buildings, except for Seeing Eye dogs'?"
Sherlock barked again.
"It almost looks," Dr. Schieber said innocently, "as though he's trying to tell you something, doesn't it?"
Amy felt chilled, not knowing what Dr. Schieber planned.
Sherlock bobbed his head and barked again.
"You're lucky," Officer Munshi said, "I don't write the whole lot of you up for calling in a frivolous report, and for..." He paused, trying to think of something, and Dr. Schieber suggested, "Obstructing justice?"
By his look, he was seriously considering it, at least for her. Instead, he turned and started out of the room.
Sherlock kept moving in front of him, barking all the time.
"Lady, curb this dog of yours."
"I really think he wants to tell you something," Dr. Schieber said.
Is she trying to force Sherlock into actually speaking?
Amy wondered. Not likely, if the experiment at the college was supposed to be secret. She wouldn't want Officer Munshi and all the kids and parents here to know. But Amy could tell Sherlock was getting frustrated, not being able to communicate with the policeman in normal-dog fashion. He stood in the way, looking directly into Officer Munshi's eyes, backing up only to keep from getting stepped on.
"Sherlock," Amy said, "why don't you show me, and I'll show Officer Munshi?"
Sherlock barked once in agreement, then whirled and ran down the hall, the opposite direction Officer Munshi had been trying to go, back toward Amy's locker.
Amy glanced over her shoulder and saw that the policeman was at least giving her a minute. He lingered in the hallway as though ready to run if he even suspected he was being made fun of.
"What is it, Sherlock?" Amy said.
Sherlock barked rather than spoke because several of the children and parents were close on Amy's heels.
At Amy's locker, Sherlock stopped, then started back the way he'd just come, toward the cafeteria and—beyond that—Officer Munshi, and—beyond him—the door.
"This is ridiculous!" Officer Munshi said in exasperation, and once more faced the door.
"No, look," said Mr. Tannen, Minneh's father. "He's sniffing."
Something Mom probably figured Mr. Tannen knew all about. But he was right: Sherlock was sniffing at the lockers. And suddenly he stopped in front of one of them. He gave a sharp bark.
Nobody moved.
Sherlock sat down and gave a long, loud wolf howl.
"Jeez!" Officer Munshi winced at the noise. But he came closer. "What is it?" he asked Amy. "What's he saying?" Amy started to shake her head, and he asked, "Whose locker is this?"
"I'm not sure," Amy said. "But these are all fifth graders' lockers."
Officer Munshi turned to include everyone in his question. "Whose locker is this?" he repeated. "Number 210?" When nobody answered, he said, "Surely there are records in the office."
"I'll check," Sister Mary Grace offered.
"Mine." It was Kaitlyn who stepped forward. "The stupid dog has pointed out
my
locker. Stupid dog."
"Please open it, Miss," Officer Munshi said.
"Daddy," Kaitlyn said, "doesn't he need a search warrant or something?"
Her father hesitated then said, "Open the locker, Kaits."
Scowling, Kaitlyn unfastened the lock.
Not that it meant anything, but Amy was relieved to see that it looked no neater than her own.
Officer Munshi reached to the shelf and pulled out a knitted cap. Nestled inside Was Kaitlyn's egg.
"I hate you," Kaitlyn told Amy, "and the way everybody always makes such a fuss about you and your stupid dog that isn't even your own dog."
"Me?" Amy squeaked. Wasn't it enough for Kaitlyn to be the most-liked girl in fifth grade? She had to be the
only
liked one?
Officer Munshi crooked his finger at the Walker-Pudlyks. He asked Sister Mary Grace, "Is there a room where I can speak privately with you and the family?"
"Certainly," Sister Mary Grace said solemnly. "Follow me."
Some of the Truth
People began to drift back to the cafeteria to a pick up their things and leave.
Amy tried to silently catch Sherlock's attention,
Sherlock barked again.
"It almost looks," Dr. Schieber said innocently, "as though he's trying to tell you something, doesn't it?"
Amy felt chilled, not knowing what Dr. Schieber planned.
Sherlock bobbed his head and barked again.
"You're lucky," Officer Munshi said, "I don't write the whole lot of you up for calling in a frivolous report, and for..." He paused, trying to think of something, and Dr. Schieber suggested, "Obstructing justice?"
By his look, he was seriously considering it, at least for her. Instead, he turned and started out of the room.
Sherlock kept moving in front of him, barking all the time.
"Lady, curb this dog of yours."
"I really think he wants to tell you something," Dr. Schieber said.
Is she trying to force Sherlock into actually speaking?
Amy wondered. Not likely, if the experiment at the college was supposed to be secret. She wouldn't want Officer Munshi and all the kids and parents here to know. But Amy could tell Sherlock was getting frustrated, not being able to communicate with the policeman in normal-dog fashion. He stood in the way, looking directly into Officer Munshi's eyes, backing up only to keep from getting stepped on.
"Sherlock," Amy said, "why don't you show me, and I'll show Officer Munshi?"
Sherlock barked once in agreement, then whirled and ran down the hall, the opposite direction Officer Munshi had been trying to go, back toward Amy's locker.
Amy glanced over her shoulder and saw that the policeman was at least giving her a minute. He lingered in the hallway as though ready to run if he even suspected he was being made fun of.
"What is it, Sherlock?" Amy said.
Sherlock barked rather than spoke because several of the children and parents were close on Amy's heels.
At Amy's locker, Sherlock stopped, then started back the way he'd just come, toward the cafeteria and—beyond that—Officer Munshi, and—beyond him—the door.
"This is ridiculous!" Officer Munshi said in exasperation, and once more faced the door.
"No, look," said Mr. Tannen, Minneh's father. "He's sniffing."
Something Mom probably figured Mr. Tannen knew all about. But he was right: Sherlock was sniffing at the lockers. And suddenly he stopped in front of one of them. He gave a sharp bark.
Nobody moved.
Sherlock sat down and gave a long, loud wolf howl.
"Jeez!" Officer Munshi winced at the noise. But he came closer. "What is it?" he asked Amy. "What's he saying?" Amy started to shake her head, and he asked, "Whose locker is this?"
"I'm not sure," Amy said. "But these are all fifth graders' lockers."
Officer Munshi turned to include everyone in his question. "Whose locker is this?" he repeated. "Number 210?" When nobody answered, he said, "Surely there are records in the office."
"I'll check," Sister Mary Grace offered.
"Mine." It was Kaitlyn who stepped forward. "The stupid dog has pointed out
my
locker. Stupid dog."
"Please open it, Miss," Officer Munshi said.
"Daddy," Kaitlyn said, "doesn't he need a search warrant or something?"
Her father hesitated then said, "Open the locker, Kaits."
Scowling, Kaitlyn unfastened the lock.
Not that it meant anything, but Amy was relieved to see that it looked no neater than her own.
Officer Munshi reached to the shelf and pulled out a knitted cap. Nestled inside Was Kaitlyn's egg.
"I hate you," Kaitlyn told Amy, "and the way everybody always makes such a fuss about you and your stupid dog that isn't even your own dog."
"Me?" Amy squeaked. Wasn't it enough for Kaitlyn to be the most-liked girl in fifth grade? She had to be the
only
liked one?
Officer Munshi crooked his finger at the Walker-Pudlyks. He asked Sister Mary Grace, "Is there a room where I can speak privately with you and the family?"
"Certainly," Sister Mary Grace said solemnly. "Follow me."
Some of the Truth
People began to drift back to the cafeteria to a pick up their things and leave.
Amy tried to silently catch Sherlock's attention,
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