Julie took the pie out of the oven, sniffing its delicious smell. She put it on the window sill and left the kitchen to go fold the laundry downstairs.

After about an hour of folding laundry, Julie went to go see if the pie was cool. But to her surprise, it was gone! Julie looked around the window outside, but it hadn’t fallen.

“Kids?!” she yelled.

“What?!” they yelled back.

“Get your selves in here!” she yelled angrily.

The kids came in, dragging their feet.

“Where is the pie I baked?!”

“I dunno,” said Marcy, the oldest girl, as she looked at her feet. The three other kids shrugged and looked about.

“Alright, get outta’ here. I’ll guess we won’t have pie for desert,” Julie sighed. Three of the kids sighed and left, but the youngest stayed.

“Mom?” he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Yes, Danny?” she inquired.

“In school we’re reading about Sherlock Holmes and maybe I can help find out who took the pie!” he said, confident he could solve the mystery.

“Well, um, sure, Detective Dan!” Julie said, smiling at her imaginative son.

“Okay! First we need a detective outfit!” Danny said and ran to his room to get his clothes and items to make him like a professional detective. After he got everything he ran back to his mom.

“Alright, I’m ready! First, we must find some clues,” said Danny, and he ran to the window, looking through his plastic magnifying glass.

“Do you see anything?” Julie asked.

“Yes! There are crumbs leading out into the backyard. Let’s see where they go,” Danny said. Julie nodded and followed Danny into the yard.

“Hmm, interesting..,” Danny said rubbing his chin.

“What?” Julie asked.

“The pie tin is under that bush! Wonder how it got there?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea, Detective,” Julie said shrugging.

“Maybe, the culprit ate the pie behind the bush and forgot to discard the tin!” Danny said excited.

“Maybe… I think we need more clues, though, don’t you?”

“Yes, I agree. Let’s think of suspects.”

“Well, how about Marcy?” Julie suggested.

“Yes, definitely!” Danny replied. Danny despised his oldest sister, like most brothers do. “And Eddie and Alex!” Danny said adding his two brothers as suspects.

“What about Dad? You know how sly your father is,” Julie laughed.

“Yeah, Dad too! I must go question him!” Danny grinned and went to his garage.

“Father?” Danny called.

“Yes, son?” he replied.

“I have to ask you some questions.”

“Alright, shoot,” Danny’s dad said.

“What were you doing one and half hours ago?”

“Why, I was cleaning the car!”

“Sure you were…” Danny cooed.

“I was!” his father squeaked.

“Then why do you have cherry pie on your shirt?” Danny sneered.

“That’s not cherry!” his father laughed. “That’s red paint!”

“You were painting the car, Dad?” Danny said, raising a brow.

“No, I-I spilled paint on me! It fell off the shelf.”

“But, Dad, the shelf isn’t near the car. And wait a minute! I don’t see any paint can! You lie!!”

“No I don’t! I threw the can away. There was barely enough paint to keep.”

“But, father, why is there no paint on the floor? And I’ve noticed something, that stain on you shirt isn’t dark enough to be red paint.”

“That’s because I tried to wash the paint off with water,” he answered.

“But, that’s your rag shirt! You never wash it.”

“Well, um, no more questioning!”

“Alright,” Danny shrugged, “but I know you lie…”

Danny went to the living room and sat on the couch next to his sister.

“Whadda’ ya’ want?” she hissed.

“Did you take that pie?” Danny inquired.

“No! I’m on a diet remember, you little weasel?” she barked.

“Oh yeah, so sorry to bother you,” Danny said smiled. He left the room and went to his brothers’ room.

“Did either of you two take the pie?”

“Course not. We know Mama would hate that,” they objected.

“But it’s your favorite type of pie!”

“So? We like our pie after dinner.”

“Fine, be that way,” Danny smirked and trudged out of the room.

“Mommy?” Danny asked.

“Yes? Do you know who took the pie?”

“Yes. After hard thinking, I figured it out.”

“Well? Who did it?” Julie asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Daniel!” Julie scolded.

“I’m kidding! I believe Dad did it. He was supposedly cleaning the car. There’s French fries and soda pop on the floor! He lied!”

“How could he?! Martial?!” Julie screamed.

“What?!” Danny’s dad yelled back.

“No dinner for you!” she hollered and went back to making hamburgers.

Danny grinned and left the room. He solved the case.