“Uncle Ben, could I come with you?” asked Tom to his neighbor, who was a local police officer.
“Tom, I know that you love detectives, and hope to become one someday, but it’s just a simple robbery case and I am sure the police will be able to handle it” replied Uncle Ben.
At this point in the conversation, Tom’s elder sister piped up, “Uncle Ben, I think it would be for the best that you take him since you were unwise enough to mention the thievery in front of Tom. He will probably go off behind you after some time, and I don’t want him to be all on his own there.”
And so off went Tom to 2nd street of Chinatown, to ‘investigate’ alongside Uncle Ben.
Right across the street of the apartment where the burglary had occurred, we met an old beggar. He asked for some food, and so Tom gave him my imported chocolate which he had brought from home which he ate hungrily. Ben went on indifferently right across the street to our destination, and gave a call to me, so as to make sure Tom was still following him. He hurried on to catch up with him, and we went inside.
The watchman seemed to have been expecting Ben, but he gave an enquiring look in Tom’s direction. But Uncle Ben just gave him ‘he is sort of my apprentice’ look and the man asked no one questions.
“Floor 15, room at the end of the hallway, and forgive us but the elevator is under repairs today, you will have to use the stairs.” said the watchman. “Oh, and also, kid, don’t waste your money feeding that beggar if you come again. He sits there every day and refuses to work to earn his living.”
Huffing and puffing, drenched in sweat to the soles in their shoes, and with stiches at their sides, both Tom and Ben arrived at the 15th floor clutching their stomachs and gasping for breath.
“Let’s hope they get that elevator fixed in time. I don’t think this case will be cracked in one visit.” said Ben.
Tom just grimaced at Ben’s statement; he simply did not have enough breath to spare for a laugh.
“So, Mr. James, you say this robbery occurred in your apartment when you were holiday out of town?” questioned Ben.
James nodded and then proceeded to say,
“I had gone away from home to take a break from everything. When I got back, I didn’t even suspect anything because everything was intact, and there was no sign of a forced entry. It was only gone to the inner room that I found that the safe was missing.”
“Was there anything valuable in the safe?” put in Tom.
“There was an antique vase that my Uncle loved very dearly, and who bequeathed it to me before his passing away a few years ago.” replied James.
Tom nodded, and started to go inside the house to have a look at the place the safe was kept, but just then came a knock on the door, and a man came inside without waiting for a response. He was young, probably as young as James, although that was very much hidden behind his beard and slight tummy. He seemed to know James, as he acknowledged him with a jovial wave from his hand. He had a hawk sitting on his shoulder.
“Ah, Officer Ben, this is a friend of mine. His name is Arthur, and the hawk is Copernicus.” said James to Ben.
“I was running up and down the stairs, when I heard you guys talking here from a floor down. So I came up to see if I can help in any way.”
Tom left the adults to have their talk, and went out to investigate and explore for any form of clues. But having no success, both he and Uncle Ben left for their homes.
The searching went on for 5 days, but on the 6th day, when Tom came to meet Uncle Ben,
“Don’t bother coming today, we are abandoning the case.” said Ben and left without another word.
Tom was flabbergasted with the news, but was still equally determined and adamant to solve the case, and so he went alone. He kept scratching his head, his brain refused to accept that a perfect crime had been committed. If only he could get hold of a witness, but then it hit him. He slammed his head, and proceeded to the street opposite Mr. James house, and then had a chat with the watchman. When he was satisfied with the answers, he did the strangest thing possible. Tom went to the street opposite to the building and had a talk with the beggar who sat there every day. His smile was something to watch after he had finished questioning the beggar; it was a smile of victory.
“Why have you summoned me here, officer.” enquired Arthur.
“Tom here will explain why he has summoned you here” replied Ben.
Tom cleared his throat, and then said in a dangerous voice, his eyes flashing,
“It’s you, Arthur. Game’s up. Tell us where you hid the safe.”
Arthur at first looked shocked, but then laughed and said in a mocking voice,
“Is this some sort of joke?”
“No jokes. And I can lay down my evidence.”
Arthur looked shocked at Tom’s words, but composed himself in an instant, and waited for Tom to continue,
“You gave sweets to the watchman the day the safe was stolen. They were probably drugged, for the poor man had to go the bathroom immediately after, in which time you stole the duplicate key to Mr. James’s house. The beggar opposite the building is proof of that.”
Arthur looked frightened for a second, but realizing that there was no adequate proof yet, he went on smiling.
“The door at the end of the hall is empty, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong to someone. It belongs to you, Arthur, and that is where you hid the safe after stealing it, because you knew you will have to store it or risk getting caught”
“That room is empty kid” replied Arthur with a growl.
“Maybe, but there were drag marks by the dust on the ground, leading to the door. Also, the lock is brand new, as I noticed the first day I came here. The watchman also said he saw you carrying something just a day ago, which I can guarantee was the contents of the safe.”
Arthur, with a look of rage, pounced on Tom, but Ben and James interfered and managed to pin him down. Arthur confessed where he had taken the safe’s contents, and Ben patted Tom on the back with a look of pride on his face.
“I hope to see you accepting your detective badge someday, my boy” said Ben.
