Velma quickly folds up the note and puts it into her pocket. "Under no circumstances should I allow anyone to see this." She says to herself. She takes the note from her pocket. Her hands quiver as she holds it. "I better hide it someplace." She tries to think reasonably, "We have no idea who we're dealing with…" she takes in a few deep breaths, "It is better that no one knows about this." She scans around the room. "Just where do I put it?" she thinks to herself. "The lab." She finally decides, "I'll hide it with a few chemicals. No one will think of looking in there." Velma turns to her laboratory then stops, "The diary," she says picking it up, "I better hide this too."

It does not take long to hide the objects. As Velma goes back onto the lounge, there is a strong knock on the front door. "I wonder who that could be." Thinks Velma. "Her? No, that's impossible. If she wants to get me out of the way, she would never do it here…the gun shots would wake up nearly the entire neighborhood." She reasons, "However, she could use other methods." Velma's mind instantly fills with any possible way of committing murder—from hanging to strangling—as she cautiously approaches the door. "Who is it?" she asks.

"Dorothy Taylor." Is the reply.

Velma lets out a sigh of relief. She has known the Taylor's for as long as she can remember. Dorothy was an old high school friend of Misses Dinkley and the two had often taken turns in babysitting the other's children. She opens the door and greets her neighbor, "Hello, Mrs. Taylor!" smiles Velma, "Lovely night isn't it?"

"Yes, indeed it is." Replies the elderly lady. She looks at the younger girl with a worried look on her face.

"Is anything the matter?" inquires Velma.

The older woman stops for a moment then says, "I was wondering if you were okay." "What do you mean?" asks Velma.

"Well," is the reply, "I was sitting in my living room watching the late show. I know I really shouldn't be up this late at my age…but you know: they have all the good, old shows so late at night these days."

"Yes," agrees Velma trying to get her caller to go straight to the point, "I often find myself in that predicament."

"At any rate," continues Mrs. Taylor, "I looked out my window, and who should I see, but a desperado trying to break in here."

"Jinkies!" exclaims Velma trying to make it sound as if the news was not new, "And did this person succeed?"

"He most certainly did." Is the reply, "In fact, he was in here for roughly a minute then ran down the road to a car."

Velma can feel her temperature rise and her heart beat faster. "Think fast, Velma." she thinks to herself, "Say the wrong thing and you're dead." Gathering a few thoughts together, she lies, "Well, you see," she starts, "we're thinking about changing the locks here."

"What about that mysterious person I saw?" inquires Dorothy.

"Oh, him," continues Velma smiling, "well, he is an old friend of ours. We had him arrested a few years ago for a bank robbery. Good thing, afterwards he went straight. He is now a locksmith and he came here to see how good our locks are against any outsiders. You know, we have some very expensive equipment here."

"Yes." Is the reply, "I see. But at one in the morning?"

"What better time to pretend to be a burglar and test the locks at night than in the day?" questions Velma.

"Yes, I would suppose so." Says Mrs. Taylor as she turns to go, "Well, goodnight, Velma."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Taylor." Responds Velma, closing the door.

She then sits on a nearby chair. "That was close." She comments as she wipes the perspiration off her face. It isn't long before a note is popped through the mail slot. Velma instantly picks it up. It appears to be another note from the mystery visitor. However, unlike, the first, this note is hand written. Velma finds this note a little more comfortable than the first, "Very good, Velma! If you keep this up, you might live to a right old age!"

"Jinkies!" exclaims Velma, "Now she is watching my every move!" She instantly looks around to see if there were any windows in which she could clearly be seen by the outside world. "How could she have known?" she asks herself. "Could it have been, Dorothy?"

"No, the person I saw leaving was tall and skinny. Dorothy is short and plump. Besides, she has no motive whatsoever to murder anybody."

"Maybe it was one of her children." She continues.

"No, they all got married and moved out of town."

"What do you think you're doing?" She asks herself, "You're accusing a woman, who has looked after you since you were a kid, of wanting to kill you the first slip of the tongue you make!"

"Not only that," She replies, "But I'm talking to myself." Velma buries her face in her hands. "I feel so tired." She groans. "Sleep, rest, that's what I need. I'm not even thinking straight." Putting the new note into her pocket, she leaves her chair and heads towards the staircase only to collapse from exhaustion on the couch. "This could only be a bad dream." She assures herself as she falls asleep.

The next morning, Daphne is the first one to descend the stairs. As she heads to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, she spots Velma sleeping in the lounge. "She must have been there all night." Ponders Daphne.

