CHAPTER 9: LAYING THE TRAP
"THAT LITTLE WORM!" Violet exclaimed loudly. She was at Charlie Brown's house along with Frieda, Linus, Sally, Snoopy, Woodstock, Schroeder, Shermy, Peppermint Patty, and Franco.
"I knew I should have decked that little punk at the Spring Dance," an angry Shermy said through gritted teeth.
"He was stalking Patty all this time!" she shouted some more. "We need to do something about him and fast!"
"I agree," said Linus, "but we need to catch Thibault really stalking Patty for something to really be done. Sure he was at Ace's and Patty and Ox happened to be there. But that's open to the public, and he can go in there anytime he wants. He could say that he was just getting a sundae and they were there by coincidence. There's nothing concrete."
"Much as I hate to say it," Peppermint Patty said, "I do have to agree with Linus. We need more proof than just an outing to an ice cream parlor where the person he's supposed to be stalking is there around a lot of people. He will look innocent."
"Exactly," Linus continued. "And to catch a blockhead, we need to trap a blockhead."
"I don't follow," Violet said confused.
"Now I mentioned that we needed further evidence that he is in fact stalking Patty. Why not give him that chance? The only problem is that we'll have to get Patty in on this. And we will have to tell her parents and the police."
"I didn't want to get her involved in this," Violet lamented. "Now it seems there's no choice."
"We'll let you talk to her, Violet," Charlie Brown said. "She'll listen to you. We can back you up if you want us to."
"Thanks, Charlie Brown. You know? You may not be the greatest person who ever lived, but you're all right. If we get through this, I'm having a party next week, but this time I WILL invite you!"
"I'd like that," said Charlie Brown with a smile. Frieda gave a hug to him. After that everyone left for Patty's house. Before they left, Charlie Brown called Ox to meet them there as well.
At Patty's house, Violet explained to her and her parents what was going on with Thibault and him possibly stalking her. She was scared but glad Ox was there for support. Her parents called the police and later they came. They said the same thing Linus had said earlier about setting a trap and getting more proof. And they thought it was a good idea to use Patty herself as bait to catch Thibault in the act. Patty reluctantly agreed to do it.
Later that day, Patty stepped outside her house and started walking seemingly by herself. Thibault, who was hiding in a nearby bush, started following from a distance. Little did he know that an undercover police officer was tailing him as well. Patty looked out the corner of her eye and saw Thibault at quite a distance from her, but still following. She turned a corner off her street. He followed behind, not too close, but close enough to keep her in sight. The undercover police was also following the two. As Patty reached the library near her house, she went in. Thibault followed her in. The undercover cop said something on their walkie-talkie. Little did Thibault know was that the library staff was in on the surveillance of him. He never suspected a thing. As Patty started looking at books on the shelf, Thibault watched her intensely from the row she was in. He stayed a safe distance from her, but still watched her. The contempt for her on his face was evident.
"How dare this broad dump me?" he thought to himself. "She needs to know her place. And I'm the MAN to do it! When I get through with her, she will regret the day she dumped Thibault!" And then he started walking closer toward her. That's when one of the undercover cops grabbed him by the arm and placed him under arrest for stalking. He was dragged outside. He didn't go without a fight; he was kicking and screaming. He was saying things that made the stuff Lucy said about Ox when she tried to set him up seem tame by comparison. Patty breathed a sigh of relief. It was done.
The next day, Lucy finally made it back to the outside world. She wanted to forget the whole Ox fiasco. She wanted to start again on a clean slate with Ox. She knew she was wrong. She thought he was another Charlie Brown that she could break down, but didn't count on everyone putting a stop to her shenanigans. She wasn't completely out of the loop, as Linus told her about how Thibault was stalking Patty after their breakup and how he got arrested. The first thing Lucy did was visited Charlie Brown.
"Lucy," said Charlie Brown, surprised to see her. "How are you feeling?"
"A little better, I guess," she said, sadly. "Charlie Brown, do you have Ox's number?"
"Why?" asked Charlie Brown, cautiously.
"I want to apologize to him about almost sabotaging his chances with Patty," said Lucy.
"Lucy, he doesn't know you tried to humiliate him."
"He doesn't?"
"No. We all agreed not to tell him about it so not to upset him. He still thinks of you as a friend. Why not try to be his friend, instead of trying to make a fool out of him? That's what you got me for, remember?"
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" They both started laughing. "Okay, Charlie Brown. I'll be a friend to him. I will apologize to Patty, though. She deserves it just as much as he did."
"I think that's a good idea."
"Anyway, what's this I hear about Snoopy almost blowing up the neighborhood?"
"He somehow got his paws on a cannon and while playing the World Famous Sergeant of the Foreign Legion, he accidently blew the top of his doghouse off. He since repaired it, though."
"That stupid beagle! Is he trying to destroy the whole neighborhood?! You should make him do hard labor for this, Charlie Brown! If he was MY dog, I wouldn't put up with this tomfoolery! I'd straighten him out but good! I would…"
"Oh good grief!" Charlie Brown said, holding his head. Lucy was indeed back.
NEXT CHAPTER: AFTER THE DUST SETTLES, PIG PEN ENTERS THE SCENE!