SKETCHING A SUSPECT

“I’m armed and ready,” said Audrey, sliding her sword into its sheath.

“Me, too,” said Oliver, patting his notebook.

Audrey did a double take. “What are you going to do with that old thing?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Every good detective needs a notebook, right?”

He had found the book at the bottom of his chest just this morning. There were only a few tattered pages inside, and the leather cover was so worn that Sniffs eyed it up as if it were a chew toy.

“Hands off,” said Oliver in his most stern voice. “I mean, mouth off. No slobbering on my book, Sniffs. It’s for very important business.”

The dog whined and went back to sniffing the ground.

“Which way to Lefty’s place?” asked Audrey, stopping by a signpost.

Oliver pushed up his glasses. “Take a right,” he said, jogging to catch up with his sister. They followed the short gravel path toward the leatherworker’s house.

Lefty greeted them on the porch. “Hey, kids! Are you here to help me catch the creeper that’s been lurking around my yard?”

“Yes!” said Audrey. “Show us those footprints we’ve been hearing about.”

“Okay,” said Lefty, looking in both directions. “But keep an eye out. Those creepers are way too sneaky.”

He led them beside a tall fence and then knelt in the dirt. “I caught a glimpse of the mob through the fence. You can just barely make out the prints. They’re still pretty fresh.”

Sniffs stuck his nose right into one of the footprints. When Audrey saw the direction the prints were heading, she took off like a shot. And Oliver? He hung back and sketched the prints in his notebook.

“So,” he said, clearing his throat. “You say you saw this creeper. About how tall would you say he was?”

Lefty scratched his chin. “I don’t know. I guess, about … you know, Steve’s height.” He waved at his neighbor Steve, who was digging in his garden.

“Uh-huh, uh-huh,” said Oliver, jotting notes in his notebook. “And what color would you say he was?”

Lefty snorted. “Well, green, of course.”

“Right,” said Oliver, jotting that down. “Got it. And was the mob making any sounds?”

“Nope. Well, hissing probably. I’m not sure. I couldn’t hear anything through my kitchen window.”

Oliver studied his notes. “Hmm. Okay, just one more question, Lefty. Would you say this mob was right-handed or left-handed?”

Lefty slapped his thigh and laughed out loud. “Kid, you crack me up. How should I know? The creeper had both arms in the air. That’s about all I can say.”

As Audrey circled back toward them, Oliver closed his notebook.

“Are you going to help me look for the creeper or what?” asked Audrey, hands in the air.

Oliver squinted up into the morning sun. “He’s long gone,” he said.

“How do you know?” asked Audrey. “Creepers don’t burn up at dawn.”

“No …” said Oliver slowly. “But this is no creeper we’re tracking.”

How can Oliver be so sure? Solve this Creeper Code for a clue. Read ONLY the words that come after the word “MOB.” Then turn the page to solve the mystery.

“But Lefty saw a creeper,” Audrey argued. “He told us! He showed us the footprints, too.”

“Right,” said Oliver. “But the mob that left those prints had two feet, not four. Plus a pair of arms. But creepers don’t have arms.”

“Well, I’ll be …” said Lefty. “So what’s been lurking around my yard, then?”

Oliver held up the sketch he had drawn in his notebook.

“About Steve’s height, with two legs and outstretched arms. And very green. Does this look like the suspect?”

Lefty laughed out loud. “Outsmarted by a zombie. Sorry, kids, for dragging you all the way out here for nothing.”

“Oh, it wasn’t for nothing,” said Oliver, grinning. “I finally got to use my notebook. And I think it’s going to come in pretty handy!”