A.N. -
Hello! Since the last update our world has changed drastically and I feel if I can provide any sort of escape from the situation in the form of some 'entertainment' I guess, I will do so. Like for many of you, my everyday life has completely changed, just one day a week now working in school and the rest, free time. Turning back to my story has provided me with a mental release, an almost carthatic feeling so whenever I feel the inspiration I will write.
Back to the story, and there has been a big focus on Fred and Daphne recently so it's time to check in with our intrepid trio in Coolsville now. Some truths are about to be outed here too and it's not going to be easy to hear for anyone...
Shaggy, Velma, Rory and Scooby all turned to stare at Stella in alarm as she roused herself suddenly in the bed.
Her usually authoritative voice was undeniably weaker as she attempted to focus on the blurry figures that were assembled awkwardly in the doorway.
"Rory, is that you? What's going on?"
Rory turned to Shaggy and Velma with a pleading look on his face, and the pair of them reluctantly stepped forward again towards Stella's bedside.
"I brought you some visitors, Detective." Rory revealed softly, but Stella had already recognised the very familiar features of the tall boy, petite woman, and of course, the Great Dane.
"Velma? Shaggy? Scooby?" Stella stared at the approaching trio in disbelief. "You shouldn't be here, it's not safe!"
To their shock, her immediate reaction on confirming it really was them, was to burst into tears.
"Stella, it's okay," Velma said. "We're actually fine." She wanted to comfort the injured detective but couldn't let go of her anger yet.
Shaggy saw Stella attempt to look beyond them and fielded her obvious question about where Daphne and Fred were, before she could even ask it. "They're fine too," he said abruptly. "They're in Hong Kong."
Stella's facial expression dropped even further in alarm, before Velma added pointedly. "They went to find out why Ethan disappeared."
At that revelation, Stella covered her face in despair, raising her bandaged hand to her face before turning to Rory, looking incredibly pale and strained.
"Rory, would you mind giving me the room? The kids and I have a lot to discuss."
"Of course Detective," Rory replied, stepping from the room and closing the door behind them.
Shaggy and Velma were still stood tensely by the bed so Stella waved them wearily towards the plastic chairs, "go ahead take a seat guys."
Shaggy sank down but Velma remained standing. "No thanks, I'm good," she told her frostily.
"Ri Rella!" Scooby said, desperate to break the tension and it worked causing Stella to stare open mouthed, and then laugh slightly.
"Told you it was true," Shaggy said but there was no smile on his face. Both he and Velma remained stoic. Stella's smile disappeared as quickly as it had formed and Scooby flopped to the floor again, disappointed.
"Velma, Shaggy, I can tell from the expressions on your faces that you know exactly what's gone on here. I cannot apologise enough for keeping you in the dark, I made a judgment call that I thought was the right one."
"I just want to know one thing Stella, how long? How long has Devon really been back?" Velma asked tensely.
"The whole time," Stella whispered in shame. "Since before the moment you left."
Velma nodded tersely, like she had been expecting that reply. "And Ethan?" she countered."Since something bad happened to him in Hong Kong not long after this..." she gestured around her to the bunker and the bed. "It's not too much of a stretch to guess that he's involved in this whole sorry mess too, am I right?"
Stella nodded sadly, still coming to terms with the fact that something 'bad' had happened to Ethan too. "Ethan, he, he found out what happened at Oakland...he's been a part of it ever since."
"What happened at Oakland?! People refer to 'Oakland' and 'something' happening at Fred's rehab centre without actually explaining a damn thing!" It was Shaggy's turn to be frustrated now, and his anger took Stella by surprise, having only really known him as the laid back character of the group.
She looked at Shaggy with regret pooling in her eyes, "you're right Shaggy, you deserve to know the truth..."
Coolsville Police Station, two years ago. (Exactly two days after Stella and Will interviewed Casey Costello in prison)
"Detective White?" The station receptionist poked her head around Stella's office door nervously. "There's a young man demanding to see you. He's pretty agitated, what do you want me to do?"
