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Link has been Reestablished. Now Resuming Transmission.
"I feel like I could solve anything now." The fedora fit like a glove…that goes on your head. I turned, checking myself out in one of the dress rehearsal mirrors. And man, did I look soo cool! I tipped my hat to my handsome reflection, then started down the path of the private eye guy.
"I can feel the detective juices flowing already. Heh, maybe after this, I'll pick up where Numbuh Five left off and solve the mystery of the fourth flavor. But first things first," I stopped, crossing my arms as my brows knitted together. "Where to start looking for those notes."
I was excited for my first big case and all, but I was totally outta my zone here. I'm the kind of guy that goes in, shoots first and asks questions…well, I don't really ask questions at all. I always leave that junk up to Numbuh One or Five. They're a lot better at that sort of thing. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is, but hey, if works for them, more power to 'em.
This was a different ball game though. If I went in like regular Numbuh Four, then I'll be running in circles all night. If I was gonna track down those notes, I had go about this like Super Sleuth Numbuh Four.
Eh, problem was that Super Sleuth Numbuh Four kind of didn't exist before tonight, so I had no flippin' idea what he would do.
Okay, so maybe this detective business is a little trickier than I thought.
If I was going to get anywhere, I had to stoop to Numbuh Two's level and think of what he would do. First, he'd probably make some stupid joke or cheesy monologue; I'd be dead before anyone caught me doing either. After that, he'd start sneaking around, asking questions about the victim. So in this case, the victim is Numbuh Ten. She's missing those notes of hers, so she obviously don't know what happened to them. I figured the next best thing would be to go to someone close to Numbuh Ten; someone who follows her around like a lost puppy. But who would that be?
"I'm going to need a batch of VO5's Scent of Operative cologne, toot sweet!" The voice of a sissy pierced the night like a dodgeball through a window. I looked up, and there was one of Numbuh Ten's make-up crew. He was strutting around like he owned the place, ordering kids around like he was in charge or something. "The show's going to start soon, and we can't have Numbuh Two going out there smelling like chili dogs!"
Ring-a-dingy-ding. There was my way in. Numbuh Ten has gotta have make-up maintenance, like, 24/7 to stay that pretty. A guy like that has to be under her nose all the time to make sure it's powdered. If anyone would have a clue of where those notes are, it'd be him.
I dipped my head, then made my way over to my first key witness. On the way, I noticed a rolling rack of ties, and decided to pluck one off its hanger. I hated these things, but Hoagie wore 'em all the time whenever he was on a case. If I was gonna do this, then I gotta do it right. I dug deep down to remember how my dad fixed his ties, then took the blue one I just snatched and fashioned it around my neck. A little sloppy, but that just adds to my unique charm.
Didn't take long at all to reach the kid. He was standing there, rearranging his make-up kit, not giving me the time of day. I'd let it slide for now, cause I needed time to plan this out. If I was gonna question him like they do in the movies, then I'm gonna need something to take down his statement thingy-s. But what do I look like, some geek? I didn't have any pen or paper on me. So, after thinking quickly on my feet like any detective would do, I decided to improvise. I scanned the area, seeing that someone left a tape recorder sitting on a desk.
Perfect! With the tape recorder, I could take all the statements I needed and not have to worry about writing them down. Forget what I said before, this was getting easier by the second. Figuring no one would mind if I borrowed it in the chasing of justice –or whatever Hoagie calls it- I plucked the recorder off the table, fiddled with the buttons, and smiled when the little red light turned on.
Great. Step one: completed. Now, for step two.
"Ahem," I coughed, trying to get the guy's attention. He just kept messing with his make-up and I kept getting more ticked off every second he didn't answer me. "A-hem!" Okay, now that had to get his-
-and he's still ignoring me!
"HEY BUB, I'M TALKING TO YOU!"
"Geez Louise!" He jumped a good foot into the air before finally facing me, clutching a hand to his chest as he took deep breaths. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? What the heck do you-aww, look at what you did! You made me spill the finger nail polish!"
"Numbuh Four, Super Duper Sleuth," I greeted, extending a hand. Not my usual 'hello', but hey, when in France… "Jus' need a moment of your time to answer some questions, mate."
