Author's Note: All your questions will be answered, right now! Let's get to the bottom of this mystery with a laundry list of clues! Enjoy eager readers!
The break room's amicable air was broken as soon as Charmy shuffled back in, slumped over with a dejected look on his face. Everyone began to murmur and speak in hushed voices, but Mrs. Tortoise was the first to clearly speak up.
"What's happening? Did you find out who did this?" she asked, hopeful but unsure.
"Can I resume normal business hours now or do you plan to string us all along for another 4 hours?" Mr. Shellwinkle jabbed bitterly, earning a glare from Black Jackal and a subtle growl from Big Bear.
"How about it, kid? Did you crack the case?" the jackal asked, hope clear in her tone as well.
"It's the bear, right?" the white koala guessed, before shrinking away from said purple bear's scowl. But before he could respond to the accusation, Charmy laughed out loud.
"I goofed!" he announced unceremoniously. Everyone collectively grunted in confusion, as he rubbed the back of his head nervously and laughed louder, a pained lilt to his chortles.
"Yup, I messed up! This was my first case by myself an' I thought I was ready to work solo, but turns out I was wrong!" he revealed, shocking everyone except Mr. Shellwinkle who made no attempt to hide his smug grin.
"What... what are you saying? You don't know who did it?" Big Bear asked, a broken expression lacing his features which took everyone by surprise once again.
"Yeah, I do!" he nodded "It was nobody!" he smiled wide, showing each tooth in his mouth. The jackal woman was the only one who could speak, now that everyone else in the room had their mouths hung open in disbelief. Everyone but Mr. Shellwinkle, who sidled up to Charmy, a pep in his lumbering step.
"Nobody?" she repeated unsure of what was happening.
"It was just a crazy random accident! It was just so strange I thought somebody must be behind it, but nope! Just a plain ol' wild accident! Whoops!" Charmy shrugged dramatically before laughing again.
Mr. Shellwinkle threw his arms out dramatically, "What a surprise! The literal child went on a wild goose chase and all of you wasted an entire afternoon coddling him only to realize he didn't know what he was doing" he placed a finger beneath his lip to accentuate his sarcastically pondering expression.
"Who could have foreseen this was all just a random and unfortunate coincidence? What brilliant, handsome—yet humble—business owner could have predicted this and tried to warn all of you of the ludicrous mistake you made trusting an infant?" he mused aloud, adding to everyone's despair.
Charmy shot his finger towards the otter with a carefree attitude, "You, Mr. Shellwinkle. You were right an' I was wrong. Sorry everybody" he said without sincerity, which hurt them that much more.
"Well, that's too bad, sonny. I was really enjoyin' myself with this whole whodunnit" Old Man Owl remarked, a faint smile on his sullen face.
"What about our clothes?!" a squirrel patron asked.
"Yeah, aren't we gonna get compensated for this waste of time?" the white koala added, clearly irritated.
Mr. Shellwinkle leaned over as much as his age would allow in sarcastic thought, "Hmm, now that is a good question!" he raised his cane to jab Charmy in the chest, "What do you plan to do to make up for fooling these nice—yet incredibly gullible—people, infant?" ending it all with a scornful grin.
Charmy snapped his stubby fingers, "I got just the thing! I'll buy everybody a soda an' Mr. Shellwinkle, you can divide up my pay so everybody gets some cash too!" he motioned to everyone, looking for approval and receiving none.
"That's the first good idea you've had all day, boy..." the otter agreed, so condescending it didn't register as a backhanded compliment. Merely a biting insult from a fed up old man.
But no one had the desire to push back against Mr. Shellwinkle, as he was merely saying what they were all feeling. They'd put their faith in the boy, hoping against hope that somehow he could figure out what happened to them, but he betrayed that trust and laughed them to scorn in return. It was too bitter for words, and some of them still couldn't believe what they were hearing, so they teetered on the edge of resignation waiting for the shoe to drop. However, when Charmy went to pay the vending machine, they too lost hope. Charmy had failed them.
