Chapter 3 - The Case of the missing Necklace

 
The Scene of the Crime
Mrs. Rose’s bedroom was neat and tidy. The window was closed, and the door had no signs of being forced open. On the dressing table, there was an empty jewelry box.
Aalia picked up the box. “Sir, the box is empty, but there’s no dust inside. It was used recently.”
Mehul noticed a small piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up. It was a shopping list:
Jam, Oranges, Honey, Nuts.
Aalia raised an eyebrow. “A shopping list? What does this have to do with the necklace?”
Mehul frowned. “Let’s talk to Mrs. Rose.”
 
The Suspects
Mrs. Rose was sitting in the living room, looking worried. Two other people were with her:
  1. Mr. John, her neighbor, was pacing the room. “I saw a stranger near the house last night. Maybe he took the necklace.”
  2. Lucy, Mrs. Rose’s niece, was sitting quietly. “I was here all night. I didn’t see anything.”
Mehul asked, “Did anyone else have access to the bedroom?”
Mrs. Rose shook her head. “Only Lucy and I have keys.”
Aalia whispered to Mehul, “Sir, Lucy looks nervous. Maybe she knows something.”
Mehul nodded. “Let’s look for more clues.”
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The Puzzle: The Shopping List
Mehul looked at the shopping list again. “Honey , Oranges , Jam , Nuts. The first letters are J, O, H, N.”
Aalia’s eyes widened. “H-O-J-N? Is this a clue?”
Question for the Reader: What does “H-O-J-N” stand for? Can you solve the clue before the detectives do?
 
The Clue in the Garden
Mehul and Aalia went outside to look around. In the garden, they found a small hole near the fence. Inside the hole was a shiny object.
Aalia picked it up. “Sir, it’s a button. And it looks expensive.”
Mehul examined the button. “This matches Mr. John’s coat.”
Aalia grinned. “So Mr. John was in the garden last night? Interesting.”
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The Revelation
They went back inside and confronted Mr. John. “We found your button in the garden,” Mehul said. “What were you doing there last night?”
Mr. John looked nervous. “I… I was just checking on Mrs. Rose. She’s my neighbor.”
Aalia crossed her arms. “And did you ‘check’ her necklace too?”
Mr. John broke down. “Okay, I took it. I needed money, and I thought no one would notice.”
The Solution
The shopping list was a clue: J-O-H-N spelled out the name of the suspect, Mr. John. The button in the garden matched Mr. John’s coat, and his confession confirmed he was the thief.
Answer: Mr. John stole the necklace. The shopping list and the button were the key clues.
As they left the house, Aalia smiled. “Another case solved, sir. You’re really good at this.”
Mehul rolled his eyes. “Just get in the car, Aalia.”
She laughed. “Yes, sir!”
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