Inspector Percy
Chapter One
Percy' new Driver
It was getting late in the evening when Percy' driver Ivan was getting ready for a night shift, his wife was in the living room reading a book when he came past to say goodnight.
He kissed her cheek, tipped his hat in the mirror and turned around on the spot once, twice...there was a knock on the front door. Ivan opened it but couldn't see anyone.
The wind blew his door shut and he panicked for a moment or two,
He hadn't finished his good luck ritual,
"I hope the fog doesn't fall" Ivan sighed to himself before getting into his tiny car, it was silver and had a single green stripe on the bonnet,
He looked up and saw his son waving to him from the window,
"Say hello to Percy for me dad" He called
"I will" He smiled
Over at the sheds Percy was chatting to Thomas,
"I'm getting a special tonight Percy, I have to collect The Fat Controller' neice up from the dockyard, she's coming over from the mainland" Thomas told Percy
"Really? What's her name? Oh I hope I get to see her" Percy gushed
"A silly little engine like you won't be allowed to waste her time nor, Thomas, should a lazy engine like you be allowed to pick up an important guest like her, I don't know what the fat cotroller is thinking" Gordon huffed, "I pull the express, it should be me!"
Percy sighed,
"Don't listen to him Percy, I'm sure you'll get to see her" Thomas reasured his friend
"What's so special about the Fat Controller' niece anyway?" Emily asked
"She's a famous detective on the mainland Emily" Edward said
"Yeah, when the crown jewls at the Tower of London were stolen she was the one that found them again" James smiled, "Now if you don't mind I need my beauty sleep, shouldn't you have collected the mail train by now Percy?"
"My driver' not here" Percy sighed,
"Thomas, we just got a call from the dock, the ferry will be arriving at 1:20 am, so get some shut eye and I'll wake you half an hour before we need to be there" Thomas' driver said, "Percy? Why're you still here?"
"His driver hasn't arrived sir" Thomas said, "Should I pull his mail train for him?"
Percy nearly burst into tears,
"No, no, it's kind of you to offer Thomas but we wouldn't get back in time to collect Millie" His driver said
"Oh, Millie, is that her name?" Percy asked with a goofy smile
"It is, she doesn't like being called by her title when she comes over from the mainland to see her Uncle...I'll make a few calls, see if we can track down your driver Percy, it's very unlike him to be late"
With that the driver walked away,
Percy started to worry as a large clock ticked nearby, he looked over at Thomas but he was asleep,
Gordon thought he was silly, Edward didn't like being woken up but Emily might have a comforting word or two,
"Emily" Percy called quietly
"Goodnight Percy" She called back just as quietly,
"James will only tease me" Percy said sadly to himself as he backed into the shed, tears welling, "Where's my driver?"
Ivan was in trouble,
He was being followed and his path obstructed at every turn. First a mysterious fog drifted across the fields either side until he couldn't see anything ahead of him. Then the fog lights flickered on and off,
"Oh this is not the night for this" He sighed. Ivan screamed when a bright light engulfed the car and he swerved onto the track. He stumbled out of the car and started to hobble towards the signal box.
He crawled up the stairs and tried to get the door open. As he looked up he saw what he thought were aliens crossing the track, shouting to one another in a different language, "Come on!" He cried before the aliens caught up with him and knocked him out.
Thomas' driver had just phoned Ivan' wife, who had told him that Ivan had left quite some time ago and should be at the shed by now, so he tried the canteen at the sheds but there was no sign of Ivan anywhere,
"Sir Topham Hat won't be happy about this at all, he was supposed to go with Thomas to meet Millie at the dock but Ivan' missing" Thomas' driver told a porter
When Topham Hat was told about Ivan going AWOL he immediately sent Henry out to search the area for his car before phoning Millie, who was relaxing with a book on the ferry from the mainland.
"Ah, hello Uncle, you're lucky you got me at all, signal' terrible. Apparently I'm in France somewhere, might explain why you're name just popped up in French" Millie said with a grin
"You've got signal?" A fellow passenger asked in shock
"Yeah, I know" Millie said
"Listen Millie, I have a bit of a situation here at Sodor Sheds and I won't be able to meet you off the ferry, Thomas will still be there though" Topham said
"Anything I can help you with?" Millie asked, "I won't be too long I can see the island from here"
"No, no...one of my drivers hasn't turned up for work and he left home two hours ago, the shed is only a twenty minute drive away if that" Topham Hat said, full of concern
"Try not to worry Uncle, maybe he got flat" Millie suggested
"Oh, I didn't think of that...oh dear, and I've sent Henry out an everything" He said feeling silly
"Oh well, better safe than sorry" Millie said
It took some time and some effort thanks to the swell of the water but eventually Millie' ferry docked on the Island of Sodor. The clanging of the anchors and ropes and the blaring of the fog horn woke Cranky up, who snapped and clunked and shouted,
"You're in fine voice as usual I see Cranky" Millie laughed
Thomas, who was nearby laughed too,
"Oh...oh I didn't see you there Millie, did you have a nice trip?" Cranky asked while glaring at Thomas,
"I hate the ferry, just glad to be on terraferma" Millie said
"Terror—what?" Thomas asked confused
"She means solid ground you silly engine" Cranky snapped
"Oh...don't you like being out at sea Millie?" Thomas asked
"Not one bit" Millie smiled, "Thomas, can I ride in your cab?" She asked him
"But of course!" Thomas gushed
Millie climbed aboard with Thomas' driver.
"Have you ever driven a train Mam?" He asked her
"On the QT. A few times, around Devon on a round Robin but he wasn't as grand a steamy as Thomas or his friends" She smiled, "How tired are you Thomas? Just I wanted to visit my Uncle, Percy' driver is missing, I want to know if there's any updates"
"If he'll be anywhere not home it'll be the office at Natford" Thomas called
"Natford Station it is then Thomas" Millie said, "I'll just have my things stored in Annie' carriage for now"
Through the clear night they travelled, which confused Thomas because he was sure he'd seen a big patch of fog on his way to the dock,
"I don't understand, the fog cloud came in from the opposite direction to the sea, where fog normally comes from" Thomas called
"Hmm" Millie said with thought.
Just round a bend Thomas, Millie and Thomas' driver came across a number of red flags between the sleepers. Thomas was slowed to a stop and Millie and the driver climbed down,
"There's been some sort of accident" Thomas' driver said
"What's your name?" Millie asked the driver as they walked along the track,
"It's Paul" He said
"Nice to meet you Paul" Millie said,
"And you" He smiled
A bit further on and they came across a police cordon and across the track was Ivan' car. Paul was stunned,
"Where's the driver of this car?" Millie asked after showing her ID to the officer in charge,
She took some blue gloves and put them on, then told Paul to stay back.
"We don't know but we have just found an ID in the car, he's a train driver" The officer in charge told Millie.
