It was right before noon when she reached Cassidy’s house. Cass was somewhere inside playing with her neighbor, Sarah, and was glad to go outside after a long playdate. She was very excited to find out Suzie had gone to the police precinct to get an actual case.
“Wow, you really were serious about this whole detective thing, huh?” she asked.
“Well, yeah,” Suzie answered. “I used my police connections to get some inside info.”
“You mean Sergeant Joe,” Cass said as she took out her bike and they both walked down the driveway. “That’s your super-secret inside connection?”
“I never said super-secret,” Suzie said as they mounted the bikes and put on their helmets. “But we go back a long way. I used to go in there for bubble gum way back when I was in second grade.”
“Yeah, that was a long time ago,” Cass said as they started to pedal down the block.
They went by Peter’s house, but he didn’t feel like coming, so they decided to go at it with the two of them. Luckily, the twins were home when they got there and Mrs. Nelson answered the door.
“Hello Suzie, Cassidy. Let me see where the boys are,” she said as she invited them in. They waited in a small room that was near the front door.
“Actually, Mrs. Nelson,” Suzie said in a respectful tone. “We are here to investigate the stolen bicycle incident.”
“Oh, really?” asked Mrs. Nelson.
“Yeah, we’re on official police business,” said Cass.
“Well,” Suzie added, “we are more like helping them out.”
“Yeah, we get called in when they need us,” said Cass.
“Oh, and the police need help?” Mrs. Nelson asked.
“Yes, they sent us out to gather information, and hopefully solve the case, which I believe we will be able to do,” Suzie said confidently.
“Okay then, what do you want to know?”
“Well, Mrs. Nelson,” Suze said as she pulled out her leather-bound detective’s notebook, “why don’t we start from the beginning? When did you first notice the bike missing?”
“Sure. It was in the morning. The boys woke up to go out and play. They usually go out and get on their bikes, but immediately Jimmy remembered he left his bike in the driveway,” said Mrs. Nelson. She was holding her hand on her chin and trying to remember. “Let’s see, what time was that,” she said and leaned back and called up the stairs next to the living room in one of the loudest voices the girls ever heard. “Hey, Jimmy! What time was it when you saw the bike gone?”
Jimmy, one of the Nelson twins, came bounding down the stairs. He had on a striped short-sleeved shirt that was really too small for his wide frame, and he had one sneaker on with its laces untied and on the other foot was a very dirty sock. “What mom? Hey, it’s Snaggletooth!”
“Hiya Jimmy,” Suzie said as he rumbled into the small room, causing everyone to move over slightly to one side.
“That’s detective Snaggletooth, buddy,” Cass said firmly. “We got a thing now.”
“A thing? Really?” he asked, with an astonished look.
“Yeah, really. It’s all official, kinda. Anyways, we’re gonna track down your bike for sure,” said Cassidy as she snapped her fingers and slapped one hand on the other.
“That is very optimistic, Ms. Cassidy. I like your positive attitude!” Mrs. Nelson said with a chuckle.
“Okay- um, Mom, what did you want?” Jimmy asked.
“It was Suzie, dear,” Mrs. Nelson said, motioning a hand over to Suzie for her to speak up.
“Right, okay, thank you Mrs. Nelson. Jimmy, we are trying to figure out the timeline of events,” Suzie said as she marked off times on one side of a sheet in her notebook. “So, we all left Cass’ house at around three o’clock, give or take. Do you remember when you left your bike in the driveway?”
“Sure- well, we didn’t go straight home. We went over to Tommy Pinto’s house to see if he was around, and tell him all about our big dog rescue, which was super cool, by the way.” Suzie nodded as a quick thank you. “And we ended up playing a short game of box ball, which he won- but it was close. There was this crazy crack in the corner of his sidewalk- but anyway. We got back here sometime after, I don’t know when, but it was around dinner time.
“We ate a little early that night, so that must have been around five o’clock,” Mrs. Nelson said nodding.
“Okay,” Suzie said writing it down, then she looked up and pointed the back end of her pencil at Jimmy, “but you meant to put the bike in the garage?”
Jimmy reluctantly said yes as Mrs. Nelson shook her head.
“He has left it outside overnight before,” Mrs. Nelson continued. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell him. This is a good neighborhood and all, but still, you’re asking for trouble when you leave it out like that.”
“Do you mind if we take a look in the driveway?” Suzie asked.
They all agreed and went out and took a look around where Jimmy thought he left the bike. They saw nothing on the ground, and nothing was left. It was a place in the driveway that had no windows next to it on either side. Suzie also noticed there was no light on the sides of the house or over the garage and it was well back from any street lights.
“This would be very dark all night,” she said to Cass as they walked around a little.
“I don’t see how anybody could even see a bike back here in the dark of night,” Cass said.
“Unless they were already looking for one,” said Suzie.
