The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 9
by HA
"Your food," the waiter told Blake and Molly as he placed the two plates on the table. "Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything else."
"I'll keep that in mind," Molly said as she looked sideways at the food.
"Here," Blake said, offering his plate to Molly after the waiter left. "Try it."
Molly raised an eyebrow at the pile of clams and linguini covered with alfredo sauce. A small frown formed on her face. "Er..."
"Tell ya what." Blake smiled at her as he speared a clam on his fork and twisted some noodles on it. "We'll try it at the same time."
Reluctantly, Molly followed his example and found herself facing a twisted ball of seafood and pasta drenched in a creamy white sauce. As the ball dripped onto the catfish below, Molly shot a skeptical look at Blake, who was looking at his.
"On the count of three," he told her. "One, two, three."
Seconds after "three," he popped his white noodle ball into his mouth. Unwilling to allow herself to show weakness, Molly quickly shoved hers into her mouth, and she chewed in unison with him. Finally, they both swallowed, and Molly seized her glass of water and downed a significant amount of the liquid.
"Well?" Blake asked, sipping from his glass.
"It's...not bad," Molly admitted.
"I'd have to agree," Blake said. "Now, let's try the catfish." Eyeing Molly's plate, he got his fork ready. "May I?"
* * * * *
After arguing for what seemed to be an eternity, Alicia and Stink resigned themselves to looking through the front window of the restaurant. Both of them spotted their two targets somewhere deep in the restaurant.
Stink squinted through his binoculars. "Are they...eating off the same plate?"
"Looks like they're trying each other's food," Alicia said.
Stink's teeth clenched along with his fist. "That's it. We're going in there!"
Alicia put down her binoculars. "That's smart. Let them know we're spying on them."
"You got any better ideas?" Stink said, glaring at her.
"Yeah. Going back to Sussex and getting some sleep," Alicia shot back.
Stink let out a grunt of frustration. "Oh, forget you!"
Before Alicia could stop him, Stink dashed across the street. As a car stopped in time to avoid hitting him, Alicia rolled her eyes and ran after him while ignoring the loud honking and swearing of the driver.
* * * * *
Still feeling the increasing tightness around his neck, Bo also felt a little lightheaded, not to mention his own hands were losing their grip. Looking below him, he noticed that Tomie was watching him.
Shirley's eyes betrayed the panic she had. "Bo!" she shouted.
"Let him go!" Rika yelled. "He's done nothing wrong!"
Tomie looked away from her captive. "Are you sure about that? He does help her in her detective work. Therefore, he's an accomplice and shares in her guilt." Her yellow eyes focused on Shirley. "Well, do you want to play a game?"
Bo tried to say something, but thanks to the wire around his neck, it came out a garbled noise. Shirley noticed that Bo's arms had gone slack at his sides.
Rika stepped out in front of Shirley. "If you say 'yes,' you'll have no choice but to play."
"But..." Shirley said.
Rika gripped the detective's shoulder tightly. "You don't understand!" she said through clenched teeth. "She's never lost a game, and if you lose, you'll endure untold suffering."
Shirley threw Rika off, and her blue eyes met Tomie's yellow ones. "All right, Tomie. I accept your challenge."
The wicked grin crossed the Gamer's face again. "Good."
Tomie moved her hand, and the wire snaked its way to Shirley with its captive. It suddenly withdrew into Tomie's hand, and Bo fell to the ground. Shirley and the two Strangers were on him at once, and she and Sara helped him to his feet.
"Are you all right?" Shirley asked her best friend.
Bo gasped a little for air. "Never felt better," he said weakly, forcing himself to smile at her.
Looking at Tomie, Shirley swore that she saw the fingers on her gloves vanish, exposing her bare fingers. "Well, then," she heard her say, and she watched as she snapped her fingers. "Let's start."
Bo looked around him and blinked. "Um, Shirley, is it me, or is the sky starting to reach out for us?"
Following Bo's gaze, Shirley saw the tendrils of darkness reach out from the night sky and the shadows around them. Some of them began circling the area while the rest shot upwards, and Shirley noticed that they were forming a dome.
"Oh, don't mind that," Tomie said. "I'm just insuring us some privacy while we play."
The dome solidified, and all was covered in darkness.
