Judy Moody, Girl Detective - Megan Mcdonald [6]
“That’s close to where I live,” said Judy.
“That’s my street,” said Jessica Finch, pointing at herself.
“Since we all met Mr. Chips just a few days ago and know what he looks like, Officer Kopp is asking us to please be on the lookout. If any of you super-sleuths out there spot Mr. Chips, call 1-800-MR-CHIPS right away. Thank you.”
Mr. Chips was missing! Escaped! Lost! This was just about probably the worst announcement in the history of principal announcements at Virginia Dare School.
Wait just a Nancy Drew minute. She, Judy Moody, was smack-dab in the middle of a real-life, not-book mystery! A missing-persons case. A missing-puppy case, that is. For sure and absolute positive! In fact, this was almost like the time in Nancy Drew: Girl Detective graphic novel #6 when a chimp named Mr. Cheeters, who was wearing a diamond necklace, went missing.
Maybe Mr. Chips didn’t escape or get lost. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Chips was stolen! As in kidnapped. As in dognapped. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Chips had been wearing a fancy-schmancy diamond doggy collar and some bad guy with an eye patch or a tattoo or a snaggle tooth wanted it!
While Judy hoped nothing bad had happened to Mr. Chips, she couldn’t help wishing for a mystery. A real-life Nancy Drew mystery. This was a case for Judy Moody, Girl Detective. Judy Drewdy!
WWNDD? What Would Nancy Drew Do? She would take a deep breath and use her detective thinking, that’s what. Judy wrote a note to all three members of the Toad Pee Club — Rocky, Frank, and Stink.
When they got to the Toad Pee Clubhouse after school, it wasn’t the Toad Pee Clubhouse anymore. It was the JUDY MOODY DETECTIVE AGENCY. That’s what the crooked sign duck-taped to the front tent flap said. Inside were a chair, a lamp, and a poster that said WANTED: STUMPY, SNIGGS, AND SNORKY.
“I brought binoculars,” said Rocky.
“I brought snoopware,” said Frank. “You know, spy stuff. Telescope, sunglasses, fake noses, and walkie-talkies.”
“I brought . . . my . . . super-sniffer nose. For sniffing out clues,” said Stink. “So what’s the big mystery?”
“I think Mr. Chips was stolen,” said Judy. “Fact: Jessica Finch lives across the street from Mr. Chips, and she told me at lunch that no way would he ever run away from Officer Kopp. Fact: Jessica Finch said that Mr. Chips has a fancy collar. He wore it in the Fourth of July parade. Fact: Bad-guy burglars could have taken him to get their hands on his diamond doggy collar.”
“Jessica Finch doesn’t know everything,” said Stink.
“Ya-huh. Why do you think we call her Miss Know-It-All?” said Frank.
“We should start at Officer Kopp’s house. Scene of the crime,” said Judy. “But wait! First I have to swear you in.”
“I’m not allowed to say swears,” said Stink.
“Stink, in Detective Land, that means you take a super-serious oath and promise to be a good assistant detective and help solve the mystery.”
Judy handed a name-tag sticker to each boy. “Here, wear these on your shirts. Agent Stink. Agent Pearl. Agent Rock.”
“I want to be Agent 714,” said Stink.
“And can I be Agent Dragnet?” asked Frank.
“How come mine says Agent Rock, not Rocky?” asked Rocky.
“It sounds cooler,” said Judy. She took out a set of dino-bug pins.
“Hey, those are my paleo-insect pins!” said Stink.
“Why do we have to wear these?” asked Agent Rock.
“Quit bugging me,” said Judy, passing out the pins. “All detectives wear badges. These are your official badges.”
“Can I be the stinkbug?” asked Stink.
Judy handed Stink a yucky millipede.
“I said Agent Dragnet, not Agent Dragonfly,” said Frank. Rocky/Agent Rock pinned on the Jurassic beetle.
“Fine,” said Judy. “I’ll be the cockroach.”
“I know how we can make real badges,” said Stink. “I saw it on public television. First you take cardboard and cut out the shape of a shield. Then you glue silver foil —”
“Stink. This is no time for arts-and-crafts class.”
“Fine,” said Stink. “I’ll be the ladybug. But I’m going to pretend it’s a prehistoric stinkbug, and you can’t stop me.”
“Raise your right hands and repeat after me,” said Judy. “I, Agent Stink,