The sound of Fred's big feet interrupt her thoughts as he comes down the stairs. "Morning, Daph." He greets the redhead at the bottom of the steps. Daphne just smiles. Fred reaches ground level and looks in the same direction as Daphne. "How long do you think she was down here?" he asks.

"My guess is all night." Is the reply.

Fred just grins. He walks over to Velma and scoops her up in his arms. "Freddie!" exclaims Daphne, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" replies the blond man, "I'm taking Velma up to her room. She'll sleep a lot better there." He then walks to the stairs. "Come along, Daph." He says, "I'm going to need your help." Daphne instantly follows.

Upon entering Velma's room, Fred places Velma on her bed as Daphne covers the younger girl with a blanket.

Once back on the ground floor, the two encounter Shaggy and Scooby already on the road to preparing breakfast. "Good morning, late sleepers!" teases Shaggy. "Very funny." Chuckles Freddie, "We were just putting Velma to bed."

"Like, didn't she go to bed last night?" asks Shaggy.

"Apparently not." Replies Daphne as she pours herself a glass of milk.

"By the way," asks Fred, "what's for breakfast?"

"Ranrakes!" barks Scooby happily handing both Fred and Daphne two plates stacked high with pancakes.

Fred and Daphne take their plates to the table and eat their meal. After a while, they are interrupted by a knock on the door. Fred goes to answer it. "Morning, Sarah!" he greets the visitor, "Won't you come in?"

"Thank-you." Replies Sarah Maclbe as she enters, "I was just passing though the area and realized that I haven't seen you in a while. I had just heard about poor Susie."

"Yes." Sighs Fred, "It was quite disturbing."

"I can imagine." sympathies Sarah, "It's not everyday that someone is shot down right in front of you. And that poor boy…what's his name again?"

"Norville?" asks Shaggy from the kitchen.

"Yes." Replies Sarah, "It must have been nerve wracking for him." She looks around the room. "Is Velma up yet?" she asks, "I would like t talk with her."

"Like, I don't know." Replies Shaggy as he runs out of the kitchen, "But I'll, like, go and check."

"Reah, re roo!" says Scooby as he ran at his master's heels.

"Like, Velma!" Shaggy says as he enters Velma's room, "Get up! Like, Sarah's here!"

Velma rolls over and looks at Shaggy and Scooby in a puzzled manner, "Sarah?" She asks, "But she's dead."

"Not that one." Explains Shaggy, "The girl who calls herself Sarah."

"Oh, her." reminisces Velma as she rubs her eyes.

"Yeah, but, like, what do we do?" asks the beatnik.

"What do you mean?" inquires Velma.

"Remember?" reminds Shaggy, "We met Joni yesterday and she said that the real Sarah is dead."

"Oh yeah." Replies the girl.

"Like, wow, Velma, you must be really out of it!" exclaims Shaggy, "You don't remember anything about yesterday."

"I'm just very tired." Replies Velma.

"Like, you're telling me." Comments Shaggy, "But what do we tell Sarah?"

"At the present," is the reply, "nothing. Don't mention anything about Joni being in town or anything about what Susie's apartment or the diary, don't say anything about the diary!"

"Okay," says Shaggy.

"And make sure that neither Fred or Daphne talk about it either." Instructs Velma

"All right." Replies Shaggy. Then he and Scooby turn to leave, "By the way," he says turning to Velma, "Sarah wants to talk to you."

Upon hearing this, Velma feels a cold shiver run down her spine. Once the boys leave, Velma reaches into her pocket and pulls out the note, which she received last night. "It wasn't a dream." She says, "It really did happen." She instantly get up, brushes her hair and runs down the stairs. "Good morning." She greets her companions and Sarah. "It's about time you got up!" Daphne playfully teases.

Velma smiles, "Very funny, Daph." She then turns to Sarah, "Shaggy said that you wanted to talk to me about something. What exactly was it?"

"Well," replies Sarah, "since you have just woken up, I would suppose you would like some breakfast." Velma gives a confused face.

"I am also nearly late for work." Continues the other woman, "So maybe we could talk later. I'm staying at the Holiday Inn on Third Street. I will be off work at around four." With that, she leaves before anyone else can speak.

"Interesting conversation." Comments Shaggy as he and Scooby join the rest of the gang, "Like, none of you could get a word in edge wise." "Reah." Agrees his canine companion.

