On Friday evening, the corner café was crowded. The air smelled of coffee and baked bread as people leaned over laptops and chatted in low voices. By the window, four regulars had gathered at their usual table.
When the group stood up to leave, Daniel suddenly froze.
“My wallet’s gone.”
He patted his jacket, checked the table, then dropped to the floor in a panic. “It was right here when I ordered. It has all my cards.”
The others looked uneasy.
“I saw it,” said Priya, frowning. “You pulled it out at the counter. You had it when you paid.”
“Maybe you left it on the counter,” suggested Malik, tightening his backpack straps. “I walked past just after you, and the barista didn’t mention anything.”
Daniel shook his head. “No way. I slid it back into my jacket pocket. I remember.”
Carla, who had been scrolling her phone, finally spoke. “When I came back from the restroom, your jacket was draped over the chair. The wallet could’ve fallen out then.”
“That doesn’t explain why it isn’t on the floor,” Daniel said. His voice was rising now.
Priya crossed her arms. “Wait a second. Carla, you said you were in the restroom. But I saw you walk past me toward the door right after Malik got his drink. That was before Daniel even ordered.”
Carla blinked. “No—I went after. You must be mixing up the timing.”
“No,” Priya insisted. “I’m certain. You were heading out just as Daniel got in line.”
Everyone grew tense. The café had thinned out, the clatter of cups echoing strangely in the silence at their table.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed. “So my jacket was left unattended… and Carla’s story doesn’t line up.”
Malik cleared his throat. “Hold on. When I came back from grabbing napkins, I saw someone reaching toward Daniel’s chair. I thought it was him. Maybe it wasn’t.”
The group exchanged nervous glances. Someone here knew more than they were saying. The wallet hadn’t simply vanished.
Detective Task – Solve the Real Life Mystery Story
- Who took Daniel’s wallet?
- What details in the story prove it?
- Which characters look suspicious but are actually innocent, and why?
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18 Responses
I believe that it was Carla because she made a statement that she was in the bathroom while Daniel made the order, but then Priya pointed out that she had headed out right before he ordered anything, but she had also went to where Daniel had left his jacket, that’s what Priya announced, so she must have took the wallet. Priya isn’t suspicious because she actually was giving clues on who was near the jacket last, she was with Daniel while he was in line so shes off of the list. Malik isn’t suspicious even though he gripped on his backpack, he didn’t have much proof that it was him because he wasn’t near the jacket so he is off of the list too. Carla is the suspect, in other words, she is the person who stole the wallet.
I think Malik took Daniel’s wallet. I say this because at the beginning of the story, it described Malik doing a suspicious action. “tightening his backpack straps”. In the story, Carla is the one who everybody’s suspicious of but she wasn’t acting nervous. At the end of the story, “Malik cleared his throat.” This says that he was nervous before he spoke.
I think that Carla took the wallet because she is nervous and because she is mixing up time and she is trying to make excuses to get out of the problem.Malik said he seen someone reach down to grab the wallet out the jacket and he thought it was daniel but it wasn’t.I whink that carla took it because she is acting suspicios.
I think it is Malik because he was acting weird he was getting super nervous and Priya is innocent she was there in the line and doing nothing.
I believe Carla stole the wallet because she is stating that Priya got the timing wrong, making her look suspicious, saying something without evidence. Carla said that Daniel’s wallet probably fell out. However, the wallet wasn’t on the floor, making her look even more guilty. Overall, I think that Carla stole the wallet because of her giving clues that were false clues. Everyone else was providing information and helping Daniel find his wallet. Carla did provide clues too, but Carla was proven wrong by Priya.
I think the person who took the wallet was Carla because 1st her story doesn’t line up. 2nd Priya said she had seen Carla heading out of the line when Daniel got into the line to get a drink. 3rd Malik said that he saw someone reaching toward Daniel’s chair during the time Carla was gone. And that’s the reason I think Carla took the wallet.
I think Carla thinks Daniel mixed it and she is saying this because she took it and she is making Daniel think he put it somewhere else. Also she walked past him after he ordered. That is why I think that Carla took the wallet because she walked past him when he was done ordering.
I think it is Carla because she is trying to act innocent and people are saying that she went into the door after Malik left when he got his drink and no one else went into the door after Malik and Carla, who had been scrolling her phone, finally spoke. When I came back from the restroom, your jacket was draped over the chair. The wallet could’ve fallen out then Daniel say so my jacket was left unattended… and Carla’s story doesn’t line up and, Malik cleared his throat. Hold on. When I came back from grabbing napkins, I saw someone reaching toward Daniel’s chair. I thought it was him. Maybe it wasn’t. And everyone was looking at each other and everyone knew that it was one of them then someone say the wallet hadn’t simply vanished.
I think Malik took Daniel’s wallet because he was the most suspicious out of all of them. Carla also seems suspicious but shes probably just trying to help Daniel find his wallet since she said ” Your jacket was draped over the chair. The wallet could’ve fallen out.” Malik was saying much more though.
I think carla has it because Carla said she left but Priya said that she left when Daniel got in line but Malik is suspicous because he didn’t say that before.
Carla took the wallet and here is why. First, Priya said Carla headed out of the line as soon as Daniel got in line. Then, Carla was on her phone, probably to avoid suspicion. Lastly, Carla’s story doesn’t line up. All in all, Carla took Daniel’s wallet.
I think it’s Carla because her story doesn’t line up with the case. because Carla said she went up to the bathroom and then Priya said that Carla went up to leave and she didn’t use the bathroom like she said she did. Malik seems a little suspicious but I;s rightfully not him tho because he was mostly helping Daniel find he’s wallet
I think Carla take it because she said that his backpack was over the chair but no one was there and she could have a change to take the backpack when no one was there to see who take it but then Priya said that Carla wasn’t there because she said Carla was in the restroom but Carla pass near Priya and she wasn’t in the restroom the Carla said she was wrong that she mix up the time she probably said that to make Priya think she is innocent so I think Carla take the Wallets she looks very suspicius.
I think Carla took Daniel’s wallet because her story doesn’t line up.
Carla, since her story about the timing doesn’t add up with Priya’s story. She also had access to Daniel’s jacket. It was probably Carla.
I think the theft was made by Malik because he tightened his backpack straps so no one would open it or see what is in it. and that is why I the the thief is Malik.
I think it was Carla because, her side of the story did not add up to the rest.
Priya may be the one that did it. Malik said that he ordered before Daniel, but Priya says that Malik ordered first.