"Oh dear" Millie said, taking the ID, "It's Ivan, he was reported missing a bit ago"
At that moment Sir Topham Hat arrived,
"What's Ivan?" Then through a squint he called, "Millie is that you?"
"Hello Uncle" Millie said, "I was wrong to tell you I thought you oughtn't be worried this is Ivan' car and Ivan is nowhere to be seen; Thomas is just up the way"
"Oh dear" Topham Hat sighed,
"We'll get this car moved as soon as we can and take it back to our depot" The offcier in charge said
Before Millie, Paul and Topham Hat could reach Thomas there was a light that lit up the sky,
"What was that!?" Thomas exclaimed
"What was that?" Paul asked
"I hope it's not those aliens that have been scaring everyone on the mainland" Thomas sighed nervously
"We can't speculate Thomas" Millie said
"Aliens? Oh come on there's no such thing surley" Topham Hat said in disbelief,
"You have a hard time believing in alien life but your trains talk" Millie said
Paul laughed, she had a point,
"You don't really believe what's going on, on the mainland has anything to do with aliens?" Topham said in question
"All I know is there have been bright flashes seen in the night sky, followed by reports of "Alien beings" fleeing and train track going missing, I came to Sodor to get a clear picture and now it seems whatever it is has followed me over" Millie said
Thomas gasped,
"You'll be OK Thomas, we won't let the aliens get to you" Paul tried to reasure
"There are no aliens on Sodor!" Topham Hat sighed
"No sir, it's Percy, his mail won't be delivered at all at this rate, not if Ivan' gone missing and we can't wake the other drivers they work all hours as it is" Thomas said
"It's alright Thomas, I can drive Percy and make sure his mail is delivered, can I leave my things in Annie' carriage until I'm done?" Millie asked
"Of course, Percy will be pleased, Gordon told him he had no hope of meeting you and now you're his new driver" Thomas grinned.
Millie grinned back.
It was gone 3 in the morning by the time Thomas arrived back at the shed and woke everyone with his whistle.
All but Percy grumbled until they saw who was on the train cab with him,
"Oh, it's the fat controller" James said
"And there's Millie!" Edward exclaimed, going red at the cheeks, "Hello Millie, what're you doing here at this time?"
"Sorry sir, but my driver hasn't arrived!" Percy piped up, tears welling, "I'm really sorry sir, I can't deliver the mail sacks without him"
"Don't upset yourself Percy...well you might when I tell you all what's just happened, Percy' driver has gone missing" There were gasps all round, "We found his car on the track but no driver"
"That's terrible!" Emily exclaimed,
"I need you all to pay extra special attention to everything around you, let your drivers do the hard graft and if you spot anything suspicious you're to let one of us know immediately, is that clear?" Topham Hat said,
They all agreed,
"What's going to happen to me sir?" Percy asked
"If you don't mind I'd like to be your new driver, just until we've found Ivan" Millie said
Percy was over the moon.
In no time at all Millie and Percy collected the mail sacks for every station in Sodor. The dock workers, Cranky and all the porters at the stations and postal workers were very surprised to see her driving Percy and not Ivan.
"Millie...we will find Ivan won't we?" Percy called
"I'll do all I can" Millie said, just then a blinding light lit up the sky ahead and Millie pulled the breaks to help Percy to stop, "Stop!"
Percy' wheels screeched to a stop,
"What was that?!" Percy asked
"The aliens of Sodor" Millie said climbing down,
"Aliens?!" Percy screeched, "Oh no!"
"Don't worry Percy, they're not real aliens, just crooks dressed up as them...and it seems they got what they came for" Millie sighed, she shone a light for Percy to see, "We're missing part of the track"
Chapter Two
No Lights for the Theatre
Within half an hour the police had arrived and were lighting the area, taking pictures where the track was missing and talking amongst themselves.
Eventually someone came over to talk to Millie, who was falling asleep as she sat in Percy' cab with her feet dangling over the side.
"Hi, if you don't mind we'd like to ask you a couple of questions" The policeman said to Millie
Millie showed him her ID,
"Dectective Inspector Mildred Hat, Millie for short" She said tired and a little cranky
"Oh...I thought you were the driver of this train" The policeman said
"She is, my driver's been nabbed by aliens!" Percy piped up
"Crooks dressed as aliens, we've had a few cases of track being taken back on the mainland and reports of aliens fleeing the scene, I hadn't been able to assertain the make of costume, these people have been very cunning up until now" Millie told him
"What's getting me is how fast they've been able to remove the track line" The policeman said
"That's not possible" Millie said climbing down, "There has to be someone coming back and forth throughout the day when no one's arround. Has this track segment up ahead been cut?"
"Yes and very neatly too" The policeman said
Millie looked all around and then at Percy,
"Percy, what's near here that could generate a lot of noise during the day?" She asked him
"Oh...that would be the quarry, you can't think if you're stopped at the signal round the corner, it's at a crossing, we have to stop sometimes to let trucks through" Percy told her
"Thank you Percy, that's very helpful" Millie said, then to the policeman she added, "I want in on this case"
"I'll have to talk to the one in charge but with your involvement in a similar case on the mainland I don't see why it should be a problem" The policeman said
"Good" She replied, then climbing back into Percy' cab she said, "Right Percy I have to get you back to the shed somehow" She put Percy into reverse so and they slowly backed up the track, "We'll back up to a siding and I'll change the track myself, we can take Thomas' branch line back"
"Does this mean I'll be out of service until the new track is put in?" Percy asked with a sigh
"Nah, but we'll have to leave that bit earlier if we're going to get anywhere we need to for a while. This is supposed to be a vacation so I can get a better idea of what needs doing when I go back, sometimes you need to step away from a situation to understand it and that way you can help the ones still in it. Now the problem has followed me I can't do that but if I'm driving you around I can pretend I'm on holiday at least" She said
Once they were in the siding she climbed down and changed tracks. Before she could get back to Percy though she heard panicked whispers and took her phone out of her pocket to record the voices.
She then heard footsteps running away from the scene,
"Millie...I'm scared" Percy called
"I've got you Percy and with a bit of luck we'll have those trouble makers too" Millie said
The following morning Percy was woken up by Thomas,
He got a fright when he saw him right in front of him,
"Percy...Percy wake up!" Thomas was calling
Percy gave a start and then a whimper,
"I'm sorry have I overslept?" He asked
"I'll say Percy, I've done three trips to the scrap yard and back with Desil for you already" He replied
"Oh dear, it was a big night for me last night" Percy said
"Whatever happened Percy, my driver took me the long way around?"
