The Dashing Dog Mystery, Page 4

  Prince Fabian ran through the door. His claws clicked against the hardwood floor. He had something in his mouth. Chip was right behind him.

  “What is it, boy? What have you got?” Petra asked Prince Fabian.

  Prince Fabian dropped something at Nancy’s feet. It was his collar!

  “Ohmigosh,” Bess said. “Prince Fabian found his collar!”

  “Where did you find it, boy?” Petra asked him.

  Nancy picked up the collar. It was crusted with dirt.

  Then it came to her.

  “I know where Chip’s collar is!” Nancy announced with a smile.

  George stared at her. “Where?”

  “The Dashing Dog Pet Salon,” Nancy replied.

  “Okay, Prince Fabian, lead the way,” Nancy ordered him.

  She, Bess, George, and Petra were at the Dashing Dog. Mrs. Wylie had driven them there. Rex Rumford was there, too. He had just finished grooming a couple of Dobermans.

  “What is going on, may I ask?” Rex asked Nancy as he dried his hands on a towel.

  “We’re about to solve a mystery,” Nancy explained.

  She opened the back door of the pet salon. Prince Fabian bounded out, followed by Chip.

  “Go ahead, boy! Find the collar!” Nancy called out to Prince Fabian.

  “I still don’t understand any of this,” Petra complained. “What does my dog have to do with your dog’s missing collar?”

  Prince Fabian ran to the big patch of dirt near the covered run. He began digging like mad. He pulled out a red rubber ball, a chew toy, and a rawhide bone. Chip sniffed at each toy that Prince Fabian unearthed.

  Then Prince Fabian pulled out a red leather collar. The collar had bone-shaped rhinestones on it.

  “Prince Fabian, you found the collar!” Petra gasped.

  Nancy took the collar out of Prince Fabian’s mouth and rubbed the dirt off with her hands. Soon it was as good as new.

  “I don’t get it,” George said to Nancy. “How did you know Chip’s collar was here?”

  “I figured it out when I saw Prince Fabian’s collar with dirt all over it,” Nancy explained. “Prince Fabian must have gotten hold of Chip’s collar at the party. Then he buried it back here.”

  “That is brilliant! Simply brilliant!” Rex cried out. “I must call Stella Sipowitz right away to tell her the good news!”

  Nancy put the collar around Chip’s neck. The rhinestones glittered brightly against her dark brown fur. “There. You look beautiful,” Nancy told Chip. Chip barked happily.

  Two days later Nancy read Alice Cahill’s “Pet Corner” column over breakfast:

  The latest in the mystery of the missing doggie collar! Nancy Drew busted the case wide open on Sunday afternoon, when she discovered that the culprit was none other than a Jack Russell terrier named Prince Fabian. Way to go, Nancy!

  Chip made a whimpering noise. She was sitting under the table. Nancy slipped her a piece of her bagel. Chip wolfed it down and wagged her tail.

  The jeweled collar looked really pretty on Chip. Nancy was really glad that she had found it.

  Nancy pushed the newspaper aside. Then she opened her blue notebook, picked up her pen, and began to write:

  Sometimes it turns out that a crime isn’t a crime at all. I thought a thief stole Chip’s collar. But it turned out that it wasn’t a thief. It was just a dog acting like a dog!

  Case closed.