Chapter 3
Tintin had thought long and hard about the strange poem that he had found at the bank earlier. He had checked the library to see if there was anything of the likes but it seemed that the poem was of someone's own composition. None of his own books contained anything either.
He sat there consumed in his own thoughts for quite some time, slouching in one of the big arm chairs by the fire in the marlinspike manor. Snowy lay on his belly snoozing, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Captain haddock strolled by the fire when he noticed Tintin sulking in the chair.
"What you got there Lad?" He asked
Tintin snapped out his daze and sat up. "Oh! Captain I didn't see you there. "
Captain Haddock pointed at the bit of paper in Tintin's hand again and Tintin slid back down in the arm chair.
"Oh. Yeah. This. It's this odd poem I found at the scene of the bank robbery this afternoon but I can't make anything of it. "He said tiredly.
"Well let me take a crack at it!" Captain haddock replied and took the poem out of Tintin's hand. He read it over a few times his face growing more confused the more he read it.
"I haven't got a clue!" The captain exclaimed.
Tintin snorted "Neither do I."
"Maybe you'll figure it after a good night's rest." The captain suggested and he set the poem down on the table.
"A fine idea Captain." Tintin said, getting up out of the chair and stretching before he sauntered up the stairs.
It was a beautifully sunny morning and the sun shone through the curtains in Tintin's room. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter from the light. He thought he might as well get up seeing as he wasn't going to get anymore sleep. Snowy whined at his master to get up, he wanted his breakfast. Snowy would get his breakfast himself if it was possible, but alas, with no opposable thumbs he needed someone to fill his food bowl. Tintin rolled over and groaned. He wanted to stay where he was.
"Alright..." he sighed.
Tintin barely got any sleep at all, his dreams filled with questions about that stupid poem, the crime scene, and Millie, which he found strange as he had only met her a few times. He got himself up and out of bed and sat on the edge. He looked over at Snowy, who was already waiting at the door, his little stubby tail wagging back and forth. Tintin got dressed before opening the door to let snowy out, who rushed down the hall, skidding around the corner on the slick tile floors.
Tintin walked into the kitchen and filled up Snowy's bowl. Captain Haddock was seated at the kitchen table, his large nose in the morning paper, his coffee sitting untouched on the table. Tintin buttered a piece of toast and sat down across the captain, reading the front page of the newspaper.
"Great snakes!" he yelled.
The captain jumped and slammed the paper down on the table. "Good lord boy! Scared me half to death! What!"
"The paper! The front page of the paper! May I have it please?" Tintin asked.
The captain huffed, "That's it?" and gave Tintin the front page of the paper. Tintin read the headline of the paper.
"Hatshepsut's treasures on display at the natural history museum."
Tintin kept reading, "the grand opening is March 24. That's this Friday!"
"And what does this all mean?" The captain asked, he had no idea where Tintin was going with this.
"The poem! I bet that's the next place the robbers are going to target!" Tintin exclaimed. He quickly rose out of his seat with a determined look on his face. The captain looked confused.
"What?"
"I've got to go! Now that I've got a lead I know where to look!" He grabbed his coat and called for snowy.
"Look where?"
Tintin paused in the middle of the kitchen. "I should call Millie...No, I'll do that later." He added under his breath.
"Who's Millie!" The captain shouted as Tintin rushed out of the kitchen and out the door.
Tintin was headed to the Le Petit Vingtième and then to the library. Tintin was in a good mood again, and even though he didn't get much sleep the night before he felt full of energy. There was nothing like a good mystery!
Tintin emerged from the library hours later, it was now late afternoon. After some investigation Tintin learned that the two previous robberies were performed by two crooks that worked for a notorious crime boss in Belgium. It was thought that the person that ran the organization did little of the actual stealing but instead had a small group of skilled henchmen that did the work for him. Tintin felt proud that he had finally figured this out. Especially since Millie sounded a bit skeptical that he would figure it out when he last spoke to her at the crime scene. He found a phone booth and asked the operator for her number. A few rings sounded and she picked up.
"Um, Hello?" she answered.
"Millie? This is Tintin."
"Ohh! Tintin!" her tone changed to be more cheerful "I'm glad you called. How are you?"
"Great. And I've got some good news; you remember that poem we found at the bank, right?" Tintin asked
"Yes, I do."
"Well, I've got a lead and I think I know who's behind it."
"You do?" Millie asked sounding genuinely interested.
"Yes, and I think the opening of the Hatshepsut display at the natural museum will confirm it."
"How exciting!" Millie said. She paused a moment "Uh, Tintin?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think you can do me a favour?" she asked.
"I suppose so! What can I do?"
"Well you see...I'm actually very glad you called. I'm in a bit of a predicament. I, well, I'm sort of stuck here, and I can't get out." She said, sounding a bit embarrassed.
"Stuck where?"
"In a drawer."
"Pardon me?"
"In a drawer." she repeated "I mean, well, it's a little hard to explain but I think Mrs. Finch is out and nobody can hear me inside of the apartment and I can't reach my phone dial..." She trailed off. "Do you remember where I am?"
Tintin couldn't help laughing a bit "yes I do, I'll be right over."
"Thank you so much." Millie said sounding a bit exhausted.
Tintin hung up and chuckled again. He gave snowy a pat on the head and they made their way over to Labrador Street. It was only a short walk from where he was.
Tintin made his way up the front steps and through the front doors. He climbed the short flight of steps to the first floor. He knocked on the door but then realized that Millie wouldn't be able to answer it if she was stuck like she had told him.
"Come in!" She yelled from behind the door. "It's open!"
Tintin opened the door to her apartment. He looked around, it looked quite different since he was living there.
"Millie?" he said, he couldn't see her anywhere.
"Right here..."
Millie was sitting in the floor of her living room in quite an awkward position. Tintin walked around to face her and he noticed that she was indeed, stuck. She had somehow jammed her hand into one of the drawers of a large Edinburgh dresser that was against the wall. Tintin wasn't quite sure to laugh or feel sorry for her. He stifled a smile by sputtering out a comment.
"H-how does this even happen?"
Millie frowned and got up on her knees to stand up. She must have gotten tired and tried to sit down.
"I was trying to grab a photograph that had fallen behind the drawer."
Tintin leaned over to look in the drawer. "How long have you been stuck?"
"All day." She sighed.
"Oh dear. Here, I think I can get you out." Tintin chuckled.
After a bit of struggling and clever manoeuvres Millie managed to free her hand.
"Thank you!" she said, sounding relieved. She rubber her wrist and rolled it around.
"So!" she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips "What's this evidence you were telling me about?"
"I'll be happy to show you"
"I'll make some tea!" she said and bustled off to the kitchen.
Tintin finally got a good look at the apartment, he found it funny that with just some different furniture a place could look completely different. Aside from the large Edinburgh dresser there were a few book cases, plants, and a floral patterned couch. Covering the walls were quite a few framed posters and playbills from different musicals. Tintin read them over; Cabaret, Half a Sixpence, Unsinkable Molly Brown, Guys and Dolls, and Annie Get Your Gun, to name a few. But the biggest poster was from a musical called "Thoroughly Modern Millie." He chuckled at this before following Millie into the kitchen.
And there you go! Theres chapter 3! Hope you enjoyed it! And don't mind me I know most of those Musicals are a bit before their time but you know, just imagine they aren't! :) Ta-ta!
