We arrived at Fred's apartment after Norville and Crystal. Shaggy mocked Fred for taking so long – apparently, he was still resentful of the jokes Fred and Flim Flam have made about his driving skills. The moment I realized I would have to help them unload the van, I cursed every piece of clothing inside Daphne's suitcases. Fortunately, Fred's chivalry kicked in before I grabbed the first suitcase handle, and he carried all our luggage into the lobby of the building. When the elevator arrived, Scooby-Doo was the first to get in, and Fred didn't have a chance to say the dog should be taken to K9 Unit kennel. Then, Crystal said goodbye and kissed Shaggy good night.
Daphne: Crystal, why don't you stay with us tonight? After what we've been through today, it's dangerous for you to be alone...
Crystal: Oh, don't worry, I live with my parents… my dad is Vietnam veteran, so I think I'll be safe…
Crystal and Shaggy kissed again, and my evil mind couldn't help but think that a hippie in her 30s, who lives with her parents and loves dogs, would be a perfect wife to our friend who is 28 and still asks his dad for extra money to buy credits for online games. In the elevator, Scooby-Doo had fun climbing on luggage and sniffing them out until he knocked over a pile of bags on our feet. When the elevator stopped, Scooby grabbed one of my forensics cases and ran off, while Norville took my remaining luggage. Daphne decided to take her bags herself, to show she didn't need Fred's help, and she asked me to help her. I sighed, then I cursed that inappropriate empowerment and I took the last bags out of the elevator. When I put the damn luggage in Fred's office, the muscle pain in my sedentary arms turned to anger and came out in words.
Velma: Daphne, did you know that with two pants, two blouses, two shoes and two coats you would be able to dress in sixteen different ways? It's a simple basic-math problem… plus, you´d use only one bag…
Daphne: I understand your point, but I was thinking about financial-math problems when I´ve packed…
Daphne opened one of the suitcases, and we saw several wads of hundred-dollar bills, and that startled us.
Daphne: The other bag has wads of $50 and $20… so don´t worry, I will be able to pay in different ways…
Daphne's mockery didn't lessen our astonishment.
Daphne: What's wrong, gang? Never seen money in your lives?
Shaggy: Like, that's way more than all the money I've ever seen in my entire life...
Fred: Daphne, were you walking around town with suitcases full of money?
Daphne: Not all the bags, only two! What´s the problem? I know all the Blakes´ accounts will be blocked soon due to this media scandal, so I brought some money to survive during this period... and I´ve told my parents and my annoying sisters to do the same... I just haven´t told Dawn because I really want her card to be declined in front of everyone when she buys a commercial flight ticket...
Velma: Daphne, this is illegal!
Daphne: It's not illegal if you explain where the money comes from... and I have enough proof that it's mine...
Velma: It´s still illegal if you explain the money came from an account that was blocked via court order!
Daphne looked at me with an expression that clearly said "nothing is illegal when you have enough money and a world-famous last name," but she was not able to express it in words. And I was not able to continue that discussion.
Velma: And how much money did you bring?
Daphne: Well, each bill is 2.61 inches wide, 6.14 inches long, and 0.0043 inches thick, with a measuring tape you can figure out the dimensions of the bag... just do the math in your head... like you´ve said, it's a simple basic-math problem…
I rolled my eyes at Daphne's sarcastic teasing and I didn't get any support because everyone laughed at me. While I took my belongings out of the bags and organized them on the dining table, Scooby-Doo wandered around the apartment sniffing every inch of it, and Shaggy rummaged through the refrigerator and the kitchen drawers. When Norville got all the food packages he wanted, he accompanied Scooby on his exploration around. When they´ve found Fred´s office, Shaggy threw the packages on the table and excitedly recited all the components and configurations of Fred's computer.
Shaggy: Hey Jones, like, why didn't you ever tell me you had a machine like this at home?
Fred: Because all times you came here, you didn't get out of the damn kitchen...
Everyone laughed again, and this time, I joined them. Norville and Fred started talking about computer games, while Daphne and I set up my microscope. When the game started, Norville finally stopped talking and Fred took Daphne's bags to his room. When Daphne realized what Fred was doing, she blushed and tried to make him stop.
