Chapter 4: An unpleasant encounter
The next morning, while having their breakfast, the gang were perplexed as Shaggy and Garfield described the odd dream they had the night before.
"Now that is very strange, guys." Madelyn remarked after the explanations.
"Yeah." Fred agreed. "It is one thing to dream about something going on in the castle and having magical abilities, but it's another thing when the two of you shared the exact same dream."
"Indeed it is, Fred." Garfield nodded. "And it wasn't just some dream that was one-off, I still remember plenty of the details even after getting back to sleep."
Then, turning towards Scooby and Daphne, Garfield added, "By any chance, you and Scooby wouldn't happen to have any weird dreams last night, did you, Daphne?"
Daphne and Scooby shared glances with each other before they both shook their heads and the latter replied, "Ro, Ri wouldn't."
"Me neither." Daphne said before frowning and continued, "And on that note, maybe you guys happened to have conjured up O'Flannery's name after reading about his castle during our way here."
"Perhaps." Garfield shrugged. "Like we said, the dream was probably nothing, particularly since neither of us has set foot in the castle as of yet."
The others nodded thoughtfully, then Madelyn asked, "So moving on, what are the plans for today?"
"Specifically, where should we start on both the suspicious death last night and the gryphon?" Daphne added.
"I'll suggest that we first go to the camp site for the excavation while checking out the castle first hand, see if we might find anything useful that can explain the gryphon's appearance." Velma suggested before turning towards her uncle and added, "I'm sure you wouldn't mind us checking out the camp site, would you, Uncle Cosmo?"
"Of course not." Cosmo shook his head.
"In that case, how about the girls and I join Velma's Uncle Cosmo at the excavation site while you, Scooby and Shaggy figure out more about the murder victim, Garfield?" Fred offered.
Garfield shared glances with Scooby and Shaggy briefly before he shrugged. "I don't see why not."
(Garfield, Shaggy and Scooby)
After finishing breakfast, the trio wasted no time heading into downtown.
As they walked down the sidewalk, Shaggy said to Garfield, "Like, there's something about that dream last night that is still bothering me."
"What part of it that's still bothering you, Shag?" Garfield raised an eyebrow.
"Even though neither of us has yet step foot into the castle, there's still the fact that both you and I having the exact same dream." Shaggy said. "Especially since O'Flannery's name appears in that Great Seal I saw in the dream."
"Well, you heard Daphne when she thinks that both of us happened to have conjured up O'Flannery's name after reading about the castle during the train ride." Garfield suggested. "Though nonetheless, you have a point here. I mean, just what exactly are the chances of two different people having the exact same dream?"
"Runless you're twins." Scooby piped up.
"Maybe." Shaggy said. "But what if that dream was some sort of a message regarding the gryphon haunting the castle?"
"The weapon we were searching for was called the Gryphon Killer." Garfield said.
"Exactly." Shaggy nodded. "Again, maybe it was called the Gryphon Killer on account of us witnessing the Gryphon up close during our walk near the castle grounds last night."
Before Garfield could interject, they happened upon a crowd of protestors yielding banners and gathered in front of a building a few blocks ahead.
Seeing the crowd, the trio looked at each other quizzically before they rushed over.
There was one man staring at the crowd with his hands on his hips, prompting the trio to approach him.
"Excuse me, um, maité." Garfield spoke, prompting the man to turn towards them. "What's going on with that crowd?"
"Like, what's the fuss all about?" Shaggy added.
"Oh, them lot's very upset about the county council moving in favour to give Calvin Curdles the go-ahead for his new ice cream factory." The man nodded towards the crowd of protestors as he spoke before he snorted and continued, "Not that it's good news whenever his name's mentioned."
"How's that?" Garfield asked.
"Let's just say he has a tendency to...rub a lot of people the wrong way." The man said. "In particular, his proposal for a new ice cream factory involves buying out Caisleán O'Flannery and building the factory in it, which as you can imagine, didn't go over well with many of the folks."
"Ain't that a fact." Shaggy remarked as he and Garfield looked at each other.
"By the looks of things, his proposal has made a lot of the townsfolk cross." Garfield remarked as he nodded towards the crowd of protestors. "Must be on account of the legends surrounding the caisleán and concerns that building the factory could disturb Lord O'Flannery's resting place."
"Indeed." The man nodded in agreement.
