The Case of the Missing Fairy (short story)
The Case of the Missing Fairy was a free short story in the Lethbridge-Stewart series for Christmas 2017.
Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]
It is the 1980s and the Brigadier has retired to Brendon Public School to teach maths. As Christmas approaches, the Brigadier's attempts to have a nice cup of tea are interrupted when he is told of a kidnapping on school grounds. He is told (much to his chagrin) that the kidnapping is not of a human being but of a small Christmas tree topper in the shape of a fairy. The older English teacher Mr. Grey has taken the kidnapping extremely hard (for the ornament belonged to his dead wife) and he ropes Alastair into the hunt for the missing ornament.
Mr. Grey has singled out six pupils (Critchley, Granger, Shore, Peters, Mullings, and Abbott) that were in the area at the time of the kidnapping. First, he interviews Critchley. The young Critchley claims that he was hiding in the Hall when the fairy was taken because someone was after him (who he refuses to name). The only other clue he leaves behind is that Mullings and Abbott (two schoolyard bullies) were speaking to each other during the heist.
Next, Mr. Grey interviews Granger (a frequent troublemaker who was nearly expelled several years ago), who reveals little. While Mr. Grey interviews Mullings (who similarly reveals little), Alastair examines the area around the Christmas tree. He finds a pencil, some dirt, and what he assumes to be a piece of rubbish. When Alastair reveals these objects to Mr. Grey, Grey realizes that the "piece of rubbish" is one of the fairy's wings (declaring that this is a sign that the "fairy has been murdered!").
After interviewing Peters and Abbott, Grey and Alastair interview Shore. Almost immediately, Shore breaks down and confesses to stealing the fairy. Though Mr. Grey almost immediately believes this confession but Alastair pokes several holes in it. As such, the two are back where they started. Despite this, Alastair has an idea.
He summons all six of the students together and begins revealing what happened. Mullings (helped by Granger and Peters) tried to beat up Critchley but accidentally broke the fairy during this. As such, Abbott took the fairy away and glued the wing back on. When Mr. Grey asks where the fairy is, Alastair says that it was already returned to the tree by Abbott. With this mystery solved, Alastair returns to his regular duties. Shortly after this, the headmaster learns of the theft of a Joseph from one of the Nativity scenes but decides to allow Mr. Grey to investigate it all on his own.
Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]
- Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart
- Mr. Grey
- Mr. Newton
- Duncan Critchley
- Alfie Granger
- Alexander Shore
- Gordon Peters
- Edward Mullings
- George Abbott
Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
External links[[edit] | [edit source]]
to be added
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