Fred: I thought that… maybe… you and Velma… could share my bed… I'll be fine here in the living room… and Shaggy…
Shaggy: Like, I´ll be fine here! And Scooby too!
Fred's emphasis on "you and Velma" made Daphne's embarrassment lessen, but it inevitably made me blush. I discreetly signaled to Fred that sharing a bed with Daphne could start an endless argument between Marcie and me, but he just ignored me and carried my luggage to his room. As soon as I put all my forensics equipment on the table, I started analysing the containers and the substances. Scooby-Doo was busy destroying Fred´s rare home run ball and Shaggy didn't show up to help us, except for the rare times he passed by while going to the kitchen to get more snacks. Fred sat down next to me to analyse the cards, despite Daphne was constantly insisting that we both should rest. After much insistence, Daphne gave up and decided to take a shower and sleep. The initial result of my work was announced less than an hour after.
Velma: Jinkies! I´ve found a perfect fingerprint, check it out! It's a thumb...
Fred left the cards for a moment and we analysed the fingerprint for a few minutes. Fred placed his own thumb next to the print, then pulled my thumb and placed it next to the fingerprint to compare.
Fred: I think we can safely assume this fingerprint is Gi-Hun's. The size of the finger makes me think it´s a male thumb…
Velma: I think you're right Fred, I remember Sarah having small hands just like mine…
At the moment Shaggy was passing by to get more beer, Fred grabbed his wrists against his will and brought Shaggy's thumb next to the fingerprint, while Shaggy recited his usual swear words. The Doritos mark that Norville's skinny thumb left on the container was the same size as the fingerprint, and that made me think that Fred was right. Then, Fred and I started the proper procedure to search for fingerprints on the card we´ve found at Applegate Bank. Shaggy tried to escape many times, but Fred made him stay and help us hold the tweezers and brushes. After some minutes, we extracted two perfect thumb prints and a partial fingerprint. My initial impression was: the thumb prints were the same size as the fingerprint found on the container. Fred grinned at me and Shaggy ran away, muttering swear words for losing his online game.
Fred: If the fingerprints are identical, the theory that Gi-Hun planted all the evidence is true...
Velma: In fact, we will prove that the same person left both the containers and the card to be found... we still haven't compared the fingerprints to Gi-Hun's, so we are not sure if he is the one…
Fred: But we can assume he is… he was in both places…
Daphne: Why don´t we send the fingerprints to Interpol? I bet they can confirm if they are Gi-Hun´s… and if they are not, I´m sure Flim Flam can find the right person…
Daphne showed up unexpectedly, approached our lens and photographed all the fingerprints without asking our permission. Then, she compared the size of her own thumb with the fingerprints found, and after it, she forwarded Flim Flam all the photos, naively believing that a simple photo would be enough. Fred lost his concentration completely due to Daphne's nightgown and to the delicious peach scent coming from her damp hair, so I had to prepare all the fingerprints with proper metric and contrasts by myself. When I finished, I started to analyse the chemical substance. Apparently, Daphne gave up convincing us to go to bed, so she sat down on a chair next to Fred and analysed the cards Fred had found at Liberty with a magnifying glass. Fred remained useless during all the time because the short nightgown that showed Daphne's good shape had put him into a ridiculous trance, so he wasn´t very productive. Daphne analysed more than a hundred cards, and the procedures she made revealed hundreds of partial fingerprints. Between one chemical reaction and another, I prepared all partial fingerprints and Fred clumsily photographed them - still disturbed by the sensual red-haired presence by his side. As fate would have it, while we were working to gather evidence, the most important evidence of all was revealed by itself.
Velma: Jinkies, check this out!
Some time after the chemical procedures to extract fingerprints, a huge dark stain appeared on the surface of the card found at Applegate Bank. In the center of the stain, there was a small, soliq square, where the original card color was kept. Immediately, Fred got the card with tweezers and pressed around the square to remove it from the card. After watching Fred's motor coordination fail a few times, Daphne decided to help him, but the proximity of her body only made him fail more. While they persisted in surgically removing that square, I made the same chemical procedures in some cards found at Liberty, but they didnt´show any stain. Then I added a little bit of the substance of the containers – and few minutes after, an identical stain was formed.
