“If I were a cat,” said Jessie, passing the mashed potatoes to Benny, “and I got lost, I wonder what I would do.”
Jessie, Violet, Benny, and Henry were having dinner that night with their grandfather, sitting around the table in the dining room. They’d been telling him about the mystery of the missing cat.
“I’m surprised at how quickly Spotzie disappeared from the porch,” said Grandfather Alden.
“Maybe she started chasing something,” said Benny. “When Watch chases squirrels, he doesn’t even listen when you say his name.”
From his place by the door, Watch heard his name. He pricked up his ears and tipped his head to one side as if he were thinking about what Benny had said.
“That’s true, Benny,” said Grandfather. “More green peas?”
“Yes, thank you,” said Benny.
“What we need is a picture of Spotzie,” said Jessie.
“That’s a good idea, Jessie,” Henry said. “Do you suppose Mr. Woods has a photograph of her?”
“If he did and we could get it, we could show it to people,” said Jessie.
“Yes,” said Violet. “And we could even make signs to put up. We could put them up at the animal shelter.”
“And at Dr. Scott’s office,” said Benny. Dr. Scott was a Greenfield veterinarian who was Watch’s doctor. She also helped take care of the animals at the Greenfield Animal Shelter and she had helped the Aldens with two mysteries they’d solved, one involving the animal shelter and the other a dog show that had come to Greenfield.
“That’s a good idea, too, Benny. She might be able to give us some suggestions. And we need to talk to Mr. Woods,” said Henry.
“We can make some signs in the morning,” said Benny. “We have posterboard and markers out in the boxcar.”
“We’ll do that first,” agreed Jessie. “Then we can put them up at the shelter and at Dr. Scott’s and talk to her.”
“And to Mr. Woods,” Henry reminded her.
Grandfather Alden smiled at their enthusiasm. “Sounds like you have a busy day planned for tomorrow.”
“Yes,” said Benny. He smiled back at his grandfather. “What’s for dessert?”
The four Aldens went out to their boxcar right after breakfast the next morning and began working on the signs about the missing cat.
“I don’t know what Spotzie looks like, so I’m just drawing a cat with spots on her,” said Violet. “Someone should be able to recognize her from that.”
“That’s good, Violet.” Jessie looked at her sister’s picture. “The important thing is to let people know to look for a lost cat.”
“And who to call about her,” added Henry, writing their phone number on his poster.
The Aldens were good at making signs and posters. They soon had enough for the animal shelter and the veterinarian’s office and for the neighborhood where Spotzie was lost.
They put the signs in their backpacks and got ready to go look for Spotzie.
“You stay here, Watch,” said Violet. “I don’t think you want to go to Dr. Scott’s office.”
“Watch can keep me company in the kitchen,” said Mrs. McGregor. “I may even have a dog biscuit for him.”
Hearing the word “biscuit,” Watch trotted happily after Mrs. McGregor to the kitchen, wagging his tail.
The Aldens set off on their bicycles to put the signs up around Greenfield, heading first for the Greenfield Animal Shelter.
“Has anyone brought in a calico cat?” asked Henry when they got to the animal shelter.
The shelter attendant behind the desk looked surprised. “A calico cat? That’s funny,” she said. “There was a man just here, describing a cat that he’d lost that sounded a lot like yours.” The attendant leaned over the counter and looked around, as if she expected the man to still be there. But the Aldens were the only ones in the waiting room.
“I wonder if that was Mr. Woods,” Jessie said.
“He didn’t tell me his name,” the attendant said.
“Did you have his cat?” asked Violet carefully.
The attendant shook her head. “No, and I’m sorry, we don’t have yours, either. No one has brought in a calico cat.”
“Oh. Then, may we put this up on your bulletin board?” asked Jessie, showing the woman one of the signs they’d made.
The woman nodded approvingly. “Of course you can.”
“Thank you,” said Jessie. She took the sign over to the bulletin board and put it up right in the middle.
“That’s a good sign. Very simple and clear,” said the shelter attendant. “If we get any cats fitting that description, we’ll call you.”
“Thank you,” said Jessie again, and the other Aldens echoed her words.
“It’s funny that there are two lost cats who look alike,” said Benny, as the Aldens went outside.
“Unless it’s the same one,” Jessie said, lost in thought.
The day was getting hot, and they began to push their bicycles slowly up the hill outside the shelter.
“Hey, Jessie, slow down!” Henry called out.
But Jessie didn’t seem to hear. She just kept walking faster and faster.
“Jessie?” said Henry.
Abruptly, Jessie stopped. “Let’s turn here,” she said.
“But that’s not the way to Dr. Scott’s office,” said Violet.
“Let’s go a new way,” said Jessie mysteriously.
Puzzled, her brother and sister agreed and turned down the street Jessie had suggested.
“Can’t we go more slowly?” panted Benny.
Jessie looked back over her shoulder and stopped again.
“We’re being followed,” she said.
“What?” said Henry.
“Don’t look,” Jessie said quickly. “But there’s a man back there. He started following us as soon as we came out of the animal shelter!”
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