Chapter 2

Chapter 2 When Anna was out of sight, Sugar told the squad to follow her to the back door of the house. She knocked five times fast, then waited. The door opened slowly, revealing a furry brown-and-white hamster with a unique smile, a white patch of fur around one eye, and an unmistakable whiff of pineapple and cinnamon sugar. "Stan the Cutie Man McClanahanahan!" Poppy gasped. "My name is Zigor," replied the hamster. "But you can call me Zippy." The hamster held the door open until Sugar, Dirt, Poppy, and the ball of Sweetie were inside. "You put me in an awkward position this morning, Zippy," said Sugar. "Your kid came

by, blubbering all over the place about how you had gone missing." "My kid?" asked Zippy. "Yes," said Sugar. "Anna McClanahanahan?"

该页暂无翻译

"Yes." "Dark curly hair? Freckles? Big, beautiful brown eyes?" asked Zippy. "Same one," said Sugar. "Bats in the cave?" asked Zippy. "YES!! THAT ONE!" said Sugar, exasperated. "How is it she hasn't noticed until today that you take a walk every morning from six fifteen a.m. until seven thirty a.m. in order to sneak in a delicious breakfast over here?" "She's usually not up this early," said Zippy, climbing up the reusable mesh shopping bag hanging from a hook at the end of the counter. Sugar, Dirt, Poppy, and the Sweetie rainbow ball followed his lead. "Well, something got her out of bed bright and early today," said Sugar. "Never mind that," said Zippy. "You have a much bigger problem right now." "We do?" asked Dirt. "You do," answered Zippy. "Barbara's

missing." "Our Barbara?" asked Dirt. "Yes," answered Zippy. "The Barbara in the house?" asked Poppy. "The one who feeds us and takes care of us?" "That one," said Zippy. "Tall lady? Brown hair? Pretty blue eyes? Smells like gardenias?" asked Sweetie. "YES," said Zippy. "Drives the silver pickup truck?" asked Sugar.

"YES. THE SAME ONE! How many Barbaras do you know?!?" A long steady whistle came out through his teeth. "What makes you so sure she's missing?" asked Dirt. "She probably just left the house, you know, like people do." "Barbara is a creature of habit," said Zippy the Whistle. "Every Saturday, she drinks a cup of coffee and eats a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit, rolled oats, and a dash of cinnamon sugar." "Go on," said Sugar. "Well, before she does that, she opens the front door and grabs the newspaper, which is always delivered in a plastic bag on the stoop. The newspaper comes early, around six twenty-two a.m. That's when I climb into the bag and wait." "Go on," said Sugar. "Barbara brings in the newspaper bag and places it on the counter. I climb out while she