Lizzy's Sidekick

This afternoon was warm (for February) and the sunny day beckoned Lizzy and her scooter outside. The scooter has been the most popular Christmas present of the year, but due to the weather, it's been an inside present thus far. Lizzy rides it down the hall, through the kitchen, down the ramp into the family room, and back. Back and forth, back and forth. She's had lots of fun scooting around the house, but on a nice day like today, the sidewalk is a more appealing place to ride.

Soon our next door neighbor who is Lizzy's age joined her, and the two scooted up to the garage, where I was working on some things. "Cool blue scooter," I said to Nathan, who quickly clarified that, though it was a cool color, the blue scooter was not his because he couldn't find his scooter. The blue scooter was Nathan's sister's. After a few more comments on the color of his scooter and of Lizzy's pink scooter, Nathan and Lizzy scooted back toward his house. In a minute, Lizzy was rushing in our house to get something and Nathan was going to his house. Unsure what was happening, I went about my business. A while later, Nathan and Lizzy were both coming into our house. Lizzy explained she was getting a notebook and a pencil for Nathan. Having seen the magnifying glass in her pocket, I surmised what was up.

"You going to play spies?" I queried.

"Detectives," Lizzy corrected.

"And this time it's a real case," Nathan informed me.

Lizzy gave the case's official title: "The Case of the Missing Scooter." I wished them luck, and off they went to find Nathan's scooter.

A couple minutes later I went into the garage to get something and overheard Lizzy and Nathan talking on the other side of the van. "...and Eric--" said Lizzy.

"You can cross Jason off the list," said Nathan, referring to his oldest brother, who is a freshman at a nearby university. "Jason hasn't been at our house since I last saw it."

Chuckling, I returned to the kitchen and told Christine they were working on their list of suspects. When I returned to the garage again a few minutes later, I saw the two of them talking to Eric, Nathan's younger brother, who was standing astride his own scooter. On Lizzy's notepad I could see Eric's name crossed out. He must have passed questioning. I asked how the case was going.

"We found some tire tracks going into our garage," said Nathan. Pointing with his foot to the edge of our garage, he continued, "But the tire tracks stopped right here where you go into the garage."

"And we found some dirt tracks, too," chimed in Eric, eager to provide a helpful clue. Lizzy was bent over her notebook, carefully writing something about dirt tracks. Soon they were off to Nathan's garage again, looking for more clues.

Apparently, this effort did not yield the necessary information, for I soon heard our door open again and the three of them came tromping into the kitchen, Eric wheeling his scooter along with him. They needed more detective supplies and headed off into Lizzy's room. As they emerged and headed back out a minute later--armed with Lizzy's walkie talkies and third notebook and pencil (this one for Eric)--Nathan paused to provide color commentary: "Last year Lizzy made posters advertising that she was a detective and I was her sidekick. But we never got any business. If we can solve this case, then maybe we can make new posters and advertise again."

And off they went one more time.

Sadly, this case does not yet have a good ending. I just checked with Lizzy. The Case of the Missing Scooter remains unsolved.