Detective Wolf
Chapter 1 Maid Murder
The gang was sitting around Yugi's shop waiting for a phone call.
"No business as usual," Luwa groaned. "We are not famous enough for any business." Luwa is the leader of the Dragon Detective Agency. She was fourteen, wore a black brae, black poncho, with faded jeans. She sighed and looked at the cards for sale. Next to her was the familiar shaggy-haired teen, Rex Raptor, who was squishing his face in the glass of the display case. Yugi's grandfather promptly slapped his head and grumbled something about troubled youth. Rex enjoyed watching police shows and wanted to be part of a crime scene without being the one that is dead. Yugi snickered at the dumbfounded Rex that was being lectured by his grandpa. Yugi is silent and fast on his feet. He has a camera at his disposal and can blend into the night. Weevil just rolled his dark-blue eyes while drawing sketches of a hidden camera device. He rubbed his brow remembering the components wouldn't work in the device. He angrily crumpled the blueprints up and threw them away. Weevil Underwood was quite knowledgeable (when he wanted to) and was quite good at technology. And last (and maybe least) was the tall, simple Joey Wheeler. He is the brawns of the group. He is willing to defend in the name of justice.
"This sucks!" he blurted out impatiently. "We have no customers because everyone thinks we can't do the job right!"
"At least we have that cruise to wait for," Yugi said cheerfully.
"That was quite a tournament!" Rex said proudly," I stomped the competition."
"Yeah, if you call stomping 5th place dino butt," Weevil scoffed.
"Look at the pot calling the kettle black! You got 4th place!" Rex barked. A silver bus drove up.
"Thank goodness," Luwa sighed. "I need a vacation." They hurriedly grabbed their bags a loaded on the bus.
After the two hour trip Rex was able to dislodge the sleeping, drooling Joey off his shoulder and they unloaded their belongings and entered the massive cruise ship. It was shimmering with chandeliers and candles, employees bustling around with soft murmurs, and a sweet smelling banquet. They quickly found their rooms and unpacked. Joey dashed to the banquet at once. Rex soon joined him. Luwa, Yugi, and Weevil had a conversation about dueling and how to expand for advertising.
"We don't have enough money to put an ad in the newspaper," Luwa explained.
"I guess I'll just wander," Weevil said leaving the hall. He continued through the halls and something felt off. Every footstep echoed menacingly. A haunting feeling was welling up deep in his gut. His eyes were darting rapidly and the hair of his neck was standing.
At the end of the hallway was a door that had light leaking through the cracks. He heard a gruff voice.
"You insolent woman! You tampered with the account. I tired of you commanding all the finances. I can't trust you! You cheated once and you will cheat again!"
"I won't ever again,"a young woman said panting." I just needed some money."
"You withdrew half of the account and went off for a week! I can't stand you!" Weevil took it as a hint to escape as quickly and quietly as possible. It was getting dark and the group was about to nod out. Yugi stretched his arms as he was entering his room. As he entered he felt something wet on his feet. He didn't think much of it. He opened the closet for pajamas and a sight made him scream that rang through several rooms. The team ran towards his room.
"What's wrong Yug?" Joey asked. Yugi let out a weak whimper and pointed to the closet. Rex approached and gasped. There was a bloody corpse of a woman in a maid uniform. Blood was seeping in the floor and the body was fresh.
"Rex, please examine cause of death," Luwa stated and she struggled for composure. Rex moved her forward and found a huge gash down her back Yugi promptly took pictures for evidence. Weevil checked for clues and he found something intriguing.
"There is a burn on her hand," he mentioned. " It is small and it wasn't in a long exposure to the cause of it."
"The wound was the cause of death. There was a struggle and it was a single stroke kill. The weapon must have been huge." The whole ship suddenly went into complete darkness.
"I think we have been found out," Joey shivered. There were spare candles in the bathroom and Weevil struck a match and the team was on an investigation.
They walked quietly through the ship. Each tapping foot felt like someone was watching them. All the doors were locked. Their heads darted constantly knowing the killer was still out there. Joey's nostrils flared as something was wafting in the air.
"Something smells like gas," Joey said worriedly. The candle Rex was holding flared up and charred his sleeve. Rex yelled out and Yugi desperately tried to put out the flames.
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm just peachy. I'm a living candle and there is a sociopath murderer on the loose," Rex said sarcastically.
"We can't go on with our candles," Luwa said worriedly. She blew out her candle.
"I think the murderer planned this," Yugi grunted." Anyone got a flashlight?"
"Yeah, like any of us carry flashlights in our pajamas. Tell me when that happens." Luwa snapped. Joey started coughing.
"The gas is spreading. We'll suffocate at this rate." Joey said in weak breaths. Luwa came up to a window and tried to unlock it with no avail. She growled and smashed the window with her own fist. The guys stared in awe.
"I guess I'll go," Weevil said looking down.
"No! There is a killer on the loose!" Rex shrieked.
"I'm not helpless," he said coldly. He went off to the rooms.
They decided to follow the fumes to a closed room. They covered their mouths with their sleeves and proceeded. It was a kitchen and a gas stove was on and leaking gas. Yugi skimmed the room and saw something suspicious. It was a cutting board that had been struck by something. Rex ran his finger through the gash.
"It is the same length as the wound on the maid," Rex deducted.
"The stove," Luwa Blurted.
"What about it," Joey asked.
"It explains the burn!"
"It must mean that the murderer works in the kitchen!" Yugi stated. Rex rubbed his forehead.
"The murder weapon is a butcher knife. It is the only thing that can inflict that much damage with a single stroke and it is quite convenient to find in a kitchen. Let's track his ass down!" They continued to try and find the killer. They were approaching the control room. Luwa was silent and had seemed to have lost her nerve.
"Luwa. You look worried. What's on your mind?" Yugi asked. She just let out a sigh. They heard an unfamiliar voice gasp. It was a very burly man. He had a thick built, tan skin body, a long, thick, black beard, and he wore a white apron and wielded a butcher knife.
"Sir, you're under arrest for murder," Joey shouted. As the man eyed him they noticed his sleeve was burned.
"That ungrateful woman, Lenore! You are sharp kids, but my blade is sharper!" he shouted as he swung wildly. They tried to clamor out of the small hall, yet Luwa was caught by the man's leg and brought her to the ground. He readied his knife for a killing blow. The group shouted out as the man brought his hand back for a decapitating swing. A loud crack rang through the hall that sounded like thunder. The man screamed and dropped the weapon. They looked back and saw Weevil with a pistol in his hand. The stranger fell to his knees now that his hand was shot." I surrender!" he said with his head down.
"You have a gun?" Rex blurted.
"For protection," he quickly said. They turned away to try and find contact. They heard mad screaming as the chef charged full-force towards them. He clenched his fists and slammed them against Weevil's back close to his neck and knocked him to the ground. He fell with great force and landed hard against the ground. The chef ran shouting like a madman into the darkness.
To be continued…