Stella looked up from her screen to give Betty her full attention.
"Did the young man give his name, Betty?" she asked calmly.
"Sure did, he said it was Ethan..."
Stella sighed resignedly, scraping her chair back from the desk. "Send him through Betty..."
"Detective?" Betty said uncertainly. "Are you sure? He seems pretty aggressive."
"I'm sure Betty, please send him in, thank you."
"Of course Detective," Betty said, scurrying off to retrieve the volatile visitor.
Stella stood up from her desk and braced herself mentally in the few seconds it took for Ethan to arrive in her office.
He stormed straight through, a whirlwind of fury, the door slamming shut after him; Stella took one look at his angry expression and asked the only thing that gave her rise for curiosity.
"I'm guessing from that look on your face that you know, and god help me I'm curious Ethan, but how did you find out?" she asked calmly.
"How did I find out?!" Ethan exploded. "So it's true, it really was him all this god damn time?!"
"It's true," Stella confirmed desolately, causing Ethan to react wildly. He kicked the filing cabinet in her office in pure rage, his hands going to his head before yelling aloud.
"Goddammit Stella!"
"I know, I didn't want to believe it either, but it's true. I'm sorry," Stella replied. "I don't know what you've heard...but... it's probably worse than that."
Ethan stared at Stella incredulously. "What I heard, was that punk Casey Costello, was supposedly bragging to all and sundry inside that he was really the apprentice of some master criminal! So naturally, I was curious and did a bit more digging, and found that he was claiming to have been working for one Devon Blake. 'What a crazy kid' I thought but then I heard he had supposedly confessed all this to a detective...you."
"Your sources are off the hook Ethan," Stella complimented him with a wry smile, much to his chagrin."Yes, Casey was telling the truth," she admitted, the smile rapidly disappearing again. "The entire Oakland Halloween haunting was Devon pulling the strings all along. I had a little hunch and followed it up by having a chat with Casey. Kid soon folded like a pack of cards."
Ethan sat down bodily on the chair by Stella's desk, raking a hand through his tousled brown hair. "So it was a trap for us?"
"Yeah. Casey admitted that Devon was banking on the case attracting your attention. It was completely staged to lure you and the kids in. I guess he didn't count on you getting sick though."
"Bastard," Ethan cursed, looking sickened.
"He instructed Casey to bring Daphne straight to him," Stella added.
"And Fred? The others?" Ethan asked, dreading her response.
"He told Casey to kill Fred. I'm guessing he would have done the same to the others," she stated grimly.
"I don't believe this," said Ethan. "It had the grubby hallmarks of Devon all along but why go to all that hassle 'recruiting' a kid like Casey? Why not just do it himself?"
"Who knows what goes through that psychopath's mind," Stella said dismissively. "You know he loves the mind games."
"You've tried to find him right?"
"Oh believe me Ethan, we've done nothing else since, but no luck yet."
"Would you even have told me otherwise? How could you even think about not telling us Stella!" Ethan sounded more disappointed than angry right now.
"You can't tell your sister or anyone else," she warned him adamantly.
"So you're going to do, what? Lie to them? Pretend everything is all hunky dory? I can't buy into that Stella, no way. From what you've just told me, they're all still in grave danger! He could be anywhere or have anyone working on his behalf."
"We've had someone keeping an eye on them all from a distance since we found out, don't worry, they're safe," she told him, but it did little to appease his concerns.
"And what about Fred? He's in a rehab centre right now. How are you going to keep him safe there?! Devon will undoubtedly try again!" Ethan's voice was dangerously high pitched now, his fear for his friend coming through loud and clear.
Stella nodded, she would be lying if she said it hadn't crossed her mind immediately when they learned that Devon was still very much a threat. Instead, she tried to bluster a calm reassurance. "The centre are very much aware of the delicate nature of his admittance, there is a strong team around him. The facility itself is one hundred per cent secure. Nobody would be able to breach it."
Ethan however did not look in the slightest reassured. "Do you even believe that yourself? There is no telling the lengths he will go to, you know that!"
