The Catnapper Mystery

Cody, the catnapper, had a talent for taking cats from trees, yards, and porches. He'd keep them until their owners paid for their return. One day, Milly's kitten Mousie was missing. Milly accused Cody. "No way!" said Detective Denny. "I saw Cody catch a train to Planters Plain this morning. Mousie can't have been kidnapped by Cody!"

"There are no paw prints on my lawn," noted Milly. "Mousie didn't just run off!"

"And there are no sneaker prints," said Detective Denny. "Cody only wears sneakers." Then he noticed tiny holes in the grass that looked like they were made by high-heeled shoes. Denny pulled out a pencil. He was very careful as he measured the holes. "Half a pencil deep! Only Patty Perry's Pet Shop wears heels that high and thin."

Milly and Detective Denny ran to Patty's, where a man was loading pets into a van. "Where are these animals going?" asked Milly.

"To Carter's Cats in Planters Plain," he replied.

"Where is Patty Perry?" asked Detective Denny.

"She had to catch a train," said the man.

"Hmmm," thought Denny. "Cody's full name is Cody Carter. Sounds like Carter's Cats! And he's on a train to Planters Plain."

Denny figured Patty would sell the cats and then Cody would steal them back. Only this time, Patty made the snatch(抢夺). "They resell the cats in Planters Plain," he realized, "and split the money!"

"Sounds illegal!" said the man with the van.

The Planters Plain police met the train and took the catnappers straight to prison. Best of all, the cats in captivity, including Milly's Mousie, were returned to their owners.