A/N: Notice: This chapter contains mild violence
"But when will we know for sure?" asks Daphne, "When Velma turns up dead somewhere?"
"I don't know, Daph." Replies Fred.
"Like, can we change the subject, or at least stop talking about a possible death!" cries out Shaggy as he hugs Scooby tightly, "You're, like, scaring us to death!"
"Raaah!" Screams Scooby jumping back. He points at Shaggy and exclaims, "Rou rust raid rit!"
"See?" Exclaims Shaggy turning to Fred and Daphne, "You've got me hooked!"
"I'm sorry, guys." Apologizes Fred, "But we have to view this situation from all different angles."
"Yeah?" says the other man, "Well, so far, you have only covered one."
"That's the only one that we can think of that makes sense." Explains Freddie.
Daphne instantly looks up. "Shhh." she warns, "Velma's coming."
Sure enough, Velma appears in the doorway. "Shaggy," she says, "I forgot to tell you, but we seem to have our kitchen invaded by mice. Just to let you know incase you come across some unpleasant things."
"Like, thanks for the warning, Velma." Smiles Shaggy. He then gets up. "I better set a few traps." Scooby instantly follows his master. Shaggy smiles at Velma, she does likewise, then the two leave together.
Fred grins. He turns to Daphne and whispers, "I think Shaggy is sweet on Velma."
"What makes you think so?" asks Daphne.
"Haven't you seen the way he's been acting around her lately?" replies Fred, "And, the way he is taking the news that her life is possibly in danger? Stir all those up, and you get a lover's brew."
Fred then gets up and walks toward the kitchen. "Freddie," asks Daphne, "where are you going?"
"To the kitchen." Replies Fred in a devilish sort of way, "I'm going to spy on our two little 'lovebirds' in there."
"Oh, Freddie." Scolds his girl friend, "Really you shouldn't. Shame on you."
"Care to join me?" is the man's only reply.
Daphne giggles slightly and replies, "Sure, why not? We've got nothing better to do." She then leaves with Fred.
Upon reaching the room, Velma looks at the clock on the wall. "I'll be in the lab if anyone wants me." She simply says. Then, softly under her breath as if saying to herself, "Three hours till showdown."
Daphne waits till Velma is gone till she parrots, "Showdown?" She looks at the boys working with the mousetraps. "I better go check on her." she finally says and leaves.
While Shaggy tries to place peanut butter on the trap, Fred leans on the counter and says, "You really have a crush on Velma, don't you?"
"Sorta." Is the reply.
"Sorta?" jokes his friend, "Your actions around her show more than just 'sorta."
"What do you mean?" asks Shaggy applying more peanut butter.
"Well, for instance," Replies Fred with a big grin on his face, "you're bating that trap a little too much."
Shaggy looks down at the mousetrap in his hand. He had covered nearly half of it in a thick layer peanut butter. He can feel his face go red as he takes in a deep breath. Fred can note a dreamy look in his friend's eyes.
"All right." Shaggy finally says, "I have been…I mean, I have had a crush on Velma since we first got back together. Like, you know, at Spooky Island."
"Oh, I see…" smiles Fred.
"And, like, that's why I get upset," continues Shaggy in a more serious tone, "when you and Daphne say that Velma may be in danger and that it is up to you two to save her. Well, let me, like, you something, if anyone is going to save Velma, it's going to be me!" He yells as he points to himself with a spoon, which he was bating the traps with. Fred smirks.
Shaggy then looks down at his shirt. Scooby then hands him a damp towel and Shaggy begins to clean off the mess.
"You know what your problem is, Shag?" smiles Fred, "You have not yet learned how to control your feelings."
"What does that mean?" asks the other man.
"Quite simple." Is the reply, "Just when I walked in here and start talking about Velma, you become all thumbs. You have no control on what your body's doing. It's like you're in a daze."
"Oh?" jokes Shaggy, "And you weren't like me when you got your first crush on Daphne?"
