Thelma holds her husband tight. She can not believe the words she is hearing.
Jess tries his best to try and not suffocate in his wife's hold.
No one talks for a while. Jess is the first to break the silence, "When? How?"
"We don't know the exact time of death" Chan replies, "The coroner estimate sometime last night. By the looks of it, though, it's homicide."
Thelma sits up straight and stairs with a strange glance in her eyes. "Pam Ferret" she mummers.
"Who?" Chan asks, puzzled.
"A woman Velma and the gang convicted a little more that a year ago" Jess explains.
"Velma became obsessed with the fact that Pam would return and take revenge on her" continues Thelma, "Which is why they were here. The gang thought that Velma could use a rest." Her eyes begin to fill with tears. "And now," she chokes, "it seems that Pam's vengeance has come to pass..."
Jess brings his wife closer to himself to console her.
Chan realizes the situation. "I better go now" he says, grabbing his hat.
Jess nods, "Thanks, Chan."
Once Inspector Jeong shuts the door Thelma looses control of herself. She immediatly bursts into tears soaking Jess' shoulder. Jess does his best to comfort his wife, but he know the only way for her to feel better is to just let it all out.
Thelma's weeping does not go unnoticed, however. Sarah notes it while going to the kitchen for a snack. After grabbing a few crackers, a block of cheese and knife, she quickly—and quietly—runs up the stairs to the bedroom.
"I don't want to do this anymore" she quickly tells her cousins.
Jack and Jill look at her, puzzled.
"Your mother is down in the den crying our eyes out over Velma's death" Sarah explains pointing out the door, "You should at least tell her."
A moment of guilt come over the twins.
"Should we really tell mom what we have done?" Jack asks his sister.
Just as the other is about to answer, a ding comes from Jill's computer indicating an instant message. She quickly goes to answer.
"It's Gomer" she says to her companions. She quickly types, "Wat's up?"
"Im scared :(" is the quick reply.
"about what?"
"i don't want any trouble"
Jack quickly takes hold of the situation. Pushing his sister aside, he types, "Gomer, what is it?"
"i didn't do anything rong" comes the reply, "i did exactly as you said...nothin else"
"He seems to think as is he is responsible for the murders" Sarah offers an interpretation of the message.
Jack types, "What have you heard on the news?"
Gomer quickly replies, "that htey have found the bodies out in the bush over in the next region...some rangers found them...magnled bodies...killer is desparatly searched for...you have to believe me when i say htat i have done nothing."
"The man's hysterical!" exclaims Jill.
"You mean someone killed them?" asks Jack.
"Tha't's that they say" is the instant reply, "but i didn't do it!"
"That would explain the status reports" reasons Sarah.
"Tell him to lay low for now" instructs Jill, "until we know for sure."
Jack quickly does so. After signing off, he sighs, "We are in a load of trouble."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Morning Bill" Inspector Jeong says entering the county morgue.
"Hi, Chan" a voice replies from the back room, "What can I do for you?"
"Well, I'm here to inspect the bodies."
"Ah," Bill Manton, the mortician comes out wiping his hands dry with a white towel, "so you have been put on the case."
"Yes," the inspector replies placing his hand over his stomach, "and I just hope I don't loose my breakfast."
"You need not worry" chuckles the other, "they are not as bad as the news people say."
"Easy for you to say, you deal with this all the time. I rarely ever do this kind of work."
"Become a Chief Inspector and you will" his friend jokes.
Jung gives out a sigh, "Might as well get it done now. Where are they?"
Bill shows the other to a room with five stretchers with corpses are with clean white sheets over them. "I have just finished with them" he explains.
"And?"
Bill lifts three of the sheets to show a blonde man, a brown haired man with some facial hair that looks like a goatee and a red-headed hair woman. Each had been so severely cut an bruised that they barely looked like human beings.
Inspector Jeong swallows hard trying to keep his food down.
Bill introduces the bodies to the inspector. "The first body," he begins, "is Fred Jones, the other man is Norville, otherwise known as 'Shaggy' Rogers, and this lady is Daphne Blake."
"What happened heck to them!"
"Each was shot with 42 calibers beaten" Bill explains, "then their wrists and throat, maybe not in that exact order or about the same time, were slit."
"So, they died of...?" Jeong says, writing down notes.
"Internal injuries and severe loss of blood" is the reply, "The strange thing is what happens afterwards. You see, after they were dead, each body was mercilessly stabbed and—"
"Don't tell me!" Chan pleas.
Bill backs off. He covers up the three and uncovers one with a brown furry creature underneath.
"What is that!" Chan yells.
"A dog named Scooby-Doo."
"Where's it's head?"
"It was cut off. He was shot to death."
"Same caliber as the other three?" asks the inspector.
"Yes. And he died first." Bill covers up the dog and reveals the last body. "Is this your friend's cousin."
"She doesn't look as bad as the others."
"You're right" agrees Bill, "However, look at this." He pulls the sheet down below the chest to reveal a huge gash in the middle of it.
"What is it?" Chan asks looking down.
"No heart" is the simple reply.
"What!"
"Yes, like the others, she was beaten but someone cut her heart out."
"Sounds like something you would read on textbooks about an ancient civilizations that demanded human sacrifice" Jeong says.
"It does seem that way" the other agrees. "One more thing, she was the last one."
"You mean she witnessed their deaths" clarifies Chan.
"Yes, before her own."
The inspector shudders, "I'd hate to meet those guys in a dark alley."
"Even with your Tae Kwon Do experience and your father, who is a Grand Master?" asks his friend.
"In that case," Jeong smiles, "then I would feel sorry for those guys!" He reaches over to grab his hat, "I'll be seeing you Bill."
A/N: Here you go. Please review.