After the man took his leave, Garfield lead Shaggy and Scooby away from the crowd as he said, "Well, it looks like we've got our first suspect behind the gryphon haunting the castle grounds."
"Like, if we don't know any better, it will seem that Calvin Curdles was hoping to scare the townsfolk away with the gryphon and force the council to agree to amend the designation of the castle that will allow him to build his factory as a result of the excavation and restoration work grinded to a halt." Shaggy nodded. "Question now is, how does that tie to our murder, if he's even involved in it?"
"Right, and we still have yet to find any evidence that would suggest that Curdles was indeed involved in the gryphon appearances." Garfield added.
A short while later, the trio arrived at the county records, which is located adjacent to the local Gardaí detachment and the county council offices.
The trio wasted no time drawing up the property records for the townhouse where the victim was discovered, and it didn't take long for them to attain the name Tim Choruq Ferin as the property owner of the townhouse.
It is also worth noting that the neighbours reported that Mr. Ferin has largely kept to himself since he moved into the townhouse a couple years ago, and as such there's no one who has any helpful information pertaining to his occupation or any possible motive for his murder.
In fact, ever since they acquired the name, they've spent the next hour or so trying to find any records about this Mr. Ferin, yet oddly enough, nothing turned up.
Apparently, the man has no employment records, nor does his name pop up anywhere in the registries.
"Well." Garfield remarked. "I wonder what kind of a name 'Choruq' is."
"Sounds like someone involved in selling chocolate, if you ask me." Shaggy said before he elbowed Scooby and added, "Eh, Scoob?"
"Reah." Scooby agreed as he licked his lips.
Garfield only raised his eyebrows briefly before he said, "Chocolate or no chocolate, guys, there's something about this that doesn't add up."
"Like, you're wondering how he made a living and can afford to live in the townhouse if he has no employment records, on top of his name not turning up in any of the registries." Shaggy offered.
"Exactly, plus that townhouse isn't a halfway house used for ex-convicts that were recently released from prison, and even if it was, there's got to be a criminal record under his name, which there isn't." Garfield said.
"Do rou rink re name's an alias?" Scooby piped up.
Garfield turned towards them. "At this stage, it's hard to say, but considering what we have so far, I won't be surprised if that turns out to be the case."
"So what do you suggest we do next, Garfield?" Shaggy asked.
"I suppose in the meantime, maybe we should find out more about Calvin Curdles." Garfield suggested. "After all, based on what that man told us, Curdles sure seems eager to take advantage of the gryphon troubles to further expand his business empire, and considering the protests we just passed by, I think there's more that lays ahead with regards to his history with this town that could give us a greater understanding to this mystery."
Both Shaggy and Scooby nodded thoughtfully before the former remarked, "Hopefully, Fred and the girls have found something at the excavation site that give us a better understanding about the gryphon."
(Fred, Daphne and the Dinkleys)
Meanwhile, over at the excavation camp, Cosmo and Madelyn wasted no time introducing the trio to the staff members still working on the excavation and restoration.
"So you're Velma Dinkley, huh?" Cosmo's chief assistant remarked before she extended her hand. "A pleasure to be of acquaintance with you, Madelyn has spoken a great deal about you."
"Likewise, Ms. Mullins." Velma replied as she shook her offered hand. "Uncle Cosmo and Maddie have also spoken a great deal about the hard work you've done in the excavation and restoration project, especially with regards to you managing to convince the county council to keep the funds flowing in for the project."
"Caisleán O'Flannery is an important landmark for County Down, my dear." Mullins replied. "The fact that it was allowed to fall into ruin in the first place, against Lord O'Flannery's wishes of having it maintained and opened to the public, is nothing more than a deep travesty."
"I can totally see that, Ms. Mullins." Daphne remarked as they turned towards the castle. "The castle itself has quite the unique architecture style."
"Indeed it has." Mullins agreed. "And just wait until the castle is fully restored, then the townsfolk would have the opportunity to appreciate its beauty at its finest."
Cosmo nodded. "So Harriet, would you be kind enough to show Velma and her friends around? Maybe first show them the place where Derek and Steve said that they have encountered the gryphon two nights ago."
"Of course, Dr. Dinkley." Mullins nodded before she beckoned the gang to follow her. "Follow me."
Along the way through the camp, Mullins introduced the trio to the other staff members working on the excavation and restoration project.
