Helga raced from the room at Phoebe's request to phone the police.
She got through almost immediately and told the police that Phoebe thought
she remembered who her assailant was. She reminded the police where they
were then hung up and went into the room. Phoebe was laying back against
the pillow, her chest rising and falling rather quickly, while Arnold sat
beside her on the bed holding her hand. Helga came up quickly on Phoebe's
other side. "They're on their way." Phoebe smiled at Helga and pulled her
hand away from Arnold's as she peered through the window.
"I wanted to forget-I wanted to block it out." Helga and Arnold exchanged glances as Phoebe sighed heavily. "I didn't want to relive it. And after I tell the police I want to forget."
"But, Phoebs. Who did this to you?" Phoebe raised her hand to stop Helga.
"I'll explain it when the police arrive. You will understand then why I made myself forget. Trust me, Helga. You'll understand." The blonde nodded, but her eyes stayed plastered to the door. Phoebe looked quite nervous, her eyes darting from Helga to Arnold to the door. About a half an hour later the police walked in. One was a young woman who wore her police uniform quite proudly, her hair was curly and shoulder-length. Her walk was filled with confidence and her smile was warm and inviting.
Her partner was tall and thin, with pale blonde hair that went just over his green eyes. He did not smile, he looked at the kids with stony- hard set eyes that plainly said he did not want any funny business. Helga looked from one officer to the other, deciding the girl looked much more inviting. "Hello," The policewoman said with a smile. "My name is officer Lorena, and this is my partner officer Jabez." The three nodded to the officers as Helga spoke up:
"I'm Helga, this here is Arnoldo and that's Phoebs." Officer Lorena smiled at the trio as she pulled up a chair next to the bed.
"I have been informed the victim of a rape thinks she might possibly know who the rapist might be, am I correct?" Phoebe looked quite bashful, but she nodded anyway. Officer Lorena pulled out a small notebook and a pen. "May I have your name, dear?" Phoebe cleared her throat and said awkwardly.
"My name is Phoebe Heyerdahl." The woman nodded and began to write then paused.
"Can you spell your last name, dear?" Phoebe nodded.
"H-e-y-e-r-d-a-h-l."
"Now, what made you remember, or think you know who your attacker was? Was it an object, something you saw on TV?" The young Japanese girl shook her head. "What was it then?"
"I-It was Arnold." The two officers, Arnold and Helga all turned to look at Phoebe quickly, bewilderment in Arnold's eyes.
"How did I remind you of-"
"Please!" Officer Lorena said to Arnold, shaking her head. "Continue, my dear." Phoebe nodded and looked away.
"I'd been trying to forget what had happened to me. I didn't want to remember. But seeing Arnold made it all come back to me. The one who attacked me looks quite similar to Arnold in his body shape, although his personality is quite disagreeing with Arnold's. Everyone has always looked at him strangely whenever he visits Arnold and I always had a strange feeling whenever he was around-"
"Hold it!" Arnold hissed, looking at Phoebe sharply. "You think it's Arnie? Why would Arnie want to hurt you?"
"Ask him. If you remember correctly, Arnold, your cousin was visiting you the day it happened. I remember distinctly seeing him before we went to school."
"But Arnie doesn't really know you at all, why would he want to." Officer Lorena cut him off.
"The attackers usually know of the person they take, but they don't personally know them. It would make sense. Please, give me a description of the young man-"
"That's not necessary, Ma'am." Arnold said in a soft voice. "He'd be at my house right now, I can take you to him. Last I knew he was reading the ingredients off of the cereal box, he probably still is. I can take you to get him if you think it will help."
"We're still getting evidence from her paper work, there were fingerprints and other things found on her. We can get him an alibi, but we'll really need the evidence from her to have a real case." Officer Jabez stood slowly and beckoned his partner over to him. "Come, Arnold. Show us the way to your place so we can take him into custody." Arnold nodded and stood, but turned to look at Phoebe and Helga. He bent over and hugged Phoebe quickly then turned and smiled faintly at Helga and hesitantly hugged her too then followed the officers out the door.