"I do," Stella said. "Believe me, I share your concerns Ethan, it doesn't sit right with me either. It's why I'm in the process of getting one of our guys inside to befriend, and ultimately protect, Freddy."
"Good," Ethan blew his cheeks out a little. "That's a positive step. I just can't get my head around this, why has he suddenly surfaced again now?"
"Your guess is as good as ours," Stella admitted. "The anniversary is coming up I guess, it's not unreasonable he would choose to pursue revenge at this point after lying low and licking his wounds for a while. Remember, at the moment his influence is all by proxy, he could actually still be a hundred miles or more from Coolsville itself."
"What a prince." Ethan shook his head in disgust and then suddenly stood up abruptly. "I have to go."
"Go, where?"
"Go help, go put some of my 'amazing sources' to work."
"Ethan..." Stella warned.
"Don't worry, I won't tell them," he told her grimly.
"That's not what I meant. I meant you getting involved. Leave it to the professionals Ethan, he's too dangerous."
"I'll be careful, you don't have to worry about me." He walked to the door and paused before opening it, looking back at Stella with an unreadable expression on his face.
"We've got to get him this time Stella, we've got to win," he declared resolutely.
Just two days later, Stella and Will got the news they had secretly feared. While they had made no headway in actually locating Devon, they were successful in intercepting someone loyal to him. After a prolonged session where they eventually 'persuaded him' to talk, they learned something incredibly sinister.
Undeterred by his failure in Oakland, Devon was still very much intent on causing more misery and mayhem and had indeed, targeted the rehab centre as a starting point. Their informant gleefully taunted them by claiming that Devon had managed to breach the robust security of the facility with a classic Trojan Horse trick. He claimed that a very dangerous associate of Devon's was actually masquerading as a patient inside the centre, with only one nefarious intention; kill the boy.
The news sent panic crashing through the ranks at Coolsville police department and with Ethan's support, thus began a desperate race against time to find out whether he was telling the truth, and if he was, to then flush out the potential attacker.
Stella's own man on the inside was kept fully briefed and began his own search from the inside, whilst undercover. Alongside Fred and the undercover agent, four other young men had recently been admitted to the centre, in the days that either immediately preceded or followed Fred's arrival.
The background checks on each of those patients all checked out initially, but they had been able to put together an extensive package and fake back story for their own agent, Cole. It was not beyond the realms of possibility that an intelligent man like Devon could have embedded his own sleeper agent so effortlessly too.
They could also have been reacting to nothing, Devon's friend could well have just been calling their bluff, but they were not prepared to take that chance, not when it could be a legitimate and dangerous threat.
Cole investigated each of the potential suspects but found little to suggest a threat from any of them and the Detectives were also frustrated in their efforts to locate the danger. Was it really all just a bluff? After two weeks in the facility, things were still quiet and they began to dare to believe that maybe it really was safe. Cole was kept on in the facility as a precautionary measure, but they started to let their guard down a little.
Thank goodness for Fred's sake that Ethan did not.
Not willing to just accept that Fred was completely safe from harm, Ethan continued to research and stumbled across the true danger. They had been diligent enough to check the credentials of all recent patients admitted based on the informant's claims, but they had never thought to check out the staff.
Only a combination of Ethan's own diligence and Cole's suspicions saved Fred.
Around the same time that Ethan found out a staff member had mysteriously transferred from another facility just days after Fred was admitted; Cole had become deeply suspicious about the physio who had been spending a lot of time with Fred alone. After each of these meetings, Fred seemed particularly lethargic and sometimes had a headache. At first. Cole just thought that he was being worked especially hard, but after all the other patients had been cleared as potential suspects, he wasn't willing to completely drop his guard.
Satisfied that there was no threat from the patients they initially suspected, Ethan didn't see any harm in sharing his suspicions about the newly arrived Billy Rivers, the physio. Billy, whose previous employment details were proving difficult to find. Billy who insisted on one to one sessions with Fred despite other staff members preferring a mixture of group and individual.
