A Halloween Scandal of Pumpkin Proportions

The Great Pumpkin visited our house Friday to steal our pumpkins. I am not sure when the visitor came, but we awoke Saturday to realize we had no pumpkins for trick-or-treaters. We could not carve a pumpkin, and of course, no Jack or Jill o'Lanterns.

The theft greatly disturbed Kelly, slightly relieved me, and inspired Parker. Kelly did not like that someone stole her pumpkins. She is the responsible member of the house. I was glad that I did not have to dispose of an old rotten vegetable. Parker called in the troops. This was going to be the "Case of the Pumpkins stolen on Halloween Eve."

He and the neighborhood investigators converged on the staircase for an impromptu meeting of the Dunbarton Detective agency. They listed the likely suspects on the back of an envelope. Sherlock Holmes would be proud. Of course, the most recent neighbor to move into the 'hood was at the top of the list. We tend to suspect the people we know the least about. Others were listed-- including the middle school kid next door. He has a long record of mischief- 1. He "accidentally" slid into the other neighbor's mailbox during last year's winter storm. A few others were on the list.

I told one of the detectives, "You guys sound like the Hardy Boys." "Who's that?!" they asked. "Probably the people who stole the pumpkins," I said. With wide eyes, he said, "Let's get 'em!"