Lucy on the Loose (2 page)

Shawn had an older sister and a younger brother. Bobby didn’t have any brothers or sisters. He thought Shawn was being a little mean. “Ben, maybe there’s a good show on TV,” Bobby suggested.

“Yeah, Ben, go inside and watch TV,” Shawn said.

“No. N-O,” said Ben.

Ben was starting kindergarten in the fall. But he was already learning to spell.

Shawn shook his head. “All right, stay. But you can’t look at the comic book.”

Ben stuck out his lower lip. He plopped down on the grass next to Lucy.

Lucy tried to make Ben feel better. She licked his cheek. Ben petted Lucy’s back.

“That’s good, Ben,” Bobby said. “You can play with Lucy.”

“Lucy is a D-O-G,” Ben spelled.

Bobby laughed. “Right. D-O-G spells dog. L-U-C-Y spells Lucy.”

Ben repeated the letters carefully. “L-U-C-Y.”

“Oh, don’t encourage him,” Shawn said. “He spells all the time. He’s driving everybody crazy.”

Bobby looked down at the comic book. “What’s this one about?” he asked Shawn.

“Superman is trying to save an airplane,” Shawn told him. “It’s going to crash. See?” Shawn pointed at one of the pictures. “He’s keeping the airplane in the air. With one hand.”

“Cool!” Bobby said. He started reading the comic book over Shawn’s shoulder. “You know, I could draw a Superman comic strip.”

“Yeah?” Shawn looked impressed.

“Absolutely,” Bobby said.

“I’ve got some paper and markers in the house,” Shawn said.

“We can make up a comic strip for the Lone Ranger, too,” Bobby said.

“That’s a great idea,” Shawn said. “Maybe Superman and the Lone Ranger
could join forces.” He jumped up. “I’ll be right back with the stuff,” Shawn called as he ran into the house.

Bobby started thinking about an adventure for the Lone Ranger and Superman. Maybe he could put Lucy in the comic strip, too.

Lucy! Where was she?

Bobby looked around for Lucy. She was playing with Ben.

Ben tossed a stick. Lucy brought it back. Just like she learned in obedience school.

“Having fun, Ben?” Bobby called.

Ben nodded. “Yep. Does Lucy catch frisbees?”

“Not yet. But we can teach her someday,” Bobby said. “She loves to run and catch stuff.”

Shawn brought out the markers and paper. Bobby and Shawn spread out over the steps. They started drawing.

Shawn drew Superman flying through the air. Bobby drew the Lone Ranger on his horse, Silver.

“Drawing a horse isn’t that easy,” Bobby grumbled.

Shawn looked over at Bobby’s drawing and chuckled. “Silver looks more like a cow.”

Bobby had to laugh, too. “Yeah, I guess he does, kind of.”

Just then Ben came running up to the boys.

“Bob-by,” Ben stammered.

“What’s wrong?” Bobby asked. He looked around. “Hey! Where’s Lucy?”

Ben looked scared.

“Ben!” Shawn said. “What happened to Lucy?”

“She … she ran away!” Ben said in a shaky voice.

Bobby jumped up. “Lucy ran away? Where?”

“That way.” Ben was confused. He pointed in one direction. “Or maybe that way.” He pointed in the other direction. “Which way was it?” Shawn demanded. “I’m not sure.” Ben was almost crying. “But she was chasing a big orange C-A-T!”

Lucy was gone.

For a few seconds, Bobby just stood there, not knowing what to do. Even though it was hot, he could feel a cold sweat on his forehead.

Bobby asked Ben, “Are you sure you don’t know where Lucy went?”

“Think, Ben,” Shawn said.

Ben looked like he might cry. “I was getting a bigger stick. Then I looked up. Lucy was chasing the cat. They ran behind the house, and I ran to get you.”

“Maybe she hasn’t left the yard yet,” Shawn suggested.

“Yeah!” Bobby said.

He started running around the house. Shawn was behind him. Ben was right behind Shawn.

They looked in the backyard. They looked behind the garage. No Lucy. But Shawn did find her leash.

Shawn held it up. “Ben, did you take off Lucy’s leash?”

Ben nodded slowly. “It made it hard for her to fetch the stick. She kept tripping on it.”

Now Bobby was even more worried.
Without her leash flapping, it will be easier for Lucy to run
, he thought.

“That was dumb,” Shawn told Ben.

Tears started to roll down Ben’s cheeks.

“What should we do?” Bobby asked. He felt like he might start crying, too.

“Maybe Lucy chased the cat back to your house,” Shawn said.

“Maybe,” Bobby said. He felt his hopes rise a little.

“Let’s go,” said Shawn.

Ben tried to follow them.

“No, Ben. You stay here,” Shawn told him.

“I don’t want to.” Ben wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Please wait here, Ben,” Bobby said. “Maybe Lucy will come back. Somebody has to be here.”

“That’ll be your job, Ben,” Shawn told him. “Take her leash.”

Ben finally nodded. He took the leash. “Okay. I’ll wait here. I’ll wait for Lucy.”

The boys ran across the street to Bobby’s house.

“Don’t let my mother see us,” Bobby whispered to Shawn. “She’ll ask where Lucy is.”

He peeked in the window. Mrs. Quinn was still inside the house reading the newspaper. Should he tell her about Lucy? No. They might find her any minute and then he wouldn’t have to.

Bobby and Shawn searched around the house for Lucy. Maybe she had gotten tired of chasing the cat. Maybe she was resting in one of her favorite spots.

But she was not in the garden. She was not under the shady oak tree.

Bobby felt like a small boat was in the middle of his stomach, rocking up and down.

“Now where?” Shawn whispered.

Bobby tried to think. “Let’s check the
park. Maybe Lucy chased the cat there.”