As soon as Stella shared with Cole that question marks had been raised over Billy, alarm bells rang loudly for Cole. He broke into Billy's locker and found an alarming amount of knock out drugs that had caused Fred's drowsiness after their sessions, and even more significantly, vials of poison. In Billy's car, they found a false trunk containing guns and knives. Billy was swiftly removed from the facility and arrested, where they subsequently found out he was already on the run for murder.
"Somebody tried to kill him? Are you freaking kidding me!" Velma raged as soon as Stella had finished her recollection. "That whole 'something happened at the rehab centre', that nobody wanted to talk about, was actually 'Devon tried to murder Fred again'?"
Velma and Shaggy were completely aghast by the revelation, and Stella tried her best to downplay it, as it brought up uncomfortable memories.
"It never actually got that far, as soon as the threat was identified, we dealt with it. Fred hadn't actually been given anything more harmful than mild sedatives at that stage, he was physically OK. We kept Cole in there with him as a precaution, but, there was no further danger."
"No further danger...Listen to yourself. You've just admitted that Devon Blake was back behind yet another plot to try and kill one of us! I can't believe you never told us," Shaggy sounded utterly devastated.
"Imagine the panic that would have caused, Shaggy. The facility was the key to Fred's recovery. News that Devon was back and had placed him in danger again, it would have sent him into a backward spiral. I'm not sure he would ever have recovered from it. It was vital to his chances of recovery, that he didn't know what happened."
"And Shaggy and I? Daphne?" Velma challenged. "Was it vital for us too?"
"Will wanted to tell you," Stella continued ruefully. "He was seconds away from telling you all at the airport."
"I knew something was wrong that day," Velma reflected bitterly. "No way had you guys come all that way just to wave us off on vacation. What were you really there for?"
"To protect you," Stella admitted. "We were there to make sure you, and Ethan, safely got on your planes."
Velma nodded her head, looking furious. "Ethan. Yes, what is his part in all this sorry mess? I'm guessing the journalist job in China was just a front."
"Not quite. There was a genuine job, but it was chased on false pretences. After what happened at the rehab centre, Ethan was a man possessed when it came to tracking down Devon and he came up with a viable lead in Hong Kong. The news agency job was his way in. When he got to Hong Kong he took up his true position, in the shadows hunting Devon's empire."
"So he became a spy?"
"Of sorts. He has taken on a number of dangerous undercover missions over the last two years. He has supplied vital intel. through to us back here in Coolsville."
"So that's someone else who has lied to us," Velma said despairingly. "Is there anyone we thought we could trust, who hasn't lied to us?!"
"Velma, it's not like that..."
"Don't Stella! Don't you dare tell us that you did this to protect us! We're not actually kids in case you hadn't noticed."
"Of course not, that vacation, you needed it. And when you extended it, I was ecstatic, it kept you all away, it kept you safe."
"And then you still kept on lying to us. Every time I asked, you said it was fine. Fine! The place was falling apart!"
"You have every right to be angry with us, we thought we were handling it and we weren't, but I will never regret the decision we made to keep you away. Will and I... that's on us."
At the mention of Will again, Shaggy's expression cloudied and he couldn't hide the obvious grief in his eyes. Stella may not have been anywhere near her best, but she wasn't considered a stellar detective for no reason. She caught that flash of grief from both of them and her heart clenched wildly in her chest as a result.
"He's gone. Isn't he?" she asked quietly.
Shaggy and Velma exchanged glances but when Velma looked at Stella again, her expression had lost the anger, all that remained was pain and she nodded, a single tear sliding down her cheeks.
"I can't, and won't lie to you Stella, I'm so sorry but yes, Will is dead."
Stella felt something shatter deep within her, but on the outside she remained resolute. "Thank you Velma, for telling me the truth," she said gently.
Shaggy immediately felt guilty, Rory had warned them not to tell her anything, and here they were blurting it all out the second she was conscious again.
"What happened?" she asked evenly.
Again, they exchanged nervous glances before Velma began to speak.
