She began little, missing cat posters, a neighbor's stolen Amazon packages, the mystery of who kept putting passive-aggressive notes on the neighborhood bulletin board about correct recycling practices.
Nobody called upon her to do this. That's what made her amateur. She had no training, no badge, just far too much time since the layoff and a brain that wouldn't stop wondering why. Tuesday was the name she gave it.
The benefit with amateur detectives is they see what experts miss since they are looking for narrative rather than for evidence. Their view of the world is like a tale with missing pages. It's a clue that smudge on the doorframe is not just a smudge. Mrs. Chen's conflicting book club alibi is a line to draw rather than just forgetfulness.