"Can't you see I'm busy? I gotta clean this mess up," he grumbled, bent over and wiping the polish off the floor. I felt a little sorry for him, I know from personal experience that stuff is a pain to get out of hard oak. "Go play pretend somewhere else."
See, now I was starting to not feel so sorry. "This ain't no kiddy pretend tea party, mate. This here is an ultra-important investigation. I'm gonna need you to work with me so we can both go about our business." I pulled back my arm, opting to extend the one with the tape recorder forward. "Now, where were you at-"
"I'm busy, thanks to you! Or did you forget that?"
My eye started twitching. Be calm, Wally. Be calm. "If ya would just give me a second of your-"
"Beat it!"
Twitch. Be calm. "Listen, it's important that you-"
"Get lost, loser!"
Be –twitch- calm. "I just-"
"Are you deaf? I said-"
Before either of us knew what had happened, the poor guy suddenly found himself slammed up against the wall, my hands holding him up by his shirt collar. Several more bottles of sissy make-up when clattering to the floor, but that was the least of his worries. My face felt all hot, my nostrils were flaring, and my teeth were grinding together so hard, I was almost afraid my jaw would snap.
Hey, I tried to be calm.
"Now listen here, buddy," I hissed. The guy looked ready to wet himself, and I took a small bit of pride in that. "I tried doing this the nice way, but now we're gonna do it my way, understand?"
"Y-Yes! I mean, no. I-I…that is to say…" he stammered, words just not coming out right. "I-I'll answer any question you ask, b-but I'm just the powder guy! I don't know anything!"
"We'll see about that. Where were you earlier tonight?"
"I-I was helping Numbuh Ten with her hair, like I always do before a show!"
"Interesting. Now tell me, notice to see if she was carrying anything important?"
His eyes started shifting and I could feel his sweat slipping through my fingers. "N-No. Nothing important at all, I swear!"
"Ya know who I am, right? So you should know the last thing you ever wanna do is play dumb with me," I growled. "Now 'fess up!"
"I don't know anything!"
"Last chance!"
"P-Please let me go!"
One of my hands reared back, balling into a fist as his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I'm gonna give you 'til the count of three to start talking before I take ya on a one way trip to knuckle-sandwich island!"
"H-Hey now, there's no need to-"
"One."
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa! Let's be rational about-"
"Two!"
"Now wait a minute! D-Do you mean on three or after three, because there's a big-"
"THREE-"
"I ADMIT IT!" he cried, the tips of my knuckles gracing the skin of his nose. "I ADMIT IT! I GAVE AWAY HER PERFUME! IT WAS A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS! I'M SORRY! PLEASEDONTHURTME!"
"Ha! I knew you…wha?" Back up. "You did what now?"
"Numbuh 10's special perfume, I gave it away," he cried, sniffling as snot started dripping onto my free hand. Disgusted, I yanked it away and he fell to the floor, where he started curling into a ball. "I-I loaned it. I couldn't help it man, t-the way she was looking at me, and all those sweet things she said…I can't say no to that face!"
"What're you talking about?"
"The perfume, that's what Numbuh 10 sent you to me for, right?" he whimpered, finally gaining the nerve to look up at me. "I-It's a special brand her grandma gives her. She doesn't let anyone else use it. B-But I let someone else borrow it, but she swore she'd give right back!"
This wasn't making a lick of sense. "What the heck does Numbuh 10's perfume hafta do with her missing notes?"
"T-Tell her it'll never happen again! I'll go right now and ask-notes?" he paused, finally pausing with the waterworks. "What…what notes?"
"The stage notes. You know, the ones that are missing? The ones I've been asking you about?"
"That's what you were talking about?" he asked. Upon noticing that edge creeping back in, I frowned, the guy immediately going back to cowering. "I-I don't know where her notes are. She goes over them while I fix her hair, but last time I saw her, she had 'em. Honest!"
Oh, I knew he was being honest, which is why I dragged my hand down the length of my face. Fantastic. First five minutes into my first case and I end up juggling around a dead-end. So much for that idea. Now I would have to start all over. I bent over to pick up my tape recorder; thing musta dropped to the floor when I snapped. Now on floor level, I could get a better look of the kid I just scared the crud out of. Looking at that sad pathetic face of his made me feel little bad. Maybe I was too hard on him.
Just a little.