The young bee put the last of his coins in the slot, "First drink goes to my good buddy, Old Man Owl. Orange soda okay?" he said mid-button press.
"Oh, that's okay, sonny. I'm alright" the old bird replied, most likely dejected and disgusted like everyone else was. Nobody wanted a soda, they wanted answers. Answers Charmy promised to give them, but he continued to offer carbonated fruit juice instead.
"No no no, I insist!" he exclaimed while reaching for the can freshly released from the machine. "Let me make up for my mistake" he curled his body, reeling his hand back, "By givin' you a nice refreshin' beverage..." then shot a quick look at the owl.
"PAL!" he shouted swunging himself around at break-neck speed, flinging the can at the unsuspecting owl! And just as everyone fully processed what was happening, the speeding projectile was already about to hit its target,
"WOAH!" Old Man Owl shouted, just barely dropping to his knees in time to evade the cannonball of a can, causing it to instead slam into the wall with a loud clack before ricocheting to the ground, a ring shaped dent left in the wall due to the insane force behind the throw.
"Hey!" Black jackal shouted angrily, while the owl shot back to his feet, thankfully no worse for wear.
"What's your problem, brat!?" Mr. Shellwinkle shrieked as he grabbed the bee up by his vest.
"Whoops, butterfingers! The can was so wet with melted ice n' junk, I guess I just couldn't hold on to it! Looks like I goofed again!" Charmy shrugged, a twinkle in his eye. "Nice reaction time though, Old Man Owl!" he winked.
"Huh?" The bird quirked a thick eyebrow.
"No, I mean, it's really lucky ya managed to dodge that throw, what with the glaucoma n' the cataracts n' the thick, ripplin' prescription strength glasses ya got. Not to mention your old bones should be achin' from such fast moves, but look at ya! A picture of health! Ya didn't even stretch first or nothin'!" he explained, garnering everyone's attention on the owl, who brushed off the compliments.
"Ahaha, I'm just spry for my age, kiddo" the old bird quipped.
"I see that now! Anyway, why don'tcha go ahead n' pick up your drink an' be on your way?" Charmy kicked the can towards the owl, who stopped it with his shoe.
"I appreciate it, sonny, but I don't really want one" he laughed pleasantly as he rolled the can back to Charmy, who stopped it with his foot.
"What's the matter? Don't you want me to make up for this horrible mistake I've made an' take this token of my sincere apology? I thought we were friends, Old Man Owl!" he pressed, rolling the can back to the owl, who immediately started rolling it back.
"Well, sonny, the thing of it is—"
"Okay then, why don'tcha give it to somebody else you know who would appreciate a free Orange soda? That way you'll accept the token an' not have to drink it" Charmy offered, cutting off the brown bird and kicking the can back to him.
Everyone stared at him confused as he let out a chuckle. "Ah... haha, these old bones of mine aren't much for bendin' over and—"
"What happened to bein' spry for your age?" Charmy shot back, stopping the can's trajectory again. "Ya had no problem duckin' outta the way of the can, ya had no problem bouncin' back up afterwards, ya shouldn't have a problem pickin' it up off the ground, right?" he said, passing it back to Old Man Owl, who stomped on the can hard as his smile faltered.
"... Thanks, but no thanks, kid" the owl said in a lower tone of voice, his gaze focused on Charmy alone as he kicked the can back much harder than before. The sense of playful aloofness faded from his demeanor as the room became pin-drop silent. Charmy's face-splitting smile fell into a clever smirk as he sized up Old Man Owl.
"Ya know what? That's okay, I'll get it for ya" he bent down and snatched the soda up, before reaching back into the vending machine. "Here, I'll even give ya some ice to keep it cold" he offered, a sinister air to his tone as he closed the distance, ice chunks dripping in his hand.
