MSS4-Shuyang

The Goose Thief
1. I was in my semi-detached, reviewing some of the strange crimes that I had solved. Just then, someone knocked at the door. I opened the door, hoping to see my friend, Professor Andrew. After opening the door, I found that standing at the doorway was a young man, with a frown on his face. I showed him to an armchair near the hearth. He started to explain to me his peculiar case, “I am Patrick. I have lost a five hundred dollar note. Although it does not matter much to me, this crime had happened exactly the same way last week and I would like you to help me find the criminal.”
2. I replied,” Please start your description of the theft. I will do my best to help you.”
3. He began his description, “I still had my money that morning. On that day, only my sister, Ms. Baker, my wife, Mrs. Baker, and my pets, two goslings and a goose, were at home. My maid, Ms. Elizabeth, was attending her university class on ethology. After completing some reports for my work, I squatted down and played with the goslings. They were growing bigger and bigger each day. The goose was very protective of them. However, after an hour or so, my maid came back and started cooking. I stopped playing with the goslings and went to my room. As I changed to my shorts, I found out that the five hundred dollar note in my pocket at the back of my trousers was missing!”
4. “Is anyone in need of money?” I asked.
5. “Yes. My maid needs the money. But she was not present at the time of crime.”
6. “May I go to your house to do some investigation?”
7. “Yes, of course. Detective Wei, please follow me.”
8. Upon reaching Patrick’s detached house, I asked for permission to investigate his trousers. With my magnifying glass, I found that there was a strange mark on the pocket which the money was stolen from. Based on my experience from attending a police training workshop, I identified it as a goose mouth’s mark.
9. Then, I requested for permission to look at each and every room of the house. I found out that in the maid’s room, there were strands of goose’s hair. Patrick had told me that his wife did not allow the goose to be in the house. It must be kept in the backyard. From the clues, I deduced what happened. “Mr. Patrick, please come with your maid to my house as soon as possible,” I said.
10. At dusk, Patrick and a young woman, probably her maid, arrived at my semi-detached. I started my explanation of what happened.
11. “Ms. Elizabeth is a university student and she needed money. To get money, she used the goslings and the goose to steal the money from Mr. Patrick. She is a student learning ethology, so she knew how to make the goose and goslings to steal his money. She made the goslings play with Mr. Patrick and the goose went to his trousers’ pocket and stole the note. Since she was not in the house when the crime took place, she had an alibi and thought that she would not be suspected. However, when I saw strands of goose hair in her room, I knew what happened. Since Mr. Patrick’s wife did not allow the goose to be in the house, it would be unusual to find strands of goose hair inside the house. So, the goose must have come into Ms. Elizabeth’s room and pass her the money, but it unintentionally dropped a few strands of hair. Am I right, Ms. Elizabeth?”
12. Ms. Elizabeth looked guilty and replied, “What you have said is absolutely right. I am so sorry, Mr. Patrick.”
13. She took out two five hundred dollar notes and returned them to Mr. Patrick. In the end, Ms. Elizabeth was fired.
14. This was indeed one of my weirdest crimes that I have solved. (659)