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TOYS4    4' Detective and the missing toys

"Michaela," shouted her mother from downstairs, "there's someone
here to see you."

When Michaela got down to the front door, she was surprised to
see her neighbor Jimmy. Jimmy was Tommy's older brother. He was
in high school, so Michaela didn't see him much.

"You wanted to see ME?" asked Michaela.

"Yeah." replied Jimmy, "Somebody stole my Ipod again."

Michaela said, "It was probably Tommy again."

"I don't think so." replied Jimmy.

Michaela asked, "Why not?"

Jimmy turned and motioned with his hand, "Come look."

When they got to Jimmy's house, Michaela saw a ladder leaning
against the side of the house right under the window of Jimmy's
room. Jimmy pointed to two foot prints in the freshly dug dirt
in the flower bed near the ladder.

"It looks like a woman wearing high heeled shoes stepped there."
said Michaela.

"So, it looks like a grown woman stole my ipod." replied Jimmy,
"What kind of grown woman would do such a thing?!"

Michaela examined the area, then thought for a moment, then
replied, "Tommy did it!"

Jimmy pointed to the foot prints and replied, "But you said
these were from a woman's high heels!"

Michaela replied, "It is. But Tommy put those shoe marks in the
soil as a diversion."

"How do you know?" asked Jimmy.

Michaela pointed and explained, "This is the only part of the
flower bed that was freshly dug. Tommy dug up the dirt so that
we would be sure to see the foot prints."

Jimmy replied, "Oh, yeah, I guess it is! But it still couldn't
be Tommy because he's to small to put the ladder up against the
house all by himself."

Michaela explained, "That means Tommy had the help of a friend.
I'll bet that when we find the friend, we'll find the Ipod at
his house. Where is Tommy now?"

Jimmy replied, "He's over at Billy's house. Say, you don't think
it was Billy who helped Tommy steal my Ipod, do you?"

Michaela explained, "Well, Billy is a head taller than Tommy and
he's stronger than Tommy. Tommy probably chose Billy to help him
steal your ipod because his plan to use the ladder needed a big,
strong boy like Billy."

When Michaela and Jimmy knocked on Billy's door, his mother
answered it.

"Is Tommy here, Mrs Henderson?" asked Jimmy.

"Yes," replied Billy's mom, "He's in Billy's room with Billy
listening to Tommy's new Ipod."

Michaela and Jimmy smiled at each other.

"You were right!" exclaimed Jimmy.

"Right about what?" asked Billy's mom.

Michaela explained, "Mrs Henderson, Tommy doesn't own a new
ipod. He stole it from Jimmy. And I'm sorry to tell you that he
stole it with the help of Billy."

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Billy's mom.

Jimmy interrupted, "You'd better believe it. Michaela is the
world's greatest detective!"

"What proof do you have that my son was involved?" asked Billy's
mom.

Michaela replied, "Look in your closet."

"Excuse me?!" exclaimed Billy's mom, "Why would I want to look
in my closet?!"

Michaela explained, "Tommy deliberately left foot prints in the
dirt under Jimmy's window to make us think a woman climbed the
ladder and stole the ipod from Jimmy's room."

"How do you know it WASN'T a woman who stole Jimmy's Ipod?"
asked Billy's mom.

Michaela asked, "Have you ever climbed a ladder wearing high
heeled shoes?"

"No! Of course not!" exclaimed Billy's mom, "You can't climb a
ladder wearing high heeled shoes! Oh. I see what you mean."

Michaela explained, "I'll bet that if you look at the high
heeled shoes in your closet, you'll find a pair of shoes with
dirt around the sole."

So, Billy's mom went to her closet and brought back a pair of
high heeled shoes to Michaela shouting, "Billy get down here
right away! You are in big trouble."

Billy and Tommy came down the stairs.

"What's going on, Mom?" asked Billy.

But when they saw Jimmy standing at the door with Michaela, they
both said, "Oh oh!"

Billy's mom pointed to the sole of her shoes and asked, "How did
this dirt get on my high heels, young man?!"

Billy had no answer. Both Billy and Tommy were grounded for two
weeks.

And Michaela, the world's greatest detective solved another
mystery.

©2008 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
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