"Hey, listen," I started while putting the recorder in my hoodie pouch. I was never good with these things. "Sorry about, uh, all that. No hard feelings?"
"…sure, whatever," he said before he started crawling to the corner of the room. "Now if you'll excuse, I'll just be over there bawling my eyes out."
"Um, yeah. Have fun with that," I awkwardly waved.
Whelp, can't do anymore damage at this Popsicle stand! That whole mess said and done with, I started heading back to where I came from.
Alright, so that did not go completely as planned, but it wasn't a total loss. I now knew that Numbuh Ten at least still had her notes while she was prettying herself up. That doesn't narrow it down much, but hey, better than nothing, I always say.
The more I kept walking, the more I noticed that I had this hunger building up inside me. And this hunger was a thirst. A big thirst. Literally. I hadn't had anything to drink all night, and all that interrogating made my throat guy.
A detective can't operate without his smooth voice to talk him out of sticky hang-ups. It just isn't done. Deciding I'd earned a break to wet my whistle, I pulled a left and started heading towards the lobby.
Global Command always gave Sector L a budget, and boy, did they use it. The lobby was decked out in fancy rugs, chandelier thing-a-ma-doodles and all sorts of expensive stuff. The walls were plastered with pictures, most of them being Numbuh Ten and her team. In some they were winning awards, and others looked like silly pictures taken from a blooper reel. And don't get me started on the food. They got all the cool finger foods Hoagie likes, real homemade pasta from the Italian sector, and candies so sweet and juicy, Numbuh Five would've felt like she died and gone to the big gumball machine in the sky. They had everything.
But I wasn't here for all that. I was here to grab a quick pick-me up before getting back to work. I reached the cooler, opening it and pushing past the juice cartons and root beers. The longer I shuffled through the ice, the angrier I got.
"Just my luck," he said, kicking the cooler. "They're all out of Grapey Gush."
"Oh, you mean this?"
A can of my favorite brand was shoved into my face. I followed the arm attached to it and found myself staring down another face I wouldn't be forgettin' anytime soon.
She was decked out in this purple business dress that had just the right amounts of seriousness and friendliness. She smelled like cherry bubblegum and smiled a smile that reminded me of Numbuh Ten, but it had its own humble-y-ness about it. Her sharp glasses clearly said she meant business, but her eyes were inviting enough to cancel out any intimidation she might let off. Her face was round and looked soft, and she had a mop of fizzy blonde hair atop her head that was a couple shades lighter than my own. She wasn't slacking in the looks department either, and I began wondering if all of Hoagie's excuses to get Nigel to pop into Sector L weren't as professional as he made 'em out to be.
Whatever the case, it didn't take me long to figure out I was being offered a soda by Numbuh Seven, second-in-command of Sector L.
Nodding, I took the can and cracked it open, gulping down a generous swig before exchanging names. "Thanks. Numbuh 7, right?"
"The one and only, I'm afraid. But please, call me Collen," she smiled. "I love Grapey Gush too. I was planning on saving the leftovers for later, but why should I hog both of them?"
"Heh, it's a lot nicer than what I woulda done, that much I can tell ya," I answered. Good stuff this Grape gush. Slides down your throat with the right amount of tang. "They call me Numbuh 4; Super Sleuth. So you're second-in-command around 'ere, right?"
"Right you are. I'm also the field reporter for the team. I'm the first one on the scene for any big story," she said, puffing up a bit as she went on. "You may have seen some of my work. I was first on the scene when the hamsters of Sector B revolted last summer."
I do not remember that. "Not ringing a bell."
"Oh. Well, I'm more well-known for my work during the Grandfather incident. I went in and got prime footage of Senior Citi-Zombies that proved vital for our victory."
Oh yeah, I remember when she did…uh, actually no. "Don't know about that either."
"…the infamous sleep over of '03?"
"Nu uh."
"The puppy pandemic of San Diego?"
"That was thing that happened?"
"What about when I interviewed Sector V after their run-in with the Great White Asparagus? You were there!"
"That's right! You were the…the uh," I stumbled. I noticed giving me that look I usually get from Abby when my ideas don't exactly work out like they're supposed to. "Uh, sorry?"
To my surprise, she started giggling. "Ah, it's fine. To be honest, I'm glad I'm not that recognizable. Between you and me, I get horrible stage fright."
