by Charlise Powvalla

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

Two-Faced Joe and the Man with the Missing Leg

My name is Two-Faced Joe. Usually if someone says you're "two-faced," it means that you act really nice to someone and then do something nasty when they turn their back. I call myself Two-Faced Joe because I really have two faces! My first face is the one I was born with. The second one is when I put on a mask that I use to do my undercover work. My masks are made by my dad. He works in special effects for a movie company. I may only be 13 years old, but I already have a very serious private eye business.

The case of the man with the missing leg began on an ordinary Veteran's Day at school. Our school celebrated every year with something called "Living History Day." This was when we invited all the war veterans from the area to our school to tell us students about their experiences in battle, and then we honor them by standing up and clapping while they all walk into the gym to watch a pretend USO show at the end of the day. A USO show is sort of like a talent show for people who are fighting in wars to take their minds off of things for awhile.
Pete and Jade and I were getting ready to do a comedy act for the USO show later in the day. Pete and Jade have been my best friends since first grade. They're the only ones who know about my other faces.
"Knock knock," Pete said.
"I don't want to do knock knock jokes," Jade said. "I think they're stupid."
"What?" Pete asked, shocked. "Everyone loves knock knock jokes! Don't you like them, Joe?"
I was about to answer Pete, when I saw a teacher standing outside her classroom with tears coming down her face. I walked quickly over to talk to her.
"What's the matter, Mrs. Clark?" I asked, concerned.
"I'm so embarrassed, Joe." She said. "One of the veterans came to our classroom to talk about Pearl Harbor, and his wooden leg was stolen!"
"That's terrible!" Jade said, coming up behind me to talk with Mrs. Clark. "It's awful that he lost his leg in the war, and it's even worse that someone from OUR school would steal his wooden leg!"
"Who do you think might have done it?" I asked the teacher.
"Well," said Mrs. Clark. "He asked me if he could put it in my coat closet. He wanted to go outside to get some fresh air, but it was raining and he didn't want to get it wet. It was stolen while he was outside. Only four other people have the key to this room," she said. "The librarian, the drama teacher, the art teacher, and the principal."
I took out my notepad and wrote down the suspects:

Suspects:
Librarian
Drama

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