"Part of the track from my branch line was stolen, luckily we'd delivered the mail sacks to all the stations and were on our way back to the sheds when Millie realised we had no track left" Percy replied, "Then we had to wait for the policeman and they had to investigate and talk to Millie and then we had to switch branch lines to get home" Percy whimpered,
"Uh oh, my stuff is still in Annie' coach" Millie said stepping out of Percy' cab,
"Oh no it isn't...I was meant to tell you, a lady handed it in to lost property at Tidmouth" Thomas gushed, "I'm sorry Millie, I didn't think, I had to do all of Percy' jobs because I couldn't wake him up and Paul told me not to"
Millie laughed this off,
At that moment Topham Hat arrived,
"Whatever do you mean Percy?" He asked him,
"He's right Uncle" Millie said, "I was about to come and find you, only, I've been on the phone with my office on the mainland and the team going over Ivan' car. Someone tampered with his fog lights" Everyone was shocked to hear this, "The Welsh Daily have run with the alien story, I left the paper on your desk"
"Nothing like this has ever happened on Sodor before, we're a model society" Topham Hat said, "People come here to retire or teach mainland children or the children that live here all about farming and teamwork"
"These crooks are from Sodor...not all of them but...at least a few have been here long enough to get to know Ivan' routine" Millie said, then to Thomas she added, "What have you not been able to do yet Thomas? Me and Inspector Percy here will do your jobs instead"
"Inspector Percy...I like that" Percy grinned,
"Thank you Millie, you are kind, there are the flowers for Ulfstead Castle, they're at the docks and then there's the new lightbulbs to be delivered to the theatre, oh, and I had to take the mainland children back to the ferry from school at 3:30 on the way back with the empty truck and flatbeds" Thomas told her
"Very well" Millie said
"Uh Millie, can I be an inspector too?" Thomas asked bashfully,
"Oh spare me!" Thopham Hat sighed,
"Of course you can Thomas" Mille grinned
Percy and Thomas were very pleased but thought it best to keep it a secret from the other engines, they could be very mean when they got jealous and it always meant trouble for the railway.
In no time at all Millie and Percy arrived at the docks to pick up the new flowers for Sir Robert Norramby and the truck of lightbulbs, all tightly packed together,
Millie thought this rather odd and asked a porter to check the docket,
"Are you sure they're wanting this many bulbs at the theatre?" She asked him
"It's what it says here Millie. They're your second drop off" He told her
"Maybe the theatre are having a makeover" Percy suggested
"Hmm, when bright lights are appearing all over Sodor? Sounds fishy to me" Millie commented
She made a mental note as Percy pulled out of the dock.
"Millie, did you get a chance to listen to the recording of those strange whispers we heard last night? I forgot all about it until just now" Percy called,
"I fell asleep Percy, I'll give it a listen tonight after I've visited the theatre" Millie told him
When Millie arrived with Percy to Ulfstead Castle Robert was very surprised,
"Oh, you're not Ivan" He said, then looking at Percy he said, "And you're not Thomas"
"No, I'm Sir Topham Hat' neice Millie and Percy' new driver until Ivan is found" Millie said shaking his hand,
"Oh when you say found, you mean to say he's missing?" Robert asked
"We do" Percy said miserably
"Sir Robert, would you mind if I use your phone for a moment, I have an important message for the theatre to relay before we take their new bulbs to them?" Millie asked
"That will be fine, I'll have my Millie take these flowers round to the gardener" Robert said
So into the Castle with Robert, Millie went.
She was pleasently surprised by the Castle entrance. She thought it very unusual that a Castle should come with it's own train line, there wasn't any other way up to it or down from it unless of course you happened to have a helicopter to hand.
"Wow" She breathed
"The phone is just through there" Robert said pointing to a study, "Could you ask your Uncle to visit me tonight for dinner when you see him?"
"That will be fine Sir Robert" Millie replied. She shut the door behind her and phoned the theatre up, "Hello, would you be the theatre that has asked for a number of bulbs to be delivered to you tonight?" She asked the lady, who picked up the phone,
"Uh...nothing wrong with our lights at all as far as I'm aware, I mean I could be wrong" The lady said
"Right" Millie replied now very suspicious, "Could you please put me through to the manager?"
She waited until a man with a deep voice came on the line,
"Boxford Theatre, Manager speaking"
"Have you ordered a large number of bulbs for the theatre?" Millie asked
"Yes, I did, I realise it looks odd but you see all of our bulbs for the stage lights have gone missing...they've been stolen...by, I'm rather embarrassed to say..."
"Aliens?" Millie asked
"Oh dear...yes" He replied
"I'm Inspector Millie Hat, do not touch a thing!" She ordered
Millie quickly climbed into Percy' cab and went through a time table and map for each train, they were all numbered and colour coded. After ringing the police station in Boxford and her Uncle she got James to take the rest of Percy' jobs from Thomas so that Thomas could pick the children up afterall,
"This is all very comfusing Bobby" James said to his driver on the way to relieve Thomas, "Why do I have to help Wiffy? Where's Percy?"
"Percy has an important errand, all Millie said was it was to do with Ivan and the missing track" Bobby told him,
"Missing track?" James asked confused,
"Thomas needs to collect the children to take them to the dock in time for the mainland ferry and you're the fastest engine on Sodar, you'll get this lot shifted in no time" Bobby told him,
"Missing track" James said
"Yes that's what she said" Bobby replied,
"No!" James screeched as he broke hard, flinging Bobby forward, "Missing track!"
Only now did Bobby realise what James was talking about. Right at the junction for the line leading up to the quarry a part of the track was missing. Now both James and Thomas were stuck,
"Oh no!" Paul exclaimed,
"No one heard anything? Or saw anything? How do you make off with a whole piece of the railway and no one know about it?!" James screeched
"What're we going to do now?" Thomas cried
The first thing Bobby and Paul did was call the rescue engine with the crains to shift Thomas onto the track that James was on, while James rolled onward, then reversed onto the track beside Thomas until he reached a siding and could switch lines to the one Thomas had just been stuck on. This was problamatic as he had no choice but to reverse all the way up to the scrap yard, while Thomas went on to collect the children.
By the time he arrrived with them at the dock the ferry had already left. The children were scared and upset and Thomas was upset until Edward arrived and his driver suggested Henry take the children back to the mainland three at a time.
The children loved this idea.
Now that, that was sorted Thomas could go and enjoy his wash down before taking a well earned rest,
"Who would have thought these aliens could cause us so much trouble?" Thomas said
James was next to him, covered in bubbles and singing (The original theme tune) paying no attention to Thomas at all,
James sneezed when he got sudds in his funnel, forcing him to reverse and making the workmen jump. One of the men stepped into a pail full of soapy water and then fell backwards. This made Thomas giggle,
"Sorry" James said, embarrassed
Meanwhile Percy was grounded at Boxford station, with the truck full of lightbulbs while Thopham Hat gave Millie a lift to the theatre in the town there. A specialist team had already arrived by the time they got there and were dusting for prints inside.
"Do you have CCTV for the interior of this theatre or the back door used for deliveries?" Millie asked the manager,
"Ah...no we tried to install some but we could never get it to work" He told her, embarrassed
"We have a few fingerprints!" A specialist said as he climbed down from the stage
"Good, take fingerprints from everyone that works here" Then to the manager she added, "If you've got no CCTV how do you know about the aliens?"
