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along,” Lizzie finished lamely.
    Chief Olson didn’t seem to notice. He had knelt down to tousle Cody’s ears. “Well, aren’t you a good-looking fellow,” he said. “Healthy, strong —”
    “And really smart!” Lizzie couldn’t help putting in. She didn’t care if Maria punched her again. “You wouldn’t believe all the things he’s already learned!”
    “So he’s a quick study, is he?” asked the chief, looking thoughtful. He watched as Gunnar let Cody chew on his ear for a while before firmly batting the pesky pup away. “And you’re trying to find him a home?”
    Lizzie couldn’t stand it one second longer. “Yes!” she said. “With you!”
    Maria threw up her hands, laughing.
    The chief was laughing, too. “As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what I was thinking. I have a feeling Gunnar would really like to show this pup the ropes. It would give our old boy something to do, a job. And I can see that Cody here will makea great firehouse mascot when he’s all grown up.” The chief stood up and looked around at the other firefighters. “What do you all think?”
    “Yes!” everybody yelled at once. Dad gave Lizzie a big high five.
    Maria and Lizzie stood grinning at each other. Then Lizzie felt something tugging on her foot. “Cody!” she cried. “Quit eating my shoelaces!”
    Everybody cracked up.
    Lizzie and Maria headed home a little while later, with Cody walking perfectly on the leash. They were feeling happy and proud. “Mom will be so impressed that we already found a home for Cody!” Lizzie was saying as they passed the post office.
    Just then, a woman who was walking in the other direction suddenly stopped. “Did I hear you call that dog Cody?” she asked.
    Lizzie and Maria stopped, too. Cody sat back on his little butt and looked up at the woman. He didn’t bark or pull on the leash. The woman,who was very thin with a sort of pinched-up face, reached down to pet him, but Cody ducked his head.
    “That’s his name,” Lizzie said. “Do you know him?”
    The woman looked confused and started talking fast. “Um — I think I used to know a puppy by that name,” she said. “But — it must have been another Cody. He looked like this puppy, but he sure acted different.” Then she walked off quickly, before Lizzie could say another word.
    “Who was that?” asked Maria.
    “I don’t know,” said Lizzie. She looked down at Cody, who was still sitting very quietly as he watched the woman walk away. “But I have a feeling Cody does.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
    That night, after dinner, Lizzie and her family sat in the living room, eating apple pie with vanilla ice cream, a special dessert to celebrate Cody’s good luck in finding a home with Chief Olson. Lizzie wished she could forget about what had happened earlier that day. Who
was
that woman who had stopped Lizzie and Maria on the street? And why did she seem to recognize Cody? Lizzie could not stop wondering — and worrying. Somehow she just had a bad feeling about the whole thing. But she was trying not to let it ruin Cody’s last night at the Petersons’.
    “Sit!” The Bean was standing by the fireplace. Cody stood in front of him, wagging his tail. The Bean held up a finger. “Tody, sit!”
    Cody did not sit. He stood there with his head cocked to one side. He barked a few times.
    That word sounds sort of familiar. I think this small person wants me to do something. But what? Maybe he wants me to bark.
    “Sit!” the Bean said again, in a stern, deep voice like the one Dad used when he wanted Buddy to do something.
    Cody barked again and wagged his tail harder.
    “Sit!” the Bean said, in the happy voice Lizzie used for training. “Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit!” he pleaded. “Please?”
    Lizzie laughed. She put down her dessert bowl and swooped the Bean up in her arms. “Are you training Cody?” she asked. The Bean nodded, with his lip stuck way far out. Lizzie knew he was just trying to copy what he had seen her do