Chapter 21

S-"We MUST find out who this murderer is before anyone else gets picked off," declared Betsy resolutely as she marched off in the southerly direction. "Where are you going?" Peter asked her. "To town to solve this mystery once and for all," Betsy remarked over her shoulder. "Well it might be better if you turned approximately 145 degrees to your left because town is north-east of here" Peter informed her. "Well why didn't you say so earlier?" Betsy cried in exasperation and the whole crew set off towards town. On their way into town Betsy and Sarah started to review all of the evidence to see if they could piece any of it together. They were still thoroughly baffled but felt like they were getting to the cusp of a major revelation. This cusp was marching towards them much sooner than they thought. On the outskirts of town they came across quite a scene...
B- While they were all away trying to solve a murder and wandering around the forest and trying (but failing) to save a beaver’s life the town had decided that a fox hunt was just what everyone needed for a bit of cheering up. So everyone gussied up their horses, rounded up the hounds, and all met in the town square. Now the problem is, how does one go about having a fox hunt? But that is a question for another time. The question is now, how was Betsy going to solve this hole pickle? She didn’t have a clue either until she saw the begonia bushes that had their heads chopped off in front of the inn that she and Sarah were staying in. Then she had an idea! She should go read her journal that she kept insanely good notes in. I bet that if they read over what she had written since they had gotten to Scotland they might be able to piece this whole thing together.
S-Sadly, Betsy's notes were far too detailed for either her or Sarah to make any headway. Entries such as "seven grains of rice left on the plate of the man who ate next to us" and "twenty-three dead ants on the way up the stairs today" appeared to be a little bit excessive in hind sight. Luckily just at that moment Poppy decided it was getting a bit chilly and tugged her pink tea cozy out from under the bed and nudged Sarah's hand to let her know she needed an extra layer put on. Betsy's eyes widened when she saw the fluffy bit of knittery. "Tea cozy, begonias, dead beaver..." she muttered scrunching up her face so that she could think better. She flipped her journal to their first day in the town. "How could we have been so blind!" she cried in distress. It was right under our noses the whole time! Sarah and Betsy ran to the town square to settle this mess once and for all.
B-First the girls had to find the Popo, Simon, and Peter so they could help get everyone paying attention and also to make sure the murderer didn’t escape. “Simon,” Sarah said “I need you to make sure that no one leaves at all. Not even the head Popo!” (eyeing him suspiciously) “Of course madam,” Simon said sarcastically. (But in a good sarcastic way, not a bad sarcastic way) The girls then ran to the lovely fountain of a beaver situated in the center of the town square and clambered to the top of it, Poppy whimpered at the bottom asking with her eyes if she could pretty please come up? “Oh all right dearest,” said Betsy, “But don’t make a fuss.” The Popo, Simon, and Peter were doing their best weaving in and out of horses, hounds, children, and other various objects telling everyone to hush up and pay attention. Sarah mustered up her courage and said, but mostly yelled...“Excuse me everyone! Excuse me! I have a rather important announcement to make. For the past fortnight Betsy, Poppy, and I have been trying to solve these murderings that have been going on in your lovely little town of Kilwinning.”



and