The Case of the Missing Teddy Bear
by Ben Weston
The_morning_of_October_16˜
was_like
any_other._A_cool_autumn_wind_was_blowing_
eastward,_making_the_piles_of_yellow_and_orange_leaves_on_people_
s_lawns_disperse._Halloween_
decorations_could_be_seen_on_an_occasional_front_porch._
A_bell_sounded_through_the_halls_of_Lincoln_Elementary_signaling_recess_for_all_first,_
second
and_third_graders._Annie_May_was_eager_to_get_outside_and_play_on_the_jungle_gym._She_
had_just
taken_the_hardest_spelling_test_of_her_life._Before_running_outside_for_recess,_she_placed_
her_one_true_love,_Edward,__in_her_cubby._Edward_was_a_stuffed_teddy_bear,_ginger_bread_brown,_
with_black_button_eyes,_and_light_brown_half_dome_ears._
She_would_play_on_the_monkey_bars_with_her_best_friend,_Sarah,_run_into_the_cafeteria_for_
a_snack_of
crackers_and_cheese,_then_go_to_room_104_for_story_time._Edward_and_Annie_would_
reunite_by_noon,_when_Annie_would_eat_lunch_with_Sarah._
Story_time_was_always_Annie_
s_favorite_part_of_school._As_Ms._Henderson_led_her_class_
back_to_the_classroom,_Annie_couldn_
t_stop_talking_about_what_she_would_do_if_she_had_magic_
beans.
Ms._Henderson_told_the_class_to_take_out_a_pencil_and_paper_in_order_to_practice_some_
math_problems._Annie_went_over_to_her_cubby_to_get_Edward,_but_he_was_nowhere_to_be_seen,_
She_removed_everything_out_of_her_cubby_to_double_check,_but_her_efforts_didn_
t_render
any_
results._
Tears_started_to_flow_from_Annie_
s_little
eyes._She_ran_to_Ms._Henderson._All_she_could_
get_out_through_the_sobs_and_sniffles_was__
Ed...gone...._
Ms._Henderson_reacted_immediately.__
What,_Edward_
s_missing,_no,_that_
s_impossible._
m_telling_the_truth._I_think_he_
s_been_kidnaped!_
Oh_no,_oh_no._This_is_worse_than_the_time_little_Jacob_lost_his_toy_soldiers._I_
ll_get_on_the_
phone_with_Mr._Levy_right_away!_
Mr._Levy
was_the_principal_of_Lincoln_Elementary._Ms._Henderson_picked_up_the_
classroom_phone_and_informed_Mr._Levy_of_the_situation._After_hanging_up,_she_talked_to_Annie._
Annie_was_still_crying_a_bit._Her_eyes_were_red_and_she_was_trembling_slightly._Sweetie,_
Henderson_began,__
I_talked
to_Mr._Levy._He_told_me_that_he_is_going_to_call_the_police_and_have_
the_office_call_your_mother._
The_classroom_got_a_call_from_the_office._They_asked_for_Annie_to_come_down_and_sit_in_
the_office_until_the_police_and_her_mother_arrived._Annie_was_escorted_to_the_office_and__greeted_
by_her_mother_and_two_police_officers.__
m_officer_
_
Blackrockï_
one_officer_said_as_he_flashed_his_credentials,_
and_this
is_my_partner_officer_ï_
Whitewaterï_
The_officers_asked_Ms._May_if_she_wanted_to_take_Annie_down_town_to_the_police_station_
so_they_could_ask_her_some_questions._Annie_
s_mother
agreed._
Annie_and_her_mother_were_taken_into_Officer_ï_
Blackrockï_
s_office._
_
Blackrockï_
sat_down
behind
his_desk_and_offered_Ms._May_coffee_and_Annie_a_cookie._Ms._May_declined_but_Annie_
accepted_the_officer_
s_offer.