Old Man Owl stared him down, not a single hint of amusement on his face, as Charmy floated in arms length of him, the Orange soda in one hand with slowly melting ice chunks in the other. The drip of the water drops slapping the tile below was the only sound in the room as everyone watched with bated breath what would happen next. Even Mr. Shellwinkle, the loud-mouthed grouch, was absolutely silent and on the edge of his seat at the sudden, confusing turn of events that brought him to this moment.
"Well go on," Charmy encouraged, with a knowing smirk. "Take it. Accept my kindness" he requested in a way that sounded more like a bold command. Or even a daring challenge. The owl slowly moved his hands behind his back without taking his eyes off Charmy.
"... I prefer to stick with coffee" he affirmed, a condescending air lacing his expression.
"Cuz ya can't take this drippin' wet drink in your hands, can ya?" the detective finally stated plainly, cutting through the airs they put on.
"What's going on here?!" Mr. Shellwinkle demanded from behind him, a hint of frustration in his voice as opposed to just anger or confusion. Charmy continued staring down the disconcerting bird glaring daggers at him through those thick glasses, as he slowly unveiled the truth.
"You can't lay a finger on this can for the same reason ya wanted to dry clean your 'cape-coat' when throwin' it in the washer woulda been cheaper, faster, an' easier" the detective explained, backing away to place the can on a table.
"That's why ya only drank coffee all this time we've been here. That's why, despite your age, ya haven't gone to the bathroom once, when everybody else, including the tough-as-nails jackal had to go at least once" he pointed to her, then jabbed his finger back toward the owl.
"That's why despite only needin' to drop off dry cleanin' that ya know takes at least half a day to get done, ya stuck around. And not only did ya stick around, ya took laps around the whole laundromat, despite havin' nothin' to put in the washin' machines or dryers! Waitin' for your science coat to be cleaned of evidence!"
Casually adopting his aloof demeanor once more, Old Man Owl chuckled, "Science coat? You talkin' about my cape-coat?" he waved away at the air, "Silly boy, it's just an outfit I like to wear".
"When ya work with dangerous chemicals, yeah" Charmy retorted as he flew to the door leading to the industrial area. "I'd wanna wear one too if I dealt with junk that stains this badly" he swung open the door, revealing the cape-coat hanging on the other side. The stains on the garment were clear as day, everyone took note of how it looked less like a regular trench coat or cape. Judging by the material, it looked more akin to a raincoat with a long back, emblematic of a cape but not exclusive to that.
"Ya didn't clean it yet? That's not very courteous of ya, sonny" the owl joked cheerfully, causing Charmy to rush back into his face in the blink of an eye, startling everyone. Everyone except Old Man Owl, who miraculously retained his composure after such a feat of intimidation.
"Don't try an' distract everybody" he ordered, shockingly serious. "Where did these stains come from, Old Man Owl?" he held the "cape-coat" up to his face as the owl smoothly adjusted his glasses.
"I'm an outdoors fanatic, a nature enthusiast. It could be from anything, I come into contact with lots of different naturally dirty stuff" he answered, a charming, suave tone to his voice.
"The same natural, outdoor dirty stuff that's stainin' the inside of an inner city bathroom stall right now?" the detective smirked, as the owl's mild mannered vernier faltered at the revelation.
Charmy flung a finger at the 'cape-coat', "These stains are just like the ones in that stall, the one with an 'out of order' sign on it. The same one Big Bear found himself laid out in without a way of cleanin' himself off. Cuz conveniently, all the paper towels were used up" he dropped, as if it was the biggest bombshell yet.
Mr. Shellwinkle growled in agitation, "What does that have to do with an—?!"
"Because the paper towels were gone, the only way to dry off was the air dryer, the thingy that blows hot air to dry your hands off. Kinda like a dryer does to clothes damp from the wash" he led, causing Mr. Shellwinkle to calm down and think. But once a beat was over, he quickly squinted at Charmy, his chin still resting in his hand.
"What are you implying?" he asked wary, as Charmy sighed.
