Betsey Biggalow the Detective Read online

  But there was still something missing. Betsey wandered into Gran’ma Liz’s room. And there she saw it – Gran’ma Liz’s magnifying glass! Gran’ma Liz used the magnifying glass for inspecting lots of different flowers. Gran’ma Liz loved to study flowers. Betsey held it up to her face and tried to look through it but she couldn’t see a thing – everything was all blurred. She practised moving the glass between her face and the flowers Gran’ma had pressed in one of her flower books until they appeared big and clear. She could see all kinds of details using the magnifying glass that she hadn’t seen before. Now she knew how to use it. Betsey looked at herself in the mirror. Perfect! She was all set. Now she looked just like a detective! She looked just like a real detective in one of those programmes Gran’ma Liz liked watching on TV so much. Betsey ran back into her bedroom.

  Clues. The first thing to do was to search for clues. Here was one! Betsey found Slinky’s red ribbon under the window. It should have been tied in a bow around her teddy’s neck . . .

  “What next?” Betsey wondered. And off she went into the living room.

  “Good grief, Betsey. What are you supposed to be?” asked Gran’ma Liz, looking up from her book.

  “I’m a detective just like on TV,” said Betsey.

  “Is that my magnifying glass?” Gran’ma Liz frowned.

  Betsey nodded. “I’ll be very careful with it, Gran’ma Liz – honest,” she said quickly.

  “Hhmm! Well, just make sure you are,” said Gran’ma Liz. “So what can I do for you, Detective Biggalow?”

  “I’d like to ask you a few questions,” said Betsey.

  “Go on then.” Gran’ma Liz smiled.

  “Gran’ma, when was the last time you saw Slinky Malinky?” asked Betsey.

  “Hhmm! Well now . . . let me see . . .” Gran’ma Liz lowered her book and pondered.

  “It was . . . it must have been three nights ago when your Mum was working late. I tucked you in and read you a story – remember? Wasn’t Slinky Malinky at the bottom of your bed then?”

  Betsey wrote down “GRAN’MA LIZ” in her book and underlined it three times. Under that she wrote, “Three nights ago on my bed.”

  “Thanks, Gran’ma Liz,” said Betsey, her hat slipping down to cover her eyes.

  “Sherena’s head is the size of a planet!” said Betsey. “This Sherlock Holmes hat is massive!”

  “The hat you’re wearing is called a deerstalker,” Gran’ma Liz said.

  “Deerstalker! How funny!” Betsey laughed and off she went to find her bigger brother. Desmond was in the back yard, bowling a cricket ball to his friend Sam. Betsey went and stood right in between them.

  “Desmond, when was the last time you saw Slinky Malinky?” Betsey asked.

  “Your teddy bear?” Desmond frowned.

  “That’s right,” replied Betsey.

  “I haven’t a clue when I last saw Slinky,” Desmond said.

  Betsey wrote down “DESMOND” in her notebook and underlined it three times.

  “Desmond, how do you spell ‘unhelpful’?” Betsey asked. Desmond told her. Betsey wrote “UNHELPFUL” in great big capital letters under his name.

  “Why have you got on that funny hat?” Desmond asked.

  “It’s called a deerstalker and I’m wearing it because I’m Betsey Biggalow, the Great Detective, and detectives always wear hats,” answered Betsey.

  “Your sister is a nut!” Sam said to Desmond.

  Desmond shook his head. “I know. I hope it’s not catching!”

  Betsey ignored them and rushed off. She didn’t feel any closer to finding Slinky Malinky. Betsey ran to see her bigger sister. Sherena was doing her homework.

  “Sherena, when was the last time you saw Slinky Malinky?” Betsey asked.

  “Who are you supposed to be?” Sherena laughed.

  “I’m a detective. And I should be asking the questions, not you,” said Betsey.

  Sherena raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me!”

  “Well, when was the last time you saw Slinky Malinky?” Betsey repeated.

  “Yesterday,” Sherena remembered. “She was on my bed, so I threw her back onto yours.”

  “Hhmm!” Betsey wrote “SHERENA” in her notepad and underlined it three times. Under that she wrote, “Yesterday on her bed.” But that gave Betsey an idea.

