Project Iron Maiden

Chapter Three

Monday, 2 PM, Coolsville jail

Several hours had passed since the matron had escorted her back to the cell after talking to her lawyer. The clang of the cell door had the sound of finality behind it. Velma surveyed the small cell and found it oppressive and depressing. It had the smell of decay embedded in the walls; not just the physical decay of use over time but of spirit and soul.

Two bunks along opposite walls, the mattresses folded in thirds, blanket, sheets and pillow lay on top. There was no pillow case. She ran her hands along her pants leg, wiping away the moisture that had accumulated on her palms and picking a bunk had began the chore of making the bed she would have to lay in.

"Rogers! You have a visitor." The voice sounded bored, monotone and female.
"Who is it?" Velma hoped it was Shaggy! After what Sergeant Smiley had told her an hour ago of what he had found on the tape, she needed to speak to someone. She wouldn't have phone privileges until the next day.

"We aren't told. Only to get you and escort you to the visitor's area" monotone unlocked the cell door.

The noise in the visitor's area was deafening; as many as ten conversations were going on at one time; at least the heaters worked in this part of the building. "Thirty minutes start now" monotone led her to a vacant chair in front of a dual plane window; stepping away, pretending not to listen.

"Sweetheart" was all Velma could say into the phone, linking her to Shaggy, before her voice broke. She placed her hand flat against the glass; Shaggy did the same on his side.

"You don't look good in orange" Shaggy tried to smile.
"Only temporary, I assure you…any news, clues?"
"One but we don't know what it means yet. We went back over the industrial park. We found some greasy paint on one of the security cameras."

"Sergeant Smiley said he saw a clown in one of the tapes; not clear enough to make identification from. That paint you found could be face paint used by clowns. I told him it couldn't have been me since I suffer from coulrophobia; see if you can find out which of our former adversaries knows about my fear of clowns."

"That is not going to be easy."
"How so?"
"When I logged on this morning to check e-mails, your face and your fear was plastered all over the internet…Vel, is it as bad as some of the articles say?"

"In a word: yes. Only eight per cent of the population of the United States suffers from clown phobia and I happen to be in that eight per cent. I've been able to control some of it but it's still there, lying in wait."

"Vel, I just got an idea! You'll be out of here by Christmas! I promise! I love you so much but I need to follow up on this idea of mine. Every one sends their love; we're doing everything we can to get you out of here. I'll be back tomorrow!"

"I love you too" Velma said to a dead line.

Monday, 3 PM

Shaggy pulled into the drive way, running into the house. Roughing Scooby's neck, letting him into the snow covered back yard. He headed to the phone, dialing a circled number from the address book.

"Linda?" he asked when the call was answered, "I guess you and all of Coolsville has heard about Velma. Do you still work for the police department? … Good, would the 'court of the Iron Maiden' like to help prove her innocence? I won't kid you, it could be dangerous…I need two of you to go to Houston, let me know who, I'll have tickets ready…this is what I need for them to do…"

The call completed, Shaggy called Scooby in, turned on the Christmas tree lights, programmed the phone to transfer calls to Fred's, and both left for Fred and Daphne's.

"How is she?", "Does she need anything?" were only some of the questions Shaggy had to answer upon his arrival. He answered all their questions before declaring, "We've been sitting around worrying about Velma; we haven't been acting like Mystery Inc. That ends now. Long John, when can you drop 10.000 dollars into our account? I need two tickets to Houston and 2,000 for expenses."

"Bermuda is four hours ahead, I can call at five AM this time, and you'll have your money no more than fifteen minutes later."

"Shaggy, would you and Scooby like to spend the night here?" Daphne offered, worried about the drawn look on Shaggy's face.

"Thanks Daph but I'll take a rain, or snow, check" he answered,

Monday, 5 PM, Coolsville Jail

"I dropped by to tell you that because of Mystery Inc and the seriousness of the charges against you, we've tried to keep you away from the general population. We can't continue to do that. Within the hour you'll be getting a cell-mate. Also, we found two of the stolen disks in your car. We didn't even put a scratch on your car to find them." Sergeant Smiley gave the information is a business like manner, turned and walked down the cell block.

