Note from the Detective’s Files The name is Gummyshoes Jon Gummyshoes I know what you’re thinking funny name right Well that’s not what I’m here to talk about I’m here to tell you the facts The cold hard facts about the cases I come across day in and day out at Edwin West Elementary School The way I see it trouble seems to find me around every corner So I make it my business to clean it up I don’t need this game It needs me The case I’m about to share with you wasn’t my first and it certainly won’t be my last This investigation led me to mind readers magic tricks and a whole lot of phonies It tested my belief in myself too Luckily I had some help cracking the case And I found out that illusions are never quite as real as they may seem 6
Chapter 1 Who’s That I pushed the dry white turkey meat and watery brown gravy around my lunch tray This was supposed to be our special Thanksgiving lunch at Edwin West Elementary The crunchy mashed potatoes and the runny cranberry sauce were mixing together I dropped my fork into the mess in front of me and shoved it away The cafeteria was more festive than usual that day It wasn’t Thanksgiving yet No that was coming on Thursday And boy will that be a day I thought All the Gummyshoeses would arrive in town from around the country including my 8
uncle Nicky Gummyshoes Uncle Nicky is a world-famous detective from Los Angeles My mom Joan Gummyshoes cooks all of the classics for us turkey homemade mashed potatoes and corn on the cob My bug-eyed Boston terrier Little Ricky celebrates too He eats the leftovers on the table once we all pass out in the living room But I had to wait a few more days for that In school the cafeteria walls were covered with paper handprints made to look like turkeys The kindergartners made them the week after Halloween The fourth graders were tasked with putting on the annual Thanksgiving play about the first celebration of the holiday Acting has never been my gig My interests are in sleuthing I’m a flatfoot a sneaker Whatever you want to call me I’m an all-around detective just like my Uncle Nicky The play we were going to perform was about the Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth Colony and enjoyed their Thanksgiving lunch with Native Americans I sure hope that what they had to eat was a lot better than this slop 9
