The trophy cabinet gleamed beneath the flickering lights of Chestnut Grove Primary School symbol of pride
But on Monday morning, the cabinet door hung open like a gaping mouth, and the trophy was gone…
The Alarm That Never Rang
Amira, Lucy, Jack, Oliver and Emma stared at the broken cabinet, their reflections warped in the smudged glass. Mr Wilkinson, the headteacher, paced back and forth, his forehead a stormy sky of worry.
“No alarms went off,” he muttered. “But the cleaner said the cabinet was still locked at 3:30pm on Friday.”
“And who had access?” asked Amira.
“Only three people signed in between 3:30 and 4:15: Miss Sharp, the Year 6 teacher, was in the library with two students doing revision until 15:45; Mr Linton, the sports coach, claims he was alone in the gym, setting up equipment; and Dani, the school secretary, who was in the office with Miss Finch until 15:50.”
“But all pupils left by 3:20,” added Miss Finch, the receptionist. “Except one — Marcus
When Could the Trophy Have Been Taken?
Based on the facts:
All students left by 15:20
The cleaner saw the cabinet locked at 15:30
Marcus returned at 15:40
The three staff members were in school between 15:30 and 16:15
❌ This doesn’t work because the trophy was still there at 15:30.
❌ All staff had left by 16:15, and the trophy was discovered missing on Monday morning.
✅ This fits. The cabinet was confirmed intact at 15:30, and Marcus arrived at 15:40.
A Locker Full of Surprises
Emma squinted into the beam of her torch. The locker room was silent, save for the hum of the vending machine. A breeze whistled through the cracked window, sending goosebumps down her arms.
Jack found something odd. “Marcus’s locker is empty… except for one strange thing.” He held up a timetable scribbled with codes and numbers.
“They look like coordinates,” Lucy said, eyes narrowing.
What Do the Coordinates Mean?
Clue: The codes are (6,1), (3,4) and (4,2) . Each corresponds to a grid reference on the school map where:
❌ This doesn’t seem right. Check the coordinates again.
❌ Are you sure? There are multiple locations listed.
✅ These match the coordinates listed.
.
The Missing Minutes
Oliver cross-referenced the school’s sign-in sheet. “Look — Miss Sharp signed out at 15:50, Mr Linton at 16:05, and Dani at 15:55.”
“But that doesn’t explain who was where, and when,” said Amira. “Let’s build a timeline.”
Who Had Opportunity?
❌ Miss Sharp was in the library with two students doing revision until 15:45.
❌ Dani was in the office with Miss Finch until 15:50.
✅ He was setting up the gym and had no alibi between 15:30–15:40.
A Twist in the Tale
Just as suspicion mounted around Mr Linton, Oliver noticed something odd. A key holder hung on the wall, containing all the keys to the school — except one: the trophy cabinet key!
“Look!” Emma exclaimed excitedly. “It’s right there!”
The key now rested on Dani’s desk, gleaming under the pale strip-light like it had never left.
A faint smudge of dust on its base hinted it hadn’t been there long, as if it had been placed in a hurry.
The room felt heavier, charged with the prickling silence that comes when everyone realises something isn’t right.
“That’s… impossible
Fraction Clue
The office had a four-digit lock. Three of the digits were found scribbled on a note in the bin: 1/5, 1/2, 4/5 . One was missing.
❌ Are you sure? This doesn’t fit the pattern.
❌ This doesn’t fit the pattern. Try again.
✅ Yes, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.1 make a logical sequence.
The Realisation
Amira stared at the surveillance footage. “Wait… look at the time.”
“There’s a gap!” Jack exclaimed. “The footage skips from 15:31 to 15:41.”
“That’s exactly when the trophy vanished…” Emma whispered. “But why would the system fail then?”
“Unless it was turned off on purpose
The CCTV logs show:
❌ Only 3 minutes would be missing for 5%.
❌ That would mean 9 minutes missing. Too much.
Are you sure? … Wait, you are actually right! Well done! ✅
Something Missing
Emma flipped through the logbook again. Her eyes widened.
“Guys… look at the page for Friday afternoon. Dani, Mr Linton and Miss Sharp all signed in and out — but Marcus never signed in when he came back at 15:40.
“So?” asked Jack.
“So how did he get in? Someone must’ve let him in… and used the chance to grab the trophy unnoticed.”
Oliver’s voice was barely a whisper. “The footage was missing because someone paused the system. Only one person has the admin password for that.”
All eyes turned to…
YOU
❌ No, Miss Sharp did not steal the trophy.
❌ No, Mr Linton did not steal the trophy.
❌ No, Dani did not steal the trophy.
❌ No, Marcus did not steal the trophy.
❌ No, Mr Wilson did not steal the trophy.
All eyes turned to…Miss Finch, the receptionist
“She said Marcus returned at 3:40,” said Lucy slowly. “But how did she know that if he didn’t sign in and she wasn’t at the desk?”
Miss Finch paled 😱.
“Because she was there, And she took it!
Case Closed
Awarding marks…
