Hey! Roxy Goth here! Thank you to Average Everyday Sane Psycho and KaliAnn for reviewing the last chapter.

KaliAnn, it was an interesting theory that I've addressed in this chapter. Thanks for taking the time to submit it.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter and are having as good a February as you can, given the circumstances. I probably won't update this till next week, maybe even longer.

I'm not sure Donald is completely in character, but he is dealing with a sensitive subject. He's quite hard to write, actually.

See chapter one for the disclaimer and let's crack on.

It was another week until the police managed to find out what had happened. During that time we had a near-disaster [of course]. Although at least this time it was more metaphorically speaking.

Huey had been annoyed because of the lack of progress in 'The Case' as he'd called it. He's been eagerly following news snippets for the last week. The picture was returned after a few days, but the women still hadn't been found. Huey had a few theories and had covered three whiteboards in pictures and strings so it all looked slightly mental. He showed me, Donald and Scrooge these whiteboard and was clearly expecting applause.

Now, I'm a massive fan of conspirousy theories but I couldn't figure this one out. Mainly because there was a stick-women in the middle and lines drawn around her with pictures of who Huey thought this women might be. In the top hand corner was a picture of Goofy's wife, Penny.

Donald zeroed in on this immediately, of course. "What's Goofy's wife doing up there?" He asked Huey, clearly as bemused as I was.

"She's a suspect." Huey announced, clearly brimming with excitement. "Now, let me explain-"

"Take her down." Donald said, in a low tone that we all recognise means 'I am one wrong word away from loosing my temper.'

Now you would expect seeing as Huey's lived with his uncle all his life and is very familiar with his tones and moods that he would recognise the warning signs and take the picture down. But he was SO excited by his 'clever' theories and the chance to play detective that he just carried on with a gabbled explanation. "But Uncle Donald, Goofy recognised her! He thought she was familiar, he hasn't seen his wife for who knows how long, it's not un-reasonable that she may have changed completely! And maybe she's had to turn to theft to survive-"

"-Huey" I said, warningly, seeing my twin turning slowly red.

Huey either didn't pick up on my tone or ignored it and carried on with: "And now she's come back and she's stolen this painting and it's a little annoying, but it'll be nice because Max will have his mum back and Goo-"

Donald stormed out. Like, slammed the door stormed out. And myself and Scrooge have seen that a few times - especially during the teenage and early adulthood years - but Huey clearly hasn't [which I'm taking as a good thing, in hindsight.] because he stopped dead and blinked. "-What have I done?" He asked, clearly bewildered.

Scrooge looked amazingly awquad and made what I can describe as 'Scottish noises' and looked at me like. 'You're the mother you deal with this.' I just couldn't believe NO ONE had bloody TOLD Huey [and the other kids] about Penny. What was wrong with this family? Had Goofy never mentioned it? Max? For crying out loud!

So I leaned down to Huey level and rested a hand on his shoulder. I was aiming for motherly concern, but he looked at little bit like 'What are you doing?' which didn't exactly fill me with confidence, but I ignored that and carried on. "Huey." I said, gently. "Penny is dead." And I explained to him how she'd died just shy of fifteen years ago and I actually attended her funeral and there was no way she was ever coming back and how even now its a bit of a sore subject and THAT'S why Donald stormed off and no, he doesn't hate you Huey, please stop crying.

It was awful. And I said to Donald afterwards "Why haven't you told them about her? What did they think happened to her?"

Donald took a long sip of coffee and explained. "They knew she wasn't there, obviously. And I had said she wasn't coming back. And maybe it was my fault, I said it was a bit like what happened to you."

What?

"We thought you were dead, Della." Donald pointed out. "We thought you had been incinerated alive when you went into space. Frizzled up like a sausage. So yeah, I used the analogy and I think that's why Huey got it into his head there was a chance she would come back. At least he knows now."

I sipped my own drink. "Does Goofy not talk about her at all?"