"You, ah, you were all lured to a building down town. Devon had already rigged the place with explosives. After your teams went in, the bomb went off. Will...his team...they didn't make it. You and others were badly hurt."
Stella nodded painfully, "how many. How many did we lose?"
"Uh, they don't actually know for sure yet," Shaggy admitted morosely. "But Rory said, ahh, at least twenty I think."
Stella was silent in the bed, her eyes threatening to spill the tears but she blinked them back fiercely, angrily.
"GODDAMMIT THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" she suddenly screamed loudly, a howl of rage that sent Rory and the medics scurrying in, as she lost herself to her grief. She thrashed wildly on the bed struggling to breathe, and starting to go into seizures.
Velma, Shaggy and Scooby were ushered from the room by Rory while the doctors tried to bring her back around.
Velma watched on fearfully as Rory turned on them angrily.
"I told you not to say anything! If she dies..." his threat was unfinished, as he was swept up with grief and fear.
"I couldn't lie to her," Velma whispered. "After everything that she just told us, I couldn't lie to her."
Rory saw the ashen looks they were both sporting, their fears for Stella's wellbeing matching his own, he realised it wasn't fair to berate them after the bombshells that had just been dropped on them so he put his arm around them reassuringly as they watched on. "Come here it's okay, I understand. She'll be okay, she's a fighter."
A couple of hours later, and the prognosis wasn't great, the news of Will and the other officer's deaths had sent her into shock and with all the other injuries she was already nursing, they had induced a coma, the doctor explained to their utter devastation. They kept vigil for a while but it was obvious she wasn't going to awaken again any time soon. Velma felt both physically and emotionally exhausted, Rory however was determined to look out for them in both Stella and Will's absence. He knew they wouldn't have wanted it any other way. "Protect the kids at all costs."
"You guys need to get some sleep, you look beat," he told them kindly. "We have beds that you can sleep in here and I'm sure we've got some dog food around here somewhere."
Velma and Shaggy were grateful for the offer and spent a restless night sleeping at the bunker. The next morning there was no change in Stella's state and Velma was refreshed and recuperated with the need to do something. No matter how reckless.
Waking Shaggy and Scooby, she quickly unveiled her plan to the dismay of the boys.
"Vel, you know that's stupid," Shaggy argued immediately.
"Rand rangerous," Scooby added.
"We should just do what Rory says and hang tight in the bunker until the FBI get here, or better still, until we finally get word from Fred and Daphne."
It was the unspoken fear that had been gnawing at them, that they hadn't heard squat from them since they left for Hong Kong. Velma tried to tell herself there was a very good reason for that, it didn't necessarily mean they were in any danger.
"We cannot just sit around and wait!" she protested. "We have to do something. We can't save Coolsville sat in a bunker." She pouted at him and Shaggy couldn't resist that look on her face, that 'Shaggy I need you look' she had perfected over the years. He relented very quickly.
"Fine," he huffed.
Scooby too was reluctantly persuaded and the trio crept out into the early morning sunrise. There didn't seem to be anybody about which made what they were about to do much easier.
Sneaking to Rory's car, which thankfully was unlocked, they climbed in.
"Take two," Shaggy muttered as he hot wired the car, pleased when the engine purred almost instantly.
He drove them slowly towards the exit, heartened when they were almost out of the compound. Just the security gate to go. The barrier was firmly down and he cursed, knowing there was no way that the guard was going to simply let them leave.
He took a deep breath, and began increasing speed as they got nearer.
"Shaggy what are you doing?" Velma warned from the passenger seat but Shaggy could not be dissuaded now.
He pushed his foot down on the accelerator, hurtling towards the barrier at impressive speed now.
"Shaaaaaagggggggyyyyy!" Velma screamed alongside him, squeezing her eyes shut as they came within metres of the barrier now. Scooby, doing likewise on the backseat, had his paws firmly over his eyes now.
