Chapter 4
The gang sat in the back of the Mystery Machine, gathering around Velma who was trying to get a clearer picture of the figure who was at the Roberts'.
"Right, this is the best I can get it." Velma said, the gang looked at the screen. "Who is that?" Daphne asked, the gang studied the face of the figure, though it wasn't a very clear picture; it was a man, they couldn't make out any distinguishable facial features, only that he seemed to have a large nose.
"Hmm…" Shaggy said studying the figure. "What?" Fred asked. "Nothing, it helps me think." Shaggy said, "Hmm…"
Velma zoomed out a little bit, "His clothes." Daphne began, "They don't look American…or from this century." She said. "Your right." Fred said.
"Hmm…" Shaggy said again, he sighed. "I think I might have something." He said, "Like Daph said, his clothes don't look American, or from this century." He said, "Velma, can you find a picture of Florin's Romanian family?" He asked.
"I think so." Velma said, searching on the laptop, she brought up several pictures of families, the pictures were older than the ones they'd seen in Florin's album.
"Him!" Shaggy exclaimed, the gang recognised Willa from the photograph in Florin's house, but this must have been taken a few years before she left with Florin's father. "You're right Shaggy." Velma said, "It's him." She pointed to a man in the picture, he looked like the man they'd seen in the footage, but he was probably a few years younger.
"Who is that?" Fred asked, Velma scrolled down and read the caption underneath; From left to right; Codrin, Daria, Vasillica, Vlad, Decebal, Dorin and Willa, 1889
"Him." Shaggy said, pointing at Vlad, "This is the guy." He said, Velma brought up the picture of the man from the footage and the gang looked at both pictures.
"It's definitely him." Fred said, "But it doesn't make any sense, what does Vlad have to do with it?" He asked. "Yeah, the 'fairy tale' said that Dragomir was the one who put a curse on Florin." Daphne said, "Doesn't say anything about Vlad." She said.
"But we do know." Velma said, "Is he's going to go after the rest of Florin's family."
"But Georgia has seven surviving siblings, Arthur is an only child." Daphne said, Velma quickly began typing on the laptop. "Her brother, Nicholas, lives the closest, he lives with his wife in Allentown." Velma said.
The gang race to Allentown, hopefully they'll make it in time to save Nicholas and is wife.
"It's this house up on the left." Velma said, as the Mystery Machine turned into the street. "He's already here!" Shaggy exclaimed, seeing the figure standing outside the house, Fred pressed a button and the figure was shocked by a distance taser.
The gang jumped out of the van, Shaggy and Fred held the figure down. "Guys, look." Velma said, "It seems that all the neighbours are gone." She said, she was right, the only car they could see was the small Nissan parked on the drive of Nicholas' house.
Daphne knocked on the door, an elderly woman answered, "What is going on?" She asked, looking down at Shaggy and Fred, who still held Vlad down. "Are you and you're husband ok?" Daphne asked. "Yes, but why?" The lady asked, Daphne showed the lady her badge. "Oh my goodness!" The lady exclaimed. "This man is responsible for the death of Georgia and Arthur Roberts." Daphne said, "We believe that he was after you and your husband next." Daphne said.
"Dorothy?" A voice asked from inside the house. "What's going on?" An elderly man came to the door. "Nicholas, these people have caught the man who started the fire at Georgia's." The lady said, the man looked down at the man pinned to the floor.
Velma called the police and they arrived about ten minutes later, and they took Vlad to the police station, the gang followed behind them, after talking to Nicholas and his wife.
"He's not a wizard." Velma said, as they followed the police car. "Huh?" Shaggy asked. "Otherwise he would have escaped already." Velma said.
Feet cuffed, and hands cuffed to the table, Vlad sat in the interrogation room, Velma stepped in with her notepad, and she switched the recorder on. She announced the date and time of the recording and began the interrogation.
"Before you say anything," Vlad began, he had a Romanian accent and his voice was deep and dark, "I did it." He said. "Why did you do it?" Velma asked. "My name is Vlad Bloodwood." He said, "I am 146-years-old." He said, then he began to laugh, "I suppose you heard of that stupid fairy tale?" He asked. "About my great-grandfather Dragomir Bloodwood."
"What about it?" Velma asked. "It's just a stupid story." Vlad said. "I was just a rumour among the towns people." He said, "I am however, 146-years-old."