"Did anyone stop n' think why the people with messed up clothes didn't notice the holes n' tears in their stuff before puttin' 'em in the dryer?" everyone perked up at the question and looked to each other as he continued. "Mrs. Tortoise woulda noticed, if no one else did, cuz of how important her dress is to her. Wouldn't she instantly recognize the holes n' tears on it as soon as she took it out the washer?" he prompted, causing everyone to look to Mrs. Tortoise, who was holding the dress in question.
"He's right..." she breathed, almost glad, "I always take a good long look at this dress when I'm washing it, there was nothing wrong with it or any of my other laundry before I put it in the dryer" she nodded to Charmy, hope lighting up her otherwise serious face. Charmy's expression softened as he continued to explain.
"That's cuz the chemical used to damage your clothes wasn't activated in the washer. It was activated in the dryer"
"But how is that possible? Wouldn't it have washed out in the machine?" the white koala asked, still not following.
"Mostly, sure" Black Jackal answered, "But there's a reason why the detergent and fabric softener smells are still on the clothes after they get washed. It's made of chemicals that don't completely wash away in water. The smell remains after you take it out of the dryer too, because the detergent and fabric softener soak deeply in the fabric of the clothes" she clarified, nodding to Charmy, who smiled appreciatively at her.
"Which means," he started, pointing up as he paced back and forth, "the culprit would need to work with somethin' a lot like detergent for the chemical to soak into the clothes n' survive a rinse cycle. A chemical that wouldn't activate when it's in water, but would activate when it gets super hot. Like when it's in a dryer"
Charmy shot his finger back at Old Man Owl, "The chemicals you used only start burnin' through stuff after it gets wet an' then gets super hot, so to clean it off, all ya gotta do is wipe it away with paper towels b'fore it dries. Or maybe it could get dissolved in hand sanitizer. But ya used up the rest o' the paper towels cleanin' up the bathroom an' hand sanitizer ain't an option neither, cuz Mr. Shellwinkle is a cheapskate who refuses to keep buyin' hand sanitizer when he can just water down liquid soap forever"
"How rude!" the otter in question shouted back offended. "But yes, that is correct" he quickly added, sitting back down calmly. "Hand sanitizer, feh! Who needs it?" he pouted, waving the concept off as Charmy rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.
"An' even all o' that woulda been fine, except for one, huge side effect of the chemical. This stuff stains baaaaad" he groaned in a higher pitch, just to irritate the owl. "Which means there's a trail that starts at the bathroom stall ya couldn't clean up all the way—thanks to Mr. Bear's big bear body—to this science coat ya tried to get dry cleaned—so it wouldn't get wet in the washer n' heated up in the dryer, which would tear it up—to your chemical stained hands, which ya haven't washed clean all this time cuz ya don't wanna use the air dryer" he pointed at the owl's still hidden hands, causing the old bird to bring them out again.
"What, this?" he started, playfully chuckling. "This is from—"
"It doesn't matter," the detective asserted, snatching control back, "you were here all day an' ya never thought once to clean your dirty, nasty, stained hands, despite the rest o' ya bein' clean n' proper" he gestured at the owl's entire body, drawing everyone's attention to the fact that the frumpy owl was actually not as disheveled as he seemed.
When they really focused on his look, they noticed that his feathers were fluffy and clear of dirt and grime. His glasses, while embarrassingly thick and large, were outfitted with platinum frames and the lenses weren't smudged or scratched in the slightest. A feat that all glasses wearing people in the room knew would be impossible if he wore those regularly like he implied earlier.
His beak looked freshly polished with the fluorescent lights shining a nice gloss on it. His tail feathers were immaculately lined up, not a crease or uneven length in the bunch. His eyebrows, while incredibly bushy, were combed in one uniformed direction, arched to perfection. And his goofy hat had no marks, discoloration, or even loose threads springing from it. In fact, if one were particularly sharp in their observation, they would notice the corner of a price tag hidden under the lining of it.
"Even your shoes don't got mud or scuffs or nothin' on 'em" Charmy pointed out, bringing everyone's attention back, "Which is real weird cuz you're supposed to be a 'nature enthusiast' that 'comes into contact with a lot of different dirty stuff' " he quoted, gesturing air quotes dramatically. "That's the story ya just tried to sell me, isn't it?" he asked coyly, quirking an eye ridge at the scowling bird, whose hands had suddenly become fists.