"I'm not saying that, Shag." Fred defends himself, "It just is that I have now learned to control myself."
Shaggy gives Fred an 'oh, really?' expression. "Okay," Fred says, "I'll prove it to you." He picks up a mousetrap then continues, "You try to distract me with any thoughts about Daphne while I will set this trap."
"Are you sure?" asks Shaggy.
"Absolutely." Coaxes Fred, "Just go ahead."
"Ro rather." Groans Scooby as he places his paw over his eyes.
"Ready?" Freddie says, "Go."
As Fred places the kill bar into place, Shaggy leans on the countertop and says, "Oh Daphne. Beautiful, wonderful Daphne." Fred tries hard stay focused as Shaggy continues, "To know that of all the boys that hung out with her during those high school years, she chose you."
That does the trick. Fred looses his grip on the bar as it springs back onto his thumbnail. "YOWL!" Fred cries in pain. He instantly looks at Scooby and Shaggy as they chuckle amongst themselves. "Norville Rogers!" fumes Fred.
"Like, relax, Fred." sympathizes Shaggy patting his friend on the back, "I've had my fingers caught in traps plenty of times, the pain wears off in just roughly an hour."
-
"Velma?" asks Daphne as she enters the laboratory, "Can I talk with you for a moment."
"What about?" is the only reply for a dark corner of the room.
"The change in you lately." Answers Daphne.
"It better be quick." States Velma as she turns on a light, "And, please, shut the door, Daph."
Daphne does so and makes her way to the corner where Velma is sitting. "Velma," Says Daphne, sitting down, "Ever since last night, there has been a definite change in you..."
"I thought we already went over this." Interrupts the other girl.
"Yes, we did." Replies Daphne, "But your reason was not quite good enough."
"I know it was too corny." Admits Velma.
"Not only that," continues Daphne, "but you withhold clues and make a plan with out consulting or including any of us. What's with that?"
"I can't explain now, Daph." Answers Velma, "However, I promise that later, when this whole ordeal is over, I will explain everything to you."
"Velma," Daphne asks in a concerned voice, "have you ever thought of the possibility that there may not be a later?"
Velma looks at Daphne. Her face grows pale. "What do you mean?" she finally asks.
"There is the chance that you may not come out of this alive." Is Daphne's reply.
"How could you have known?" asks Velma. She instantly gets up and runs to a box of chemicals at the other end of the room.
"The note's not in there." Daphne simply states.
"Then, where is it?" asks the other in a near state of panic.
"Right here." Is the reply. Daphne picks up a piece of paper form a nearby table and hands it to Velma.
"But how did you…" starts Velma.
"Find out?" finishes the other girl, "When you went to town earlier, Scooby, Shaggy and I came in here to see what you were up to."
"How did you get in?"
Daphne just holds up her spare key.
"Oh." Sighs Velma. She sits down in a near by chair, places her head in her hands and asks, "Do the guys know about this?"
"No."
"Good." Velma breaths a sigh of relief, "I wouldn't want to worry them, especially Shaggy."
"So, I've noticed." Smiles Daphne, "However, they do know that you are hiding something from us."
"Always something." Velma groans. Just then, the telephone rings. Velma reaches and picks it up.
"Hello, Sam." She says, "All the preparations are made?…good…yes, I'll come over right away…see you soon." She hangs up.
"Shouldn't you at least let me in on this?" asks Daphne in a concerned voice.
"You read the note, Daph." Replies Velma, "It could be a real threat or just a bluff;" She looks at Daphne squarely in the eye, "and that's one gamble is do not want to have any of you involved." She then gets up and grabs the brief case which she brought from the Sheriff's office earlier. "We better get going." She finally says. She then puts her arm on the other's shoulder, "Don't worry, Daph." She says, "I made sure that nothing unexpected will happen."
"Somehow, I don't feel any better." Replies Daphne. The two then leave the room.
"But, I still don't understand where we're going;" Protests Fred as he puts on his coat, "or for that matter, what's going on."
