How To Solve A Murder - For Toddlers

Chapter 3

Eleanor and Logan, after being dropped off at daycare, made a runner. Logan knew where to go and how to get there, Eleanor knew what to look for.

 They arrived at their destination The Bank’s House, still full of blood, and hit in a bush. They crept through the shrubbery until they were able to slip into the house unnoticed. The house was less full of police officers than yesterday, only a few having arrived, and Eleanor and Logan were able to get a good investigation in before Eleanor’s dad showed up.

 The toddled around the room, climbing on eachother to look in cupboards and on counters. They found a wine glass with fingerprints clearly showing and some footprints, leading too and from the door. How had her dad not noticed this?

 “Something’s up.” Said Eleanor, crouching infront of a footprint. “My dad is a good dedectif. He would have noticed these.” She looked closer at the ground and shrieked.

 “Jeez El, calm down. What is it?” Logan came and crouched next to her.

 She pointed to some smudges on the floor.

 “More footprints. From a different shoe! This one must’ve been planted. I knew dad would’ve seen it!” Eleanor beamed with excitement but Logan looked skeptical.

 “What if it was a cop? They walk too.”

 “Well no duh, Logan. I thought of that. What kind of shoes do detectives wear?” She stood up and leaned on a counter.

 “Dress shoes…” Logan said carefully, when Eleanor got like this there was no stopping her.

 “Well, look at the imprint from the shoe, it has a pattern that suggests a sneaker, the grips on the bottom. It was meant for all terrain. Know any dress shoes like that?” She smirked triumphantly.

 “Wow. You have a good vocabulary for your age. But yeah, ok, someone planted it. How would we get your dad to notice this? Before it get’s stood on.

 “I’m not sure.”

 "Eleanor?” The two spun around.

 They had been so lost in thought they had failed to hear her dad and his partner come in.

 “Hi… Dad.” She smiled weakly.

 “How did you get here? What are you doing? Bad girl!” He picked her and Logan up by the armpit and looked at them.

 “Sorry Dad.” Logan said (he called him dad). “This was my uncle and I wanted to help solve his murder so since Ellie is good at this I asked her to help.” He widened his eyes slightly. “Sorry.”

 Her father sighed and set them down.

 “It’s ok just don’t do it again.”

 “We found something though!” Said Eleanor excitedly. “Look over there.” She pointed to the muddied footprint.

 “How did I not see that?” Her father questioned, squatting to get a better look.

 “Because it wasn’t there.” Ellie pointed to the silhouette of another shoe. “Someone planted it.”

 Her dad inspected it closer and gasped.

 “My word, what a plan.” He hesitated, “El?”

 “Yeah Daddy?”

 “What should I do?” He took her tiny, chubby hand in his and squeezed.

 “Me?”

 “Yes you.”

 “Well, you should act like you didn’t find out they were planted. Go and inspect whoever this man is. Make the world seem like you have him as your top priority when behind the scenes you go looking for this guy.” She motioned to the faint foot. “No one will suspect a thing.”

 He picked her up and hugged her.

 “What did I do to make you so smart? You’re so young and so clever!”

 She snuggled into his shoulder. “I don’t know. But thanks.”

That was bad, sorry. I'm at a conference where everyone is way smarter than me :| what.

So I'm holed up in a corner writing about murder :) oh solutions.

See you next time :)