"He's right, those look like they haven't even stepped in a puddle!" Mrs. Tortoise shouted, pointing at the offending perfect shoes.
"Speaking of stories you tried to sell me, let's talk about this little picture you drew me," Charmy flung his notepad open and held it up for everyone to see, as the owl's beak twitched.
"It's a very good drawin', ya said you were a paintbrush in a former life so that's not a surprise. But what is a surprise, is how you, an old man with weak little eyes, would be able to remember all these details of an itty-bitty label on a li'l ol' container ya claimed Big Bear took with him to the bathroom" Charmy keyed in, as he leaned closer to Old Man Owl's grimace. "An' ya just so happened to catch a glimpse of it from across the room, when no one else in this building saw him at all before he left the bathroom? Man, how lucky is that! It's like a bucketload of luck!" the young detective chuckled darkly, as the bear in question stared down at the owl, his fur slowly flaring up.
"But that's not the luckiest part!" Charmy huffed out as he turned to Big Bear. "The luckiest part is when you came here yesterday n' caught Owley replacin' the detergent n' fabric softener with his toxic junk!" causing everyone to shoot their eyes to the bear they all pegged for the criminal.
Charmy turned back to Old Man Owl, "He caught ya in the bathroom an' confronted ya, cuz he's a big tough guy an' he's not afraid o' some kooky old bird. So he didn't count on ya attackin' him first. Ya got super duper lucky when ya managed to knock him out cold, pro'lly with some other secret goo. But ya couldn't let anybody find him with all your evidence on him, everybody'd know somethin' was up then!" the boy detective laughed in his suspect's face to add insult to injury.
"So ya stripped him, cleaned up the mess, slapped an 'out of order' sign on the stall, an' put his clothes in the dry cleaners to avoid that burnin' sensation. It'd be ready for pick up the next day, so ya slipped the ticket in his pockets. Oh, but not before ya emptied 'em, to make sure he would stick around to get his dry cleanin' when he woke up. Which would be just long enough for everybody to notice how weird ya made him look an' immediately pin this whole thing on him, if they didn't chalk it up to an accident. Either way, you'd get away squeaky clean" Charmy clenched his teeth to push down his building rage at the despicable turn of events he had to detail.
"He... he did all that to me?" Big Bear spoke up, bewildered at the depths of cruelty done to him, for apparently trying to do the right thing.
Charmy sighed bitterly and looked up at him, sympathy pouring out of him. "Yeah. He did"
Everyone instantly exchanged horrified whispers and gasps, as well as ashamed glances toward the purple bear who could do nothing but tremble with a torrent of intense emotions swirling inside his heaving chest. Black Jackal placed a comforting hand on his arm, hoping to soothe him before she spoke up.
"But why did he avoid water all this time? If heat makes the chemicals burn through stuff, why couldn't he just wash his hands and let them air dry?" she proposed logically.
"Cuz there's one other side effect that he needed to take into account. The same side effect that fooled everyone into thinkin' his nasty crap was regular detergent n' fabric softener" Charmy explained as he pointed to his nose. "The smell" he smirked.
"Smell?" everyone collectively asked.
"A chemical that's gotta pass as detergent or fabric softener would have to smell like detergent n' fabric softener, wouldn't it? Otherwise when someone opens the bottle, they'd know somethin' was up cuz it'd smell like butt crack" he crudely reasoned, causing everyone to nod cautiously in agreement.
"And there's canine's among us," the jackal woman added, her tone calm and even, "our noses are extremely sensitive so we could even figure out it was hazardous and bring it to Mr. Shellwinkle's attention. Which would stop all of this from happening" she motioned to the otter who stroked his whiskers thoughtfully as Charmy continued.
