The Mysterious Death of Frankie Foster

Synopsis: When a role playing game becomes deadly for the Foster's crew, it becomes an intense murder mystery. However, things are not what they seem…or are they?

Introduction: Frankie Foster loved her breaks and hourly lunches. On this day, instead of eating fast food with her friend Kathy, the redhead was roaming a city park playing a video game she borrowed from Mac. "No wait!" Frankie exclaimed as her fingers traveled quickly over the buttons, "ahhh there we go - back in the saddle!" Her green eyes were zipping rapidly back and forth to the game's little screen. "I almost have it…" she angled the game downward as she entered a heavily wooded area. The twenty-two year old woman was not aware of her bearings, as she continued to play the game with much ferocity. "There it is," Frankie yelled triumphantly, "I beat Macs score - BOOYAH!" For the first time, Frankie was aware of her surroundings, and she turned around and proceeded to head back to the more populated area of the park. "Boy will Mac be annoyed when he sees…YOU!"

"Hello Frankie…"

Chapter 1

What on earth happened?" Mac asked a tearful Blooregard Q. Kazoo (his imaginary friend). Bloo was still in shock, but he managed to croak, "follow me. Oh this is so terrible." Wilt was in the foyer when Mac and Bloo entered the famous home for imaginary friends. "Mac, how did you get past the yellow crime taped area out front?"

"I had to come through the back of the property; what is going on?"

"Oh things are not okay," Wilt replied in a choked up voice, "you need to see for yourself." The two friends lead Mac down to the large basement.

When the trio approached the large furnace area, there were several police officers, photographers, and imaginary friends milling about. Flashes were going off, and Mac could see a teary eyed Madame Foster talking to a plain clothes policeman. Eduardo, Co-co, Duckman, Jackie Khones, and Eurotrish were among the sobbing friends crowded around the elderly woman. Mac looked in the direction of all the camera flashes, and saw what the hullabaloo was all about.

The only person that was oblivious to all the activity in the basement was Frankie Foster. She lay dead on the floor sprawled with one arm over her head. Her face was ashen and her eyes were open halfway. The once lovely emeralds looked like those of a dead fish and glazed over. Her mouth was open slightly. Whatever happened to her, must have happened very quickly.

Mac turned away and bent over to heave. Duckman stepped forward to comfort the eight year old. "I am sorry about this Mac. Do you need help"

"Help me to the foyer bathroom," Mac gasped. The two made their way upstairs. "Mac does not look so good."

"Would you look good if you lost someone very close to you?" Eurotrish said.

"Not at all," Wilt replied in a sheepish voice.

"I know I wouldn't," chimed in Ed, as he wiped away another tear.

Madame Foster kneeled by her granddaughter's body, "was it murder Lieutenant Woolwine?" She was looking up at the policeman with tear stained eyes. Lieutenant Frank Woolwine knelt down beside the grief stricken woman. "I am sure it was murder Martha," he replied, "there is a very fine hole in her neck below the base of her skull. There was no blood except for a tiny bit around that hole. There is a drop of blood on the front of her hoodie; until the coroner does an autopsy, I can only speculate." Madam Foster put her fingers on her granddaughter's eyelids and closed the redhead's eyes, "rest easy dearie," she said as fresh tears filled her eyes.

You feeling better?" Duckman asked Mac after he towled his hands. "Yes, Mac answered, "I think so."

"What a heck of a day," Duckman said, "Frankie left for her lunch hour and never returned."

"Did she go eat with Kathy?"

"No," Duckman answerd, "and that is the funny part. She normally goes with Kathy on their hour lunches together. Someone said she went to the park instead."

"The park?"

"Yeah; and according to a witness, she had a video game in her hand."

"That is mine," Mac said, "and I loaned that to her." Duckman removed his ASU ballcap (which he wore backwards), and scratched his head. "What really stinks is the fact nobody saw Frankie for several hours after she was to return, and lo-and-behold, Jackie Khones finds Frankie's body in the basement."

"What was he doing down there?"

"Who knows?" Duckman shrugged his shoulders.

"Duckman," Mac said, "Lieutenant Woolwine is right - it was murder, and I am going to prove it."

"How are you going to do that?"

"I am conducting a little investigation of my own," Mac Answered, "I do not want anyone to know except yourself and Bloo. I will grieve later, I should put my sorrow to a good use of energy. Let's start with the body."

"They might have taken it away already," Duckman pointed out. Mac took Duckman by the wing and walked him over to one of the windows, "the van is not here…yet."