Super Quick Mysteries, Volume 7: Super Quick Mysteries, #7

By Andrew Stanek

30 Super Quick, cozy mysteries that you can solve yourself! There's trouble brewing in Lesser Redmond again, but the Sandwich Shop Detective Chuck Waters and intrepid reporter Andy Clayton are here to help. Will Sarah pass her classes? Will Andy learn to live with the Herald's new up-and-coming reporter, Rodger Wyatt? Will Chief Logan succeed in losing weight? And is Ernest Dunn going to get away with all that money? These and many more answers in Super Quick Mysteries, Volume 7, the seventh installment in the long-running Super Quick Mysteries series. Written by author Andrew Stanek, who's lately been creating more of this series at a super quick pace!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrew Stanek
• Release date: Feb 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215578230

Book preview

Case 1: Public Transit

It was early one bright summer morning in the city of Lesser Redmond, and Chuck Waters parked his truck, Chuck Wagon, on a street across from a quiet strip mall. Anyone who knew Chuck Waters would say it was very unusual for Chuck to open as early as he did, but Chuck had a good reason. It was so early that there were likely to be few customers, and he could have a nice, restful nap on the counter on the pillow that Sarah had given him and still have plenty of time to spare to hide in the back of the truck from the customers before the morning commute rush.

Yes, Chuck Waters was a sandwich vendor of no particular distinction in the sleepy town of Lesser Redmond. He had a permanently dopey expression on his face, and slept too much, and often ignored the customers who were trying to buy sandwiches from Chuck Wagon.

But Chuck had a secret – one that would very much surprise anyone who knew about Chuck's sleepy sandwich truck. The truth was that Chuck Waters was a mystery-solving sleuth of almost unparalleled ability in the city of Lesser Redmond. In fact, people had started calling him the Sandwich Shop Detective. Even the chief of police, Chief Randall Logan, often brought cases to Chuck for his scrutiny.

And that was exactly what was going to happen this particular warm, sleepy summer morning, although Chuck didn't know it yet. He was busy slouching down onto the counter with his head on the pillow and happily thinking that he would probably see Sarah sometime in the near future, because the university semester had ended and Sarah was no longer so busy.

Just as he was considering drifting off peacefully into a relaxing nap, a familiar, wobbling figure came jogging around the corner. Chuck stared at the jogging figure in amazement – it was none other than Lesser Redmond's police chief, Randall Logan.

Chief Logan jogged a few times around Chuck Wagon and then plopped to a stop in front of the order window, wheezing heavily as he did. Chuck was so amazed by what he was seeing that he lifted his head several inches off the order counter.

Chief Logan! Chuck said in amazement. What are you doing exercising?

My doctor says that if I'm not going to stop eating so much, I need to start exercising to lose weight, Logan told Chuck. But I've been jogging for a few minutes now – I think it's time for a quick sandwich break. Give me a 24-inch mega tuna meatball and mayo sandwich.

Chuck considered his options, and with a heavy heart and an ominous sinking feeling in his stomach, realized he had no choice but to make the Chief his sandwich. With despondency in his every movement, Chuck reluctantly hefted 24 inches of bread onto the counter.

I’m trying to eat healthier, Logan told Chuck. Gotta put it on whole wheat bread.

Chuck replaced the Italian bread he had been about to use to construct Logan's sandwich and substituted in the whole-wheat bread, then immediately began to slather it with mayonnaise. While Chuck was working his craft, Logan leaned in and said, The truth is, that's not the only reason I'm here. Do you see those stores over there?

Chuck glanced at the strip mall across the street. A few happy little stores were just starting to open for the morning before any early business came.

Sure, what about them? Chuck asked.

I've got a tipoff that an armed robber is going to hold up one of the stores in that strip mall across the street, and I've been jogging around, waiting for him, hoping to head him off before he gets there, Logan told Chuck.

Very slowly, Chuck admitted, That sounds quite…uh…troubling.

Logan puffed out his chest proudly.

