Can I ask for a birthday present that doesn't require solving a case?
Funny'Your gift has been abducted,' my friend Erin announced, handing me an envelope stamped URGENT. I said, 'Could its kidnappers wait until after lunch?' She told me that was exactly what a lazy detective would say.
Erin makes elaborate treasure hunts for presents. The first one had three clues and ended in her coat pocket. I loved it. Last birthday, there were twelve clues, a borrowed ultraviolet torch and a coded message inside a fake takeaway menu. It took almost ninety minutes to reach the actual parcel. My brother left for his bus before I opened it.
Erin had spent four hours making the hunt. She kept watching my face, so I tried to stay excited even when I wanted to sit down and eat cake. When I finally opened the lovely mug, she said the next case would be harder. I laughed instead of saying what I was thinking.
This year she's asked whether I prefer pirates or spies. I prefer being able to open my present while the people at my birthday lunch are still there. I don't want to reject the care she puts into it, and I might enjoy a short puzzle. How do I ask for the three-clue version without making her feel that her handmade gift has been graded down?