"Hardly ever. That's why the incident in the ice caves were so unusual. He NEVER talks about her ever. I've tried, Mickey's tried, Minnie, Daisy - even Horace and you KNOW they don't get on. Goofy does not like talking about her." He paused and then admitted. "He's gotten slightly better in recent years, I'll admit. I thought he was going to ask Clarabelle out, actually, after her and Horace went through a rough patch. But he didn't. To hesitant. By the time he psyched himself up to it, they were back together."

So yes. Could have done without all that on a Friday, but never mind.

So, two days later Officer Cabrera turns up on our doorstep wanting to update us - or more specifically me - on what happened. "Normally, we wouldn't be doing this." She explained. "But seeing as you made such a valiant effort to catch her, we decided it would only be fair."

I nodded eagerly. I'd taken Officer Cabrera into the kitchen and threatened the rest of the family with imminent an painful death if they bothered us.

"So the investigation is still on-going." Cabrera said. "But I just want to assure you we are doing our best. So far we think we know who the women is. We're not at liberty to say, but we do think we know who this is. And we are hoping with time we will be able to catch her and bring her to justice." Cabrera took a breath. "This is not the only painting the suspect has stolen, we think she's trying to make her mark as an official art thief. So...we do have a strategy." Another breath. "Officially, I can't tell you what it is. But...what I can say is if you want to phone round a few...friends of yours and see if you can glean any information, that's up to you. Aside from that, you'd do well to stay out of it and leave - as they say in the films - the official work to us." And with that she got up, tipped her hat at me like she was a British policeperson and walked out.

So I was sat there like...what? I was fairly certain that although she'd given me a clear warning to keep my beak out she seemed to say I could find out by asking my friends? What? If she was talking to me she'd have talked to Goofy because he chased after the the women as well, maybe that's what she meant?

So I decided to phone Goofy. Then Donald pointed as, as I was dialling, that it was actually quite late and Goofy would be preparing dinner and stuff and maybe to call him tomorrow?

I was like, No! I'll call him now, get it out the way. So I did. He was cheerful, but I could tell I'd caught him at a bad time. Apparently Cabrera had given him the same info she'd given me. And Goofy was just planning to keep his nose out of it and leave it to 'the professionals.'

"But don't you get it?" I asked, impatiently. "She said phone a few friends. That means someone must know something, surely?"

"Well..." Goofy said, clearly panicking a little.

"Why else would she have said it?" I said, throwing my arms out in annoyance - not that he could see me, but it made me feel better.

"Well...maybe she just wanted us to feel not so bad?" Goofy said, sounding like he wanted to be doing anything but talking to me.

"Who's feeling bad!?" I said, my voice rising ten notches. "I just want us to DO something-!"

Donald - appearing from bloody nowhere - promptly plucked the phone out my hand and said, into it. "Sorry Goofy, Della's lost control of what little braincells she had. We'll call you tomorrow and discuss this properly like mature adults." He gave me a meaningful glare. "What are you cooking?"

A pause while he waited for the answer.

"Sounds good. You're lucky you know, if I gave that to MY kids-" He caught himself. "-My nephews, they'd refuse to eat it. Anyway, talk to you tomorrow, kay?" He hung up and threw his arms out in annoyance. "What the hell, Dells!? Are you actually trying to lose every friendship you've ever made!? You KNOW Goofy doesn't do well under pressure!"

I folded my arms and huffed. "I just wanted his OPINION-"

"Goofy is NOT going to give you his opinion on breaking the law! Now, I don't know what Officer Cabrera said, but I'm fairly certain it was NOT 'go behind my back and cause havoc.' now, just FORGET this and let's have supper."

Donald was clearly pissed off with me so I didn't bother arguing and just went to supper. It was quite a tense meal, not gonna lie. Everyone else picked up on it as well and basically no one spoke. We may as well have been eating in separate rooms.

But yeah. I'm just going to have to leave it to the professionals. And apologise to Goofy tomorrow. Maybe I was a bit intense. I have to keep reminding myself I'm not a teenager any more. Or even a twenty-something year old.

Frightening thought.

Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep. See you later, diary.