Mysteries from Ms. Norris's English Classes

The Mean and Nasty Crook Who Stole My Dog

Detective Jones, I'm Alyssa Brown, and I have quite a problem. Detective Jones said, "Well, what might be your problem, Ms. Brown?"

It all started when Mr. Brown and I came in from a wonderful party. In fact, it was my daughter, Shante's party. She just turned 19. Well, I hollered for my dog, Sheba. She didn't come. I hollered for her again, and she still didn't come. Then, I looked in all of her resting places including her favorite hiding place. She wasn't there. Then I started to think that she ran away. Then I thought for a moment, and I realized that she couldn't have run away. All the doors and windows were shut. Then it dawned on me that when my husband and I came home, we noticed that we had locked the door before we had left. The door was now unlocked. That means that it had to be someone who knew where we had hidden our spare key in order to steal Sheba.

Detective Jones said, "Are you sure that we locked our doors?" Then Detective Jones said, "Well, I'm not getting anywhere without knowing what kind of dog you have. What does Sheba look like?"

"Well, Sheba is a full blooded white huskie with beautiful pure blue eyes. She answers to Sheba and Baby Girl.

Detective Jones said, "Ms. Brown, I'mgoing to do my best at finding your dog."

I told him, "Detective Jones, please, find my Baby Girl. Sheba, Shonte, and Mr. Brown are the most important people in my life.

Detective Jones asked Ms. Brown if there was anybody that she knows of that would know where she hides the key. Ms. Brown thought for a moment and said that as a matter of fact, she did.

"Well, who are they," asked Detective Jones.

I answered, "My best friend, Lisa, my step brother, Jason, and my husband's mother and father, and his sister, Elizabeth all know where the key is kept for an emergency.

Then Detective Jones wrote down the people on his list. That evening, Detective Jones went to those people's houses that may have known about the key. The first person to be visited was Ms. Brown's stepbrother, Jason. Jason seemed shocked that a detective was at his house. Jason asked, "Is there a problem?"

Detective Jones answered, "Well, yes, there is!" Your stepsister's dog was stolen last night. Somebody broke into her house and stole Sheba, her dog."

Jason seemed surprised as he exclaimed, "They did?"

"Well, why are you over at my house?"

"You are one of the people that knew where they kept the key," Detective Jones answered.

"Well, I didn't take the dog!" Jason exclaimed. "She's my sister, and I know how much she loves that dog," he went on to explain.

"Is it OK if I search your house, sir?" asked Detective Jones.

"Yes, if you want to, but I don't know why you'd want to because I didn't steal that dog," said Jason.

"Then why are you sounding so nervous?" asked the detective.

"I'm not," said Jason.

Then Detective Jones checked all the rooms in the house including the back yard. He told Jason, "Well, I didn't see any signs of Sheba anywhere. Have a good day, sir."

Detective Jones got in the car and drove off. Then Detective Jones went to the best friend's house. Lisa welcomed Detective Jones with a cheerful hello and smile. She asked, "What can I do for you?"

Detective Jones explained that Sheba had been taken and that she was one of the suspects because she knew where the key was kept.

Lisa asked, "Why would I be a suspect? I'm her best friend."

The detective said, "I'm sorry, mam, but I am going to search your house."

She said, "OK, I totally agree that you have to be really careful with your job."

So Detective Jones searched the house. He didn't see any sign of Sheba, and he left. Then he went to Mr. Brown's mother and father's house. They said, "How are you, Detective Jones?"

He answered, "Very well, thank you!"

They said, "What's going on, sir?"

He said, "Well, Sheba was stolen, and I'm checking out everyone that knew where the key was kept.

They answered, "That's terrible." I don't know why anyone would take that dog. She loved it to death."

"Yes, I know," said Detective Jones. "I need to search your house, please."

He searched the house and did not find any clues that Sheba was there. He left.

Then he went to the last person on the list. This was Elizabeth. He checked the house and found white fur, a puppy collar, and a dog leash. He brought some of the things out to Elizabeth and asked her to explain them. She said, "I don't know."

He said, " You know if you are lying, you'll get in bigger trouble."

She said, "I know."

Then she said, "Okay, my brother and I made a plan that when they went to the party, we would take Sheba because my brother can't stand Sheba. When they left to go to the party, I went to their house and got their spare key out of the hiding spot. I got Sheba and put her in the back of the truck. We carried her out for in the country."

The detective asked, "Elizabeth, did you have any idea how much Sheba meant to your sister?"

She answered, "Yes, I did, but I would do anything for my little brother."

The detective answered, "Okay, but you know how she can sue you now?"

Elizabeth answered, "Yes, it's worth it. I couldn't hold it inside any longer. I feel really, really bad."

The detective told Alyssa what Elizabeth had told him. She was really mad at them. She was yelling at them saying that they couldn't have done such if they would have realized how much Sheba meant to her.

Elizabeth told her, "We did know how much Sheba meant to you, but Sheba got on my nerves. I'm sorry."

Alyssa decided to get a divorce and told her husband that for his part in this, he was to get his stuff packed and out of the house.

