05 The Mystery of the Missing Mr. Chips

The Mystery of the Missing Mr.Chips The next day, and the day after that, all anybody could talk about at Virginia Dare School was Sergeant Super-Sniffer, aka Mr. Chips. Then, late Friday afternoon, something happened. Something big. Judy was smack-dab in the middle of an important case— Nancy Drew book #15, that is: The Haunted Bridge— when the loudspeaker crackled. Judy jumped five feet and yelled, "Yurp," wrecking the silent in silent reading. "Teachers and students," said Principal

Tuxedo over the intercom. "I have an important announcement to make. Officer Kopp called to alert us that Mr. Chips has gone missing!" This was terrible news. Awful news. No-good, way- bad news. "The dog was last seen in the Bird Neck neighborhood on Abigail Lane at seven this morning." "That's close to where I live," said Judy. "That's my street," said Jessica Finch, pointing at herself. "Since we all met Mr. Chips just a few days ago and know what he looks like, Officer Kopp is asking us to please be on the lookout. If any of you super-sleuths out there spot Mr. Chips, call 1-800-MR-CHIPS right away. Thank you." Mr. Chips was missing! Escaped! Lost! This was just about probably the worst

announcement in the history of principal announcements at Virginia Dare School. Wait just a Nancy Drew minute. She, Judy Moody, was smack-dab in the middle of a real- life, not-book mystery! A missing-persons case. A missing-puppy case, that is. For sure and absolute positive! In fact, this was almost like the time in Nancy Drew: Girl Detective graphic novel #6 when a chimp named Mr. Cheeters, who was wearing a diamond necklace, went missing. Maybe Mr. Chips didn't escape or get lost. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Chips was stolen! As in kidnapped. As in dognapped. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Chips had been wearing a fancyschmancy diamond doggy collar and some bad guy with an eye patch or a tattoo or a snaggle tooth wanted it!

While Judy hoped nothing bad had happened to Mr. Chips, she couldn't help wishing for a mystery. A real-life Nancy Drew mystery. This was a case for Judy Moody, Girl Detective. Judy Drewdy! WWNDD? What Would Nancy Drew Do? She would take a deep breath and use her detective

thinking, that's what. Judy wrote a note to all three members of the Toad Pee Club— Rocky, Frank, and Stink. When they got to the Toad Pee Clubhouse after school, it wasn't the Toad Pee Clubhouse anymore. It was the JUDY MOODY DETECTIVE AGENCY. That's what the crooked sign duck-taped to the front tent flap said. Inside were a chair, a lamp, and a poster that said WANTED: STUMPY, SNIGGS, AND

SNORKY. "I brought binoculars," said Rocky. "I brought snoopware," said Frank. "You know, spy stuff. Telescope, sunglasses, fake noses, and walkie-talkies." "I brought... my... super-sniffer nose. For sniffing out clues," said Stink. "So what's the big