The Plague of the Shadow Usul
Chapter 3: Money Makes the World Go Round
News slowly crept out into Neopian Central that Isabella and Marcus were dead. Denver wasn't sure where to go next for clues. He stripped Marcus's house of all items ever owned and took the records of items that Isabella had, hoping to find a connection. That was the thing, they had almost the same things. He had stamp collection, card collection, and an odd collection of paintbrushes. But nothing for a motive. Not one had any relation to Shadow Gazer, or Fire Blazer, or her old master. It didn't make sense. Denver sat in his office pondering. What do I need? He thought.
"A list of Valuables!" He said. He put his cloak on and sat at his desk making a list of valuable things someone might kill a person for. He wrote:
• Neopoints.
• Cards.
• Paintbrushes.
But that was all he could think of.
"That'll do for now" Denver said to himself, shoving the list in his pocket. He grabbed his hat, and shoved it on his head. He got on his bicycle, and rode away towards the National Neopian Bank. The banks was only a few blocks away from his office, which was lucky. He rode to the front, and parked his bike in the front. He then got off and walked in.
The bank wasn't crowded. People seemed to be staying away from town, and some had even moved to The Space Station, Faerieland, and Krawk Island. Denver took off his hat and set it on a table, and walked up to the counter. "How can I help you sir?" said the Acara behind the counter.
"Uh yes" he said, pulling out his badge, "I'm with the cops, sort of, and I have a warrant to search a few records on Isabella and Marcus Shaw-Bruce." The Acara nodded.
"Right this way sir."
Denver walked into the back room. In that room stood millions and millions of cabinets. They were all labeled with the names, and separated by species. He walked through the room, and found the Bruce section. There were many Shaw-Bruce's but finally Denver found Isabella and Marcus's records. Their files were smaller than the others, but Denver looked through them anyway.
"Sir, if you need to look through them, I can't let you take them out, but you're welcome to sit at a desk out in the foyer and flip through them" the Acara said sweetly, but firmly.
"Thank you" Denver said, walking out to the foyer.
He sat down at a desk and flipped through Isabella's files first. Denver wrote the facts down in list form.
• 4-4-03. She started as a Junior Saver with a balance of 4,000 Neopoints.
• 5-15-03. She withdrew 300 Neopoints for a big dinner she was serving.
• 6-28-03. She withdrew 500 Neopoints for usual shopping.
• 8-1-03. She withdrew 2,000 Neopoints for special collectable.
• 8-1-03. She withdrew 200 Neopoints for her friends birthday present.
Denver stopped suddenly, shocked at what he read.
• 8-1-03. She deposited 150,000 Neopoints from special business.
• 8-1-03. She withdrew 50,000 Neopoints for special gift.
• 8-1-03. She upgraded to Diamond Deposit Savings.
Denver read over the paper again.
"Special business?" he said to himself. He turned to the Acara. "Excuse me" he asked, "do you have a photo copier here?" The Acara pointed to a corner of the room where a photo copier stood. Denver walked over and copied the files. He then returned to his desk, put the photo copy in his research folder, and opened up Marcus's papers. The facts went differently.
• 8-1-03. He Started out as a Double Platinum Saver saver with an additional deposit of 52,300 Neopoints.
• 8-1-03. He withdrew 2,300 Neopoints for collectable.
• 8-2-03. He withdrew 10,000 Neopoints for food storage.
• 8-2-03. He downgraded to Platinum Extra saver.
Denver looked at the paper. His brain was working wildly. The same day Isabella received 150,000 Neopoints for "special business" and gave away 50,000 Neopoints of that for a special gift, Marcus starts an account with 50,000 Neopoints. So they had money. But then again, why would Shadow gazer care about money. And what was the special business? Something sure was fishy about this. Denver photo copied Marcus's files, and gave the original's back to the Acara.
"Thank you!" he said, leaving the National Neopian.
Denver's head was swimming. Even he doesn't make that much a year, and she managed to some how come up with 150,000 Neopoints in one day, not to mention that she gives the same amount of money as her brother receives that same day. And the similarity? They're both collectors of all kinds of odd objects. Why would the Usul go after them? Denver needed to find out before another pet ended up dead, but no clues had come up yet. No significant clues had. He'd just have to talk to the friends again.