At 5:30 PM the cell door opened and the matron shoved a woman into the cell.
"Don't push!" the woman, dressed in a black mini skirt, fishnet stockings, high heels and a red sequined top that left very little to the imagination dropped her small black handbag on the empty bunk.

"Name's Ruby…I was only talking to this guy and the cops pull me in" she extended a well manicured hand.

"Velma. Nice meeting you" she took the offered hand.

"You're that Rinkley woman aren't you? Saw your picture in the papers lot's of times. Some kind of detective aren't you? What they got you in for?"

"It's Rogers now. The cops thought I needed some rest and alone time."
"Sorry, I won't bother you" Ruby flipped the mattress like she'd done it before.

'I'm sorry, didn't mean it that way. I'm actually happy to have someone to talk to" Velma started helping make up the bunk.

Tuesday, 2 AM Velma's jail cell

The rubber ball, red and about the size of a softball, bounced into the cell.
"What do you want?" she asked, motioning Ruby to be quiet.

"Why, you of course. You, right where you are: in jail for the rest of your life. Sixty years can drag by, go by soooo slowly. I'll drop by from time to time just to see how you're doing. Let's see sixty years, that would make you what, eighty three when you get out If you get out? How long do you think that pretty boyfriend of yours will wait before he finds someone new? Well, gotta run. I'll take my ball now."

Velma threw the ball back through the bars and started screaming when the clown stepped into view to retrieve his ball. He looked into the cell and laughed. Velma had curled into a fetal position and continued to scream as the clown walked down the cell block, his insane laughter drifting back down the dimly lit hallway. She was transported to City Hospital and treated…

She was six years old. Even then she was shorter than the other girls. She only had two bestest friends: Beth and Daphne. Girls to share secrets with. And it was Beth's birthday party. Daphne had gone somewhere with her mother and couldn't come but she had sent Beth's present with Velma.

It had been an all girls party; no boys no ruin a late summer party. Each girl had on their new dresses and Beth's mom had even hired a clown to entertain while she set the cake and presents on a table for Beth.

The clown had tried to do magic tricks with playing cards but he kept dropping them, which made the girls giggle and laugh. Beth leaned over and whispered that she had a secret but was willing to tell Velma if she promised to keep it a secret. Beth's breath tickled her ear and the girls snuck away. No one noticed, not even the clown who was picking up his cards yet again.

Beth's parents were one of the few who had a swimming pool and her mom had warned all the girls to keep away but a secret about to be shared was vastly more important than
any old warning! Beth and Velma had walked away, ending up standing by the pool.

Velma couldn't remember what she had said that made Beth shove her backwards; she only remembered tripping over the life preserver.
The water had taken her breath and glasses at first impact. Terrified, she had tried to swim to the surface but the harder she tried the surface wouldn't get any closer.

'Mommy will be angry at me for ruining my new dress' was the last thought before she felt a strong arm pulling her down. She tried to fight but she was tired… so tired. The blackness offered rest; she could swim to the surface later after she got some rest. She yielded to the blackness.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the girls gathered around her. She looked up at the clown leaning over her, he didn't have a nose, it was bobbing up and down in the pool like a red rubber ball.
She glanced back at the clown poised over her…and began to scream! The clown didn't have a face!

…It would be 7 AM before she could be released and returned to her cell.

Tuesday, 2 AM Shaggy's bedroom

The snow had begun to fall an hour before. Dressed in his favorite pajamas, a gift from Velma, Shaggy sat beside the bedroom window, watching the snow flakes drift down. He absently scratched Scooby behind the ears.

He didn't want to go to bed. It was so big…so cold…so empty. He remembered it had taken Velma two whole days to decide on the bed: a large bookcase headboard with small reading lights on either side. The lights were frosted and embossed with a single rose design. Velma said it reminded her of the rose he had given her that time in Bermuda. The day he had turned her life upside down and put her feelings on a roller coaster.

They had gone to bed early that night, talking for hours before falling asleep in mid sentence. They had awoken in the early morning hours, christening their new bed; their cries of passion had welcomed the dawn.

The thought of sleeping in their bed alone was appalling.

It was 3 AM when the phone rang. Only two words were spoken: "Tommy's missing!"