Inspector Stanley Frogee Solves The Case of the Missing Wet Glove! October 25, 2020

 October 25, 2020

Sunday's on the Porch with Stanley

Sunday's on the Porch with Stanley

Me: Good morning Stanley. I mean Inspector Stanley Frogee! <laughing>

Stanley: Hello, hello and guess who solved The Case of the Missing Wet Glove?

Me: <smiling> I got your text yesterday and guessing it must be you, since you’re standing all proud and grinning so big! Right?

Stanley: Well, I did finally put it all together, but it was actually Hank Hawk and the Dragon Lady who really figured it out.

Me: Oh, my goodness! Really? Do tell!

Stanley: It’s a bit of a story but it has a happy ending. You might want to get a coffee refill first. <grinning> For me too, please!

So, here’s how this went down. Your glove went missing last Tuesday. On Monday, Rocky Raccoon was visiting with the Frog Queen and she told him that Molly Mouse had another litter of babies. She had 6 this time but she also just had 9 the month before!

Me: Oh my! So that means she was taking care of 15 littles?

Stanley: That’s right! So listen now. Rocky and his family live in that old muskrat house down by Grandfather Tree. Rocky was scrounging around for food in the wooded area down there by the bridge, when he spied what looked like a glove in the pack rat’s den behind the Troll. Rocky knew that Molly was going to need help taking care of all those babies and thought the glove could do double duty and offer warm beds for her babies and also provide a good place to store seeds.

Me: Well, my goodness, that does make sense. So, I’m guessing Rocky got my glove and gave it to Molly and the pack rat is the guilty party who nabbed it?

Stanley: Nope. It wasn’t the pack rat. Rocky wanted to get that glove from the pack rat but he’s afraid of the big old Troll by the bridge. If you read my reports, you might remember I interviewed the Troll by the bridge and he said he had seen two masked figures that night. They wanted to cross the bridge but he wouldn’t let them so they had to walk around. Apparently, one of them left their hoodie on the other side of the bridge by the gully wash. Troll said he didn’t know all of this until later when he saw the glove in pack rat’s den. Pack rat told him he found the hoodie on the ground down there by the gully. He thought the hoodie would be warm for him this winter, so he brought it back to his den. When he rummaged through the front pocket, he found the glove.

Me: Wowza! So, the two masked figures stole my glove after the poker game?

Stanley: Nope! No! Quit guessing and be patient. I’m getting there. I thought that at first too, but there was no motive for them to steal it. This really stumped me until yesterday when I played Crickets with Hank Hawk. You know Hank sits up there on that tree limb all day and night watching everybody. He started telling me the craziest story and I realized he had actually seen exactly what had happened!

Me: Okay. So what happened?

Stanley: Well, the two masked figures had come over to play in the poker game, but they just watched and didn’t join in. Then they left around 3:30 in the morning. As they were leaving the game, they saw something hidden under the deck stairs so they picked it up. It was your glove and it felt heavy like something was in it. They thought it might be some poker winnings but just as they were going to look, Sophie Snake slithering around the corner and scared them to death. They quickly shoved the glove into the hoodie pocket and took off running.

Me: I’m getting so confused Stanley. <shaking my head>

Stanley: I know. I was too for a bit. It will all make sense soon. Try to stay with me on this.

Me: Okay. Well, it sounds like somebody else stole my glove and then hid it under the deck steps? Is that right?

Stanley: Yes, but not exactly. Here’s what happened. You know that Sammy Squirrel is a flying squirrel and he and Rocky are good friends, right?

Me: No, I didn’t know that. I mean I know he’s a flying squirrel, but are raccoons and squirrels usually friends?

Stanley: Let’s try to stay with just this one story, okay? So, Rocky had shared with Sammy about Molly’s dilemma and having so many littles to take care of. He also shared that Molly and her family were homeless. Someone had taken their warm box and nest and they had no where to sleep or stay warm and be safe.

Me: Oh no! What kind of mean critter would steal a home from a sweet little mouse with her tiny babies??

Stanley: Well, ahem, you did!

Me: What? I did what?

Stanley: I think when you were looking for your gardening tools, you also cleaned out that bin and tossed a few boxes. Amirite?

Me: OMGosh!! So, I threw Molly’s home away!!!

Stanley: Yup! YOU are the mean critter!

Me: Oh no! I am so sorry about this. But wait, who took my glove then?

Stanley: Sammy did! Sammy the flying squirrel. He figured it would make a good home for Molly and her brood, so when he saw it sitting there on the bench, he grabbed it up and took off with it, but Dragon Lady yelled at him and he thought he’d been caught so he dropped it as he was flying over the steps.

Me: Ah! So, now I’m putting it together. Why did Dragon Lady yell at Sammy? Was she mad?

Stanley: No! She was cheering him on! She was telling him to take the glove and help Molly, but you know she talks in riddles and Sammy didn’t understand that’s what she was saying. He thought she was going to rat him out.

Me: Oh wow! I’m totally amazed at how many people actually stole my glove. So, did Molly and her family finally get the glove or is it still in the pack rat’s den?

Stanley: Yes, the Troll convinced pack rat give up the glove. Molly and her family are safe and warm and tucked in with your glove deep in the hollow in Grandfather Tree. He’s promised to look after them.

Me: Whew! I’m so glad to hear this turned out well. Except, who wrote the ransom note but didn’t follow up?

Stanley: Oh, that was Rocky. Let’s just say he saw an opportunity but then felt guilty because you put out more critter crunch for them and he really loves those peanuts.

Me: Uh huh! Hmmm. Well, thank you Inspector Stanley Frogee! You did an excellent job and I appreciate your diligence on this. One more question for you. Who stole my other glove? Was that Sammy too?

Stanley: Nope! That was me! I’m going to be Michael Jackson for Halloween and I need it for my costume. <wink-wink> I’ll give it back to you after Halloween unless Molly has more babies.

Case Closed!!!