Prologue

"It's too snowy. We should find somewhere to stop for the night." The girl said as she and her husband drove through a snow storm. "There isn't anywhere to stop. Unless you want to sleep in the car." He replied.

"It'll be safer than driving through this storm." She said, stubbornly, then "What's that?" She asked, as she pointed to a house in the distance. "We can't stay there!" He exclaimed as he looked at the house. "Why the hell not?" She asked, annoyed.

"It looks like the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland for one and two, we don't know the people who live there, if people do live there." He exclaimed.

"We could die out here!" She exclaimed, he rolled his eyes and groaned, "Fine." He said, driving up to the house. "Oh look." She said, pointing to a sign outside the house: CLIFFORD HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST – VACANCY

"Just our luck." She smiled, and he felt a little bit safer, "It's probably an old couple who own it and just don't have the money to renovate it." She smiled.

He pulled up outside the house and grabbed their case, they walked up to the house, "I'm starting to get a signal, only one bar though." She said, as she looked at her phone, "I'll text mom and tell we had to stop for the night, we'll be there tomorrow." She said. "Ok." He said, pushed open the door upon seeing the sign; Please Come In and Open 24 Hours

"Hello?" He asked as they stepped into the building, and towards a desk, a sign read Ring Bell For Assistance, he pressed the button on the desk, a few seconds later a dark haired man popped his head around the door behind the desk.

"Hello," He said. "How may I help you?" The man was wearing a navy-blue blazer with matching bottoms and a white shirt. His name badge read; Georgie.

"Do you have any rooms for the night?" The young man asked. "Yes we do," Georgie said as he grabbed a key on the wall behind him, "Come with me." He smiled, the couple followed him. "We have plenty of rooms, the storm had kept many people away." Georgie said. "Oh, that's a shame." She said, sympathetically.

Georgie led them room 37, "Breakfast is at seven thirty, the owners, Mr and Mrs Clifford will prepare it for you." Georgie smiled, "Thank you." The young man said. "Goodnight." Georgie said. The woman looked at his name badge, "Goodnight, Georgie, see you tomorrow." She smiled, Georgie smiled back, "Alright." He said, sounding sarcastic.

That night, the couple slept soundly until the woman's arm became numb and she rolled onto her back, her eyes opened slightly as she rolled over, then a scream of terror filled the room.

Chapter 1

Buffallo, New York – 4 months later

The Gang's office

After graduating from high school, the gang decided they wanted to continue solving mysteries, they went to law school and they became detectives after working with the local police for a few years.

They started their own business, becoming self-employed, they became detectives/bounty hunters, and they thought their job was the best they could have ever had, though their families thought it was a dangerous job.

They hadn't long returned from New Mexico, after reports suggested someone was continuing the work Max, Steve and Laura had started, but it was just a couple of teenagers pranking the locals. They did run into Lester though, who hadn't changed a bit.

"There's nothing to do!" Velma exclaimed, as she banged her head on her desk, Daphne was watering the plants in the office and Shaggy was deciding where to go for lunch.

Scooby began to bark as a large envelope fell from the letter box onto the floor. Scooby picked it up and put it on Velma's desk. "Thanks Scooby." Velma said, throwing him a Scooby snack.

"What is it?" Fred asked, from the laptop. "Oh my gosh!" Velma exclaimed. "What?" Daphne asked, looking up from the potted plants. "It's that missing persons case from Michigan, you know that couple who disappeared before Christmas." Velma said.

"Seriously?" Shaggy asked, "It didn't take long for the police t'like, come t'us."

"I think they're desperate for us to be on this case." Velma said, "Why do you think that?" Fred asked. "Well, Jessica and Harry Allen have been missing for months and there's been nothing since day one. Not a single clue." Velma said. "They need us."

"Well, we're like America's greatest detectives, excludin' Batman." Shaggy said, rubbing his goatee, "Like, we need t'work on our combat skills."

Velma rolled her eyes, "Meeting time, guys!" She exclaimed, climbing up from the desk. She headed to the whiteboard. She pinned a picture of Jessica and Harry Allen onto the whiteboard and wrote their names under their picture.

Daphne, Fred, Shaggy and Scooby sat in the chairs set out in a semi-circle in front of the whiteboard, a coffee table stood in the middle, with the most recent case file in front of them.

