In the first chapter of Half Moon Investigations, Half moon is a fourteen year old detective who solves various mysteries and cases around his school. One day when he and an eight year boy named Doobie are looking for new cases, they go to the Basketball court where everybody at school settles arguments and debates by fighting. Today a kid from the notorious Sharkey family named Herod Sharkey was in a headlock fight with a 8th grade girl named Bella because Bella thought that Herod stole her organiser, this is pretty standard because the Sharkey’s are known for stealing stuff so they are always the first ones to blame. This time Herod swears that he didn’t steal the organiser but Bella doesn’t believe him. at this time Herod older brother Red Sharkey arrives to settle this debate, when Herod insists that that he did not steal it everybody turns to detective Half Moon to figure the case out
“He’s going to prove Herod did it.” Oh no, i thought. i’m he. He’s me. ”who’s going to prove Herod did it? demanded Red “He is!” shouted several dozen people. most of them pointed, too. Red turned, following the fingers. his accusing gaze settled on me. ”Hey, Red,” I said, trying the friendly approach, ”How you doing?” Red smiled mirthlessly. ”Half Moon. The man with the badge. This is not lost cats, this is the actual world. people could get in trouble.” I shrugged. “Tell your brother. He invited me.” ”Doobie is always going on about his partner, the qualified detective, with the actual detective’s badge,” said Herod. ”so let the nerd prove i’m innocent.” I didn’t what disturbed me more: Doobie calling me his partner or Herod calling me a nerd. ”Yeah, let the nerd prove he’s innocent,” said Bella, rubbing her neck. “Or else Herod’s guilty, as far as i’m concerned.” (p 15-16)
I like to highlight this because even if Half moon is an actual detective everybody around him does not seem to give the respect that he deserves even the ones he is helping like Herod and Red constantly call him different names like nerd or shrimp or shorty. despite this Half moon still decides to help these people with these cases even if he does not get anything in return for his service. in the previous pages of the book Half Moon says that he wants to solve cases that give him money not just mockery. So why does Half Moon solve this cases anyway? I think that he solves these mysteries because he feels obligated to, after all he does have a detective badge, so i think that because of this detectives badge he feels the need to solve every case he comes across even if he does not necessarily want to.