"One of them left a boot behind, you want to have some very strange feet for these to fit I can tell you" The manager shivered.
"There are no aliens on Sodor, if anything they're more likely to be at Stone Henge" A man in scruffy overalls called over,
"You seem very aggitated there sir, the kind one might display if someone they trusted had failed to do as instructed" Millie said zoning in on him.
The man shifted,
"Where is this so called boot then?" He asked
"It's in my office" The manager said
"I'll be taking that" Millie said
Just as suspected when Millie was lead into the office by the manager to see this mysterious boot, the same man that declaired there weren't any aliens on Sodor hid below the window to listen and to see for himself.
Millie caught him speaking a different language to someone on his mobile.
She was about to record him when the manager piped up,
"Can we please have our bulbs now, I have a show starting at 7?"
"Uh" Millie said, taking the boot with gloved hands, "Yeah, just give the PC downstairs your fingerprints first, we'll send someone over from the dock, just to make sure they do get delivered here and aren't bipassed elsewhere on Sodor"
Millie arrived back with Topham Hat and a large van that said Brendam Docks Maintanence, uncoupled Percy from the truck and with a loud whistle they drove Topham Hat up to Ulfstead Castle, before taking the coastal route down and back to the sheds.
"What do we know now Millie?" Percy asked
"Well we have a mysterious "Alien" boot, which I'm pretty sure is a prop from a stage show or a fancy dress costume, I need to do a bit of research, I'm pretty sure now that whomever is behind the thefts of the track and the theatre lights worked at the sheds and have friends that work at the theatre. I heard one of the workers using the same language we heard last night while you were in the siding" She told him.
"Wow... so the lights are coming from the bulbs that were stolen from the theatre" Percy said,
"Yes and the bulbs weren't reported stolen, the manager just ordered more of them this morning, but he found the boot and he was afraid of it so he can't have been in on it" Millie told Percy
"So the ones that were doing the stealing must have been the only ones working when Ivan went missing or they would have reported them stolen, they'll take these ones when the others stop working, but where are they storing them?" Percy pondered
All the trains were awake when Percy arrived, all eager to hear what he had to say about the case and just as eager to tell him about the missing track that had caused trouble for James and Thomas and about the helicopter ride Henry gave the children from the mainland.
Millie left Percy to it and got a lift home with Paul.
"So what's next for you?" Paul asked her
"I can't tell you that I'm afraid" She replied
"Fair enough...I love Thomas and Percy and I'd never do anything to jepodise my job here at the sheds, I just wanted you to know that. I don't know what's going on here but I didn't have anything to do with Ivan' disapearance"
"I appreciate that Paul" Millie said as she got out of the car, "You have a good night now you hear?"
Paul smiled at her,
"You like her" His car piped up as Paul drove it away,
Millie only just realised the car had a face and she laughed to hear Paul prtotesting loudly and telling the car off for embarrassing him.
Millie sat in a chair in the guest bedroom at Topham' house in Natford and took her phone from a little table beside it.
She played her recording with her headphones in her ears and then she played it backwards,
"I didn't know she was going to be here!" One man was saying,
"What about the robot?" The other asked
"Ivan will come through for us if he knows what's good for him" Came the first man' reply
Millie was shocked.
Chapter Three
A bit about Ivan and How he met Percy
Millie awoke the following morning, still in the chair by her bed. She groaned at the pain in her neck, stood up, stretched and went down to breakfast with Topham Hat and his wife.
She sat herself down and got herself some toasted bagels and cheese.
"What are your plans for today Millie?" Topham Hat asked her from behind a newspaper,
"Have you no work for Percy today?" She asked
"Our younger steamies don't work on Saturdays Millie, if you want to take Percy out you're more than welcome but they usually just rest up at the sheds at weekends" He told her
"In that case I might just pay the station and the library a visit" Millie said,
"Have you had a breakthrough?" Lady Hat asked
"Sort of, I know why Ivan was abducted now" Millie replied
Topham Hat put his paper down.
"You do...? Tell us" Thopham Hat said
"Maybe later, it woudn't be professional" Millie said
"But he's one of my drivers" Topham Hat protested
"Oh very well" She said taking a sip of her tea, "The abductors have been talking backwards, I played back a recording I took the other night when I had to move Percy onto a new track and well I played it backwards last night. They said they weren't expecting me to be here and something about him fixing a robot of theirs"
Topham Hat and Lady Hat looked at each other with great intrigue,
"Well I'll be" Lady Hat exclaimed, "What do you expect to find at the library?"
"His last address, weddings on Sodar are usually put in the paper here aren't they?" Millie said in question,
"Yes, yes I think they are"
The first place Millie went was to the station to meet up with the inspector in charge. She had since learned that her name was Christine, she was a thorough lady in her 70's, not a woman to be messed with but if there was one thing garuanteed to make her melt it were the echanted trains of Sodor.
Christine showed Millie around the presinct as she told her what she knew so far and what she was planning to do next,
"This place is impressive" Millie said at one point,
"Did you expect us to be primative? Backwards even?" Christine asked, a raised eyebrow, then she laughed, "You wouldn't be the first, in many ways Sodor is set in it's ways but when it comes to the force you have to be modern, you just have to. The results from Ivan' car came back and we've found a number of unusual pins and circuits, now what you were saying about the robot, if he knows how to build them? If he's built them before or is fixing one and they've heard about it through the grapevine then the pins in the car and his abduction make perfect sence"
"It doesn't however help us find him" Millie sighed, "I was going to head for the library but I might head over to his wife' house first"
Once Millie had checked out the pins from the car she took a trip on Bertie over to Ivan' house in Brendam. Ivan' wife was very pale and subduded as she opened the door, then irritated with the two children running about the house,
"Can you two be quiet for five minutes!?" She yelled at them as she opened the door to Millie before bursting into tears,
The children stared at her, wide eyed,
"I have some information Mrs...about Ivan, and some questions" Millie said
"It's not a good time" She sighed
"I see...well not to sound harsh but I don't care, I need to find your husband and you're one of the only ones on this island that can help me solve this case so I can have the holiday I actually came here for" Millie said,
Ivan' wife looked at her in shock,
"That was rude" She said,
"It was that or I slapped you across the face" She looked at the two children, "Percy says hi"
"You know Percy!?" One child gushed,
"He's our favourite!" The second child smiled
"I'm his driver until the case is over" Millie said
"How do you know Percy?" Ivan' wife asked
"My uncle owns the railway" Millie said, "You know if you need the children off your hands for a while I'm sure Percy wouldn't mind taking them to the beach later" The children got very excited about this, "If I could tell you what I know and ask my questions, they can come back with me"
Ivan' wife looked at her children and then nodded at Millie,
"Get your things" She smiled through the heartache, then she lead Millie into the living room, "I'm sorry about...police combed this entire place and found nothing"
Millie showed her the pins in the evidence bag,
"These were found in Ivan' car, I also heard people talking about a robot" She told her
Ivan' wife gasped,
"Oh no!" Ivan' wife exclaimed
"Has Ivan been building a robot?" Millie asked
"He's been building a few lately...well not building more fixing for random people online"
Ivan' wife excused herself for a few minutes and came back with a key, by now the two children had rejoined her and the four of them went out into the garden and across to a large garage. Inside were all these photos of robots and invoices,
"Woe!" The first child gushed,
"We are never aloud in here" The second child said
"Well today you are" Millie said, taking out a pro-cam and taking photos, "How long has he been fixing up robots?"
