Cop Shop Mystery

There was a variety of possible suspects in the missing Greyhound bus fiasco with the music director being fired at the last minute, Mayor Writon ruining Spearestown Mayor Doyle mother’s 100th birthday party by booking the county fairgrounds for the carnival, but the culprit was the one and only, Greyhound bus driver, Ralph Cramptin.

Ralph was watching the sexy music director in the rearview mirror and failed to notice another Greyhound turn in front of him at the stoplight by the highway exit. Given this was a charter to Bardstown, which he heard of but didn’t know where it was exactly, he let his boss and her husband pull out before him rather than be first as it was easier to follow the other buses than consult the route package on his dash.

When the bus ahead of him turned, he followed along, nearly driving on autopilot while ogling that beauty four rows back, especially at the stoplights. He snapped to an hour later when they pulled into the Tibbetts City Bus Terminal and not the Bardstown Founder’s Day Event. He stopped behind the bus, hung his head trying to figure out where he lost his group and how he picked up another bus.

The beauty in row four was in his face before he could get out his phone out of his pocket and pull up Google Maps.

The music director leaned in close to Ralph. “You are lost, aren’t you? I knew something didn’t look right, but you are the bus driver. I shouldn’t have to worry that we are heading in the wrong direction!”

She took a step back, crossed her arms and glared at Ralph.

He didn’t want to look at her anymore. “It will take us almost 45 minutes to get there from here.”

“We are already late, so you need to call Mayor Writon and let him know, if he isn’t in the hospital having a coronary because we are lost,” said the music director.

Ralph took the mayor’s number from the very mad music director and called the equally mad Mayor Writon to explain why they were late. The bus was so quiet that Ralph didn’t have to use speaker phone since the mayor was yelling so loud that Ralph and at least the first four rows could hear him just fine.

As the bus pulled into the Bardstown town square almost an hour late, there were cheers, and then bus was surrounded by the parents from the other two buses, police and city dignitaries.

Once the bus was empty; his boss stuck her head in the door and said, “It’s my fault as I thought you were behind Bill, and he thought you were ahead of me. I’m just glad everyone is safe and sound, and you weren’t in an accident or an alien abduction like Deputy Fife called in to the State Police when you were 30 minutes late. Park the bus over at the fairgrounds so they can get this party started.”

21 sentences

Sentence count ▼

1 There was a variety of possible suspects in the missing Greyhound bus fiasco with the music director being fired at the last minute, Mayor Writon ruining Spearestown Mayor Doyle mother’s 100th birthday party by booking the county fairgrounds for the carnival, but the culprit was the one and only, Greyhound bus driver, Ralph Cramptin.

2 Ralph was watching the sexy music director in the rearview mirror and failed to notice another Greyhound turn in front of him at the stoplight by the highway exit. 3 Given this was a charter to Bardstown, which he heard of but didn’t know where it was exactly, he let his boss and her husband pull out before him rather than be first as it was easier to follow the other buses than consult the route package on his dash.

4 When the bus ahead of him turned, he followed along, nearly driving on autopilot while ogling that beauty four rows back, especially at the stoplights. 5 He snapped to an hour later when they pulled into the Tibbetts City Bus Terminal and not the Bardstown Founder’s Day Event. 6 He stopped behind the bus, hung his head trying to figure out where he lost his group and how he picked up another bus.

7 The beauty in row four was in his face before he could get out his phone out of his pocket and pull up Google Maps.

8 The music director leaned in close to Ralph. 9 “You are lost, aren’t you? 10 I knew something didn’t look right, but you are the bus driver. 11 I shouldn’t have to worry that we are heading in the wrong direction!”

12 She took a step back, crossed her arms and glared at Ralph.

13 He didn’t want to look at her anymore. 14 “It will take us almost 45 minutes to get there from here.”

15 “We are already late, so you need to call Mayor Writon and let him know, if he isn’t in the hospital having a coronary because we are lost,” said the music director.