"Everything will be explained later." Is Velma's only reply.
"Like, that's what you keep on saying." Shaggy points out, "But, like, what the heck does that mean?"
Velma does not give a verbal reply, instead she looks directly at the inquisitive questioner as if saying, 'That's for me to know and for you to find out, later.' Shaggy takes it as a sign to shut up.
Eventually, the bewildered gang boards the Mystery Machine as Velma give the orders on where to go. "The Holiday Inn!" exclaims Fred to make sure he heard the command right.
"On Third Street." Clarifies Velma.
"All right, then." Fred gives up, "Somehow, I don't think this is the same Velma Dinkley I grew up with. Ordering me around, really?"
"I'm sorry, guys." Apologizes Velma, "I'm just a little tense."
There is silence while Fred drives the van down the busy streets of Coolsville. Upon reaching their destination, they are immediately greeted by the Sheriff Copland and Sergeant Rogers.
"Like, dad!" exclaims Shaggy, "What are you doing here?"
"Copland told me about some extremely dangerous task that you kids are doing." Is the reply, "So, I came along to help him make sure that everything is under control."
"Well, that's very nice." Smiles Velma. Something then catches her eye. "What's the ambulance doing here?" she asks the sheriff.
"Just a precaution." Replies Copland.
"All right." Understands Velma, "Just keep that thing out of sight. It gives me the creeps just looking at it."
"I'll do that." Smiles Sergeant Rogers. He then walks off.
"We better go in now." Says the sheriff as he looks at his watch, "She will be here soon."
Velma just nods as the others follow the sheriff in. Sam takes them to a small room in the back of the hotel full with police equipment.
"What's all this?" asks Fred as he looks around. Wires coming from the walls and fuse boxes all lead to on area: a laptop set up on the small table in the corner with two officers monitoring it "The eyes and ears of the entire plan." Smiles Velma, "From here, you will be able to see and hear everything that goes on."
An operating officer flips a switch and a screen appears on a nearby television set as well as the laptop screen. The other plugs in a few speakers then turns to Velma, "We have tapped the telephone wire to the room, therefore, the telephone will work as a microphone. So all you have to do is take the receiver off the hook as soon as you enter."
Velma just nods upon the command. After a few minutes, Officer Rogers enters the room.
"So, is this the room?" Asks Freddie.
"Yes." replies Sergeant Rogers, "Velma just told us the room number."
Velma nervously looks at her watch. "I better get out there." She finally says. She takes a good look at all the people in the room as if it would be the last time she would ever see them again. She gives a sheepish smile and turns to the door. Halfway there, Scooby stops her. "Scooby!" Exclaims Velma, "What is it?"
"Ron't ro, Relma!" cries Scooby. Velma kneels down the Great Dane. "I'll be okay, Scooby." She reassures him as she scratches him between the ears. It relaxes the dog for a while just enough for Velma to sneak out the door. However, Scooby just continues on his whining and begins to scratch the door.
"Try to calm down that dog!" yells out one of the operating officers.
"Rog?" pipes up Scooby, "Rhere?"
"Like, he referring to you, Scoob." Replies Shaggy, "Now, come on, be a good pooch and quiet down."
Meanwhile, Velma paces back and forth in the lobby. Always looking at her watch and the front doors. After a while, her waiting pays off. Through the doors walks Sarah. Velma immediately gathers up her wits and approaches the other woman.
"Sarah!" greets Velma.
"Velma," smiles Sarah, "good to see you again. I wasn't expecting you this early."
"Just some polite business etiquette my parents enforced on me at a very young age." Shrugs Velma.
Sarah smiles at the remark. "Why don't you come with me to my room?" she offers, "We can talk peacefully there."
Velma just nods as she follows the other up a flight of stairs. Sarah unlocks her door and welcomes Velma in. "This is a pretty nice room." Comments Velma as she takes a good look around. She then walks over the telephone takes the receiver off the hook. "What did you do that for?" asks Sarah as she closes the door.
