- Did a word that's important to you go missing?

- And now all you can feel, do, or think is the opposite of that word?

- Then call us!

I'm Sly.

- And I'm Gabby.

We're word detectives and we solve - [Both] Word Mysteries!

- Together, we run the Wordsville Online Detective Agency.

- We'll find your missing word fast.

- Not to mention briskly.

- And swiftly!

- Yeah, we're really good with words.

- [Children] Wordsville!

- Hey Gabby.

That's weird, I want to ask you something, but I can't.

- Just a sec.

I'm checking to see if Artist Clay posted about his top secret masterpiece yet.

No one even knows he's working on it.

Oops.

I shouldn't have said that!

- Don't worry.

He told me about it too.

I guess he's not that great at keeping things top secret.

- [chuckles] No, he's not.

Reporter Read's calling.

- Normally I would ask about the reason, but I guess I'll just answer.

- Word Detectives, I need your help.

- Something seems to be wrong.

Huh?

I meant to ask that as a question.

- That's why I'm calling!

Something is missing.

This photo is from the newsroom party.

- But you're the only one who works in the newsroom.

- That's not the point.

This board shows how I investigate a news story.

First step I take is to inquire by asking questions about what I'm investigating.

Look!

- The word inquire is gone!

I'm taking a screenshot for later.

- Now I understand why we can't ask questions.

Inquire means to ask someone for information, as in I would inquire how this happened.

But I can't!

- If we can't ask for information, we can't solve this word mystery!

- We can still investigate.

We just need to do it without inquiring or asking questions.

- Wait, on Reporter Read's board it says observe.

- Observations are what we make when we watch and notice things.

- And I observe a big glob of slime in the scene of the mystery.

There!

- The slime is Scientist Cosmo's invention.

He was here earlier.

- Tell us what happened so Sly can animate it for us.

- [Sly] Recap time!

- [Reporter Read] Scientist Cosmo asked me to take back a story I wrote yesterday about his invention, sticky slime.

It's supposed to stick stuff together, but it didn't work.

So I wrote an article about it.

He said he fixed the formula, but when he showed it to me, it exploded and slime went everywhere.

There was no way I could take back my story after that!

As he cleaned up, Artist Clay came to take some old newspapers.

I was going to interview him about his new masterpiece, but by the time I set up my voice recorder, both of them and the word inquire were gone.

- That must have been upsetting.

- Yes, it was.

- That gives me an idea!

We can use statements to get information.

- But questions ask something and statements tell something.

- Exactly.

Sly, make a statement that tells us something that Reporter Read can agree or disagree with.

- Okay, Baker Graham and Firefighter Amber came to the newsroom today.

- No, Artist Clay and Scientist Cosmo came to the newsroom today.

- I get it!

If I tell Reporter Read the word inquire went missing- - Yes, you are correct.

Ah, I see how this works!

- And we'll work out this word mystery.

- Case notes but with no questions.

- On it.

We know what happened.

Someone took the word inquire and now no one can ask questions.

This is where it happened.

The newsroom.

This is when it happened.

As Reporter Read set up a recorder.

- Our suspects are Scientist Cosmo and Artist Clay.

Now to find out who did it, how and why.

- Let's start with Scientist Cosmo.

- Words Detectives, something happened, something bad!

I can't ask any questions and asking why and how things happen is the whole point of being a scientist!

- That's because the word inquire is missing.

- Please respond to some statements so we can figure out what happened.

- Certainly!

- Today you went to the newsroom.

- Yes, I want to Reporter Read to take back that insensitive story she printed about my sticky slime.

She wouldn't even ask me one question about my new formula.

She was too busy inquiring about Artist Clay's top secret masterpiece, which we all know about.

- There's something weird going on with your hands.

- My sticky slime kind of exploded in the newsroom.

I cleaned it up and I got sticky slime on my hands and now everything I touch sticks to me.

- That's amazing!

We'll be in touch.

- [Gabby] Uh-oh, you're stuck on the call.

- Maybe try using your nose.

- Okay.

Bye.

- Scientist Cosmo was upset Reporter Read wouldn't take back her story or inquire about his new formula.

- Let's see what Artist Clay has to say.

- Hello Word Detectives, you have called for a reason I assume.

- Artist Clay, we need you to respond to some statements like- - Your top secret masterpiece is ready and you wanna show us!

- I don't know what you mean.

- Okay, here's our next statement.

You went to the newsroom today.

- Yes.

I needed old newspapers, um, for no reason.

I was about to take them and go when Reporter Read stopped me to do an interview.

- You mean you asked Reporter Read if you could take the old newspapers.

- No, asking questions is a waste of time.

Now, I must get back to what I was doing before.

- Case notes time.

- [Gabby] Scientists Cosmo wanted Reporter Read to take back her sticky slime story, but we know he loves questions.

- And Artist Clay does not.

He took the old newspaper without asking.

- He also didn't wanna talk about his new top secret masterpiece with us or Reporter Read.

- [gasps] Now we know how it happened, let's show everybody else!

Now presenting the word mystery animated reenactment of...

The Case With No Questions.

- Reporter Read, please take back that story about my sticky slime.

- No.

- Okay then, do a report on my new formula.

It's super sticky now!

- Definitely no.

Artist Clay!

- I'm taking these old newspapers.

- I want to inquire about your rumored art project.

I'll get my voice recorder and interview you!

- I'd rather you didn't inquire.

Artist Clay is who did it!

- I knew it!

- He took the word inquire when Reporter Read wasn't looking.

That's how.

- And he didn't want Reporter Read to ask him any questions.

- That's why he did it.

- You're right.

The article was going to reveal that I am working on a top secret masterpiece.

- I didn't know it was a secret.

Everyone knew about it.

- Tell me who.

- Me!

- You told me.

- Me too.

- Oh!

Sorry if I've been cranky.

My masterpiece still needs something.

Normally I'd ask myself what's missing, but I can't, because I took inquire!

I must return it right away so I can finish my art.

- [Reporter Read] The word inquire is back!

- Feels good to ask questions again, right?

- It does.

I'm sorry for taking the word inquire from Wordsville.

- May I put a picture of your masterpiece in the newspaper?

- Great question.

You may.

And my new masterpiece is ready.

Here it is!

- Yay.

- Nice Job Artist Clay.

- Isn't it magnificent?

The question mark is what was missing.

- Thanks Word Detectives!

- But Gabby, I have to ask, what does Artist Clay's masterpiece mean?

- I think we're supposed to find our own answers to that question.

[both laugh]