The Great Goat Gaffe Read online

  “At least Pogo is back home,” Nancy said as they walked away from the Disher house. She slowed down to cross Leslie’s name off their suspect list.

  “We have one suspect left,” Bess said. “Quincy Taylor.”

  “One and a half,” Nancy pointed out. “We saw Nina Pickles at the farm today, remember?”

  “Speaking of pickles,” George said with a grin, “my mom catered a sweet sixteen last night and has a ton of leftovers. Let’s go to my house for some lunch.”

  “Thanks, George!” Nancy said.

  “I’m so glad my aunt is a caterer!” Bess said with a smile.

  Nancy, Bess, and George walked straight to the Fayne house. Mrs. Fayne was glad to feed them chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, and green salad.

  But as Nancy ate, the case was still on her mind. “Mrs. Fayne?” she asked. “Have you ever shopped at Nina Pickles’s store?”

  “No,” Mrs. Fayne said, “but I catered Nina’s birthday party a few months ago.”

  “At her store, Aunt Louise?” Bess asked.

  “At her home,” Mrs. Fayne replied. “It’s the cutest little house on Magnolia Street!”

  Magnolia Street?

  All three girls stared at Mrs. Fayne.

  “We were just on Magnolia Street, Mom,” George said. “Wesley and Leslie Disher live there.”

  “Someone else lives on Magnolia Street,” Nancy said as a new thought clicked into place. “Pogo the Trampoline Goat!”

  Chapter 6

  SAY CHEESE!

  “Nancy, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Bess asked excitedly.

  Nancy nodded. “If Nina lives nears the Dishers, she probably knows about Pogo!”

  “She’s close enough to have taken Pogo too!” George said. “I think Nina Pickles went from being half a suspect to a whole suspect.”

  Mrs. Fayne smiled as she poured the girls more juice. “Sounds like the Clue Crew is working on another case.”

  “And we’re about to crack it wide open.” George looked up at her mom. “Is it okay if we use your computer? I want to look up some stuff about Nina Pickles.”

  “Sure,” Mrs. Fayne said with a grin. “After you wash all that sticky barbecue sauce off your hands.”

  After lunch, and with clean hands, the Clue Crew huddled around Mrs. Fayne’s computer. A computer geek and proud of it, George tapped the keys. A few seconds later, Nina’s website filled the screen.

  Nancy leaned over for a better look. “It says Nina is having a special event today.”

  “It’s a fashion show two hours from now for Nina’s new line of kids’ clothes,” Bess said excitedly. “Cool!”

  The girls read all about the fashion show. It would be held at Gym Dandy, a gym just for kids. Admission was free.

  “We should go there and question Nina,” Nancy said.

  “How can we do that in the middle of a fashion show?” George asked. “Once she finds out we’re detectives, her lips will be zipped!”

  “Ooh, I know!” Bess exclaimed.

  “What?” Nancy and George asked at the same time.

  “We’ll go there as reporters,” Bess said. “Fashion reporters. We’ll wear dark sunglasses and hats so Nina won’t recognize us from the farm.”

  “I don’t know,” George said. “What do I know about fashion?”

  “Nothing,” Bess admitted, “so you stay quiet while Nancy and I do the talking.”

  “We should start by asking her fashion questions,” Nancy said, “and little by little… Pogo questions!”

  “Let’s go to my house,” Bess said. “We can go through my clothes and accessories for disguises.”

  “All your clothes and accessories?” George cried. “We only have two hours, Bess!”

  “Ha-ha,” Bess said, not laughing.

  The Clue Crew rushed to the Marvins’ house, where they picked out outfits. Nancy and Bess paired jackets with dressy pants, topping them off with hats and sunglasses. George stuck to jeans and a black faux-leather jacket.

  “No accessories, George?” Bess asked.

  “Boom!” George said, picking up her phone. “To record Nina’s answers. We’re reporters now, remember?”

  Nancy, Bess, and George hurried to Gym Dandy. They had no trouble getting into the kids’ gym, where the fashion show was already going strong.

  “Omigosh!” Bess whispered. “There’s a real-life runway!”

