The Perplexing Case of the Pilfered Pooch

Every year the small town of Tadpole Grove grinds to a halt for the Tadpole Grove Dog Show. Hopeful hounds from miles around gather in the town hall to be judged on their appearance, behavior, training and friendliness. It's the biggest event in town and everybody looks forward to it.

For the last four years, the show’s Grand Champion has been Cocoa, a beautiful chocolate Labrador retriever. Unfortunately this means that the number of visitors is dwindling, and the other contestants are starting to grumble. Rumors are spreading that the whole show is a fix.

This year, preparations were underway for the big show. The hall was decorated and ready, but very few tickets had been sold. Then, the night before the  big event, phones started to ring, and news quickly spread that Cocoa had been kidnapped! A strange note was found early the next morning that said only: "Not this time."

The town policeman, Officer Apples, has asked everybody to remain calm. He will, he says, find who stole Cocoa. He’s the only policeman in the town, though, and residents have decided he could use some help. The dog show is scheduled to start in a few hours. Private investigators have been called in to work with Officer Apples.

Eight people are obvious suspects, and one of them must be guilty. But who? For such a small town, a lot is going on behind the scenes. The clock is ticking. You need to find out what happened.