16 Ralph took the mayor’s number from the very mad music director and called the equally mad Mayor Writon to explain why they were late. 17 The bus was so quiet that Ralph didn’t have to use speaker phone since the mayor was yelling so loud that Ralph and at least the first four rows could hear him just fine.

18 As the bus pulled into the Bardstown town square almost an hour late, there were cheers, and then bus was surrounded by the parents from the other two buses, police and city dignitaries.

19 Once the bus was empty; his boss stuck her head in the door and said, “It’s my fault as I thought you were behind Bill, and he thought you were ahead of me. 20 I’m just glad everyone is safe and sound, and you weren’t in an accident or an alien abduction like Deputy Fife called in to the State Police when you were 30 minutes late. 21 Park the bus over at the fairgrounds so they can get this party started.”

Prompt ▼

Cop Shop Mystery!

What happened to the Greyhound bus bringing the choral group and band to perform for Bardstown Founder’s Day event's 21st decade?
It’s the 21st decade of The Town’s Founding!

It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed since the eventful night of the time capsule opening and the embarrassing secrets that were revealed. But then, life goes on!

Yes, the Founder’s Day celebrations will be in full force, with music, dancing singing, raffles, carnival rides and lots of games and food.
Mayor Writon had spent a couple years wheeling and dealing to arrange for the best school marching band and chorale in the country! They were expected to arrive in town at 4:00 p.m. to be all set up for their performance. A couple other buses were to follow along behind that busload of talented youths. Those buses would carry the proud parents, relatives, and fun-seeking tourists from other towns who were anxious to celebrate along with the Bardstownians.

At four O’clock the sound of buses filled the town square. The mayor was beside himself with joy as he watched one, bus, two, bus … “Wait! We are one bus short!”

When the first busload disembarked, the people's faces were visibly shocked!

Back at The Cop Shop:

Ring-Riiiiiiiing!

“Captain O’leary, how may I help you?”

“O’Leary, why are you answering the phone? Where’s your help, you know what a big night this is!”

“Well mayor, it’s like this, Jones’s wife went into labor, so he’s at County General. Young officer Tibbs, asked for a leave of absence so he could be with his mother during her surgery recovery. He was up for a vacation, anyway. As you probably know, Officer Smith is already at the town square, along with officer Dooley to help with crowd control. And …”

“Quit your babbling O’Leary, I need you now, do ya hear me? Now! We are missing a busload of students. The bus disappeared right in plain sight. The tourist buses are here, but our musical entertainment for the parade and start of the festivities never made it here. Oh, and the kicker? All three buses were traveling together! Find a retired cop, deputy or even the dang fossil of a librarian to watch the shop. I need you here, NOW!"

“Ahh, yes, sir I’ll get on that right away. You do realize Old deputy Fife is getting a little frail, not to mention that Mrs. Stone, the librarian is close to a hundred years old – but, I’ll get them down here.”

“Thank you, beg, bribe whatever they want to answer the phones give it to them!”

“Yes, sir! I can tell you that Deputy Fife loves corn-dogs and spun sugar. Mrs. Stone will probably need lots of yarn and some knitting needles to keep her happy.”

“They’ll have them! Be here as soon as your replacements get there, and my son Sam will deliver all their necessities for the evening.”

The Mystery to Solve is:

What happened to the bus?

Who took the bus?

Why was the bus taken?

Where are the people on that bus, band, choir and music directors?

Possible Suspects:

Mayor Doyle in Spearestown?
Judge Leonard, who’s son is celebrating his 21st birthday on the same day?
The mayor’s son, Sam, who's sick of being under the Mayor's thumb?
Disgruntled, fired, choir master, Letzall Singh?
Ralph Cramptin, the bus driver
Officer Tibbs -- is he really with his convalescing mother?

OR, is it another person? ... Create a character who could have been "the one."

RULES:
Your job:
YOU must solve this mystery in EXACTLY 21 SENTENCES!
Be sure to place sentence count at the bottom or top of your item.

Be as creative as possible within those 21 sentences so that the mystery is solved in time to save the Bardstown Founder’s Day celebrations.

Who did it and Why?
You be the judge!