Both Velma and Daphne raised their eyebrows at the way Fred shook hands with Crystal, one of the assistants working on restoring the stained glass that decorates the castle.
"What are you restoring here?" Fred asked after the handshake.
"The Great Seal of O'Flannery, which overlooks the castle's grand hall, which is also the first room you enter when you set foot into the castle." Crystal beamed as she gestured towards the stained glass.
"It certainly looks majestic." Daphne remarked as they examined the portion of the stained glass that has already been restored.
"I'll say." Velma agreed. "It must've been a pleasing sight to restore the stained glass back to its former glory over time."
"Indeed it is." Crystal nodded while Mullins looked on proudly.
After the stop at the stained glass restoration station, the gang continued on to the castle with Mullins leading the way.
Eventually, they were inside the grand hall, where they can see that much of the room being closed off for the repair work.
It also didn't take long for the trio to figure out where the Great Seal of O'Flannery overlooks the grand hall, judging from the large window facing the room.
"Wow, I've always figured that the castle looked grand when seeing it from the distance." Fred remarked as they looked around the grand hall. "But looking around the grand hall alone has given me an impression of the castle being a city of its own."
"You can say that again, Freddie." Daphne agreed. "I suppose it also explains why the excavation and restoration work has been taking quite the time, even without the gryphon causing trouble to the workmen."
"Indeed." Mullins nodded. "It's not just the grand hall that is going through the restoration by our crew. We're also working on refurbishing all the individual rooms, the kitchen, dining room, all the balconies, stairways, on top of modernizing the electrical, mechanical and plumbing."
"Wow wee." Velma remarked. "And all the reason why the recent reports of the gryphon flying around, disturbing the work crew, is putting a further strain on the excavation and restoration work. With a project this size and scope, it becomes very essential for the project to meet its budget and schedule deadlines."
"Exactly." Mullins said. "And when the gryphon disrupts the work, any decision by the county council to cut off further funding for the project would spell bad news in capital letters for the castle itself."
"Just who do you think benefits the most from the project not finishing on time and on budget, Ms. Mullins?" Daphne prompted.
Mullins thought briefly for a moment, then she replied without the slightest hesitation. "The ice cream mogul Calvin Curdles. He's been vying to buy out the castle for his new ice cream factory for quite some time. In fact, he has been approaching Dr. Dinkley quite frequently lately, boasting that the restoration work cannot continue on without a hitch as long as the gryphon continues to disrupt work and scare off the work crew, and that he could convince the county council to sell the castle and surrounding land to him so he could use the grounds for the new factory."
"Isn't that right." Fred frowned as he placed his hands on his hips.
Just then, the four heard a commotion from the work camp, which prompted Mullins to turn towards the main door and frown.
"Speaking of the devil." Mullins muttered unenthusiastically before she head back to the work camp, prompting Fred and the girls to look at each other briefly before following her close behind.
Sure enough, when they returned to the work camp, they saw Cosmo arguing with a man dressed in a white suit.
"That man's Calvin Curdles?" Fred asked as he pointed to the man in white, which prompted Mullins to shoot him a look that said, isn't it obvious?
In that same time, Cosmo was speaking crossly to Curdles with his arms folded as Madelyn looked on.
"Just because you were able to convince the county executive on the feasibility of your plan does not mean it will be given the green light, especially since you still have to go through the county's heritage committee for your request to amend the designation of the castle, Curdles." Cosmo said crossly. "And may I remind you that at least seven members of the committee remains committed to the restoration of-"
"Yeah, yeah, I get that, Dr. Dinkley." Curdles replied dismissively. "What I don't get is what will it take for the heritage committee and you lot to be convinced that your little project is going nowhere as long as work continues to be disrupted by the gryphon's appearance, which, may I remind you, has resulted in delays that also results in the project blowing past its original budget and schedule."
As Cosmo scoffed, Curdles continued, "And as long as the gryphon continues to cause trouble around here, sooner or later, the county council will have to decide whether or not to cut its losses and go with the more profitable plan."
"Which is?" Cosmo demanded.
"Amend the zoning designation for the area surrounding the castle and its land for me to convert it into an ice cream factory, and then all you need to do is sit back and watch the money flow right into the council's coffers from the revenue generated." Curdles replied.
