Nabbed!: The 1925 Journal of G. Codd Fitzmorgan Read Online Free PDF Page A

doing?” Mr. Kartier asked from his corner.
    “Don't let anyone by you until I say it's all right”, I answered. “Do you understand?”
    They all nodded. The scene was now secure.
    Next on my list of things to do at a crime scene:
    Gather evidence.
    I soon discovered the plane itself held no clues. I was, as I'd first observed, completely empty. There were no bags. No food
     supplies for a long trip over the Atlantic. No signs of life whatsoever.
    Nothing.
    I expended my search for clues to the area outside the plane. The squishy ground around the craft had been trampled by all
     the grests. But I could still make out the tracks left by the plane.
    Realizing I was running out of time, I hunkered down for a closer look at these tracks. The storms clouds were Swirling overhead
     as if preparing for the next downpour. Another heavy rain could wash away even these deep tracks.
    I took out my notebook and made this quick sketch.

    The tracks were different.
    Examining the tracks more closely, I saw they didn't match up with the landing I had sketched earlier. The tracks I was looking
     at ran from the wheels of the plane off to the side of the airstrip where they disappeared.
    But how could that be? From inside the Great Hall, a group of people, including me, had watched the plane land. We had all
     seen the craft touch down at the back of the airstrip—not at the side—and roll to a stop.
    Maybe I had sketched the landing wrong.
    And how could a crime be committed in secret right under the noses of so many witnesses?
    That's it! I realized. The answer could be with one of the other hundred witnesses. They might have seen something without
     knowing it was the key to solving the case.
    Just then the rain started to come down again. Deciding I had gathered all the evidence I could, I called to the four people
     standing guard, “Thank you for your time! We can all go back inside now”.
    The five of us rushed back to the mansion as the sky opened up. Inside the Great Hall, I stopped a tired-looking maid who
     was carrying a tray of dirty glasses.
    “Have you seen Miss Pinkteron?” I asked her.
    “She's upstairs with Mr. Haterford”, the maid said, stifling a yawn. “Poor aman says he's having chest pains”.
    “Has anyone called for medical help?”
    She shook her head. “The phone lines are down. And no help could reach us anyway until the waters calm.”
    “One of the guests must be a doctor”, I said, thinking of all the swanky people at the party.
    “Sure”, the sleepy-eyed maid told me. “But he's a dermatologist. Miss Pinkerton said she'd stay with Mr. Hatherfor until she
     can get him to relax”.
    I thanked her, and the maid wandered off.
    It looked like I would have to continue my solo investigation and that meant interviewing the guests— Who were not only witnesses
     to a possible crime but also potential suspects!
    TEC TIP
    GET RESULTS!
    Interviewing suspects and looking to crack the case FAST? Then just follow LASTS:
    Listen be an active listener. Really hear what people say and how they say it.
    Ask! Your questions should always have a point, but shouldn't be too leading.
    Shut up! Do not interrupt. Let the subject talk and talk–this can be the best way to learn information.
    Train your eyes! Maintain eye contact. It's harder for someone to lie effectively when you're looking directly at him or her.
    Stay awake! Be attentive. You don't want to miss a single twitch or word the subject says.
    I created a comfortable space in one corner of the Great Hall. I placed two overstuffed chairs so that they faced each other
     next to a fireplace. Then, one by one, I started interviewing guests and staff members.
    I invited each person to sit and offered him or her a glass of water. Many people, like Mrs. Kartier, didn't seem to grasp
     the seriousness of the situation. She just kept giggling, as if it were a game. Other people, like the man in the fur coat,
     seemed so eager to play detective that I felt