Susan Andrews Mysteries: The Girl With The Pearl Necklace

• Jessica Marks, Grade 6, St Catherine of Siena Primary School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

“I saw her frolicking through the woods. I heard her angelic voice singing a lovely melody.” said the flustered old man. “I swear that’s all that happened!”
“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU! WHAT WAS SHE DOING IN THE FOREST?!” questioned Detective Lillian Andrews, harshly.
The old man was Rick March, a retired forklift operator from the factory downtown. A girl had gone missing and the logical suspect had been Rick as witnesses had seen him near the forest where the girl had been seen earlier.

Detective Andrews had an only daughter, Susan. Although only 16, Susan was renowned in her community. Quite the high achiever, just last month, she had received an award from the town mayor for helping solve more than 30 mysteries.

Driving down an old, windy road Susan spotted out of her peripheral vision a charming pearl necklace strewn on the side of the road. The mint Cadillac convertible came to a harsh halt on the curb. Susan could sense something large brewing. “Another mystery to solve” she muttered to herself as she exited the car.

Slipping it into her pinafore, she felt a sense of familiarity, realising her mother had been studying a photograph of an identical necklace. Perhaps she could help her mother on the case!

Once home, Susan tiptoed to the office. The photograph she had seen her mother holding was not there, but a tossed ball of paper in the bin caught her attention. Gingerly she opened it and saw the face of Rick March with an address scrawled beneath it. Susan slipped the paper into her pocket. She had a hunch that this had something to do with the necklace she’d found. She was determined to find out who it belonged to.


Susan arrived at a rustic mansion before the sun was up. Wary of suspicious onlookers, she crawled through a back door, immediately noticing muddy footprints leading down to a basement. She followed them. With every step, the floor creaked, her suspicions growing stronger. She was startled to see a young girl, hunched over drawing at an alpine table. Susan took a step closer when the girl turned around.

“What are you doing in here?!” she exclaimed, “Quick leave before he sees you!!”.

“Does this belong to you?” Susan held up the necklace she had found.

“Yes, it does! I’ve been kidnapped by some crazy old man” the girl whispered.

Just then a loud ‘BANG!’ came from the stairs. Susan looked up to find a surly man heading towards her.

At that moment, the police charged in, led by Susan’s mother, arresting Rick March without struggle.

Her mother glared, a mixture of pride and anger. “We’ll discuss this when I get home, Susan.”

Normally, Susan would have been terrified of her mother’s wrath, but she was so happy she had solved the mystery, she couldn’t help but smile.

Solving mysteries was in her blood and she knew there would be many, many more.