"How?" Velma asked. "I taught myself alchemy, I read books from the local library and I thoroughly enjoyed mixing different things together." He said. "The one day, Willa left. That was the only part of the fairy tale that was true." He said. "She was pregnant, and they left for France, but her and her lover's deaths were just a coincidence, nothing to do with magic."
"Her leaving devastated our family; mother cried everyday, Willa was the only girl. Myself, my brothers and father spent a few days looking for her, along with a few towns people, but we couldn't find her, and we didn't know where she'd gone." He sighed, "Mother died a few years later."
"I am one-hundred and forty-six years old, because I have perfected the Elixir of Life." He said.
"Once I'd perfected the Elixir, I planned my revenge on my sister, I discovered that a lot of young couples had headed to France to escape their disapproving families, they don't call it the city of love for nothing." He said. "I discovered my sister and her lover had both died, leaving he baby, Florin, to be adopted out of the orphanage and taken to America." Vlad said.
"When I finally found him, he, and several of his children were dead, I wanted to finish the job." He said.
"That's it? Revenge?" Velma asked. "Yes." Vlad nodded, Velma looked at the officers who were standing by the door, the took Vlad back to his cell.
Vlad will be sentenced for his crime, but he's likely to be sent to a prison for the criminally insane. Shaggy said that without the elixir, he'd probably die in a few years, maybe not even that long.
The gang returned to Buffalo, back to their office, after filing their paperwork they returned to their homes.
Velma fell asleep in front of the TV, a cup of tea spilled in her lap.
Shaggy and Scooby ordered pizza's, their third dinner of the night, "Like, dominoes is great, Scoob, but it will never beat Rizzolioli's, too bad it's too far away for delivery." Shaggy said. "Ru-hu." Scooby said, with his mouth full of pizza.
"Like, let's see what's on TV Scoob." Shaggy said, flipping through the Netflix movies. "Like what about Ben Affleck's new movie, Scoob?" He asked. "Reah!" Scooby exclaimed.
At Daphne and Fred's house, Fred was lying in bed, Daphne was brushing her teeth in the bathroom.
He laid in the bed, twiddling his thumbs and muttering to himself, until Daphne came out of the bathroom and climbed into bed next to him. "Goodnight." She said, kissing his cheek and curling into his arms.
"Daphne." He said. "Yes?" She asked. "Can I ask you something?" He asked. "Sure." Daphne said.
Fred stared at her for a few seconds, before he reached into the bedside cabinet, "I wanted to do this somewhere more romantic, but I just can't wait anymore." He said, he held a small black box, slowly opening it to reveal the most beautiful gold ring with a diamond, Daphne stared at it, her eyes widening and her heart racing, almost about to burst out of her chest.
"Daphne Blake, will you marry me?" He asked, staring into her eyes. She quickly nodded, "Yes, yes oh my god Freddie yes!" She exclaimed, kissing his lips passionately.
Fred slid the ring onto her finger, "I was scared I'd mess it up, or you'd say no." He said. "Why would I say no?" Daphne asked, kissing him again. "I don't know." Fred mumbled.
"I love you." She said.
"I love you too." He replied.
Daphne looked at the ring on her finger, "I knew it would look perfect on you." He said, snuggling next to her, his head resting on her chest. Her other hand brushed his hair. "Where did you get it from? Its gorgeous." She said, sweetly. "It was my grandmother's." He said, "She didn't have any sons, so she gave it to my mom, she wanted me to have it."
"Seriously?" She asked. "Seriously." He said. "Did you tell your mom you're proposing to me?" She asked. "Yes," Fred said, chuckling at the memory. "She said it's about time."
Daphne smiled, his mother was right; it was about time. Daphne had been hoping Fred would propose to her for the last few years, every Christmas or her Birthday, when he said 'I have a surprise for you'. She was grateful for the things he got her, but what she wanted more than anything was to be his wife.
"How long have you been planning to ask me?" She asked. "I've wanted to do it for months, but I just couldn't find the right time." He said.
"I was scared you'd never ask me." Daphne said, feeling her cheeks turning red, he pressed a tender kiss to her cheek.
"I'm taking you out tomorrow night." He said, wrapping his arms around her, gently kissing her lips before he settled down again, Daphne smiled, she reached for the light switch.
Neither of them could sleep, they were both too excited.
THE END
