Chapter 2
Cleveland, Ohio
The gang stopped in a hotel in Cleveland, they still had a way to go before they reached Hancock, Michigan.
Velma had her own room, where she researched away, Shaggy and Scooby shared a room and Daphne and Fred shared. Shaggy and Scooby were watching R.E.D on the movie channel whilst they ate their snacks. Daphne was finishing brushing her teeth whilst Fred was on the phone to his mother.
"She ok?" Daphne asked as Fred ended the phone conversation. "Yeah, she's fine. She said she'll keep an eye on the house while we're gone, she's turned off the gas and the heating and she'll water the plants in the office." Fred smiled, "But she's worried about us going to Michigan."
"We'll be fine, Freddy. We always are." Daphne smiled as she climbed into bed with him. "Mom knows that too, but you know what she's like, she's worried ever since we started doing this job." Fred said, Daphne smiled again.
"But it does feel good though, solving cases and helping people who need us." Fred said. "It does." Daphne smiled.
There was a knock on the door, Daphne climbed out of the bed to answer it, Velma was stood at the door with her laptop, Shaggy and Scooby standing behind her.
"I found something." Velma said, stepping into the room, Shaggy closed the door behind them. "You should probably sit down." Velma said.
Fred sat up, Daphne sat on the bed, Scooby sat on the floor next to the armchair where Shaggy sat, and Velma sat at the desk with her laptop. "Like what did you find Velm?" Shaggy asked.
"A lot." Velma said. "So, I searched the hotels between Duluth and Hancock and I found one hundred."
Everyone sighed, "Then I reread the files and the night they disappeared, Jessica texted her mom at eleven o'clock at night saying they were staying at a hotel, they were supposed to be at Duluth at six o'clock. They were, according to the credit card statement, at the Wakefield gas station at four o'clock, leaving two hours to get to Duluth at six o'clock."
Shaggy yawned, "Stay with me Shaggy." Velma said, Shaggy nudged Scooby awake with his foot.
"So, between four and six they go missing." Fred said. "Don't forget the snow storm." Daphne added. "Right, that would have increased their travel time by at least an hour, so let's say seven o'clock." Velma said.
"Keeping on the snow storm," Velma said, picking up her note pad, "The storm caused interference with the cell phones, so Jessica probably texted her Angela Douglas between four and seven o'clock but the text didn't go through, and wasn't received by Angela Douglas, until eleven o'clock." Velma said.
Fred and Daphne exchanged looks, "That would explain the time difference." Fred said. "Agreed." Velma said. "So, I searched hotels between Wakefield and Duluth, with regular vacancy, and I found seven."
Daphne's eyes widened, Shaggy sat up in the chair. "Then what?" He asked. "Then I found out that three other people disappeared from Michigan in the last six months; Ryan Jackson, Molly Brown and Hannah Farr. Molly and Hannah were a couple who got lost coming back from Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. I don't know about Ryan Jackson." Velma said.
"Maybe their disappearances are linked?" Daphne asked. "Maybe." Velma said. "But the police report said that after the storm cleared, they drove up the road from the gas station up to Duluth and couldn't find anything relating to the missing couple."
"But, they did find a hotel coming out of the Wakefield, it was at the back of the file." Velma began, "The owners of the Clifford House Bed and Breakfast said that they hadn't seen Jessica or Harry. Police searched the property but didn't find anything."
"So, tomorrow we go to the gas station in Wakefield and then the hotel the police found." Fred said. "Good idea." Shaggy said.
The next morning, the gang had breakfast in the café across the road, then Fred put the coordinate into the Mystery Machine's GPS and the gang headed to Wakefield.
After stopping a few times for food and to use the bathroom, the gang finally arrived in Wakefield. "I think that's it up there." Velma said, pointing to an upcoming gas station with a sign on the roof WAKEFIELD GAS AND FOOD
"Luke Alexander, one of the last people to see the couple alive, should be working in there." Velma said.
Fred pulled into the gas station, "We could use some gas too. Shag fill her up, Daph and I are going to see if we can find Luke Alexander and speak to him." Fred said as he, Daphne and Shaggy climbed out of the van. Scooby was wrestling a tube of Pringles, Velma was reading over the files.
Shaggy started putting gas in the Mystery Machine and Fred and Daphne went into the store.