I breathed a lot easier, glad I dodged a bullet. "Kinda in the wrong sector for that, donctha think?"
"Maybe, but that's why I'm glad I'm under Numbuh 10's command. She takes up all the spotlight so I don't have to worry about it. Why, she's the reason I'm who I am today." I could see that happening, Numbuh Ten was really good at that. Numbuh Seven then gasped, as if remembering she left her popcorn in the freezer too long. "Shoot! That reminds me that I gotta go over some things about the show with her. I'll see you around!"
And just like that, she was gone. Nice enough girl, I guessed. If I were in her shoes, I'd be totally jealous with how Numbuh Ten keeps hogging all the lime-light, but I guess that's why I'm not in Sector L. That's just not my glass of soda.
Speaking of soda, I just realized I needed to finish this baby off. The sooner I got this down, the sooner I could get back to –
"-well if you have such a problem with it, then you can just leave!"
"And give you the satisfaction of driving me off? As if!"
Oh boy.
Wasn't long before I could see what the fuss was about. Near the center of the lobby with a whole gaggle of people around 'em were Numbuh 10 and Numbuh 60. They were right in each other's faces, yapping back and forth constantly. With how loud they were yelling, they'd give ol' Fanny a run for her money.
And trust me, I know how loud Fanny can yell. Geez, my ear rings just thinking about it. Last time I ever bring watermelons to the Moonbase.
I really didn't have time to get involved in this. Those notes weren't gonna find themselves. Ah, but before I could split, I caught sight of Numbuh Seven cowering in the middle of them. Poor girl must be trying to calm them down before they make a scene. A little late for that.
I sighed, putting my can on the table and heading into the fire. She did give me that soda, after all.
Man, I'm becoming such a softie.
"Now why on Earth would I want to drive you away, Patton?" Numbuh 10 shot back, her lips quirking into a smirk. "You should stick around. I was going to wait until next week to run that little piece about how you sleep with Rainbow Monkey bedsheets, but I think I'll do a sneak peek. Just for you."
"Rainbow Monkey bedsheets? Ha! That the best you got?" Patton chuckled, crossing his arms as he stood his ground. He looked about as tough as he always did; heck, he's the only kid I'd say was probably as tough as me, if not even tougher. He knew how to stay calm under all sorts of pressure and had tons of control. Well, until it came to Numbuh Ten, that is. "And here I used to get all riled up about your stupid stories about me, but you're clearly losing it, Georgette."
"That so? I must be going soft, but don't you worry. I think it's time I reminded everyone about the 'cheese puff scandal' anyway."
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," he said, pretending to shiver for affect. "And for the record, you made that up!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did TOO!"
"DID NOT TIMES INFINITY!"
"DID-ooooo, no fair!"
"What's all this racket about?" I broke through the crowd of kids, finally making to the cause of this noise. "The way you two are going at it, they can hear ya all the way back in Sector C."
Numbuh Ten rose a shrewd brow before regaining that composure she prides herself on. "Oh, my apologies, Numbuh 4. I was just having a disagreement with my guest of honor! No need to fret your little blond head off."
"Disagreement?" Patton scoffed. "That what we're calling it now?"
The red-head just smirked, hands going to her hips. "You have a better word for it, ice for brains?"
"Now take it easy, ma'am," Numbuh Seven said from the other side. She apparently was using my entry to finally nip this silly fuss in the bud. "There's no need to be all vicious."
"Vicious? Moi? Don't be silly, Numbuh 7. I'd hardly call this being vicious. Besides, the show is starting soon, so we were just about to part ways, weren't we, Patton?" Numbuh Ten chuckled, walking circles around Patton like he was some piece of meat.
Mmmm, meat.
Great, now I am getting hungry.
The drill commander, for his part, rolled his eyes, looking at anything but Numbuh 10. "Sure we were, Georgy. How could I stay mad at you after ya flash me a smile with them pearly whites of yours? Pft."
"Numbuh 60!" Numbuh Seven gasped. "That's rude! You know how sensitive Numbuh 10 is about her teeth ever since she found out she's going to need braces."