~*~*~*~*~
Upon arriving at Arnold's house, they immediately noticed a big difference (or rather, Arnold had). All the lights were out in the Boarding House, no noise was heard from within. Arnold frowned as he opened the door and nothing ran out of it, not Abner, not any of the dogs or cats. That was odd. His whole "family" was silent. He slowly led the police inside. "Something's not right here." The police looked at him curiously and noticed how cautious he was walking. Officer Jabez pulled out his gun and cocked it, preparing himself to shoot.
"Grandpa! Grandma!" Arnold cried as he walked into the living room. Phil and Pookie were tied and bound to chairs, with duct tape over their mouths. Pookie was hopping away from Phil in her chair, trying to sing a song. She was dressed as a cowgirl. Arnold ran to his grandparents and untied them. Phil took off his duct tape then stopped Arnold from taking Pookie's off.
"Don't, Short Man. She's been singing that dang song all day." But Pookie, considering she can still hear them, pulls the duct tape off.
"The Yellow rose of Texas."
"Grandpa, what happened?" Arnold asked wide-eyed as Officer Jabez un- cocked his gun and put it back in its holder.
"Your kooky cousin's what happened. I was taken a nap, I had just had some raspberries and was restin' after a long bathroom break, when he snuck up behind me. He had someone with him-I dunno who she was. She helped him tie me and Pookie up. It was horrible-HORRIBLE!"
"That you were tied up Grandpa?" Arnold asked, with sad eyes.
"No. I was okay with that. That I was tied up listening to Pookie hum that dang song!" The officers shook their heads.
"Where are the rest of the Boarders?" Arnold asked.
"They all said they were sleepy. Arnie made some weird drink-asked everyone to drink it. It has raspberries so I declined, and Pookie. Well, Pookie was on the roof howling at the sky."
"They all drank it?" Officer Lorena asked with a raised brow.
"Well, they're not exactly the smartest group around." Phil said with a frown.
"Is there any left?"
"I think it's in the refrigerator-that's where it was anyway." The officers went into the kitchen, being led by Arnold. Sure enough, the drink was in there; it was a purplish-red color. It had a bitter smell to it. Officer Lorena pulled out a small vile from her pocket and poured some of the drink into it.
"For analyzing." She explained. "I'll call you tomorrow, Arnold. We'll come back up to Phoebe's room then. Call us if you hear from him." Arnold nodded and watched the officers leave. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his phone to call Phoebe's room and inform Helga that Arnie's on the loose.
"I wanted to forget-I wanted to block it out." Helga and Arnold exchanged glances as Phoebe sighed heavily. "I didn't want to relive it. And after I tell the police I want to forget."
"But, Phoebs. Who did this to you?" Phoebe raised her hand to stop Helga.
"I'll explain it when the police arrive. You will understand then why I made myself forget. Trust me, Helga. You'll understand." The blonde nodded, but her eyes stayed plastered to the door. Phoebe looked quite nervous, her eyes darting from Helga to Arnold to the door. About a half an hour later the police walked in. One was a young woman who wore her police uniform quite proudly, her hair was curly and shoulder-length. Her walk was filled with confidence and her smile was warm and inviting.
Her partner was tall and thin, with pale blonde hair that went just over his green eyes. He did not smile, he looked at the kids with stony- hard set eyes that plainly said he did not want any funny business. Helga looked from one officer to the other, deciding the girl looked much more inviting. "Hello," The policewoman said with a smile. "My name is officer Lorena, and this is my partner officer Jabez." The three nodded to the officers as Helga spoke up:
"I'm Helga, this here is Arnoldo and that's Phoebs." Officer Lorena smiled at the trio as she pulled up a chair next to the bed.
"I have been informed the victim of a rape thinks she might possibly know who the rapist might be, am I correct?" Phoebe looked quite bashful, but she nodded anyway. Officer Lorena pulled out a small notebook and a pen. "May I have your name, dear?" Phoebe cleared her throat and said awkwardly.
"My name is Phoebe Heyerdahl." The woman nodded and began to write then paused.
"Can you spell your last name, dear?" Phoebe nodded.
"H-e-y-e-r-d-a-h-l."
"Now, what made you remember, or think you know who your attacker was? Was it an object, something you saw on TV?" The young Japanese girl shook her head. "What was it then?"
