Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 3

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 4 — 1 1 Okay who even invented the saying something smells fishy Sure it’s a figure of speech but it paints such a gross image My older sister Ate Anna says that’s the point You can’t ignore how bad a fish smells Odors can swallow you whole The fish could be smoking on the stove could be two houses down and the smell will still somehow find you Ate says I ask too many questions She doesn’t ask enough My name is Danica dela Torre and I’m the youngest sleuth in Ren ley Crow I solve mysteries find lost possessions and most importantly always find out who did what I know I know With Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys small-town kid detectives might be a cliché at this point But answering the unanswerable will always be a tough job Tita Mary my aunt says the world will always need more people like me Jack thinks so too Jack Harrow is my business partner best friend aspiring botanist and from time to time a rule-breaker He also happens to have lost his pet turtle today You might be wondering how you could lose your rep tilian companion If so reread the part about rule-breaking I warned him this morning Miss Edith was going to get lost He was opening his backpack zipper so she could breathe Allegedly she snuck into his bag and he didn’t notice until we were in class Allegedly She’ll be fine Miss Edith’s very smart you know Jack whispered

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 5 — By lunch the very smart turtle was lost Step one was obvious gather a search party At the start of recess half the class joined in on our quest Some looked by the portables Oth ers took to the soccer field We even had some classmates pretend to go to the bathroom so they could sneak into the hallways But now with two minutes left in recess there’s no turtle in sight She hates me Jack sighs as he takes a seat on the swings The metal chains creak sadly That must be why she ran away My bag isn’t very cozy and it’s not her usual environment I bet she’ll never like me again That’s unlikely I say sitting in the sandbox in front of him I open my mouth to tell him he shouldn’t bring her to school anymore but stop when I notice the sand in the corner There’s nothing particularly special about it The pile is mostly light and grainy It’s sand But in it sit three dark pebbles I don’t need or want to touch them to understand these are animal droppings I yelp and hop out of the sandbox What Jack asks What is it I gesture to the poop waving my hand My partner follows my gaze and gasps Unless someone’s gotten real desperate I say my bet is Miss Edith recently went to the bathroom right here Guys Guys Watch your step and come here Jack jumps as he beckons our classmates over He scours the grass while I crouch and scan the wood chips by the swing set Did she die Jennifer Lam cries upon arrival Jack’s face loses color at the thought I shoot Jennifer an icy look No But we’ve located evidence I say pointing to the sandbox She’s left us a gift of nature Jennifer and the others loudly voice their disgust YO LOOK AT THIS TURTLE POOP Derek announces I block them from reaching in and tampering with the evidence planting myself firmly on the edge of the sandbox It’s not exactly hygienic to touch animal fecal matter so I’m looking out for them too 2 Mikaela Lucido

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 6 — She must be around somewhere Jack says the hope slipping from his expression once more He’s crawling now moving slow as a you know She’s gotta be I say Then my hand gets pinched among the wood chips I look down ready to swat an insect away But I only laugh Something bit me A bee An ant One of those flaming hot ones You’re thinking of Cheetos Andy Bees sting they don’t Miss Edith Jack rushes to kneel beside me scooping his turtle up with both hands She blinks innocently at us chewing on a blade of grass The sun illuminates grains of sand lodged in the fine lines of her shell Mystery solved I announce standing Miss Edith is safe I high five everyone but stop at Jennifer who doesn’t lift her hand You didn’t really find her she observes My cheeks get warm She just happened to bite you Before I can reply Jack steps forward Actually Dani noticed the poop in the sand If she didn’t notice it we wouldn’t have focused on this area He shrugs She helped way more than you did Now Jennifer blushes I grin and pat Jack’s shoulder leaning in to whisper into his ear Pay me tomorrow morning I hope Miss Edith enjoyed her trip to the toilet Jack smiles and laughs I think she did Being a detective has a lot of rewards You save your friend’s turtle and you get promised a bag of banana chips Technically Tita Mary doesn’t let me have chips case reward or not She says they’re not good for you even if they’re dried fruit It’s why she forbids junk food from our lunchboxes But she does have a sweet tooth 3 Danica Dela Torre Certified Sleuth

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