CHAPTER ONE
Pampered Pup
âItâs like a real, live fashion show!â eight-year-old Nancy Drew said to her two best friends.
Bess Marvin and George Fayne smiled and looked down at a pug dog on a leash. He was dressed in striped overalls and matching doggy booties.
âExcept in this fashion show the models have four legs instead of two.â Bess giggled.
It was Saturday, the day of the Cool Canines Fashion Show in River Heights Park. Mr. Drew had driven the girls to the park and agreed to meet them by the fashion show stage before showtime. Nancy was extra excited becauseher Labrador puppy, Chocolate Chip, was a model in the show.
âIsnât Chip totally stylinâ in her doggy denim outfit?â Nancy asked. âItâs from the Funky Fido Boutique.â
George bent down to straighten Chipâs cap. âChip looks totally fetching,â she said. âFetch . . . dog . . . get it?â
Bess rolled her blue eyes. âThatâs the fifth dog joke today, George,â she said. âOne more and Iâll start calling you Georgia!â
âNo, thank you!â George said, tossing her dark curls. She hated being called by her real name.
As the girls walked through the park, Nancy couldnât believe her eyes. The park looked so festive! Colorful balloons fluttered from a long runway built just for the fashion show.
âDo you think dogs like wearing clothes?â George asked. She was more into booting up computers than picking out new boots. But her cousin Bess was the total opposite.
âWho doesnât like new clothes?â Bess asked. She twirled to show off her yellow jeans and daisy print top. âCheck out my new spring outfit.â
âItâs nice,â Nancy said. âBut arenât you afraid of getting dog hairs on it?â
âDog hairs? I laugh at dog hairs!â Bess said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a hairbrush. It was wrapped with tape, sticky side up.
âWhat is that?â George asked.
âItâs my Hairy Fairy Wand!â Bess said. âI built it to pick up dog and cat hairs from clothes and furniture.â
âSweet!â Nancy said. She was proud of her two friends. Bess could build or fix anything. George was a computer whiz and proud of it. All three of them were great at solving mysteries. They had even started their own detective club called the Clue Crew. But today wouldnât be about cracking cases. It would be about walking on the runway!
âLook!â George said. âThereâs something you donât see every day.â
Nancy turned to see where George was pointing. A bright-pink trailer was parked under a tree. Written on the side in fancy silver letters was the name L OLA .
âIsnât Lola that poodle who models for cards and calendars?â Bess asked. âThe one they call the Diva Dog?â
âThatâs the one,â Nancy said. âI heard Lolaâs the star of the fashion show today.â
âThatâs superstar !â a voice piped up.
Nancyâs reddish blond hair whipped in the air as she spun around. She saw two girls standing there, and sitting on the ground between them was Lolaâthe famous Diva Dog!
The big white poodle was dressed in a pink chiffon skirt and cape fastened with a pearl collar. She also wore a sparkly tiara on her furry head.
âItâs Lola!â George exclaimed.
âMay I pet her?â Nancy asked.
âDonât even think of it,â said one of the girls, who had wavy blond hair. âLola just had a raw egg shampoo!â
âAnd a manicure!â the other, red-haired girl said. âDonât forget about the manicure, Maya.â
âLike, duh, Nicki!â Maya groaned. âIâm theone who picked out her cotton-candy pink nail polish, remember?â
Nancy glanced down at Lolaâs paws. The poodle really was wearing pink nail polish!
âLola is my
Craig R. Saunders, Craig Saunders