Well, I am the chief of police! Logan complimented himself. Stopping a dangerous armed robbery is all in a day's work!

After so declaring, Logan continued to watch the strip mall, hawk-like.

Suddenly, the chief sprang up. That's him, right there! Logan said, and dashed across the street to accost a man with brown hair and a heavy leather jacket who had been advancing stealthily towards a small grocery store. Logan led the suspect back across the street towards Chuck Wagon and had him lean against the bench while Logan patted him down.

You don't have any weapons, Logan conceded after the patdown.

Weapons? the suspect said in astonishment. He had a wrinkled face and looked like he was about in his 40s.

I have reason to believe that you were planning to rob a store in this area. Don't make things worse for yourself. You'd better come clean and confess now; you might get off easy.

Confess what? the man howled. I haven't done anything!

Can you give me a complete accounting of your movements today? Logan demanded.

I got up early, brushed my teeth, had breakfast, and took the train to go to work at the bookstore over there, the man said. Then, the second I stepped off the train, you jumped me. That's all I've done.

You don't have any reason to get here an hour before the bookstore you work at opens, Logan told the man. But that's exactly the kind of thing you might do if you were planning to rob the grocery store or the bank branch in the strip mall, because they open earlier than the other businesses.

The man looked around evasively. Look, Chief, you got it all wrong. All that happened was I got up a little early this morning and left an hour early.

Why would you leave an hour early? Logan demanded.

It's just public transit, Chief! Normally, it takes a long time, but this morning, the driver took a shortcut. So I just got here a little early. Honest! You can even track down the driver and ask him if you like.

Can anyone else vouch for your story? Logan asked.

Lots of people! the man declared. My boss at the bookstore! He’s not here yet, but he’ll be along in a few hours! And my wife knows. You can ask her.

Chuck was quietly listening to everything that was being said. Very slowly, he added the finishing touches to Chief Logan sandwich.

Logan turned to Chuck and took the sandwich, then looked at Chuck, troubled. Jogging had clearly taken a lot out of the Chief, and he was breathless and confused.

Help me, Chuck, Chief Logan told him. I can probably prove he's lying, but I’d have to do a lot of legwork to track down all these people like his wife and bosses at the bookstore. What do you think?

It’s really nice of you to bring me an easy one so early in the morning when I’m sleepy, Chuck said as he handed over Logan’s sandwich and started to ring him up on the register. I can prove he’s lying, no problem.

(How can Chuck prove the man is lying? See the next page for the solution.)

Solution to Case #1: Public Transit

The train can't take a shortcut.

The man said that he took the train to work, but that he had gotten there early that day because the train driver had taken a shortcut. Obviously this is impossible; trains are confined to rails and fixed routes, and it's impossible for them to take shortcuts. Therefore, the man must be lying, and he arrived earlier than the opening of the bookstore probably to case the rest of the strip before robbing it. Chief Logan detained the man and interrogated him further. It later turned out that there wasn't even a train that ran to that part of the city. The man eventually broke down and confessed he had been intending to rob the strip; he was a disgruntled ex-employee of the grocery store and had been planning to rob the grocery store for some money and get back at them for having fired him, which would have settled his grudge with the manager.

Chief Logan was very pleased with Chuck's deduction and apologized for his failure to catch the crook without Chuck's help. Logan said that he had been feeling woozy and off-balance because of all the jogging and exercising he had done. He took a sandwich from Chuck, tipped $20, then jogged around Chuck Wagon once, and then sat down and ate the sandwich.

Chuck was left feeling very pleased with himself and happily went to go close up so that no more customers could find them. He quietly hoped that the University semester would end soon so he could see Sarah.

Case 2: Shock to the System

It was another beautiful summer day in the sleepy town of Lesser Redmond, and Chuck had set up Chuck Wagon near the park. A line of customers formed to purchase sandwiches. Chuck's mind wasn't on that; instead, he was nervously waiting to finally be able to see his girlfriend. Chuck's girlfriend was a delightful young woman named Sarah Curtis. She was a student at Lesser Redmond University and she was smart, pretty, funny, nice, and much too good for Chuck, who was only a reluctant sandwich maker. Fortunately, after much effort (or lack thereof) from Chuck, Sarah had finally agreed to get together with him again.