END OF CHAPTER 9
by HA
"Your food," the waiter told Blake and Molly as he placed the two plates on the table. "Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything else."
"I'll keep that in mind," Molly said as she looked sideways at the food.
"Here," Blake said, offering his plate to Molly after the waiter left. "Try it."
Molly raised an eyebrow at the pile of clams and linguini covered with alfredo sauce. A small frown formed on her face. "Er..."
"Tell ya what." Blake smiled at her as he speared a clam on his fork and twisted some noodles on it. "We'll try it at the same time."
Reluctantly, Molly followed his example and found herself facing a twisted ball of seafood and pasta drenched in a creamy white sauce. As the ball dripped onto the catfish below, Molly shot a skeptical look at Blake, who was looking at his.
"On the count of three," he told her. "One, two, three."
Seconds after "three," he popped his white noodle ball into his mouth. Unwilling to allow herself to show weakness, Molly quickly shoved hers into her mouth, and she chewed in unison with him. Finally, they both swallowed, and Molly seized her glass of water and downed a significant amount of the liquid.
"Well?" Blake asked, sipping from his glass.
"It's...not bad," Molly admitted.
"I'd have to agree," Blake said. "Now, let's try the catfish." Eyeing Molly's plate, he got his fork ready. "May I?"
* * * * *
After arguing for what seemed to be an eternity, Alicia and Stink resigned themselves to looking through the front window of the restaurant. Both of them spotted their two targets somewhere deep in the restaurant.
Stink squinted through his binoculars. "Are they...eating off the same plate?"
"Looks like they're trying each other's food," Alicia said.
Stink's teeth clenched along with his fist. "That's it. We're going in there!"
Alicia put down her binoculars. "That's smart. Let them know we're spying on them."
"You got any better ideas?" Stink said, glaring at her.
"Yeah. Going back to Sussex and getting some sleep," Alicia shot back.
Stink let out a grunt of frustration. "Oh, forget you!"
Before Alicia could stop him, Stink dashed across the street. As a car stopped in time to avoid hitting him, Alicia rolled her eyes and ran after him while ignoring the loud honking and swearing of the driver.
* * * * *
Still feeling the increasing tightness around his neck, Bo also felt a little lightheaded, not to mention his own hands were losing their grip. Looking below him, he noticed that Tomie was watching him.
Shirley's eyes betrayed the panic she had. "Bo!" she shouted.
"Let him go!" Rika yelled. "He's done nothing wrong!"
Tomie looked away from her captive. "Are you sure about that? He does help her in her detective work. Therefore, he's an accomplice and shares in her guilt." Her yellow eyes focused on Shirley. "Well, do you want to play a game?"
Bo tried to say something, but thanks to the wire around his neck, it came out a garbled noise. Shirley noticed that Bo's arms had gone slack at his sides.
Rika stepped out in front of Shirley. "If you say 'yes,' you'll have no choice but to play."
"But..." Shirley said.
Rika gripped the detective's shoulder tightly. "You don't understand!" she said through clenched teeth. "She's never lost a game, and if you lose, you'll endure untold suffering."
Shirley threw Rika off, and her blue eyes met Tomie's yellow ones. "All right, Tomie. I accept your challenge."
The wicked grin crossed the Gamer's face again. "Good."
Tomie moved her hand, and the wire snaked its way to Shirley with its captive. It suddenly withdrew into Tomie's hand, and Bo fell to the ground. Shirley and the two Strangers were on him at once, and she and Sara helped him to his feet.
"Are you all right?" Shirley asked her best friend.
Bo gasped a little for air. "Never felt better," he said weakly, forcing himself to smile at her.
Looking at Tomie, Shirley swore that she saw the fingers on her gloves vanish, exposing her bare fingers. "Well, then," she heard her say, and she watched as she snapped her fingers. "Let's start."
Bo looked around him and blinked. "Um, Shirley, is it me, or is the sky starting to reach out for us?"
Following Bo's gaze, Shirley saw the tendrils of darkness reach out from the night sky and the shadows around them. Some of them began circling the area while the rest shot upwards, and Shirley noticed that they were forming a dome.
"Oh, don't mind that," Tomie said. "I'm just insuring us some privacy while we play."
The dome solidified, and all was covered in darkness.
END OF CHAPTER 9