Witness Statement 10 A & B

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: Shed, the garden, Noble Hall

Name: Herbert O’Toole          

           Gardener at the Hall

Statement: 

“I was trying to sort out our molehills, they seemed to have doubled in number over night.

Master Tom was with me when Lady Ophelia came totell him to go in for his tea, but he wouldn’t go. Then the dog started barking and jumping about. I left them to it.

Saw Mrs Martini hurrying around the side of the house, but I missed all the  necklace mularky because I was trying to find my spade. I’d just put it down and it disappeared.”

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Garden, Noble Hall

Name: Tom Dumbell

            Son of Lady Ophelia

Statement:

“I’m Tom, I play with my dog all the time, we’re inseparable - so my Mum says, she’s Lady Ophelia.

I helped Red, er...er Mr Wheeler clean the car. Cook told me off and then shouted at me. I chased Wendy Trotter, she’s my friend.

I’m watching Dash, our Butler, all the time because I think he’s a spy. Maisie isn’t, she’s always asleep. That

Rita Stealer is a spy and she has evil cat-eyes.

Aunty Dora tried to make me paint and my Grandad snores louder than anyone in the whole world. Mother told me to behave, Uncle Heywood turned me upside down.

O’Toole let me borrow his spade.

I’m going to be a policeman when I grow up and I’m going to catch the thief...I’ll show everyone!

Witness Statement 9

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location : The Library, Noble Hall

Name: Major Marmaduke Double-Barrel

           Head of the family

Statement: 

“Didn’t see a thing, old boy. Went to my study to hide from all the party fuss.

Had a brief chat with my son, Heywood, and my daughter.

Started to read me paper and...fell asleep. The door slamming woke me up.

Couldn’t find me paper and so rang for Dash.

Certain I saw someone pass the window, think it was awoman...red hair, not sure.

Heard Ophelia calling and that’s the first I knew somethingwas wrong. Can’t tell you anymore than that, old boy. 

Witness Statement 8

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Butler’s Pantry, Noble Hall

Name: Mr Alfred Dash

           Butler at Noble Hall

Statement: 

“A lot of things were going wrong - it was one of those days!

That morning my alarm clock didn’t wake me up. When serving the family breakfast, I spilt M’lady’scoffee and Master Tom’s milk and dropped my eyeglasses somewhere - still haven’t found them and everything is fuzzy.

By late afternoon I was was searching for Maisie and for the Major’s newspaper. It was at this time that I saw Wheeler, the chauffeur,  coming into thehouse through the front door - staff don’t do this. 

A few moments later M’Lady cried out...and came running down the stairs.”

Witness Statement 7

Incident Number 25062010


Interview Location: The Garage, Noble Hall

Name: Mr Stephen Wheeler

           Chauffeur for the family at Noble Hall

           Also known as Red

Statement: 

“I collected Capt Heywood and Miss Stealer from the station. 

I went to the kitchen for a cup of tea and Cook wasgoing on about something missing.

I didn’t hang around after that and got back to the garage but couldn’t find my keys - must have left them in the kitchen. I returned to the house as quick as I could.

Tom and the girl chased past me with the dog - always up to something those two. And Mr Dash was lurking about.

Then M’Lady called out and came running down thestairs and Cook came running to, nearly knocked me over."

Witness Statement 6

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Kitchen, Noble Hall

Name: Mrs Elsie Spooner  

           Cook at Noble Hall

Statement: 

“Such a busy day. Everything was going on - childrenand animals under my feet. The dog nearly tripped me up and I broke a good china cup, so I wasn’t best pleased when I found out that that the breakfast sausages weren’t in the butcher’s delivery.

And Maisie was missing, again, her feather duster left ontop of my stove, nearly caught fire, Mr Dash acting so strange and Master Heywood hurrying past the windowand not coming in to say hello.

I was clearing away Mr Wheeler’s tea things when I heard M’lady cry out. I ran straightaway to see what was going on, M’Lady was in a terrible state.”

Witness Statement 5

Incident Number 25062010

Location Interview: Trotter’s Family Butcher, High Street

Name: Wendy Trotter

             Daughter of the local butcher

Statement:

 

“I like delivering to the Hall because Tom is funny and we’re mates. I saw Tom and his dog  running away from the house and I heard Cook Spooner shouting after them. 

