The Case of the Fire Alarm Read Online Free PDF

will let me go out and talk to her.
    I sit. And I watch as one group of kids comes inside and another, older group, goes outside.
    There’s Jillian! Over by the swings.
    I paw at Mom’s lap to get her attention. “Can I go outside?” I beg. “Please, can I go outside?”
    Mom looks up from her computer. “Do you need to go outside, Buddy?”
    “Yes!” I say, wagging my tail.
    Mom snaps my leash to my collar, then takes me outside.
    I see Jillian playing by the swings.
    “This way,” I say, pulling Mom toward Jillian.
    “Hey, look! It’s Buddy!” “Can Buddy play with us?” “Can Buddy be off the leash?” a group of kids call.
    “He can if someone will bring him in after recess,” Mom says.
    “I will, Mom,” Connor says.
    “Okay,” Mom says, unhooking my leash.
    I zoom past all those other kids.
    “Hey, Jillian,” I say, skidding to a stop in front of her.
    “Hi, Buddy,” she says. She reaches out to scratch my ears, and I move closer so she can reach. She’s really good at scratching ears.
    “So, Jillian,” I say, “Remember when the fire alarm went off? You were outside talking to one of your friends. You said ‘no one saw me.’ What did you mean by that? What did you do that no one saw?”

    Jillian doesn’t understand. “What? You want to play chase?” Jillian asks.
    Chase? I LOVE chase. It’s my favorite—NO! I don’t want to play chase. “I want you to tell me what you were doing that no one saw. I know you were lying when you told Mom you weren’t in the art room. Why did you lie about that?”
    “Come on, Buddy.” Jillian claps her hands. “Let’s go.” She runs away from me.
    “No,” I say, hurrying after her. “I don’t want to play chase. I want to talk.”
    Jillian giggles as she glances back at me, then runs even faster.
    But I’m faster than she is. I run in front of her to get her to stop, but she keeps changing direction.
    I can’t tell if she’s doing this on purpose or if she really doesn’t understand what I’m saying to her. I know it’s hard for humans to understand us, but most of the time if they’d only try—
    A bell rings then, and all the kids run toward the school.
    “See you later, Buddy,” Jillian says with a wave.
    I just stand there with my tail hanging heavy. I am no closer to finding out what Jillian was doing when the fire alarm went off than I was before.
    “It’s frustrating, isn’t it?” says a voice behind me.
    I turn. It’s Jazzy.
    “Communicating with humans, I mean,” Jazzy says. “It’s frustrating.”
    “Sure is,” I say, making my way toward the fence.
    “I was trying to tell my humans about some strange things I saw last night, but they thought I wanted to go outside,” Jazzy says.
    Strange things? “What strange things?” I ask.
    “I saw lights turning on and off in the school,” Jazzy says. “Then I saw a girl’s face in one of the windows. Except I don’t think it was a real girl. I think it was a ghost girl.”
    I stare at Jazzy. “A ghost girl?”
    “Yes.”
    “Was her face burned?” I ask.
    “I don’t know,” Jazzy says. “She was too far away. I couldn’t see her very well.”
    I wasn’t sure I believed Cat with No Name when he said he’s seen a ghost at this school. But I have to believe Jazzy when she says it because dogs don’t lie.
    Is it possible that Cat with No Name was telling the truth? Could there be a ghost in the school? Could that ghost have pulled the fire alarm?

8
Missing!
    “Buddy, come!” Connor calls from across the playground. He is holding my leash.
    I look around. Connor and I are the only ones left on the playground.
    “I have to go,” I tell Jazzy. Then I turn tail and run to Connor.
    “Good boy,” he says, clipping my leash to my collar.
    Connor seems like a smart human even though he’s not full grown yet. “Do you really believe in ghosts, Connor?” I ask as we walk up the stairs. “Do you think there’s a ghost in this school?”
    Connor just hums