They walked up to the counter where a young man stood on his phone. The young man was tall and skinny with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes which remained glued to his phone. His name badge read 'Luke'
Fred cleared his throat, "We're paying for gas from pump number four." He said, casually. Luke looked up from his phone and at the computer screen, "That'll be twenty-six dollars." He said, Fred put $30 on the counter, Luke looked up at Fred. "Hey, you're those detectives, Fred Jones and Daphne Blake, right?" He asked. Daphne nodded. "What are you doing here?" Luke asked. "We're investigating the recent missing persons case." Fred said.
Daphne and Fred showed him their detective badges, "We know you were interviewed by the police after the disappearance." Daphne said. "Yes, I was." Luke said, "Which case are you talking about?"
"What do you mean? Were there any other missing persons cases you were interviewed for?" Fred asked. "Just Ryan Jackson, he's my cousin." Luke said. "I'm sorry." Fred apologised. "It's nothing to worry about." Luke said.
"When did he disappear?" Daphne asked. "October thirty-first last year, after my Halloween party." Luke said. "He told me he was staying at that hotel in Ironwood, Clifford House I think he said. When he left my party, he was going to stay at the hotel."
"How far is Ironwood from here?" Daphne asked. "About twenty minutes up the road. There's not much around it, only grassland, but there's a diner a little further up." Luke said. "Thank you, Luke." Fred said. "There is someone who might be able to help you. I don't know what his name is, but I know he lives in a caravan park, he used to work for the family who own Clifford House." Luke said. "The caravan park is down the road, first left and straight on."
"Thank you so much for the help." Daphne said. "Here's your change." Luke said. "Keep it, thanks for the help." Fred said. "Thanks man." Luke said, smiling slightly. "Oh, one more thing, can we stay in the parking lot for a while?" Fred asked. "Umm…sure." Luke said, confused, looking at the them both.
Fred and Daphne stepped out of the store, "I realise that what I said to him sounded suggestive." Fred said, Daphne laughed.
They return to the van and Fred moved into the parking lot next to the gas station. Velma signs into their online detective portal and brings up the missing persons files and bring up Ryan Jackson's file.
"Yes, Luke Alexander is Ryan Jackson's cousin and he did disappear on October thirty-first last year." Velma said. "The missing persons report was filled out on November third, Luke was interviewed on November fifth, as he was one of the last people to see him." Velma said.
"Everyone else at the party was drunk, I guess?" Shaggy asked, "Drunk and doing drugs." Velma said, "There was also a drug investigation and Ryan's disappearance was kind of put on a shelf, until all of the party goers were interviewed, it affected the case, but none of them were suspects." Velma said.
Daphne looked at the laptop, "Luke said in his statement that Ryan wasn't drinking at the party and he didn't know about the drugs, but he was staying at a nearby hotel." Daphne said.
"Like, what hotel was it?" Shaggy asked. "Clifford House." Daphne said. Velma Google searched Clifford House. "The hotel opened thirty years ago, the owners are Thomas and Luelle Clifford, they named the house after themselves." Velma said, in an odd voice. "So, lots people name things after themselves." Daphne said. "That's why its weird." Velma said.
"They have five children." Velma said, then, "Oh, had."
Had?" Shaggy asked.
"One of their daughters, Beatrice, was murdered in the house nine years ago." Velma said. "What?" Fred asked.
"It says she was murdered by a guest named Jack English. He had apparently been out drinking and returned to the hotel, when he walked up the stairs he bumped into the children and out of nowhere he threw Beatrice down the stairs." Velma said.
"Oh my god." Fred said. "She was only five and the fall broke her neck and spine, she died straight away." Velma said.
"Jack English was given a life sentence." Shaggy said, as he looked at the laptop. "Yeah, some jackass made up rumours that the Beatrice was haunting the hotel, plus it was the sight of a murder. Loads of people started visiting the hotel, but then the Clifford's warned people that if they were only coming to the hotel to 'find Beatrice's ghost' then they were asked to leave." Velma said.
"I think we should check out the hotel." Velma said. "No, we need to go somewhere else first. Luke said a man who used to work for the family lives in a caravan park down the road." Daphne said. "He might be able to help us before we go to the hotel." Fred said.
"Alright then." Velma said, "Let's go."