Charles’s plan made sense to Lizzie. And she knew that trying to find Noodle’s owners was the right thing to do. So right after lunch, she sat down and started dialing. She was using the kitchen phone, because Dad’s cell phone — which the whole family usually used for long-distance calls — had completely run out of power, and Dad still couldn’t find his charger.
“Hello?”
Lizzie swallowed hard, suddenly realizing that she should have thought about what she was going to say before she dialed the first number on her list. She had started with area code 802, Vermont. She could have tried 801, but that was Utah, and that seemed way too far away for Noodle’s owners to live.
“Um, hello,” she said. “I was just wondering, do you have a dog named Blackie? Or, I mean, did you used to have a dog named Blackie, and now you have a puppy? Like, um, maybe a golden doodle? But he’s missing?”
“Excuse me? Is this some kind of prank call?” The woman on the other end of the line sounded completely confused, and Lizzie couldn’t blame her. But obviously this was not Noodle’s owner. Otherwise the name Blackie and the mention of a missing puppy would have meant something to her.
“Never mind,” Lizzie said quickly. “Wrong number, I guess.” She hung up and looked at the list of numbers on the pad by the phone. Then she crossed off the first area code: 802. There were at least fifteen more to try.
Lizzie sighed. To be honest she didn’t really even want to find Noodle’s real owners. She glanced over at the dog bed in the corner of the kitchen, where Noodle was snoozing after his own lunch. His puppy belly was full and round, and his big soft paws were twitching. Lizzie knew that meant he was probably dreaming about running.
“Chasing squirrels, Noodle?” she said softly. She could have watched him all day, even when he was just lying there sleeping! He was such a sweet puppy.
Noodle’s nose twitched, and he opened one eye to look back at her. Lizzie laughed. That made Noodle jump right up and gallop over to say hello.
Hi! Hi! Hi! How about some pats? I love the way you pat me. It reminds me of the way my people pat me. Think I’ll see them again soon? I sure hope so. I mean, I like you a lot, but as nice as you are, you’re not my people!
Lizzie reached down and pulled the little pup onto her lap. “You are the cutest!” she said. “I mean, next to Buddy, that is.” She kissed the top of his head. “And you smell so good! Especially compared to the Bean.” They really had to do something about that Fur.
Meanwhile, it was time to try another phone call. This time, Lizzie tried to figure out what she would say before she dialed. But the second call did not go much better than the first.
“Hello?” The man who answered spoke loudly and sounded annoyed.
“Hello, my name is Lizzie Peterson, and I found a puppy — or rather a purple collar — well, both, really, and —”
Click. The man hung up before Lizzie could even finish.
“How’s it going, Miss Lizzie?” Dad came into the kitchen, wiping his hands on a rag. He had been working on his pickup truck out in the driveway.
Lizzie sighed. “Not very well, I guess.”
“Tell you what,” Dad said. “Why don’t I try for a bit? Maybe folks would listen a little better to a grown-up. Anyway, we need some of your famous signs. How about if you head upstairs and get to work on the computer, and I’ll take over on the phone?”
Lizzie was happy to hand over her list of area codes. “Come on, Noodle,” she said. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Noodle scrambled to his feet and followed Lizzie out of the kitchen.
Sure, sure, I’ll go anywhere with you! What are we doing next? Maybe we’re going to see my people!
Upstairs, Lizzie got out the camera and posed Noodle on the blue rag rug next to her bed. “First we need a great picture,” she said. “Look at me, Noodle!”
Noodle jumped up and ran over to Lizzie, sticking his nose right up into the camera.
Lizzie giggled. “No, Noodle! You have to sit!” She put him back into position. Then she stepped away and looked through the camera again, focusing on Noodle’s adorable face. “Ready?” she asked.
Noodle jumped up again. This time Lizzie just put down the camera and gave him a big hug. “You are the silliest!” she said. She lay down on the floor and let Noodle dance around her, snuffling at her hair and licking her ears. It was so much more fun to play with Noodle than to make a dumb sign looking for his owners — who probably didn’t even care about him, anyway!
“Noodle?”
Lizzie looked up to see the Bean peering around the corner of her door. “Come on in,” she said. “Want to play with Noodle?”
“Yeah!” The Bean ran into the room. “Noodle!” He threw his arms around the puppy.
Noodle squirmed away.
Pee-yoo! Sometimes I like yucky smells, but a delicious pile of garbage is one thing, and a stinky human is another. This little boy does not smell very good. Not like my people.
“Uppy?” the Bean asked. He tried again, reaching forward to give Noodle a big hug. But Noodle stepped away, and the Bean plopped down on his behind, looking sad and bewildered. “Uppy no play?”
Lizzie had a feeling she knew exactly why the uppy didn’t want to be near the Bean. “I think it’s your Fur,” she told her little brother gently. “I think Noodle doesn’t like the way it smells.”
“But — but — but —” The Bean looked as if he might start screaming any minute.
“I’m not telling you to wash it.” Lizzie held up her hands. “That’s your choice. But you know, every puppy needs a bath once in a while!”