  Nancy watched as kids their age strutted up and down the long, narrow runway in Nina Pickles’s designs. On both sides of the runway, guests sat enjoying the show.

  “Remember, we’re not here to watch the fashion show,” Nancy reminded her friends. “We’re here to ask Nina about Pogo.”

  “What are we waiting for?” George said. “There she is!”

  Nancy turned to see Nina just a few feet away.

  “Ms. Pickles, Ms. Pickles!” Nancy called as she, Bess, and George ran toward her. “May we ask you a few questions, please?”

  Nina raised an eyebrow at the girls. “Questions?” she asked. “What kind of questions?”

  “Fashion questions,” Nancy said. “We’re reporters from… from—”

  “From Trendy Tween magazine!” Bess blurted. “We’d like to know about your new line of activewear just for kids like us.”

  “A magazine?” Nina asked excitedly. “I only have a few minutes, but go ahead. What would you like to know?”

  George held up her phone to record while Nancy asked the first question: “Ms. Pickles, why do you think kids will like your new line of activewear?”

  “What’s not to like?” Nina chuckled. “My kids’ activewear is colorful, fun, and most important—comfy!”

  “Comfy?” Bess repeated. “Are you saying your yoga pants—”

  “Next question!” George cut in. “Nina, were you disappointed when Sophie Sweet wouldn’t show your clothes on Wake Up, River Heights this morning?”

  “George!” Nancy groaned under her breath. They were supposed to get to the goat topic slowly!

  Nina blinked, surprised at the sudden question. Then she said, “Sure, I was disappointed. But not anymore.”

  “Why not?” all three girls asked in unison.

  “Because I got something to make up for it,” Nina said with a grin. “And it was totally worth it!”

  Nina glanced over at the busy runway. “I’d better get back to my fashion show. Thanks for the questions, girls!”

  When Nina walked out of earshot, Nancy, Bess, and George huddled to discuss what they’d found out.

  “What do you think Nina got?” Nancy asked.

  “Revenge?” Bess suggested, her eyes wide.

  “Oh, girls,” a singsong voice called.

  Nancy, Bess, and George looked up to see a woman wearing a headset and walking in their direction. “Hi. I’m Poppy, the director of the fashion show,” she said like she was in a rush. “You’re the three girls who came together to model, right?”

  Nancy was about to say no when Bess blurted out, “Right!”

  “What?” George whispered angrily, but Poppy was already yanking clothing off a rack.

  “Here are the outfits you’ll be modeling,” Poppy said. “Put them on behind the screen, then hurry out to the runway.” She dropped an outfit into each girl’s arms.

  As she walked away, George shook her head. “No way. The only modeling I do is with clay!”

  “Please, George,” Bess said. “It’ll be fun.”

  Nancy thought so too, even though she wanted to keep working on their case. She looked down at the outfit in her arms. “This hoodie is nice, but I can’t wear yoga pants,” she said. “There’re no pocket for my clue book!”

  Nancy, Bess, and George filed behind the screen. The first thing they saw back there was another rack filled with clothes. The next thing was a long table filled with food. Each platter was covered with cellophane.

  “It’s probably for the after-party,” Bess said. “I hope we can have some.”

>   Nancy peered through the clear cellophane at the food. There were crackers, dip, raw veggies, and a platter of log-shaped white things. Propped up near the platter was a small chalkboard sign that read: GOAT CHEESE: BLUEBERRY PECAN!

  “Blueberry pecan!” Nancy exclaimed.

  “What about it?” Bess asked.

  “That was the flavor of the day at Sweet Creams Farm today,” Nancy explained. “Hannah said someone bought all of the logs!”

  “So?” George asked.

  “So maybe Nina didn’t come to the farm with Pogo,” Nancy said. “Maybe she came… with a shopping list!”

  Chapter 7

  WHEELS AND SQUEALS

  “A shopping list?” George asked.

  “What do you mean, Nancy?” Bess asked.

  “Nina could have been at Sweet Creams Farm this morning to buy cheese!” Nancy said, nodding at the table. “This goat cheese.”

  “Nina still could have snuck Pogo into the goat pen before she went shopping,” George pointed out.

  “She seems like a multitasker,” Bess added.

