Title: Holly Holmes and the Mystery of the Fancy Dress Party

It was the day of the school fancy dress party and 16 year old girl sleuth Holly Holmes was in her bedroom with her best friend Beth Marshall. ‘Have you decided what you are going as’ said Beth. ‘I just can’t think of anything’ said Holly, ‘so it will probably be a cat’.
‘Holly sometimes you are so boring’ said Beth. Holly’s dad Dave appeared at the door. ‘If only she was boring I would be so happy’ smiled Dave, relating to the fact the Holly had fainted twice during her last adventure.
‘Well I am going as a cowgirl and I am sure my outfit will get more attention than yours’ teased Beth.
Later that day Dave dropped the two girls off at the party. Once inside a boy approached Holly. ‘Hi Holly’ he said ‘you look great, do you want to dance’
Beth giggled to herself and Holly blushed. The boy’s name was Darren and although Holly didn’t have time for a boy friend it was well known that Darren really liked Holly.
As they danced Holly noticed someone in a clowns outfit leaving the room.
‘Who is the clown’ asked Holly
‘No one knows’ replied Darren.
As the dance finished Holly’s inquisitive nature got the better of her and she followed the clown out of the room. Holly watched the figure disappear down the corridor until it came to the Headmasters office. Suddenly the figure disappeared into the Heads room!
Holly walked down the corridor and then slid through the door herself. The clown was going through the Heads drawer.
‘Hey, what are you doing’ said Holly. ‘Well, well, well’ said a girl’s voice from inside the outfit, ‘if it isn’t the famous sleuth Holly Holmes’
The clown girl then moved towards Holly. She reached out and gripped Holly by the shoulders. Next moment a spray of sweet smelling powder shot from the flower on the girl clowns lapel and hit Holly straight in the face.
Holly instantly recognised the aroma of sleeping powder but that did her no good. The room began to spin and Holly began to lose consciousness. Then a second blast of powder hit the young sleuth.
It was too much.
Holly fainted and fell to the floor unconscious!
When Holly’s eyes began to flutter open the first thing she saw was her dads face staring down at her.
‘Thank goodness you are waking up’ said Beth. Holly turned her head and smiled at her friend who was next to her dad ‘Holly, you have been unconscious for hours, what happened’.
Holly related the story of how the clown girl had squirted two lots of sleep powder in her face. ‘I must have fainted then’ said Holly.
‘No wonder you have been knocked unconscious for so long, have you any idea who the clown is’
Holly admitted other than the girl’s voice she had no clue.
Holly had recovered sufficiently to attend school next day. It was a dressing down day and Holly was wearing her blue sweater and tight blue jeggings.
Darren came up to her, ‘you look great Holly but are you OK after last night’. Holly admitted she still had a headache but was generally OK.
On her way home that night, Holly had to drop the register off in the office before she left and was late at school. As she walked past the Heads door, she noticed the light was on.
She pushed open the door and saw the girl in the clowns outfit, it was dressing down day, but this was ridiculous. The clown girl looked up,’You are becoming a pest Holly Holmes!’ Holly swung out her right leg and landed a karate kick on the clowns knee and the clown gasped. However, she quickly recovered. She grabbed Holly and what seemed like a never ending spray of sleeping powder hit Holly in the face
‘Ooooh’ moaned Holly before she fainted and fell unconscious and helpless at the clown girl’s feet.
When Holly regained consciousness she had headache. A girl called Jackie Lister was in the room with her. ‘Awake at last, Holly you really are a sleepy head’ said Jackie’ I think you know me better as the clown girl’
Before Jackie spoke again Holly pressed a special button on her watch
‘You have been unconscious all night, Holly and now you will miss the Maths test and I have copied all the answers and will be the cleverest girl in school. 'So thats what you were doing in the Heads office' said Holly. Jackie laughed then next minute she pulled a small tube from her pocket and held it under Holly’s nose. Sleeping fumes! In her already weakened state the young sleuth was made to take sniff the fumes. Holly fainted and fell unconscious yet again! Jackie laughed ‘Sweet dreams’ Holly. Then she left for the test. As soon as she had left the room Holly sat up. She had held her breath when Jackie had given her the knock-out fumes and Holly had only pretended to faint!
Just as the test was starting, Holly burst in. The button on her watch was a mini tape recorder and had recorded everything Jackie said and she was disgraced. Later Holly took the test and scored 100%.
Thanks to the clever use of her spy watch, Holly Holmes had solved the clown girl mystery.