Chapter 2
"What do you mean she's really dead?" Alex wanted to know.
"She's really dead." Clancy repeated.
"Are you sure? Because this isn't funny."
"I'm afraid it's true." Alex went to where Shelby's body laid.
"Shelby!" He said to her. "Shelby! It's intermission; time to quit the act, and get up. Shelby!" He touched her, and his eyes widened. He turned to Clancy.
"Have the announcer make an announcement." He told him. "Tell them we're going to have to postpone the play for a later date." Clancy nodded.
"A wise decision, sir." He said, and went off.
Jeff saw Klaus under a seat.
"Hey, Klaus." Jeff said to the fish. "Are you okay?" Klaus looked at him.
"Nien, I'm not okay." He answered. "I could've been trampled to death!"
"Sorry, but you're okay now, right?" Klaus didn't answer. Jeff picked him up, and headed back towards the Smiths.
"Ladies and gentlemen." The PA system rang out. "We apologize, but Cat Among the Pigeons will have to resume on a later date. I repeat, Cat Among the Pigeons will have to resume on a later date. Pay attention to our website on further details. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a good day." The audience all groaned.
"Why is the play continuing on a different date?" Roger questioned. "I want my money back; this is bull crap!" The Smiths tried to calm Roger down. "I won't stand for it!"
"First, Roger," Hayley said to him. "You didn't pay. Secondly. There must be a reason behind this."
"You better hope they have a good reason! Now, we'll never know the culprit until they say we can come back. It isn't fair!"
"Okay, okay; it's not fair, let's just go home. The news or something might tell us what happened if it's serious." Hayley then turned around, and saw Jeff and Klaus. She was mad, along with her parents. "AHA!" Jeff stopped.
"Aha, what?" He wanted to know.
"AHA, you brought Klaus!" Klaus answered for him.
"Shhh, Klaus!" He whispered to him. "You're not supposed to be here, remember?" He then realized that he was in plain sight. He pretended to be mad. "Klaus, what are you doing here?! Did you sneak into my pocket without my knowing?"
"The jig's up, Jeff. They know you snuck me in." Jeff sighed
"We'll talk this over at home, fish." Stan said. Klaus signed, and the family descended the stairs.
"I wonder what happened." Steve wondered out loud.
"Why wait?" Roger asked. "When we can learn right now? We need our money back anywhere." He went towards the stairs. The family tried calling him back.
"Roger, what are you doing!?" Stan demanded to know. "Come back; you know we're not allowed to…" He looked at his family. "Come on; let's get this idiot." He and the others followed.
"Hey!" The grey disguised alien shouted when he was backstage. "Why did you postpone part two of the play? Huh? I'm not going to leave without an answer!" His family came from behind him. He moved about, trying to find someone involved in the play. "Huh? Where is everyone? Hello?! Hello!" A security guy then appeared. He wasn't happy.
"You're not supposed to be back here." He said.
"Yeah; yeah!" Roger said. "Tell me something I don't know. Tell me what happened to cause to play to postpone, and I'll leave" He looked at his nametag. It read that his name was Jim. "Jim."
"We're so sorry about him, sir." Stan said to the security guard. "He's just curious." He laughed. "And you know curiosity killed the cat. We call him Curious Roger sometimes, you know, like Curious George, but his name is Roger." He then sighed when Jim wasn't laughing. "Come on Roger; we have to go."
"No!" Roger demanded. "I won't leave until I learn what happened!" The security officer sighed.
"If you must know," He told him, irritated. "The actress who died on stage died in real life." Everyone gasped.
"That's not good enough! Ever heard of 'the show must go on'?"
"I'm sorry, but the play's been called off out of respect."
"Look, I want the play, and the play will go on! If she's dead, and she's supposed to be dead in the play, then it's not a big deal. She just can't bow when the play's all over." Jim then got mad.
"You're getting on my nerves. I can ban you from this theater, and I'm not afraid to!"
"Do it; I don't care! I don't want to come back here if this theater only does half of the plays. DO IT; I dare you!" His family held him back.
"We'll leave, sir." Stan said to him. "Again, we're so, so, sorry about this." He dragged him off. The other family members went with him.
"What is wrong with you, Roger?!" Stan demanded. "Wait, I know."
"Stan, you're mad that the play stopped mid though." The alien said to him.
"Well, yeah, but I understand why. I'm not a bratty child about it."
"Well, I am, and you know it." The Smiths, Jeff, and Klaus saw that the police officers arrived. They went towards the stage. This gave Roger an idea. He looked at Steve.
