The Detectives Method
After lunch, Pim's friend Sam came over.
"I heard you solved a case," said Sam. "How do you do it?"
Pim took out his notebook. He showed Sam the page.
"It's not really hard," said Pim. "Most of the time, when something goes wrong, people think someone did it on purpose. But mostly people just weren't paying attention. So if you slow down and check the small things, you find it."
"Like Marek," said Sam.
"Like Marek. He took the wrong lunchbox because the lunchboxes are all the same. The clue was the name underneath. Without the name, I would have had to look at thirty-six lunchboxes and ask everyone."
Sam was thinking.
"My mittens are missing," said Sam. "Will you help?"
"Yes," said Pim.
He turned to a fresh page in his notebook.
*Case Number 5: The Missing Mittens.*
"Where did you last see them?" he asked.
"On my hook. They were the green ones with the white snowflake."
"Were there any other green mittens with white snowflakes in the class?"
Sam thought. "Maybe Lila has them too."
Pim nodded thoughtfully.
"We should ask Lila first. Just like with Marek — most likely it's an accident, not a thief."
Sam looked impressed.
"You should be a detective when you grow up."
"I am a detective now," said Pim. "I just haven't grown up yet."
They went to find Lila. Lila had two pairs of green mittens in her bag, and one of them had a small chocolate stain that Sam