"This guy must have been a real Movie buff. All these magazines are about movies."
Daphne nodded her head. She had been finding similar things on her side.
"Yeah, I found a few books on the late 1930's actors and a few books of movie history. But the strange things are these few electronics books weeded in to the rest of them."
"Strange. What would Old Man Ridmore need electronics books for."
"Maybe he was the one who installed that machine over there?"
Daphne suggested, pointing to the PA like system that seemed to have been hooked up all over the house. Velma was looking into that at the moment, so he would have to ask her what she found later. Fred continued to look for a bit, getting more aggravated each second that ticked down. Finally he got fed up and slammed his hand down scaring Daphne.
"I was right there! He was right in front of me! And yet somehow he vanished."
Fred grumbled angrily. A bit shaken from the bang he made previous, she came over to him. Placing her hands over his balled up fist she picked up his hand and held it between hers.
"Freddy… Listen to me."
She took one hand to direct his vision from looking at the walls, to looking at her eyes.
"Freddy… Freddy… Ok, you listening now?"
She waited till his eyes were paying attention to her before she placed her hand back on top of her other one that was around his fist. His grip on his fist loosened up as his anger subsided as he listened to what she had to say.
"Getting all upset about this is not the thing to do right now. I know you are frustrated about Edward Junior and the ghost kidnapping him and you weren't able to stop him. But beating yourself up isn't the answer. We just have to keep searching. That's what we do. This is why we are here. We figure out things. And it's not just Velma figuring out everything, or Shaggy stumbling over things. We are a team remember? So don't be trying to bear the weight for all of us. We are in this together. Don't forget that."
She said shaking his hand once then letting it go. He opened that hand and looked at it for a second before closing it again. His face brightened up as he gave a small chuckle.
"Your right Daph."
She turned to him and flashed her usual smile.
"Oh course I am. Now let's get back to searching."
"Stop right there Mr. Ghost! Like' I won't have you chasing Velma while I'm around..."
"Rah rah!"
Fred and Daphne heard Shaggy's clear but terrified voice. Then came a clear gulp.
"Please?"
Fred and Daphne stuck their head out of the door in time to see the ghost of John Ridmore come out from the hallway.
"As you wish."
"Shaggy! Scooby!"
Fred yelled but the duo didn't hear him. The Ghost turned to look in their direction; Fred jerked his head back knocking both him and Daphne, who had been standing behind him, off balance. As Daphne flailed about, her hand struck something and the wall behind her slid open in time for her to fall into it. Fred was right behind her, landing in a heap inside the hidden tunnel. As he picked himself off of Daphne, the entrance closed behind them.
"Well… I hope Shaggy and Scooby are all right. But you at least found us the hidden tunnel that the ghost took. Are you all right Daph?"
She sat up and shook her hand. It was what had hit what ever had opened the door.
"Besides I probably broke a nail or two, and my poor hand might bruise, I'm fine. But where are we?"
The only light was from under the closed hidden door, so they weren't able to see to far.
"It's the tunnel that must lead out somewhere else in the house. Come on, let's check it out."
Fred advised as he checked his pockets for his laser pointer. It wasn't much, but at least it did show something beyond the dark and gloom. Daphne clung to Fred as he traveled one hand on the wall next to him, one hand outstretched with the laser pointer. They shuffled a while before something got tangled around his ankles. It wasn't anything living, but it was something there. Pausing, he reached down and picked it up.
"What is it Fred? I can't see anything."
"It feels like a bit of fabric… It's like a strip of something. There are two halves."
He pulled it apart and it made an odd sound Daphne knew immediately what it was.
"It's a strip of Velcro! I know that sound anywhere."
Fred was a bit stunned at her positive-ness just from the sound, but the more he felt it, it had one kind of prickly side that grabbed on to the fuzzier side. It could just well be a strip of Velcro. He had to give her credit. If it had to do about fashion, Daphne was an expert. He pocketed some of it and continued going. After a while of walking, he found the wall at the end. With a hard push, expecting it to be difficult to move, the door swung easy and the momentum threw Fred and Daphne into the room landing on something.
"Zoinks! The ghosts are everywhere!"
Scooby whined, pinned under the mass that was on top of him.
"Shaggy? Scooby?"
"Daph? Fred? Guys!"
Shaggy hugged them as best as he could, being pinned under them.
"Like' how did you get here?"
Shaggy asked as Fred and Daphne untangled themselves to sit more comfortably.
"We kinda stumbled over the secret passage the ghost used to kidnap Edward Junior. And we ended up here… Where is here exactly?"
Daph wondered. It was almost as dark at the previous tunnel had been. But it looked like shelves of some sort. And it was also big enough to fit them all without to much crowding.
"Re rin ra Ritchen!"
Scooby added, being helpful.
"Yeah, we're in the kitchen. We ran in here from the dining room and quickly found ourselves a hiding spot. Namely this walk in closet."
Then a sound was heard right before their door. The gang got quiet as they heard muffled voice beyond the door. While Shaggy and Scooby zipped to hide behind Fred and Daphne, Fred was inching closer.
"All right, as soon as this ghost opens the door. Shaggy and me will jump on him. Daph and Scooby, I want you to find something out in the kitchen to tie him up with once we got him pinned, ok?"
"Do I have to?"
Whined Shaggy, though he got right beside Fred, braced and ready. As the door slowly opened Fred charged forward.
"NOW!"