The Case of the Mixed-Up Mutts

Albert Whitman & Company

Chicago, Illinois

For Dave, who
really
needs a dog.

1. Who Am I?

2. The Real Mystery

3. Escape

4. A Bad Feeling

5. Our Problem Becomes a Mystery

6. Does Anyone Smell a River?

7. News from Springtown

8. The House That Smells Like Oatmeal Cookies

9. On the Run

10. A Happy Ending

Hello! My name is ...

Hmm, what
is
my name?

I always thought my name was King. That’s what Kayla and her mom and dad call me. Kayla says I am the King of Crime-solving. I LOVE solving crimes. It’s my favorite thing!

I haven’t seen Kayla and her family for a long time. Kayla’s mom is in a place called the National Guard. That means she’s far away from home, but she’s okay. I don’t know where Kayla and Dad are. What happened to them is a mystery. A mystery I am still trying to solve.

Here is what I know about the Case of the Missing Family:

Kayla and her dad went to Grandma’s house in Springtown.

They left me at Barker Bob’s.

They never came back.

Our neighbor, Mr. Sanchez, picked me up from Barker Bob’s.

I stayed at Mr. Sanchez’s for a while, then Uncle Marty came and took me to the P-O-U-N-D.

My people would never let me go to the P-O-U-N-D.

Something bad has happened to Kayla and Dad.

While I was at the
P-O-U-N-D
, I accidentally adopted some new people. Their names are Connor and Mom. They’re new around here. They don’t know Kayla and her mom and dad. And they don’t know that Kayla, Mom, and Dad are my other people.

Here are some good things about going to live with Connor and his mom:

They have good food and cool toys.

They just put a doggy door in their house. Now I can go outside and come back in whenever I want to.

When Connor’s mom isn’t looking, Connor lets me sleep in his bed.