But as he climbed into his car, he couldn’t help worrying that this former so-called friend of Eric’s was going to be trouble.

SUNDAY, CARLY MADE an announcement about Eeyore on her YouTube channel, and then it occurred to her to offer a reward. She asked Eric what he thought. He said he couldn’t afford it, but otherwise would do whatever was necessary to get that little critter found. If she fronted the money, he promised he’d eventually pay her back, although it wouldn’t be for quite a while. She dismissed that, and with his not always helpful comments, wrote a piece about Eeyore, offering a thousand-dollar reward. He seemed impressed with what she’d written and agreed to contact Joanne Berg, the owner, to ask for a photo. He received it within the hour, and the post went out. Granted, this would go continent-wide or wider, and Carly knew there’d be hundreds if not thousands of comments. But she agreed with Eli that it might be their best chance of tracking down the animal.

The money didn’t matter to her. These days, she had enough, and since Len had started helping her with investments, she had more than enough.

Responses to her YouTube piece started coming in almost immediately, including quite a few local ones. She insisted Eric review them with her, and he said she didn’t even need to ask.

Eric sat at the dining room table, where she’d set up her laptop, examining each response with her. She shouldn’t have been shocked, but she was, by the number of scammers. You live in Alabama and you “found” him…really? On the highway? What, he was hitching a ride? Oh, and you’ll ship him back here if I send you the money first?

Delete. What kind of dum-dum do you think I am?

She was outraged but amused. Eric just seemed embarrassed, probably because he’d done his own share of scamming—and worse.

But after sifting through a couple of hundred responses, they came up with one that seemed credible. A woman, Ruth Cooper, who lived about six miles from Painted Pony Creek, claimed she’d found Eeyore or a donkey resembling him. Or rather, one of her dogs had. The donkey had been by himself in a nearby field; he was disheveled and stumbling. She’d assumed the animal had been dumped or abandoned and brought him home. She included a photo, but it was difficult to tell with any certainty if this was Eeyore…

They made an arrangement with Ruth to go and see the donkey the next afternoon after school, before calling Joanne.

They did that with Eli’s approval; he drove them there and went in with them.