Inspector Septimus Summer-Garden was known for his enthusiasm, his impeccable moustache, and, unfortunately, his somewhat bumbling nature. Despite his good intentions, he often found himself tangled in more trouble than the criminals he chased. One sunny Monday morning, the city’s antique shop, “Timeless Treasures,” reported a peculiar theft. The most prized possession in the shop, a gleaming gold fountain pen, encrusted with tiny sapphires had vanished without a trace. The owner, Mrs. Penelope Parchment, was distraught. Inspector Summer-Garden, arrived at the scene, twirling his moustache thoughtfully. He examined the display case carefully, knocking over a small vase in the process.
“Hmm,” he muttered, “a most perplexing conundrum!”
Mrs. Parchment explained,
“The pen was kept in this glass case overnight. There were no signs of forced entry, and the security alarm was not triggered.”
Inspector Summer-Garden nodded vigorously.
“Fear not, madam! I shall crack this case wide open!”
Septimus began his investigation by questioning the shop’s staff and inspecting the premises. The only clue he found was a faint smudge of blue ink on the glass, possibly from a hurried hand, or perhaps from someone trying to wipe away evidence. He then decided to interrogate the shop’s cat, Sir Whiskers, who was lounging lazily atop a pile of antique books.
“Did you see anything, Sir Whiskers?” asked the Inspector.
The cat blinked lazily, purring softly.
“Meow,” it replied, which Inspector Summer-Garden took as a yes.
Suddenly, the Inspector’s eyes lit up.
“Of course! The ink smudge and the cat! Sir Whiskers must have seen something!”
He clumsily knocked over a pile of antique teacups in his haste. After a moment of looking around, he spotted a small, shiny object lodged behind a stack of old porcelain dolls. Carefully retrieving it, he saw it was a tiny, glittering gold key.
“Ah-ha!” exclaimed the Inspector. “The key to the display case!”
Mrs. Parchment gasped. “But how?”
Inspector Summer-Garden chuckled.
“The thief must have used this key to open the case. But wait, where did they get it?”
He examined the key closely and realized it was a miniature replica of the shop’s own key likely stolen during a previous break-in and hidden away by the culprit. Just then, Sir Whiskers leapt onto a nearby shelf, knocking over a small box. Inside was a crumpled note:
“Meet me at the old clock tower tonight. The pen is mine.”
The inspector frowned. “Aha! A rendezvous point!”
That evening, dressed in his finest (and most mismatched) attire, Inspector Summer-Garden waited nervously at the clock tower. As the clock struck midnight, a shadowy figure appeared, Mrs. Parchment’s nephew, young Timothy, known for his love of shiny objects.
“Timothy!” the inspector called out. “I believe you’ve stolen the gold fountain pen!”
Timothy looked guilty.
“I… I just wanted to impress my friends. I didn’t think it would cause so much trouble!”
Inspector Summer-Garden sighed with relief.
“Well, Timothy, I suggest you return the pen and apologise.”
The young thief nodded, shame-faced. Mrs. Parchment gratefully retrieved her precious fountain pen, which was slightly scratched but still beautiful. As for Inspector Summer-Garden, he was praised for his “creative detective work,” though he was also gently reminded to stay a little less bumbling in the future. And so, peace was restored in the city, thanks to the earnest, if slightly clumsy, efforts of Inspector Septimus Summer-Garden and Sir Whiskers, the feline sleuth!
Lazarus Carpenter - Author 