Scooby-Doo and the Veritas Diamond
Author: Jessica
Chapter 4: Mystery Solved?
"Does this mean what I think it does?" asked Shaggy, as the gang left the news
building.
"No," Velma said decidedly. Everyone stopped and looked at her.
"No?" echoed Daphne. Velma broke into a grin.
"Well, maybe," she said. "But if my hunch is correct, you'll see that things aren't what they appear to be!" With that, the gang headed back to the Oldham estate.
"Do you want to fill us in on whatever you're cooking up, Vel?" asked Freddie.
"Not yet. I think we need some more clues first," the girl replied.
"And how do you propose we do that? We searched the entire house, and took everyone's statement," mused Daphne.
"But we didn't ask Oldham about the diamond's history," said Freddie, lighting up.
"Well, ok, come on guys," said Shaggy, sighing.
~*~
"Mr. Oldham? We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," started Freddie. The older gentleman smiled.
"Of course, anything to help," he said.
"Where did you get the diamond?" Velma wasted no time. Freddie glanced at her, but kept silent. He didn't know all the questions that needed asking anyway. Oldham's face went white.
"It has been in my family for years, I don't know where it was acquired," he said in a very neutral tone.
"Do you know, has your family owned it the entire time since it first came into possession? Or have there been any unaccounted gaps?" Velma pressed. Oldham pursed his lips.
"I don't know."
"Why isn't the diamond on record?"
"To keep it from prying eyes and snoopy people."
"Where are its papers?"
"Apparently they were also stolen."
"Why didn't you tell us this?"
"I thought you realized it." The gang watched this exchange between Oldham and Velma with wide eyes. Neither seemed to back down.
"How does Leroy know about the diamond?"
"I don't know, but he wants to buy it."
"Why does Life want to interview you?"
"I'm a wealthy old man." At this, Shaggy's eyes watered as he surpressed a laugh.
"Why did you finally grant them an interview?"
"I got sick of their nagging." Velma sighed. She couldn't figure out why he was being so offensive, when he had been so helpful before.
"If you're through berating me with questions, young lady, I'm going have my dinner. Excuse me," Oldham said, getting up from his chair, he left the room. Everyone left in the room let out a pent-up breath. Freddie was the first to speak.
"Does this help any?" Velma rubbed her temples as if relieving a headache, then sat looking thoughtful for a moment. Suddenly, she smiled.
"Gang, how many clues do we have?" Shaggy counted on his fingers till Daphne gave an exasperated sigh.
"Four, not counting whatever Oldham just revealed since I'm not sure any of it I even helps!" Velma's smile widened.
"Five. How quickly you forget that little map!" Freddie dug around in his pocket and handed it to her.
"You're sure it's a map?" Shaggy asked. Velma glanced at him.
"What else could it be? Now let's see. What do those numbers mean? Two rooms, a hallway, and a staircase," she muttered as she turned the paper all around. "But which ones?" Everyone clustered around looking at the paper, but they weren't sure. While there weren't many staircases in the house, they were trying to think of what the numbers meant before picking a staircase. Freddie snapped his fingers.
"When was the robbery?"
"Between seven and ni...," Velma started to answer, then she jumped and exclaimed, "Freddie you're a genius!" Everyone laughed as Velma blushed. Fred grinned sheepishly.
"Aw, it was nothing. I think I've just been around you too long, Vel," he said, as Velma blushed darker than her skirt.
"So, assuming these numbers ARE times, what do they refer to?" asked Shaggy.
"The robber's movements?" suggested Daphne. Velma beamed.
"That's perfect! Look!" she said, and ran out of the room, the gang close at her heels. She stopped in front of the library and held the paper in front of her.
"There are stairs next to this room, we're in a hallway, there's two rooms... 8:20L- for 'library!' 8:35SH- this is a hall..." Freddie snapped his fingers.
"South. SH- South Hall. That's where this one's located, right?"
"So who was in the house at 8:20? Brubaker!" exclaimed Daphne. Scooby yelped.
"Rit ras rher!"
"But there's still something funny going on here... Well, even still, we need to find Ms. Brubaker," said Velma, carefully. Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne started for the dining hall.
"We should tell Mr. Oldham." Velma sighed; Freddie turned to her.
"Vel, what's wrong? Aren't you glad we solved ANOTHER mystery?" He sounded worried.
"Sure I am, Freddie, but something's bothering me. I don't know; maybe it was just Oldham's responses to my questions... I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to it than this. How did Leroy know about the diamond? Why was Oldham so secretive? If he knows more than he's telling, and I think he does, why? And what is it?"
"Don't worry, if there's more, we'll figure it out. C'mon, let's go eat," Freddie replied, giving her a hug and yanking her down the hall. Freddie was developing a stomach like Shaggy and Scooby.
"How do we find Brubaker, though?" Oldham asked as Freddie and Velma entered the dining room. Scooby cocked his head as if to say, "I don't know."
"I don't know, Mr. Oldham, but we'll do it somehow," Freddie vowed as the gang settled down to eat.