When I got to the kitchen Cook looked like she was hiding something in the bin and jumped when I  put down the meat order and said hello. She looked all red and angry. I was glad that Tom came into the kitchen and chased me into the garden - that must have been when the ribbon fell out of my hair. I only have one bow now.

I didn’t see what happened when Lady Ophelia screamed but Tom told me it was louder than his Grandad’s 

snoring, and that’s really loud. ”

Witness Statement 4 - and Maisie

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location:  Drawing Room, Noble Hall

Name: Miss Rita Stealer

             Guest of Capt. Heywood Double-Barrel.

Statement:

 

“Heywood invited me to dinner. 

When we arrived he went to talk to the Major and Lady O so I was left with the kid and the pooch. 

It was then I realised my butterfly earrings were missing. They were new and the clips were loose. They must have fallen off in the car.

Heywood came back and I told him about my earrings, didn’t seem that interested and seemed a bit distracted. So, I went  to find Mr Dash to help me, but came across Maisie Wilts, the maid, in the dining room. She seemed confused and talking nonsense.

I gave up and I went back to Heywood in the drawing room and sent him off to find the chauffeur.

I heard all the fuss about Lady O but stayed where I was.”

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Dining Room, Noble Hall

Name: Maisie Wilts

           Housemaid at Noble Hall

 Statement:

“I was...(yawn) I think...

(yawn)... I was in the dining room.

 Setting the table...(yawn)...I...

(yawn)...I must have fell asleep...I dreamt about a woman with red hair, that’s all I remember.

 I didn’t hear or see nothing. 

I’m glad you’re here though because someone’s stole my feather duster.

Witness Statement 3

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Library, Noble Hall

Name: Captain Heywood Double-Barrel 

           Major’s son

            Also known as Wayward

Statement:

 

“I had invited Rita to dinner. Didn’t know it was family only and for my birthday, the major and Ophelia weren’t pleased.

At some point Rita told me she’d lost some earrings and that Wheeler, the chauffeur would know where they

were. She disappeared somewhere, for quite some time

When she came back I went off to find Wheeler myself. The chauffeur couldn’t be found but I saw Tom and had a kick around with him, must have been when I lost my pen.

I wasn’t in the house when Ophelia discovered that her necklace was missing.”

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Witness Statement 2

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Drawing Room, Noble Hall

Name: Mrs Isadora Martini (divorced) 

            Also known as Aunty Dora

             

Statement:

 

“Let me think.

 

I arranged flowers for the dinner party in the morning, and it was such a lovely day I took Tom onto the patio to try to get him to paint a picture for his uncle’s birthday, but he couldn’t stay still and so I gave up.

After lunch I had a snooze and then went out to the patio to clear up all my paints. I was looking for my brushes when Wayward...that’s my brother’s nickname - dashed past me. I don’t think he even saw me.

I went to find my sister, to see if everything was alright for the dinner party, just as I got to the front door I heard my sister’s voice and people running.

We were all quite shaken. A theft? At the Hall?”

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Witness Statement 1

 Here is the first witness statement for the To Catch A Thief mystery. Each week there will be a new statement and a question to be answered (you have to come into the library for the question) that will eventually lead the junior investigators to the culprit.

You can still join our Summer Reading Scheme and take part in this mystery and lots of other fun during the summer - so, come along!

Incident Number 25062010

Interview Location: The Drawing Room, Noble Hall

Name: Lady Ophelia Dumbell

             Major’s daughter

             Mother of Tom

Statement:

Earlier in the day I’d put out my clothes and my necklace, so everything was ready when I needed to change for dinner.

The dinner was for the family, for Heywood’s birthday and so when he arrived with Miss Stealer we weren’t very pleased.

I went to talk to Cook and then found Tom in the garden with the gardener, Tom refused to come in to have his tea. O’Toole, our gardener, has become obsessed with the molehills ruining our lawn, and is digging and filling all the time - and I think he’s made Tom equally obsessed! 

Anyway, I went upstairs to get ready for dinner. It was then I discovered that my necklace was missing.”

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