Scooby-Doo and the Veritas Diamond
Author: Jessica
Chapter Three: Deeper Confusion
"Ugh! Normally by now we have somebody in a ghost costume after us," sighed Daphne. Shaggy laughed.
"I'm glad there isn't; you know I hate that," he said. Freddie rolled his eyes.
"I almost wish there was; we need some kind of break!" he cried, exasperated. Velma just looked at them all, her eyes twinkling. Scooby looked at her suspiciously.
"Rrrut?" he asked. Velma bit her lip thoughtfully.
"Well, last time we tried to analyze our clues, we were, well, interrupted. Let's try again."
"I'll read," volunteered Dapne, pulling out a notebook. "Clue 1: The diamond may have been passed down to Oldham; there's what could be a picture of it in the attic. 2: In a book with information on the diamond, those pages have been ripped out. Third: Oldham doesn't have the diamond registered or anything, but Leroy knew about it. And lastly, the burglar had to stand on a chair to reach the safe. Where does that put us? How do these fit together? Leroy seems plausible, but the fourth clue cancels him out!" The group sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts.
"Do you think maybe that's done on purpose?" asked Freddie. "I mean, it seems strange that the two clues we find relating to the theft itself cancel each other out, leaving us with... the two clues about the diamond, which aren't really much to go on."
"You're right, Fred! Why didn't I think of that before?" Velma said, excited. Fred looked startled, but Shaggy and Daphne just rolled their eyes.
"Think of what?"
"It's too good. No crime is perfect, you know that. So, for a minute, let's just assume it was Leroy. What could you do to throw off suspicion? Leave a chair sticking out, perhaps?" Shaggy looked doubtful.
"If it were me, I'd do something a little more obvious than that, Velma. Nice try though, better than anything I've come up with!" Everyone laughed at that.
"Well, suppose it wasn't Leroy? That leaves Brubaker and the maid. Brubaker has no connection to the diamond, Oldham, or, well, anything. The maid is new, she's from Romania. Is there any sort of connection between her and the diamond? IF the diamond has been in the Oldham family for years, then I doubt that," commented Freddie. Shaggy shrugged.
"For once, I'm stumped," he said. Daphne laughed and poked him.
"For once?!"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, I say we go get something to eat, I'm starved!" Scooby quickly seconded this idea.
"When AREN'T you starved, Shaggy?" asked Dapne, "Oh, and hey, where IS Mr. Oldham? He didn't tell us he wouldn't be around today."
"I don't know. He was so... involved in the beginning, and now he hardly asks us anything. Does he realize we're still here, even? Does he care his diamond is still missing?" Freddie asked.
"I guess so, Freddie. He's just trying to move on while he lets us do our job, I think," replied Velma. Shaggy shrugged, then he and Scooby gave the others their best puppy-dog eyes.
"All right! We'll go to the pizza shop in town!" Freddie cried, finally relenting and grabbing the keys to the Mystery Machine. Freddie climbed in the driver's seat as Shag and Scoob got in the back. Daphne was about to climb in when an idea struck her.
"Hey, Fred, you know how I'm so tall? WHY do I sit in the middle then? Velma, hop in," she said, laughing. The drive to town took only a few minutes.
"Roh boy!" said Scooby, as Shaggy ordered their favorite: an extra- large pizza with the works, hold the anchovies. Freddie and the girls got their own sandwiches. They sat down at a booth with a view out on to the street. No one paid it much attention as they ate. Then Shaggy picked his head up to wipe his mouth and glanced down the street. The bank was two buildings down, and Shag had a clear view of Mr. Oldham going in. He almost choked on his pizza.
"Hey, isn't that Oldham? Look! He's goin' into the bank!" The gang exchanged looks, quickly finished their meal and left. They nonchalantly went into the bank, under the pretext that Daphne was making a withdrawal. Daphe was in line, and Shaggy had to wait outside with Scooby, since dogs weren't allowed in the bank. Freddie and Velma inconspicuously slipped through the door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."
"Where IS he?" whispered Freddie.
"Leroy's office, I'll bet," was Velma's reply. They made their way quietly down the hall. An employee came out of a room a few doors in front of them, and the pair ducked into the room next to them, praying it was empty. Luck was on their side- they were in a conference room that was not in use.
"I'd say that was close," said Velma. Fred nodded.
