Hey Mom,

Cracked the case of the missing Bunny in Spencerville – it’s been a wild romp through doggy diners and Choco Castles! Turned detective, faced ancient foes, and got my precious toy back courtesy of the Colonel. I’m the Sherlock Bones of our block! Home safe now, nuzzling my pilfered pal with the fur gang. Spencerville’s secrets are safe with me. 😎

Nighty night,
Little Man 🐾✨

I perched on the edge of Southern Golden Retriever River, looking out over the eddying currents, the last strands of sunlight glinting off the gentle ripples. The water – my ancient adversary. Most days in Spencerville, I stick to dry land, to the playgrounds where joy runs rampant and sorrow’s just a hazy memory from a former life.

Tonight, though, the silver sheen of the river isn’t throwing me into a tailspin. I’ve got a case to solve. A missing Bunny toy. Not just any Bunny toy, mind you, but my Bunny toy, worn at the edges and laden with memories.

The town’s neon signs flicker—a kaleidoscope of invitations. Ruff-n-Ready offers a warm bowl of… something other than hard kibble, but that’s a pleasure for another time. My stomach rumbles its protest. No ice cream either, not until Bunny’s home safe.

I swish past the glossy storefronts, Canine Couture Clothing, Best in Show Photography. The dogs within capturing the fleeting moments of our paradise, preserved for the ones we left behind. But fashion and photos aren’t the clues I need.

Taking a shortcut through Poodle Pond’s nature-perfected pathway, I nudge into the night’s underbelly. There’s an edge here—a promised thrill that sends shivers down to my paws. I move with intent, my soft coat camouflaged against Spencerville’s darker corners.

“Reo, it’s you.” The voice is Daisy’s, howling with a hint of jazz and smoke. “What brings you to this side of town?”

I turn to her—a silhouette cut against the hum of neon from Bark ‘n’ Roll—the watering hole where collars loosen and tongues wag tales too bold for daylight.

“I’m on Bunny’s trail. It vanished,” I say, my tone as steady as my resolve.

Daisy nods, her brown eyes serious. “I saw Jasper. He was toying with something… fluffy.”

Jasper. The social mutt about town. That chihuahua mix could charm the leash off a Doberman. “Thanks, Dais. You’re the beagle’s knees,” I tell her before bounding off to where Jasper holds court—Pupperoni Pizza.

By the time I push through the door, spiced scents cocooning me, whispers hush and tails wag a muted thriller.

“Jasper, amigo,” I bark softly, taking a seat. “I hear you’ve found something… something close to my heart.”

Jasper grins, that lopsided, all teeth and charisma smile. “Reo, my friend. I might have procured something of interest.”

My paw taps an impatient rhythm on the checkered floor, “Cut the chase, Jasper.”

He leans in, conspiratorial. “Your Bunny toy’s got itself tied up in a little misunderstanding. See, Colonel fancied it a gift.”

My blood runs hot at the mention of the Colonel, Spencerville’s grey-muzzled enforcer. If he’s involved, this isn’t just about a toy, it’s a test of respect. And in a town where memories are all we have, respect’s the currency that counts.

I nod to Jasper, “Dinner’s on me,” and I don’t mean the Pupperoni’s specialty. This is a promise—a payment for a lead I hoped wouldn’t take me where it’s bound to.

I leave the bustling warmth behind, the case rolling in my mind. Bunny toy, Jasper, Colonel… What’s the connection? It’s not just about a stuffed plaything. It’s about the past nipping at the present.

Flicking my ears back, I forge ahead. The Colonel’s place isn’t far, at the luxurious Northern Choco Chihuahua Castle. Large but welcoming—ironic as that is.

“Colonel,” I greet him, the elder beagle regarded with a blend of affection and a drop or two of fear. He towers above me, a shadow with a history.

“Reo.” His voice rumbles like a thing from older, wilder times. “I hear you’re looking for something.”

Yeah, and you’ve got it, I think.

We don’t dance around the bush in Spencerville, “You know where my Bunny’s at, Colonel?”

He ponders, a deep wrinkle forming above his brow, “A gift, Reo. A reminder that even here, some things remain precious. Take it with my blessing.”

There it sits, at his paws, a little worse for wear but still mine.

I extend a paw, my nails clicking on the pristine floor, “Thank you, Colonel.” And with that, I scoop up Bunny into the protective crook of my leg and turn for home.

The case of the missing Bunny. Closed.

Back in my yard, chewing on Bunny’s frayed ear, Paco and Chiquita wrestling nearby, Angel purring softly against my flank, I think of the streets of Spencerville. A near-perfect place. Almost as if…

…but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve still got memories to make, and an unbreakable date somewhere beyond the here and now. For now, this little chihuahua’s got a life to live—one mystery and tail wag at a time.

The End.