  Betsey went back to her bedroom. She took off her hat and walked over to Sherena’s bed. Where would Slinky have landed when Sherena threw her across the room? Betsey folded up her Sherlock hat until it was Slinky-sized. Then she squatted on Sherena’s bed until she was Sherena’s height and threw the hat across the room. The hat bounced off Betsey’s bed to land behind it. Betsey raced across the room. This had to be it! Slinky must be behind the bed.

  Betsey pulled her bed further away from the wall . . . and how strange! Slinky wasn’t there, but some of Slinky’s stuffing was. Betsey recognised it at once. And next to the stuffing were some longish, dark brown hairs . . . The hairs looked strangely familiar . . . Betsey put the Sherlock hat back on and picked up her two new clues. She put Slinky’s stuffing in her pocket, but she held on to the hairs.

  “I bet these belong to the person who kidnapped Slinky,” said Betsey.

  She went into the living room and, using the magnifying glass, checked them against Gran’ma Liz’s hair. Gran’ma Liz’s hair was longish, but grey, not brown. Betsey held up her newest clue to Sherena’s head, but Sherena’s hair was jet black and long. Betsey compared the hairs she’d found to Desmond’s hair but Desmond’s hair was shorter and curlier. Betsey even tried matching the hairs she’d found against Sam’s head, but they didn’t match either. Sam had even less hair than Desmond!

  Betsey put down the magnifying glass and sat down on a kitchen chair with her head in her hands. Botheration! Now what should she do? She’d asked Gran’ma Liz and Desmond and Sherena about Slinky Malinky and none of them knew where her teddy was. Mum was at work so there was no one else to ask – unless you included Prince, the Alsatian dog. Prince was there, lying under the window.

  “It’s a pity you can’t talk to me, Prince,” sighed Betsey. “Maybe then you could tell me when you last saw my teddy bear.”

  “Woooof!” barked Prince, and out he ran into the back yard.

  Betsey looked down at the hairs in her hand, then out of the kitchen window at Prince, then back down at the hairs.

  “Got it! I know who did it!” exclaimed Betsey. She dashed out into the yard. Sam and Desmond were still playing cricket. Prince was at the back of the yard digging furiously.

  “Desmond! Sam! Quick! It’s Prince. Prince kidnapped Slinky Malinky!” Betsey shouted, chasing down the yard after Prince.

  “How do you know that?” Desmond frowned.

  “I found some of Prince’s hairs in my bedroom, along with some of Slinky’s stuffing. I’m sure it’s Prince,” said Betsey. “Prince, you bad dog, what have you done with my teddy bear?”

  “Woooo-oooooof!” barked Prince, digging even more furiously than before.

  At that very second, Prince raised his head, his tail wagging faster than fast. And what did he have in his mouth? Slinky Malinky! A very dirty, dusty Slinky Malinky who was a lot skinnier than the last time Betsey saw her!

  “Prince, you ought to be ashamed,” said Betsey. “You’re the kidnapper! I knew these dark brown hairs belonged to you! I’m not going to pat you for finding my teddy when you buried her in the first place!”

  Betsey took her teddy away from Prince. Slinky Malinky was filthy.

  “I’ll have to get Mum to wash her now.” Betsey frowned.

  “And look what else is in here.” Desmond pointed to the hole that Prince had just dug. “That’s Mum’s tape measure . . . and Gran’ma Liz’s perfume bottle . . .”

  “Desmond, isn’t that your school book?” asked Sam.

  “Yes it is!” said Desmond, surprised. “My teacher told me off because I couldn’t find it. Prince, you bad dog!”

  “I told you
I was a great detective,” said Betsey. “Not only did I rescue Slinky Malinky, but I found things I didn’t even know I was looking for in the first place!”

  Betsey Flies a Kite

  Gran’ma Liz was busy hanging out the clothes on the washing line. Desmond and Betsey were sitting at the bottom of the garden, their heads bent over something.

  “Desmond, Betsey, I thought you two were going to help me with the washing,” said Gran’ma Liz.

  “Sorry, Gran’ma Liz. We forgot,” said Betsey. “We will next time – we promise.”

