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Clover Lane is a friendly street. Crooked houses lean like friends. Ruby and Jay run a detective club. Their shed is the tiny office. Biscuit the dog wears a scarf.
Ruby is nine with springy dark curls. A red clip holds her hair. Her mustard raincoat shines. She chews her pencil, green notebook open. Jay wears a striped blue jumper and glasses.
Mrs. Okafor bakes twelve blueberry muffins today. She sings and opens her kitchen window. Warm muffins cool on the windowsill. The street smells sweet and good. She walks out to hang tea towels.
She comes back and stops fast. The tray is empty. Twelve muffins vanish from the windowsill. Mrs. Okafor cries, Please help me. My picnic muffins are gone.
Ruby and Jay run to the shed. They open their first big case. Ruby draws a muffin and pins it. The cork board waits for clues. Biscuit wags, detective scarf very proud.
They visit the kitchen and windowsill. Ruby studies the sill with care. Tiny crumbs sit like a trail. Crumbs go along the fence. Clue one, a crumb trail by fence.
They follow crumbs to the gate. Jay points with his magnifying glass. Look, a blueberry smudge on the gate. It shines purple in the sun. Clue two, a blueberry smudge here.
Biscuit sniffs for snacks, nose very busy. He pulls Ruby to the old oak. He sniffs the roots and looks proud. Jay hears soft rustles above. Clue three, Biscuit finds the oak.
A shadow moves by the fence. It is Mr. Pell, the grumpy neighbor. He carries a ladder and mutters. Maybe he grabbed the muffins. Ruby writes, Possible suspect, Mr. Pell.
They go to Mr. Pell. Hello, do you see muffins? He frowns but listens. I borrowed a ladder for my roof. I touch no muffins, I promise.
Ruby crosses out the suspect. False lead, only a ladder borrower. Mr. Pell snorts, Try the big oak. Birds steal shinier things, not muffins. They thank him and walk back.
They follow crumbs around the oak. Blue dots climb the rough bark. Jay's glasses slide down his nose. He lifts his magnifying glass on a string. Ruby whispers, I hear tiny squeaks.
A small face peeks from a hole. Whiskers twitch. A tail flicks faster. A mother squirrel guards muffin pieces. She stored muffins in the hole. Inside, two babies squeak and nibble.
Ruby and Jay laugh with relief. They tell Mrs. Okafor the squirrel news. Mrs. Okafor smiles and nods kindly. Babies need snacks too, she says. Let us bake a second batch.
Neighbors join, the kitchen fills with talk. Ruby stirs. Jay counts twelve muffins. Biscuit watches, nose higher and higher. At sunset, paper lanterns glow on the street. The picnic is bright and happy.
Back in the shed, they finish the case. Ruby pins a new solved card. The cork board looks bigger and braver. Biscuit gets a biscuit for helping. He beams, proud snack detective today.
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