She then headed to the front of the driveway and pulled her lunchbox detective’s kit off the back of her bike and quickly headed back. She pulled out her magnifying glass and looked over a few spots in the driveway as Jimmy and his mom looked on. Cass knelt beside her and looked at the floor as well.
“See anything?” she asked.
“Not yet. Wait- hold this for a sec, will ya?’ she asked as she handed Cass her case after pulling out a tweezers she had at the bottom.
She bent down lower and put the tweezers into a crack in the driveway and slowly pulled out a thin piece of plastic. She held it up and looked at it through her magnifying glass, grabbed her little flashlight and lit it up from below. It glowed clear green and was no bigger than a toothpick.
“Wow, how did you see that?” Cassidy asked.
“That’s why I have this,” she said holding up the magnifying glass.
“What is it?” asked Mrs. Nelson.
“I think this is a piece of a green plastic soda bottle,” Suzie said while she stood up still looking at the plastic piece carefully. “Too thin for any fingerprints.”
“What does it mean?” Cassidy asked.
“I don’t know,” Suzie said, “but it is a definite clue.”
“Cool!” Jimmy said as he stepped closer and looked at it.
Suzie held it up a little higher, looked at it from all angles, and placed it carefully in a little plastic bag inside her kit.
“Okay, I think we have enough,” Suzie said as she turned to Cass and back to the Nelsons. “Thanks so much Mrs. Nelson, we’ll be in touch. Here is my card should you think of anything else.” Suzie handed her one of the ripped index cards.
“Oh, okay. Or I can call your mom, right?” Mrs. Nelson asked.
“Yeah, that’ll work too,” Suzie said.
“Hey, you guys wanna play something?” Jimmy asked. “Me and Jesse are thinking of racing our cars on the track in the basement.”
“Sure, that would be great!” Cass said.
“But,” Suzie jumped in, “sorry, Cassidy and I are on a case. Maybe later, okay?”
Cassidy looked a little sullen as they walked away from the driveway and got on their bikes.
“Zeesh, Suzie. What’s wrong with taking a timeout to play something else?” asked Cass.
“Nothing, except this isn’t playing, Cass,” Suzie said as they both pulled their bikes out of the driveway and rode onto the sidewalk. “This is a real case. It has an official report at the p
recinct and everything.”
“Right, I know, okay. It seems like a lot of work,” Cass said.
“Yeah, well, important stuff can take some work, Cass.”
Cass looked up at the passing trees. “I guess so, but it helps if it’s fun, too.”
“Sure. Don’t worry, fun is on the way,” Suzie said.
As they were riding, they noticed a kid up ahead was walking quickly around his driveway, yelling and waving his arms. They thought he was only playing at first, but he actually looked a little upset.
“Isn’t that Tommy Pinto?” Cass asked as she tried to look closer at the kid but he disappeared back into his driveway.
“It is,” Suzie agreed. “Let’s go check it out.”
They rode down and stopped in front of Tommy’s house. He was a skinny kid, a year older than Suzie and Cass, with loose jeans on and an extra-long white t-shirt. He wore a red cap that was turned to one side. He was pacing around, then running, throwing his arms up. “I can’t believe this!” he said.
“Hey ya, Tommy. You alright?” Cass yelled out to him as she and Suzie turned a little into his driveway.
“My bike is gone!” he yelled back. “I left it right here next to the garbage cans, same as I always do, and now it’s gone!”
Suzie and Cass looked at each other wide eyed, and it was obvious to Cassidy that Suzie was a little too excited, although she turned her head away and tried not to show that to Tommy. They both got off their bikes and walked up to an open gate near the front of his driveway.
“Was this gate closed?” Suzie asked.
“It sure was, same as I leave it every night,” Tommy said. He was still pacing back and forth across the narrow space in the driveway. “Ya know, it has my route book, who owes what- who gets what! What am I gonna do?”
“You’re route book?” Cass asked.
“Yeah- my paper route! I got it all in there. The whole thing. Man, this burns me up!” he said as he jumped up and down a little.
“Wait a minute, let’s calm down. Maybe someone borrowed it, or something?” Suzie asked.
“I ain’t got no brothers or sisters. It’s just me-” he shook his head. “Naa, someone took it, man. Aww, man, that’s my bike, my ride, my world- ya know!”
“When did this happen, last night?” Suzie asked.
“Naa, Suzie. I delivered my papers this morning. That’s what’s so crazy. This bike was sittin’ here in broad daylight, and now it’s gone!”
“Wait a minute. Your bike was stolen today! Like, right now!” Cass exclaimed. She looked at Suzie and then they quickly walked out past the gate out onto the sidewalk. The thief could still be around! They looked up and down the block. They saw nothing moving.
