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    " Jennifer, call Betsey. I'll call Ned. 

Meet up at the shack. We've got a case." 

The shack is the Fanta Sleuth's favorite 

meeting place.The kids built it deep in the 

forest when they were very young. It was just 

newly refurnished and now has a modern style. 

To add the excitement, the Fanta Sleuths had a 

fund raiser and with the money, they bought an 

abundance new sleuthing equipment. 

John hung up and got dressed. " John's log:" 

said John as he pulled a black audio recorder 

from his back pocket. "Jennifer, Ned, Betsey 

and me were   called by the police, again, to 

solve another crime. Why you ask? 'Cause we're 

just that good. I have just called the one-

hundredth meeting of the Fanta Sleuths. I am 

very proud. But this is no time to celebrate. This 

case might just be the hardest one yet." John 

sprinted out the door and ran to the shack. 

 " But John, I have to do my hair!" Jennifer 

argued realizing that John was no longer on 

the phone. I'll just pull it up into a loose 

bun. Jennifer thought.   She pulled out a 

brand new iPhone™ and dialed Betsey's 

number.

As everyone arrived at the newly decorated shack 

everyone took their seat on a stainless-steel-colored 

stool. " What's with the streamers and balloons, John?" 

Ned asked. 

    " Don't you know? It's the one-hundredth case of 

the Fanta Sleuths! Anyway, the story is: I felt a buzz in 

my back pocket and answered the call. It was the po-po. 

I asked them if I did anything wrong, then heard a 

laugh coming from the other end of 

 the line. They told me that there were some strange 

disappearances lately and told us to look into it. And I 

was like, only if you pay us. Then everyone laughed and 

we hung up." John finished. 

" Did they give you the location of the crime?" 

Betsey asked    

    " Yeah. There was The White House and a few 

other places." John responded.                   

    " Ow! My lips are so chapped! Guys I'll meet up 

with you right after I get some chap-stick." 

Jennifer said.

    " OK, but hurry up. The crime scene's at the 

White House. Do you need directions?" Ned said 

quickly.

    " Ned, don't micromanage me." Jennifer said 

while walking away.

The White House had a gloomy feel to it 

that day and when everyone finally got 

there they found Mrs. McLean, wrapped 

up in her quilt, crying. 

    " Mrs. McLean what's wro-" was all 

Betsey could squeeze out before the 

Fanta Sleuths were shooed out of the 

room.

The next person who they found was Esmeralda, the 

president's maid.

    " Well, I was baking cookies when I heard a 

thumping sound in Mr. President's office. But all I saw 

when I went upstairs to see what was going on, all I 

saw was a cheese doodle and a napkin underneath it. 

But the strangest thing is that we don't even keep 

cheese doodles in the house!"

    " Do you mind if we have a look around?" Ned 

requested.

    " Go right ahead. We need anyone we can get 

who'll be able to help us with this case." Esmeralda 

announced.

The office where Mr. Mclean went missing had papers 

scattered all over the chestnut colored desk and the 

windows were cracked open an inch or two.

    " Well, there it is. The famous cheese doodle. Don't 

mind if I do." Jennifer said, reaching for the cheese curl.

    " Jenny, stop! We'll need to look for fingerprints!" John 

exclaimed, blocking Jennifer before she could reach the 

cheese curl.

    " Actually I've run a few tests and it turns out that  

fingerprints don't show up on cheese curls…….or napkins." 

Betsey added quietly.

    " Our only clue down the drain!" John said in a defeated 

voice.

" Wait a second! That's no napkin!" 

Ned said in an excited voice.

    Everyone threw their hands up in the 

air and shouted, "Hallelujah!"

    " Get to the shack, put on your 

leather gloves, get that piece of 

paper, analyze it for fingerprints, then 

get it under a UV light, PRONTO!!!"  

John ordered.

        At the shack everyone ran around madly searching for 

what was needed.

    " Bad news, there are no fingerprints." Jennifer 

announced.

    " Call Esmeralda and ask her if Mr. President was wearing 

any gloves the day of the crime." John replied. 

    " Got it." And Jennifer strolled outside dialing the 

number.

    " Get the paper under the UV light, Ned." John ordered. 

    " Alrighty."

    " And Betsey, start writing up a list of suspects." John 

commanded.

    " Sounds like a plan, Boss."

  "John, Mr. President was not wearing gloves that day." Jennifer 

reported. " He doesn't even have gloves."