Officer_
_
Whitewaterï_
,_could_you_take_Annie_outside_of_my_office_for_a_quick_minute,_I_
want_to_talk_to_Mrs._May_privately._
Once_Annie_was_out_of_the_door,_ï_
Blackrockï_
spoke_again._
Mrs._May,_let_me_tell_you,_our_police_force_is_already_searching_for_clues_and_looking_for_
witnesses._We_are_getting_five_hundred_volunteers_to_survey_the_surrounding_area_in_search_of_
your_daughter_
s_bear._I_want_to_assure_you,_we_will_find_Edward._Do_you_have_any_questions?_
Just_one,_
Ms._May_paused,__
what_type_of_creep_would_do_such_a_thing?_
am,_I_wish
I
had_an_answer_for_you._
Officer_
_
Blackrockï_
slammed_his_fist_down_on_the_table.__
Got_damn
it,_I_need_answers!_
had_been
two_weeks_since_Ms._May_and_Annie_had_been_in_his_office,_and_he_still_couldn_
them_who
stole_Annie_
s_teddy_bear._ï_
Blackrockï_
and_his_partner_ï_
Whitewaterï_
had_interviewed_a_
dozen_potential_suspects_and_had_received_numerous_tips_from_concerned_members_of_the_
community,_but_they_had_all_been_dry._
Blackwater_was_interrogating_Seamus_Murphy,_the_school_janitor,_trying_to_get_any_drop_
of_information_that_could_be_squeezed_out_of_him.__
Officer,_I_swear,_I_wasn_
t_at_work_that_day,_I_
had_jury
duty._
Blackrockï_
was_about_to_fire_another_question_at_Murphy_when_ï_
Whitewaterï_
stepped_in_
Blackrockï_
,_give_it_a_rest,_the_guy_has_an_alibi._
As_Murphy_left_the_police_station,_all_Blackwater_could_do_was_groan.___
s_cases_like_
these_that_really_test_you._
Blackwater_put_all_of_the_case_materials_back_into_a_manilla_folder_and_
placed
the_folder_into_the_drawer_of_his_filing_cabinet_labeled__
unsolved_
._He_glanced_over_at_the_
stack_of
files_on_the_corner_of_his_desk._They_were_new_cases.__
s_a_sad_day_in
America_when_a_
police
department_can_
t_find_a_little_girl_
s_teddy_bear._
The_case
had_gone_cold._There_were_no_more_leads_or_new_tips._The_police_department_
had_other,_more_important_crimes_to_solve,_like_who_took_the_cookie_from_the_cookie_jar,_and_
who_punctured_the_school_
s_kick_ball._
s_mom_had_done_everything_she_could__to_help_ease_the_pain._She_bought_Annie_a_
new_bear,_Humphry,_but_Annie_never_felt_the_same_connection._She_made_Annie_
s_favorite_lunch,_
five_days_in_a_row,_but_it_didn_
t_help._She_even_hired_a_man_to_dress_up_in_a_bear_suite_and_come_
to_Annie
s_birthday_party._
Finnallyï_
s_mom_had_to
make_up_a_story_to_help_console_Annie_and_resolve_the_
entire
issue.__
,_sweetie_pie,_I_got_a_letter_from_Edward_in_the_mail._
Really,_what_did_he_say,_is_he_ok,_where_is_he?_
Annie_was_filled_with_excitement._
Edward
said_that_he_is_fine,_and_that_he_ran_away._He_told_me_that_he_wants_to_live_on_his_
s_going_to
Hollywood_to_make_it_as_an_actor._
Annie_was_skeptical_of_her_mother_
s_words,
but_nodded_in_agreement._It_wouldn_
made_sense_for_Edward_to_just_leave_without_telling_anybody._Her_suspicions_were_confirmed_
when_the
next_day,_the_front_page_of_the_new_paper_read__
s_Body_Found_in_ï_
Dumpsterï_
Tests_Confirm_it_
s_Edward
Annie_had_
_
enough
of_the_lies._She_ran_to_her_bedroom_closet_and_pulled_out_her_little_
spy_kit_that_her_mother_gave_her_for_Christmas._The_kit_was_complete_with_a_magnifying_glass,_
note_pad,_and_bubble_pipe.__
She_brought_the_kit_to_school_and_told_Sarah_her_plan.__
If_nobody_else_will_solve_this_case,_
then_I_guess_it_
s_my_responsibility._But_I_need_a_partner,_would_you_help_me?_
Annie,
it_
s_been_a_month_since_you_lost_Edward,_don_
t_you_think_it_
s_time_to_move_on?_
No,_never,_I_won_
t_rest_until_I_find_out_who_did_this,_
She_took
out_a_clipping_from_the_
newspaper_with_a_picture_of_Edward_
s_headless_body.__
Oh_no,_I_had
no_idea_they_did_that_to_him._You_know_what,_I_will_help_you_find_Edward._
The_first_thing_they_did_was_interview_every_single_class_mate_that_was_at_school_on_the_
day_of_the
kidnaping._By_the_end_of_the_interviewing_process,_they_labeled_three_students_as_
suspects,_Lily_ï_
Redrum
_