There was a small park on the next block. It was mostly for little kids. But today, a couple of big kids were kicking a soccer ball around.

“You could ask them,” Shawn said, scuffing the dirt with his feet.

Bobby nodded. But he didn’t say anything.

The ball rolled in their direction.

“Hey, kick it over here,” one of the kids said.

Bobby kicked the ball.

“Thanks,” the kid said. He turned back to the game.

Bobby was shy with most people. But he was really shy around bigger kids. He had to ask, though.

“Hey!” he called.

The kid turned around. He frowned. “What?”

“Did you see a beagle chasing a cat?” Bobby said the words quickly before he could think about them.

The older boy looked surprised. “Yeah.”

Bobby took a deep breath. “She’s my dog. Where did she go?”

The boy pointed in the direction of Main Street.

This news made Bobby feel really scared. Even more scared than talking to a big kid.

Main Street was a busy place on Saturday. There was noise. There was traffic. It was absolutely no place for a dog on her own.

The boys rushed downtown. Now they stood on the corner of Main and First. They looked up and down the street. They didn’t see Lucy.

“Where do we start?” Shawn asked.

“I don’t know,” Bobby said helplessly.

“Maybe we should ask around,” said Shawn.

“We have to do something,” Bobby answered.

Shawn looked in the window of the Buy Lo. “Hey, Bobby, come here. Look how busy the store is.”

The store was full of people today.

Some were plucking items off the shelves and putting them in their baskets. Other shoppers were standing in line to pay.

“Lucy wouldn’t chase a cat into a store,” Bobby said.

“No,” Shawn said, “but there are lots of customers in there. Maybe one of them saw Lucy. Of course,” Shawn said more slowly, “that’s a lot of people to ask.”

“Wait a minute!” Bobby exclaimed. “We don’t have to ask them all. There’s a loudspeaker in the store. I’ve heard it. We just have to ask the clerk to make an announcement. Everyone in the store will hear it.”

The boys hurried into the store.

Bobby looked over at the checkout counter. A friendly-looking lady was at the cash register. She was busy ringing up customers.
There was a long line. It would be hard to interrupt her.

But Bobby had to do it. He had to do it for Lucy. He walked up to the woman.

“Excuse me,” Bobby said very softly.

The cashier didn’t hear him.

“Excuse me,” Bobby said more loudly.

The woman looked down at him. “Yes?”

“Hey!” A grouchy man was waiting at the counter. “Get in line!”

“But … but …” Bobby stammered.

“Is something the matter?” the cashier asked.

“I’m-looking-for-my-dog.” Bobby said it all in one breath. “She’s lost.”

Several people heard Bobby. “Lost dog, lost dog.” The news went up and down the checkout line.

“Could you make an announcement? The kind that everyone in the store can hear?” Bobby asked the cashier.

“I suppose,” the cashier said. “Tell me what your dog looks like.”

“Be quick about it,” the grouchy man added.

Bobby tried not to look at all those grown-ups waiting in line. He turned toward the cashier. But he could feel his cheeks getting red anyway.

“Her name is Lucy. She’s a beagle, white and brown with black spots. She was chasing an orange cat. They were running toward Main Street.”
Whew!

“Is she wearing a collar?” asked a teenager.

“Yes,” Bobby said. “Her name and phone number are on her collar.”

The cashier picked up a microphone and clicked it on.

“Shoppers!” she said. “Please be on the lookout around town for a brown and white beagle named Lucy.”

Bobby tugged on the woman’s sleeve. “She has black spots, too,” he whispered.

“A brown and white beagle with black spots,” the woman added. “She’s lost and was last seen chasing an orange cat. Her name and phone number are on her collar.”

“Thank you,” Bobby said. “Thanks a lot.”

“No problem,” the cashier said, “but now I have to get back to work.”

Bobby had felt happy when he heard the announcement. But no one in the store came up to them and said they had seen Lucy. He and Shawn were going to have to keep looking.

“You’ll find her,” the teenager said.

“Have you checked the butcher shop?” asked a woman. “Dogs like bones, you know.”

Even the grouchy man called, “Good luck” as the boys went out the door.

“Now what?” Shawn asked.

Bobby shook his head. He was feeling low. “I guess we could try the butcher shop like that lady said.”

Shawn shrugged. “Can’t hurt. It’s right across the street.”

Bobby told himself not to worry. There were still lots of places to look for Lucy.

But he couldn’t help it. He was worried anyway.

The boys waited at the light to cross the street. Shawn said, “Maybe we should tell your mother about Lucy. She could drive us around town.”

Bobby thought about telling her Lucy was lost. He could hear his mother saying, “Keep Lucy on her leash. Shawn’s yard doesn’t have a fence.”

Bobby sighed. She would say he was careless. She’d be mad. Bobby couldn’t blame her. He was mad at himself.

“Let’s just check out the butcher shop,” Bobby said. “Then I’ll call home and tell my mother about Lucy.”

They were about to enter the store when a familiar voice stopped them. “Hey, you’re going in the wrong place. The ice cream shop is next door.”

The boys turned around. There was Bobby’s friend Candy, licking away at a chocolate ice cream cone.

Candy was another new friend of Bobby’s. They met at dog obedience school. Candy’s dog, Butch, was the worst dog in the class.

If the teacher said “sit,” Butch stood. If the teacher said “fetch,” Butch lay down. He flunked the class.

Candy didn’t mind. She liked Butch as much as Bobby liked Lucy. Candy liked something else. She liked to talk! She liked to talk as much as Lucy liked to run.

She started talking now. “Hey, Shawn,
remember me? I met you at Bobby’s house. It was right after I got back from the lake. I still have my suntan. But it’s peeling now.” Candy flicked a piece of dead skin off her arm.