Stormy Summers Fifth Grade Detective

By Erin Danko

Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. You're out!

Stormy, Cassie, and Gabriella find themselves once more helmet deep in a mystery. This time, it hits close to home plate. Someone is trying to sabotage Cassie's baseball team while they are

• Language: English
• Publisher: SILVER INK LITERARY AGENCY
• Release date: Jun 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781952062414

Book preview

CONTENTS

Chapter 1  The Ground Rules

Chapter 2  Harris Hawks vs. the Gray Foxes

Chapter 3  S.C.G. Is on the Case

Chapter 4  Rematch

Chapter 5  Team Interviews

Chapter 6  The Coach and the Custodian

Chapter 7  Study Session

Chapter 8  The Plot Thickens

Chapter 9  The Night Outing

Chapter 10  Three Strikes

Chapter 11  Who’s Left?

Chapter 12  The Search

Chapter 13  Battle of the Computer Nerds

Chapter 14  The Gloves Come Off

Stormy’s Glossary

1

CHAPTER  

The Ground Rules

I sat at my desk deep in thought. In front of me sat a notepad and I held a pencil in my hand, gently tapping it on the paper as if that would help me finish my rules. Since my two best friends, Gabriella and Cassie, and I had solved the Case of the Missing Squash Blossom Necklace a few weeks ago, I had been putting together my detective rules. So far I had five of them:

Always carry the right tools.

Use teamwork.

Question everything.

Keep detailed notes.

Find connections.

This was the process the detectives from my books always used. Something seemed missing, though. I just couldn’t figure out what. I had read and re-read all of the books by my favorite mystery writer, Kacey Mardons. That was how I came up with the first five rules.

Kacey Mardons’s characters always seemed to have the right tools for the job. That was why I had three leather satchels spread out on my bed with the tools of the detective next to them, ready to pack up. According to Mardons, great detectives always had a notepad with pens and pencils to write down observations and interviews, a magnifying glass to examine the evidence, clear plastic bags and a marker to store and label evidence, tweezers to pick up the evidence so it wasn’t damaged or contaminated, a questions checklist for interviewing suspects, binoculars, and most importantly, a flashlight with extra batteries.

I was still embarrassed that I had forgotten to bring one with us when we went to investigate Mr. Demello’s office at night when we were searching for the squash blossom necklace. Thank goodness Gabriella had thought ahead. I laughed to myself at that thought.

Gabriella to the rescue, indeed.

Mardons also said in an interview that teamwork was essential when her characters were solving a case, so that became rule number two. I thought we had that pretty well down. Gabriella, Cassie, and I worked together like a well-oiled machine. Well, most of the time anyway.

Rule number three: Detectives should question everything. No detail was ever too small. In fact, it was usually the small thing that was the key to the case.

This was followed by rule number four. Keeping detailed notes was important so you could review them later and find any patterns or…rule number five… find connections.

Still, even with all of that covered, something seemed absent from my rules. It was probably something right in front of me that I just couldn’t see.

Looks like rule number 6 will have to stay a question mark, for now, I thought to myself as I got up and walked slowly over to the satchels on my bed. Maybe taking a break would help me think of something.

I was also having trouble coming up with a good name for our detective agency. All I had so far was our initials: S. G. C. I frowned to myself as I considered the name. It still needed work.

I started to pack up the three bags with detective tools when I thought I heard the door to my bedroom creak open. I turned and looked behind me. Nothing was there. The door was still closed. Shrugging, I went back to the leather bags. Then I thought I heard a footstep behind me. Yes, there it was again. It was faint, muffled by the carpet, but it was definitely there.

I kept packing the bags as if nothing were wrong. I heard another step and pretended to drop a pen, letting it roll under the bed. Sinking to my knees as if to retrieve it, I reached for my secret weapon against sneak attacks by annoying intruders instead.

My little brother let out a yelp of surprise when a flashing plastic tube of blue light met his own red-colored rod of light. I laughed when I saw his eyes bulging out from behind the black mask he wore.

I smirked at my brother. So you thought you could sneak up on me, did you, little brother? I asked. You still have much to learn.

Korey recovered quickly and swung at me again, only to be foiled as I blocked him. He broke away, jumping back a couple of feet to give himself some breathing room before he launched his next attack. Beat me this time, you will not, Stormy!

"That’s what you say every time."

Korey jumped up onto the bed, trying to get the high ground and scattering all the satchels, spilling the tools on the floor.

Hey! Watch it! I called, dodging his slashing attack at my humming blade and nearly slipping on a flashlight. I spun around as he jumped down from the bed to follow me and quickly disarmed him. Korey fell to his knees in front of me, dropping his own red-colored blade and pretending I had just cut off his arm where my blue blade had gently tapped it. Do you surrender? I inquired, holding the blue plastic blade close to his chest.

I am defeated! he cried dramatically. Then he fell over to his side and lay there very still.

I watched him for a few seconds before one of his eyes popped open and looked at up me. I clapped a couple of times half-heartedly. Bravo. Brilliant performance. Sarcasm dripped from my tone.

Korey pulled his Darth Vader mask from his face and gave me a sour look. I’ll get you next time, Stormy. Just you wait.

Sure, Korey, I said, patting his head. If you say so.

He knocked my hand away. He was about to pick up his toy lightsaber again when Mom called us from downstairs. Kids, time to go! We can’t be late for Cassie’s game.