “but we can’t share that information with you. Not until we’re sure.”

  Grandfather burst out laughing. So did Henry and Jessie and Violet.

  “Why, Benny,” said Grandfather, “you sound like a very serious detective.”

  “Mr. Kovack thinks I am,” said Benny. “He thinks we’re all good detectives.” The children had told Grandfather all about Mr. Kovack.

  Grandfather parked the car near the dentist’s office. “Come back to the dentist’s office if you’re done early,” he said. “If you aren’t done early, we will meet at our usual restaurant at noon.”

  The children walked down the side street to Dogs—Yippee!

  “It’s open!” shouted Benny, seeing the Open sign in the window.

  Once again, the Aldens walked into Dogs—Yippee! Once again, Candy Wilson was behind the counter. She was writing something on a sheet of paper. Once again, she did not seem happy to see them there.

  “What are you doing here again?” she demanded.

  “We’d like to talk to you,” Jessie said.

  “We left a message at your other store,” said Henry, “but you didn’t call back.”

  “Your dog doesn’t need another grooming so soon,” snapped Candy Wilson. “That’s why I didn’t call back. And I don’t have time to talk to you—I’m busy.”

  The children looked at one another. They had talked about what might happen if she wouldn’t answer their questions.

  “In that case,” said Henry, “we’d like to see the dogs and puppies you have for sale.”

  Ms. Wilson stopped writing. She put down her pencil. “No,” she said.

  The children had talked about this, too.

  “Are you afraid to let us see your dogs?” asked Jessie. “Do you have something to hide?”

  Candy Wilson scowled at them. Then she moved from behind the counter. “I have nothing to hide,” she said. “The dogs are in back.”

  The Aldens followed her. They waited while she unlocked the door leading to the puppies and dogs.

  The children stepped into a very clean kennel room. Henry noticed that there were about twenty dogs.

  Jessie noticed that the cages were large and clean.

  “These dogs are very well-gr
oomed,” said Violet.

  “Of course,” said Ms. Wilson. “I groomed each one myself.”

  “You said you could make a dog look different,” said Jessie. “Could you make it look so different that nobody would recognize it?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” snapped Ms. Wilson “Why don’t you take a quick look at the dogs and then leave.”

  Benny stopped in front of each cage and looked at each dog. None of the dogs looked like Boxcar or Grayson.

  Jessie stopped in front of a large white dog. It looked sort of like a Dalmatian. The dog barked happily. It tried to lick Jessie’s face.

  Violet knelt in front of the cage and looked into the dog’s eyes. They were blue! Almost a violet-blue. As Violet looked, the dog sat down and put out its paw for a handshake. Violet shook the dog’s paw.

  “This dog has blue eyes,” said Violet, “just like Boxcar.”

  “This dog isn’t Boxcar,” said Ms. Wilson.

  “It shook my hand, just like Boxcar,” said Violet.

  “This dog isn’t Boxcar,” repeated Ms. Wilson. “Look at it—it doesn’t look like Boxcar, does it?”

  “What kind of dog is this?” asked Henry.

  “It’s a Dalmatian,” said Candy Wilson. “Its spots haven’t come in yet, but they will.” She paced back and forth. “Leave that dog alone,” she said. “You can’t have it, it’s already sold.”

  Henry knelt down and patted the all-white dog. Henry ran his hands up the dog’s fur. Near the dog’s skin, he noticed that some of the hairs had black roots.

  “This dog’s fur is white,” said Henry, “but some of the roots are black.”

  “That’s—that’s right,” answered Ms. Wilson. “That’s where its black spots will come in. I think you should come back another time,” she said. “Like next week. I’ll have better dogs next week.”

  “Look,” said Violet. She was looking at an all-black dog. “Is that a malamute?” she asked.

  “Uh, yes,” said Ms. Wilson. “But that dog has been sold, too, so just leave it alone.”

  “It has blue eyes,” said Violet.

  “So?” said Ms. Wilson. “Why do you care about blue eyes?” she asked.

  Henry explained that Violet liked everything violet and purple and lilac, and sometimes blue things, too. As he explained this, Henry knelt down and petted the malamute. He ran his hand up the dog’s black fur, so he could see the color of the hair roots. Underneath the black fur, Henry saw light-colored roots, gray ones and white ones.