Lucy on the Loose Read Free Page B

my hair.”
    “Orange!” Bobby said with excitement.
    The woman frowned. “I would not call my hair orange. It is ginger. And that’s my cat’s name. Ginger.”
    Bobby and Shawn looked at each other.
    “The last time anyone saw my dog she was chasing a cat,” Bobby said. “It was big and—” Bobby almost said orange.
    “It was big and ginger.”

7
The Parade
    “Ginger!” the lady cried. “You’ve seen her?”
    “I think so,” Bobby said.
    The lady forgot about buying anything. She hustled Shawn and Bobby out of the butcher shop.
    “We must find Ginger,” she told them. “It’s been three days.”
    Candy was still licking her ice cream cone. She was confused.
    “Who is Ginger?” she whispered to Bobby. “And who is that woman?”
    The woman heard her. She pulled herself up to her full height. “I am Mrs.Agatha Adams,” she said. She pointed at Bobby. “And his dog is chasing my sweet cat, Ginger!”
    Candy turned to Bobby. “I just saw a friend from camp. I told her about Lucy running away. My friend said she saw a beagle chasing a cat near the fire station.”
    “Wow!” Shawn said. “Let’s go.”
    Bobby jogged toward the fire station. Shawn was right behind him, holding the bag of bones for Lucy. His shoelaces were flapping, but he didn’t stop to tie them. Mrs. Agatha Adams was huffing and puffing behind Shawn. She clutched her tiny hat. Butch pranced next to Mrs. Adams. Candy brought up the rear. Butch’s leash was in one hand. Her chocolate cone was in the other.
    Bobby looked over his shoulder.

    Somebody watching might think they were a crazy parade. Another time it would be funny, but not today.
    It was only a short block to the fire-house. The firehouse door was open. A big red fire truck was inside. A fireman was sitting outside reading a magazine.
    “Excuse me,” Mrs. Adams said with a gasp. “Have you seen a big, beautiful cat being chased by a dog?”
    The fireman put down his magazine. “Why, yes,” he said.
    “When? How long ago? Which way were they headed?” Candy asked.
    “Slow down,” the fireman said. “It was maybe ten minutes ago. Those two went flying by.”
    “Did the cat look harmed?” Mrs. Adams demanded.
    “She looked fine to me,” the fireman replied. “She was leading that little dog on a merry chase.”
    “I believe the dog was chasing my cat,” Mrs. Adams said stiffly.
    The fireman grinned. “Maybe. But the cat looked like the one in charge.”
    “If my poor Ginger gets scared and runs up a tree,” said Mrs. Adams, “I hope you’ll bring a ladder and get her down.”
    “Okay, but I don’t think Ginger was all that scared,” the fireman said.
    “But please, sir,” Bobby asked, trying to sound bold, “where were they going?”
    The fireman pointed. “They were running toward the baseball field.”
    Bobby thanked the fireman. “Let’s go,” he said.
    The parade was off again. Bobby wasrunning as fast as he could. Mrs. Agatha Adams was running as fast as she could, too. It wasn’t very fast.
    There was a small picnic area next to the ball field. A mom, a dad, and a set of twins about three years old were eating lunch at one of the picnic tables.
    “Did you see a dog chasing a cat?” Bobby asked. Now he wasn’t so afraid to speak up. He was close to finding Lucy.
    “Doggie, doggie,” the little boy yelled.
    “Kitty, kitty,” the little girl yelled back.
    “Sshh,” their father said.
    Mrs. Agatha Adams looked like she was about to burst. “Did you see them?”
    The mother nodded. “A little while ago. That orange cat almost knocked me over. A cute brown and white dog was after her.”
    “Lucy!” Bobby said. “Ginger!” Mrs. Adams said. Together they asked, “Which way did they go?”
    “Toward the baseball diamond,” the woman answered.
    The parade was on the move again. Butch was pulling hard on his leash. Candy had dumped her ice cream cone. She needed both hands to control Butch. Shawn had tied his shoelaces at the