"Did you tell her anything?" Velma asks Fred and Daphne.

"No." replies Fred, "She did most of the talking."

"What do you make of it?" inquires Daphne.

Velma just grins, "It means that this mystery is just about solved."

"What!" exclaim her companions.

"Can't explains now." Replies Velma as she leaves, "If anyone wants me, I'll be in the lab."

"Wait!" cries out Shaggy, "Don't you at least want some pancakes?"

"No thanks," is the reply, "I'm not hungry."

Shaggy looks at Scooby, "Oh well," he says, "all the more for us!"

Fred and Daphne look at each other in confusion. "What does she mean by 'this mystery is just about solved'?" asks Fred. "I don't know." Replies Daphne, "But I have a pretty good mind to find out."

"Well, you go do that." Says Fred as he sits down at the table, "In the meantime, I'll just have some more of these delicious pancakes."

Daphne rolls here eyes as she walks toward the laboratory at the back of Head Quarters. As she enters the room, Daphne can hear Velma grumbling while typing on her laptop, "Her name, I need her name…" "Who's name?" asks Daphne. Velma instantly spins around. "Daphne!" she exclaims, "Don't sneak up on me like that! What are you trying to do…give me a heart attack?"

"Of coarse not." Replies the other girl. "Velma, what's going on here?" she asks looking around, "All the curtains are drawn, the phone is off the hook, you have just one light on, the door was closed. What's with all the secrecy?" Velma does not answer. Daphne then notices the laptop's screen. "And what's this?" she asks as Velma quickly slams the top down.

"Please, Daphne." Velma finally says, "I would like to be alone."

"But why?" inquires Daphne, "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" Velma snaps.

"Velma, something is wrong." Daphne says sternly, "You may be trying to hide it, but I can sense it in you. You're not yourself. Now, what's the matter?"

Velma takes in a deep breath. "Okay, I'll tell you," she lies, "I have been feeling a little stressed lately."

"About what?" asks Daphne.

"My parents." Is the reply, "They have been getting into fights."

"So?"

"I'm afraid they may break up."

"Come on, Velma." Reasons, Daphne, "It can't be that serious. What makes you think they are going to separate?"

"They have been threatening."

"Oh, that's just silly!" exclaims the redhead.

"I know it does sound that way." Lies Velma, "I mean at their age. If they were twenty years younger, I would understand."

"Oh." Says Daphne, "I'll just leave you alone now."

"Thank-you." Velma says as she turns back to her work.

"What did you find out?" asks Fred as Daphne returns to the dining room.

"Nothing. She said something about her parents wanting to divorce, but I can tell she's lying." Is the reply, "She is definitely onto something, yet, refuses to tell us."

"Well, that's strange." Comments Fred, while he fills his mouth with pancakes, "Did you see the way she looked at Sarah when she came in?"

"Yeah." Agrees Shaggy, "Sorta, like, she was afraid of something."

Daphne, in deep thought, stares puzzled into space. "Why should Velma be afraid of Sarah?"

"Rhe riary?" asks Scooby.

"Like, that's right!" realizes Shaggy, "Velma asked us earlier not to mention about the diary around Sarah."

"Strange," comments Daphne, rubbing her chin, "I haven't seen it since last night."

"Then there must have been something in it that book that is the key to this mystery." Concludes Fred.

"But, like, how do we get her to tell us what it is?" questions Shaggy.

"Hi, guys!" Greet Velma as she walks in. She instantly grabs her jacket and heads to the door. "I'll see you later." She says.

"Wait a minute!" yells Daphne, "Where are you going?"

"Downtown." Is the reply, "I'm need to talk to Sam about something. I shouldn't be too long."

"Like, have a nice trip." Says Shaggy as Velma leaves.

"Shouldn't we follow her?" asks Fred.

"Like, are you crazy?" exclaims Shaggy, "Now is a good time to find out what is going on!"

"But just to see where Velma's going." Explains, Freddie, "There is a possibility that she is lying to us again."

"All right then, Freddie." Daphne says tossing the blond man his jacket and car keys, "You follow Velma. Shaggy and I will check out the lab."

Fred gets up and leaves, "I'll give you a full report."

Once the three are alone, Shaggy asks, "So, how do we, like, get into the lab?"

"What do you mean?" asks Daphne.

"Well," replies the skinny man, "most likely the door will be locked."

Daphne smiles. "It maybe locked," she says holding up a little key, "but I have an extra key."

