The Pet Show Mystery

going to find him this afternoon?”
    “I hope so,” Trixie said. “I have to get to class,” she added. “Meet me at my locker after school.”
    The afternoon passed slowly for Trixie. At last the bell rang, and she hurried to her locker. By the time she had put away her books and put on her coat, Honey was at her side.
    “What are we going to do?” Honey asked eagerly.
    “In detective terms, we’re going to tail a suspect.”
    “Then you’d better start by telling me who the suspect is.”
    Trixie hesitated. Of course, she’d have to tell Honey whom she suspected. But once she did, her suspicions would be impossible to retract. She was letting herself wide open to look like a fool. Worse, she was opening the possibility of calling attention to an innocent person.
    Finally, Trixie took a deep breath and spoke the name: “Norma Nelson.”
    “Norma!” Honey’s voice somehow managed to combine a shout and a whisper. “You think she’s been sabotaging the pet show?”
    Trixie answered in a quick, hushed tone. “Before you tell me I’m crazy, just think about it for a minute. Norma has exactly the same reasons for sabotaging the pet show that Gordon had for sabotaging Mart’s program. That’s what made me think of her.”
    “She was the exclusive game-bird feeder until we came along, just as Gordon was the sole computer expert,” Honey said.
    “Exactly,” Trixie said. “There are other similarities, too. She’s been hovering around the pet show sign-up table just the way Gordon has been hovering around Mart during computer class. She hasn’t been giving us advice, of course. But she’s been keeping an eye on us just the same.”
    “So you think she started the rumor, called the radio station, and took Reddy—all to sabotage the show?” Honey asked. She sounded less than enthusiastic. “It sounds logical when you explain it, but I can’t believe that quiet little Norma Nelson would do those things.”
    “Mart didn’t suspect that Gordon Halvorson would sabotage his computer program, either, and look where it got him,” Trixie said, no longer trying to keep the urgency out of her voice. “If Norma is the saboteur, and we don’t do anything about it, we could wind up with a program and no pet show.”
    “I know,” Honey said miserably. “But if we accuse her, and it turns out that she’s innocent—Oh, Trixie, she’s so shy. I don’t know if she could stand something like that.”
    “If you’d rather not come along, I’ll understand,” Trixie said. “But I have to go now. I can’t wait another day to find out if I’m right about Norma.”
    “Then let’s go,” Honey said decisively.
    “All right! You take the side door, I’ll take the front.”
    Trixie took off for the front door of the school. Once there, she waited on the steps outside.
    Soon Norma came out and walked right past her. As quickly as she could, Trixie acted out a “remembering something” routine, raising her hand to her mouth and then sorting busily through her book bag before turning and walking swiftly back toward the side door. “Let’s go,” she said to Honey.
    The two girls walked quickly around to the front. Norma was still within easy view just ahead of them.
    “You’ll be gentle, won’t you?” Honey asked. “I feel sorry for Norma.”
    “What about Bobby?” Trixie asked back. “Don’t you feel a little sorry for him?”
    “You know I do,” Honey replied. “But even though I know he misses Reddy horribly, I still don’t think he’s as lonely right now as Norma is every day of her life.”
    The girls followed Norma for several blocks. When Norma finally headed up the front walk of a pleasant, red-brick house, Trixie and Honey hurried to catch her.
    “Norma!” Trixie shouted.
    Norma turned and looked at the two approaching figures. She didn’t speak, didn’t move.
    Very quickly, Trixie and Honey reached the spot where Norma stood waiting for them.
    “I-I was just wondering if you’ve seen my dog,” Trixie said. “He disappeared a couple of days ago. I know you spend a lot of time on Glen Road, and I thought you might have seen him.”
    Norma continued to stand and stare. For a moment Trixie thought she might not respond at all.
    Finally Norma said, “I don’t know anything about your dog. I don’t even like dogs. I’m allergic to them.”
    At exactly that moment, a loud, deep bark resounded from inside the red-brick house.
    Trixie and Honey turned toward the sound,