It was Bella’s last month in New York. She had been transferred to India. Her cousin Jessamine had also planned to go back to her home. The 22 year old amateur detective was on her way to her office. She spotted her best friend Margot and Neil in a coffee shop.
“Hello Neil, Meg. So how is everything?”
“Bad, really bad. My friend Ileana has been kidnapped. I am too worried for her.” Neil said.
“Me too. I have heard a lot about her.” Margot said.
“Hey I am staying here for a fortnight more. So I can solve it. Have you informed the police?”
“No, Bella. We don’t want it as the kidnappers may cause harm to her.” Neil said
“My dad is a police officer. If you inform him and he can surely solve it without letting anyone know.”
“I only can trust you. You tell.”
“Yes, just a sec.”
She informed her father. Her father encouraged her to investigate the case as well and promised to help whenever required.
“I have to go. Neil, if you get any more details do tell me Neil.” Bella said.
Bella went to the office but was mentally absent. Her last few stories were complete disaster so she was trying her best to write another good one. Her day ended miserably. She was asked to step down from her job. She got a mail from Neil.
It read
‘New message from the kidnappers. They gave a puzzle and if we can solve it they will release Ileana. The puzzle is – for one pair for this at now. Bella you have to solve it. It is a number. Please.’
“Oh God! It seems all the problems have fallen on me only.”
She went home. On the way on a shop it was written ‘for am to for pm’.
“They have misspelt Four. Yes solution for can mean Four in the message.”
She went home and told the case to Jessamine.
“Let us solve it. Going to be fun. Now it is 41pair4this at now. Does not make sense. Does it?” Jessamine said.
“Pair, that means 2. So 4124this at now.”
“This at now?”
“This may be dix, which means 10 in French.”
“At now????????????”
“I am going to India so I am doing research in Indian language. 8 is said as aat so at may mean 8 and nau is 9 so now may mean 9.”
“41241089. It may be a phone number. Come on we must send it to Neil to save Ileana.”
She told it to Neil. Bella decided to keep the order of the office a secret. But after all her father was also the father of a detective. On seeing Bella depressed he called the office and came to know everything.
“It is ok Bella. See the positive side, now that there is no job that means you don’t have to stop solving cases and go to India.”
“Dad not everybody loses her dream job.”
Ileana was released after her family paid a good amount of money and told the code.
“Thank you Bella. If you hadn’t been there then Ileana would never have been freed.” Neil said.
“Yes. Bella really thank you a lot. You saved me.” Ileana said.
“No, it was my duty.” Bella said trying to keep the order a secret.
“Bella something is wrong?” Neil asked
“No,”
“You can lie to everyone but not to your best friend.”
“Neil, my boss has asked me to leave the job.”
“So what leave it but don’t apologise.”
Next morning Bella was browsing through the newspaper when she saw an interesting headline. She starts reading it to Jessamine “The gang of money. Recently on 23rd February a girl was kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded a huge amount of money and also asked them to solve a code. When solved the code it gives rise to a numerical code which was the code of a multi-billionaire’s account number. The account was robbed. Insiders tell that one of the member Zen, tried to befriend the billionaire answer also became his closest friend. The billionaire in the sense of riddle told the riddle. Zen came to know that it was the password of the billionaire’s account number but failed to solve it himself. Hence he asked the victim’s family to solve the code and then looted the account”
“No, what did I do?” Bella said.
“ Oh it was not your fault. You did it to save Ileana” Jessamine said.
“I have to arrest them.”
Bella went to the police station to meet his dad.
“Dad, I am working on this case.”
“I grant you the permission.”
“Who needs permission? I have come here to meet Mr Peter Align, the multi-billionaire. I got to know that he is here.”
“Yes, he is there. Bella if you have lost your job then don’t worry you can become a detective.”
“It was not funny.”
“Bella, sometimes it is good to have a broken heart. That means that you have at least tried for something.”
“No, I am determined now, that I will not become a writer. But the Best writer. Any ways thank you.”
Bella met Mr Peter Align. Jessamine was also with her. Jessamine quickly made a sketch of Zen and off they went to know about the whereabouts of Zen.
After a whole day of hard work they did not get anything. According to her father Zen had no criminal records. Bella left all hopes when suddenly she got a letter on the road which was torn into several pieces. She arranged them and got a letter addressed Zen.
‘Zen, I am sending Carol, to you. She will help in your next mission.
Rudy’
She went to the destination written in the letter. There she saw a man smoking. Then near she recognised him to be Zen.
“Zen, I am Carol and this is my friend Fanny” Bella lied.
“Oh so Rudy sent you?”
“Yes Rudy sir sent you to me.”
“Very Fine. Do you know what do you have to do?”
“No.”
“You have to take this money to our third member Harry in North New York. Do not try to cheat as Maggie, one of our member would be with you.”
“Yes sir sure.”
That night Bella met Maggie.
“Maggie, I would give you a good job but you will have to help me to return the money.”
“Carol, you are not Carol you are an angel.”
“What?”
“I want to leave this place. Zen, Harry and Rudy kidnapped me. My family was poor so they could not give the money. This trio gave me two options, Either I would join their gang or they would kill me. I joined their gang. I have been working here for past four years. I want to go back.”
Bella could not believe her luck.
They went with the money and returned it to Mr Peter Align. Maggie told them about the whereabouts of Harry, Rudy and Zen. They were arrested. Maggie returned home.
Bella wrote the story of her adventure and went to her office. When the manager saw it they immediately published it. The story was a huge hit. Jessamine, Neil and Meg stayed in New York. Bella got back her job and went to India happily with a promise to visit at least once every year.