"Oh since before we met, maybe even back when he was a child" Ivan' wife told her
"Did he grow up on Sodor?" Millie asked
"No, I don't know where he grew up, he didn't like talking about his younger years but how he met Percy...he loved telling that story"
Millie smiled.
Ivan' wife and the two children set off to Brendam Station with Millie on Bertie, then waited paitently as Millie went up to the sheds to ask Percy if he'd mind taking Ivan' children to the beach,
"Awe I want to go to the beach" Complained James
"Why don't you then? Your driver' only over there by the delivery truck, he looks like he could use a break of routine" Millie said,
"I'd quite like to go myself actually" Emily said,
"Why don't we all go then?" Thomas asked, "It's the weekend there must be loads of children that want to go to the beach"
"Ah well...uncle did say I was welcome to take Percy out...we'll never get all of your drivers over here, I better couple you all up then huh? Form an orderly cue then" Millie said
They all giggled as they came out of the sheds one by one and were coupled up to one another.
"We're going to need carriages for the people going to the beach" Called Gordon
"Well they can sit at my end" Edward said,
Word soon got round and people gathered to take pictures of this funny sight, Percy, Thomas, James, Emily, Edward and Gordon all coupled together, chundering down the line, their carriages soon full of excited people, some who lived on Sodor, others who were visiting for the weekend or the season.
Ivan' children got a ride in Percy' cab with Millie,
Ivan' wife left them to it to have some spar treatments courtasy of the Duchess of Boxford, who had heard of Ivan' abduction and felt compelled to pamper his wife, make her relax even for a little while.
The trains loved the sea air and the watching children and their parents play on the beach,
At one ppoint Ivan' children told Millie about the secret steamy music Ivan had told them about,
"The what?" Millie asked
"Oh I know what they're talking about!" James called with a grin, "All our whistles sound different, if we all blow steam or whislte and someone conducts us we can play a tune"
Millie thought this was a great idea and after being almost deafened by the sound of all the whistles being blown at once, she got them to whistle or blow steam one at at time.
Once satisfied she had the right order she got them all to play "I do love to be beside the seaside" for everyone.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen, even Topham Hat, who came by at that moment, surprised to see all of his engines on one track, taking in the sights, playing music and enjoying the atmosphere.
At about 6 O Clock everyone climbed back aboard the carriages and Edward was reversed by his driver, pushing everyone behind and pulling everyone in front, back to every station they'd been picked up from.
Bobby and Paul would look out and signal to one another on occasion to assist Edward' driver,
"I didn't know you could do that" Millie said inpressed
"We've had a bit of practice!" Thomas called with a grin
Back at the sheds at last the trains were too hyped up to sleep and did something they rarely asked of any of the humans,
"Tell us a story" Edward said
Millie climbed onto the roof of Topham Hat' blue car and smiled at all the trains,
"Why don't one of you tell me a story instead...Percy, how did you meet Ivan?"
"It was rather funny, he was here for an interview..." Percy began
Percy' story went back nine years during a very windy day. Percy was the only one in the sheds and was feeling very sad and unwanted. He hadn't had a run for months since his last driver retired. He thought no one would ever drive him again.
At that moment Ivan' car pulled up and a very nervous Ivan got out and looked around, letter in hand. He let out a yelp when the paper flew out of his hand,
"Oh dear!" He exclaimed
Percy looked over at Ivan,
"Say...are you OK?" He asked
"Huh? What?" Ivan asked in shock as he realised he was being addressed by a steam train with an adorable face, "You talk"
"Sorry, I'll be quiet if you want me to" Percy said sadly, "Maybe that's why no one wants to drive me anymore"
"Oh no please don't stop talking it think it's wonderful, I'm looking for a Mr Topham Hat, I'm here for an interview but I think I'm in the wrong place" Ivan said
"What's the interview for?" Percy asked eagerly
"Driver" Ivan called,
Just then and as Topham Hat arrived a big gust of wind blew Ivan' hat right off his head and onto Percy' whistle.
Both Ivan and Percy laughed.
Once the hat had been retrieved Topham Hat looked at the nervous Ivan,
"Have you ever driven a steam train before?" He asked him,
"No, electric, but I'd love to learn" Ivan said
"What do you think Percy?" Topham Hat asked Percy, "It's about time you had a new driver, I need all of my trains in good working order and I don't wish to see that sad face any longer"
"Oh thank you Sir!" Percy exclaimed, "I'd love Ivan to be my new driver"
"Well that's settle then" Topham Hat said, then he hesitated and Percy looked from side to side, "Now"
"The fat controller doesn't know how to drive us steamies either" Percy tried to whisper
Ivan laughed.
At that moment Toby came rolling by,
"Oi! Toby! Stop I need your driver!"
"Oh...oh dear, OK!" Toby called
He backed up and switched onto the turn table then chugged up to Percy. His driver climbed down and joined Topham Hat and Ivan.
"Sir?" Toby' driver asked,
"Toby works the same as a steamy doesn't he?" Topham Hat asked
"Not quite but I can drive a steam train" He replied
"In that case I want you to teach Ivan here how to run Percy, his wheels may squeak a little so if you could perhaps take him to the steamworks and tell them to sproose him up, give him a new coat of green paint and replace his breaks?"
"And that's what they did, I felt good as new and Ivan was a natural, he even helped Hiro' workmen solve a puzzling problem with my engine" Percy finished
Everyone loved this story and Millie smiled at him,
Percy yawned and set everyone else off,
"Goodnight steamies" She said as they all rolled into their sheds to sleep
The following morning Millie took a trip to the library and searched through old news papers, now she knew when Ivan first arrived in Sodor it would be easier to find him and his wife. She found him but she couldn't find his previous address.
This irritated her, she'd have no choice now but to go back to the mainland and search the records for his name. She was even more irritated to discover that there was a bridge between Sodor and the mainland now and that she could have just got on a train instead of the ferry.