If was as time had stopped, like an episode of that nerdy Doctor Time-Space show. Patton's eyes widened, Numbuh Ten froze in place, and Numbuh Seven covered her mouth; apparently realizing she said something she ought not to have said. I was a bit shocked myself. Numbuh Ten needed braces? Don't know how well that was gonna go over for the 'prettiest operative'. Some kids around me must have been thinking the same thing, only they choose to be a bit more vocal about it.
One guy behind me tried to cover up his laughing. "Numbuh 10 needs braces?"
The red-head's icy glare shut him up right quick. She then turned her look to Numbuh Seven, who was trying to make herself look as small as possible and hide behind me. Didn't know her that well, but I did my best to get in between her and her boss.
And here I thought Numbuh Two was the sucker for pretty faces. Geez…
"C-Collen, how did you know I was going to need braces?"
"I-I'm so sorry, ma'am," she whimpered. "Numbuh 60 told me, and it just slipped out!"
Patton gaped at that, and found himself facing the blunt of Numbuh Ten's wrath. That collected stance of his earlier went flying out the window as he started back-peddling towards the counter. "W-Wait a second! I didn't say anything about-"
"You JERK!" She was practically screaming now, and I could see some wetness pricking at the corners of her eyes. Man oh man, was Patton in the doghouse now. "I told you that in confidence! I-I actually thought I could trust you!"
"Now, Georgette, just calm down and-"
"Don't you dare, you stupid excuse for a drill instructor," she snapped. "One more word out of you, and I'm going to do a whole special on how your mom calls you 'Patty-kins' before she tucks you into bed every night!"
Patton started blushing and a few laughs broke out from the crowd. After shaking off his fear, he decided to start fighting back. "That was a low blow! I know you're mad, but you better shut that trap of yours before you say something you're gonna regret!"
"Oh, believe me, Patty-kins, you don't know the meaning of regret. But you will!"
"Is that a threat?"
"Just you wait! After I'm through with you, I'm gonna make you wish were never born!"
"ENOUGH!" he snapped, the whole treehouse shaking. I pulled at my collar, things starting to feel a lot more awkward. Patton only ever used that voice when punishing some spoiled cadet who was way out of line; not many actually heard him shout like that.
Numbuh Ten clearly hadn't, the way she flinched back at his tone.
"In case it slipped your mind, I am your superior officer, and I will not take this kind of insubordination! Now I suggest you turn yourself around and get back to work. On the double!"
"Y-You…don't you yell at me like that, Patton-"
"That's Numbuh 60 to you. One more word, and you're going to be getting real friendly with the floor!"
"You can't be serious-"
"Drop and give me fifty."
"WHA-"
"NOW."
Everyone held their breath, not making a peep as they waited to see what would happen. Numbuh Ten stood there, thrown for a complete loop. After a few seconds, her fists clenched as her eyes narrowed into slits. For a second there, I thought she was gonna slap him or something. But she just gave a curt nod of her head and began complying with Patton's order.
"Yes sir, Numbuh 60 sir," she spat. Without another word she went down to the floor, starting her set of fifty without breaking so much as a sweat.
Patton's frown was probably sown onto his face at this point. He gave one look to the group that had gathered, and they all scattered like mice. He walked right passed me, uttering not a word as he made his way out of the lobby. Not that I was in a chatty mood myself. I was still trying to swallow what just happened.
You see some ugly stuff doing this kind of work. That was one of 'em.
I looked around, everyone in the lobby pretty much back to their own stations and completely ignoring the fact that the leader of sector L was a few feet away on her fifteenth push-up. I slowly walked up to her, figuring I might as well check in on her. She was my client, after all.
"Hey," I said, bending down and doing push-ups in time with her. Following that bobbing head of hers would just make me dizzy. "You alright?"
"Just peachy," she said tersely, still staring straight ahead. "The gall of that brute. Making me do push-ups in front of my own sector."
I had no idea how it must've felt. Numbuh One always hated it when someone made him look stupid in front of us, so I can only imagine how it must feel for his cousin. "What is it between you two, anyway?"
"What's it matter? If I see him again before the night is over, it'll be far too soon," she muttered. After a second, it became clear she wasn't giving me the time of day. Not wanting to waste any more time, I hopped back on my feet, leaving the girl to her thoughts. "Just you wait, Patton. When I'm done with you, you're going to be begging for early decommissioning…"
I left to her own devices, not wanting to get any more involved than I was. Hard as it is to believe, I didn't know a lot of things. But what I did know is when someone gets that angry, well, you better get the heck outta dodge, because that's a tussle no one's gonna win.