"And what will it take for you to convert the castle into a functioning ice cream factory?" Cosmo asked. "Taking down some of the walls? For pity's sake, the castle itself is more than seven hundred years old, and it hasn't seen some serious maintenance since the Earl of Down passed on, and you really think your factory would do by just modifying some of the features inside the castle, especially when the castle's structures are already fragile?"
Curdles sighed as he folded his arms as well. "Well, may I ask you what good does your project do when its timeline continues to be pushed back by the work disruptions and the costs continue to go through the roof?"
"It just so happens that I've got people working on dealing with the gryphon problem as we speak." Cosmo replied.
"Oh, is that right?" Curdles raised an eyebrow before he spotted Fred, Velma, Daphne and Mullins standing nearby and added, "Those three with Ms. Mullins? They're the ones who you say are dealing with the gryphon problem, Dr. Dinkley?"
"Hey, my sister and her friends may be young like me, but they do have plenty of experience dealing with the likes of the gryphon." Madelyn asserted while her sister and her friends stepped forward.
Curdles turned towards Velma nonchalantly in response, and he casually adjusted his glasses as Velma glared at him.
"Sure." Curdles said as he adjusted his glasses. "At what stage are you dealing with the gryphon problem? Contemplative?"
"Well, if we don't know any better, it is quite suspicious timing that the gryphon is causing trouble around here and holding back restoration work just as you lobby the county council to rezone the land surrounding the castle for your new factory." Velma replied with a frown.
"I'll say." Fred agreed as he folded his arms. "Considering the fact that a significant number of our cases was real estate-related."
"Not to mention you likely having the connections and resources to pull off the gryphon appearances." Daphne added as she placed her hands on her hips.
Curdles only chuckled. "I suppose you kids may want to rethink what you've just said, because unless you've got proof, then I hardly think this is going to be another one of your straightforward mysteries involving real estate."
It was then that Alma Rumblebuns, the leader of the construction work crew attached to the restoration project, stepped forward with a stern frown, which prompted Curdles to step back to his car, but not before he turned back towards Dr. Dinkley.
"Either way, Dr. Dinkley, think about what I just said, and don't make this decision harder than it needs to be." Curdles said. "We both agree that the castle needs to be restored to its former glory, it's merely the means of generating revenue to cover the costs that remains the stumbling block to the castle's restoration."
Without another word, Curdles stepped back into his car and then drove off, leaving the gang to look on.
"That was perfect timing, Miss Rumblebuns." Cosmo said to Alma as they turned towards her. "Another minute, Mr. Curdles would've rambled on about his so-called 'plan' to generate revenue for the castle' restoration project."
"I figured as much." Alma replied nonchalantly with her arms folded. "Not that his plans would do any good in driving the gryphon away."
"What makes you say that?" Madelyn prompted.
"It has more to do with the gryphon serving its purpose of restoring the castle back to the way it should be." Alma replied.
"Which is what we're doing." Mullins interjected. "So it makes no sense that the gryphon would want to disrupt our restoration work."
"Oh, I'm talking about the gryphon's purpose is to restore the castle back to what it was before that cursed Earl of Down corrupted it with his dark magic." Alma scoffed. "The idea of the gryphon supposedly protecting his burial place is all hogwash, invented by Englishmen to continue to look down on us Irish folk."
As Alma made the remark, Madelyn leaned forward to her sister and her friends and whispered, "Alma Rumblebuns' ancestors were among millions that suffered under the Famine."
"Ah." Fred and Daphne both nodded thoughtfully while Alma snorted.
"But enough nonsense about the gryphon looking after the Earl of duff's grave." Alma said dismissively. "As long as work remains idle, the gryphon's darn sure to continue ravaging around causing trouble around here."
After Alma left and ordered the work crew to continue with the work, Fred turned towards Velma and Daphne.
"By the looks of things, girls, Calvin Curdles is sure lining up to our biggest suspect in the gryphon case." He said.
"Considering the motive." Velma agreed. "Though we still have yet to find any clues."
"What about the work crew chief Alma Rumblebuns?" Daphne asked. "She seems eager for the gryphon to restore the castle back to what it was originally, before Seamus O'Flannery taking up residency there."
"Yes, but to what end?" Madelyn prompted. "Not to mention there's still that murder last night and the possibility that a killer's on the loose."
The others all nodded.
"Hopefully, Garfield and the guys have found something that could help solve these mysteries." Fred said.
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