리틀팍스

  As the two kids argued about who was right, Henry spotted Nora running toward them. When she reached them, she was out of breath. "I need the lemonade, I mean the hot-chocolate detectives to solve my case!"

  Hanry, Maggie, and Cole stared at Nora. If Nathen or another kid had said it, the detectives will be on the case, but Nora asking them to solve her case? "What do you mean Nora?" Henry asked. He was confused about this young girl's sudden remark, but as he always said, the lemonade, no, the hot-chocolate detectives solve all mysteries, large or small.

  Just as Nora was about to speak, Maggie bursted into laughter. Henry glared at her and kicked her under the table. Now Maggie glared at Henry, but luckly, Maggie didn't say anything more.

  "Patches have disappeared!" Nora shouted as everyone quieted down. "What? Patches is gone?" Maggie shouted in alarm. Patches was a kitty that Nora owned and Nathen had given Maggie two of Patches's kittens. "No, Patches is not gone. She has disappeared." Nora said. "What do you mean?" asked Cole.

  Nora's eyes watered as she spoke. "Yesterday, I was playing with Patches, then suddenly, she ran out the back door of the house! I followed her, but I lost track of her. So, I went home and slept. When I woke up again, Patches was sleeping in her cat bed!! But, when I came back after school, Patches was nowhere to be seen!"

  "Um... Nora? I don't really know what you are talking about..." Cole said, scratching his head. "Patches is not gone?"

  Nora looked frustrated. "I told you! She isn't gone!" she yelled at Cole.

  Maggie rolled her eyes. "How could we solve your mystery if Patches just disappears into thin air? You need Harry Potter's help, not the hot-chocolate detectives!" she said sarcastically.

  Nora stopped her foot on the ground. "I'm not joking! I want the detectives to find Patches!!!"

  Cole shrugged. "As you said, Patches will be home the next day, so why the bother?" he said.

  Henry could see that this wasn't going so well. So, he changed the subject.

  "Where do you think Patches is going when she is gone?" he asked.

  "That's what I want the hot-chocolate detectives to figure out for me!" Nora said crossing her arm.

  Cole sighed. "Then just ask to figure out where Patches is going when she's gone. Okay?" he said.

  But Nora wasn't listening. Instead, she pulled out some very crumpled 5 dollars. "Here." she said, handing the 5 dollars to Henry.  

  "No Nora. You can give us this 5 dollars when we solve the case." Henry said, handing back the 5 dollars.

  Nora just shrugged and stuck the 5 dollars in her pocket. Then she stared at the detectives.

  "Aren't you going to start solving my case?" Nora asked.

  "Sure." Henry said as he got up and motioned for Cole and Maggie to follow him.

  They nodded and the detectives started walking down the road.

  "This case will be easy. We can just follow Patches when she's going somewhere and get the 5 dollars, I mean the 1/3 of 5 dollars for my horse-riding fee!" Maggie said excitedly. "I'm saving up for the next horse show. It'll soon open when the weather is warmer."

  Cole raised his eye-brows. "Don't you have enough money yet? I think you have plenty after the numerous cases." he said.

  "No. I used it for the kittens. Mom saids I've spent so much money and I think she's right. I bought them cat toys, clothes, bathrooms, and snacks!" Maggie said.

  Cole shook his head. "Wow. I agree with your mom. You still have money to spend on the horse show?"

  "I don't think so. So I'm saving up right now, and I can use some extra 5 dollars-I mean 1/3 of 5 dollars." Maggie said.

  While the two chatted, Henry thought. He could go to Nora's house and follow Patches, but he don't really know when Patches will come back. So it'll be more useful if he search for Patches. Now, where would a grown-up cat like Patches would go? Henry didn't know much about cats. So when he was about to ask Maggie about that, Maggie gasped.

  "What's that?!" she shouted, alarmed.