Chapter 16

Chapter 16 Nina pushed me over to where the rose lay on the sidewalk. "We've got it now!" I shouted victoriously. The rose straightened up and brushed itself off. "I am not an 'it,'" said the rose. "I am a 'she.' My name is Wanda." "Oh," I said. I felt like a real jerk. "I'm sorry. I did not expect a talking rose." "I did not expect a talking Venus flytrap," said Wanda.

Then we took a good look at each other. "WOWZER!" I thought, "That is one beautiful plant! Her leaves! Her petals! Her stem! Her beautiful rosy eyes!" "I did not expect such a beautiful rose," I said. "And I did not expect such a handsome Venus flytrap," said Wanda. It was love at first sight! "Please do not take me back to the greenhouse," said Wanda. "I want to be free." I did not expect that, either. "You mean, you don't want to go back to Snooty la Tooty Gardens?" I asked. "I thought you were being kidnapped." "No! I was trying to escape from that awful place! This really nice goat was trying to help me." "Hi! My name is William," said the goat.

"Hello, William, my name is Inspector Flytrap, and this is my assistant, Nina the Goat." William looked at Nina. "I did not expect such a beautiful goat," he said to Nina. I expected Nina to say "Big deal," but she did not. She said, "William, you are the goat I have dreamed of all my life. Let me kiss you! Kissy-kissy smooch- smooch!" And then she kissed him. I did not expect that, and I don't think William did, either.

I was wondering if Wanda might give me a kiss, too, when I heard a roaring motor. A big pickup truck screeched to a halt in the street next to the park. "Oh no!" cried Wanda. "It's Mimi Kiwi!" "Duh!" said Mimi Kiwi, looking out of the window at us. "Put the rose in the truck, Flytrap." "Are you going to take me back to the greenhouse?" asked Wanda. "Duh!" said Mimi Kiwi. Wanda looked at me with tears in her beautiful rosy eyes. "I want to stay with you!" I turned to Mimi Kiwi. "Mimi, I love this rose. I will not help you take her back to the greenhouse." Then I turned to the goats. "Nina! William! Will you help us escape?" Nina and William got Wanda's pot back on her skateboard. I picked up the pickle paperweight.

"Let's go!" I hollered. "Wait!" shouted Mimi Kiwi. "If I don't get the rose back, then you didn't really solve the mystery." "Big deal," I said.