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"Well Gang, We're here!"
Announced Fred as he pulled the Mystery Machine to the front of the destination of their next job.
"Are you sure this is the right address?"
Daphne asked as she leaned out of the passenger side window staring at the quaint little mansion sitting at the top of a hill in Belle Vernon PA. Unlike most of the other mansions they went to, they found the place disheveled, creepy and downright dark. But the small gardens filled with flowers and the occasional trees on the property threw the gang for a loop. It also looked very pretty as the sun was setting and casting the white mansion in a reddish hue.
"Like' since when did spooky spooks get digs this nice? Heh heh."
Shaggy laughed between the looks of his mid-lunch snack and the passenger window. Which the few glances that he made away from his tall Shaggy style sandwich, made them smaller as his canine pal took advantage of his buddies negligence of the meal to take a foot of two off of the stack between Shaggy's hands. Thankfully for Shaggy's stomach, he caught the act and Shaggy was actually able to eat some of his sandwich. Velma looked up from her laptop and then back at the black and white photo she had on her computer of the place.
"Yep, it's the right place. According to this, this is the mansion of the late John Ridmore. A judge who had a great career and settled down in the small town of Belle Vernon PA. He was also said, in this news paper interview that he was a collector of some sort, though the specific items he collected isn't recorded down here."
Velma told the others as she closed her laptop and gathered her things together. The gang piled out of the van and walked through the main iron rung gates in the front of the house. Surprisingly they were open and the gang was able to walk up to the main door. Taking a look at the gang, Fred turned to the main door and took up the knocker.
BANG BANG BANG
The wood echoed as the iron knocker hit the base as it sounded their arrival. Taking a step back, the gang waited till the door swung open. Sitting there was their greeter. An old man squinted over his spectacles from his lower position in a wheelchair. He didn't look like the most welcoming host.
"Well?"
He rasped, looking clearly annoyed and angry at what ever he had been doing had been disturbed. Coughing once, Fred took over for the gang, making their usual introduction.
"We are Mystery Inc. We were hired by a Miss Bella Ridmore to solve a case here."
"Ought to have known that old crone would have stuck her nose into things. Well, come in already. You're letting the bugs in."
The old man scoffed and turned his wheelchair sharply around and led them further inside the house. Once inside, the interior seemed the total opposite of the pretty, and cheery exterior. Inside was the usual dark and creepy type mansion they were used to, though it still had a non-creepy atmosphere to it. It felt more like a museum, rather then a haunted place that it was claimed to be. Not to many walls didn't have pictures or paintings upon them. Cases lined some walls filled with nick knacks the previous owner had seemed to have collected over the years. The wheel-chaired man led them to what seemed to be a living room.
"Stay here... Someone will come along... If your lucky."
He grumpily huffed and quickly made his exit.
"Well wasn't he cheery."
Daphne commented rather flatly. Shaggy looked where the man had left then back to Daphne.
"You right Daph, Like' that old guy looked like he sucked on a sour lemon with that expression. Get it Scoob? Sour.. Lemon? Ha ha."
"Rah Rah! Remon! Eh hehehe."
Scooby agreed with his companion, as always Shaggy had not gotten to far in a conversation without bringing up something to do with food.
"You guys..."
Fred signed almost exasperated. Not so much as the sour comment, for there was something annoying that old man, but the fact that food was always on those two's mind. He looked around the room that they were in. Since they were here, they might as well have a look around as they waited.
"Well, since we have to wait. We might as well look for clues. Or at least gather more information about the house. So look around guys."
Fred said falling into his usual role as leader.. They all turned and took stock of the insides of the living room they were in. As Daphne and Fred looked on the bookshelves at the books the owner had in his collection, Velma occupied the other side of the room looking in a few cases at the stuff sitting on the shelves inside. Shaggy and Scooby found themselves looking around the large fireplace that occupied one side of the room. After a bit of silence while looking, Scooby broke it with a question.
"Rey, Raggy..."
"Ah, Yeah Scoob?"
"Ru ris ran?"
"Eh? Who that? Like' I don't know old buddy, old pal. But the picture looks old. And it has some bit of cloth on the inside too. Strange eh Scoob?"
"Rah... R'ange"
Curious at what Shaggy and Scooby had found, Velma went over to where they were. Her eyes grew a bit wide at the picture inside.
"That's a picture of Bela Lugosi. The man who was most known for his dramatic rendition of Dracula."
"D..D...Dracula"
"Racula!?"
Shaggy and Scooby gulped as Shaggy's hand trembled as he held onto the picture.
"No you Goofs. He played Dracula in the 1931 black and white version. A movie."
Velma sighed. They were such a pair of scaredy cats sometimes.
"Oh... Heh heh"
Shaggy nervously laughed, though his hand stopped shaking.
"I knew that."
As Velma rolled her eyes, someone new entered the room.
"Wow, I was surprised someone actually knew who he was without his make-up on."
The gang turned and was greeted by the sight of a young girl. She had to be 13 or 14 years old as she stood there with her hands clasped behind her back as she rocked on her heels watching them. Her light black hair was cut at her shoulders in a simple straight fashion and she was wearing worn jeans and a t-shirt. Fred took up the initiative and introduced them.
"I'm Fred Jones and this is the group Mystery Inc…"
The girl by the door cut off Fred's speech.
"And that is Daphne Blake. Shaggy Rogers, Velma Dinkley and Scooby Doo."
The girl finished up for Fred. She apparently recognized the gang. She was smiling at them as she introduced herself.
"My name is Anne Ridmore. My Grand dad was the owner of the house. I was told by Granduncle Edward to see you to your rooms. My grandaunt Bella was the one who told me that you guys would be coming. Follow me and I'll show you to some guest rooms you can put your stuff into while you stay here and work on the case."
She seemed overall nice and waited for them to get their stuff from the van before she continued on to lead them to their rooms.
"The house, Grandpa made it just to his liking. He made sure there was plenty of room for his collection."
She explained as she gestured to some of the cases that lined the walls. A lot of them were filled with old looking clothing with pictures with them. Others were various items that might have belongs to some rich person before. She led them up to the second floor before stopping by a door.
"This is where Ms. Blake and Ms. Dinkley will be staying. You guys will have the room next to them on the right. If you need anything, I'll be in the room at the end of the hall."
She pointed down where her door was.
"The kitchen is open for anyone to use. Feel free. And it was pre-stocked before you arrived because we got.. um..."
She blushed a bit as she tumbled on the words to say it in a way to not offend anyone.
"... We got a heads up of the eating habits of..."
"You were told about our two gluttons. It's alright, you can say it."
Velma told the young girl. The girl looked relieved. Daphne also had to add.
"It's alright for you to call us by our first name. Ms Blake just sounds to formal."
The girl blushed deeper color before retreating a bit in the direction of her room.
"Ok.. Ms. Bla... Daphne... Sleep well everyone. And I will see you in the morning."
She gave a nod of her head and then ran for her room. The gang watched the girl as she closed her door. They all then looked at each other and shrugged.
"She seemed to know about us, maybe she was just a shy fan."
Daphne mentioned offhand. Fred nodded, as that could be a possibility. Why else was she blushing around them? They had not said too much to really embarrass the girl.
"Well anyway gang. It took us a while to get here. And the day is getting short. So why not get some rest and start in the morning?"
"Like' sounds like a plan. We are early this time. The Spooks haven't even arrived."
Shaggy laughed, confident a bit since they had survived about an hour or two at the supposedly haunted mansion and no one tried to run them out yet. He took it as a good sign. They bid each other good night, then settled in each of their rooms for the night.