But all this drama was getting in the way of what really mattered: my case. Almost half an hour before the show goes live, and I've got nothing to show for it. Only thing I've figured out is Numbuh Ten's perfume is out on loan, but she ain't looking for that! Well, maybe? Perhaps I could go back to that guy and ask him who borrowed it. I bet if I showed up with her perfume she would-
-no, what am I thinking? I set out to find those notes, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Super Sleuth Numbuh Four does not let anything get the best of him, especially some cruddy pieces of paper.
I made my way back to the table, wanting to finish my drink and get this show back on the road. But to my utter disbelief, my soda wasn't there; it was gone! I picked through the food and napkins, not caring about the mess I made. I was sick and tired of every bozo and their mum thinking they can make off with my sodas!
Hmm, maybe sector L's hamsters were in cahoots with ours. I wouldn't put it past 'em, the sneaky lil…
Thoughts of furry revenge were canned when I saw something weird off to the side. Further down the hall, holding something in their hand, was some shadowy looking figure. Now, it coulda been anything, but I'd bet you my best Yipper card it was my soda!
They picked the wrong night to mess with me.
"Hey you," I called out. They didn't hear me, and kept on walking. "Stop right –ooff! Hey, watch were yer going!"
"Ooops, my bad, pal!"
I stopped, recognizing that voice. I took a step back and low and behold, I had just ran into Hoagie. He finally found his chance to get away from the make-up crew from the looks of it.
"Oh, hey, Numbuh Two," I greeted. That's when I got a good look at him. "What the heck happened to you?"
"Numbuh Ten's fashion police, that's what," he groaned. I couldn't blame him. That pilot cap of his was nowhere to be found, and his hair was combed over all nice-like and straight. Reminded me of the time we had to follow Lizzie for a day and she took us out for manicures and junk. Ugh, I still have nightmares.
He still had his goggles, but something tells me he had to fight tooth and nail to keep 'em. His choice of wardrobe wasn't good enough for them either, for instead of his normal shirt and suspenders, he had been jammed into some dress suit that looked uncomfortable in all the wrong places. I'd made a crack about the bow-tie, and but after looking down at my own neck, I figured I wasn't doing that much better.
"Geez, mate. They really did a number on ya, didn't they? I almost didn't recognize ya."
"Tell me about it! My head itches, but I can't scratch or I'm gonna be plopped back down in that chair again. And this suit chafes like something mad," he whined, doing his best to give himself wiggle room. "Speaking of wardrobe malfunctions, what's with the tie? And why are you wearing my cool detective hat?"
"O-Oh, this ol' thing?" I snatched the fedora off my head, hiding it behind my back. "I was just, er uh, keeping it warm for ya!"
"Please don't tell me you're going around pretending to be me. Because if it's anything like that time you dressed up as Numbuh 1-"
"I'm not pretending anything!" I growled, plopping the hat back on. "I'm on a super important case. The most important case in the history of all detective cases ever!"
"Did you lose your wallet again?"
"No! For your information, I'm looking for notes as a personal favor to Numbuh 10 herself." I fessed up, feeling a bit smug. It wasn't every day you got to take on a case for someone like her. I bet he was totally jealous. "And when I find 'em, then we'll see who the real detective is!"
"Uh huh. Sure you will," he said, barely paying attention to me at all. He was more focused on trying to think of how he could get out of that suit. "Got any leads, oh so suave one?"
Despite myself, I pullws the tip of the fedora over my eyes, foot shuffling back and forth as I drew nothing but blanks. "Uh, well, not exactly. I got some answers from this one guy, but that didn't really go anywhere. I thought I'd make some progress asking someone close to her, but that was just a dead end."
"Well, you're in the right ball park, but you're swinging when you should be pitching."
"The crud is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you should start with someone close, but not friendly-close. No, if you want to find those notes, ya gotta go after someone who has a grudge against your client."
Maybe he was on to something. "A grudge?"