  “You’ve got five minutes, girls!” Poppy called from the other side of the screen. “And don’t forget the sneakers!”

  The girls looked down to see three pairs of brand-new sneakers lined up beneath the rack.

  “We only have enough time to put on the hoodies and the sneakers,” Nancy said. “Let’s get dressed.”

  “And get this over with,” George muttered.

  When they were ready, Nancy, Bess, and George lined up behind the screen.

  “Hurry, girls. Hurry!” Poppy called, pointing to the runway. “You’re on!”

  “Just do what I do,” Bess shouted over the loud, pulsating music. “And don’t forget to pivot.”

  A colorful balloon arch led to the runway. Nancy, Bess, and George stood under it, striking glam poses. They were about to step forward when Poppy ran over, calling, “Wait! The sneakers aren’t switched on yet.”

  “What’s not switched on?” Nancy asked.

  “The wheels!” Poppy replied. “Off you go!”

  Poppy gave each girl a gentle push.

  “Ahhhhhhhhh!” Nancy cried out as she began sliding down the runway. “These are roller sneakers!”

  “I can’t stop!” Bess cried as she slip-slided too. “George, what do we do?”

  “I don’t know!” George shouted as her feet moved in opposite directions. “I’ve never worn sneakers with wheels before!”

  All three friends zigzagged up and down the runway. To keep from falling, Nancy and Bess grabbed the arch. Balloons popped loudly as they burst. Guests shrieked and jumped up as George swerved toward their chairs. She spun around and landed on an empty chair, her feet kicking up in the air.

  “Whoa.” She groaned under her breath.

  “Thank you, girls. Thank yoooooou!” Nina shouted, rushing down the runway. She smiled nervously at the guests. “I guess that brings new meaning to the words ‘fashion forward’!”

  When no one laughed, Nina blurted, “That concludes our show. All outfits are available at my store starting today. Buh-bye!”

  Guests filed out of Gym Dandy, some shaking their heads in disbelief. Nancy, Bess, and George sat on the runway, pulling off their sneakers while Nina argued with Poppy.

  “Why were those girls on the runway?” Nina demanded. “They’re reporters, not models.”

  Poppy apologized, then raced to stop the popped balloon arch from toppling over. Happy to be out of the rollaway sneakers, the girls stepped into their own shoes. They then walked over to Nina.

  “Actually, Ms. Pickles, we’re detectives,” Nancy explained.

  “The Clue Crew,” Bess added. “We were trying to find out who put Pogo in the yoga class this morning.”

  George folded her arms across her chest. “You do know Pogo, don’t you, Ms. Pickles?” she asked. “Pogo the Trampoline Goat, who lives on your block?”

  “Of course, I know the Dishers’ pet goat,” Nina said, “but I would do nothing of the kind.”

  “You were mad at Sophie Sweet because your new line of children’s clothes wouldn’t be shown on TV,” Nancy said.

  “I told you before,” Nina said, “Sophie offered me something to make up for it—lots of goat cheese free of charge for my after-show party.”

  “Oh,” Nancy said.

  “You see,” Nina went on, “I needed snacks to serve all the guests.”

  “But you just sent everybody home,” Bess said.

  Nina’s eyes widened. “I did, didn’t I?” she said. Then she shouted, “Poppy! What are we going to do with all that cheese?”

  While Nina darted over to Poppy, the girls pulled off their hoodies and hung them on a nearby rack.

  “Modeling is harder than I thought.” Bess sighed. “But at least we got to question Nina.”

  “We still don’t know if Nina told us the truth, though,” George said. “So what if she got free cheese at the farm? She still could have done something cheesy!”

  Nancy wasn’t ready to cross Nina off her suspect list either. That was until they went outside and saw Nina’s car….

  “Look!” Nancy said, pointing to a card stuck behind the windshield wipers. “It’s a parking receipt from Sweet Creams Farm. Nina forgot to take it off.”

  “What about it?” Bess asked.

  “It shows the time Nina got to Sweet Creams Farm,” Nancy explained. She stood on her tiptoes to read the receipt. “She got to the farm at seven forty-five.”

  “Pogo was already in our yoga class by then,” Bess said.