"Why didn't you tell me I could get a train here?" Millie asked her uncle as she waited for Sofie, the giant pink mainlad train,
"Well the port was nearer" Topham Hat said
"I hate the ferry" She told him
"Oh...your dad told me you loved it" Topham Hat told her
"Really, and do you remember what happened the last time he came to Sodor? He's a pransker, he had all the steamies up in arms with his bizarre requests, they all thought he were you" Millie replied
"Yes...yes I remember, I'm sorry Millie" Topham Hat said
"Oh it's alright" Millie said, at that moment Sofie arrived, "I'll see you tonight or if you're in bed already when I get back I'll see you tomorrow"
With that she boarded Sophie and went back to the mainland.
Millie was soon back on the mainland and searching through records and forms for Ivan. It took some doing but after drawing a complete blank with the sensus and working backward from his age to the year he was born she was able to find his birth certificate and on that certificate was an address. It was a long shot but Millie immediately headed over to the address Ivan lived at when he was born.
An elderly lady asnwered the door to her,
"Hello, I'm dectective Mildred Hat and I'm investigating the disappearance of a man named; Ivan, he lived at this address when he was small, do you mind if I ask? When you moved in did you find anything that belonged to the previous owners?"
"I did as a matter of fact, I found a box of things but I'm afraid I gave it to the neighbour to look after, it seemed valuable and I'm one of the clumsiest people I know" The lady said,
Millie grinned, thanked the lady for her time then went next door.
Thakfully she'd picked the right neighbour first off and he was more than happy to show her the box of things,
He was a middled aged man with white hair and a wasitcoat,
"I actually went to school with Ivan, we weren't friends, I was a bit of a rocker in my day" He smiled, "My brother bullied him I'm ashamed to say. Ivan built a fabulous robot for a science fare, it took him a year of tinkering away after school and at weekends, I used to watch from my window, facinated" He showed her the photo of the robot, "Sadly, the night before the fare his robot was stolen, he failed and the robot was never recovered, he never got over it, he knew who'd taken it and made up his mind that the moment he turned 18 he was out of here. It broke his parent' heart. One day his mum woke up with a new name and got herself a new look, when he came back to see her...well she wasn't there was she? No forwarding address, I tried to tell him but he woudln't hear me, he never liked me, I liked him though"
"Wow" Millie sighed
"He was a good person, but that theft changed him, he wanted a new life, real friends. Tell me, did he find happiness in the end?"
"He got married and had two children, he also drives a talking train on Sodor, called; Percy" Millie told him,
The neighbour smiled,
"Good"
"I have reason to believe now that the people that stole his robot are the same people that have abducted him and have been stealing track" Millie said
"They want the steel" The neighbour said, "Let me ask around, I couldn't help Ivan before, maybe I can help him now."
Chapter Four
A Plan Is Formed
The following morning as Millie was reversing Percy into his shed, having just finished delivering mail Topham Hat was waiting for them with a list of jobs for Percy and the other engines,
"Morning engines, now I have quite a list here today, Percy I need you to collect some parts for Gordon, he's having new breaks fitted tonight, nothing wrong with the ones he already has but it makes sense to update them every now and then. He is one of our busiest egines after all, James, your driver noted a scratch on the side of your cab" James gasped in horror, "You're to go straight to the repair yard to have that mended, there's a storm coming this week, we don't want you rusting over"
"Yes sir!" James said and off he went before the driver could even do anything about it.
"Vanity for you" Topham Hat sighed
"Says the one, who wouldn't go anywhere without his hat" Millie said
Percy and the other trains giggled,
"I supposed you're right there" Topham Hat said embarrassed, "Moving on, Emily I need you to take some new bulbs up to the Duke and Duchess of Boxford' gardener, there's a flower show there next month, Lady Hat is very much looking forward to that, Edward, could you please deliver some new trucks to the quarry this afternoon and takes some milk and flower from the farmer over to the bakers please? Gordon, quite a few new tourists are arriving so we're digging out the Grand Carriages to compliment your Express Carriages so you can accmadate them"
"But sir, my carriages are blue, they're bright pink!" Gordon huffed
"I want no complaints Gordon, you're getting the pink carriages" Topham Hat said firmly
"Oh the indignity!" Gordon groaned as Thomas laughed,
This made Percy giggle and then the two trains were laughing for a solid minute
Once out on the line however Percy started to get a little sad,
"What's the matter Percy?" Millie called in concern as Percy sighed
"I'm just worried that people are starting to forget about my driver" Percy said, "No one at the yard talk about him anymore"
"Oh Percy, that's because they know we're on the case, they aren't talking about him because they know that with you and me on the lookout for clues they don't need to worry, they know we'll find him. The other enginges are probably just worried that if they talk about Ivan too much you'll be sad too" Millie told him,
The former was a complete lie but it made Percy happier.
Further up the line James was coming back from having the scratch on his cab mended and a new coat of paint when he noticed bolts and oil on Percy' track,
"Oh dear! We have to find...Gordon?" James' driver was confused until he saw Gordon on the next line along with two bright pink carriages at the front and heard James roaring with laughter,
"Oh wow Gordon I love the new look!" James said
"Oh the indignity!" Gordon huffed as he sped past,
Suddenly James saw Percy coming and broke without warning the driver,
"James! Be careful!" Bobby scolded
"Percy! You have to be more careful! There are bolts and oil all up this line!" James screeched
"But James, if the bolts and oil are further up the line it can't have been me, Gordon' new breaks and bolts are packed tight in my truck" Percy said
"Oh...well there's a lot of oil and bolts all over the line up there Percy, you'll have to switch" James said
"Oh!" Percy sighed, "Not again!"
"I'll move you into the siding, check out these bolts, take a sample of the oil and get it all cleaned up, we're not in any hurry today Percy" Millie reasured Percy as he started to blubber
"Oh...so I don't have to switch lines?" Percy said in question
"Gordon" James suddenly said with a giggle, "I just saw him and his big pink carriages!" He added, laughing even more, "He looked ever so funny, and mad too, his cheeks were the same colour as my cab!"
With that James' driver moved him along before he could cause any more mischief.
Millie made use of what she had to hand instead of waiting for the inspectors at the precint on Sodor, this was her case first, they'd understand. She picked up one or two of the bolts on the line with a pair of gloves so not to transferr her fingerprints onto them and took a sample of the oil. She discovered that it was actually bike oil.
Before calling out anyone to clear the track she had Topham Hat watch Percy so she could follow the trail and see where it led.
Eventually she ended up in Arlesburgh Harbour where she heard a lot of commotion coming from within a nearby warehouse.
She crept off the line and up to the warehouse, she then hid behind the side wall and deliberately dropped a bolt on the ground.
A man in yellow and covered in oil piered out and then at the track nearby,
"You idiot Charles! Look at the track, they'll find us now for sure!" The man cried,
"Oh pipe down, no one will think anything other that that silly little engine has lost them, he'll be put out of action and then we'll have the whole track to ourselves!" The one the man called; Charles called back.
Millie' blood boiled, she hated anyone picking on her Uncle' enchanted engines but she had to keep a lid on her temper. She needed to see what was going on inside the warehouse.