However, even though Chuck loved Sarah very much and liked to see her as much as he possibly could, she had been busy with schoolwork over the spring as her junior year had been drawing to a close. There was lots for her to do, and Chuck hadn't been able to see her as much as he would have liked to. When he had seen her, it had mostly been to battle Healthy Harvey, the city health inspector, and the father of one of Chuck's arch-nemeses, Hasty Herald the Hot Dog Hawker.

Now things were different. It was finally summer in Lesser Redmond and Sarah's junior year had drawn to a close. School was out; the University semester was over, and Sarah could finally see Chuck more than she had in the spring. Chuck was waiting at the order window of his food truck, Chuck Wagon, like a blushing bride before the wedding, nervously rolling his head from one side to the other as he rested it on the counter, on the pillow that Sarah had given him last Christmas.

Nigel, who was Chuck's part-time worker and was actually doing all the work inside Chuck Wagon, looked at him in exasperation. Boss, I feel like you've gotten even more lazy! he told Chuck as he rang up a customer for a chicken wrap.

I can't help it, Nigel, Chuck said. I just want to see Sarah; I really miss her a lot.

He's been like this all day, Nigel confided in Jesse.

Jesse was a friend of Sarah's and happened to have a job nearby. She struck up a conversation with Nigel.

Well, it is nice to see him motivated, Jesse said with a shrug. And besides, I'm sure Sarah will be really happy to see him too.

Is my hair okay? Chuck said nervously as he tried to peer into Chuck Wagon's side view mirror to look at his hair.

No, it looks like it always does, Jesse replied, raising her eyebrows. Nigel giggled and made a sandwich for a different customer.

A few minutes later, Sarah walked by with a big smile on her face.

Chuck! she said in delight and leaned over the order window counter to give him a big hug and a kiss. Some people in the line oohed and ahhed. Chuck was really happy to see Sarah and gave her her favorite veggie delight sandwich that he had made especially for her, and happily, albeit very slowly, told her everything that had happened during her absence. He really had missed her a lot.

Sarah smiled. Chuck told her about his friends and mutual acquaintances, and Jesse also excitedly approached Sarah.

Sarah! Jesse said. I haven't seen you in ages! So, you finally finished junior year at the University? You’re a senior?

That's amazing! Chuck said. He had barely graduated high school because of a C- in history. How are things going at college?

Suddenly, Sarah couldn't quite seem to look Chuck in the eyes. Chuck was astonished. Sarah? he asked her.

You know, I just remembered something I had to do, Sarah said evasively, and moved to retreat in a covert manner.

Jesse looked astonished. What is it? she demanded of Sarah. Spit it out!

Spit out what? Sarah said in an unnatural falsetto.

Jesse's eyes narrowed.

Sarah had taken a few steps back.

You're hiding something, Jesse accused her.

Hiding something? Sarah repeated in the same falsetto. No, I wouldn't; I would never!

I'm sure Sarah wouldn't do that, Chuck told Jesse reassuringly. Sarah looked even more embarrassed and flustered, then retreated to a nearby bench to eat her sandwich.

Jesse, looking surprised, asked Chuck, You haven't had a fight have you?

No, Chuck denied with a bemused expression on his face. I hate fighting.

I’ll bet you did something to upset her, Jesse accused Chuck.

That's impossible, Nigel said from the back of the truck. He can't have done anything to upset her because he never does anything.

That's true, Chuck agreed vehemently. I haven't even moved.

Jesse considered, then asked, What could it possibly be? It's true that you're not the type to get into a fight with Sarah, she said, looking curiously over at the sandwich that Sarah was eating at in the park. Sarah looked flustered and confused and a little bit down. She had her shoulders hunched.

I think you should go ask her what's going on, Jesse told Chuck.

No, don't worry about it, Chuck said peacefully. If Sarah has something she needs to tell me, she'll tell me in her own time.