Velma: Gang, I think I´ve proved that this Applegate Bank card was previously stained with the substance found inside the containers… now I just need to find out if it´s the same substance…
Fred: If that's true, we'll confirm that Gi-Hun has spread this substance…
Daphne: Jeepers, he sure did, gang! Take a look at this!
Daphne used tweezers to pull out a tiny, solid square, with a shiny gold surface on one side and a dark gray on the other. I offered her a Petri dish and she placed the square inside.
Fred: Does it look like a microchip?
Velma: Hmm... I don't see a circuit, Fred... actually... it looks like a mini RFID tag, look at this laminated parts...
Fred: You're right... look at the frequency... 125 kHz...
Daphne: Can you speak my language, please?
Fred: It's a radio-frequency identification tag, Daphne... like those tags stores put on some products, so they won´t be stolen...
Daphne: And they can also open doors and gates when you approach a card next to them, right? Blake Manor is full of these locks… I had one in my apartment, but now that Alan easily broke into it, I want a biometric lock and two security guards…
Daphne's words made Fred and I look at each other in astonishment. She didn't understand our conclusion, so she started to explain herself, fearing she'd said something wrong.
Velma: Daphne, you're a genius! That's it! This small tag must be the key to access some kind of restricted VIP area!
Fred: So this card is definetely different from the others, because it belongs to the VIPs...
Velma: And that´s why Gi-Hun wanted us to find him!
Daphne: But how are we going to find this restricted place?
Velma: Well, we still haven't visited the addresses where Gi-Hun was here in New York... maybe one of them has a secret access to Liberty...
Daphne: Gang… what if the restricted location is a little far away from here… for example… South Korea…?
When she finished the sentence, Daphne pointed to a small drawing that was formed under the place where the square label was on the card surface. The drawing was made by a thin silver line, and it had a peculiar shape. Then, Daphne showed us the map of South Korea on her cell phone screen, and we realized that the small drawing was a miniature representation of the map of South Korea.
Velma: Jinkies, what if it is an access to that strange island?
My comment made us shudder, since we knew that proving the presence of the VIPs on the island meant that Shaggy's theory was right. I snapped out of my dark thoughts by the bright, uniform color all the samples acquired when I added an acid-base indicator. After finishing the titration, I concluded that all the samples had the same compound: a mixture of hypochlorite bleaches. Before I could verbalize the good news, Fred compared the samples and smiled.
Fred: Gi-Hun really made a trail with this chemical compound!
Velma: That's what chemistry tells us... plus, the liquid on the card and the liquid inside the container are the same mixture...
Fred: Now we have to understand why he has done that… is he really trying to tell us something or is he leading us to a trap?
Velma: And we also have to understand his reasons… justice for the victims? To denounce the VIPs and prove George and Steven are innocent? Or just for his own benefit?
Daphne: Well, I guess all we have to do right now is sleep, gang. We've had a really long day, and tomorrow we'll travel for more than 15 hours, we need to rest.
Fred was going to continue the reasoning of "we have to…", but the image of Daphne stretching in her satin nightgown stopped his thoughts. In addition, a long yawn took over my face, so I nodded and agreed with Daphne. Then, I set my cell phone alarm for 8 am, and Fred brought his pillow to the couch. When I took off my glasses, I saw a red-haired blur leave a kiss on the forehead of the blond-haired blur that occupied the whole couch, but I couldn't see the facial expression that both blurs acquired after the kiss. While Daphne made feline movements to snuggle down into Fred's bed, I told Norville to turn that crap off and go to sleep.