* * * * * * * * *
Trista sat at her table in her neohome. She felt cooped up. She couldn't leave her house, but she couldn't not stay. Her food storage was fine, she had enough coffee to last a life time, but her morale was in bad shaped. She felt like she was in some kind of prison, that she could escape, if it wasn't for the overwhelming fear guarding the door. She flipped a neopoint with her fingers. She'd played all her games, used up all her drawing paper, and watched all of her movies at least 15 times each. She looked down at her stomach.
"I'm gettin' fat" she cringed, "That's it! I'm going out for a run!!" She jumped up and let the neopoint fall to the ground. She grabbed her house key, her coat and her scarf, and left, locking the door tightly.
Trista walked into town. The Christmas lights that had hung on the shops, lay on the ground, unnoticed. The town was empty, save one pet walking down the same walk way as herself. She needed company, and ran up to him.
"Hi!" Trista said. The pet jumped a little and swerved around. It was Denver Draik. "Denver, is it?"
"Yes?" Denver said.
"Any luck with the case?" Trista asked.
"Not much" Denver said, playing with his feet, "Nothing that leads to a motive."
"Well, mind if I walk with you? I'm in desperate need of company. If I don't die because of this whole thing, I'm bound to go mad with loneliness" Trista asked.
"Free country isn't it?" Denver answered, lighting up his pipe, "I was just heading down to the coffee house in the art center. Care to join me for a Golden Juppie Delight?"
"Sure" Trista said.
They walked and talked for a while, until they finally showed up at the coffee house. It was full of pets, but the Christmas cheer that had been there before was definitely gone. Pets stood in the doorway, scowling and gossiping. Some drunks were in the back having a drinking contest.
"So sad what happens to pets when they're faced with danger" Trista said. Suddenly, in the crowd, Trista could make out Ashton's petite figure.
"Hey there's Ashton!" Trista said, "Can he join us?"
"Yeah sure, whatever" Denver said, putting out his pipe. A black Kadotie ran across the ally way.
"Oh crud, get inside" Denver said, pushing her inside.
"What?" Trista asked, when they were both inside.
"Black Kadoties are bad luck" Denver said. Just then Tobey bumped into them.
"Trista!" Tobey said.
"Tobey!" she answered. There was an awkward pause.
"I'll be with you in a moment" he said, rushing over to take some cranky old Mynci's order.
Chapter 3: Money Makes the World Go Round
News slowly crept out into Neopian Central that Isabella and Marcus were dead. Denver wasn't sure where to go next for clues. He stripped Marcus's house of all items ever owned and took the records of items that Isabella had, hoping to find a connection. That was the thing, they had almost the same things. He had stamp collection, card collection, and an odd collection of paintbrushes. But nothing for a motive. Not one had any relation to Shadow Gazer, or Fire Blazer, or her old master. It didn't make sense. Denver sat in his office pondering. What do I need? He thought.
"A list of Valuables!" He said. He put his cloak on and sat at his desk making a list of valuable things someone might kill a person for. He wrote:
• Neopoints.
• Cards.
• Paintbrushes.
But that was all he could think of.
"That'll do for now" Denver said to himself, shoving the list in his pocket. He grabbed his hat, and shoved it on his head. He got on his bicycle, and rode away towards the National Neopian Bank. The banks was only a few blocks away from his office, which was lucky. He rode to the front, and parked his bike in the front. He then got off and walked in.
The bank wasn't crowded. People seemed to be staying away from town, and some had even moved to The Space Station, Faerieland, and Krawk Island. Denver took off his hat and set it on a table, and walked up to the counter. "How can I help you sir?" said the Acara behind the counter.
"Uh yes" he said, pulling out his badge, "I'm with the cops, sort of, and I have a warrant to search a few records on Isabella and Marcus Shaw-Bruce." The Acara nodded.
"Right this way sir."
Denver walked into the back room. In that room stood millions and millions of cabinets. They were all labeled with the names, and separated by species. He walked through the room, and found the Bruce section. There were many Shaw-Bruce's but finally Denver found Isabella and Marcus's records. Their files were smaller than the others, but Denver looked through them anyway.
"Sir, if you need to look through them, I can't let you take them out, but you're welcome to sit at a desk out in the foyer and flip through them" the Acara said sweetly, but firmly.
"Thank you" Denver said, walking out to the foyer.
He sat down at a desk and flipped through Isabella's files first. Denver wrote the facts down in list form.
• 4-4-03. She started as a Junior Saver with a balance of 4,000 Neopoints.