"I-It was Arnold." The two officers, Arnold and Helga all turned to look at Phoebe quickly, bewilderment in Arnold's eyes.
"How did I remind you of-"
"Please!" Officer Lorena said to Arnold, shaking her head. "Continue, my dear." Phoebe nodded and looked away.
"I'd been trying to forget what had happened to me. I didn't want to remember. But seeing Arnold made it all come back to me. The one who attacked me looks quite similar to Arnold in his body shape, although his personality is quite disagreeing with Arnold's. Everyone has always looked at him strangely whenever he visits Arnold and I always had a strange feeling whenever he was around-"
"Hold it!" Arnold hissed, looking at Phoebe sharply. "You think it's Arnie? Why would Arnie want to hurt you?"
"Ask him. If you remember correctly, Arnold, your cousin was visiting you the day it happened. I remember distinctly seeing him before we went to school."
"But Arnie doesn't really know you at all, why would he want to." Officer Lorena cut him off.
"The attackers usually know of the person they take, but they don't personally know them. It would make sense. Please, give me a description of the young man-"
"That's not necessary, Ma'am." Arnold said in a soft voice. "He'd be at my house right now, I can take you to him. Last I knew he was reading the ingredients off of the cereal box, he probably still is. I can take you to get him if you think it will help."
"We're still getting evidence from her paper work, there were fingerprints and other things found on her. We can get him an alibi, but we'll really need the evidence from her to have a real case." Officer Jabez stood slowly and beckoned his partner over to him. "Come, Arnold. Show us the way to your place so we can take him into custody." Arnold nodded and stood, but turned to look at Phoebe and Helga. He bent over and hugged Phoebe quickly then turned and smiled faintly at Helga and hesitantly hugged her too then followed the officers out the door.
~*~*~*~*~
Upon arriving at Arnold's house, they immediately noticed a big difference (or rather, Arnold had). All the lights were out in the Boarding House, no noise was heard from within. Arnold frowned as he opened the door and nothing ran out of it, not Abner, not any of the dogs or cats. That was odd. His whole "family" was silent. He slowly led the police inside. "Something's not right here." The police looked at him curiously and noticed how cautious he was walking. Officer Jabez pulled out his gun and cocked it, preparing himself to shoot.
"Grandpa! Grandma!" Arnold cried as he walked into the living room. Phil and Pookie were tied and bound to chairs, with duct tape over their mouths. Pookie was hopping away from Phil in her chair, trying to sing a song. She was dressed as a cowgirl. Arnold ran to his grandparents and untied them. Phil took off his duct tape then stopped Arnold from taking Pookie's off.
"Don't, Short Man. She's been singing that dang song all day." But Pookie, considering she can still hear them, pulls the duct tape off.
"The Yellow rose of Texas."
"Grandpa, what happened?" Arnold asked wide-eyed as Officer Jabez un- cocked his gun and put it back in its holder.
"Your kooky cousin's what happened. I was taken a nap, I had just had some raspberries and was restin' after a long bathroom break, when he snuck up behind me. He had someone with him-I dunno who she was. She helped him tie me and Pookie up. It was horrible-HORRIBLE!"
"That you were tied up Grandpa?" Arnold asked, with sad eyes.
"No. I was okay with that. That I was tied up listening to Pookie hum that dang song!" The officers shook their heads.
"Where are the rest of the Boarders?" Arnold asked.
"They all said they were sleepy. Arnie made some weird drink-asked everyone to drink it. It has raspberries so I declined, and Pookie. Well, Pookie was on the roof howling at the sky."
"They all drank it?" Officer Lorena asked with a raised brow.
"Well, they're not exactly the smartest group around." Phil said with a frown.
"Is there any left?"
"I think it's in the refrigerator-that's where it was anyway." The officers went into the kitchen, being led by Arnold. Sure enough, the drink was in there; it was a purplish-red color. It had a bitter smell to it. Officer Lorena pulled out a small vile from her pocket and poured some of the drink into it.
"For analyzing." She explained. "I'll call you tomorrow, Arnold. We'll come back up to Phoebe's room then. Call us if you hear from him." Arnold nodded and watched the officers leave. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his phone to call Phoebe's room and inform Helga that Arnie's on the loose.