EVOLUTION

UMA, MAYA AND THE COP

Introduce an authority figure to your story. There are so many directions you could go with this one. Maybe two characters think they know who the villain is, so they try to break into his or her office only to get caught by a security guard or a police officer. Or a character tries to sneak away from class to do a good deed but runs into the principal or a teacher.

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Private Investigators, Uma and Maya had been investigating the mysterious disappearances of several valuable artefacts from a local museum for weeks. They had finally found a lead and were convinced that they knew who the villain was - the curator of the museum.

One night, they decided to break into his office to look for evidence. They had just entered the building when they heard footsteps approaching. Suddenly, a police officer appeared and pointed his gun at them.

"Hold it right there! What are you two doing here?" the officer asked sternly. "WHO ARE YOU!"

Uma and Maya froze in their tracks, their hearts pounding with fear. They tried to explain their intentions, "We were hired by the owner to investigate some thefts."

But the officer was not convinced. "Then you should be aware that breaking and entering is a serious crime," he said. "You two are coming with me to the station."

Uma and Maya were taken to the local police station and placed in a cell. They were worried that they had been caught and their investigation would be over. Hours passed, and they were beginning to lose hope when the officer who had caught them walked in. He looked stern and serious, but his tone was calm and gentle.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier," he said. "But breaking into someone's office is not the right way to go about solving a case. You know that. Anyway, I can help you if you tell me what you know."

Uma and Maya were relieved to hear this. They explained their suspicions about the museum curator and the missing artefacts. That the owner did not live on Hewanorra and so was not able to deal with the situation. The officer listened intently and then told them that he would investigate further. "Let me see what I can find out. In the meantime, go home." He unlocked the cell and let them out.

A few days later, the officer called Uma and Maya to the police station. He had news about the case.

"Looks like you were right, I found evidence that the curator has been stealing the artefacts and selling them on the black market," he said. "But he had an accomplice who was doing the actual stealing."

Uma and Maya were surprised to hear this. "An accomplice! We never suspected an accomplice." Uma said.

The officer continued, "I managed to track down the collaborator and he has confessed to the crime. He also told me where the stolen artefacts are hidden and how the curator had done all the planning to make it happen."

Uma and Maya were thrilled. They had solved the case with the help of the police officer.

"Thank you so much for your help," Maya said gratefully.

The officer smiled. "It's all in a day's work. Just remember, breaking the law is never the answer."

"Absolutely!" Uma and Maya nodded in agreement.

As they left the police station, Uma and Maya felt proud of what they had accomplished. They had solved a case that had baffled the police for months, and had done it without breaking any laws... well almost without breaking any laws.

© 3 April 2023