"Just to make sure that we are not disturbed." Lies Velma.
"Good idea." Agrees the other. She then places the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the outside of the door."
-
At that time in the storage room on the ground floor the controlling officers exclaims to the rest of the gang, "We have contact!" He immediately turns up the volume for the rest to hear.
Daphne looks at the television screen of the room. "Jeepers!" she exclaims, "It's Sarah!" The rest gather around to watch. Instantly, Scooby acts up again. Shaggy, in a desperate act to calm his pet down wraps a cloth around Scooby's mussel and sits on him.
"Like, sorry to do this, old buddy." Says Shaggy, "But you like, have to be quiet!"
"So," continues Sarah, "what type of business are you proposing?"
-
"It has to deal with this current case." Replies Velma as she takes a seat.
Sarah raises an eyebrow. "Really." She finally says, "This could be interesting. What about it?"
"I really got to hand it to you." Smiles Velma, "To think that you could kill so many people and still get away with it. Of coarse, you have had experience. You know, that is just an amazing example of what a person can do when they put their mind to it."
-
"What the heck is she doing?" asks Fred as he listens to the conversation.
"I have no idea." Is Daphne's reply.
-
"And your point is?" Asks Sarah waiting for Velma to reach the topic of their conversation.
"This." Is Velma's reply as she empties the contents of her bag onto the nearby table. Sarah looks at them. They mainly consist of: a pistol; a photograph; some newspaper clippings; and a few police files.
"What's with all of this?" Sarah asks puzzled.
"I was hoping you would say that." Smiles Velma, "All of these thing, besides the diary, point to you, Pam Ferret, as being the murderer of Catherine Smith and Susie Bowers."
Upon hearing her real name, Pam looks straight at her visitor. "Oh, yes." Continues Velma, "I know who you really are."
"Alright," sighs Pam, "you have me. I admit it, I killed Catherine and Susie. So, what are you going to do about it?"
"That is where the business comes in." is the reply, "I can't keep my mouth shut forever you know."
"What are you proposing?" asks Pam.
"Nothing much compared to what you are making now." Replies Velma, "Just a few thousand a month."
"What!" exclaims Pam.
"What can I say?" Velma explains, "The mystery business doesn't pay much, if it pays at all. I have a few science projects that I do in my spare time and the money that I make is barely enough to fund them."
Pam appears to ponder the offer as Velma then continues, "I will also make sure that no one will ever find out. I can put all these in hiding and say that through some twist of fate they got lost."
Pam walks over to the table and picks up the gun. She turns her back to Velma and asks, "Does anyone know that you are here?"
"No." Velma lies, "No one has the slightest idea where I am."
Pam turns and faces Velma again. "You know, Velma," she smiles, "you really amaze me."
Velma smiles slightly. She then feels a very uncomfortable feeling pulsing through her body. "However," Pam's smile fades, "I made this mistake once before and I do not intend to do it again."
"What do you mean?" asks Velma in a shaky voice.
"This!" exclaims Pam as she points the gun at Velma and fires.
Velma instantly lets out an instant cry of pain as the bullet pierces her skin into her ribcage.
-
"Relma!" Yells Scooby as he pulls off his gag and desperately tries to get out from under Shaggy.
"Fred!" cries out Shaggy, "Like, help me!" As Fred helps to subdue Scooby, one of the officers zooms the camera onto Velma.
-
Clutching her side, Velma exclaims, "I thought that gun was unloaded!"
"It was," is the reply, "when you brought it. One thing you should keep in mind, Velma: always think ahead of you opponent. There are four bullets left in this gun which is more than enough of what I need to finish you off." She then takes another shot at poor Velma. However, Velma makes a quick duck to the side thus making the flying bullet miss her head by a mere inch and into the wall.
"Jinkies!" Velma exclaims under her breath, "That was close!"
-
"Can't you do anything to help her?" Daphne asks Sheriff Copland.
"Don't worry, Daphne." Is the reply. Sheriff Copland then turns to a few officers at one end of the room. "Stand by." He orders, "When I give the command, we'll move in."