    " Well, he couldn't have put that piece of paper there then, because if, 

and only if, you have gloves on then you don't leave a fingerprint. Literally! 

We are dealing with a professional here!" John replied.

    " Here's the list and their reasons, John. Oh and all the suspects are 

people from town: 

That's all I can think of right now." Betsey reported

" OK, then. Ned we're coming to a stop here. 

What do you have for us?" John asked.

    " Ah - Ha! A note! There's something on the 

napkin after all! It says: 'I have an 'R' in my 

name.'"

    " I have a bad feeling about this. Criminals 

don't just give away clues about themselves! 

That's so careless!" Betsey shouted, enraged.

    " Maybe were not dealing with a professional, 

then." John said. "Betsey - make a new list."

 " Got it, Boss. Here we go. Out of the people 

who were on the list here are who is left:  

With the same reasons as before." 

" OK. Thanks a lot, Betsey. Wait! Everybody, 

SHH! I'm getting a call here. Hello? Officer? 

Oh, no! Really? OK. Thanks for calling."

    " Well, are you gonna tell us who called or 

are you just gonna stand there looking dumb?" 

Jennifer said aggressively.

     " I'm sorry. I was just imagining where all 

those people might have gone. Anyway, that 

was the police. There have been some more 

disappearances. And some more cheese curls." 

John replied in a dazed voice. 

 " Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ned said 

impatiently. 

    " And bring the UV light." John ordered.

    Everyone sprinted as fast as they could down the gray 

cobblestone road until they met their destination, the 

second crime scene, the jewelry store.   

    " John's Log: Just as we had suspected, Sidney, the 

store owner is not here and the door to an empty safe 

has been left ajar." 

    The jewelry store was a dimly lit place with a shinny 

piano sitting in the back corner, usually with someone 

playing it. But not today.

 " Another cheese doodle!" Betsey exclaimed.

    " And another note!" Added Ned.

    " Let's read it. Go ahead, Jenny. Get out the 

UV light , Ned" John instructed.

    " Kay-Kay. It says: 'I also have a 'U' in my 

name.'" Jennifer read aloud.

    " Well, Boss, there's gonna be some new people 

on the list." Betsey confirmed.

    " Go right ahead and make it, Bets."

" Here is the new-new-new   list:

Betsey said.

    " Wow." Ned mumbled.

    " We have a handful of work but let's just keep going." 

John said.

       The kids strolled down to 

the next store hoping to find 

another clue but there was 

nothing to be found but a few 

dusty tea pots.

    " This is hopeless. Let's just 

try the other side of the 

street." Jennifer suggested.

      So the Fanta Sleuths dashed 

into the store across the street and 

found a cheese doodle on the 

counter.

    " There's no napkin." Betsey 

said.

    " Oh shoot. Let's take the 

cheese doodle and check the next 

store?" John guessed.

But there was nothing. Not even a 

cheese curl.

    " OK. How about we go back to the 

other side of the road?" John 

suggested " That was just a 

distraction." 

    So all four kids looked both ways 

before crossing the street and 

continuing on their search.

 " Well, here we are. The art studio. And there's a 

cheese doodle." John said.

    " And it's match made in heaven - a napkin." Jennifer 

said in a sarcastic tone.

    " Got the UV light. The note says:' Along with an "R" 

and a "U" I have an "L" in my name as well.'" Ned read.

    " Well, that narrows it down. Here's the list:

    •     Tom Burlington

    •     Turtle

    •     Murtle

    •     Laura    

There's only four left." Betsey announced.

    " Well done team! Let's get a move on." John said

        So the kids continued their search.And sure 

enough at the next store was another note. It read: 

" My name is Mr. Curl." There was a moment of 

silence. Then everybody started talking all at once. 

    " Shh, Shh, Everybody - SHH! Has anyone ever 

heard the expression: It makes sense if you don't 

think about it?" John asked.

    " Ooh, Ooh, me, me!" Jennifer shouted.   

    " OK, then. So let's keep going." John suggested.

    The next building looked like a haunted house. It had 

spider webs, a pointy roof, and a ripped up old flag. 

There was fog on the windows and the lights flickered on 

and off. The paint was peeling and the window shutters 

creaked back and forth. There was poison ivy climbing up 

the hole-filled walls.

    " Is everyone aware that Mr. Curl has been here?" 

Ned asked suspiciously.

    " Yes, that is what the police said." Jennifer answered.

    The children continued walking up the stone pathway. 

No one backed down.

    " Oh, come on!" Ned barked.

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