"We done for the day?" The first man called
"Yeah, I suppose, I'll just have to get more bolts on the way in tomorrow" Charles called back
Millie jumped for joy and rushed back to find Percy.
"Here's the plan Inspector Percy" Millie said as they waited for the track to be cleared, "We're going to wait until nightfall and then we're going to drive up to the warehouse, we're going to stake out the place. We may even be able to find Ivan"
"Really Millie!? Will it be dangerous?" Percy gushed
"You'll have a guard Percy but these men won't be there tonight, however whatever they've been using the stolen steel from the track for will be"
A couple of hours later, once Percy' track had been cleared and the sun had gone down Millie and a few back up police set off on Percy, back to Arlesburgh Harbour. Millie explained that this trip was to gather evidence, she knew there was to be an illegal fight, using robotics and that people could get hurt but if they just arrested this one group word would get round, the fight would be driven underground and they'd never be able to shut it down.
She had a plan but she wanted to keep this under wraps for the minute.
With a bit of help Millie got into the warehouse and couldn't believe her luck. The first thing they found was a melting station and steel from the tracks, there was also a board with names and photos on them of team members and their role in getting the robot under tarpaulin in the middle of the warehouse ready for a fight that was to be held...
"Location as yet to be de-classified" Millie said, as the police officer took photos of the board Millie heard a cough and followed the melting station round to the back and to where Ivan was chained to the pipes, "I've got Ivan!" She called
Several police officers and a medic charged into the space,
"Where's the key to these chains?" An officer asked
"Charles takes them with him" Ivan said with a cough, "I went to school with them, this fight is between four sets of old rivals at two schools in Cardiff. They unchain me in the mornings and force me to work on their robot. I can't leave, you can't stop the fight going ahead but you might be able to shut it down when it does" Ivan continued
The police officer was recording Ivan,
"Ivan' right" Millie said, "Look, we're going to check you over first and set a plan in motion, I have someone looking for your robot, the one that was stolen from you"
He looked at her in complete shock,
"How did you know about that?"
"I went to see, who I thought was a stranger but actually turned out to be your mother" Millie told him gently
"My mother!" He gasped, tears welling,
"She was so upset at your leaving she changed her style and name and told you she'd moved on. She gave your things to your neighbour. He wanted to be friends with you but you damned him because his brother was one of the ones that picked on you"
"Oh my God" Ivan exclaimed in shock
"He watched you working on the robot from his window, he was desperate to ask you all about it, he still lives next door, he never moved, I didn't catch his name though"
"Rudy" Ivan said, feeling sorry, "Is my family OK? What about Percy?"
"Your family are worried but otherwise OK and I've been looking after Percy, I'm Topham Hat' niece"
She smiled.
"You're Inspector Mildred Hat! Aren't you?" He exclaimed
"Can you do something for me?" Millie asked, taking out her mobile and face timing a guard, "Just let Percy know you're OK...well as OK as you can be right now"
So outside Percy got a big surprise, the guard looked at his phone, smiled and held it up for him to see,
"Hello Percy!" Ivan said full of joy, "I can't tell you the good it does my heart to see you again"
"Ivan!" Percy exclaimed, "You're OK! I've been so worried about you, will you be coming home soon?"
"I will Percy but we have to help Millie set a trap, so we can put the bad guys away" Ivan told him
"Hey Ivan, I thought you'd been taken by aliens but they were just suits, do you know what that's about?" Percy asked
"Actually that's a very good question" Came Millie' voice
"Some of the boys in one of the rival groups were mascotts, they wore alien costumes, it'd be very easy, if they knew someone that still worked I the school to get their hands on some, I don't know about the other schools, but if aliens have been seen here and on the mainland they're two different groups"
From here they went straight to Ivan' home to tell his wife and children he'd been found but explained why he couldn't go home yet. The children were excited about their father becoming a crime buster, as Millie put it while in their presence but Ivan' wife was very worried indeed.
"So what is our plan then Millie?" Percy asked on the way back to the sheds,
An officer with medical training and one other were going to go undercover and pretend to be from another group, they'd say that they didn't think much of their robot and wanted in on something better. This way they could keep an eye on Ivan and Ivan could get some sleep.
"We're going to build a robot of our own" Millie told him, "Then we're going to sign it up with one of the men from the theatre, the ones that have been taking bulbs. It'll have to be someone they haven't seen yet though"
Back at the sheds Percy went straight to sleep, no longer worried. His driver was grubby and sore but otherwise OK and he was going to help him and Millie set a trap.
Meanwhile, on the mainland, after following a list of clues in his brother' diary Rudy found himself on a farm with a long abandoned barn. He found some bolt cutters and cut through the chains to get inside and there, in the middle of the barn was Ivan' robot.
Chapter 5
The Robots of Sodor
With great excitement Rudy phoned up Millie to tell her he'd found Ivan' old robot, he needed a lot of work doing to him but he could get him to work with the right tools.
"What is your plan for the robot?" He asked her
"We're going to enter him into the competition and then shut it down before anyone can get hurt" Millie told him
"That's a brilliant idea, if you can get me a contact number I can arrange that myself" Rudy replied
"Shouldn't be too difficult, we found Ivan, we have police undercover with him at the warehouse the abductors have him held up at, he's been fixing up a robot for the competition" Millie told him
"Is my brother among that group?" Rudy asked
"Not sure, there are several, from different schools" Millie told him, "I'll get you the details you need and send someone over to help you fix Ivan' robot"
That evening one of the undercover officers stayed behind and told Ivan the plan. He was stunned when they told him Rudy had found his old robot and where,
"Old Milligan lived there, I can't believe he was in with that crowd, he was a library attendent, grade A student...wow, you think you know a person"
"Rudy thinks he'll have more of a shot than Millie at getting in on the competition" The officer said
"Oh I think he will too" Ivan said, "I made a list of possible things that could go wrong with my robot and how to fix them, they're in my shed, someone will need to get it to Rudy on the Mainland...the fight is the day after tomorrorw, in the cellar of the Castle at Ulfsted"
Millie was granted access to the shed at Ivan' house so that she could search for and find the trouble-shooting list for the original robot. Once she found it she went to speak with Topham Hat, who in turn phoned the mainland and told them to expect a small green steamy within the next day, he had an important job to do and must not be hindered in any way.
Millie smiled at her unlce then went to the sheds to see Percy.
"Percy, tomorrow is a very big day for you" She said
"Why?" Percy asked wide eyed
"You and me are going to the mainland and we're going to find Ivan' friend, help him fix his special robot then bring him back here with us to Sodor" Millie told him
"Wow!" Percy exclaimed
"If we get things just right you'll have Ivan back the day after tomorrow" Millie said
"That's...great" Percy said, suddenly feeling very sad as Millie left him alone to get his mail trucks ready, "Oh dear"
"What's the matter Percy?" Thomas asked
"I want Ivan back but I don't want Millie to go" Percy said, wrinkling his nose and letting tears roll down his face.
