Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 The barn behind the 4-H pavilion was in shambles. Security guards ran to and fro, trying to calm the angry alpaca owners. And fair workers ran to and fro, trying to calm the animals nervous about their angry owners! Daniel hopped onto a nearby bench. "Look!" he said, pointing to the far side of the crowd. "There's Ms. Margery!" They made their way to a tall woman with a concerned look on her face. The woman wore a pink plaid shirt with faded jeans. She was talking to one of the fair staff members.

"Are you sure my Alpaca in Wonderland is safe?" they heard her say. "He's very fragile. Can't even handle fireworks! Oh, he must be so scared." "Ma'am," the staff member said, "please just wait here while we sort things out." He walked swiftly away and left Ms. Margery wringing her hands with tears in her eyes.

Lydia rushed to her family friend's side. "What happened, Ms. Margery?" "They're missing! The alpacas are gone!" Abbi's mouth dropped open, while Daniel and Lydia gasped in unison. Even Barkley let out a startled yip. "All of them?" Daniel asked. "What about Alpaca in Wonderland?" Ms. Margery wiped her eyes. She took a deep breath. "He's the only one left. He's still safe and sound in his pen, but he must be so scared!"

Abbi opened the Maine State Fair informational booklet they'd gotten at the entrance. She flipped to the alpaca section and ran her finger down the page. "There were twelve alpacas entered in the costume contest." "So if Alpaca in Wonderland is the only one left…," Lydia said. "Eleven alpacas disappeared into thin air," Abbi confirmed. Before Ms. Margery could respond, a member of the security team came over. The

name tag on her uniform said PATRICIA. "Are you Margery Meadows?" she asked. "Ms. Margery," Lydia corrected sternly. She kept a protective hand on Ms. Margery's arm. "Ms. Margery," Patricia continued, "we'd like to ask you some questions." "What kind of questions?" Abbi asked. "Is this an investigation? Is she a suspect?" The woman laughed. "Now, what would you kids know about suspects and investigations? This is why you shouldn't watch so much TV." Abbi tried very hard not to roll her eyes. She mostly succeeded. What this woman didn't know was that her mother was a famous mystery writer. Abbi herself had helped solve a few mysteries with her friends Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. Patricia pulled out a small notepad and a pen. "You own Meadows' Meadows, is that correct?"

Ms. Margery nodded. "Our petting z- anctuary." Abbi shot a confused look at her friends. Daniel leaned down and whispered, "Part petting zoo; part animal sanctuary, where injured animals go to recover. Z-anctuary." Abbi smiled. "This costume contest comes with a hefty prize," Patricia said. "Might make caring for all those wild animals easier, huh?" Lydia bristled. She stood on the tiptoes of her black boots. "What's that supposed to mean?