Detective Nick Carter, with a keen sense of urgency, led Pinocchio to the safety of the police station. “We’re going to find you a safe place, Pinocchio. Meanwhile, your nose better stay on its best behavior,” he quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Upon their arrival, the station was buzzing with activity. Carter approached the receptionist, his detective’s intuition on high alert. “We need to set up a safe house for my wooden witness here,” he said, gesturing towards Pinocchio.

As the receptionist busied herself with the arrangements, she leaned in, lowering her voice. “Detective, there’s been a flurry of calls about missing fairy tale characters. The Bremen Town Musicians, for instance, are the latest. People are really concerned.”

Carter’s eyebrows raised in intrigue. “Interesting… Keep me posted on any new developments.”

Before he could probe further, an officer tapped him on the shoulder. “Detective Carter, you have an urgent call. Sounds important.”

Carter picked up the phone, his expression a mix of curiosity and caution. “Detective Carter here, what’s the urgency?”

The voice on the other end was hurried and anxious. It was the Little Red Hen. “Detective, you must listen! I have a tip – it’s about the Evil Queen. I swear, it’s her! The Bremen Town Musicians, the little boy who cried wolf, and others… they all went into her lair and never came out!”

Carter, while maintaining his professional demeanor, couldn’t help but notice the dramatic flair of the hen’s testimony. “Calm down, Red. Are you sure about this? That’s quite a list of fairy tale folks to go missing.”

The Little Red Hen’s voice crackled with fervor. “Absolutely, Detective! I’ve been keeping my beak to the ground. It’s all too suspicious. And the Queen, she’s capable of anything!”

Carter ended the call, a wry smile playing on his lips. “Well, that’s one hen who doesn’t cluck around,” he mused. Turning to the receptionist, he asked, “Any chance someone outside knew about Pinocchio’s arrival here?”

The receptionist shrugged, her expression uncertain. “It’s hard to say, Detective. Word travels fast in fairy tale circles.”

Nick rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The Little Red Hen’s frantic warning, the receptionist’s report of numerous calls, it all seemed too connected, too orchestrated. Someone was pulling the strings, and it wasn’t just the puppet in front of him.

With a new lead to follow and a growing list of missing characters, Detective Carter knew the plot was thickening – and not just with chocolate. The next steps required careful navigation through a forest of falsehoods and fairy tales.

To be continued