Jesse regarded Chuck's Buddha-like expression suspiciously and looked like she was about to say more when suddenly someone else approached Chuck. It was a woman a few years older than Chuck, stylishly dressed with streaks in her dark hair. Chuck knew her quite well; she was Beatrice, an old acquaintance from high school, and now a proprietor of one of the local nightclubs. She was a very nice person; she was always inviting Sarah and Chuck to come visit her club, although they had never taken her up on it.

Chuck, I need your help, Beatrice told Chuck recklessly.

Okay, but I don't really sell sandwiches at night, Chuck told Beatrice.

No, not sandwiches, Beatrice told him urgently. I need your help as the Sandwich Shop Detective, and I need it right away!

Sarah had noticed something was up and stopped awkwardly hiding by the bench and approached. What's going on? she asked.

I'm being sued, Beatrice said. Take a look at this.

From inside her purse, she produced an official-looking document which she handed over to Chuck, then placed it on the counter. Chuck, Jesse, Sarah, and Nigel all tried to read it from opposite sides at the same time.

A patron says he was injured while dancing at my club and it's my fault, Beatrice explained urgently. Jesse scooped up the letter and started to read aloud: "Dear Proprietor of the Lesser Redmond Nightclub, The Hotspot: I am a longtime patron of your nightclub and have always enjoyed it, but I was seriously injured at your club last Friday as a result of willful negligence and dangerous conditions within the club and I demand compensation.

Last Friday, at around 11 o'clock, I was standing in the club when, in the darkness, I came into contact with a hanging wire on the side of the dance floor that I later learned was an exposed and severed electrical wire from the neon sign in your window, which was dangling over the dance floor. My side was electrocuted and I was hospitalized with severe electrical burns (pictures attached)."

There was attached on the next page a picture that showed a man who appeared to be severely or extensively burned. Scorch marks traced around his chest, ran up his neck, and scarred part of his face. The burns were all black and red and quite hideous in the photograph, and apparently had been taken while he reclined on a trolley or gurney in some sort of medical exam room. A particularly dark spot was apparent on one side of his torso, where the wire had presumably come into contact with his chest. Chuck couldn't see what had happened to his lower body. As he lay on the gurney he was still wearing trousers and sneakers.

Jesse contemplated the image for a moment, before returning to the demand letter: "The burns were exacerbated by the fact that while the wire was in contact with my side and I was in a state of shock and confusion, members of staff did not move to assist me and, in fact, after I had fallen to the floor, no one moved to help me up and I was left there to lie on the floor without assistance from any of the other patrons or members of staff. In fact, when I started to call for help, members of staff refused to call me an ambulance and instead ejected me from the establishment without giving me any medical assistance. I incurred significant medical bills in the aftermath, and I'm very badly injured. I demand $500,000 in compensation for my injuries, in addition to payment of medical bills.

If these sums are not met by you and your establishment, I will be forced to take legal action against you, etc."

And there followed the name of the client and those of several lawyers: Kraus, Beavers, and Glynn.

This is all a bunch of lies! Beatrice complained to Chuck. Chuck, please help me!

Hold on a second, Chuck said peacefully. What do your staff say happened on this day and time?

They said there was a man who was just standing on the dance floor, not really dancing or doing anything, and suddenly he collapsed. He started telling them he was really badly injured and needed an ambulance, but they couldn't see that there was anything wrong with him. Eventually a bouncer escorted him off for making a scene, but they say they're definitely sure he wasn't burned or electrocuted – he just collapsed, and they were pretty sure he wasn't having a health episode or anything. I told them they probably should have called an ambulance when he asked them to, but it's not like he was really electrocuted – they would have seen if he was really badly injured. This must be a fraud who is making these demands.

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other. Chuck smiled at Sarah and she nodded back.

Don't worry about a thing, Chuck told the nightclub owner. The only shock this guy will be getting is when he doesn't get any money!

(How can Chuck and Sarah prove that the patron’s story is phony? See