"Exactly! I've got a good sniffer too, but I was so far away from the washers n' dryers, I couldn't pick up anything" he groaned before quickly getting back on topic. "The smell of the chemical had to match a regular cleaner smell. But the smell he chose was a scent that would have led to his immediate downfall. One man could take one sniff an' discover the stinky, stinky truth..." Charmy finished as he pointed at Mr. Shellwinkle, who sputtered at the reasoning.
"That's ridiculous, how would a smell lead me to the truth?" he asked, pretending as if he didn't want to know very badly. Unfortunately for him, his energetically bouncing knee gave him away.
"Cuz it's a smell that you're super familiar with. A stinky, funky, smelly smell that offends your sensibles as a detergent n' fabric softener maker. The smell that only you could associate with the one person in this entire city that Owley couldn't let you connect him to" Charmy declared as he turned back to the seething owl he was about to deal the final blow to.
"You aren't some weirdo Old Man Owl, you're a sneaky villain determined to bring an end to Mr. Shellwinkle's 23 year long business! You're the son of his sworn enemy an' heir to the Fukuro laundry empire!" he dramatically thrusted his finger forward as he took a deep breath.
"YOUR TRUE IDENTITY IS SOPHOCLES FUKURO!" he bellowed as loudly as he could for maximum effect.
"WHAAAAAAT?! HE'S SOPHOCLES?!" Mr. Shellwinkle screamed, completely blown away at the reveal. A stark contrast with everyone else's reaction to the revelation, that of mild confusion and feeling as though they'd missed a clue or two.
But the old otter was beside himself with energetic gasps and incoherent exclaims, all done while he continuously bobbed and weaved his body all around as if he physically was unable to sit still at the magnitude of the reveal. Charmy chuckled to himself and remained stiff, like he was posing for some hidden camera that would plaster his great moment of triumph on a billboard. Everyone else just looked between each other for solace in being excluded from whatever private party the two of them were having right then. That is, until the owl spoke up once more, jolting everyone back in.
"Sonny, I think you've spent a little too much time watchin' those flim-flam television shows" he said, shaking his head in disappointment. "When ya tell stories about somebody, ya need a little somethin' called hardcore proof, not just some circumstantial details that could make it seem like someone did somethin', but could also mean somethin' entirely different" he explained, condescending in the highest degree.
Charmy's shoulders slumped, "Too true, welp, looks like ya got me there. I don't have any hardcore proof that can prove I'm right..." he sighed sadly as he turned around. But suddenly, he perked up, "Oh wait..."
With lighting fast movement, Charmy yanked the owl's hat off of his head, "Yeah, I do" he grinned mischievously.
Old Man Owl lunged forward, "NO—!" his entire voice completely different from before; stronger, deeper, with a hint of malice.
The speedy insect flew over the lunging bird and pulled something out of the strange hat, "What do we have here?" he joked as he held up a cylindrical container with the hazardous chemical symbol on it, just as the owl drew in his notepad.
"That's—!" Everyone said in unison—Mr. Shellwinkle's voice the most distinct with excitement—as the boy detective finished.
"The special toxic chemical! And!" he called out, reaching back into the hat and revealing the next surprise, "Our mystery bear's wallet and badge!" Old Man Owl's face paled at the discovery while Big Bear's face lit up as he eagerly reached his hands out to catch his identity.
"He's actually a..." Charmy opened the badge and faltered for a moment, his face a ball of confusion. "A... laundromat business practices investigator? Really?" he asked as he squinted at the man in question, his face twisting in disappointment.
"Oh! That is me!" the bear exclaimed, a goofy grin lighting up his features. "That's my job! I'm an investigator with The Business Practices Investigation for Laundromats & Other Laundry Affiliates! YEEEEEAAAAH!" he bellowed exuberantly while pumping his fists into the air, while everyone else eyed him silently.
On the one hand, it was wonderful that his name was officially cleared and his identity was returning to him. On the other... his identity seemed really lackluster and not at all worth the effort put in to retrieve it. Ultimately, it was a letdown for everyone else, but they were glad the bear was getting his life back. So everybody just let him have his moment before they collectively agreed to move along with the plot.