Author: Jessica
Chapter 4: Mystery Solved?
"Does this mean what I think it does?" asked Shaggy, as the gang left the news
building.
"No," Velma said decidedly. Everyone stopped and looked at her.
"No?" echoed Daphne. Velma broke into a grin.
"Well, maybe," she said. "But if my hunch is correct, you'll see that things aren't what they appear to be!" With that, the gang headed back to the Oldham estate.
"Do you want to fill us in on whatever you're cooking up, Vel?" asked Freddie.
"Not yet. I think we need some more clues first," the girl replied.
"And how do you propose we do that? We searched the entire house, and took everyone's statement," mused Daphne.
"But we didn't ask Oldham about the diamond's history," said Freddie, lighting up.
"Well, ok, come on guys," said Shaggy, sighing.
~*~
"Mr. Oldham? We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," started Freddie. The older gentleman smiled.
"Of course, anything to help," he said.
"Where did you get the diamond?" Velma wasted no time. Freddie glanced at her, but kept silent. He didn't know all the questions that needed asking anyway. Oldham's face went white.
"It has been in my family for years, I don't know where it was acquired," he said in a very neutral tone.
"Do you know, has your family owned it the entire time since it first came into possession? Or have there been any unaccounted gaps?" Velma pressed. Oldham pursed his lips.
"I don't know."
"Why isn't the diamond on record?"
"To keep it from prying eyes and snoopy people."
"Where are its papers?"
"Apparently they were also stolen."
"Why didn't you tell us this?"
"I thought you realized it." The gang watched this exchange between Oldham and Velma with wide eyes. Neither seemed to back down.
"How does Leroy know about the diamond?"
"I don't know, but he wants to buy it."
"Why does Life want to interview you?"
"I'm a wealthy old man." At this, Shaggy's eyes watered as he surpressed a laugh.
"Why did you finally grant them an interview?"
"I got sick of their nagging." Velma sighed. She couldn't figure out why he was being so offensive, when he had been so helpful before.
"If you're through berating me with questions, young lady, I'm going have my dinner. Excuse me," Oldham said, getting up from his chair, he left the room. Everyone left in the room let out a pent-up breath. Freddie was the first to speak.
"Does this help any?" Velma rubbed her temples as if relieving a headache, then sat looking thoughtful for a moment. Suddenly, she smiled.
"Gang, how many clues do we have?" Shaggy counted on his fingers till Daphne gave an exasperated sigh.
"Four, not counting whatever Oldham just revealed since I'm not sure any of it I even helps!" Velma's smile widened.
"Five. How quickly you forget that little map!" Freddie dug around in his pocket and handed it to her.
"You're sure it's a map?" Shaggy asked. Velma glanced at him.
"What else could it be? Now let's see. What do those numbers mean? Two rooms, a hallway, and a staircase," she muttered as she turned the paper all around. "But which ones?" Everyone clustered around looking at the paper, but they weren't sure. While there weren't many staircases in the house, they were trying to think of what the numbers meant before picking a staircase. Freddie snapped his fingers.
"When was the robbery?"
"Between seven and ni...," Velma started to answer, then she jumped and exclaimed, "Freddie you're a genius!" Everyone laughed as Velma blushed. Fred grinned sheepishly.
"Aw, it was nothing. I think I've just been around you too long, Vel," he said, as Velma blushed darker than her skirt.
"So, assuming these numbers ARE times, what do they refer to?" asked Shaggy.
"The robber's movements?" suggested Daphne. Velma beamed.
"That's perfect! Look!" she said, and ran out of the room, the gang close at her heels. She stopped in front of the library and held the paper in front of her.
"There are stairs next to this room, we're in a hallway, there's two rooms... 8:20L- for 'library!' 8:35SH- this is a hall..." Freddie snapped his fingers.
"South. SH- South Hall. That's where this one's located, right?"
"So who was in the house at 8:20? Brubaker!" exclaimed Daphne. Scooby yelped.
"Rit ras rher!"
"But there's still something funny going on here... Well, even still, we need to find Ms. Brubaker," said Velma, carefully. Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne started for the dining hall.
"We should tell Mr. Oldham." Velma sighed; Freddie turned to her.
"Vel, what's wrong? Aren't you glad we solved ANOTHER mystery?" He sounded worried.
"Sure I am, Freddie, but something's bothering me. I don't know; maybe it was just Oldham's responses to my questions... I just can't shake the feeling that there's more to it than this. How did Leroy know about the diamond? Why was Oldham so secretive? If he knows more than he's telling, and I think he does, why? And what is it?"
"Don't worry, if there's more, we'll figure it out. C'mon, let's go eat," Freddie replied, giving her a hug and yanking her down the hall. Freddie was developing a stomach like Shaggy and Scooby.
"How do we find Brubaker, though?" Oldham asked as Freddie and Velma entered the dining room. Scooby cocked his head as if to say, "I don't know."
"I don't know, Mr. Oldham, but we'll do it somehow," Freddie vowed as the gang settled down to eat.