Read The Pet Show Mystery for Free Online Page A

they’d taken in. “We have enough pets now. Even if no one else signs up this week, the show will be a success.”
    But on Tuesday, things got worse — entrants began withdrawing from the contest. The first withdrawal was by a girl with a pet parakeet. “They’re very prone to respiratory infections,” she said. “They’re tropical birds, originally, you know. So my mom says it wouldn’t be a good idea to take Peewee out in the cold.” The excuse sounded logical, and Trixie obligingly found Peewee’s entry blank, tore it in two, and gave the girl her money back.
    Almost immediately, another student came up to the table. “I’ll be visiting my grandmother that day,” he said. “So I can’t bring my cat. Could I withdraw from the show?”
    Trixie realized that she’d set a dangerous precedent with Peewee; there was no choice but to return the money.
    Three more students withdrew by the end of the day, all with increasingly lame-sounding excuses.
    “I don’t understand it,” Trixie said to Honey. “Do you think that TV interview with Paul Gale is what started this?”
    Honey, looking disappointed, tried to be cheerful. “I doubt it. Someone would have mentioned his name. I think there was such a rush of enthusiasm, people didn’t stop to think before they entered. Now that they’ve had a chance to think it over and tell their parents about it, there are bound to be a few snags.”
    There were indeed four more “snags” the following day, reducing the total number of entrants to less than seventy.
    By now, even Honey was finding it difficult to stay calm about the withdrawals. “This isn’t a normal drop-out rate,” she said. “Something’s going on, and I’m going to find out what it is.”
    “How are you going to do that?” Trixie asked.
    Honey’s jaw set in a stubborn look that was rare for her. “I’ll think of a way,” she replied.
    A few moments later a girl from Honey’s homeroom withdrew her dog. This girl, too, had suddenly found out about a visit to her grandparents on the day of the show.
    Honey managed to smile as she returned the money. Calmly, she watched the girl walk away from the sign-up table. Then she stood up and said, “You wait here, Trixie. I’m going to talk to Heather.”
    Honey followed the girl. Trixie saw Heather turn and pause as Honey quietly called her name. The two girls talked for several minutes.
    Finally, Heather went off down the hall. Honey walked back toward the sign-up table. A tight knot formed in Trixie’s stomach as
    Honey drew nearer. There was a smile on Honey’s face—but there were tears in her eyes!
    “Oh, Trixie,” she said softly, the tears running down her cheeks, “you won’t believe this. She says there’s a rumor going around school about us, and that’s why she withdrew. The rumor is that we don’t plan to use this money for the game birds at all—we’re going to spend it on ourselves!”
    Trixie was absolutely stunned. “We’re going to have to tell the other Bob-Whites right away,” she said. “This is too big—and too awful—for us to handle on our own.” She began to sweep the contents of the sign-up table into piles that she and Honey could carry to their lockers for storage.
    Just as the girls were finishing, Jim appeared in the hallway. “What’s up, sis? I came back early to help you with the sign-up, but the table’s gone. This is no time for you and Trixie to take a vacation,” he added with a teasing grin.
    As Honey turned to face him, Jim’s grin faded. Seeing her distraught, tear-streaked face, he asked, “Honey, what is it? What’s happened?”
    Honey swallowed hard and shook her head.
    “I can’t tell you. I mean, I have to tell you, but I need to tell the other Bob-Whites, too, and I can’t say it more than once. We need an emergency meeting right away.”
    “Right away,” Trixie echoed lamely.
    Without further question, Jim said, “Let’s head home. But first, I’ll call Brian and Mart