But Tiny, Stella, Precious, Bubbles, Patsy and Pierre were gone!
Tears welled in Cherry’s eyes. She had never seen a sadder sight than those six, small empty beds.
“Oh, Frank, you’ve simply got to do something,” Miss Pansy begged Midge. “Oh, and Nancy Clue, you’re here, too,” the woman sighed in relief as she spotted the well-known girl detective.
Setting aside her own desire to frolic on this gay day, Nancy got right on the case. “Miss Pansy, was there anyone in here when you came through the door? Did you see anyone suspicious milling around earlier?”
But Miss Pansy was too perturbed to pay attention. “Pierre and Patsy have never spent the night away from me,” she cried. “Why, they’ll be petrified!”
“Maybe they’ll escape and find their way home,” Cherry said brightly. “Why just today at the Cavalcade of Collies I overheard a heartwarming story about a dog named—”
Nancy stepped in. “I must question Miss Pansy before she forgets important details that might crack this case,” Nancy told Cherry. Cherry nodded. She made a mental note to tell Miss Pansy the rest of the inspirational story later, for surely she would find comfort in it!
“Miss Pansy, did you see or hear anything suspicious earlier today?”
Miss Pansy shook her head. “Nothing happened that indicated a crime of this nature was about to be committed here!” Miss Pansy shuttered. Lake Merrimen was a gay little town where people were friendly and nothing bad had ever happened. Until today!
“There must be some—” but before Nancy could continue, a familiar person interrupted her. It was Mrs. Milton Meeks, well-known society matron, president of the River Depths Women’s Club, and a Wiener Race judge. She was clad in a stylish navy blue linen suit accessorized with an ornate diamond and sapphire starburst brooch and matching earrings, and reeked of the most odorous rose perfume. By the looks of it, Mrs. Meeks wasn’t at all pleased to have been called away from her post.
“What’s going on in here?” she huffed. “The Pageant of Poodles was scheduled to begin five minutes ago. We’re all going to fall dangerously behind,” she cried as she checked the small, diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist.
“At-ch-oo!” Miss Pansy gave a little sneeze. Quick as wink, Cherry handed her patient a fresh handkerchief. Could Miss Pansy be malnourished and catching a cold? In that case, she would need medical care—and quick!
Miss Pansy sneezed three more dainty little sneezes, then explained. “It’s your perfume, Myra. I’m terribly allergic to roses.”
Mrs. Meeks rudely ignored her. She just stood there in her blue and white spectator pumps and looked annoyed.
“Mrs. Meeks, all the poodles are missing!” Cherry cried. She stood by with her portable first-aid kit in hand in case Mrs. Meeks fainted from shock, for she knew from a recent feature in The River Depths Defender that Mrs. Meeks owned an apricot poodle the exact color of her new sectional sofa.
“My Precious is gone?” Mrs. Meeks gasped. “It can’t be,” she cried. She turned pale as a ghost. “Who’s the fool who left these valuable dogs alone? Where’s the Poodle Room Monitor? Why, I’ll make sure that particular individual never darkens the door of the Dog Show again!”
Cherry put a comforting hand on her elbow. “There, there,” she said. She knew Mrs. Meeks’ angry words were just a cover-up for jangled nerves. “Surely your Precious will turn up, and in good health, besides,” she said in a calm tone.
“You don’t understand,” Mrs. Meeks said in a huffy tone as she shook off Cherry’s effort. “It’s not only that someone’s stolen my prize poodle, worth over one hundred dollars, but he was wearing a white leather collar my jeweler made special just for today, using diamonds from one of my tiaras! It’s worth thousands, I tell you, thousands!” she moaned. “My husband, Judge Milton Meeks, has the authority to close down this show if my diamonds are not found,” she declared angrily. “He’ll do it, too,” she promised. She then took a crisp bill from her handbag. “I’ll give fifty dollars to whoever returns it to me,” she declared.
As people raced out of the room in search of the kidnapped canines, Midge grew red with anger. Somewhere out there, six small, frightened dogs were being held against their will, and all Mrs. Meeks cared about were her diamonds!
“Mrs. Meeks, did you happen to mention to anyone else that your Precious was wearing real diamonds in his collar?” Nancy inquired.
Mrs. Meeks flushed angrily. “Surely you don’t think I’m as naïve as that!” she snapped. “Why, no one but myself and that nice gentleman who helped me carry in Precious’ stall knows his collar is studded with genuine diamonds.”
“Mrs. Meeks, what did this man look like?” Nancy asked eagerly.
Mrs. Meeks sighed and rolled her eyes. “I don’t see how it could make any difference, but he was wearing a dark trenchcoat and carrying an umbrella.”
The girls gasped. Why, it sounded like the same rude fellow who had splashed them not ten minutes ago!
Nancy’s bright blue eyes glittered in excitement. Her keen mind was racing a mile a minute. Mrs. Meeks had given them a fine start to solving this dognapping!
A sly smile came over Nancy’s face. “Mrs. Meeks, I do so adore your lovely perfume,” she said in an admiring tone. “Would you be a dear and let me sample some?” The older woman, flattered by Nancy’s interest, sprayed her arm liberally with the heavy floral scent. “And the other arm, too,” Nancy urged. Mrs. Meeks complied, until Nancy smelled like a rose bush in bloom.
How odd, Cherry thought, for just that morning, Nancy had declared that she thought obvious fragrance on a girl gauche. Cherry had agreed, knowing that the clean smell of well-scrubbed skin was all the scent a young lady needed, unless it was a special dress-up occasion, of course.
Nancy gathered the girls around her. “Be on the lookout for the fellow in the trenchcoat,” she said in an urgent tone whilst she waved her arms about until the perfume was dry. “It’s our only lead. Let’s go!” After leaving Miss Pansy in the capable hands of the Veterinarian Nurse, they raced out of the room and fanned out through the civic center, searching for the suspect.
“Be careful,” Nancy warned them. “Dognappers are a particularly ruthless breed,” she said, her eyes narrowing in anger. “They care little that the stolen goods they’re transporting are living creatures. We must find those dogs soon, before any harm befalls them!”
A quick search of the four main exhibition halls proved fruitless. “Have you seen a man in a dark trenchcoat carrying six poodles and an umbrella?” they queried everyone they met, but to their utter dismay, no one remembered any such fellow.
“What’s that peculiar odor?” Cherry heard people cry when they smelled the aromatic sleuth. But Nancy didn’t seem at all concerned by the commotion she was causing as she pushed through the crowd, craning her neck in search of their suspect and waving her arms about.
“Nancy’s so brave,” Cherry thought, her bosom swelling with pride at the sight of the flailing detective.
A shrill yip suddenly caught their attention. “Was that a poodle, Midge?” Nancy asked her chum.
Midge shook her head and pointed