Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Just then, Pal began growling and biting at Mr. Linkletter's left shoe. "What on earth?" Mr. Linkletter said, pulling his foot away.

But Pal wouldn't give up. Using his paws and teeth, he tried to pull Mr. Linkletter's shiny black loafer right off his foot. "Joshua!" Mr. Linkletter said. "Please teach your dog some manners!" "Take it off!" Ruth Rose suddenly said. Mr. Linkletter glanced down at Ruth Rose. "I beg your pardon?" "I think I know what Pal wants," she said. "Please take off your shoe!" Mr. Linkletter let out a big sigh. "Very well. If that will bring peace!" The tall man leaned over and removed his left shoe. He showed it to Pal. "There, satisfied?" he asked.

Pal grabbed the shoe in his mouth and dropped it at Josh's feet. "I WAS RIGHT!" Ruth Rose yelled. She picked up the shoe and held it upside down. On the sole, stuck to a wad of gum, was a piece of shiny yellow glass. "The dog was after a nasty piece of gum?" Mr. Linkletter asked. "No," Dink said. "That piece of glass is from Sammi's kaleidoscope! This means the kidnappers brought Sammi here, to the hotel!"

"Donald, you're giving me a headache," Mr. Linkletter said, taking his shoe back. He pulled the gum off and slipped the loafer back on his foot. "Who is Sammi? What kidnappers?" Dink told Mr. Linkletter about Sammi's disappearing from his bed. Then he explained about Joan Klinker's French lesson, Sammi's kaleidoscope, and the trail of yellow glass. "Now my mom's missing, too," Dink said. "And I think Joan Klinker kidnapped them both! She might be keeping them up in her room!" "Um, Dink?" Josh said. "Officer Fallon said Sammi was taken away in a boat. How could he be in the hotel and in a boat at the same time?" "I don't know," Dink said. "But I still want to check out Joan Klinker's room. That piece of glass on your shoe proves Sammi was here!" Mr. Linkletter sighed and set down his halfeaten doughnut. "Very well," he said. "Ms. Klinker has room 301. I'll take you up there, but you must be very quiet. Our guests don't expect crowds of children parading about the halls." He looked down at Pal. "But the hound has to stay down here. The Shangri-la does not permit animals upstairs!"

"But he can smell stuff," Josh said. "We need him!" Mr. Linkletter looked at Pal's big brown eyes. "Oh, all right. What's one more broken rule?" The kids and Pal followed Mr. Linkletter into the elevator. When it stopped on the third floor, they all walked quickly to room 301. A man in a white uniform was pushing a cart full of linens down the hall and around the corner. Mr. Linkletter unlocked the door and pushed it open. Joan Klinker's bed was made and two suitcases stood on the floor. "Do your thing," Josh whispered into Pal's ear. Pal walked in a wide circle, sniffing the carpet. Suddenly, he made a beeline for the closet and began scratching at the door. Josh opened the closet door and Pal rushed in. Dink noticed that the closet was empty. Joan Klinker had packed everything. "What's in there, boy?" Josh asked, getting down on his hands and knees. While Pal and Josh searched the closet floor, Dink and Ruth Rose looked under the bed and in

the bathroom. Suddenly, Josh backed out of the closet. "Look what Pal found!" he cried. In his hand, he held a small piece of yellow glass. "You were right, Dink," Ruth Rose said. "Sammi must have been in this room!" Just then, Pal raced from the room with his nose to the floor. The next thing they heard was Pal barking and growling. Everyone followed him, just in time to see Pal attack the white linen cart. He bit at the side of the cart and tried to pull it back along the floor. The man in the white uniform pushed the cart in the other direction. "Get outta here, mutt!" the man yelled, kicking at the dog. That wasn't a good idea. Pal grabbed the man's pants cuff in his teeth and began thrashing and growling. "Pal, no!" Josh shouted. He pulled Pal away, but the hound was still barking at the man. Mr. Linkletter looked at the man. "Who are you?" he asked. "Just collectin' the laundry," the man said, glaring at Pal.