Disclaimer: I've no intention of claiming Scooby Doo or any related characters.
Velma and Dylan arrived at the museum and headed to the Mystery Inc. exhibit. They saw Patrick looking at a shattered glass case. Velma noticed that the item that was stolen was one of her trademark sweaters she donated to the museum.
"Someone stole your sweater." Dylan to Velma mumbled out of the blue. Dylan looked at Patrick. "Told you something might get stolen." Patrick then leaned over to Velma.
"Is she really this…" Patrick said. "Smart-alecky?" All Velma could do was to nod. Dylan was just staring at the glass case.
"She's sort of…unique." Velma said, giving a little smile. She then walked over to the glass case and examined it for clues. Dylan checked the ground for clues. The girl in black came across a screw.
"Does this qualify as a clue?" She asked, holding up the screw. There was also some oil on the screw.
"Jinkies…" Velma said softly, taking the screw.
"Jinkies? Sounds like a breakfast cereal to me." Dylan commented. Velma shook her head and inspected the screw.
"It's a type G-13 screw. It's not really hard to come by, but not easy to look for either." Velma said. "It's mainly used in simple robotics." Suddenly, Thomson came in the exhibit hall and saw Velma and Dylan. Thomson was surprised to see Dylan in there. Dylan had the same reaction.
"You!" Dylan and Thomson exclaimed in unison. Patrick looked at Velma with the sort of, "care-to-explain?" look.
"…It's just one of those days when your teenage student gets into a brawl with a 65-year-old man." Velma sighed to Patrick.
"Uh..huh…" Patrick said, now totally in a bizarre state of mind. Velma and Patrick watched as Dylan and Thomson bickered with each other.
"Okay, that's it! Cool it, Dylan!" Velma finally said, pulling Dylan away before she gets Thomson in a headlock. Dylan dusted her shirt and got her "interrogation face" on.
"We saw you get on the bus. Where were you going, Mr. Thomson?" She asked like a real inspector. Thomson was sort of taken by surprise.
"What do you care!? I was just-" The old man was then insolently cut-off by Dylan.
"Wait. Don't say it. You were just going to the police for a confession!" Dylan jumped to her absurd conclusion. Velma was embarrassed at what Dylan was displaying. She hid behind Patrick thinking,
"(Oh please let the earth swallow me up now!)" Patrick wasn't able to say a word, either. He just saw the quiet, but feisty girl arguing with an old man. It wasn't a sight you'd normally come by everyday.
"Confounded little brat!" Thomson barked. Dylan fell silent, but there was still a glint of suspicion in her eyes. "I just got back from the hardware store!" At this, Velma stopped whimpering and regained her composure. She pushed her glasses up her nose and cleared her throat.
"What exactly were you doing at the hardware store, Mr. Thomson?" Velma asked in her usual analytical tone. Thomson was now red as a tomato.
"Oh, for the love of Jim! Not you too, Velma!" Thomson bawled angrily. "I just went there to see if they have any screws left! For the boilers and heaters!" Upon hearing this, Velma and Dylan jerked. They looked at each other. Patrick, too, was astonished to hear that. As for Thomson, he wasn't aware of anything going on around him.
"…What kind of screws?" Dylan asked.
"Why can't a man just buy screws without being asked!?" Thomson snarled. "G-13's!!! There!? Ya happy!?" Thomson waved a pack of screws in front of Dylan's face. Dylan jerked backward. Velma now had the same suspicious look like Dylan's.
"…I think we have enough clues, Dylan." Velma said. "Let's go." Dylan watched as Velma passed her. Dylan followed her and stopped before passing Thomson.
"Watch your back, gramps." Dylan leered. Thomson frowned like a wrinkled paper bag. Outside the museum, Velma and Dylan were walking down the steps.
"…Gathered enough clues?" Dylan asked. "Or do we need to loiter around some more?"
"Dylan, there's no use hiding it!" Velma exclaimed happily. "You know that it was totally useful to go back here. I think you lose our little argument back on the bus."
"A student never questions her teacher." Dylan muttered bracingly. "And…I don't try to win. I just try not to lose."