Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 7 — and she also trusts me enough to put me in charge of our holiday menu It’s a big deal To me at least According to Detective Gray’s Grand Secret Guide to Solving Mysteries and Exploring Enigmas detectives do well with lists And what are menus but fancy lists Detective Gray is my role model in all things work-related Nobody quite knows who she is or where she’s from just that she’s an incred ible sleuth Certified even Three Christmases ago the Grand Secret Guide arrived in the mail It had no return address but I deduced it was from my mom Wrapped in sheer fabric and a white lace ribbon it had her attention to detail Plus it was inscribed on the inside cover with handwriting that matched hers For my dear anak Only three people call me that Tita Mary my mom and my dad Last summer I highlighted this part from chapter four in green Indeed I know more than most how lists help you see things clearer Point A and Point B then Point C A list can lead to something inconsequential so tiny and yet it could very well be the thing the person the detail you’ve been looking for It all adds up And it was right in front of you I sit at the kitchen table after school my notepad in front of me I write the title at the top in bold A Grand Medina-dela Torre Thanksgiving Menu Details matter everywhere not just in a case And they especially matter when it comes to planning holiday meals As usual Ate Anna is in charge of decorations But right now she’s not decorating anything She’s peeking out the living room window A box of yellow white and orange pumpkins lies at her feet I look down at my list then back up at Ate What’s the holdup I walk up to the window She shushes me Look Our new neighbor They’ve got a kid Ate whispers She points Guess the Goldmans really did move I follow her gaze Across the street a boy is riding his scooter up and down the driveway An adult calls for him so he stops to grab a bag that looks like Captain America’s shield I remember asking Tita Mary for that bag when we went to the mall once It cost a lot of money 4 Mikaela Lucido

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 8 — I run back to the table and flip to a new page With all the speed and steadiness I can summon in my left hand I write PROFILE NEW NEIGHBOUR Likes Captain America good taste Rides a scooter without a helmet which is unsafe What are you writing there Dani Doesn’t look like a menu to me Tita Mary has walked into the kitchen It’s classified I say sitting up straight Tita Mary smiles Danica’s being nosy Ate says sing-song She stopped me from decorating because she saw the new neighbor across the street I gasp Liar She was looking first Girls you shouldn’t watch people from the window It’s rude But Tita Mary is looking across the street now too The boy with the Captain America bag has gone into the house There’s only the adult from before sitting atop a pile of boxes He’s wearing a brown leather jacket and a blue baseball cap Oh He’s kind of nice-looking isn’t he Tita Mary muses aloud At least a lot more handsome than old Mr Goldman He looks like a model Ate agrees letting out a wistful sigh Tita flinches and draws the curtains closed Uh-oh Tita Mary tends to invite disaster when she makes obser vations like that This one time she compared Patrick from church to an actor He’s a worship leader which so far I think translates to being a rockstar for God He sings and plays guitar at the front before the sermon And I guess he is nice to look at I’m just not a fan of how he repeats a song’s bridge so many times My feet can only take so much Anyway three weeks after her Patrick kind of looks like that British Andrew who played Spider-Man comment she came home swearing she was never going out for coffee with a man again That didn’t stop her from going out with Amir from our music 5 Danica Dela Torre Certified Sleuth

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 9 — school or Quentin from the phone case kiosk at the mall Amir wasn’t the best with kids so Tita Mary ruled him out quickly Quentin was a longer story I still don’t understand As if struck by lightning Tita claps her hands together Let’s invite the new neighbors over for Thanksgiving dinner Ate nods enthusiasti cally I hesitate On one hand this would be an easy way to get to know them On the other hand am I willing to sit through potential hours of Ate trying to impress them When it comes down to it they are still strangers It’s risky As though sensing my worry Tita Mary touches my shoulder Shall we bring over some cookies To introduce ourselves Wel come them Right Ate and I share a look When we got home earlier today there had been a tin of fresh chocolate chip cookies sitting on the dining table Perfectly round Perfectly delicious Don’t tell me Tita says You two already finished them She places her hands on her hips She’s pouting I scan the room We can bring something else I say Something unique 6 Mikaela Lucido

Danica de la Torre, Certified Sleuth — page 10 — 2 7 We stand in front of the new neighbors house with a box of tiny pumpkins Tita Mary has tied her hair up into a ballerina bun Ate put on her thick green scarf It’s a little too warm for scarves but she says it’s a fashion choice O-kay I brought my notepad just in case Ate knocks Coming The door swings open to reveal Captain America Boy He looks taller in person but around my age Most importantly he looks petrified Hello he says after a pause Hello We’re your neighbors Tita says sticking her hand out for him to shake The boy shakes it firmly I’m Mary Medina These are my nieces Anna and Danica She touches our shoulders as she says our names It’s nice to meet you Ate says Nice to meet you too I’m Kennedy He sticks his hands into his pockets We brought you gourds I say holding out our box Kennedy squints You can decorate with them They’re real We got them from Springridge Farm Thank you he says As he pulls his hands out of his pockets to take it something falls out I bend to pick it up for him and stop It is a notepad The same as mine It even has the same magnifying glass on the front

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