It was a typical Wednesday afternoon in Mrs. Peppermint's fourth-grade classroom. The students were busy working on their math assignments when suddenly, a loud wail echoed through the room.

"Oh no! My homework is missing!" cried Timmy, a boy with a mop of unruly hair. The class erupted into a chorus of gasps and whispers, and Mrs. Peppermint quickly restored order.

"Alright, class, let's get to the bottom of this mystery," she said, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Who was the last person to see Timmy's homework?"

The students looked at each other nervously, until a girl with pigtails raised her hand. "I saw Timmy put his homework on his desk before we went to recess," she said.

Mrs. Peppermint nodded and turned to Timmy. "Did you leave your homework on your desk when you went to recess?"

Timmy's face scrunched up in concentration. "I think so, but I can't remember for sure," he admitted sheepishly.