Matt -

I guess the case of Bella, Book, & Flashlight is officially closed. I came home from work the other night and had a letter in my mailbox. You can tell a child wrote it. It explained that the video was a school project. They were unsure of what exactly happened--it was dusk after all--when they found Bella floating in the water.  They knew she was mine and returned her to my doorstep. They heard me opening the door, got spooked, and ran, leaving behind the flashlight and book by accident. They did dedicate their project to Bella, which made me smile.

-KC

Matt -

​You are correct! They were re-enacting a scene from the book! Can you believe that? Ten year olds! I assumed that Bella got in the way--you know she likes to hunt frogs in the cattails. The kids tied the flashlight to a branch to be a "spear." The flashlight must've hit poor Bella by accident. The kids seem harmless.

-KC

Matt - 

I have to admit, I was doing the dishes Saturday evening and I saw some of the neighbor kids passing between houses towards the pond. I watched them from behind my drapes like a weirdo. One kid carried what looked like a sailboat--only it didn't have sails. Another kid had a remote control for it and it swam across the water. Can you guess what conclusion I drew?

-KC

So I left the copy of Moby Dick on the front steps, on display, like you said. It was gone when I checked on it. My covert stakeout skills suck. I don't know who took it, or where it went.--PLEASE hold your scolding! I did get a footprint in the dirt below the first step! It was a child's footprint (or an adult with abnormally small feet).

​-KC

Seriously Matt, I know a three-second Google search would translate MCMXC to 1990. You don't have to be a know-it-all partner like when we were kids! And, yes, we do have some kids on the block. They are about 10--or 12?--but I will NOT stalk them. That's creepy, especially if I'm--as you put it--"discreetly hiding behind a building or bush." I will not be arrested during a Curious Kids escapade! What's Plan B?

​-KC

Matt - 

Don't worry! Bella is laid to rest next to Mr. Tonkles. Her collar seems normal, no tears or debris. I did notice a bit of yarn on the bottom of the flashlight. I don't know why you need to know, but the flashlight is yellow and the copywriter year of the book is MCMXC - you can translate that. It's one of those large print editions for kids.

​-KC

Matt - 

It's no joke! I swear it really happened! The case of Bella, Book, & Flashlight is officially open! Here are the details: Bella was placed on the doormat, wet. The book was facedown and opened to random crinkled pages. The flashlight was, well, a flashlight, but was left at the top of the stairs, not next to Bella like the book. I can't make sense of it.

​- KC

Matt - 

Remember when we were kids and solved mysteries? Like The Case of the Soda Pop Dandelions? Where we followed footsteps in the dirty, found a patch of the neighbor's law, without dandelions, and Lucy's doll? I think the Curious Kids need a 20 year reunion... because I found Bella, my cat, dead on my doorstep with a flashlight and a tattered, water-worn copy of Moby Dick. What do you think?

​-KC

Stay tuned for a new special series! These are mini-mysteries are written via postcards. Yes, they really do get sent out and the recipient reads one card (clue?) one week (or so) at a time! The mini-mysteries, however, are all fiction. 

I am excited about this exercise--as I buy postcards every time I travel and they mostly sit in a box for years. Wait, does this mean I get to write off my next trip as a business expense? Ha! Stay tuned because this series is coming at ya soon!!

My last wish is for my dear Gemma: the child I hoped and prayed for and loved more than my own life.  My wish is that she lives a long a fulfilling life, full of good choices, happy memories, and to always find the positive side. 

I wish she will live every day knowing I loved her, up until my last breath and beyond. Both her father and I love her very, very much.