ELIANA, THE SLEUTH

SCORE! One for the sleuth. In your face Cloverdale police. I solved your mystery. The poor puppy was hiding in plain sight. Next time listen to Eliana when she tells you the puppy is hiding under the big tree at the lake.

I knew the puppy was under the big tree but nobody listens to kids. Now I can do my happy dance and say in your face grown-ups. I dance all the way home. I see my mom shaking her head. She's probably saying, "I have a crazy daughter." Mom you are so right.

I love solving mysteries. You can't get me to stop. I love reading mystery novels. Mysteries gives me a sense of adventure. My mom always asks me "Eliana, why do you love mysteries?" I tell her "Because it's fun."

Cloverdale is filled with so much mystery. Some of it is the fun kind and some of it is the gruesome kind. You know the missing person, dead person, bloody kind. Those mysteries are not my favorite.

The missing person, dead person, bloody mystery is too sad for me. I'm a happy, fun-loving girl who loves a good hearted mystery. Cloverdale in the past had its fair share of gore and blood. Those I stay out of and my mom is happy about it.

The puppy mystery is the kind of mystery I like. It didn't take me long to find the puppy. My search began around the area of the Bryant home, the owners of the puppy. They of course live by the lake. I went around the house looking for clues when I spotted small footprints. I looked closely. They were puppy paw prints. I followed them all the way to the lake and to the big tree where I spotted the puppy. I returned the puppy to the Bryant family. They were happy.

Another mystery wrapped up. There is one mystery I've been researching. This one is way, way, way out of my comfort zone. No, it's not the fun-loving mystery I like. My mom will get angry at me for pursing this mystery.

Let me give you the rundown on the mystery. Cloverdale was built on secrets. Ever since the founding of Cloverdale, the town has been shrouded in secrets and one of the biggest secrets has to do with witches.

It is believed that one family, the Cullen family is descendant from witches and not the good kind. But the Cullen family has always maintained their family are not witches. No believes them. My best friend Hadley Cullen is fed up with the town treating her and her family like a curse. So, she asked me for help. I course said yes. I want to know the truth.

Here is a small reading from the Cloverdale historical record. 1880, Sadie age 10, Paulina age 9 have mysteriously disappeared. Last seen around the Cullen family home. The Cullen family have also disappeared. Clues start and end in the forest. Search teams have been assembled. Five to each team. Searches in the forest have been going on for the last three days. All teams have returned. All saying they won't go pass Peaks Pass.

I am eager, enthusiastic to help my friend solve the mystery of her family and the town. I jog down what I need. My usual trusty tools plus water and snacks. You can't go wrong with snacks while solving a mystery. I call Hadley and tell her about the plans for tomorrow.

Hadley sounds excited but not as much as me. I can't wait to get started. I jump into bed and close my eyes. I wake-up this morning ready to love another mystery. I shower and change into my mystery solving clothes. I go downstairs and eat breakfast.

I smile at my mom, She smiles back. I finish eating breakfast, say goodbye to my mom and head to Hadley's home.

I skip all the way to Hadley's home. I knock on the door. Hadley answers. She says goodbye to her mom. Off we go on our mystery solving quest. Hadley shows me a picture of the Cullen family circa 1880. The year of the disappearances.

Hadley tells me "This picture was taken before the girls disappeared. Look at the picture Eliana, they are smiling. That's my many times great-grandmother. She's beautiful."

I look at the picture and they do look happy. Nothing is telling me they are about to do something evil. A picture can tell you so many things.

"Hadley, let's start where the search parties left off. In the forest all the way to peaks Pass." Hadley nods.

Me and Hadley walk to the forest , the same route Sadie, Paulina and the search parties took. I watch where we are going, this route is taking us pass Hadley's home. "I know what you are thinking." Hadley says to me.

I tell her "I don't believe the rumors. I want to know why the town thinks your family are witches." Hadley nods.

"From the stories my mom told me our family are not witches. This all began with my many times over great-grandmother and a woman who was like a sister to her. They had a really bad falling out. Nobody knows what the falling out was. The rumors started shortly after."

I feel bad for Hadley and her family. The Cullen's are good people and the fact this happening to them is horrible. I grab Hadley's hand and tell her "We will find the truth together.." Hadley smiles.

Me and Hadley are at the entrance path leading to Peaks Pass. I grab Hadley's hand and together we begin to walk. It's very eerie considering the fact the grown-ups told us frightening stories about what took place at Peaks Pass. I wonder what the grown-ups are hiding.

As we are walking, I look around my surroundings looking for clues. We are near Peaks Pass, the forbidden area. The wind is picking up when I spot something near the cave. I tell Hadley to stop.

I walk to the cave move the leaves around and find on the rock a picture. I bend down. I see a picture of two little girls carved on the rock. Under the picture is an S and P. I show Hadley. "What do you think it means?" Hadley asks.

"We need to go inside the cave." I tell Hadley.

I go inside the cave first. Hadley following behind me. I point my flash light around the cave until I spot something in the back of the cave. I tell Hadley to follow me.

I walk to the back of the cave and in between two rocks is an object. I give the flash light to Hadley. I pick up the object. It's a notebook. "What is it?" Hadley asks.

I open the notebook and to my astonishment the notebook belongs to ten year old Sadie. I begin to read. What I'm reading sheds new light about the Cullen family and the town.

"Eliana, tell me. Is it bad?" I shake my head. I smile at Hadley and begin to read.

"The bad people are coming to get us. Daddy says. Daddy tells me to take cousin Paulina and go to the cave at Peaks Pass and to wait there until the bad people are gone.

Daddy came to see me and Paulina. He tells us the bad people have disappeared. I ask if we can go home. Daddy tells us to wait until he comes to get us.

Daddy and mommy are here. He says the bad people are back. Daddy tells us the sheriff and the town know we are here. Daddy tells us we are safe. The bad people are not going to get us.

I hear Daddy and mommy talking about the bad people. They are saying this is never going to end. We need to leave. Daddy tells mommy to wait until the search is over and we will make it look like the Cullen's killed Sadie and Paulina.

Daddy and mommy leave then they came back and tells us the search has ended but we are not going back home. We are leaving Cloverdale. We are going someplace new. Me and Paulina are excited. But what about the bad people? Daddy tells us the people are evil and they are not going to bother us anymore. Cloverdale will protect us."

I finish reading. It's cruel and horrible what Cloverdale did to the Cullen family. "Hadley, your family is innocent."

"What do we do Eliana?"

I look at Hadley and smile. I run out of the cave, down the path and out of the forest. "Where are we going?'

"Do you trust me?" Hadley nods.

"Let me publish this on my blog. The town reads it. The truth will come out." Hadley nods.

I say goodbye to Hadley. I head home with Sadie's notebook. I go to my computer and begin typing. I can't believe Cloverdale did this to the Cullen family and why because of a falling out between two friends.

Three weeks later

You won't believe what happened. SCORE! Another win for Eliana. Cloverdale had a rude awakening. They had to tuck their tail between their legs and apologize to the Cullen family for the pain they cause them.

Another mystery solved for me. This mystery solving was for my best friend, my sister. I love you Hadley. There are many more mysteries for me to solve. Until next time. This is Eliana signing off.