The Junior Police Station Mystery
Disaster has struck our neighborhood! Junior Police Precinct Four has been burnt to a crisp. Chief Joshua Dax Zeno's favorite station is in ruins, and we need to find the Soot Bandit before the evidence cools down completely.
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
| Name | Escape Gear | Ignition Tool | Dominant Hand | Hair Evidence | Captured By |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aria Ash | speed skates | magnifying glass | right handed | bright red hair | fear of water |
| Sam Blazer | laser pointer | flint sparker | left handed | bright red hair | loud sirens |
| Zoe Sparks | water blaster | magnifying glass | right handed | singed brown hair | loud sirens |
| Officer Toby | speed skates | fire cracker | right handed | singed brown hair | loud sirens |
| Zane Cinder | smoke bomb | solar battery | left handed | bright red hair | fear of water |
| Cadet Lucy | speed skates | fire cracker | left handed | bright red hair | fear of water |
| Nora Blaze | pocket drone | gas lighter | left handed | bright red hair | loud sirens |
| Leo Chase | smoke bomb | gas lighter | left handed | bright red hair | loud sirens |
| Deputy Mia | speed skates | flint sparker | left handed | bright red hair | fear of water |
| Gavin Smoke | laser pointer | flint sparker | left handed | singed brown hair | loud sirens |
| Haley Spark | laser pointer | solar battery | right handed | singed brown hair | sticky foam |
| Sgt Cooper | speed skates | gas lighter | right handed | singed brown hair | fear of water |
| Eli Smitty | speed skates | fire cracker | left handed | ash blonde hair | fear of water |
| Ruby Flame | pocket drone | magnifying glass | left handed | bright red hair | fear of water |
| Cole Burnside | laser pointer | flint sparker | right handed | singed brown hair | fear of water |
| Maya Ember | pocket drone | flint sparker | left handed | bright red hair | fear of water |
| Ella Flare | water blaster | magnifying glass | right handed | singed brown hair | sticky foam |
| Luke Kindle | laser pointer | magnifying glass | right handed | singed brown hair | loud sirens |
| Cadet Lily | speed skates | magnifying glass | right handed | ash blonde hair | loud sirens |
| Officer Ben | water blaster | gas lighter | left handed | singed brown hair | fear of water |
| Sgt Miller | pocket drone | gas lighter | right handed | singed brown hair | loud sirens |
Subtraction
Chief Joshua Dax Zeno wants to check the charred filing cabinets. We started with eighty files, but after the fire, some were completely destroyed, leaving only a few clean ones behind.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Addition
Officer Ben is gathering salvaged gear from the burnt offices. We need to add the working flashlights from the lobby to the ones recovered from the garage to get a total count.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Multiplication facts (1-12)
The forensic team is setting up evidence boxes in grid rows. We have several rows with the same number of boxes in each, and multiplying them will give us the total evidence count.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Fractions of a number
Out of all the badges salvaged from the chief's desk, a fraction of them still have readable serial numbers, which will help us unlock the next clue.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Fractions of a number — the last clue
Only a small fraction of the station's outdoor security cameras survived the heat, and analyzing their footage will reveal the final piece of the puzzle.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Junior Police Station Mystery
- Clue 1 (Subtraction): "THE BANDIT DOES NOT USE A FIRE CRACKER"9392 - 1050 = 8342 (T) · 11671 - 4207 = 7464 (E) · 8315 - 1426 = 6889 (N) · 2193 - 137 = 2056 (A) · 11616 - 2740 = 8876 (B) · 5681 - 662 = 5019 (K) · 6387 - 4761 = 1626 (I) · 10656 - 2515 = 8141 (R) · 6685 - 3849 = 2836 (D) · 5865 - 140 = 5725 (S) · 12681 - 3717 = 8964 (O) · 4740 - 1826 = 2914 (U) · 7560 - 18 = 7542 (F) · 8121 - 3383 = 4738 (H) · 4697 - 2205 = 2492 (C)
- Clue 2 (Addition): "THE SOOT ON THE WALL WAS FROM A LEFT HAND"2625 + 2149 = 4774 (T) · 1372 + 862 = 2234 (R) · 3217 + 2766 = 5983 (O) · 5252 + 4302 = 9554 (E) · 3322 + 2038 = 5360 (M) · 2129 + 1114 = 3243 (F) · 4375 + 4271 = 8646 (A) · 2274 + 1107 = 3381 (S) · 1124 + 1601 = 2725 (D) · 3024 + 1495 = 4519 (L) · 1990 + 3256 = 5246 (W) · 2507 + 1458 = 3965 (H) · 2589 + 6015 = 8604 (N)
- Clue 3 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "THE SUSPECT RAN AWAY FROM A SPRINKLER"5 × 11 = 55 (T) · 2 × 6 = 12 (L) · 7 × 7 = 49 (E) · 10 × 3 = 30 (H) · 11 × 11 = 121 (F) · 8 × 7 = 56 (I) · 8 × 10 = 80 (M) · 3 × 11 = 33 (N) · 11 × 9 = 99 (S) · 5 × 1 = 5 (Y) · 4 × 10 = 40 (A) · 4 × 11 = 44 (R) · 9 × 1 = 9 (O) · 8 × 8 = 64 (W) · 8 × 12 = 96 (C) · 11 × 8 = 88 (U) · 8 × 4 = 32 (K) · 12 × 10 = 120 (P)
- Clue 4 (Fractions of a number): "A BRIGHT RED HAIR CLIPPED ON THE WIRE"1/5 of 120 = 24 (A) · 1/5 of 85 = 17 (P) · 2/6 of 60 = 20 (G) · 6/10 of 5 = 3 (N) · 2/6 of 6 = 2 (C) · 2/8 of 76 = 19 (E) · 2/3 of 57 = 38 (O) · 3/4 of 48 = 36 (L) · 2/8 of 88 = 22 (D) · 2/6 of 39 = 13 (R) · 5/10 of 80 = 40 (H) · 5/10 of 58 = 29 (I) · 1/4 of 48 = 12 (T) · 1/6 of 42 = 7 (B) · 1/4 of 148 = 37 (W)
- Clue 5 (Fractions of a number): surviving statement (box 10) → Deputy Mia4/8 of 10 = 5 · 2/6 of 9 = 3 · 2/10 of 10 = 2 · 2/4 of 2 = 1 · 4/8 of 14 = 7 · 1/5 of 45 = 9 · 1/10 of 110 = 11 · 1/5 of 60 = 12 · 6/8 of 8 = 6 · 2/6 of 12 = 4 · 1/3 of 24 = 8
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 5 math
- Math topics
- Subtraction, Addition, Multiplication, Fractions of a number
- Reading level
- grades 5-6
- Theme
- The Junior Police Station Mystery — set in the charred, smoky ruins of the Junior Police Precinct Four
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects