CHAPTER 14: Justice at Last
The squeal of tires and the screech of police sirens roused the gang from their reverie; Laura Whitney had yet to emerge from her wrecked car, but the police had already surrounded it. A voice on a bull horn blared, "Come out of your vehicle with your hands behind your head."
"Well, Mystery Inc. does it again," Daphne announced, proudly. "And we did it, even though we had no experience in this type of case." The redhead shot her husband a playful glare, then jabbed him in the ribs. The blond man responded by scooping his wife in his arms and kissing her on the lips.
"Well, I guess that wraps up another mystery," commented Velma. Turning to watch the scene unfolding in front of her, her eyes fell upon the lanky figure leaning against the van. He seemed detached from the joyous excitement, almost sulky. "Gang," Velma asked, taking note of the figure, "did anyone notice that we are one member short?"
Fred and Daphne turned around as they came to the same horrid conclusion as their cohort. "Scooby!"
The huge dog was nowhere in sight, and neither was his mate.
"Shaggy," Velma began, concerned, though she didn't quite know what to say next.
"No, like, it's alright," the skinny man replied, monotonously, not facing the younger girl; she could hear his voice quavering, and she knew that he was about to cry.
"Shag?" she asked again, advancing.
The blond man put his hand on her shoulders. "Leave him, Vel," he advised, softly, as the three of them watched from a distance.
A lone police siren broke the silence and roused the skinny man from his reverie. "I believe these two dogs are yours," the younger officer announced, opening the door to the squad car. "Saw them running on the street and recognized Scooby. We figured they were following you, so we picked them up."
The skinny man snapped to attention immediately. "Scooby-Doo!' he screeched, joyfully; the huge dog bounded forward, knocking his owner over and smothering hi m with licks on the face.
Marc Wyndham's car pulled up to the scene a few moments later. "Kala!" he cried, equally joyous. "Thank goodness you're safe." The fawn Dane licked her owner's hands in graciousness.
Pete, the younger officer, faced Fred, Velma and Daphne. "Good job, kids," he praised. "You kept this situation from getting a lot worse." He whipped out a set of handcuffs, fastening them to Laura's wrists as she emerged from her wrecked car. "Ms. Whitney, you are under arrest for cruelty to animals; you have the right to remain silent."
Laura Whitney was anything but silent. "Goddamm meddling kids!" she screamed. "You should have minded your own business!!"
"Actually, this was our business," Fred replied, calmly. "Those were our puppies just as much as yours, and we feared for their safety. I would have reacted in the same way if someone had taken my child.
Daphne beamed at the comment. "You were wonderful, Fred," she praised, kissing him on the cheek. The blond man blushed at the comment, and gave Daphne another long kiss on the lips.
Velma stood beside Shaggy and smiled. "Well, I guess I can say definitively that this wraps up another mystery."
Everyone laughed in agreement.