1. The Face at the Window

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Chapter 1 The Face at the Window "It's your turn, Nate," Bradley said. Bradley, Brian, and Lucy were at Nate's house, sitting on the floor around his Monopoly board. Nate was petting his new puppy, Socks. "I know it is," he said as he reached for the dice. Suddenly Socks snatched a pile of play money and raced across the room.

Nate chased the puppy and trapped him behind a chair. "Socks, give me the money!" Nate said in a stern voice. Socks dropped the money and licked Nate's hand. Nate grabbed the money. "Thank you, Socks," he said. "Good dog." "Socks wants a toy," Lucy said. "Puppies need stuff to chew on." "He chews my shoes all the time," Nate said. "And my mittens and my hat." "But that's why he should have a toy," Bradley said. "You should get him something of his own to play with." "Yeah, let's go buy him a toy," Brian added. "Mrs. Wong has lots of pet stuff in her shop." The kids grabbed their jackets and headed out the front door. "Be a good boy, Socks," Nate told his puppy. "And don't eat the money!" Socks flopped on the floor and wagged his tail. The kids walked toward Main Street. Snow covered the ground and the tree branches. People

on the street smiled at each other and said, "Happy New Year!" The big clock over the bank read 3:00 P.M. DECEMBER 31. "The party at our house is at six o'clock," Bradley reminded the others. "But my mom wants us there before it gets dark. After we buy Socks his toy, we'll have time to go back to Nate's and finish the game." When the kids walked into Furry Feet Pet Shop, Mrs. Wong was feeding the goldfish. "Hi, kids," she said. "How was your Christmas?" "Mine was great!" Nate said. "I got a puppy from my sister." Mrs. Wong smiled. "I know," she said. "Ruth Rose and I loved keeping it a big secret from you." "How was your vacation in Florida?" Bradley asked. "Most of it was wonderful," Mrs. Wong said. "But I dropped my cell phone into the ocean! It sank right to the bottom. And while I was away, my house got burglarized! A thief came in and stole my laptop computer!"

"Oh my goodness!" Lucy said. "Did you call the police?" "Yes, and Officer Fallon came right to my house," Mrs. Wong said. "The only thing missing was the laptop. We don't know how the thief got in, because none of the doors or windows had been broken." "I hope they catch whoever did it," Brian said. "Me too," Mrs. Wong said. "I miss e-mail!" Nate looked at the shelves of pet supplies. "I need a new toy for my puppy, Socks," he said. "Lots of choices," Mrs. Wong said. "Does Socks want something soft and furry, or something rubbery that squeaks?" Nate laughed. "He wants both!" he said. Mrs. Wong showed Nate a purple rubber figure shaped like a big peanut. It had fuzzy green hair. "Then he should love this," she said. "He's called Mr. Purple." She squeezed Mr. Purple's belly, and it squeaked. Mrs. Wong held the figure under Nate's nose. "Take a sniff," she said. "It smells just like peanut butter!" Nate said.

"Yup. Dogs love peanut butter," Mrs. Wong told him. "Perfect," Nate said. "How much is it?" Mrs. Wong smiled. "Free. It's my Christmas gift to Socks," she said. She slipped the toy into a bag and handed it to Nate. "Thank you!" Nate said. "I'll bring Socks over so he can thank you, too!" The kids left the shop. It had started to snow, and the flakes landed on their hats and noses.