"Uhhh... anyway! Ya had this guy's wallet, the only guy no one saw come in the front door, cuz he never came in the front door, he came in the back door yesterday! Cuz he's got special permission to do that!" Charmy tossed the bear's ID and badge back to him and he happily received them. "And ya used your secret weapon goo to wipe his memories of you an' who he really is, so he couldn't discover what you were plannin'!" he concluded.
"But how is that even possible?" Black Jackal asked, genuinely confused about the memory wiping part.
"I..!" Charmy started confidently, then faltered a bit "Haven't quite figured that part out yet!" he stated confidently.
"But he's the bad guy! He's the one to blame for all'a this crazy stuff that's been goin' on today, an' he's the guy who's goin' to jail! Mr. Shellwinkle, call the coppers!" Charmy instructed, before realizing Mr. Shellwinkle was still stuck in his mind blown state from before.
A venomous cackle brought everyone's attention back to the criminal mastermind, who was now kneeling on the floor. "In your dreams, insect!" he shouted as he flung his arms forward, spraying a mysterious goo all around him.
Everyone panicked and shuffled behind Mr. Shellwinkle, who finally managed to calm down somewhat, allowing Sophocles to escape out the back, into the factory space. Big Bear and the Black Jackal pushed past the crowd, eager to chase after the villain, but Charmy held up a cautious hand to halt their advance.
"DON'T! You can't touch it! It could be the stuff he used to wipe Big Bear's memory!"
"Actually, my name's Charmin!" he called back, showing off his ID unabashed. Everyone stopped panicking for a beat to squint at him once again in unimpressed disappointment.
"... Let's stick with Big Bear" Charmy suggested dismissively.
"Who cares about that! Don't just float there like a lazy cloud, go get 'im!" Mr. Shellwinkle ordered furiously, stabbing his cane toward the back. Charmy started toward the door before stopping in midair to eye the old otter suspiciously.
"Are you gonna pay me for this?" he asked unsure and irritated. "I worked real hard, ya know. And the whole reason I came here in the first place was to make money for rent"
"You're the only one who can fly over this stuff and catch him! We'll all pay you!" Black Jackal shouted in irritation.
"Now hang on, I do not agree to—"
"Oh hush, Rupert! Don't make me put you in a headlock!" Mrs. Tortoise shouted, bonking Mr. Shellwinkle on the head. "You go and knock him upside the head for me, okay sweetie?" she instructed with maternal sweetness.
"Knock him around for all of us, kid!" Big Bear shouted excited, everyone else following suit.
Charmy shot them a thumbs up, "You got it!" then blasted through the door in the blink of an eye, nearly ripping it off its hinges, to pursue the dastardly villain.
Mr. Shellwinkle crossed his arms and closed his eyes proudly smirking, "I never doubted the boy for a second..." he remarked serious as a heart attack.
"Yes, you did!" Mrs. Tortoise shouted back. "You were the main one who doubted him!"
Mr. Shellwinkle coughed uncomfortably, "Well, from the outside looking in, I can see how you could think that's what I was doing, but I was just challenging him to reach his full potential" Everyone stared at him unconvinced. "It's a man thing, you wouldn't understand, woman!" he waved off Mrs. Tortoise.
"Would you just CAN IT ALREADY?!" Black Jackal violently shouted in his ear, startling him quiet.
Author's Note: Oh my god, it was the kindly old owl this whole time! Who could have predicted that?! A few of you did, but still, it was a cool reveal right? XD
The mystery has been solved, but the case hasn't ended yet! Can our plucky young detective catch the villainous genius Sophocles Fukuro or will his first case end unresolved? Who knows, I certainly don't! All we can do is tune in next time for the thrilling conclusion of this 4 parter: Charmy and the Laundromat Part 4! Coming soon because I couldn't bear to leave you hanging out to dry on the ending! (see what I did there?) So come back real soon for the climax of Charmy's first solo case!