By B.J. (First Period English Winner)

The Mystery of the Stolen Purse

(Some names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

One rainy morning all the students in school were going to first period. They heard a teacher from down the hall scream. Everyone ran to see what was wrong. The teacher said that someone had stolen her purse.

I pulled out my notebook and wrote down the victim (teacher's name), and I put down the clues. I saw a ribbon beside the teacher's desk where the purse had been.

I tried to remember who was wearing that type of ribbon earlier. Well, later on I was able to ask and get some witnesses. They were several girls from my class. They each tried to blame the other, but I had a suspect. The mystery was over. I found my criminal and turned her in. Without my witnesses, clues, and some good problem solving; I would have never figured out the mystery.

M.S. (Second Period English)

The Mystery of the Missing Teacher

It was 3:15 and a half on the rainy day of February 27, 2003, when I, Detective D. Bates, got a phone call from the principal of HMS. He said that Ms. Norris had been kidnapped while she was walking to her car to get some work that she needed to finish. So immediately, I hurried over and gathered clues.

To my surprise there were only three clues that I could find. Once was a Seattle Mariners baseball hat, a ransom note, and a muddy boot print. I immediately went to work asking questions to anyone who might have seen something.

I carefully recorded word or word what the students had seen. Then I showed them the clues and asked if they were familiar to any of them. The only thing they noticed was the hat. They said that Tyler had been seen wearing the hat earlier, and that Ms. Weaver had gotten on to Tyler for wearing the hat and made him put it back in his locker.

Then I asked them if they noticed anybody wearing boots to school that day, and they said the only person that would wear boots was Ms. Weaver.

I went home and observed the clues al little better, and I found nothing. So I went to bed and decided that I would go back tomorrow and question everybody that was in Ms. Norris's class. I talked to Tyler's friends personally. They said that he was in football, but Ms. Weaver had gotten him out and said that one of the other teachers needed him for something.

I asked them if Tyler and Ms. Norris had any problems with each other. One laughed and said, "No, but he and Ms. Weaver sure do." When I asked him what he meant, he said Tyler was not Ms. Weaver's favorite student.

I then asked if Ms. Weaver and Ms. Norris had any problems. No, they said they heard Ms. Weaver say that she sure wished she could stay and teach her forever.

The only other clue I had to study was the ransom note. My observation was that the note was well written, punctuated, and neat.

Since Tyler was my lead suspect, I went back and looked at some of his English work. After reviewing his work, it was clear that Tyler was not the writer of the note.

I needed time to think and sort out my facts. I went to get some lunch and take a little break. After that, I came back to school and went to the school library, to study the case further. I reviewed my facts:

1. Baseball hat belonged to Tyler.

2. Ms. Weaver knew the whereabouts of the hat

3. Ms. Weaver got Tyler out of football practice.

4. Ms. Weaver was not too fond of Tyler.

5. Ms. Weaver loved teaching at Harris.

It all added up. Ms. Weaver kidnapped Ms. Norris so she could take over her class. She used Tyler's baseball hat to frame him. The perfect English class would be: Ms. Norris's class minus Tyler, who would be in juve for kidnapping Ms. Norris.

Case Solved!

By T.P. (Fourth Period English)

The Mystery of the Missing Twins

I was on vacation at Brown Lake Hotel. I wasn't even there for two days when a mystery was uncovered. This is how it all went. I was getting ready to go to a very important meeting when I heard a door slam. I threw on my pants and raced out of the hotel room. When I came out of my room, there was a lady crying, "My babies are gone. I can't find them anywhere!"

I said, "Now, now, can you tell me what happened?"

I was just about to get them from a friend's room when Vannasa's dad said, "They should have already been back."

I interrupted her by saying, "What are their names and what do they look like?"

"They are twins and their names are Kimberly and Krista. They look exactly alike. Their hair is brown and they are two years old. They have blue eyes." Then Detective I.M. Sly started looking for clues.

He found a pair of glasses, a piece of hair, fingerprints, and a baby shoe. Detective I.M. Sly took the clues into his hotel room where he had all of his laboratory things. He matched the glasses from the floor to someone by the name of Mr. Tilliman. He found his address and went to his house on Maple Tree Street. He told Detective I.M. Sly that he had lost his glasses at a carnival. He held up the glasses and asked, "Are these yours?"

"Why, in fact, they are!" replied Mr. Tilliman. "I found them in a hotel."

I. M. Sly exclaimed, "A hotel!"

He answered with shock, "How could they have ended up there?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that, " I. M. Sly replied.

"Why, I have no clue!" he exclaimed as he realized that Mr. Tilliman was not our guy.

After giving Mr. Tilliman his glasses back, he went back to the hotel.

At the hotel, he examined the fingerprints from the door. They matched someone named Ms. C. I. M. Sly had an interview with Ms. C., and at every question, she was startled. The kidnapper had been caught. She took I.M. Sly to a shed where she had the kids tied up. Kimberly had a broken ankle and Krista had the same. That is how I. M. Sly solved the mystery of the missing twins.

By K. H. (sixth period English)