"Yeah," he nodded. Guess I got him interested enough to tear him away from his clothing problems. "Everyone's got enemies. What you need to do is go after someone on Numbuh 10's bad side. Who would have something to gain if her notes suddenly pulled a Houdini?"
Hate to say this, but he was right. I was barking up the wrong tree from the start. Why would one of Numbuh Ten's make-up crew want her notes to go missing? If she messes up on TV, then her whole sector looks bad. It was starting to come together now. All I had to do now was think of who would want to steal Numbuh Ten's notes. It obviously wasn't an adult, the treehouse alarms would've went off long before they could get close. I considered teenager infiltration, but did away with that thought soon as it popped in my noggin. Weird as they are, I can't see Teen Ninjas going through all this trouble to louse up a broadcast.
No, this had to be some sort of inside job. Someone in this treehouse had it out for Numbuh Ten. It wasn't her sector, that's for certain. Hoagie would never do something that despicable, and it wasn't me; I was trying to find the notes for Pete's sake. Yet I was running out of options. The only other person here in the treehouse not a part of sector L is Patton…
Wait.
"That's it!" I said with a snap of my fingers. It all made sense now. After that row they had back there, you can't stand there and tell me they liked each other. That's just crazy talk. Plus, Numbuh Ten looked surprised when she found out Patton showed up. If I had to take a shot in the dark, then I'd say Patton musta swiped Numbuh Ten's notes when she wasn't looking and wanted use 'em for a prank gone way too far.
It's not solid, but it's the only lead I've got so far. Mind made up, I patted Hoagie goodbye, knocking his bow-tie out of place by accident. A swarm of make-up artists came out of nowhere and descended upon him, but that wasn't my problem.
I had a mystery to solve.
Wasn't long 'til I reached the guest rooms, and I eventually stumbled upon one that looked like it would house our good ol' Arctic Commander. He apparently didn't intend to stick around too long, as they only thing next to his bed was his back-pack and pair of spare boots. I turned his bag inside out. No time to wait on some stupid warrant when crime was a-foot.
The contents spilled out over the floor, and I shifted through it all; Yipper cards, some documents about new recruits, tooth brush, tooth paste, every lousy thing in the world except Numbuh Ten's notes. This search going nowhere! I started shaking the bag around, figuring I missed something, when I saw a photo flutter down to the floor. Curious, I picked it up, surprised to see it was a picture of Patton and Numbuh Ten.
Looked like they were outside the Arctic base, Numbuh Ten poking her tongue at the camera while giving Patton the bunny-ear treatment. The guy himself wasn't smiling. He was frowning with his arms crossed trying his best to ignore the frozen chocolate milk mustache above his lip. Even though it wasn't his best picture, he didn't look all tense. Being a hands on guy like, you tend to pick up on body language.
This just raised more questions. Why would Patton be keeping a picture of him and Numbuh Ten if they hated each other's guts? Because there was no way that wasn't Numbuh Ten. She had her face, hair, everything! Heck, I could practically smell the lilac and gooseberries from the photo.
Wait, lilac and gooseberries?
I glanced up, sniffing around for the source of the smell. That scent was too strong to be coming from a picture. Only thing I smelled like that recently was Numbuh Ten, and she uses a special type of perfume.
Was she around here somewhere?
Well, rummaging through Patton's junk was getting me nowhere, so I figured I might as well go follow the scent. It was way too strong to have just been lingering around. I followed the trial, leaving Patton's room to go a bit further down the hall. The smell was taking me around the corner, but before I could completely turn, I snapped to the wall as I watched the scene play out before me.
Near the end of the corridor was a shadowy looking person. I couldn't get a good look at 'em, but I could tell they were wearing some trench coat with the collar uncurled high enough to block their face. They were leaning over something, snapping pictures with a camera they had in their hands. They were so busy that they didn't even see me.
Normally, I go in full butt kick mode and demand to know what was going on, but after remembering what happened earlier, I decided to just wait this one out. I was not in the mood to lose another possible lead.
After what felt like a forever and a half, the mysterious person pocketed the pictures they took, and turned to exit the hallway. Their back was still to me, so identifying that guy was just un-possible.
Waiting time was over. Now it was time to go into detective mode. I made a light sprint down the hall, careful not to make too much noise in case the creep was still around.
But nothing in the universe could've prepared me for what I saw next
"PATTON!"
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