Determined, Shaggy continued to accelerate Rory's car and they flew into the barrier, the post snapping on impact and allowing as Shaggy hoped, for them to drive on unimpeded out the gate. The guard was too shocked to mobilise any kind of response and Shaggy kept the speed up for a few more miles until they were a safe distance from the compound.
Velma was still clinging to her seat by her fingertips when Shaggy turned to her with a grin. "And you always made Fred the getaway driver huh?"
"Shaggy, that was unbelievable!" Velma praised. "I didn't know you had that in you!"
Shaggy secretly glowed at her compliment but wanted to keep things moving. "How long before they come after us, do you think?"
"I don't know," Velma said. "That's why we have to move quickly, we need to find out exactly where he is." They had seen a glimpse of the old Shaggy, they now needed the 'old' Velma. Velma produced her cell phone in readiness, dialing out quickly.
She composed herself, disguising her voice in preparation. "Oh hi. Yes it is very early. Yes I understand that. Yes I can assure you this is very important and I wouldn't disturb you if the need wasn't urgent. It's imperative we talk to him. A matter of national security. My name? Agent Brennan. Thank you. Oh...he is, is he? And which one?" Velma scrabbled around in Rory's glovebox until she found a pen and a scrappy bit of paper, scrawling down an address. "Okay. Got it. Thank you, you have been most helpful. Your government thanks you."
With a sigh, Velma ended the call, marvelling again at how easy it was to get what she needed, she obviously hadn't lost her touch.
"Well?" Shaggy asked, impressed with her powers of persuasion.
"Well turns out he's working," she said to Shaggy's obvious surprise.
"Is that so? Where?"
"Oh you'll love this," Velma said in a tone, which indicated Shaggy was going to find it anything but something to love. "He's working in the cemetery."
Shaggy didn't turn to look at her but his complete lack of enthusiasm was obvious in his reply to that news.
"Oh, swell," he sighed.
"Ruh Roh," added Scooby Doo.
The drive to the cemetery wasn't too long but it allowed time for feelings to bubble to the surface again. They had both been left beyond shell-shocked by Stella's revelations but had dealt with it in different ways.
Shaggy had mostly internalised his thoughts and his over-riding emotions were still ones of upset and regret. Regret that they hadn't been around to help save the town, upset at those they had lost.
Velma had undoubtedly taken it all very badly and after vocalising her feelings last night when they were alone in the bunker, they were threatening to surface again now as they drove.
To her, it was as if they had personally let Coolsville down. The inner fury she felt from Stella and Will for keeping this secret, both initially and then even as the 'war' developed; it threatened to consume her.
"How could they do that to us," she suddenly said aloud. "I still can't get my head around them lying to us on the day we left and then continuing to lie ever since. For two fucking years in fact!"
She was beginning to sound angry all over again, Shaggy kept his eyes on the road but with a sideways glance at Velma. Her head had been lolling against the window gently but she had suddenly sat up sharply as her anger built up again. Her hands gesticulated wildly now.
"I mean two years! This shit has been going on for two years and we had no idea. Did they really think by not telling us they were doing us some kind of favour?!"
Shaggy really didn't want to get into this again, but knew he had to respond, he chose his words carefully.
"You know they were protecting us Velma," he said quietly. "We can't be angry at them for that. They thought they were doing the right thing. Don't forget Ethan apparently made the same choice."
"And look where it's got them all," Velma reflected bitterly. "Dead, dying...almost certainly dead let's face it," she added at Shaggy's sharp look of horror towards her as she contemplated the fates of Will, Stella and Ethan.
"Nobody could have foreseen this ramping up Velma," he tried gently. "They thought they had a handle on it."
"Well they didn't! Not even close! Now everyone in Coolsville is paying the price and we're picking up the pieces. God I NEVER would have gone on that vacation if I'd known. NEVER." She shook with rage now and Shaggy pulled over and reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly.
"And that's why they did it and you know it. They know how much you care about our town. We spent the best part of a year helping to sweep up the mess Devon had caused. You should not feel guilty for taking a holiday. We never planned to stay away for so long. It just...happened," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I do feel guilty though," Velma said. "After the things we did to this town, we had finally put things right. It felt right. They don't deserve this."
