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Neopedia : Lupe Mysteries

Category : Book
Author : Efraim C. Lupinov
Length : 55 pages
Rarity : Uncommon
Suggested Value : 380 NPs

..."That bicycle meant everything to me," Fantos the Grarrl said, visibly shaken by the loss of his bike. "I don't know what I'll do without it!"

"I understand." Inspector Barik Von Lupe said, reaching for a pen. "So, did your bike have any distinguishing features?"

"Hmm," the Grarrl answered. "It was blue, with white pedals, black handle grips and a black seat. Oh, and my name and birthdate are written, in yellow marker, under the seat."

"I see," Barik said, scribbling down his description. "Is there someone who might have a reason to steal your bike?"

"Now that you mention it, Gerton the Skeith might be a good candidate. Oh, and that pesky Lydia the Mynci; I wouldn't be surprised if she has a hand in this."

"Very well," the inspector said, putting away his notepad. "I'll look into the matter straight away, and let you know if any leads turn up." Von Lupe thanked Fantos for bringing him the case, then went on his way.

After reviewing his notes during lunch, Barik decided to begin by paying Gerton the Skeith a visit. While he was on his way to see Gerton, Von Lupe was stunned by the sight of Lydia the Mynci, who was riding up the street on her mountain bike. She was with her best friend, Beerfil the Meerca, who rode a purple bike of his own. Rather than questioning Lydia right away, Inspector Von Lupe scribbled down some notes about what he'd just seen, and continued on his way.

Upon his arrival, Inspector Von Lupe was shocked to see that Gerton the Skeith lived under such horrible conditions. Gerton's bamboo hut looked as though a stiff wind might knock it over at any moment. Gently knocking on the door, a sense of pity overwhelmed the inspector when Gerton, a sickly old Skeith, answered the door. "H-how can I *sniff* help you?" Gerton asked.

"Pardon me, my name is Inspector Von Lupe. I'm looking into the matter of a stolen bicycle. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

"No, not a-a-Achoo! No, not at all. Please *sniff* come in."

While taking a look around, it was obvious that Gerton wasn't the culprit. His cupboard lay barren, and throughout the inspector's visit, the poor Skeith's tummy rumbled from starvation. "Well, he certainly didn't EAT the bike," Barik thought. Convinced of Gerton's innocence, the inspector apologised for the inconvenience. "Hey," Von Lupe said on his way out, "here's fifty NP; how about treating yourself to some dinner tonight... on me." After removing Gerton the Skeith from his list of suspects, Inspector Von Lupe decided his next stop would be the home of Lydia the Mynci...

...After some brief fact checking, Barik hurried over to Lydia's place. "Hello, inspector!" Lydia said as Inspector Von Lupe approached them. "Have you solved any good cases lately?" the Mynci asked.

"It's funny you should ask," Von Lupe replied. "It just so happens I'm working on something now. Perhaps you can help me." After explaining the situation, Lydia agreed to let the inspector take a look around.

As he searched the Mynci's home, Barik knew he'd find no evidence, because there wasn't any. He knew all along she didn't do it. Yet, while searching the room, Inspector Von Lupe found exactly what he'd been looking for. How could this be, you ask? Well, as he "searched" Lydia's home, the inspector also paid close attention to Lydia's friend, Beerfil. Sure enough, the Meerca was drenched in sweat, and his shallow breathing, nervous eyes, and pained expression easily gave him away. "Lydia, thanks for your help. Now, if you don't mind, Beerfil and I have to pay Fantos the Grarrl a visit, so he can give back his bicycle."

"What are you saying?" Beerfil asked. "You think I stole the Grarrl's bike?!?"

"Of course you did," Inspector Von Lupe said confidently. "It's obvious. My first clue was when I saw you earlier today. I noticed Beerfil was riding a purple bike, which was odd, because I thought the Toy Shop only sold that model in green, blue, red, gold, and white. So I did some checking, and sure enough, that model does NOT come in purple, which meant that you must have painted your bike purple. Now, why would you have done this, unless you were trying to hide the fact the bike was stolen? At that point, I was pretty sure I'd cracked the case, but when I saw Beerfil's nervous behaviour while searching the house, I knew I'd found my thief."

Just to be sure, Barik walked towards the purple bike and looked under the seat. "As I suspected," the inspector said. "When we spoke, Fantos said his name and birthdate were scrawled under the seat, in yellow marker. Sure enough, right here under the seat, it says, 'Property of: Fantos the Grarrl, 8th Day of Running, Y2.' A stunned look came over Beerfil's face; he'd had no idea about the writing under the seat, and now it was obvious he was guilty. Faced with this undeniable evidence, Beerfil confessed to stealing the bike, and agreed to give it back....