  “What are you up to then? You’ve both been really quiet all morning,” said Gran’ma Liz. “That’s why I didn’t call you. It was worth not having your help for the peace and quiet I got instead!”

  “I’m showing Betsey how to make something,” said Desmond. “Because I’m the best brother in the whole world!”

  “And the most modest! Well, whatever you do, mind the clothes. I’ve only just washed them and they’re not dry yet,” Gran’ma Liz said.

  “We won’t go anywhere near the clothes, Gran’ma – honest!” said Betsey.

  “Hhmm! Just make sure you don’t,” sniffed Gran’ma Liz. And she walked back into the house.

  “Right then. Let’s make sure we’ve got everything we need,” said Desmond. “Have we got string?”

  “We’ve got a huge ball of string. Here it is,” replied Betsey.

  “Just say ‘check’, Betsey or we’ll be here all day.” Desmond smiled. “Now then, we need two long, straight branches, one slightly longer than the other.”

  “Got them. Check!” said Betsey.

  “Strong, coloured tissue paper?”

  “Check!”

  “Sticky tape?”

  “Check!”

  “Some old pieces of ribbon?” Desmond asked.

  “I got these from Mum. Check!” answered Betsey.

  “Scissors?”

  “Check!”

  “Then we’re all set,” said Desmond.

  “Hooray!” shouted Betsey. “We’re going to make a kite!”

  Desmond grinned. “The first thing to do is to make a cross using the branches. Then tie them together using some of the string.”

  “Check!” said Betsey. And she picked up the branches and laid the shorter one over the longer one. Then she got some string and tied the two branches together so that they formed a cross shape.

  “Make sure you tie the string good and tight,” said Desmond.

  Betsey tied it very slowly and carefully, wrapping it round the branches, first one way, then the other. Then she tied the two ends of string in a tight knot.

  “That’s good,” Desmond said. “Now we have to spread out the tissue paper and place the branches on it.”

  “Like this?” Betsey asked.

  “That’s right,” replied Desmond.

  For the next hour Desmond and Betsey worked at making a kite. They cut two large diamond shapes out of the flaming-red tissue paper and stuck them to the branches. They tied tiny bits of ribbon to a piece of string as long as Betsey’s arm and then tied that on to the bottom of the kite. Then they attached one end of the ball of string to the bottom of the kite as well.

  At last Desmond and Betsey jumped up. They had finished! They were ready to try it out. Betsey hopped up and down. She’d done it! She’d made her very first kite!

  “Wooof!” Prince, the Alsatian dog, tried to sniff around the kite as Betsey held it up.

  “No, Prince. Bad dog! That kite isn’t for you,” said Desmond.

  “Where are we going to fly it?” Betsey asked excitedly.

  “We can practise a few things here,” Desmond decided. “Then we’ll go to the beach and fly it really high.”

  “Will it swoop and soar and glide?” asked Betsey, her eyes wide.

  “Of course it will.” Desmond laughed. “We built it!”

  “So what should we practise first?” Betsey asked.

  “The run up,” said Desmond. “Betsey, you stand here and hold the kite in your hands. Then run to the other end of the yard, letting the kite go at the same time. You’ve also got to let the string out as you run so that the kite has a chance to rise into the air. Have you got all that?”

  It was a lot to remember all at once, but Betsey knew she could do it.

  This is going to be easy, Betsey thought.

  The only trouble was, as soon as she started running, Prince started chasing behind her.

  “Wooof! Woooof!” barked Prince. He wanted to be part of the game too.

  “Botheration, Prince! I’ll never get this right if you don’t behave yourself,” said Betsey, crossly.

  Betsey ran to the back of the yard to try again.

  “Wooooof!” Prince chased behind her, trying to leap up at the kite.

  “Desmond!” Betsey pleaded.

  Desmond held Prince’s collar while Betsey did her run. The kite barely lifted higher than her waist before it collapsed to the ground.

  “Run faster, Betsey,” Desmond suggested. “And hold the kite up higher before you let it go.”

  “Check!” said Betsey, walking back to one end of the yard.

  “Ready? GO!” shouted Desmond.

  And off Betsey ran. She released the kite so that she was only holding on to it by its string and ran even faster. The kite flipped and flapped and fluttered, but it began to rise.

