Shaggy and Scooby tumbled around in the back of the Mystery Machine, regretting to neglect using their seatbelts, as they usually did. Fred flew so hard toward the passenger window, that when he regained his composure (and after nursing his cheek with his hand) there was a smear on the window from where his face had been.
The cause of the commotion inside the Mystery Machine, was because Daphne had been turning corners going full-speed.
"Daphne, you want to try slowing down?" Fred asked, still rubbing his cheek.
"No! Velma's life depends on us solving this case as fast as we can," Daphne stated firmly.
"So you want to tell me where we're going then?" Fred asked.
"Everytime Velma had gotten depressed or upset, she would head to the Coolsville Park," Daphne said. "Well, as we all know, there's a large forest behind the park. Velma would go far into the forest because she and I had built a little tree-house there when we were younger. She would basically use that place when she wanted to be alone."
They reached the park within five minutes, considering the fact that Daphne had been speeding horribly. Once Daphne parked the car, with lightning speed, she was out of the car and heading for the forests behind the park, with Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby in tow.
She reached the area that she was heading for and stopped in front of a large tree with a quaint, but old looking tree-house. Daphne looked around and frowned.
"Like, what are you looking for Daph?" Shaggy asked.
"I don't know…possibly another note or something," she replied uncertainly.
The gang looked around, trying to find any sort of clue to lead them to Velma. Scooby's nose started twitching at a smell that seemed as though it was something out of place. Scooby looked around and started following the scent. Fred, Daphne, and Shaggy bewilderedly looked at him. Scooby moved toward the tree and started barking at an odd smell that was located in the tree.
"Scoob! You're going to end up disturbing the people in the park!" Daphne scolded, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a stern look.
"Like, Scoob! This is no time to bark at squirrels!" Shaggy said.
"Rit's a runny smell!" Scooby said, starting to whimper at the unordinary scent.
"What's it smell like?" Shaggy asked.
Scooby took another whiff of the air, then shuddered at the awful smell.
"Rish!" Scooby stated.
"Fish!" Fred said, confused.
Shaggy started to climb the tree to retrieve the supposed fish. He sat down on the floorboards of the tree-house and looked around. After about five minutes of being in the tree, Shaggy finally descended from the tree.
"Well, did you find anything?" Fred asked.
"Yeah," Shaggy said, holding out a dead fish with one hand and pinching his nose closed with the other.
Fred, Daphne, and Scooby backed away instantaneously, as if someone had punched all three of them in the stomach.
"Did you find anything else up there?" Daphne asked, also pinching her nose closed. Fred and Scooby were doing the same.
"No, just this," Shaggy answered.
"Do you think it could be our clue?" Daphne asked, looking to the three of them, hoping that one of them would have an idea.
Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby looked blank. They all quietly headed back to the Mystery Machine. Shaggy fell behind while throwing away the dead fish and washed his hands in the park restrooms.
Fred drove dropped off Shaggy and Scooby at their apartment and took himself and Daphne back to Blake Mansion. He kept on pondering what the fish could have meant, if anything.
Later that evening, Fred checked his e-mail. There was an e-mail from Mrs. Dinkley, informing him that he and the gang were welcome to stay a little ways up north with her and Mr. Dinkley during the holidays. They had just received new advanced scuba-diving suits and wanted to try them out soon to see the aquatic life up close and personal in their natural habitat.
Fred decided he wasn't going to answer that until he had gotten Velma back. He signed off and started to get ready for bed, when it hit him.
"That's it!" Fred said out-loud, running out of the Blake's study to tell Daphne about his reasoning.