"Jessica Louise Douglas, twenty-seven, born on July fourteenth, nineteen ninety-one in Duluth, Michigan." Fred said, Velma wrote it on the board. "And Harry Charles Allen, also twenty-seven, born on October twentieth, nineteen ninety-one, also born in Duluth, Michigan." Fred said. "They both moved to Hancock when Harry's job transferred him."

"Any distinguishing features?" Velma asked. "Jessica has mole on her lower back and a scar on her right hand, says she was bitten by her aunt's dog when she was seven." Fred said. "And Harry has a dragon tattoo on his leg and Jessica's name on his chest." Fred said.

"Is there a picture of those tattoos?" Velma asked, "Yes." Fred said, pulling the pictures out of the envelope, Velma pinned them to the board with a magnet, which was shaped like a dinosaur, thanks to Shaggy.

"Any vehicles?" Velma asked. "Yes, they were driving a red Ford Fiesta ST, license plate CFT 1867." Daphne said.

"Jobs?" Velma asked, as she wrote away. "Harry works for Jaguar, his boss said he was applying for a new company car a few days before the disappearance and the Fiesta is Jessica's." Fred said.

"The car is missing." Daphne added. "Ok." Velma added.

"The file says the investigation was affected by the snow storm, the police couldn't carry out a proper investigation until the roads had cleared properly, it was too dangerous." Fred said.

"Jessica was the assistant manager at Forever TwentyOne, but she was thinking about applying for another job." Daphne said.

"File says they were last seen at a gas station in Wakefield, Michigan." Daphne said, looking over Fred's shoulder. "Credit card statement proves it." Fred said. "Jessica called her mother, Angela Douglas, on the morning of December twentieth, she told her that she and Harry were leaving home at two PM and were expecting to arrive in Duluth at around sixish." Daphne said.

"But Jessica text Angela at eleven PM on December twentieth saying they were stopping in a hotel because of the storm and they would be arriving in Duluth on the afternoon of the twenty first." Fred said.

"That's a big-time difference." Velma said, shocked. "If they were expected to be in Duluth for six o'clock then why text at eleven? What happened between six o'clock and eleven o'clock?" Velma asked.

"Credit card statement says they paid for gas at four thirty." Fred said. "Which gas station?" Velma asked. "Statement just says Wakefield Gas and Food." Fred said, "All of his statements were emailed, the bank printed and sent the statement to the police, but it took them a while to locate the gas station because of the storm."

"Did they interview the guy who sold them the gas?" Velma asked. "Yes, his name is Luke Alexander." Fred said.

"That's all we've got." Daphne concluded, as Velma finished writing the last few notes on the board.

"I suggest we go to Michigan, speak to their bosses, colleagues, family and then try and find out where they went after the gas station." Fred said. "Let's load up the van."

"We should stop at the gas station." Shaggy said, "We'll need supplies if we're driving t'Michigan, plus I can put my portable sandwich toaster t'use." Shaggy said.

"Alright fine." Fred said, already beginning to smell the toasted cheese and chicken in the back in the Mystery Machine.

"We should go now." Velma said. The gang loaded up the Mystery Machine and headed to Michigan, stopping at the gas station just outside Buffalo.

Shaggy and Scooby went into the store and Fred filled up the van, Daphne and Velma stayed in the van, Daphne looked out the window, staring at Fred. "Do you think he's been acting differently?" Daphne asked quietly. "I don't know, why do you ask?" Velma asked as she read through the file, barely paying attention to Daphne.

"I think he has, ever since his mom moved out of that house." Daphne said. "His mom only moved six miles away from her old house." Velma said. "He's not keen on change." Daphne said. "It didn't stop him moving in with you." Velma said. "That's a bit different, his mom was still living there when he moved in with me." Daphne said.

"Also…that house was the last place he was with his dad." Daphne said. "Oh." Velma said, looking up from the papers. "That was years ago." Velma said. "I know." Daphne sighed.

Fred climbed back into the van, "Just waiting for the boys now." He said, smiling. Daphne smiled back at him. Shaggy and Scooby returned with their arms filled with food. "Typical." Velma muttered as they climbed into the van. "Let's go." Shaggy said.

I know I said I was going to publish this on October 16th, but I was just too excited and couldn't wait any longer. I am so proud of this fanfic and I hope you like it as much as I do.

Rated M just to be safe.