The Powder Puff Puzzle Read Free Page A

mousetail?”
    Dawn squinched her eyes shut.
    She tried to remember.
    “She was long and skinny,” she said after a minute. “She was carrying a pole. . . . Hey.” She picked up the pencil.
    She began to write again.
    4. Lady with mousetail . . . eating jelly cookie.
    Dawn pushed her polka-dot hat up. “Put your stick away, Jason. I know what we have to do.”

CHAPTER 7
    “N ONI,” D AWN YELLED. “Where are you?”
    Noni didn’t answer.
    Dawn ran into the house. She raced upstairs. “Noni?”
    Noni popped her head out the bathroom door. “I’m trying to fix the sink. The water keeps dripping.”
    “Could I have some money?” Dawn asked.
    Noni put her head on one side. “Why? How much?”
    “For two jelly cookies. One for me. One for Jason.”
    “You want to walk to the bakery? On this hot day?”
    Dawn nodded.
    “Good,” Noni said. “You can stop at the hardware store too.”
    “It’s too hot,” Dawn said.
    Noni raised her eyebrows.
    Dawn laughed.
    “Get me a washer, please,” Noni said. “It’s this round thing.” Noni held up a small plastic piece.
    “I guess so,” Dawn said.
    Noni reached into her pocket. She pulled out two dollars. “I want the change back,” she said. “Count it carefully.”
    Dawn raced down the stairs.
    She waved the money at Jason.
    “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go.”
    Jason followed her down the street. “Let’s get ice cream instead.”
    Dawn slapped her head. “Jason. The mouse lady didn’t buy ice cream. She bought a jelly cookie. We have to go to the bakery.”
    Jason stuck out his lip. “Maybe she likes jelly cookies. I like ice cream better.”
    Dawn sighed. She sat down on the sidewalk. “Listen, Jason. We are going to the bakery. We are going to ask the man if he knows the lady.”
    “The lady with the mousetail,” Jason said. “Right?”
    “Right.”
    “Good,” said Jason. “After that we’ll get ice cream.” He grinned at Dawn.
    Dawn started to laugh too. Then she looked up. “Yucko. That house.”
    Jason looked up too.
    It was the house with the ladder.
    Now someone was standing on the ladder. The painter had on a white hat. It had red stripes.
    “Horrible green paint,” said Dawn.
    “Like spinach,” Jason said.
    Dawn tapped his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
    They crossed the street. They turned the corner.
    At Linden Avenue they stopped at the bakery. They looked in the window.
    The sign said: CALVIN’S CAKES
    A bunch of sugar cookies were piled in front.
    A strawberry cake was in the back.
    A wedding cake was in the middle.
    “That wedding cake was here last week,” said Dawn. She pressed her nose against the glass.
    “It was here the week before that too,” said Jason.
    “Noni said it’s just cardboard,” Dawn said. “She said they stuck some icing on top.”
    “I’m never going to get married,” Jason said.
    Inside, Calvin was putting a jelly cookie into his mouth. “Best cookies in the world,” he said.
    “We wanted to ask you—” Dawn began.
    “About the lady with the mousetail,” Jason said.
    Calvin put another cookie in his mouth. “No mice around here.”
    “No,” said Dawn. “A lady. She has a long ponytail down her back. Did she come in here this morning?”
    Calvin shook his head. “Sorry. I wasn’t here. I slept late. Maybe my helper knows.”
    “Larry,” he called to the back. “Who was here today?”

    Larry poked his head out. “Bernie stopped in for a roll. So did Mrs. Simon. Mrs. Best bought a loaf of rye bread. Two or three boys came in. Then the painter.”
    Calvin nodded. “Larry has a good memory.”
    “Oh,” said Larry. “The gas station man came in too.”
    Dawn sighed. “Have you seen any lost cats?”
    “No.” They shook their heads.
    “Want to buy some cookies?” Calvin asked.
    “No, thanks,” Jason said before Dawn could answer. “We’re going to get ice cream.”
    They went outside.
    Dawn could hear Calvin talking to Larry. “My cookies are better than ice