Three Investigators: The Case of The Ruined Roses
Three Investigators: The Case of The Ruined Roses
Three Investigators: The Case of The Ruined Roses
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The Case of
the Ruined Roses
Mark Zahn
The Three Investigators in
Ruined
Roses
by Mark Zahn
Based on characters created by Robert Arthur
scattered about when the bushes had been forcefully yanked from
the ground.
Ms. Landry sniffled again and smiled kindly at Pete. “Oh,
hello, Peter.” She gestured toward the mangled bushes and shook
her head. “I just can’t understand it. Who would do such a thing?”
She looked at Bob and me and dabbed her eyes. “I’m a widow,
you see. I don’t have much – my roses are my pride and joy. I take
such care with them. And to have them treated so...”
Pete had a look on his face that I recognized instantly. He was
ready for action. The Second Investigator smacked a fist into the
palm of his hand and seethed.
“We’ll catch whoever did this, Ms. Landry!”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary, Peter,” Ms. Landry replied.
“You see, I’ve already..”
Before she could finish, a familiar face came marching around
the corner of the house.
“Frankie Bender!” Pete cried, pointing at the ruined flower
bed. “Did you have anything to do with this?”
Bender, a short, barrel-chested boy, was not alone. He held a
smaller, wiry boy by the scruff of the neck. The smaller boy’s
knees were muddy, and I observed his dirty hands were nicked
and cut with minor abrasions – most likely inflicted by the thorns
on the rose bush.
Bender held a slingshot in his free hand. He stuffed the
weapon into his back pocket and pushed the small boy forward,
then stuffed his hands into his pockets and gloated.
“Of course I didn’t have anything to do with it, Crenshaw. I’m
a real detective. I caught this guy trying to get a away. Winged
him in the head with my slingshot as he made a break for it!”
The smaller boy glared at Bender and rubbed the back of his
head, as if remembering the pain.
“A detective?” Bob laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
The Case of the Ruined Roses 5
6 THE THREE INVESTIGATORS
Solution
Jupiter was quick to note Frankie Bender’s reluctance to take his
hands out of the pockets of his jeans. When he saw the scratches
on the hands of the smaller boy, Jupe deduced Frankie might have
the same scratches on his own hands – implicating him in the
crime!