No Girls Allowed: Buddy and Panda Mysteries

By Lori Briley

Who doesn't want girls to play hockey?

As one of two girls on her hockey team, Eva is upset when someone posts a sign on the locker room door that says, "No Girls Allowed!" But she tries to pretend it didn't happen.

More signs show up, and Eva must face the fact that someone doesn't want her and her friend Josie on the team.

When all signs point to the culprit being a member of her own team, will Eva stand up for herself or continue to brush it aside?

And can her dogs Buddy and Panda figure out who is posting the signs before it tears the team apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.D. Fairchild
• Release date: Mar 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781734717266

Lori Briley

Lori Briley is mom to the real-life Buddy and Panda as well as two human daughters. When she's not writing about mystery-solving dogs, she loves to read, hike, craft and watch sports, especially hockey and her beloved Boston Bruins.

Book preview

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation

of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for

errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the

use of the information contained herein.

NO GIRLS ALLOWED

First edition.

Cover designed by Miblart.

Copyright © 2022

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-7347172-6-6

For Carolyn, my hockey girl

1

"Come on, Panda! We’re going to get locked out of the locker room!"

Hold your tail, Buddy. I need to check out the food.

I look over my shoulder to see Panda lagging behind with her nose in the air, sniffing.

If a dog could roll their eyes, I would. Panda, we’ve been here before. You know what the food is like.

But, Buddy, it might have changed since we were here last. It’s been a whole season since we played this team. Last time they had those amazing cheese curds.

I turn around to look for Eva. She’s already 10 feet in front of us, heading through the swinging door to the hallway where the locker rooms are located.

Move it, Panda. You’re going to miss out on locker room treats.

Panda’s ears perk up at the word treats. She knows some of the kids on Eva’s team bring treats for both of us. She sprints up next to me. I almost laugh because Panda likes to pick up one of her back feet when she runs, so she hops along on three legs. I have no idea why she does it, and Panda doesn’t even know she’s doing it.

Let’s go, Buddy. What are you waiting for?

I let out a sigh of exasperation and follow Panda through the swinging doors. Once on the other side, we dodge a few hockey players on their way out of the locker rooms, large bags of gear either swung over their shoulders or rolling along behind them. I expect Eva to already be in the locker room, which means we’ll have to paw at the door until someone lets us in, but I spot her standing outside the door at the far end of the hallway.

Panda, what is Eva doing?

Panda skids to a stop. Huh? What do you mean?

Why is she just standing there?

Panda peers down the hallway. Maybe she’s having trouble with the key. Eva’s dad is the coach of her team, and we’re usually the first ones at the rink on game day. Dad had given Eva the key to go open the locker room. Let’s go find out.

We hurry down the hallway, picking up speed as we go. I can’t think of any reason Eva would stop at the door of the locker room. Just as we arrive, she wipes a tear away.

Why is she crying? I whisper to Panda. She loves hockey, especially games.

And I found her lost stick, so it can’t be that, Panda says. Panda loves to use every chance she gets to remind me that it was her that found Eva’s stick last month.

I ignore Panda’s comment and lean into Eva’s leg. She looks down, and I see more tears rolling down her cheeks. I whine to let her know I see them. She scratches my head then leans down and hugs me.

Oh Buddy, why would anyone do that? She points to where a single sheet of paper hangs on the door of the locker room.

The sign is written in big block letters that read:

NO GIRLS ALLOWED!

2

I look at Panda, and we both lean against Eva’s legs, offering comfort. Being a girl who plays hockey isn’t always easy. Panda and I have seen enough rinks to know that some of the boys don’t like it when there’s a girl on the ice. Eva doesn’t say much about it to her mom and dad, but sometimes the boys say mean things or trip her just because she’s a girl. But that stuff mostly happens on the ice where no one can hear it or it just looks like a hockey penalty. This sign, though, is right where everyone can see it.

Panda peeks around Eva’s leg and says, Who would do this?

Did you see anyone down here before we came down the hall?

Panda shakes her head. The motion draws Eva’s attention, and she leans down to pet Panda, the hockey bag on her shoulder throwing her off balance. As she pets Panda, I notice her tears have dried, and she has that look on her face that she gets when Panda sneaks food off her plate when she’s not looking. I know that look. It’s her somebody’s going to get yelled at look. I scoot back just a little and hope it’s not me she’s planning to yell at.

But when Eva opens her mouth, she just looks at me and quietly says, Why?

I don’t know the answer, but I rub my head against Eva’s knee to let her know I care. Eva sniffs and straightens up. She reaches up to pull the sign down, but before she can, her dad calls from the other end of the locker room hallway, Eva! Why are you still in the hallway? I thought I told you to open up the locker room. The other kids are going to be here any minute.

Eva quickly grabs the sign and shoves the paper in her bag. I wrinkle my nose in confusion. Isn’t she going to tell her dad about the sign?

She unlocks the door and moves into the locker room, setting her gear on the floor with a sigh. She rubs her shoulder, which must be sore from holding her bag that long. Dad enters the locker room.

What were you doing out there, staring at the door? he asks.

Eva shrugs and stares at the floor. I can tell she’s not going to tell the truth. She always looks at the floor when she doesn’t want to answer a question.

I got distracted by Buddy and Panda, she mumbles.

Dad gives us both a look that says we shouldn’t be distracting Eva on game day. We