Chapter 13
Daphne: I screwed up, Velma!
Velma: You did what?
Daphne: I screwed up my relationship with Fred! Forever!
Velma: Excuse me? What relationship, Daphne?
Daphne: He must hate me so much right now!
Velma: Ok, I´ll repeat: what relationship, Daphne? The one you made up in your dreams or that shameful bullshit in which he only cares about you when he has nothing better around?
I knew I was being a rude bitch while my mouth was releasing those words, but somehow I felt so angry that I could not shut up. After all, we went through so much, a killer could had ended our lives and she was worried… with Fred´s opinion. My cruel point of view made her cry louder, so I tapped on her shoulder to, somehow, try to fix the things.
Velma: Sorry for that… but… Jinkies, Daph, were you living in the same planet I lived during the last ten years? Were you friends with the same Fred I´ve been friends with since our childhood? How can you care about him first, you were in trouble!
Daphne: I hate myself, Velma!
Velma: Daphne, calm down! Things will be fine, you´ve saved us!
Daphne: Don´t romanticize the situation, Velma, I´ve kissed a criminal! And Fred saw us!
Velma: Jinkies, how old are you? You pecked him on the lips, goddamnit! 6th graders kiss better than that, and in a more serious way! Plus, you are an adult, single woman, and you did the best you could have done at that moment to save our lives! I'm sure Fred will understand!
Daphne couldn't stop crying and I felt so sorry to see a grown woman crying like a teenager for a man who had broken her heart countless times. I tried to calm her down and offered her some water, but she was sobbing so much that she couldn't drink.
Daphne: We… we were doing so well!… and I… I…
Velma: Doing well, really? If you really think that using you as a trophy is a good thing, you need therapy and some feminist books, darling…
Daphne: What will Fred think about me, Velma?
Velma: He won´t think anything because you're a fucking single, adult woman and you owe him nothing! Fred has hurt you a bazillion times since high school and you always forgive him in the end, I'm sure he'll do the same now.
Daphne: I'm feeling terrible! I´m a nasty person… I… I feel like jumping from this window right now!
Velma: Daph, for God´s sake, calm the hell down! Look, if you tell him what happened and he understands your reasons, he deserves your love... if he behaves like an asshole, he doesn't! Think about it, if Alan had taken the card, surely the clues would have disappeared just like Liberty´s secret passage, so you´ve saved the fucking day! Now take the other card and let's get out of here, if Alan managed to get in, it's not safe to stay.
We left as soon as Daphne wiped the tears from her eyes and fixed her blurred makeup. Unfortunately, Fred was waiting for us at the main hall, his arms were crossed and he had a serious expression on his face.
Daphne: Freddie, listen…
Fred: Come on Dinkley, we need to return, everyone is waiting for us at the department…
Daphne: Freddie…
Fred: I have nothing to talk about with you, Daphne. Come on, Dinkley, we have to finish this case…
Velma: Really, Fred? Are you REALLY behaving like a spoiled 16-year-old boy? How can you ignore Daphne, she owns the case!
Fred: She doesn´t work for NYPD, so get in the fucking van right now and let's end this case for good!
Daphne: Freddie, please, let me explain!
Fred: I don't need explanations!
Velma: Fred, this is ridiculous, Daphne has saved us! Alan Mayberry was waiting for us inside her apartment, and you have no idea what a creepy psychopath he can be…
Fred: Funny to hear that, because he looked pretty harmless when I saw him… after all, Daphne was making him feel very comfortable…
Daphne: Freddie, I had no choice! He was going through the case documents and I just wanted to stop him somehow! I didn't mean to kiss him, I was just afraid he'd find the card and…
Fred: But you meant to deceive me, Daphne. You both did. If I hadn't arrived at that moment, I would never have known what happened there…
Velma: And why the hell you should know? She owes you nothing, you are her fucking friend, not her owner! Mind your own business, Jones, what happens in her personal life is her problem!
Fred: Shh, Dinkley, I´m not talking to you…
Daphne: Freddie, I never meant to deceive you! I… I would have told you…
Velma: No, you wouldn´t, because I would never let you do something so stupid just to stroke his ego!
Daphne: Freddie… you… you know I don´t have secrets, I share my life with you since childhood, and since we´ve started working with crimes and cases, we are… the gang!