"I know where this is headed." Steve started. "And I am so in! And, guess what? I don't have any plans, and it's the summer. Wheels is back, baby; oh, yeah!" He pumped his fist in the air.
"Und Fins!" Klaus announced with pride. Roger shook his head.
"No." He said to him. "Wheels is available this time. I don't need you."
"Yeah!" Steve added. "So, you can suck it!"
"I wouldn't be excited yet, Steve." Klaus said to the boy. "What about your commitment with your friends?"
"I told Snot we'd go another day; not right away. So, I can still do this!" Klaus glared at him. He looked at Jeff.
"Oh, yeah" He challenged. "Roger can have you; I have Jeff. Jeff, get ready to officially form The Fish and the Jeffman!" Jeff was confused.
"What's that?" He wanted to know. He then realized what he meant. "Oh, yeah!" He looked at Steve and Roger. "Yeah, get ready for The Fish and the Jeffman!" He was confused again. "I still don't know what you're getting at."
"You can't!" Roger told Klaus. "That'll be…"
"Ja, ja; it'll be copyrighted infringement. But, guess what? I don't fudging care!" Roger gasped.
"Uh, excuse me?" Jeff piped in. "I'm still really confused here." Klaus looked at the young adult.
"Jeff, my man, we're going to start The Fish and the Jeffman, and defeat Wheels and the Legman, and solve this horrible crime first, proving that we're the best detective duo." Jeff then realized what he meant.
"Oh, The Fish and the Jeffman; I remember that. Yeah, that'll be fun!" He was confused again. "But, why do we have to compete? Why can't we all solve the case together, and be Fish, Jeffman, Wheels, and the Legman?"
"Ooh, you put our names first; I like it." Roger shook his head.
"Jeff, Jeff, Jeff," Roger began. "You naïve boy. We can't all be detectives." Jeff just looked at him.
"Why not?" Roger hesitated, thinking about this for a second.
"Because we just can't." Steve looked at his father.
"Dad," He said. "I need to go home, and get the wheelchair."
"Me too." Klaus put in.
"You don't need a wheelchair, son." Stan told his son. "You have working legs. And, why do we even have a wheelchair?"
"For Wheels. Dad. I may not need it, but Wheels does. I need to be in character."
"Whatever. And why does the fish needs a wheelchair?"
"Yeah!" Roger said as well. "Why do you? You didn't use one as Fins."
"Well, I'm Fish this time." Klaus explained. "I imagined it in my fantasy."
"I did too." Jeff added.
"Plus," Klaus added too. "I'll have wheels, so I'll go faster." Roger rolled his eyes.
"Whatever!" He said. Stan looked at Steve.
"Can I play with you guys this time?" The CIA agent asked. Roger shook his head.
"Nope!" The alien responded. Stan was disappointed. He then perked up, and looked at Klaus.
"Can I?" Klaus shook his head.
"Sorry, Stan." The fish apologized. Stan looked disappointed again.
"It's okay, Stan." Francine comforted her husband. "Let the kids play their game. We can do adult stuff." Stan perked up again.
"Ooh; okay!"
"This is not a game!" Roger argued. "This is serious stuff! We're going to solve a real-life murder! Do you call that a game? Oh, whatever. Let's go home."
Jeff, Klaus, Roger, and Steve came back an hour later when they were in their disguises (Stan, Francine, and Hayley stayed home, so Roger had to drive them). Steve and Klaus were in their wheelchairs.
"Okay," Roger began. "We split up from here. Come on, Wheels; let's crack this case wide open!" He then left. Steve wheeled behind him. "Adios; losers!"
"Okay, Jeffman." Klaus said to Jeff. "The Fins and the Legman story's over, and the Fish and the Jeffman story has just begun!"
"Klaus," Jeff said, "You know my name. I'm Jeff, remember?" Klaus looked irritated.
"Boy, Roger was right; you are naïve! Yes, your name is Jeff, but when you're solving the case, your name is Jeffman."
"Well, naïve means lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment. So, everyone's naive sometimes." Klaus glared at him. "That's not a bad thing, so don't get offended." He changed the subject. "And what's your name in this?" Klaus sighed.
"I'm Fish."
"You're Fish, and you're a fish? Wow; such a creative name! That was sarcasm by the way."
"Ja, I know that was sarcasm, und Jeffman is also a creative name! That was also sarcasm by the way."
"Can we just stop this, and question our first suspect?"
"Ja; let's do that." Jeff wheeled off.
Roger and Steve went backstage where the police were "Oh, why don't they makes these stages wheelchair accessible?" Roger had asked out loud, helping up Steve in his heavy wheelchair. Reporters were there on the stage too.