"I agree, and you're right, he's got to be in Leroy's office, but where's that? And if we find it, what do we do? Put our ears to the door and eyes to the keyhole and hope no one walks by?" he responded. Velma shrugged. She peeked out the etched glass of the door and surveyed the hall. It was empty. The room across from the one they were in was apparently used for coffee and other such commodities that were served at the conferences. The door was open and a box of doughnuts could seen on the counter. Just as Freddie was about to open the door, someone could be heard coming down the hall. Oldham stormed past. Freddie and Velma looked at each other.
"He didn't seem happy," Freddie remarked.
"What gave it away?" Velma asked sarcastically. She was about to leave when Freddie pulled her back. A few seconds later, Leroy could be seen strolling down the hall, muttering to himself. He stopped at the doors to the doughnut room and conference room. Velma and Freddie held their breath. ~Why would he come in here?~ They exhaled as Leroy turned and began preparing himself some coffee. Apparently a conference had just let out and it was still semi-fresh.
"The nerve... accusing me like that... we'll see about that! It's a good thing I didn't take it..." This was all that they caught before Leroy headed back to his office. After checking once more that there was no one in the hall, Velma and Freddie left the bank and met Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne outside.
"Well, find anything? We saw Oldham leave and ducked into the next building," said Daphne.
"Did we ever! Oldham looked pretty mad when he left, didn't he? Well anyway, we overheard Leroy say, let's see now, 'it's a good thing I didn't take it' and apparently Oldham accused him of doing just that! Right, Freddie?" Velma said.
"I think you got it word for word, Velma," Freddie said, appreciatively.
"So, does this completely rule out Leroy?" asked Shaggy. Scooby just scratched his head.
"Hmmm, I don't think so," Velma said, mysteriously. "I wonder..." She didn't finish this thought.
"Let's go find Brubaker. We'll start at the 'Life' offices, they'll know where we can find her, right?" This last part was said with an upbeat "I-have-an-idea" air.
"Velma's on to something!" laughed Freddie. Daphne just smiled.
"When isn't she? That's why she's a genius, Freddie!" Shaggy just rubbed his head and Scooby looked impatient. Velma had the grace to look embarrassed.
~*~
"Brubaker? Are you sure you got the name right? What's she written?" Asked the bubble-gum snapping receptionist at the Life offices. The gang exchanged confused looks.
"She interviewed Mr. Oldham a few nights ago, for your magazine," Daphne said, annoyed. Now the secretary looked puzzled.
"Mr. Oldham? We've been trying to get him to agree for months. The old coot still hasn't given in though," she said.
Author: Jessica
Chapter Three: Deeper Confusion
"Ugh! Normally by now we have somebody in a ghost costume after us," sighed Daphne. Shaggy laughed.
"I'm glad there isn't; you know I hate that," he said. Freddie rolled his eyes.
"I almost wish there was; we need some kind of break!" he cried, exasperated. Velma just looked at them all, her eyes twinkling. Scooby looked at her suspiciously.
"Rrrut?" he asked. Velma bit her lip thoughtfully.
"Well, last time we tried to analyze our clues, we were, well, interrupted. Let's try again."
"I'll read," volunteered Dapne, pulling out a notebook. "Clue 1: The diamond may have been passed down to Oldham; there's what could be a picture of it in the attic. 2: In a book with information on the diamond, those pages have been ripped out. Third: Oldham doesn't have the diamond registered or anything, but Leroy knew about it. And lastly, the burglar had to stand on a chair to reach the safe. Where does that put us? How do these fit together? Leroy seems plausible, but the fourth clue cancels him out!" The group sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts.
"Do you think maybe that's done on purpose?" asked Freddie. "I mean, it seems strange that the two clues we find relating to the theft itself cancel each other out, leaving us with... the two clues about the diamond, which aren't really much to go on."
"You're right, Fred! Why didn't I think of that before?" Velma said, excited. Fred looked startled, but Shaggy and Daphne just rolled their eyes.
"Think of what?"
"It's too good. No crime is perfect, you know that. So, for a minute, let's just assume it was Leroy. What could you do to throw off suspicion? Leave a chair sticking out, perhaps?" Shaggy looked doubtful.
"If it were me, I'd do something a little more obvious than that, Velma. Nice try though, better than anything I've come up with!" Everyone laughed at that.
"Well, suppose it wasn't Leroy? That leaves Brubaker and the maid. Brubaker has no connection to the diamond, Oldham, or, well, anything. The maid is new, she's from Romania. Is there any sort of connection between her and the diamond? IF the diamond has been in the Oldham family for years, then I doubt that," commented Freddie. Shaggy shrugged.
"For once, I'm stumped," he said. Daphne laughed and poked him.
"For once?!"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, I say we go get something to eat, I'm starved!" Scooby quickly seconded this idea.