  “Yippee! It’s working! It’s working,” shouted Betsey.

  “Yeah! Go Betsey! Go!” Desmond jumped up and down.

  But oh dear! The kite got caught up in the washing line. Desmond was so busy jumping up and down that he forgot to hold onto Prince’s collar. Prince raced across the yard and started jumping up at the kite, barking madly.

  “No, Prince. DON’T . . .” squeaked Betsey.

  She grabbed for Prince. Prince grabbed for the kite and . . . the whole washing line came tumbling down.

  Oh no! Desmond and Betsey and Prince stared at the shirts and socks and underwear and dresses and trousers all over the ground.

  “We’re in trouble now . . .” Desmond sighed.

  Sure enough, about two seconds later, Gran’ma Liz came storming out of the house.

  “Desmond, Betsey, I thought I told you two to mind the washing,” fumed Gran’ma Liz.

  “But Gran’ma Liz, Prince . . .” Betsey began.

  “It was Prince who . . .” Desmond tried.

  “Not another word.” Gran’ma Liz interrupted them both. “You two are going to help me wash every single one of these things again.”

  “Oh, but we wanted to fly our kite,” said Betsey.

  “Not a chance! Not until all the washing has been redone. And you can start by gathering it all up again,” said Gran’ma Liz, and she marched back into the house.

  Betsey and Desmond turned to Prince. Prince watched them, his tail between his legs, his head hanging down.

  “Botheration, Prince!” said Betsey, crossly. “Double and triple botheration!”

  “Woof!” Prince apologised.

  “Well, you did promise Gran’ma that we’d help her the next time she did the washing,” Desmond reminded his sister.

  “Yes,” replied Betsey, “but I didn’t think we’d be helping Gran’ma quite so soon!”

  “Never mind,” said Desmond. “Once we’ve loaded up the washing machine we’ll go to the beach and try again.”

  “Promise?” said Betsey.

  “Promise.” Desmond smiled.

  “And can we leave Prince at home this time?” said Betsey.

  “Arfff! Arfff!” barked Prince. He didn’t sound too keen on that idea.

  “No, Prince, you’re not coming with us,” said Desmond firmly. “Not this time.”

  Betsey grinned at her brother. “Thanks for helping me make and fly a kite.”

  “Anything for my annoying little sister!” teased Desmond.

  Betsey stood in front of Desmond and piled all the clothes in her arms on top of the ones Desmond was already carryin
g.

  “Hey!” said Desmond. “What’s the big idea?”

  “I just wanted to give you something,” said Betsey.

  Before Desmond could say another word, Betsey gave him a great, big hug. She really did have the best brother in the world!

  About the Author

  Malorie Blackman has written over sixty books and is acknowledged as one of today’s most imaginative and convincing writers for young readers. She has been awarded numerous prizes for her work, including the Red House Children’s Book Award and the Fantastic Fiction Award. Malorie has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. In 2005 she was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her contribution to children’s books, and in 2008 she received an OBE for her services to children’s literature. She has been described by The Times as ‘a national treasure’. Malorie Blackman is the Children’s Laureate 2013–15.

  Also by Malorie Blackman

  The NOUGHTS & CROSSES sequence:

  NOUGHTS & CROSSES

  KNIFE EDGE

  CHECKMATE

  DOUBLE CROSS

  NOBLE CONFLICT

  BOYS DON’T CRY

  HEART BREAK GIRL

  THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

  TRUST ME

  PIG-HEART BOY

  HACKER

  A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E.

  THIEF!

  DANGEROUS REALITY

  THE DEADLY DARE MYSTERIES

  DEAD GORGEOUS

  UNHEARD VOICES

  (A collection of short stories and poems, collected by Malorie Blackman)

  For younger readers:

  CLOUD BUSTING

  OPERATION GADGETMAN!

  WHIZZIWIG and WHIZZIWIG RETURNS

  GIRL WONDER AND THE TERRIFIC TWINS

  GIRL WONDER’S WINTER ADVENTURES

  GIRL WONDER TO THE RESCUE

  BETSEY BIGGALOW IS HERE!

  BETSEY’S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

  MAGIC BETSEY

  HURRICANE BETSEY

  For beginner readers: