Harper was in the clink again. Suspended from the ground on the usual plastic highchair, she was doing her time for an unknown crime. Detention time was typical for a private eye like her and one of the 'perks of the job' she was overheard to have said a number of times during her career. The problem was that like most gumshoes, Harper was always investigating or asking questions of her peers regardless of whether a crime had been committed. This could often land her in hot water and this could happen rather quickly.

At this particular day-care, she had refused to play with some of the other children and was seen to observe them from a distance. On one occasion she saw a toddler gnawing on a dummy that Harper knew was a defective brand. After careful observation, Harper decided to pluck this dummy out of the unsuspecting toddler's mouth before throwing it over the barrier and into the staff room. But what reward did she get for her citizenship and concern? Just a stint on the high chair or 'solitary' as it was known by other toddlers.

She was approached by a very nervous looking toddler. The expression on the toddler's face lacked something. Once the something might have been called teething face, but in these chaotic days she didn't know what to call it. In their eyes she saw the dancing sparks of fear and trepidation as he finally remarked to her.

"I heard you're good at finding things."

"Things. People. You name it." She proudly stated.

"Are you able to help me?" He asked.

"Sure. I've got nothing better to do." She remarked.

"Help me down will you?" She asked.

The toddler held his arms out as Harper deftly unlocked the safety belt around her seat before climbing up and out of the high-chair to land on the young boy's shoulders. He raised her down quickly as she walked over to a number of partitions near the front door.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to need my coat if there's detective work to be done."

She hastily threw on her coat, the bottom edges flapping frantically like a hero's cape.

Chapter Two: Missing Items

"So what seems to be the problem? Harper asked.

"Cody." He said.

"Of course, names first. Well Cody, It's nice to meet you. I'm Harper."

"I'm well aware of your name and your good work, Miss Harper. Weren't you the Harper who found that missing parent?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you also the Harper who solved the great nappy shortage of January 2020?"

"I believe that was me, Yes."

"Well then your deeds travel far like your good name, Miss Harper."

"It's nice of you to say Cody, but you came to me in need now I must enquire as to what you have lost?"

His lip trembled as he told her.

"All of my sleep easy. Each bottle has been stolen from me."

Harper fetched a small notepad out of the pocket of her jacket.

"Now when you say they were stolen, I'm assuming you know the identity of the culprit?.."

"Why yes..." Cody started to tear up as he continued.

"It was that bully Samuel."

Harper quickly jotted this all down before looking up at the scene in front of her.

At this point, children were in their various free play activities. One of the carers was minding a 5 month old baby and another changing the nappy of a 12 month old. It was the perfect time of the day for Samuel to flex his muscle. She noticed a few exchanges taking place and commented to Cody.

"it seems that there is more to this, Cody. If you look closely, Samuel has indeed taken your formula bottles but seems to be exchanging them for other goods."

"How can you be sure?" He asked.

"Pure observation Cody. If you look closely, you'll see your name embossed on the top of those bottles of sleep easy that Miss Olivia is now drinking from. Luckily the centre insists on this style of labelling or this job would be a lot harder."

As Harper and Cody continued to look on, they noticed a number of exchanges between Samuel and a few toddlers; all within the space of 5 minutes. A quick whistle from another boy and suddenly Samuel closed his operations once the adults started to engage more with the other students. Harper noticed Samuel stash a few bottles underneath the day bed before he went back to pretending to play with blocks.

"it's quite a little smuggling operation they've got here. If it wasn't so wrong, I'd be impressed." Harper commented.

"We need to report this to the carers." Cody cried.

Harper shook her head.

"If you do that, firstly he'll know and will hide it just in time before they do their inspections."

Cody nodded as she continued.

"And secondly, you don't want to be regarded as a snitch in here."

Cody interjected.

"So what are you suggesting then?"

"I have a plan." Harper calmly stated.

Chapter Three: Protect and Serve

Cody finally got up the courage to talk to Samuel at Harper's insistence. When Cody asked for his sleep easy back, Samuel started to shove him. Just as Cody started to panic, Harper clamped a hand down on Samuel's arm. She looked him fiercely in the eye.

"You don't touch him! And if you try to hurt him, you'll have me to deal with." She raised her volume but she kept her cool as she voiced these words. Samuel could not look her in the eye. She released her grip and walked back towards the other side of the room before one of the workers noticed. Cody joined her as they marched across the mat.

"Do you think he noticed?"

"No, so far so good."

During their brief encounter, Samuel didn't notice Cody slip a device into Samuel's pocket. They all got ready for their afternoon nap at day-care as Harper noticed Samuel checking the bottles of sleep-easy stored under his daybed. He gazed at them like they were trophies.

#

The alarm blared as the device continued to blare out, waking Samuel and everyone else out of their slumber. He didn't know it was in his back pocket; so he scrambled madly looking for it. The staff members were approaching fast. He flipped over the bed, earnestly looking for this screaming object. Bottle of sleep easy started rolling out in a number of directions as the edges of the bed nudged them in the chaos.

Liv, the room leader noticed the bottles of sleep easy rolling out. They each had names like Cody and some of the other children at the centre.

"Oh my goodness, Samuel. These aren't yours. Have you been taking these from other children?" She asked.

Samuel started shaking his head but she continued to question him.

"Samuel, Look at me and tell me the truth: Have you been taking these from other children?" she said again, her tone becoming more firm.

He finally nodded as the tears started welling up in his face and fell down his face.

Harper and Cody, fresh from their afternoon nap looked on.

She whispered to Cody: "We must be strong with bullies, Cody, and stand up to them. It doesn't mean fighting but it does mean using our brains."

"Thank you Harper." Cody replied back, smiling at Samuel's remorse.

When Samuel's mother came to pick her son up, she was angry and started to deny her son's wrongdoing but they were asked to leave anyway. He never returned to the centre and Cody continued to grow in confidence.

Harper was sure she would end up in the clink again but this meant more time for reconnaissance and for more adventures. She felt a surge of pride as she was scooped up in her mother's arms, ready to return to her office.