It was the night before New Year's Eve and Joyce had decided to throw a big party for all of their friends. Cully had come down to visit and brought her boy friend Simon down with her. Ben popped round to help with the decorations and to help set up the tables but mostly he chatted to cully they got along really well but in a sibling sort of way. After Ben had left Simon had a conversation with cully about the party and just the usual stuff and then he brought up Ben which cully thought was strange. "Why is he always round here every time I come he is here" asked Simon
"That's because he is like family to us he is like a brother to me and even though my dad won't admit it he is like a son to him. Does that explain? "Yeah sorta but he follows your dad around like a puppy to it owner"
"I've never heard anyone phrase him in that way but I get what you mean. You just need to get to know him. Ben and my Dad"
"Yeah I guess"
In the kitchen Tom was observing the food that Joyce had prepared and all the decorations. " Joyce,Where did these cookies come from? Asked Tom
"Ben brought them round he thought that they would be nice to share tomorrow" replied Joyce
"Well they look awfully familiar"
"There cookies, Tom they all look the same"
"Well there's something about these ones that seem suspicious"
"Ben is such a lovely boy, he is so helpful " said Joyce
"He is a nice kid" replied Tom
"You should really ease up on him, he does so much for you"
"I have eased up on him yesterday I gave him two chocolate chip cookies instead of one."
"What do you mean you by you gave him two cookies instead of one?"
"Well Joyce, acting chief superintendent cotton has this cookie system and my job is to dish out cookies to the officers that have done good things that day. And yesterday I gave jones two cookies instead of one because yesterday he didn't try to nick any"
"Well I don't think your appreciation for Ben should be shown by giving him cookies?
"For heavens sake Joyce, he is my Sargent not our son!"
"But Tom he is like a son only last week did you two go fishing and the week before that showed you how to work the remote control car that your cousin bought you"
Tom mumbles something under his breath and then goes upstairs to bed.
"You are more alike than you think" yelled Joyce after him
In the morning when Tom went down to breakfast he looked at the cookies and they were still puzzling him. Tom arrived at the station quite early and noticed that the entire cookie jar is empty. Tom instantly new who it was.
When Ben arrived at the station he didn't see his boss hiding in the waiting room and walked straight into his office with one thing on his mind. Gail. He had had a crush on her for to long and he now had enough courage to ask her out on a date.
"Morning sarge" said Gail as he walked up to her desk
"Morning, um I was wondering if you would, I mean you don't have to but would you consider going with me to.." Suddenly he was interrupted by the voice of his superior over the loud speaker
Could Dectective Sargent Benjamin Timothy Jones please report to the reception immediately. Thank you.
Ben was so upset by what had happened his boss had just blown his chances with Gail.
Tom was waiting for Ben in the reception and before Ben could say anything Tom yanked him by the ear and dragged him into an empty office.
"I can't believe You jones I thought you had stopped taking cookies. One was okay but the whole lot that's insane!"
"I don't think I understand sir?"
" the cookies that you gave to mrs Barnaby they were from the jar weren't they, Jones"
"No sir I bought those from the super Market downtown and I have my the recite with me."
Jones grabbed the recite from his pocket and sure enough it was correct.
"Well jones, if you didn't take the cookies then who did?"
"We have a real mystery on our hands, sir"
"We do indeed jones we do indeed."
"And just think what the wonder boy will say" (for y'all that don't know wonder boy is what they call acting chief superintendent cotton behind his back)
"Oh jones don't mention that. Okay let's start interviewing people,everyone is a suspect. And remember act natural like there's no problem. I hid the jar so know one knows that the cookies are gone ok"
"Yes sir"
"Good lets start investigating"
So for the rest of the day Barnaby and jones asked everyone in the CID if they had been here late or really liked cookies. It turned out seven of the officers were glutton free or wheat free so that ruled them out.
At the of the day only they had interviewed everyone.
"We've interviewed everyone, sir" exclaimed Ben."
"Not everyone" said Tom looking in the direction of chief superintendent cotton.
"You mean wonder boy is the cookie thief!" Whispered Ben
"He has to be and oh look he is coming over hear now"
"Hello Tom, hello Ben happy New Year's Eve to both of you and here are some more cookies for system thought you might be running out"
"Yes we were 'running out' so thank you sir." Said Tom
"Your welcome you to can go home now I'm letting you lot go early as a treat" said Cheif superintendent cotton
"Thank you sir" said Ben
And with that he left.
"So he must of taken the cookies last night and now he has given you more" stated Ben
"Yes, jones, yes he has. I also recall him telling me that he would refill the jar once every two weeks and we have only had this cookie system for 4 days so he has to of taken the cookies, that reminds me I still have to dish out the cookies before we go. So here you go one chocolate chip cookie for you. Now go wait by in car"
At seven o'clock the guests started to arrive, Kathy and George Bullard were first to come then Ben then some more people then to Ben's surprise Gail was had come.
The Barnaby's New Year's Eve party was going very successfully everyone was chatting away eating and drinking. Ben tried to avoid Gail as much as he could he was still to embarrassed about today to speak to her. Joyce was running about trying to find Tom who was also avoiding her because he was having a lovely chat to George and didn't want to do any jobs.
When there was five minutes until 12:00 am everyone was out side waiting for the fireworks and Gail approached Ben by surprise.
"Hey Ben"
"Oh um hi, Gail"
"Ben about what you said earlier you never finished"
"Oh um yeah you probably don't want to hear it now"
"Yes I do it means a lot to me"
Ben drew a large breath the said "I was going to ask you out on a date tomorrow because we had been to lunch together before but it wasn't like a date? And I really like you but before I didn't have enough courage to ask you, So I was going to ask you today but then the boss needed me so I guessed that my chances were ruined"
Gail didn't day anything instead she lent forward and kissed him on the cheek then said "oh Ben I would love to go on a date with you"
Ben felt so happy he couldn't find words to describe how happy he was. Gail was about to walk away to get another drink when he pulled her close and kissed her on the lips just as the fireworks went off signalling the new year. All the other couples were kissing so it only seemed right.
After almost everyone had left at about 2:30 am George and Kathy were saying their goodbyes and they noticed that both Tom and Ben were dead asleep in the arm chairs in the living room. Tom was in a green arm chair Ben was in a blue arm chair both asleep and what a funny sight to see. Joyce took a photo and on Georges way out he said "Joyce, don't forget to send me that photo I need it as proof to prove that they are human" and left.
In the morning Tom woke to the soothing sounds of new Mario Bros. Of course he didn't know that it was the sound of new super Mario Bros so he slowly walked into the kitchen to find cully and and Ben sitting on the sofa playing the wii that cully had brought.
"What in heavens name are you two doing?" Asked Tom
"We are playing Mario Bros and are about to defeat one of bad guys" replied Ben
"We'll have you two had breakfast?" Asked Tom
"Yeah, dad we had the left over chocolate and other confectionary for breakfast" replied cully
"Well that's very healthy" said Tom sarcastically
"We ate trying to complete all the levels" explained cully
"How many levels are there?" Asked Tom
"About 300" replied Ben
"300 levels" yelled Tom and he stormed over to the tv and pulled out the plug.
Look said Tom "cully you need to learn your lines for your production, Ben you have to go on a date with the girl that you have been crushing on in three hours. Normally you two could stay as long as you like, but not today.
So cully got up and went to her room and Ben said his goodbyes and left to go on his date which he was really excited about. Leaving Barnaby to relax in peace.
The end.