Crystal Cove 1998

Cassidy Williams was escorted into the private lair of Ricky Owens at the lowest level of the Destroido Corporation by Ed Machine, the CEO. Ricky Owens sat in front of a bank of TV monitors, watching what was going on all over Crystal Cove with his hidden cameras. All around the inner island was a moat filled with sharks.

Ricky stood up. Cassidy ran to him and gave him a hug and a kiss.

"Cassidy, my angel, you're as lovely as ever," said Ricky.

"Ricky, darling. You've... changed some," said Cassidy.

"I've put on a little weight," Ricky said.

"If you've kept eating like you did when you were a teenager, no wonder," Cassidy said. "I don't care about that. You're still the man I fell in love with... At least I hope you are."

"What do you mean?" said Ricky.

"This company, the pollution, the terrible products. Is this really all yours, or is Mr. Machine here in charge?" asked Cassidy.

"Ed is the public face of Destroido, but he reports directly to me. I make all the real decisions. I pay you enough that you'll do anything I require of you, right Ed?"

Ed Machine nodded. "Yes sir, Mr. E."

"Mr. E?" asked Cassidy.

"An alias I use. I want to stay completely incognito," said Ricky.

"When you said you would send for me when you made enough money, I wasn't expecting it to take so long. You're a multimillionaire. "

"Multi-billionaire," said Ricky.

"Wouldn't less have been enough?" asked Cassidy.

"I had to have enough wealth and power to keep us safe. Destroido is big enough now that it's a law unto itself. Nothing can touch us," said Ricky.

"Nothing would want to," Cassidy muttered.

"Not true," said Ricky. "We have enemies. Especially Fred Jones. He's Mayor of Crystal Cove now, and he seems to have the Sheriff in his pocket."

"You're sure he was involved in betraying us?" Cassidy asked.

"I'm positive," said Ricky. "He was the Freak of Crystal Cove. He conspired with Pericles and they forged the documents that drove us out of town."

"I'm not convinced. I still think it was supernatural. What about the nightmares?" Cassidy asked.

"Probably hypnosis, or some device that Pericles created," said Ricky.

"You know Pericles was involved?" asked Cassidy.

"I got hold of a copy of the tape that was used as evidence to put him away," said Ricky. "The words may have been taken out of context, but it was clear he was plotting to betray us. He can rot in the Asylum for all I care."

"Why did he do it?" asked Cassidy.

"He was after the treasure. As Jones is now. But we'll get it first," said Ricky.

"We shouldn't go after the treasure. There's something evil about it," said Cassidy.

"I know. My research shows it could annihilate Crystal Cove. That's why we have to get to it first, to destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands," said Ricky.

"If I was sure our hands were the right ones..." said Cassidy.

"We're the best we've got. We'll have to do," said Ricky.

"Unfortunately true," said Cassidy. "Could we get Brad and Judy involved?"

"No. I tried, but they refuse to do anything as long as Fred Jones is here. I think he's blackmailing them somehow. They haven't always stayed on the right side of the law in their career as trappers and bounty hunters."

"Have you?" asked Cassidy.

"I'm smarter than they are and better at covering my tracks," said Ricky.

"Yeah, that's true," said Cassidy. "You've always been smart."

"I need you for an important mission, Cassidy," Ricky said. "You've become a radio DJ with a stage name, right?"

Cassidy tilted her head and put her hands on her hips, "Angel Dynamite, comin' at ya with a blast of rock 'n roll."

"Are you good at acting?" Ricky asked.

"You mean lying? Yes, I'm good at it. I haven't told the whole truth to anyone in years. Having to disappear as a teenager will do that to you," said Cassidy.

"You're speaking to one who knows," said Ricky. "Anyway, Mayor Jones has a teenage son."

"Really? Who would marry him?" asked Cassidy.

"He's not married. It seems to have been a hush-hush affair and the woman left him to raise the child alone years ago. I haven't been able to trace her," said Ricky.

"So what's happening with the son?" asked Cassidy.

"He's formed a group of close friends, and I need you to befriend them and keep an eye on them for me," said Ricky.

"You think they're up to no good?" asked Cassidy.

"On the contrary, they're solving mysteries the way we used to do. History is repeating itself. I did some research at the Burlington Library and found a pattern in this town's history. A group of people starts solving mysteries, then comes to a bad end once they start investigating the cursed treasure."

"Wild," said Cassidy. "Why would that be?"

"I don't know, but it could easily happen to this group. If they get on the trail of the cursed treasure, or what Jones did, he will destroy them like he did us."

"Can't we warn them?" asked Cassidy.

"No. The boy would never believe us. He would go to his father, and that would be a disaster. Promise me, you can't reveal who you really are, and under no circumstances tell anyone in the group our suspicions of Mayor Jones."

"All right, I promise," said Cassidy.

"I've set up a new radio station for you, through a shell company so nobody will associate it with Destroido. You can offer the kids a part-time job there, and then win their friendship. There is a room they could use for a mystery-solving headquarters," said Ricky.

"That sounds do-able," said Cassidy. "Though I don't like spying on kids. I guess it's all right since I'll be trying to protect them."

"You've completed the martial arts training I set up for you?" asked Ricky. "Just in case of trouble?"

"I can handle anything the Freak might dish out," said Cassidy. "A music disk in my hands is a deadly weapon, so I'll always have ammunition on hand at the station."

"Very good," said Ricky. "We won't get to see each other much once this gets started. We'll have to communicate by covert channels. But, could you stay tonight for dinner?"

"Ricky... I don't think that's a good idea. The romance angle... it just isn't going to work between us."

"It's because of my weight, isn't it?" asked Ricky.

"It's not that. That's just a symptom. You've changed so much. You're so cold and cynical now. The guy I fell in love with just isn't there any more."

"Well, I can't say I feel the same way about you as I used to, either. I used to love your wide-eyed idealism. Now you just seem naïve."

"I don't think you're as over me as you say," said Cassidy.

"I don't think you're completely over me, either," said Ricky.

"Well, we're just going to have to get there. Because it isn't happening," said Cassidy.

"You'll still do the mission for me?" asked Ricky.

"I'm working with you, not for you," said Cassidy. "But I will."

"All right then. Ed will show you out and get you started at the station," said Ricky.

"Goodbye, Mr. E."

"Goodbye, Angel Dynamite."