"Okay, Roger." Steve said to him, once they were onstage, and Roger caught his breath. "Everyone looks busy. So, we got to be pat….
"ATTENSION!" Roger yelled. Steve rolled his eyes.
"And here we go."
"Can somebody tell me who hated Shelby Johnston, and wanted her dead?!"
"Hey!" The security guard, Jim, from earlier shouted. Roger and Steve looked at him. "You can't be back here. We're solving a murder back here." He then was confused. "Hey, have I seen you before? I swear I have. Both of you guys!"
"Doubt it." The alien lied to him. He flashed him the fake badge. "We're Wheels and the Legman, and we're going to solve this case." Jim examined the badge.
"Is this badge real?" He wanted to know. "I haven't heard of you guys before." Roger withdrew his badge, and put it back in his pocket.
"Well, believe it or not, we're real. Now, can I talk to someone involved with this play?"
"Only the director is here. The others went home."
"There's police and reporters here, and they all went home? Aw, never mind. We'll talk to the director."
"You're going to have to wait. He's talking to a…"
"HEY!" Roger shouted, interrupting Alex's conversation with a police officer. "Are you the director?" Alex nodded. "Can I ask you some questions?"
"You have to wait." Alex told him. "I'm having a conversation with this police office…."
"The officer can wait. Now, who wanted Shelby dead?"
"And you have our deep condolences." Steve added.
"Yeah, you have our deep condolences. Now, who wanted Shelby dead?"
"Nobody!" Alex said to him. "We all hated her, because this job as her first performance was all she ever talked about. It got on all of our nerves. But, no matter how much we hated her, we never wished she was dead."
"Hmmm, was there someone who hated her the most?"
"No, although her older sister was really upset that she got the role, and she didn't."
"Yes, do you know her sister's name?"
"Chelsea."
"Chelsea; got it! Where does she live?"
"I'm afraid I can't give you that information. Who are you guys anyways?" Roger showed him the badge. Alex looked at it. "Wheels and the Legman? Are you guys for real?" I haven't heard of you before." He looked at the police officer. "Have you?" The officer shook his head.
"I asked him the same thing." Jim said to him. "But, apparently, they're the real deal."
"How do you expect us to figure out the murder if you don't tell us all of the suspects' whereabouts?" Roger commanded to know.
"Sorry." Alex told him. "But, leave this to the police. Nobody asked you guys to play detectives."
"We're not playing!"
"Look, I got to finish this conversation, then go home to my wife and children. They probably heard the news, and are worried about me." He and the police officer continued chatting with one another. Roger sighed.
"Well, there goes that." Steve said. He then frowned. "Shoot! I really wanted to be part of Wheels and the Legman. I got in this wheelchair for nothing."
"We are NOT giving up!" Roger snapped. "We will get those suspects' whereabouts, and we will solve this mystery! You did not get into that wheelchair for nothing."
"But, how are we going to get the locations? The director won't tell us." Roger thought about this, and then snapped his fingers.
"We'll steal the director's cell phone. He probably has everyone involved in it."
"Oh no, Roger; you are not going to become a criminal. If you go to jail, I'm sure the family won't bail you out."
"They don't need to." Roger told him. "If I get caught, and go to jail, I'll simply escape." Steve sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, you would do that."
"And I won't get caught."
"How do you know?"
"I simply won't."
"You can't be 100% sure of these things, Rog…"
"I won't get caught!" Steve sighed. He knew it wouldn't do any good to argue with him.
"I got his phone, Jeff!" A familiar German voice announced. Roger, Jim, and Steve all looked at him and Jeff (Jeff helped Klaus get his wheelchair up). Klaus held onto a cellphone.
"Hey!" Jim shouted. Klaus noticed them looking at him, and grinned nervously. "Oops; did I say that out loud?"
"Yes, you did." Jeff stated. Klaus looked at Alex. Luckily for him, the director was still talking away to the officer to notice. He sighed with relief. "Phew; he didn't notice." He looked at Jeff. "Let's go before he does."
"Okay!" And so, he and Jeff went to the exit, Jeff helping Klaus with his wheelchair.
"We're leaving now." Roger told Jim. "Oh, and just for a warning, we'll come back." He and Steve left, Roger again helping Steve (Roger groaned at first).
"Shoot!" Klaus cursed as they were outside in front of the car, waiting for their drive home. The fish had the phone on, and then it died instantly.
"What?" Jeff wanted to know.
"The phone died. We have to recharge it at home with one of the Smiths' chargers."
"AHA!" Roger said as he and Steve caught up to them. Klaus and Jeff looked at them. "I knew it! You guys don't have a ride home, do you?"