"When AREN'T you starved, Shaggy?" asked Dapne, "Oh, and hey, where IS Mr. Oldham? He didn't tell us he wouldn't be around today."
"I don't know. He was so... involved in the beginning, and now he hardly asks us anything. Does he realize we're still here, even? Does he care his diamond is still missing?" Freddie asked.
"I guess so, Freddie. He's just trying to move on while he lets us do our job, I think," replied Velma. Shaggy shrugged, then he and Scooby gave the others their best puppy-dog eyes.
"All right! We'll go to the pizza shop in town!" Freddie cried, finally relenting and grabbing the keys to the Mystery Machine. Freddie climbed in the driver's seat as Shag and Scoob got in the back. Daphne was about to climb in when an idea struck her.
"Hey, Fred, you know how I'm so tall? WHY do I sit in the middle then? Velma, hop in," she said, laughing. The drive to town took only a few minutes.
"Roh boy!" said Scooby, as Shaggy ordered their favorite: an extra- large pizza with the works, hold the anchovies. Freddie and the girls got their own sandwiches. They sat down at a booth with a view out on to the street. No one paid it much attention as they ate. Then Shaggy picked his head up to wipe his mouth and glanced down the street. The bank was two buildings down, and Shag had a clear view of Mr. Oldham going in. He almost choked on his pizza.
"Hey, isn't that Oldham? Look! He's goin' into the bank!" The gang exchanged looks, quickly finished their meal and left. They nonchalantly went into the bank, under the pretext that Daphne was making a withdrawal. Daphe was in line, and Shaggy had to wait outside with Scooby, since dogs weren't allowed in the bank. Freddie and Velma inconspicuously slipped through the door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."
"Where IS he?" whispered Freddie.
"Leroy's office, I'll bet," was Velma's reply. They made their way quietly down the hall. An employee came out of a room a few doors in front of them, and the pair ducked into the room next to them, praying it was empty. Luck was on their side- they were in a conference room that was not in use.
"I'd say that was close," said Velma. Fred nodded.
"I agree, and you're right, he's got to be in Leroy's office, but where's that? And if we find it, what do we do? Put our ears to the door and eyes to the keyhole and hope no one walks by?" he responded. Velma shrugged. She peeked out the etched glass of the door and surveyed the hall. It was empty. The room across from the one they were in was apparently used for coffee and other such commodities that were served at the conferences. The door was open and a box of doughnuts could seen on the counter. Just as Freddie was about to open the door, someone could be heard coming down the hall. Oldham stormed past. Freddie and Velma looked at each other.
"He didn't seem happy," Freddie remarked.
"What gave it away?" Velma asked sarcastically. She was about to leave when Freddie pulled her back. A few seconds later, Leroy could be seen strolling down the hall, muttering to himself. He stopped at the doors to the doughnut room and conference room. Velma and Freddie held their breath. ~Why would he come in here?~ They exhaled as Leroy turned and began preparing himself some coffee. Apparently a conference had just let out and it was still semi-fresh.
"The nerve... accusing me like that... we'll see about that! It's a good thing I didn't take it..." This was all that they caught before Leroy headed back to his office. After checking once more that there was no one in the hall, Velma and Freddie left the bank and met Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne outside.
"Well, find anything? We saw Oldham leave and ducked into the next building," said Daphne.
"Did we ever! Oldham looked pretty mad when he left, didn't he? Well anyway, we overheard Leroy say, let's see now, 'it's a good thing I didn't take it' and apparently Oldham accused him of doing just that! Right, Freddie?" Velma said.
"I think you got it word for word, Velma," Freddie said, appreciatively.
"So, does this completely rule out Leroy?" asked Shaggy. Scooby just scratched his head.
"Hmmm, I don't think so," Velma said, mysteriously. "I wonder..." She didn't finish this thought.
"Let's go find Brubaker. We'll start at the 'Life' offices, they'll know where we can find her, right?" This last part was said with an upbeat "I-have-an-idea" air.
"Velma's on to something!" laughed Freddie. Daphne just smiled.
"When isn't she? That's why she's a genius, Freddie!" Shaggy just rubbed his head and Scooby looked impatient. Velma had the grace to look embarrassed.
~*~
"Brubaker? Are you sure you got the name right? What's she written?" Asked the bubble-gum snapping receptionist at the Life offices. The gang exchanged confused looks.
"She interviewed Mr. Oldham a few nights ago, for your magazine," Daphne said, annoyed. Now the secretary looked puzzled.
"Mr. Oldham? We've been trying to get him to agree for months. The old coot still hasn't given in though," she said.