Persons._Lily_had_a_suspicious_alibi._
She_claimed_she_went_to_the_bathroom_during_recess._But_Annie_and_Sarah_weren_
t_buying
it._
was_a_suspect_because_of_his_rap_sheet:_9_time_outs,_and_4_times_being_sent_to_the_
principal_
s_office._Pinky_was_a_suspect_because_of_the_way_he_conducted_himself_in_the_interview._
He_was_shaking_and_twitching_and_he_refused_to_take_a_polygraph,_not_that_Annie_had_a_
polygraph,_but_they_wanted_to_see_if_he_would_call_their_bluff._The_interview_with_Pinky_
culminated_with_Pinky_refusing_to_answer_any_more_of_Annie_and_Sarah_
s_questions._Annie_was_
reluctant_to_let_Pinky_go,_but_Sarah_insisted._
Annie_and_Sarah_visited_the_ï_
dumpsterï_
that_Edward_was_found_in._It_was_in_the_back_of_a_
s_Diner_&_Deli_._They_questioned_some_of_the_deli_employees_about_any_suspicious_
activities_around_the_ï_
dumpsterï_
._One_employee_told_Annie_that_he_saw_a_small_person_with_a_trash_
bag,_throw_the_bag_into_the_ï_
dumpsterï_
around
11_pm._The_next_morning,_Edward_
s_body_was
found_in
the_ï_
dumpsterï_
Annie_decided_to_talk_to_Pinky_again._She_wanted_to_ask_him_what_he_was_doing_the_night_
before
they_found_Edward_
s_body._She_had_to_pick_the_perfect_time_to_corner_him,_when_nobody_
else_was
around._The_next_day_at_school_she_shadowed_him,_keeping_her_distance_from_him,_but_
always
knowing_where_he_was._Finally_she_found_the_perfect_time._He_was_getting_a_drink_from_
the_water_fountain_after_P.E._His_back_was_turned_to_she._She_ran_over_to_the_water_fountain_and_
cornered_him_between_herself_and_the_fountain.__
What_were_you_dong_the_night_before_they_
found_Edward?_
Um...I
was_eating_dinner_at_a_restaurant_with_my_mom_and_dad._
He_was_quivering_
again,
scared_as_a_mouse._
Oh_really,_what_restaurant?_
Um,_Barry_
s_Diner.
s_diner_huh?_
Yeah,_you_ever_been_their?_
Pinky_had_eased_up_a_bit,_his_voice_wasn_
t_shaking_anymore._
I_have_in_fact._I_
ve_been_their_enough_to_know_that_their_diner_is_closed_on_Sundays._So_
if_you_really_weren_
t_at_Barry
s_Diner,
then_where_were_you?_
t_remember._
His_voice_started_quivering_again._
Maybe_I_can_remind_you_with_a_little_photo_I_
ve_saved._
Annie_took_out_the_newspaper_
article_she_had_shown_Sarah_earlier.__
Pinky_started_to_break_down_in_tears.__
Ok,_ok,_it
was_me,_I_did_it._I_kidnaped_Edward._
I_knew_it,
you_slimy,_littleã_
Wait,_it
wasn_
t_my_idea,
it_was_all_Sarah,_she_was_the_brains_behind_it._
What,_Sarah,_she_wanted_toã,_
Annie_cut_herself_off_in_midãsentence_because_out_of_the_
corner
of_her_eye_she_saw_Sarah_walking_towards_the_play_structure._Annie_rushed_over_to_Sarah._
she_screamed,__
you,_how
could_you?_
How_could_I_what?_
You_killed_Edward!_
s_ridiculous,_I_would_never_do_that_to_Edward._You_
re_my_best
friend._
Not_according_to_Pinky_Persons._Apparently_you_used_Pinky_to_kidnap_Edward_and_made_
Pinky_do
the_dirty_work._
Sarah_threw_her__in_the_air.__
Alright_fine,_you_got_me,_happy_now?_
Police
cars_were_in_the_school_parking_lot_in_minutes._News_vans_were_lined_up_around_
the_school._Pinky_and_Sarah_were_taken_into_one_of_the_police_cars_and_driven_to_the_county_jail_
for_processing._ï_
Whitewaterï_
couldn
t_stop_laughing_about_the_fact_that_a_six_year_old_just_solved_a_
case_that_
_
Blackrockï_
couldn
t_even_come_close_to_solving.__
Maybe_we
should_hire_her,_
Whitewaterï_
suggested._
On_their
day_in_court,_Pinky_entered_a_plea_bargain_agreement_in_order_to_receive_a_lesser_
sentence._He_received_a_week_
s_worth_of
no_recess_and_had_his_snack_privileges_revoked_for_two_
weeks.
Sarah_wouldn_
t_go_down_without_a_fight._She_pleaded__
not_guilty_
,_but_was_convicted_of_
murdering_a_stuffed_animal_in_the_first_degree._She_received_a_month_
s_worth_of
detention,_had_to_
reimburse_Annie_the_amount_that_Edward_was_worth,_$10.99,_and_was_ordered_to_give_Annie_a_
big_hug_after_she_ï_
seervedï_
her_detention._
As_for_Annie,_she_got_hired_by_the_police_department_to_be_the_head_of_their_homicide_