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~~MY FRIEND, TOBY~~

"Mom, I'm going over to JJ's!" I called.
"Be home for dinner!" Mom called back.
I let the screen door slam behind me as I ran barefoot down the driveway. On the right side of the street was Mr. Franklin's white house. He was sitting in a wooden rocking chair on his front porch reading a newspaper.
"Welcome back, Ryan!" He called to me.
I waved back. "Thanks, Mr. Franklin."

Every year my parents and I would go to California for summer vacation. We rented the same house on the same street every time, right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. I could see the blue water from my bedroom window. Every summer I couldn't wait to leave for our trip. I knew after driving for three days I would get to see my best friend in the whole world, JJ Jones.
When I got to edge of his driveway I saw him sitting on his front steps waiting for me.
"JJ, I'm back!" I called running up his driveway.
"I've been waiting for you." He said flatly. His chin on his fists and a frown on his face.
"Is something wrong, JJ?" I asked. He didn't look very happy to see me.
"Aww, Ryan." JJ kicked a stone that was on the step. "I've been waiting all winter to see you. Now you're here and I'm in a lousy mood."
"How come?" I asked him.
"It's my friend, Toby. He's missing."
"Toby?" I scratched my head. I didn't know a boy named Toby. I guess he could have moved in while I was living in my winter house. "Is he a new kid in town?"
"No, he's my dog. A puppy. I got him three days ago. This morning he disappeared."
"Did he run away?" I asked.
"No, somebody puppynapped him. I know who, but I can't prove it."
"Who do you think puppynapped him?" I asked. I liked a good mystery!
"Davey Walker."
"Does he still on the corner of our street?" I asked.
JJ nodded.
Oh, good! I thought. I was only allowed to go the corner of our street and no further! If I wanted to go to another street, I would have had to get my parent's permission first. Because Davey lived on the corner, I was able to talk to him about the mystery.
"Why do you think he took Toby?" I asked.
"I saw him a couple days ago. He was talking about wanting a dog, but his parents wouldn't let him get one. This morning he was real happy. Happy like he'd just gotten a new dog! That's how I know he has Toby."
"Did you tell Davey you have a dog?" I asked.
"No, I wanted you to be the first to know. I haven't told anybody in town."
I turned up my nose to the sky and tapped my chin with my finger. That's what I did when I was thinking really hard

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