Fred: WE´RE NOT THE GANG! YOU'RE NOT ON THIS TEAM! You don't work with us! Stop thinking you're part of it!
Velma: Fred, shut up and calm down! Daphne had no choice…
Fred: She had no choice but to hurt me?
Tears were streaming down Daphne's face and she looked devastated after such harsh words. But a sudden, admirable strength made her face him.
Daphne: It hurts to see me with someone else, doesn´t it Fred? Yeah, I know, because this is how I feel for… uh?… ten years?… And wow, I hurt you ONCE, wow! ONE DAMN TIME in 10 years! How many times have you hurt me, Fred? The first time I remember, it was at that stupid school prom, you took me as a trophy, then the next day you pretended nothing happened! The second time, uh… well, I can´t remember, because you hurt me so frequently that it's hard to remember exaclty. Oh, of course, let´s talk about my relationship with Jared Herring! You´ve made everything to convince me he was a loser and I had to break up with him, but after I broke up… surprise! You started a 3 year-long relationship with Alice May, the girl I hate most, and you never gave a damn about my opinion… you even proposed to her in front of me!… you never cared if Jared and I liked each other… but forget about it, Jared is married, happy and very far from me right now, that´s what matters to you, isn´t it? You… you… despicable narcissist!
Fred: Daphne, calm down…
Daphne: No, I won´t calm down! How many girls have you dated, Fred? Neither you nor I know the exact number, right? How many of them were friends of mine, or women I work with? You have no idea how I feel about all this, so don't try to talk about pain just because you're hurting right now!
Fred: Daphne, this drama is getting ridiculous…
Daphne: Yes, my feelings are really ridiculous… and they´re all drama, right? I don't even know why I'm telling you this, you clearly don't care about how I feel, you don't care if a criminal invaded my apartment, grabbed my arm and threatened me... as long as YOU don't get hurt, whatever!
Daphne had a lot of anger in her voice, she sobbed deeply when she finished and she had puffy eyes from crying. After hearing all that, Fred finally shut up and he looked deeply embarrassed. For a moment, I thought everything would be fine because the captain attempted conciliation, but suddenly, Daphne took both cards from her bag, threw them at us, and ran back to her building.
Velma: Hey, where do you think you're going? We need to get back to Liberty and solve this mystery! We still have several victims and two cards to…
Daphne: I don't work for the damn NYPD, remember?
Fred ran towards her and grabbed her arm, but she let go of it quickly.
Fred: Daphne, wait, let's talk... I´m sorry…
Daphne: I have nothing to talk about with you, I don't work for you!
Velma: Daphne, you can't go, Alan was there, remember? He can come back at any time, it's dangerous!
Daphne: It doesn't matter if I die, I'm already dead inside...
Fred: Daphne, I´m really sorry, please, let's talk! I won´t let you stay here, it´s dangerous!… Hey! … Stop running from us!
Fred held both her arms to stop her, but Daphne struggled out of his grasp and screamed so loudly that people around looked at them. When she managed to release herself, she slapped his face.
Daphne: YOU ARE RUNNING, FRED! FOR 10 DAMN YEARS! YOU PUT MY LIFE AND MY FEELINGS IN DANGER, YOU ARE THE WORST THREAT IN MY LIFE!… I'm not your trophy, Fred! You don´t need stupid trophies to be important! I'm not your mother, I won't abandon you and hurt you, when will you finally understand that? And you're not your father either, so please stop copying his miserable life and hurting the ones who love you!
The words had such an effect on Fred that he didn't have enough strength to hold her arms again. Not even Sigmund Freud would be as therapeutic as that. Daphne ran back to the building, and all I did was sigh loudly, applaud mockingly at Fred´s face to show him how stupid he was and pick up the cards. We got into the van in silence, along the way, that silence became awkward, but the sad expression on his face told me the best thing to do at that moment was stay in that way (although my instinct wanted to remind him that I was right during our last argument).
Instead of Liberty building, Fred led us back to the department, and I didn't realize it until I saw two FBI vehicles parked in front of the front door, taking up our parking spaces. Three or four journalists from huge TV channels were waiting for us there, we passed the feds showing our NYPD credentials and soon the journalists attacked us like vultures. We didn't answer any questions and I secretly wondered what the hell was going on. However, Fred was less confused, and his face showed some guilt. When we arrived at the department, all agents were waiting for us and they seemed quite frustrated.
