Betty Jo Schuler

Kids, can you solve this mystery?

Trash Detecting Day on Trumpet Lane

A cul-de-sac is a street that dead ends. That means you can't get out at that end. You walk to the end of Trumpet Lane and circle a lamppost in a flowerbed, and go back again. Tuesday is Trash Day on this cheery cul-de-sac. On Tuesday mornings, each family sets their throwaways on the curb in front of their house. The big collection truck hasn't arrived yet this morning.

Nina and Max, friends and neighbors, hope to open a detective agency someday, and today, Nina's looking for a mystery for them to solve. Max doesn't think they can find one in their quiet neighborhood, but Nina insists they can. When Nina, who's two months older than Max, acts like she knows more, he likes to joke or put her down.

"Someone on the cul-de-sac must be guilty of something," Nina said. "Mr. Albright acts mysterious. He keeps his blinds shut all day."

"Maybe light hurts his eyes. Or maybe he's making counterfeit bills," Max said, waving his hands in front of Nina's eyes in a spooky way.

"Ms. Smith wears sunglasses and a trench coat every day," Nina said, watching their neighbor climb into her black van. "That's strange."

"She could be a movie star." Max lowered the bill of his cap against the bright sunlight. "Or a spy." He lowered his voice mysteriously.

"I'm still suspicious of Mr. Albright," Nina said, as he came out of the house and drove away in his car. "And Trash Pick-up Day is the perfect time to find out."

"I admit he does look suspicious when he goes out at night, carrying a satchel and wearing a baseball cap pulled over his face, but he goes to work in the morning looking normal. You saw him yourself. Besides, what can we tell from trash?"

"Plenty." Trash was piled in front of every house on their street that morning, and Nina pointed to a bathroom scale in front of the first house they passed. "What does that tell you?"

"Easy. Mrs. Mills quit dieting," Max said, chuckling. This could be fun.

Nina pointed to a banged-up tricycle at the Jones house. "What about that?"

"Janie Jones finally learned to ride a two-wheeler?"

"Afraid not," Nina said, pointing to a new tricycle box. "Sometimes you have to think twice before making a conclusion."

Nina was acting like a know-it-all again, but Max liked learning about trash and was beginning to get excited. Mr. Albright had the biggest pile of all. Max followed Nina down the street and helped her poke through Mr. Albright's trash when they reached his house. Was their neighbor a criminal?

Max thought hard about the things they pulled out-a ski mask, a torn red rubber ball, a broken balloon, a wig with a wad of gum, broken skis, a rusty bicycle tire pump, and makeup remover.

What did Max announce their neighbor did, and what items were his clues? Some of the things they found might be just trash, but some will tell what he does at night. Can you figure it out?

Click here for the answer.

Use your browser's "back" button to return to the page you were on before.