• 5-15-03. She withdrew 300 Neopoints for a big dinner she was serving.
• 6-28-03. She withdrew 500 Neopoints for usual shopping.
• 8-1-03. She withdrew 2,000 Neopoints for special collectable.
• 8-1-03. She withdrew 200 Neopoints for her friends birthday present.
Denver stopped suddenly, shocked at what he read.
• 8-1-03. She deposited 150,000 Neopoints from special business.
• 8-1-03. She withdrew 50,000 Neopoints for special gift.
• 8-1-03. She upgraded to Diamond Deposit Savings.
Denver read over the paper again.
"Special business?" he said to himself. He turned to the Acara. "Excuse me" he asked, "do you have a photo copier here?" The Acara pointed to a corner of the room where a photo copier stood. Denver walked over and copied the files. He then returned to his desk, put the photo copy in his research folder, and opened up Marcus's papers. The facts went differently.
• 8-1-03. He Started out as a Double Platinum Saver saver with an additional deposit of 52,300 Neopoints.
• 8-1-03. He withdrew 2,300 Neopoints for collectable.
• 8-2-03. He withdrew 10,000 Neopoints for food storage.
• 8-2-03. He downgraded to Platinum Extra saver.
Denver looked at the paper. His brain was working wildly. The same day Isabella received 150,000 Neopoints for "special business" and gave away 50,000 Neopoints of that for a special gift, Marcus starts an account with 50,000 Neopoints. So they had money. But then again, why would Shadow gazer care about money. And what was the special business? Something sure was fishy about this. Denver photo copied Marcus's files, and gave the original's back to the Acara.
"Thank you!" he said, leaving the National Neopian.
Denver's head was swimming. Even he doesn't make that much a year, and she managed to some how come up with 150,000 Neopoints in one day, not to mention that she gives the same amount of money as her brother receives that same day. And the similarity? They're both collectors of all kinds of odd objects. Why would the Usul go after them? Denver needed to find out before another pet ended up dead, but no clues had come up yet. No significant clues had. He'd just have to talk to the friends again.
* * * * * * * * *
Trista sat at her table in her neohome. She felt cooped up. She couldn't leave her house, but she couldn't not stay. Her food storage was fine, she had enough coffee to last a life time, but her morale was in bad shaped. She felt like she was in some kind of prison, that she could escape, if it wasn't for the overwhelming fear guarding the door. She flipped a neopoint with her fingers. She'd played all her games, used up all her drawing paper, and watched all of her movies at least 15 times each. She looked down at her stomach.
"I'm gettin' fat" she cringed, "That's it! I'm going out for a run!!" She jumped up and let the neopoint fall to the ground. She grabbed her house key, her coat and her scarf, and left, locking the door tightly.
Trista walked into town. The Christmas lights that had hung on the shops, lay on the ground, unnoticed. The town was empty, save one pet walking down the same walk way as herself. She needed company, and ran up to him.
"Hi!" Trista said. The pet jumped a little and swerved around. It was Denver Draik. "Denver, is it?"
"Yes?" Denver said.
"Any luck with the case?" Trista asked.
"Not much" Denver said, playing with his feet, "Nothing that leads to a motive."
"Well, mind if I walk with you? I'm in desperate need of company. If I don't die because of this whole thing, I'm bound to go mad with loneliness" Trista asked.
"Free country isn't it?" Denver answered, lighting up his pipe, "I was just heading down to the coffee house in the art center. Care to join me for a Golden Juppie Delight?"
"Sure" Trista said.
They walked and talked for a while, until they finally showed up at the coffee house. It was full of pets, but the Christmas cheer that had been there before was definitely gone. Pets stood in the doorway, scowling and gossiping. Some drunks were in the back having a drinking contest.
"So sad what happens to pets when they're faced with danger" Trista said. Suddenly, in the crowd, Trista could make out Ashton's petite figure.
"Hey there's Ashton!" Trista said, "Can he join us?"
"Yeah sure, whatever" Denver said, putting out his pipe. A black Kadotie ran across the ally way.
"Oh crud, get inside" Denver said, pushing her inside.
"What?" Trista asked, when they were both inside.
"Black Kadoties are bad luck" Denver said. Just then Tobey bumped into them.
"Trista!" Tobey said.
"Tobey!" she answered. There was an awkward pause.
"I'll be with you in a moment" he said, rushing over to take some cranky old Mynci's order.