"I must congratulate you on a most wonderful dodge." Applauds Pam, "See if you can manage this one!" She fires again. This time, however, through the loss of blood, Velma reacts a little too late to move. The bullet penetrates into her right shoulder. The pain is horrific, yet not as bad as the first time.
"You'll never get away with this!" Velma finally shouts.
Pam gives a grin, "You seem to be forgetting." She says, "I am a master at the art of killing. I can take a crime scene and turn it into just your ordinary room and vice versa. One more aught to do it." Pam fires again. Upon receiving another bullet this time in her stomach, Velma's legs give out from under her and she falls to the floor. Tears of pain roll down her cheeks. Velma removes her glasses as to wipe her eyes just as Pam walks up to her, kicks her glasses out of Velma's hand and steps on the lens to grind them to dust.
Realizing that her only means of seeing is destroyed, Velma finds herself helpless in a room in which she may never leave alive.
"Velma," grins Pam as she paces back and forth before Velma, "you are a very interesting case. What should I do with you? Catherine was easy. However, you're different. How should I make your fate appear to be?"
Velma looks at Pam. "Please don't!" Velma pleas, "I'll do anything you ask me to!"
Pam throws her head back and laughs, "You don't know what a privilage it would be to say that I out smarted and knocked off the famous Velma Dinkley. I'm sorry, Velma, but you're too good of an opportunity to pass!"
-
"Sheriff!" Exclaims Daphne, "Do something!"
"Yow!" yelps Shaggy. Scooby instantly jumps up, throwing Fred to the floor, and runs out the door.
"What did you yell for?" Fred asks as he gets up.
"Scooby bit me." Is the reply.
"Somebody get that dog!" orders Officer Rogers.
However, it is too late. Scooby had long since ran up the stairs and robbed a cleaning maid of her keys.
-
"If you're going to finish me off," Velma says, "you better do it now and get if over with."
"Not yet." Replies Pam, "I'm still thinking on how to make your murder look. I know, I'll drop you off in some garbage bin. No one will ever think of finding you there or figuring it to be me."
Just then, the sound of a beep indicating that the door is being unlocked is heard.
"I thought you said that you were alone!" fumes Pam.
Velma does not reply.
Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Scooby.
"Scooby!" Velma exclaims, "Go away!"
"Don't go anywhere." Orders Pam. She then points the gun at Velma's head. "Take one small move," she threatens, "and this little gadget goes off."
Scooby gives a low growl. Raising his upper lips, he reveals his upper teeth. Before Pam knows what is going on, Scooby leaps at the hand, which she is holding the gun and traps it in his jaws. The attack makes Pam pull on the trigger. The bullet flings through the air, grazing Velma's head thus rendering her unconscious.
-
"Like, Scoob's in there!" yells Shaggy viewing the television screen.
Sheriff Copland runs over to check. "We better get in there." He says. He and a hand full of officers run out the door.
"Like, where's Velma?" Shaggy asks an operating officer. The officer looks at the screen then points to a small image by a wall.
"Right there." He replies.
Fred, Daphne and Shaggy look at each other then run out the door to join the sheriff.
"The door's locked." An Officer reports to Sheriff Copland.
"Then don't just stand there," orders Copland, "get a key!"
The officer then runs off.
-
Scooby manages to retrieve the gun from Pam's grip. He takes the gun and throws it to a far corner of the room. He then focuses his attention on Pam lying beneath him.
"All right, pooch." Grins Pam, "I give up you win."
"Rat's retter." Scooby finally says. He gets off up his prisoner only to be punched in the nose.
"Row!" cries out Scooby. He jumps backwards and rubs his hurting nose. At the same time, Pam runs over to where the gun landed and runs over to where Velma is lying. Placing the barrow of the gun against the other girl's head.
"I always finish what I start." Says Pam. With that, she pulls the trigger.
-
A/N: Scared yet? Anyway, thanks for reviewing, everybody!