Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 "I can't believe that security lady had the nerve to accuse Ms. Margery!" Lydia said. Abbi did not say that Patricia never actually accused Ms. Margery. Patricia was just asking questions like any good investigator. Instead, Abbi followed her furious friend toward the pens where the alpacas were last seen: the scene of the maybe-crime. They still didn't even know if the alpacas had been stolen or had only gotten loose. They could be wandering around right this minute, munching on wildflowers and waiting to be found. Abbi hoped that was the case.

"How long have you guys known her?" Abbi asked. "Forever!" Lydia said over her shoulder. "Our mom's been volunteering at Meadows' Meadows since she was a kid." "We used to go almost every weekend," Daniel said. He walked next to Abbi, both of them happy to let Lydia lead the way. "My favorite time to go was in winter, though." "Why?" Abbi asked. He thought for a moment. "I guess the animals just seemed really cozy, all huddled up in their pens." Abbi remembered what Daniel had said about Meadows' Meadows being a sanctuary.

"What kind of animals do they rescue?" "All kinds!" Lydia called excitedly. "Mountain lions and wolves. Giant snakes. Even peacocks!" Abbi had never seen any peacocks in real life. Not outside a zoo, where there were too many people and too much noise to get a useful audio recording of them for her collection. As they got closer to the barn, Lydia asked, "Do you think Security will let us in?" Abbi smiled. "I think they're too busy to care." Sure enough, when they arrived at the alpaca barn, there were no staff members to be seen. They must have been called to handle the increasingly rowdy crowds by the pavilion. Even from here, Abbi could hear garbled megaphone sounds from the protest and a mess of overlapping voices. Everyone was worried about the alpacas. Abbi shook her head. If only they weren't too busy yelling at each other

to actually help find them, she thought. "Stay here, Barkley," Abbi said. "Keep a lookout for us, okay?" Barkley whimpered mildly before lying down on the hard-packed dirt. He was more cuddle-bug than guard dog, but he could certainly make a ruckus when needed. If anyone was about to stumble on them, Barkley would let them know before they could get caught. As expected, the pens inside were empty. The silence felt eerie after the noise outside. Abbi's tires crunched loudly over the hay-strewn ground. Whenever she paused to look inside a pen, the electronic click of her motor stopping echoed up to the rafters.

"Look! There's Alpaca in Wonderland!" Lydia said. She rushed to one of the last pens and cooed as she opened the gate. "Hi, buddy. You okay?" Alpaca in Wonderland looked perfectly happy. He was lying down in a big pile of hay, sleepy-eyed and smiling. He still wore his

contest-ready costume. Abbi had expected him to be dressed like his namesake, Alice in Wonderland. But instead, he was dressed as the Queen of Hearts. He even had a crown on his head! Abbi approached the royal alpaca cautiously. Her wheelchair sometimes spooked animals who weren't used to it, so she gave him plenty of time to watch her. When she reached him, she took out a handful of the alfalfa sprouts she'd packed. Palm out, she offered the tasty treat to him.