Velma: Miller, what's going on here? I thought we would meet at Liberty to examine the trail!
Miller: Isn't it obvious, doctor? FBI took over our case. Game over for us.
Velma: How is that possible? The investigation is still on, forensics department has not finished its work yet, and we didn´t even notify the feds…
Shaggy: Like, the captain notified them, Velma. Fuck all this shit and these cards, I´m going home.
Shaggy was extremely frustrated. He approached the meeting table and threw Alan's suit sample angrily on it.
Shaggy: Like, and fuck you too, captain. We´ve discovered thirty five murders and now the motherfuckers will get away with it.
Shaggy was so angry that he forgot the department´s rules and lit a cigarette there before leaving the group. I grabbed his arm to make him stay and made him put out the cigarette immediately. Fred was visibly embarrassed by his attitude, he couldn't even look at us in the eyes.
Velma: Fred, I can't believe you´ve done that without even asking our opinion, you´ve heard what Mr. Applegate said about the feds...!
Fred: It was necessary, Velma.
Velma: It was just a revenge on Daphne, wasn't it, you cretin?
Fred was so embarrassed that he couldn't answer.
Velma: That's what I figured, you immature motherfucker, how could you do that? Let your personal sexist problems influence a serious case like this? If anything happens to one of us, IT´S YOUR FAULT, do you hear me?
Fred's irrational attitude irritated me so much that I backed away to not to punch his face. Apparently, the other agents felt the same way, because they all followed me to the lab and totally ignored Captain Jones' authority.
Miller: Doctor, we've made no more progress with the samples, but detectives have discovered that all organ donor files are fake. Death certificates and all information contained in reports are false, which proves the organs have arrived illegally at the hospitals through some organ trafficking scheme.
Biggs: The only true information are the dates. All the transplants´ happened June 2020.
Miller: Plus, cybercrime department discovered many other millionaire money transfers occurred from Liberty to Silmido. Apparently, these transfers are seasonal, they occur once a year, always in the same month of May, for more than thirty years…
All agents were treating me like a captain, but I was so tense that I couldn't even think about the information they brought me. All I could think about were the risks we were taking now that corrupt FBI people (who possibly were friends with the damn VIPs) were in control.
Shaggy: Like, the dogs couldn't sniff out Alan anywhere at Liberty, not even next to that creepy fridge´s door… so, like, I don't think he was responsible for all murders...
Velma: Alan was waiting for Daphne at her apartment when we got there. He´s asked us a series of questions, and he didn't really seem to know about the deaths… neither about the secret passage... anyway, good work, team! And thank you very much for your efforts. Can we finish for today? I think it was a really hard day for all us, we need some rest to deal with all this shit tomorrow…
Everyone agreed, then they left the meeting room.
Shaggy: Like, where's Daph?
Velma: It's a very long and very complicated story, Shaggy. If you don't mind, I'll let you know on the way home…
Shaggy agreed. He took Scooby-Doo out of the kennel, and we left the department, thankfully Captain Jones was no longer there when we left. I explained Shaggy everything during our walk back home, but I couldn't bring him to my apartment to help me analyse the cards because a McDonald's in the middle of the way attracted him. When I got home, Marcie hugged me and she said countless times how happy she was to see me alive and safe, and I felt lucky to have someone so special by my side. Before I could get something to eat, my doorbell rang, on the other side of security peephole was Daphne.
Daphne: Can I stay here until dad sets a biometric lock in my door and hires new guards? I'm afraid to be alone in Blake Tower, my parents don't care about my safety, my sisters are polluting Blake Manor and the best suites at the Waldorf Astoria are taken, so I have nowhere to go…
I opened the door immediately. I was happy to see her, since I was worried about her safety after that argument. Before she could sit down, I burst out talking about Fred's idiotic attitude and how frustrated we all were about it. However, Daphne was not surprised. Instead of saying anything, she hit the on/off TV button and chose the news channel. There was a reporter talking about our case with a very serious expression on her face, but instead of saying exactly what we had discovered about Liberty, she said, "Liberty, Applegate Bank and Blake Bank are under investigation for money laundering schemes and international organ trafficking". That made my heart race, but before I could say anything, Daphne changed the channel and the same sensationalist journalism were on there. And the same happened in every fucking TV channel.
Daphne: You don't have to tell me anything, Vel. I already know what Fred has done.