“Not right this minute- at least I don’t think so. I would’ve heard the gate. I went back to sleep after my route this morning. Then I woke up, ate breakfast, lunch. Spoke to my mom and dad. I dunno- this is too crazy!”
“So, what time did you get back this morning?” Suzie asked as she got out her notebook.
“That was around 7:00,” Tommy said as he leaned down and put his hands on one of the metal garbage cans in his driveway. “Then my dad leaves at 7:30, and then my mom leaves at 7:45. I would think they would have noticed the bike missing, but I’m not sure. Man! I gotta call them. This is bananas!”
“Yeah! We’ve got to go to the cops, like now! Get a whole army of them out here. This creep could be still around!” Cass said as she jumped out towards the front of the house again.
“He, or she, is long gone Cass,” Suzie said. “They are on a bike, remember?”
“Oh, yeah? You think it might be a she?” Cass asked, walking back towards her.
“Probably not,” Suzie said. “These kind of crimes are usually thugs. Guys who are out for the money they can get for the bike. We should go to the police, though. Tommy has to file a report.”
“Yeah. I hope they find it real quick!” Tommy said.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Cass replied and Tommy looked at her with surprise, and then with a slight smile.
They went with Tommy to the police precinct. There was Sergeant Joe behind the desk at his usual spot.
“Hey Suzie, how is the case going?” he asked and smiled widely.
“Well, it’s moving,” she said and then motioned to Tommy behind her. “Unfortunately, we have another victim here. Tommy’s bike was stolen this morning.”
“Oh,” Joe said as he frowned a little. “Sorry to hear that kid. What’s your name?”
“Tommy- Tommy Pinto.”
“Okay Tommy. C’mon over here. We have a report for you to fill out, what the bike looked like, when it went missing, that kind of thing. Then I’m sure one of our detectives will want to have a quick word,”
“Oh, did Jimmy Nelson talk to a detective?” Suzie asked.
Sergeant Joe walked back to the front where Suzie was standing. He spoke to her in more of a hushed tone, “Well, Suzie, the case has grown a little larger than when you came in here this morning. Eight more bikes were reported stolen since then. All went missing over the past three days, and this makes it nine. So that pushed it up to grand larceny,” Suzie gave a confused look. “Basically, sweetheart, it means they’re giving it to that division, and they have assigned a detective to the case.”
“What does that mean? Does it mean I am off the case?” Suzie asked in a concerned tone.
“Well- I wouldn’t say that. I think you only have to talk to him. I’m sure he will want your input, and anything you know about the case for sure. Let me get him out here and we can all have a chat.”
Suzie and Cass joined Tommy on a nearby side bench as he filled out information about his bike. After several minutes, Sergeant Joe returned, with a stern look on his face.
“Hey kids, the detective will be right down,” he said and went back to the front desk in the center of the large room.
A couple of minutes later they heard loud trudging down some steps near the rear of the room, close to where they were sitting. A tall Hispanic man with a large frame came down the wide steps slowly, one by one, and was looking around. He had a narrow brimmed hat and a loose fitting light colored shirt with a gold chain moving around beneath that. He made his way over to them.
“I heard someone over here is reporting a bike stolen? Is dat you?” he asked Cassidy, who stared at him as he towered over her.
“That’s me, sir,” Tommy said and stood up. “I finished this,” he said and handed the report to the man who grabbed it and looked it over.
“Okay. This morning, huh? Alright,” the man said and looked down at them. “My name is Detective Rosario. I’m assigned to this case. There’s been quite a few missing bicycles reported over the past few days, so you need to know it has our attention now. We’ll get to the bottom of it. Okay?”
“Okay,” Tommy said. “I have some important stuff in a bag, on the front handlebars. Ya know, across the top. It’s very important to my paper route.”
“Yeah, I read that in your report. We’ll find out all we can. Thanks for coming down so soon.” Detective Rosario motioned his hand towards the front door and said, “Have a nice day, now, okay.”
Suzie immediately got up off the bench as the detective walked away. He was already back towards the stairs when she called out, “Mr. Detective, sir.”
He stopped and turned half way around.
“Hi, I’m Suzie,” she said as she walked up and extended her hand and he shook it rather gingerly. “I have been helping out on the case and I think we have some good leads. Maybe if we got our notes together, it might help the case.”
“Ah, okay. You’re that girl,” he said as he waved his finger towards her. “The one in the newspaper. The one the boys here have been talkin’ about. Girl detective. A real prodigy, right?”
“Well,” she said, “I don’t know about that. We’re really trying to help our friends.”
“Well, that’s very good, Shirley.”
“Suzie.”
“Right. The professionals are on it now. If we need your help, we’ll be in touch. Okay? Now, if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work,” he said as he started away again. Then he said loudly, “there’s a lot of cases here, and not all of them involve kids’ bicycles.” He then disappeared up the stairs.
Chapter 9