"Velma, don't even think about blaming yourself..."
"Rits rot ror rault," added Scooby, poking his head between both of the front seats, causing Velma to smile sadly. She patted his head reassuringly.
"I know Scooby, I don't blame myself, I blame that absolute thunderbastard," she seethed.
Shaggy raised his eyebrows, "is that even a word?"
"It is now. God Shaggy, we have to find a way to win this time." Her anger had subsided to sadness now, tears sparkled at the very corner of her eyes, as she desperately tried to hold them back. "When that little boy approached us at the bus station Shaggy...we have to do this for them!"
"We will, we will," he murmured and reached across and kissed her on the cheek. "We have to." He fished around in his pocket for a tissue and she gratefully dabbed at her eyes. "We're here by the way."
Velma blinked, then noted the cemetery gates and fully wiped away any further trace of tears furiously, using the mirror to check.
"I am not letting that jumped up little fucker see me upset," she declared resolutely as they hopped out together, Scooby faithfully by Shaggy's side as always.
The three of them walked up to the cemetery gates, needing to shield their eyes from the intense early morning sunshine streaming in as they walked in.
"Huh," Shaggy commented. "It's amazing how entering a graveyard in daylight hours can totally change my outlook on the place. For once, I don't feel afraid!"
Scooby high-fived him in agreement and Velma smiled at them both. "This does feel strange," she agreed. "We're so used to hanging out in graveyards in the dead of the night with some crazy freak chasing us. This is...almost pleasant."
They quickly encountered the head groundsman, who after a polite conversation as to what their business was, pointed them in the direction of the one they desired.
At first, Velma wasn't sure she was going to recognise him in amongst the small gaggle of youths all completing their community service orders, but the sullen young man they had briefly met, soon stood out. He was slightly taller and older looking than the rest and he still had dark bangs covering his eyes.
Velma walked toward him and cleared her throat.
"Casey Costello?"
Casey put his rake down next to the grave he had been tending and turned around in surprise to see a young woman staring at him with some clear familiarity.
"Can I help you?" he asked abruptly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Casey!" He was further taken aback when a very tall man appeared out of nowhere and greeted him as cheerfully as if they were old friends. "You don't remember us? I'm hurt."
Casey studied the boy closely but wasn't coming up with anything. "I guess I don't," he said honestly.
"Maybe you'll remember our dog?" the woman said putting her fingers into her mouth to whistle.
As soon as the Great Dane bounded into view, Casey's mouth went dry in fear. He very much did remember that dog and so that meant...
"Ah man, you're them aren't you? The great Mystery Incorporated." He looked at the boy again, he had a goatee going on now but was still uniquely recognisable to anyone in this state at least. "You're Shaggy Rogers," he declared before turning to the brunette and squinting at her. "And you're...Vera was it? Verity?" he smirked knowing he was pissing her off.
She stood unamused, her arms folded. "Velma," she corrected with a scowl.
"Oh yes that's right, Velma Dinkley. I remember now. You were the one who unmasked me," he drawled.
"Yes I did. Which brings me to the question, why aren't you still in jail?"
Casey grinned widely at them. "Good behaviour Miss Dinkley. Out early and just some lame community service to complete to boot."
"Oh, that's strange? I heard it was because your rich daddy had intervened on your behalf, no?" Velma commented innocently.
Casey's smile tightened. "Why are you two even here? I heard you've been MIA for two years while everything went to shit."
"You're going to tell us everything you know about one Devon Blake," Velma instructed.
"That guy again?" Casey laughed. "You got the hots for him or something, glasses? You and your mentally unstable blond friend were so desperate for me to be him, as I recall," he finished with a smirk.
Shaggy had stood by quietly while Velma took the lead with Casey, but his subtle tormenting of Velma, and the insult about Fred, caused him to snap, surprising even her with his sudden ferocity.
He pushed Casey hard against the wall, pinning him there tightly, his elbow at his throat.