"Like, where did you get that from?" asks Shaggy amazed.

"Velma gave it to me." Is the reply, "Just incase she gets locked in sometime during her more dangerous experiments."

Shaggy shrugs his shoulders as the three of them make for the lab door. Upon proving that the door is indeed locked, Daphne puts in her key and opens the door revealing a very dark room.

"Like, I've never seen the lab look this gloomy." Comments Shaggy as he looks around.

"That's because Velma always had the shades up to let the light in." explains Daphne. She reaches for the light switch and flicks it.

Seeing the room better in the light, it looks not like the usual, clean laboratory at all. "Like, now I know that something is wrong!" exclaims Shaggy, "Velma always makes sure that this place is clean." Shaggy moves around the room trying not to step on test tubes, scattered papers, and other items.

Scooby does the same. He finds the sight in front of him hard to believe. Just then, a paper ball spots his eye. "Raphne!" he calls out, "Rook rat ris!" His big paws pick up the paper and uncrumple it. "What did you find, Scooby?" asks Daphne as Scooby hands it to her. Daphne quickly reads it.

"Well," asks Shaggy, "what does it say?"

"Nothing important." Is the reply, "It is just a receipt for that equipment that Velma ordered a few months ago." Daphne places the paper onto the counter and says, "I guess there's nothing here to help us. We better go."

-

As Fred enters the police station, he can't help but wonder why Velma should want to keep her findings a secret. He walks over to the front desk. "Hank," he asks the officer, "did Velma come in here a moment ago?"

"She sure did." Replies Officer Hank, "She went straight to Sam's office."

"Did she say any thing about what her business was?" questions Fred.

"Nope."

Fred scratches the back of his head. He then notices a glass on Hank's desk. Picking it up, he asks, "Do you mind if I borrow this for a moment?"

"Don't let me stop you." Is the reply, "I don't know who's glass that is anyway."

"Thanks." Replies Fred. He then runs towards the Sheriff's office. Once there, he gently places the glass against the wall as not to make his presence known to Sam and Velma.

"Okay, Velma." Comes a male voice from within, "I'll make sure that everything is ready."

"Thank-you, Sam." Says Velma.

"Does the rest of the gang know about this?" asks Sam.

"I find that it is best not to tell them." Is the reply, "I'm already in more than I can handle."

"Even so," says Sam, "this is a very big risk you're taking."

Velma sighs, "I know. I just don't want to pull them into this too."

"You're afraid that things may go wrong?" questions the sheriff.

"Yes." Is the reply, "I mean, if anything happens to them that I can prevent, I would never forgive myself." She pauses for a moment then continues, "I have done the best I could do make sure that nothing unexpected will happen."

"But what if things do go wrong?" urges Sam, "What then?"

Velma leans back in her seat. "I have written a letter explaining everything." She replies, "The gang can work on from there. Of coarse, they and you will also be there."

"Well, I better start getting things ready." Says Sam.

"I better get going too. The gang will be wondering what is taking me so long." Velma says rising from her chair, "I'll see you at around three thirty?"

"I'll be there." Smiles Sam. "I just wish you could tell me more."

"Sorry, Sam." Sighs Velma, "But just incase thing go wrong. You never know."

As Velma walks towards the door, Fred makes a mad dash to the corner and waits. Velma exits the room and looks around. Fred notices a scared look on her face. Velma then walks towards the front entrance. She is carrying a medium sized briefcase that Fred had never seen before. Fred remains hidden until Velma is out of site then follows her back to Head Quarters.

At Head Quarters, he tells everything he heard to Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby. "What do you make of it?" he asks his listeners. "Sounds like Velma is making another trap, only this time excluding it from us." Says Daphne.

"Like, this has to be the first time that we aren't the bait of, eh, Scoob?" Shaggy asks the Great Dane standing next to him. "Reah!" barks Scooby.

"It's strange." States Daphne, "The way you described it, it makes it sound as if Velma is expecting for something bad to happen to her if she says too much about this case."

"Then Sam said that it's a big risk that she's taking." Ponder Shaggy, "Do you suppose that her life is, like, in danger?" Scooby whimpers upon the thought.

"There is that possibility." Replies Fred as he scratches his chin.

"And what if that is the situation?" asks Daphne, "What do we do?"

"Nothing." Replies the blond man, "Absolutely nothing until we know for sure."

-

A/N: So, what plan does Velma have? Might thing actually go wrong? Find out in the next chapter! Thanks for reviewing, everyone!