The Case of the Science Fair Swindler

The phone rings.

“Hello, you’ve reached the Cloverville Detective Agency,” you say. 

“Hi. Can I talk to the detective?” The voice on the other line sounds like it belongs to a child.

“I’m the detective,” you respond. “How can I help you?”

“I need you to catch a bad guy, please,” the caller says. The voice clearly belongs to a child. You become worried.

“Who is this? Are you okay? Are you somewhere safe? Have you called the police?” you ask.

“Yes.” The child’s voice sounds annoyed. “I already asked Mom for help and she said the police were too busy to help me with my science fair project. So I called you.”

You are relieved that the child does not seem to be in danger, but you are also a little confused. “You’re catching a bad guy as your science fair project?”

“No! I want you to catch the bad guy who ruined my science fair project.”

You sit quietly for a moment, thinking about how best to respond. This is certainly the strangest request you have had in a while, and science fair shenanigans are outside of your area of expertise. You are about to politely decline when you hear a woman’s voice in the background. It is a voice you recognize immediately.

“Sal? Salvatore Leroy Kimbrell-Brown, I told you to let it go. I talked to your teacher and they said I can help you make a new display tonight since the judging isn’t until tomorrow afternoon. Here, give me the phone. Hello, I am so sorry–”

“Hey, Chief,” you say cheerfully. Over the years, you have worked closely with Lavonne Kimbrell, the Chief of the Cloverville Police Department, to crack the most difficult cases.

“Oh, hey,” Chief Kimbrell laughs. “I was just about to give you a call. Got a moment?”