Mike Bugbee has found his long-lost fourth-grade teacher from the mid-1960s, and I'm beginning to resemble my Halloween costume of Sherlock Holmes.

In my Oct. 22 column, Bugbee spoke of finding that one special teacher in his life, a young woman at Piedmont Avenue School in Oakland who took a dyslexic kid lacking self-esteem and instilled in him the confidence to succeed in education.

On Oct. 23, lost teacher was located. Take that, Magnum P.I.! I received a call from the teacher's sister in Danville, who informed me that Bugbee's favorite educator now lives in Laguna Niguel in Southern California and her name is Anne Hassard Bussey.

Bugbee wasn't sure if she was Ann or Anne Hassard or Hazzard back then — hey, it's been 40-some years — but they've exchanged e-mails and will reunite over Christmas when Bussey comes up to visit her sister, Jean Hassard Hall.

Now feeling like Scotland Yard's finest, I pursued my quarry. I pushed back my deerstalker cap, put down my bowl pipe, and phoned Bugbee and Bussey on Tuesday.

Bussey, now 68, was asked if she recalled Bugbee, who's 54.

"Of course," she replied. "I remember the eyes — very intelligent, interesting eyes. I do not remember as many details as he does, but it's very characteristic of me to see in a child the brightness of the mind even if they're having problems reading or writing. I do remember working with him a good

Bugbee went on to graduate from St. Mary's College before establishing himself in the building products field. His goal is to purchase a Habitat of Humanity home in Oakland for a needy teacher and name it after Anne Hassard Bussey.

"I'm flattered and very grateful," she said of his intention. "I think it's wonderful. A lot of times, people's lives get so busy, they don't take the time to thank people in different types of careers. This goes well beyond the call of duty."

Bugbee moved to Sacramento after the sixth grade, ending his classroom involvement with Bussey that extended beyond the fourth grade. She then married and moved back east to Annapolis, Md., eventually starting and running a Montessori School during a 35-year career in education.

Bugbee even had a private eye searching for her without success. Then, having remarried, and now retired, she moved back to California in 2005.

"I was flabbergasted," she said of Bugbee's longtime hunt for her. "When I read that (Oct. 22) article, I could not believe it. It's very unusual, I must say. I've never had a student come so far from the past."

Actually, I had assistance as a super sleuth. Liz Silverman of Piedmont read the Oct. 22 column, then phoned Jean Hall, whom she knows. Hall e-mailed the column to her sister before phoning me with Bussey's whereabouts.

"This is so much fun, really cool," said Hall, who's 67. "Two people have told me that if there's any kind of ceremony when he dedicates the house, they want to come."

The two sisters attended Oakland High School and UC Berkeley, then both became teachers. And Hall and Bugbee, it turns out, live a half-mile apart in Danville.

"It's a relief to find her alive, well and thriving," Bugbee said of Bussey. "There's a certain amount of joy in making contact. To express the gratitude for what she did for me at a pivotal time in my life, ... an exceptional teacher who didn't teach to the norm and made sure I wasn't written off."

Bugbee will be indebted to her always, and I'm indebted to him for showing me my hidden inner gumshoe soul.

It's a shame I couldn't have gotten to Dr. Richard Kimble sooner in "The Fugitive." I could have helped him find the one-armed man a lot quicker.

Dave Newhouse's columns appear Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, usually on the Metro page. Know any Good Neighbors? Phone 510-208-6466 or e-mail dnewhouse@bayareanewsgroup.com.