Detective Grace and the Missing Bracelet

      That is, until the door burst open, startling me, nearly knocking me off my chair. A very familiar purple Lupe came running into the room. "Detective Grace, Detective Grace, I need your help!" she screamed.

      It was Violet, my closest friend. She and I had met many months before, when we both got new paint jobs at the Rainbow Pool. She became purple, while I became a faerie Acara. Enough about her, I needed to listen to her problem.

      "You've got to help me! I was having a bath, and all of a sudden, my golden bracelet was gone! That piece of jewelry was my most favorite one, and I don't know who took it!" she said quickly.

      "Did you put it in its usual place before you took a bath?" I asked.

      Violet shook her head. "I know it's my fault, I put it next to my jewelry box, not inside it. Will you help me?"

      Well, how could I resist the pleas of my friends? Of course I had to help. I gathered up any important papers and a notebook, shoved them into my backpack, and went off to the scene of the crime.

      ***

      Although Violet was my friend, I had never been to her Neohome before, and it looked quite exquisite. I looked around, obviously mesmerized by all the rare and fancy furniture all over the place. I was so absorbed in all the wonderful stuff I had never seen before, that I nearly forgot what I was supposed to do.

      "Grace, come on," said Violet, tugging on my arm. "We have to find my bracelet! It means so much to me, and it's such a shame to lose such a wonderful thing!"

      "Okay, Violet, lead me to the scene of the crime!" I replied.

      The purple Lupe dragged me up the stairs and into her room. I sat myself down on her bed and grabbed a small box on her bedside table.

      "This has got to be your jewelry box," I said, opening it. "Hey, look! Here's a bracelet! A gold one, to be exact!" I held up a shiny gold bangle before her eyes. "So, looks like this was a quick case to solve!"

      Unfortunately Violet wasn't smiling or congratulating me. "That's not my missing gold bracelet, silly!" she screamed. "My missing bracelet has three purple gemstones on it! The owner of my Gelert friend says they're amethysts."

      Yeah, it was too early to celebrate. I pulled out my pocket magnifying glass and began searching for clues. I scratched my head. I couldn't find anything around the jewelry box.

      "Does this count as a clue, Grace?" asked Violet, holding up a peculiar object that was bone-shaped.

      I turned around to face my friend. She was holding up a rubber Mozito bone.

      I rubbed my chin thoughtfully and examined the little petpet toy carefully. "I think I know who our first suspect is," I muttered. "To the Petpet Supplies Shop!"

      ***

      Violet and I pressed our faces against the window of the shop, watching the shopkeeper carefully. The yellow Chomby was feeding his little Kadoatie-or so we thought.

      We burst into the store. "Freeze! We know you took it!" I yelled, pointing right at the confused-looking Chomby.

      "Took what?" he asked, scratching his head.

      "OK, wise guy, where were you on the morning of today?" I demanded of him. He stepped back, right onto a shelf full of petpet beds. "I found this bone at the scene of the crime, and you're the only one who sells these!"

      The shopkeeper gasped and caught a fancy petpet bed that was about to hit the ground. "Now look what you made me do! I'm going to report you to the authorities for disturbing the peace! Whatever it was, I didn't take it! I was too busy with so many customers awhile ago, I couldn't leave the shop even for a second, or else I'd be surrounded by demanding customers who only want the best for their petpets!" he screamed in frustration. "Get out of here!"

      We dashed out before he could hurl another rubber Mozito bone at us.

      "That didn't work," sighed Violet. "And, sorry Grace-I forgot I bought that myself, and it's always scattered in my room."

      Well, it looked like the first suspect was innocent.

      ***

      "Who else was at home during your bath?" I asked Violet. We were back in her room, looking for more clues.

      "My Puppyblew was home, all right," she answered. "But he was asleep."

      I probed the area around the crime scene. Except for some clumps of dust, I found nothing.

      "Where's your owner?" I asked. "We've got another suspect."

      Violet gasped. "But…but Angelica never does anything wrong! She'd never take my bracelet!"

      I nodded. "Oh, right…she could be bluffing. Let's ask her anyhow."

      ***

      "All right, missy," I said in a professional manner. "Where were you when this fine young Lupe was taking a bath?"

      The girl scratched her head and turned to my client. "Violet, what's this all about?" she asked anxiously.

      "My bracelet's missing, right?" Violet answered. "Grace is helping me look for it."

      Angelica turned her pockets inside out. "Well, I don't have it. You know perfectly well that I don't wear jewelry aside from a pair of earrings. Besides, I was out in an Armada tournament when Violet was taking a bath. I didn't take it, and you can search my room a thousand times for it," she answered.

      "That can be arranged," I said. "Come on, Violet, we've got a room to search." I pulled her along, but I suddenly stopped.

      "Angelica, where's your room anyway?" I questioned Violet's owner.

      ***

      We combed Angelica's room thrice, and we found not a single clue, let alone my friend's bracelet.

      "Detective Grace senses a failure," I groaned, flopping myself onto Violet's bed. "I guess mysteries aren't my thing. I can't think of any more suspects." I closed my eyes.

      But before I could either take a nap, or drift away to dwell on my pathetic failure, I opened my eyes and sat up straight. Another idea had just entered my head.

      "Did you say you own a Puppyblew?" I asked Violet.

      She nodded.

      "Well, do you have any other siblings? Have you had any visitors today, during your bath?" I asked.

      The purple Lupe shook her head.

      I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "EUREKA!" I screamed. "I've got it! Where does your petpet sleep?"

      Violet pointed to a small green petpet bed beside her own, where her Puppyblew was sleeping. I found a small lump amidst the blanket, just next to the petpet. After asking Violet to gently take Azure, her Puppyblew, out, I felt the lump under the covers. Sure enough, it felt hard and round. It could only be…

      "Look, your bracelet!" I squealed in delight as I pulled the little accessory out of the bed. My friend screamed with joy and took it out of my paws. She was smiling widely, more widely than any smile she ever put on.

      Suddenly her face became serious and awed. "How did you know?" she asked, as she placed Azure back in her bed and put the bracelet on her wrist.

      "You see, my dear Violet," I began, "it seems that Azure woke in the middle of his little nap, perhaps to find something to play with. Perhaps he got bored of his rubber Mozito bone, and wanted to toy with something else. I'm pretty sure he got interested in your bracelet, and got it."

      "But, how did he get it?" she asked. "My bedside table was too high for him to reach."

      I began thinking again. Then, I saw something I had never spotted before, on Violet's bed. I pulled out my magnifying glass and scanned the covers of the bed.

      "Yes, just as I suspected," I muttered. There were tiny paw prints on the cover, Puppyblew-sized ones, to be exact. I turned to my friend and replied, "He must have climbed onto your bed, in order to get at the bracelet. Puppyblews are quite smart, you know. I own one myself, so I know."

      Violet's eyes lit up, and she gave me a particularly big, warm hug.

      "Wow, Grace! You are a really great detective! Thanks a lot for helping, and I'll never leave anything on my bedside table ever again-I'll store them away from Azure's reach immediately!" she said happily.

      ***

      Well, here I am now, back in my room, recording my successful case in my journal. Violet learned a valuable lesson, and right now, it was time for me to prop my feet up, and take a well-deserved rest. Another client, old or new, may come barging through the door, with a case that needs to be solved…by none other than Detective Grace.

THE END