The Case of the Rock 'n' Roll Dog by Martha Freeman Read Free Book Online Page A

“Thank you.”
    â€œAnd we really really really appreciate it.” Tessa was back to staring at Mr. Patel.
    â€œYeah—
really
.” I tugged her arm. “Let’s see if we can find Mr. Baney or Mr. Ross.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

    THE flower shop is on the ground floor. The fastest way to get there is through the cross hall and down the main stairs. We were on our way down when we saw them—yellow petals everywhere, a daffodil disaster!
    â€œI told you I had a bad feeling,” said Tessa.
    And sure enough, here came Mr. Baney carrying a huge bouquet. Only it wasn’t a bouquet of flowers. It was a bouquet of stems.
    â€œ
That dog of yours!
” he thundered.
    Mr. Baney is six feet four inches tall and played football in college. He already doesn’t like Hooligan on account of something that happened last month with a vase, some roses and a cabinet secretary.
    â€œHave you seen him?” I asked.
    â€œNo, I haven’t,” said Mr. Baney, “and he’ll stay out of sight if he knows what’s good for him.” He waved the stems. “Look at what’s left of my beautiful arrangement!”
    â€œWe can help clean up,” Tessa said.
    Mr. Baney likes Tessa. He thinks she has “flair.” He calmed down a little.
    â€œI appreciate the offer, but the staff will do it. Meanwhile, I just ran into Mrs. Hedges. She said you girls are detecting. Something about a missing baton?”
    â€œThat’s right,” said Tessa, and then she explained.
    Mr. Baney shook his head. “I’m afraid I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary,” he said. “Are you quite sure your dog didn’t take it?”
    â€œWe were holding him when it disappeared,” I said.
    Mr. Baney shrugged. “I wish I could be more helpful.”
    My watch said 5:30. There were still a few minutes before the mayors would be arriving. We went back up the stairs to look for Mr. Ross. His office is by the North Portico, but he wasn’t there. Leaving it, we ran into Nate. He was coming from the Blue Room and heading for the stairs.
    â€œWhat are you doing down here?” I asked. “I thought you were busy after school.”
    Nate didn’t look at us. He just kept walking. “Uh . . . I am busy,” he mumbled, “and now I’m going upstairs . . . to be more busy.”
    When he was gone, Tessa looked at me. “Our cousin has issues.”
    I was going to agree, but I never had the chance. Two men wearing gray suits came into the cross hall from the East Room. I had never seen them before, which was unusual. Even though more than a hundredpeople work in the White House, most of them look familiar.
    I was about to ask Tessa if she knew them when Randy, another Secret Service agent, appeared. “Please,” he said to the men, “could you follow me? I think there has been some confusion.”
    The men didn’t seem to understand at first—didn’t they speak English?—but finally they followed him out.
    â€œCould they be our stupid baton thieves?” Tessa asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” I said. “I’m like Mr. Bryant—not sure what stupid baton thieves look like.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    IN our family, we never eat dinner till 6:30 or 7. Granny believes we will wake up hungry in the night if we eat earlier. So when Tessa and I got back upstairs, we had time to apply logic. The striped sofa in the West Sitting Hall seemed like a good place for this. It is soft and cozy, good for thinking.
    Hooligan was in the West Sitting Hall, too, sound asleep in his bed. To look at him, you’d never believe the damage he does to daffodils.
    â€œDo you think he stole the other stuff, too, Cammie?” Tessa asked. “The place cards and the polishing cloth?”
    â€œDon’t forget the cookies,” I said. “And no, I don’t. Most times when Hooligan