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either of you care to tell me what’s going on?’ she said sharply. ‘I suspect funny business and I don’t like it. Not one bit.’
    But before the girls could say anything the door opened and Ms Buttercup’s smiling face popped around the corner.
    â€˜It smells great in here,’ she said. ‘What’s cooking?’
    â€˜That,’ said Mrs Snidely, ‘is precisely what I’m trying to find out.’ She had taken several steps away from the tray and was looking at it as if she was afraid the sausage rolls might leap off the tray and attack her.
    Ms Buttercup walked cautiously over to the bench. She reached out her hand and, sure enough, the rolls began to roll madly. Ms Buttercup frowned for a moment. Then she smiled.
    â€˜Oh, I get it,’ she said. ‘The tray is on a slope. See?’
    Everyone looked. It was true. One edge of the tray was resting on a lump of pastry.
    â€˜That’s obviously causing the sausage rolls to roll about like that.’
    Mrs Snidely shook her head. ‘That’s utterly illogical,’ she said sternly.
    But Ms Buttercup didn’t seem to hear her. She lifted the tray and removed the lump of pastry.
    â€˜There,’ she said, and reached out towards the sausage rolls again. Everyone held their breath but the sausage rolls didn’t budge.
    Ms Buttercup picked one up and took a bite. ‘Delicious!’ she announced, smiling at Elly and Jess.
    Mrs Snidely looked puzzled. ‘That doesn’t make sense ...’
    â€˜Have one, Mrs Snidely,’ urged Ms Buttercup.
    Mrs Snidely looked like she really didn’t want to go anywhere near the oddly behaving sausage rolls. But everyone was watching her. Mrs Snidely took a deep breath and gingerly stretched out her hand. The rolls stayed put. She picked one up and, once she was convinced that it wasn’t going anywhere, took a cautious nibble.
    â€˜Not bad,’ she said eventually. ‘But they need a pinch more salt.’

Chapter Eight

    A fter that Jess kept a watchful eye on Elly, and somehow they managed to get through the rest of the day without any more disasters. It kept Jess very busy though, and she didn’t have any time to think about Caitlin’s party. But as they cycled home that afternoon, Jess started worrying about it again.
    â€˜Maybe you could go without me,’ she suggested.
    But Elly shook her head. ‘A good detective needs a partner,’ she said.
    Jess sighed. She had a feeling Elly would say that. And she was quite looking forward to being a detective. That, at least, sounded like fun.
    But there was one other problem. ‘I don’t have anything to wear,’ she said. It was true. Jess’s clothes could not have been less like fairy clothes if she’d tried.
    But Elly had already thought of that. ‘It’s OK,’ she said. ‘We’re going to stop at my place. I’ve got heaps of things that will be perfect.’
    â€˜Really?’ said Jess. She had always wanted to see inside Elly’s house.
    But when they pulled up outside number 27 Raspberry Drive, Jess wasn’t so sure any more. The house looked very dark. Jess stood behind Elly as she unlocked the front door and they both peered inside.
    Jess was amazed at what she saw. ‘Everything’s tiny!’ she exclaimed.
    It was true. Just inside the door was a normal-sized room, but beyond that the house looked like it was made for dolls.
    â€˜Oh, I forgot to tell you,’ said Elly. ‘We always shrink the house when we go away.’
    Jess was puzzled. ‘But it looks the same size from the outside,’ she said.
    Elly smiled. ‘Pretty convincing, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘But I wouldn’t lean on it. It’s not really there at all.’
    Something occurred to Jess. ‘Does this mean we can’t get the fairy outfits?’ she asked.
    Elly shook her head. ‘No, it just means that