  “Nina couldn’t have brought Pogo to the farm in the morning,” George added. “She really did just come to pick up all that cheese.”

  “Which means she’s no longer a suspect,” Nancy said as she crossed Nina’s name off the list.

  “Quincy is our last suspect,” George said. “Should we question him next?”

  Nancy shook her head as she shut her clue book. “I have to go home now,” she said. “My dad and I are going for a special spring break night out.”

  “What are you going to do?” George asked.

  Nancy giggled as she remembered the rollaway sneakers. “Anything but roller skate!”

  * * *

  “They serve pizza with spinach and kale here, Daddy,” Nancy said, pointing to the chalkboard menu above their booth. “That’s one way to eat your veggies!”

  Nancy and her dad were having dinner at a new pizza place called Sugar and Slice. Each pie came with a yummy ice-cream sundae for dessert.

  Mr. Drew put down his slice to pull out his phone. “Before I forget,” he said, “I thought you might want to see this.”

  Nancy swallowed her last piece of pizza crust. “See what?” she asked.

  “This video.” Mr. Drew held up his phone. “It seems to be going viral.”

  Nancy leaned over the table for a closer look. What she saw made her jaw drop. It was a video of Pogo in their yoga class from that morning!

  “That’s me!” Nancy gasped when she saw herself on the screen. Shrieks and bleats accompanied the frenzied yoga class as she and her friends tried to dodge the upset kids. “Daddy, this is so embarrassing.”

  A close shot of Pogo suddenly filled the screen. For the first time, Nancy noticed something around his neck.

  “Pause the video, please!” Nancy said. “I think I see something.”

  “What?” Mr. Drew asked.

  “A clue!”

  Chapter 8

  PET FRET

  After Mr. Drew paused the video, Nancy pointed to a collar around Pogo’s neck. It was green with white polka dots.

  “Pogo wasn’t wearing a collar when we first met him,” Nancy said. “I’ll bet that collar has a matching leash that snaps on to it.”

  “I’m not sure where you’re going with this,” Mr. Drew admitted. “What does Pogo’s collar have to do with your case?”

  Nancy loved sharing the Clue Crew’s latest mysteries with her father. Mr.
Drew was a lawyer, and he knew a thing or two about cases.

  “Someone must have walked Pogo to the farm,” Nancy explained, “just like someone would walk a dog.” She pointed to the collar. “So that’s what we have to look for when we visit Quincy tomorrow—a matching green leash with white polka dots!”

  “Remember to ask Quincy lots of questions before you accuse him of anything,” Mr. Drew said, placing his phone back in his pocket. “Sometimes your last suspect is not really your last one.”

  Nancy reached for another slice of pizza. “Just like my last slice wasn’t my last either!” she said with a grin.

  * * *

  “I can’t believe someone had a camera yesterday!” Bess groaned the next morning after watching the Pogo video. “My hair was such a mess!”

  George rolled her eyes as she pocketed her phone. “Bess, the whole place was a mess after Pogo got finished with it.”

  “Now that you know what Pogo’s collar looks like,” Nancy said, “let’s go to Quincy’s house to see if he has the matching leash.”

  The Clue Crew had met in front of the Drews’ house before heading to Quincy’s. They were about to start walking when—

  “Spring has sprung. Spring has sprung! Raaaaak!”

  Nancy would know that squawky voice anywhere. It was their friend Shelby Metcalf’s pet parrot, Ernie!

  Shelby walked over with Ernie perched on her arm. “Hey, Clue Crew,” she said. “Where are you guys going?”

  “To Quincy’s house,” Bess answered.

  “What a coinky-dink!” Shelby exclaimed. “Ernie and I are going there too.”

  “You are?” Nancy asked. “Why?”

  “Because Quincy is having auditions,” Shelby explained. “He’s looking for new animal acts to manage.”

  “It’s… showtiiiiiime!” Ernie screeched. “Arrrk!”

  “New animal acts?” George asked. “Isn’t managing a trampoline goat enough?”

  “Raaak!” Ernie squawked. “Bad vibes!”

  “I know,” Nancy said with a smile. “Why don’t we all walk to Quincy’s house together?”