"Never mind Percy, I'm sure she'll come and visit" Thomas tried to reassure
Percy backed into his shed and cried.
Thomas woke up before anyone else the next morning and made his own way up to Brendam Station. Topham Hat was very surprised to get a phone call to say he was there. Millie joined him and the two headed for the station to find out what on Earth Thomas was doing,
"Thomas!? What on Earth are you doing out here on your own and with no driver!?" Topham Hat boomed
"I'm sorry Sir...it's Percy, he's happy Ivan' coming home but he's sad because he doesn't want Millie to leave and I was hoping if I asked nicely that she might stay and then Percy will be happy again" Thomas said
"Oh Thomas, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard" Millie smiled, then she looked at Topham, "I have been thinking of leaving the force...I hear we have a new steamy coming to Sodor soon, maybe I can take her"
Topham Hat was delighted,
Thomas was thrilled,
"That's wonderful news!" Thomas exclaimed
"You can't tell Percy I'm staying yet" Millie said
"I won't" Thomas said
Thomas rushed back to the sheds and woke everyone up with his tooting and whistling,
"What on Earth is going on Thomas? Why are you being so loud?!" Edward cried
"I just learned we're getting a new steamy!"
"Oh boy!" Percy exclaimed,
This cheered him and by the time Millie arrived to take him to the mainland he was his happy self again, in fact he was humming "I do love to be beside the seaside"
Millie laughed,
"You're happy today Percy" She called
"I've never been to the mainland before!" Percy grinned
Percy took in every view with wonder as they crossed the bridge, approached the mainland and drove through mountains and fields, up to an old station that sat right next to the farm Rudy was waiting on. Once she arrived Millie realised there was an old track, in perfect condition that went right across the farm, into the barn with the robot in it.
Once she and Rudy had changed the line manually they climbed aboard and backed Percy all the way across the farm and into the barn.
Percy was excited to see Ivan' robot so Millie and Rudy moved it to a spot in the barn where he could see it and watch them go through Ivan' list and fix it up.
Meanwhile Robert had been deeply offended and hurt to hear that his castle was to be used in this way and now, without arousing suspicion had to follow his staff around, camera at the ready, to find out which of them was organising the fight.
It turned out to be none of them,
A worker camer running into his office having spotted three men breaking into the castle via a window in the basement, with large canvas packages being passed in,
"Did you get a picture?" Robert asked, standing up, "Did they see you? They can't know we know, the police have a plan in motion to get these people taken down"
He took out his mobile and showed him the photo of the three men.
Robert immediately phoned Millie to tell her.
Millie was delilighted and told him to keep a copy for the when the police arrived alter that night.
By 5pm everything was set up, Ivan' robot was ready and the ring in the basement of Ulfstead Castle was in place.
The competition was to happen at 10pm that night so Millie, Rudy and Percy would need a little help getting themselves and the robot back across to Sodor in time. Percy tracked down Sofie, who was more than happy to help.
Millie had to stay out of sight, as did Percy, so they parked by Millie the train' shed while Rudy got help with his robot,
"Where's the owner of this Castle?" Rudy asked Charles
"He's on holiday, no one here, I got it on good authority...glad you called, I knew this game was for you really, it was only a matter of time before you came running in for a piece of the action" Charlse said,
Rudy' face dropped as Charles left,
"How wrong you are" Rudy sighed
To his delight he got a smile from Ivan as he came out of the castle and joined him,
"Where's Percy?" Ivan asked
"In Millie' shed, he's wonderful" Rudy said
"I wish I could say I'm the reason they talk but I'm not, this place really makes me believe in magic again" Ivan smiled, "Everything is set, everyone is in place...I can't believe you found my robot, I'm sorry I ever thought you had something to do with it's disappearance"
"Never mind me...I have something to tell you, you're mother, she never moved, there's still time, you can make things up with her" Rudy said
"I will" Ivan said with a sad look on his face, "She tricked me...guess my leaving really hurt her huh?"
Cameras had been set up down in the basement, some of the people there were in alien mascot uniforms and Millie, Topham Hat and Robert were watching events as they unfolded. They let the fights between the robots go on for about a minute before the police stormed the area and put all but Ivan, the undecover officers and Rudy in cuffs.
Millie, Topham Hat and Robert then went down to the basement,
"So! You're the "Aliens| that have been stealing my track! You caused confusion and delay!" Topham Hat boomed, Millie grinned at this, "All for some robot competition!"
"Who on Earth do you people think you are using my home for some silly game!?" Robert snapped
"You told me he was away this summer!" Charles snapped with a point at Ivan
"Call it payback for the hell you put me and your brother Rudy through when we were kids!" Ivan snapped, "For the record you were never going to win, I programed your robot to shut down after five minutes!"
Rudy grins,
"Hard luck Charles" Millie said
"You...of all the places for you to vacate it had to be Sodor!" Charles yelled
"Of course" She smiled, then as he was lead away she waved, "Bye bye now"
The next afternoon Sodor held a massive party to celebrate Ivan' return home and the case being solved. Press took photos of Percy with Millie and then all the trains. Everyone had a wonderful time but as the evening drew to a close Percy slid into a siding and cried.
Ivan was worried and went to find Millie.
Millie went to see Percy with Ivan,
"Percy, don't cry, I'm not going very far" She said
"Why can't you both be my driver?" Percy sobbed
"I could take you out at weekends" Millie said, this had Percy' attention, Millie and Ivan smiled at each other, "Would you like that Percy?"
His grin said it all,
"I missed you Percy" Ivan said with a happy sigh,
Percy giggled,
"I missed you! I did so much while you were away, I have so much to tell you!"
Millie left as Percy and Ivan trundled off into the distance with Percy telling him about the track, the bulbs, the beach, the oil and all about Millie.
When Topham Hat arrived at the sheds the next morning he had a surprise for Percy, it was a big A3 coppy of the front page of the daily newspaper with him and Millie and the caption; Inspector Percy! All the trains were excited and congradulated Percy.
Percy blushed and Ivan grinned at him from the platform.
There was one more surpirse for Percy. The new engine arrived at that moment and who should be driving her but Millie,
"Millie!" Percy exclaimed
Paul climbed out of Thomas' cab in shock and joined Millie, Topham Hat and Ivan,
"Everyone, this is Peggy!" Millie said,
Peggy was a really cute turquoise engine and the same size as Percy.
"So does this mean your staying?" Paul asked Millie shylyafter everyone had greated Peggy,
"I got my train driving liscence, I'm leaving the force so yeah I'll be around for a while" Millie replied
"Would you maybe like to go for a drink sometime?" Paul asked
At that moment a gust of wind blew Ivan' hat flew into the face of a cleaner, who turned his hose on full and drenched, Paul, Millie, Ivan and Topham Hat.
They all looked at each other and laughed.
The End