The dark-haired girl froze in place, her eyes wide with surprise.
Just then Daisy hurried over with a smile.
"That's not my shirt, Henry," she said. "That's Kira's.
We went shopping together last week and bought matching show shirts."
Maggie had followed Henry down the aisle.
"Yeah, Kira's nice," she told Henry. "She and Daisy ride together a lot."
"Oh." Henry felt sheepish. "Sorry," he told Kira.
"I didn't know that you and Daisy had matching shirts."
"It's okay," Kira said softly.
Daisy grinned. "We almost didn't have the same shirts," she told Henry.
"Kira didn't have enough cash with her.
So I lent her a few dollars to pay for her shirt."
Kira nodded and looked down at her shirt.
"My parents were pretty mad about that," she admitted.
"They didn't think I should spend so much without asking them first."
"Sounds like my parents," Maggie said with a snort.
"Except they don't even care if I do ask them. They still say no!"
Henry laughed, but Daisy was starting to look a little upset again as she stared at Kira's shirt.
"Our shirts were expensive," Daisy said.
"I spent three whole weeks' allowance on mine. And now it's gone!"
"Come on, Daisy," Kira said in her soft voice.
"Let's take the ponies for a walk."
"Okay." Daisy led Coco out of her stall again.
After Daisy and Kira left, Henry followed Maggie back toward Big Spot's stall.
He looked around to make sure nobody else was close enough to hear him.
"We have our first suspect," he said.
Then he told Maggie about what Rebecca had said about Coco.
When he finished, Maggie nodded. "Rebecca is pretty spoiled," she said.
"She's always whining about something. She's definitely a good suspect."
"Now we need to look for proof she did it."
Henry glanced around the barn again.
"Are you sure Cole didn't come in here to look for clues by Coco's stall?"
"I'm positive," Maggie said. "I definitely would have seen him."
"So where did he go?" Henry mumbled.
Maggie giggled. "Maybe Cole should be a suspect too," she joked.
"His motive could be that he wants to wear Daisy's show shirt to his next swim meet."
"Very funny." Henry grinned.
"Anyway, I guess the mystery of the missing friend can wait.
If Cole hasn't looked for clues yet, I'd better do it."
"I'll help you," Maggie said. "Big Spot is almost ready for the show.
All I have to do is put his bridle on when it's time for our class."
Henry and Maggie walked over to Coco's empty stall.
"Look." Henry pointed to an empty clothes hanger hanging on the stall door next to a coat.
"This must be where Daisy's shirt was hanging."
"Yeah," Maggie agreed. "It's weird that Daisy's show coat is still here."
She touched the wool coat. "A show coat costs a lot more than a show shirt.
Why wouldn't someone steal that instead?"
"I don't know." Henry saw a boy walking by.
"Excuse me," he said to him. "Did you notice anyone near this stall earlier?"
The boy blinked at him. "No," he said.
"I just got back from giving my horse a bath."
The next rider Henry asked, a teenager named Jill, shook her head.
"I didn't notice anyone," she said.
"Why? Are you guys investigating another mystery?"
"Yes," Henry admitted. "Daisy's show shirt is missing."
"Oh, is that all?" Jill glanced over at Big Spot and grinned.
"Big Spot probably ate it. That pony is always hungry!" She hurried away.
"Do ponies really eat shirts?" Henry asked Maggie.
"Big Spot tries to eat everything, remember?
Or at least he likes to grab things and taste them."
Maggie hurried back to Big Spot's stall. She stepped inside and looked around.
"I don't see the shirt in here, though."
Henry glanced from Big Spot's stall to the spot where Daisy's things were hanging.
"There's no way Big Spot could reach the shirt from here.
I don't think your pony is our culprit."
Henry questioned a few more riders who passed by.
But none of them seemed to know anything about the crime.
Everyone was distracted by the show preparations.
Then Ms. Wood stepped into the barn.
"Riders in the beginners class, please bring your ponies out!" she called in a loud voice.
"It's time to start warming up in the ring."
"Warming up?" Henry said. "I thought everybody would be warm enough already."
"Very funny." Maggie grabbed Big Spot's bridle.
"Hold still, Big Spot," she said.
"I just need to . . . Ugh!" She jumped back quickly.
"What happened?" Henry asked. "Did Big Spot bite you?"
"No! He slimed me!"
Maggie turned around, revealing a huge, bright blue stain on the front of her white shirt.