Chapter 11: An unpleasant encounter and on the road
A short while later, Fred had joined the rest of the gang at the storage room under the pretense of having to go use the washroom.
"Holy moly." The blonde remarked as they looked into the storage room. "You guys think this is the victim's blood?"
He was gesturing towards the pool of blood on the floor as he spoke, during which Velma nodded.
"Well, whoever did this was definitely sloppy in covering up his or her tracks." Velma offered. "Should have cleaned the pool of blood even though the police didn't even bother to initiate a search through the school building."
"The culprit's definitely going to have you kids to thank for his or her capture, that's for sure." A voice said from behind, prompting the gang to turn around.
Standing right behind them was Detective Beau Neville, who had his hands on his hips as he stared at the gang with a scowl on his face.
"Um, Detective Neville." Fred said in recognition. "Didn't...expect to see you...again."
"You wouldn't." Neville said as he stepped forward. "Had you kids decided not to take the law into your own hands by playing detective."
"Well, Detective, we can explain..." Daphne began, only for Neville to cut her off.
"I don't think that will be necessary." Neville said as he folded his arms disapprovingly. "You see, it's not everyday that kids like you will choose to hang around at the medical examiner's office, besides I've known Dr. Jasperson for a while now. He doesn't tutor biology on weekends as you kids claimed, plus he has a lot of other cases to deal with, so he wouldn't even have time to do so."
As the gang shared glances with each other, the detective continued, "Now, I'm certain you kids have your reasons for deciding to take an interest in this case, but believe me when I say that playing detective isn't going to get you anywhere good, because often times, less-than-ideal circumstances happens to those that aren't trained in investigating crimes and aren't equipped to handle the dangers."
"Not even when leaving an unsolved case be has the potential to lead to dangerous implications?" Velma asked, clearly not impressed by what the detective is implying.
"Don't you play smart with me, young lady." Neville glared. "You kids have no idea what you're getting yourselves into. There's much more at stake in solving crimes, which isn't just about catching the bad guy and proving something to yourself, as you kids will like to think."
"What are you implying, Detective Neville?" Daphne asked.
"I'm saying that you kids should leave the professionals in solving this case before any of you get hurt." Neville said sternly.
"Even if your efforts can get hampered by the sheriff?" Velma asked.
Neville scoffed. "After being on the job for almost twenty years, you'd really think I wouldn't have figured out ways to work around any obstruction in the case by now?"
"Yes, well, I'm sure you know how to work around any obstruction, Detective." Fred said. "It's just that having had been shaken up by what had happened at our here, it's given us the push to get the inspiration in finding out what happened, especially when a beast is supposedly involved in the victim's death."
Neville narrowed his eyes as he turned towards the blonde. "You know, Mr. Jones, just because your father is one of the five members of the county's Board of Supervisors doesn't mean you get a pass in deciding to take the law into your own hands."
"Well, I wasn't going to imply that-" Fred said, only for the detective to cut in.
"I think I've heard enough." Neville snapped. "Now get out and leave it to the professionals in solving this case. I'm not going to repeat myself, unless you kids want to face charges of obstructing a police investigation."
The gang only exhaled before they reluctantly shuffled down the hallway, towards the nearby exit.
As the gang walked past the detective, Neville stopped them when he turned towards Shaggy and said, "Mr. Rogers."
The gang stopped as Shaggy turned towards Neville, who was glaring at him authoritatively.
"I used to serve with your old man back in the day, and while he may not see eye-to-eye with the sheriff, he wouldn't want to see you taking the law into your own hands." Neville said sternly. "Take my advice and try not to fall under the influence of those with questionable intent."
The others turned towards Shaggy as he only stared back towards Neville, during which the detective prompted, "Do I make myself loud and clear?"
Shaggy only swallowed, but the glare from Neville prompt him to nod curtly.
"Don't make me repeat this message, son." Neville advised. "I may not be in a pleasant mood the next time I repeat it to you."
He then waved his hand dismissively at the gang, prompting them to take their leave.
October 26, 2009
The rest of Shaggy's weekend were largely uneventful. Since Detective Neville gave that stern lecture to him and the gang, he had been trying to get his mind off the case.
However, that was proven to be a very difficult thing for him to do when his mind remains prone to flashing back to the grisly details from the accident, especially whenever he spots an object that remotely resembles the tractor trailer that plowed right into the school bus he was riding on.
H*ll, since that accident, he hasn't been able to complete a ride on a school bus without the interior of the vehicle reminding him of what had happened, which was all the reason for him to drive to school.
Granted, being behind the wheel doesn't exactly calm his mind down much, but at least that he can keep those traumatizing thoughts at bay when he keeps his eyes on the road.
Of course, it doesn't mean he does not get anxious whenever approaching a stop sign or a red light at an intersection. If anything, he has made a habit of glancing both ways of the road before hitting the gas once he was absolutely sure that there was no one approaching on the perpendicular roadway.
That habit, of course, has at times lead to him being the receiving end of several annoyed honks from the cars waiting behind him after a red light turned green.
It was no different that morning when he drove to school as usual. After dropping Maggie off at her school, he was at the front of a line of vehicles waiting for the red light to turn green.
"Come on, jacka**!" The angry driver of the car behind him berated loudly after honking his horn several times after the light turned green. "I don't have all morning!"
When Shaggy didn't hit the gas even after several more angry honks, several of the drivers behind them changed laneways and sped past the two vehicles.
The angry driver, clearly annoyed, decided to do the same thing, though as he was doing so, the lights suddenly turned yellow.
Screeching to a halt as the lights turned red, the driver shifted the car to park and stormed out.
"Alright, what the h*ll is the meaning of this?" He demanded as he stormed over to Shaggy, who had his side window rolled down, and knocked on the windshield. "Hey kid! Did you realize that you just stopped throughout an entire green light cycle?"
When Shaggy didn't respond, the irritated driver knocked on the windshield again.
"Hello?" He berated. "Did you hear what I just said?"
Shaggy only stared towards the blank space ahead of him, prompting the irate driver to knock on the windshield again and wave his hand.
"Hello?" The driver repeated. "Anybody home?"
Seeing that Shaggy still wasn't responding, the irate driver frowned before he looked closely at his eyes.
Although Shaggy blinked briefly, he certainly looked like he had zoned out, prompting the driver to snap his fingers in front of him.
"Hey!" The driver said as he snapped his fingers in front of Shaggy's face through the windshield.
That certainly got Shaggy's attention, as he immediately snapped out of his trance, turned towards the irate driver, and asked, "Huh?"
"I'm saying what's the matter with you, kid?" The driver demanded. "You colourblind?"
Shaggy shook his head, during which the driver's eyes rolled towards Shaggy's hands, which were still gripping the steering wheel.
Noticing how white his knuckles look, coupled with the tremor from his wrists, prompted the driver to frown as he put two and two together.
"You know, you may wanna consult a therapist, kid." The driver advised. "It may help with whatever it is you went through."
Shaggy only nodded silently before he rolled his window up and stepped on the gas after the light turned green, prompting the irate driver to watch him drove off.
The driver's frown only deepened as he watched the van disappearing in the distance before he shook his head and returned to his vehicle.
Please read and review, and to all of my readers, Merry Christmas!