摘要：丹妮·多诺万喜欢破案，有人喊她“胆子大的丹妮”。春假即将结束，只剩下两天时间来解决她接手的一桩最棘手案件。她正一边踱着步，一边复盘这位客户的信息，猛一抬头发现，那位客户正把脸贴在窗户上，盯着她瞧。丹妮被吓一跳，她深吸一口气，示意他进办公室。客户语无伦次、滔滔不

The Case of the Baffling Sticky Notes

By Pam Depoyan

Art by Pablo Pino

Dani Donovan, that’s my name. Some people call me “daring Dani.” Sure, certain kids snicker. No matter. I’ve got bigger things on my mind. Spring break is almost over. Just two days left to solve my most confounding case yet. Then it’s back to the books. Sigh.

Where isthat client of mine anyway? I replay his message in my mind as I pace the floor. “It’s urgent,” he’d said.Hmm.

I look up and nearly jump out of my skin. There’s his face, nose against the window, peering in at me. I take a breath and motion him inside. His rain-soaked boots squish-squashacross my clubhouse—um, office—floor.Squeegee. That’s the perfect code name for him, I decide.

Looking desperate, Squeegee pours out his outrageous story. The story goes in all directions. I can barely follow it.

“Please begin at the beginning,” I tell him.

Squeegee gulps. “It all started when my mom got this message from someone called Tara, asking to visit. They hadn’t seen each other for years. My mom is so trusting. But I was on to this Tara right away.”

I nod.

“Well, Tara was paying the taxi driver when something yellow fell from her purse. While she and my mom squealed and hugged each other, I picked up the note from the ground. I asked Tara if she needed it, and she said no. But after I read it, I had to keep it.”

He holds out a small piece of paper. It looks like a simple sticky note.

“Read it.” Squeegee shudders.

I inspect the scribbling: No one has seen the real woman for years. Everyone says we look like twins. Now’s my chance to BE her and fool everybody.

“Maybe this isn’t what it seems,” I murmur.

“There’s more,” Squeegee says, handing over another note. “I found this one last night.”

I examine the startling words: I’ll worm my way in. Nothing, no one, will keep me from finding the hidden letter! Not even Horatio!

My thoughts whirl. Whose letter is Tara snatching, and why? And who is Horatio?

“She’s up to something for sure, Dani,” Squeegee insists.

I have to admit the notes are troubling.

“I haven’t told you the worst part,” Squeegee continues. “My mom says Tara is going to be our new teachernext year!” He shakes his head. “I used to laugh at detective stuff, Dani. But now I believe you’re the only one who can solve this. I want to help.”

I always worry that civilians will bungle a case. But then, who better to keep watch over his own home? I send Squeegee out with instructions to beat it back to my office with a lead.

The never-ending thrum-thrum-thrum of rain on my aluminum roof makes me antsy as I wait. It’s like being in a tin can.

My office door bangs open. Finally. I take one look at Squeegee’s wild-eyed face and leapforward. “What is it?”

“Come on!” he says. “We have to stop Tara!”

I grab my notebook and a raincoat and race after him.

“I heard her telling Mom that she’s plotting something, but I couldn’t quite catch what it was!” Squeegee cries.

Why would Tara announce her plot? Why has she been carelessly spilling evidence? This doesn’t add up.

Squeegee and I hurry to his house down the street. As we get close, we can hear a voice through the window.

“That’s Tara,” Squeegee whispers, pointing toward the window.

I rise up on my tiptoes to scan the room, then turn to Squeegee. “She’s pacing and talking to herself,” I whisper.

“She’s—” Squeegee starts.

I put a finger to my lips.

Tara’s voice rings out clearly. “Horatio can’t steal the letter! But how will I make it so he doesn’t?”

I take another look. She’s at a desk, glancing at yellow sticky notes and typing on her laptop.

“What’s she doing now?” Squeegee asks.

“Typing,” I mouth, moving my fingers over an imaginary keyboard.

“Aha!” we hear Tara say. “I’ve got it! I’ll just change what Horatio thinks. She’ll fool him!” She cackles, sending shivers all over my body.

Wait. How can Tara just change what Horatio thinks? Who’sfooling him? She’s lost me.

Abruptly, my detective’s brain begins clicking through our clues:

The notes: Maybe they aren’t really about Tara at all. But who else could it be?

Her plot: Why does she keep changing what other people think or do? How can she do that unless she’s in total control?

Hmm. Plot . . . story . . . that’s it! Check and double check!

Suddenly, I’m the one who’s cackling. Sometimes solving a mystery is just plain hilarious.

Squeegee stares at me as though he doesn’t understand. “How can you laugh?!” he shrieks.

“As a detective, I can’t think of a better teacher than a mystery writer!” I whoop. “Tarahasbeen plotting something. A story. A mystery story!”

I watch his expression of panic change into a slow-dawning smile.

This is the most fantastic outcome ever. I can’t wait to write up my own story to share with Tara—about how I solved this case and, in the process, gained a new friend (code name Squeegee).

Aha! I’ve got it!

本文选自《英语沙龙》（原版阅读）2025年4月刊

来源：世知社