Sue Learns

After school, I have more work then most kids do. Not because my parents are mean, but because I have a job to do. Some would think, I am a little too young to really have a job. I don't get paid a lot, mostly the people who get my services give me something they think I would like instead of money.

Sometimes, I get things wrong when I am doing it. I am not a professional, since I am a kid really everyone makes mistakes. Today, when I am doing my homework someone comes in with my favorite type of candy. They know me well, really most people at school do because of my job. Since I started it, less people have been wanting to do bad things since with me around more people who do them get caught.

I am a kid detective, and because of my brother Jet I got started into it. He was really into that sort of thing, and pretended to be one a lot. I used to beg him to be in his game, and he always had me be the villain at first. Then he made me be suspects, then finally he let me be the detective. Playing those things, really got me seeing how bad guys worked. Well,. At least how Jet thought of bad guys. So I really had an instinct about it that Jet didn't have, which made me better at it then he was.

He was sore about it at first, then he was proud to have a little sister who was successful at something because of him. He helps me with it sometimes, but I usually do the work.

I look at the boy with the candy. “I am guessing you have a case to be solved?”

“Yes, my art supplies got stolen out of my locker. I know I didn't misplace them, since it is a habit for me to put them there every day.That and the lock was missing.” he put the candy down. “I know I can count on you to find out who did it.”

“Of course you can Mike, show me where you have your locker and I will look to see if I can find any signs of who did it. Do you have any idea of who might of done it?” I put the candy in the drawer, getting up.

“It might be Dawn, she is jealous of my artwork. It also might be Ralph, who doesn't think boys should do art. Really, it could be anyone from my art class, supplies can be expensive if you get the good stuff like I do.” Mike headed off with me following him.

“How many kids are in your class?” I ask, seems like I needed to narrow the subjects down somehow.

“Um, twelve I think? I never counted them, really.” he shrugged.

“How many of them know you use the good stuff?” people who didn't know would be less likely to steal it I think to myself.

“April and John are usually next to me when I do art. They can see what I use.”

“So we have four people who are the most likely who had done it.” I stroke my chin. “But that doesn't mean that the others in your class are innocent.”

“Yeah, but I don't think it is my two friends in the class. They are Thomas and Liz. They would never do something like that!”

“Hum, sometimes you never know, it might be the person you least expect. I wouldn't rule them out.” I walk in where he shows me his locker, I take out my magnifying glass and look in and around it, there are papers scattered about with sketches, it's really a mess.

“Is this stuff yours?” I point to the papers.

“Um, no I keep my locker neat.”

I pick up one of the papers with tweezers and look at the drawing. It seemed to be of two people kissing, a female and a guy that looks a lot like Mike. “Do you know who this is?” I show him the picture.

He blushed. “Looks a lot like Dawn, oh man she has a crush on me?”

“Well looks like she should be looked into. Do you know where she lives?”

“No clue. I usually kept away from her since she always acted weird around me.You will have to wait until class starts to talk to her I guess.” he shrugs

“I can't. I have a class then. Do you know her last name?”

“Um, Trello I think it is.” he rubbed his head a little.

“OK, I will look her up and call her then.” we went back home and I called Dawn.

“Hello there, may I help you?” a voice said when I called the number.

“May I speak to Dawn, please?”

“This is, who is this?”

“Sue Nokey, I am sure you probably heard of me.”

“Yeah, I have you're the detective girl aren't you? I didn't do anything though!”

“I found some pictures of yours in Mike's locker, of you and him kissing?”

“Oh man he wasn't supposed to see that. Someone must of put them in there. It was probably April, she is super jealous of my talent.”

“OK, thanks for your time.” I hung up.

“I think it was April who stole them. She put the pictures in your locker, according to Dawn.”

“I will talk to her, next class. Thanks!” Mike left.

I looked over the pictures again, gloating over my job well done before going to bed. Then, I noticed something. The pictures also had Dawn putting a knife in Mike's back. I had a feeling that Dawn was the real person who did it,not April.

I called Dawn. “I want to come to your house and look around.” I said as she answered

“Huh, but why?”

“Just want to see if I can really clear you as being the culprit.”

“Fine come over, you will see I am innocent.” she told me her address.

I went to her house after school the next day looking around. She had plenty of art supplies, they seemed to be the cheap kind though. I looked in hiding spaces, I even looked in the garbage. I saw a sketch pad in a bag. It had Mike's name on it. “Innocent huh?” I showed her it.

“Uh, why were you looking in my trash?” she blushed.

“I wouldn't be a good detective if I didn't look everywhere. I am going to tell your mother you stole Mike's stuff.”

Dawn sighed. “Oh man I will be busted for like a month!”

“If you don't do the crime, you won't do the time. I would suggest stopping being jealous of Mike and ask him for some tips so you can get better instead.”

I felt bad April got chewed on by Mike because of my mistake, next time I will make sure I have the right suspect before telling someone who is guilty! Lesson learned!