"That's why we waited for you."" Jeff told him. "You're our ride home."
"Well, I'll only drive you home on one condition." Jeff was confused.
"What's that?"
"Let me guess," Klaus said. "You won't do it unless we share the phone with you."
"That's right, Fish!" Roger said to him.
"Well, we're not going to do it. We got to it first. You're going to have to get their whereabouts another way."
"Then I won't drive you. You're going to have to walk and let Jeff push yourself home." Klaus thought about this when Jeff talked to him.
"Please, Klaus!" Jeff begged. "Share the phone. I don't want to walk and push you home." Klaus sighed.
"Fine; we'll share the phone."
"That's a good fishy. Now, come on; in the car." They all went in. Roger folded the wheelchairs, and put them in the back.
"Oh, and the phone's dead." Klaus said. Roger rolled his eyes.
"Of course it is! We'll steal one of the chargers at home."
When the four got home, Klaus and Steve again in their wheelchairs, Roger stole Hayley's phone charger, and plugged in Alex's phone.
"Hayley won't like that we stole her phone charger." Jeff said.
"It's for business." The alien told him. "She'll understand."
"She might understand." Klaus spoke up. "But she'll still be mad if we get caught with it, so don't tell her."
"Don't worry; I won't!" Jeff promised.
"Okay," Roger said. "Let's check this baby out." He turned on the phone.
"Remember," Klaus said to him. "Look for Chelsea; that's the deceased's sister."
"Uh-huh; I know." Roger said as he scrolled down Alex's contacts. His eyes widened. "Wow; he knows five different Chelseas."
"Well, is there a Chelsea Johnston?" Roger nodded. "Then dial her up!" Roger dialed, and put it by where his ear would be.
"Jeff?" Hayley asked, coming into the room. Everyone but Roger looked at her. "Do you know where the charger to my phone is? It's almost dead."
"Shhh, babe!"" Jeff said to her. "Quiet. Roger's on the phone. She then saw her charger. "Is that my charger?" Jeff nodded. "What's Roger doing with it?"
"He's on the phone with Chelsea." Steve told her. Hayley was confused.
"Who's Chelsea?"
"She's Shelby Johnston's kin." Klaus explained to her. "Her sister."
"Who's Shel…" Hayley then got it, and gasped. "Is that the actress that got murdered in the play, and in reality?" Steve nodded.
"That's the one!" He said.
"How did…" She gasped again. "Oh no; Roger didn't steal this phone from someone involved with the play, did he?" Nobody answered. "He did, didn't he? No doubt the director." Roger put down the phone, and said a curse word. They all looked at him.
"What's up, Roger?" Klaus wanted to know. "Did you find out anything?" Roger looked at him.
"Oh, I found something out all right!"
"Really?" Jeff questioned. "What?"
"I found out that she wasn't home when I called her."
"So, nobody was there?"
"No. I called that number for nothing." Roger noticed Hayley. "Oh, hey, Hayley. Thanks for the charger."
"I didn't give you the charger." The young adult stated. "You took it without my permission."
"Oh, well, thanks!"
"And why did you take mine? Why not Mom's or Dad's?" Roger shrugged.
"Yours was the only one I took. It was for business."
"Let me guess, for your fake detective agencies?" Roger got mad.
"They're not fake; well, Fish and the Jeffman's is." Klaus and Jeff gasped. "But not ours!"
"Whatever. I'll retrieve it later." She went off. Klaus and Jeff glared at Roger, unhappy.
"Our detective agency is real." Klaus spoke.
"Yeah!" Jeff added. "So don't call it fake!" Roger shrugged.
"Whatever!" He responded. He looked at Steve. "Do you have the program? We need it to learn of the others' names." Steve nodded, as he held up the program.
"Sure did!" He answered, and gave it to him.
"Did you?" Klaus asked Jeff.
"No." Jeff admitted. "I didn't think we needed it." Klaus groaned.
"Jeff; we're solving a murder here; we need their phone numbers to contact them."
"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know. We can share with Steve and Roger." Klaus groaned again.
"Jeff, they're not going to share with us; especially Roger."
"Klaus's right." Roger said. "Steve and I aren't going to share. If you want a program, go back there, and get your own."
"Why can't we share?" Jeff asked the alien.
"Because you're our opponents. We want to be better then you two. So, we aren't going to help us."
"Why must we turn this into a contest?" Steve wanted to know. "If we all put our heads together, we'll get this done faster."
"Steve's right." Jeff said. "Four heads are better then one." Roger sighed as he looked at Steve.
"Steve," He began. "Do you want to prove that you're better then the fish?"