"Drop the act Casey. We KNOW what you did with Devon and you WILL tell us everything or your ass will be hauled back to prison so fast, your feet won't touch the ground," he threatened assertively.
Casey laughed but with uncertainty now once Shaggy relaxed his grip so he could respond. "Well aren't you full of surprises? And how exactly will you do that?"
"I'm guessing your parole officer will be very interested in that wrap in your jacket right now," Velma pointed out the garment on the floor smartly.
"What wrap in my..." Casey began to respond, but stopped when he saw the dog sitting suspiciously by his jacket and the two grin at him. He realised he had been played. "Oh very good," he hissed angrily. "Fair fucking play."
"I knew you would see things our way," Shaggy said brightly.
"What do you want? Devon hasn't exactly been in touch since I got out of prison and why do you want to find him so bad anyway?"
"You mean you haven't heard?" Velma asked with genuine surprise. "How could you not have heard?"
"Oh, don't tell me, he's hurt your friends again? Boy, he sure does hold a grudge there."
"No, the ambush attack on the police officers in Coolsville. You really didn't hear about it?" Shaggy asked.
Casey paled then, showing some genuine emotion now. "Of course I did. The whole of the US and beyond has heard! That was some sick shit. Are you seriously telling me that it was Devon behind that?"
"You seem surprised, I mean your mate Devon is such a stand up kind of guy right?" Shaggy told him sarcastically.
"Look man, I know he did some bad shit and yeh he tried to get me to do some bad shit too..."
"Oh sure, bad shit like asking you to kill our friends!" Velma couldn't hold back the contempt she felt for Casey as he tried to downplay Devon's previous acts of disgrace.
Casey ignored her comment, he still looked completely shaken by the information Devon was behind the attacks, he bit his lip, looking beyond Velma and Shaggy at a point behind their heads.
"I mean holy fuck! They said on the news that the cops were lured there, attacked with grenades and then the building blew up. They think over twenty died? That is so completely messed up. It was Devon?"
"It was Devon," Velma confirmed. "And so that's why we're here to see if you have any leads."
"He hasn't. I mean as soon as I got arrested, that was it. He dropped me like a stone."
"So you know nothing, nothing at all?"
"Look I knew he was back on the scene, and things had been put in motion again but nothing on this scale! I told the pretty cop that,when she came calling last month..." A thought suddenly came to him and he looked visibly upset again. "Wait, was she there?"
"Which pretty cop?" Shaggy asked but he already feared he knew the answer.
"Detective White? Is she?"
"She's critically injured in hospital," Velma answered coldly. "Her partner, Detective Barnum is one of the officers that died in there."
To Shaggy and Velma's total astonishment, Casey broke down in tears.
"Oh my god, how could I get involved with someone so evil? I'm so sorry. I wish I could help you but I don't know anything I swear."
Casey's total breakdown came as a surprise to Velma and Shaggy but ultimately it was disappointing.
"Well, that was a bust," Shaggy commented as they walked out of the cemetery and back to Rory's car. "What are we going to do now? Back to the bunker?"
"We could I guess, Rory's going to be so mad at us. Damn, I was sure that was going to be a good lead. What about his first apprentice Greg? Is he even in jail anymore? Might he know something?"
"Worth a try I guess," Shaggy shrugged. "Isn't he in L.A though? Will take a while."
"God, you're right," Velma sighed. "I officially don't know what to do. I wish Fred was here. He would know what to do."
As if by some divine miracle, her cell phone started to buzz and she looked at Shaggy in amazement. "International dialling code!" she said in pure delirium, holding it in her hand like the best prize she'd ever been given. "It's them Shaggy!"
"Well answer it then!" Shaggy urged, eager to just hear his best friends' voices again.
"Daphne!" Velma greeted her joyfully. "Are you guys OK?" She listened to her for a few seconds aware Shaggy was urgently signalling to her. "Hang on Daph, I think Shaggy wants you on speaker...wait...what did you just say? Fred got what?!"
To be continued. Please rate and review, and I'll see you again soon. Stay safe :)