arson

A Real Whodunit

We had a scary occurrence in our neighborhood last weekend.  After midnight early Saturday morning, a house less than a block from us burned to the ground.  I knew something was up when red and blue and white lights kept flashing through our bedroom window like disco strobe lights.  Peeking through the window only, I witnessed about five squad cars, two fire trucks and an ambulance, but did not see a single flame.  Odd.  I went back to sleep thinking a party was broken up or maybe someone got into a fight?

I woke up late the next morning and checked my blackberry.  I had a message telling me that a house had burned down in our neighborhood.  Huh?   Walking out of my bedroom, I was greeted by my nine year old daughter Jacqueline.  I told her that I had a job for her to do and her brow furrowed.  I rephrased and told her I wanted her to an investigation.  I explained to her about all the police cars and fire trucks and that a house had burned down.  I told her to go check it out and report back to me.  Her face lit up and she ran down to the garage, got on  her bicycle and headed out.

An hour later, at the breakfast table, I asked Jacqueline what she had found out.  She told us that she was going to conduct an investigation and find out who started the fire.  The house that burned was a foreclosure that had been empty for several months.  The fire dept. had found a gas can in the middle of the living room.  Arson.  I explained to the kids that this was a felony and whoever started the fire would end up going to jail if caught.  My older daughter produced a book of matches she found on the street with a family name monogrammed on the cover.  The girls immediately said this was suspicious and that someone from this family must have started the fire.  Karen and I quickly turned into defense attorney mode and explained that you can’t make accusations like that.  You don’t have any proof.  I suggested that one of the moms in the neighborhood probably started the fire and the girls cried foul.  I explained to them that I was trying to make a point, but I’m not sure they got it.  Two days earlier, in the driveway across the street from us, a handful of middle schoolers started a fire with a bunch of twigs and leaves.  I had to go out and yell at them to put the fire out.  I explained to the girls that this was also suspicious but I don’t think any of them had anything to do with house fire.

We now had quite a large suspect list.  A certain family, all the moms in the neighborhood, a handful of middle shool children that lived in the neighborhood, the bank, the former owner, teenagers(they’re blamed for everything), and suspects to be named later.  Jacqueline was truly determined to get to the bottom of this.  She’s so cute!  Her and her friend explored around the house and had many findings and many suspicious things that they witnessed.  They were even bold enough to go into the backyard and get a real close look at the damage.

Several days have passed and I asked her yesterday about the progress of her investigation.  She said that she had concluded her investigation and knows who started the fire.  However, she said that she was going to keep it to herself.  Good girl.  You don’t have the proof, so keep it to yourself.

It’s a real whodunit!

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