The Mystery of Sea and Sky, by Charles John Harper

 "The Mystery of Sea and Sky," by Charles John Harper, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, May/June 2026

This is the second story by this author to be reviewed here, if C.J. Harper is who I think he is. This story is a lot cuddlier than that other one.

Although our protagonist would hate be called cuddly. Skyler's a fifteen-year-old kid with all the grumpiness  and mood swings you'd expect.  Worse, his mother has flown him from their home in beautiful California to Minneapolis to meet "my thousand-year-old British-- or was it Irish? -- grandfather. A boomer so cringe?"

Seamus, the boomer in question, is a private eye and he's especially glad to meet his grandson that day because his assignment is to find a fifteen-year-old  girl and he figures Skyler has a better chance of figuring out where the girl would go.

And Skyler, with alternating moods of reluctance and enthusiasm, does figure out the vital clue.  It's a fun story.