"Well, yeah." Steve admitted. "But I think we should…"
"Then there you go! Fish, Jeff, we're not sharing. You guys either got to get your own, or drop this altogeher, and just leave this to the professionals, Steve and I."
"Well, we're not going to do that." Klaus said.
"Then too bad!" Roger picked up the phone, and was about to call when Steve spoke up.
"It's getting kind of late." He told the alien. "Maybe we should wait to make the calls in the morning." Roger just looked at him like he was nuts.
"You're kidding me, right? Steve, these are adults! They aren't children, they don't have bedtimes. They go to bad when they so darn please!"
"Well, what if they chose to go to bed early? What if they have work real early in the morning?"
"Then I'm waking them up."
"You know," Klaus began. "Sleeping makes you think better. You don't want to be completely out of it because you didn't get a good sleep, do you?" Roger looked at the German fish.
"Crap; you're right! I hate it when you correct me."
"I love it when I correct you, und when it works!"
"You may call one more number." Steve declared. "Then it's off to bed." Roger sighed as he looked at him.
"Yes, Dad! Uh, what number should I call?"
"I'll shut my eyes, and point to a random cast and crew member. Whatever person I have my finger on when I open them; that is who you'll call."
"Okay." Steve closed his eyes, and pointed to a random name. He opened his eyes. He landed on the stage manager, Dan Green. Okay; Dan Green."
"But if Dan's asleep, or not there, I say I get to call another person." Steve nodded with agreement.
"Sounds fair."
"Sounds fair?! It is fair!" Steve looked irritated.
"Just make the call, Roger." Roger nodded, and dialed. He put it where he could hear as the phone rang on the other side.
"Dan Green, here." Dan said on the other line. "Can I help you?"
"Yes." Roger answered. "I'm Legman from Wheels and the Legman, and I'm here to investigate in the murder of Shelby Johnston." Dan was confused.
"How'd you get my number?" He asked.
"Alex lent it to me." He lied. "So, about Shelby."
"Yes, it was a tragedy what happened to her. Poor Shelby! She was supposed to be fake murdered, you know."
"I know."
"And I didn't do it!"
"Whoa; what makes you think I think you did it? Well, you are involved in the play, and you are a suspect. But if you say you didn't do it, do you know who did?"
"No; of course not!" Shock was in his voice.
"Yeah, you wouldn't. That'll make this mystery way too easy. Do you know who wanted her dead? I heard you all hated her, who, besides her sister, hated her the most?"
"Well, Chelsea did. Why don't you call her?"
"I did, but she wasn't there."
"Ah! She must be shopping for her twins' grad party tomorrow! I'm going to that."
"Good for you. So you don't know who else besides Chelsea, could've done it?
"No, nobody would, well, you can never be sure these days. I got to go to sleep now. I'm the kids' uncle."
"Okay, whatever." Roger hung up. He was about to dial a different number, when Steve spoke up.
"You promised!" Roger looked at him, disappointed.
"Ah; you're no fun, Steve." He put down the phone. "I don't want to go to bed again so why don't we play Duck Game, and maybe Super Smash Brothers Wii U?" Steve smiled.
"Sounds good."
"We'll team up and kill Klaus."
"Ah, come on!" Klaus said. "You like killing me, Roger, don't you?"
"Yep; I do."
"I'll be on your side, Klaus!" Jeff said.
"Do you know how to play?"
"I don't know Duck Game, but I now Smash Bros."
"I'll teach you, but if you think Duck Game is a game with cute, cuddly ducks, you're wrong. It has ducks in it, but not cute and cuddly."
Both Roger and Steve gaped as Jeff and Klaus' team beat them at Smash Bros. for the fifth time. Jeff also won at some rounds from Duck Game.
"How did you beat us five times in a row" Jeff shrugged.
"I'm just that good." He stated.
"Okay," Steve said, shutting off the Wii U, and collecting the Wii remotes.
"Aw," Roger said, disappointed. "Do I have too, Daddy?" Steve nodded his head.
"You do if you want to be the best detective you can be."
"Alright; we're crush Klaus and Jeff!"
"Dream on!" Klaus said. He looked at Jeff. "We have a big day tomorrow Jeff, so let us both get a good night's sleep if we want to beat them,."
"Okay." Jeff agreed. "But I don't think making this into a contest is a good thing."
"Trust me; it's good. We'll annihilate them tomorrow!"
"No; we're annihilate you two tomorrow" The alien said.
"Whatever." Jeff and Steve both were unsure about this to being a contest, but didn't argue. Plus, Steve wanted to show Klaus he still had it as a detective. And so they all went to bed, ready for a day of sleuthing.