When I opened my eyes, I was in a narrow, dimly lit hallway similar to the one I'd been at Liberty. The place was silent, except for a high-pitched, repetitive noise in the background, coming from somewhere. I walked slowly, and each step I took made the noise seem more intense. The bad omen inside my heart was also intense, and that sinister place instigated slowly deep despair in my body, making it tremble. Looking around, there was no way out, the hallway continued indefinitely with its cold walls, every now and then, the design of a triangle, a circle or a square appeared scribbled on the concrete. Fear made me quicken my pace, and my quick steps awakened some kind of machine that chased me. Suddenly, my feet stepped into a cold, shiny liquid that was everywhere (luminol?), and the anguish of my feet and hands left fluorescent stains on the walls. In the following second, all the luminol turned bright red and I found myself sitting on the floor and bathed in blood, with hundreds of bodies around me, dressed in green clothes. The machine approached and revealed to be a giant doll in a yellow dress, who looked at me as if I was her easy prey. I couldn't scream for help. Nor could I hear anything but that incessant, mournful noise that was endlessly repeated. I thought of my friends. "They're dead", replied a frightening certainty in my mind, asking me to look at each of those cold faces that were dead on the ground. But I didn't have enough courage to move. I didn't have time either, because a moment later a bell rang and masked men appeared to carry all the bodies through colorful labyrinths that looked like an Escher painting. I tried to escape them, but I was caught by three men dressed in red who had no faces. In the place of their faces were geometric figures - a triangle, a circle and a square - emblazoned on a massive mask that gave me the creeps. On impulse, I broke away and ran. At one of the labyrinth's stairs. I saw Scooby-Doo and Gi-Hun's red-haired image running desperately towards me. Before I could reach them, I felt my body weaken and my consciousness slowly diminish until I completely lost consciousness. In a state between sleep and wakefulness, I heard shots, screams of terror, and my name being called over and over again…
Daphne: Velmaaaaaa! Wake up! Will I have to throw water in your face?
Daphne's voice made me sit up in the bed. My conscience was totally confused while confronting the reality with the horrors of a nightmare, but my heart felt a great relief to realize that nothing had happened.
Daphne: It's Flim Flam, he has good news about your fingerprints.
Daphne practically threw her phone in my face, turned her back to me and covered herself up to her head, making it clear that she wanted to sleep more. I was still disoriented, and when I looked at the clock showing 5:40 am, I realized that it was due to the inappropriate time for a video call. Noticing my sleepiness, Flim Flam got embarrassed for having forgotten our time zone difference, and asked if he should call later. I told him to stay on the line and looked for my glasses. I couldn't understand immediately what Flim Flam was saying because his words were drowned out by Daphne moaning and mumbling in protest at me for putting a light and an audio source next to her, so I asked him for a moment and I migrated to the living room. When I finally woke up, I felt relieved for being pulled out of such a horrible nightmare.
Flim Flam: Good news! The fingerprints you´ve found are really Gi-Hun´s, Seoul police has confirmed…
Velma: Great! So we're right to assume that Gi-Hun led us to the clues...
Flim Flam: There is more: Remember detective Hwang Jun-ho of Seul Police, who has been missing since June 2020?… recent investigations in his house have found a card identical to those cards you´ve found at Liberty… and the card´s phone number was also in his oll call history… and was one of the last calls that Jun-ho has made… so, I think it´s time for us to take Shaggy´s theory seriously…
Flim Flam's words gradually hurt my stomach until a deep nausea took over me, along with that damn feeling that something bad was going to happen. The slightest memory of that nightmare made me shudder, and I was so scared that Flim Flam noticed and stopped talking.
Flim Flam: Are you ok, agent?
Velma: Yes… I'm just a little… scared… with the enormous proportions this case is getting… we´ve started with a simple embezzlement and now we're dealing with… deadly games done just for fun? You know, it´s the purest human cruelty, agent… I even had…
"A dream", were the two words that my rational side censored, yet I wanted to scream, cry and talk about that damn graphic dream. Unfortunately, my fear of being ridiculous was greater than my anguish, and my skeptical pride made me swallow every piece of that intuitive suffering.
Flim Flam: Welcome to Interpol, Agent Dinkley! Here we have to deal with the worst part of each nation, which means, the darkest part of the human mind…
Velma: …yeah, but I´m not sure if I can handle such things, Flim Flam… I think that… I'm not prepared…
Flim Flam: No one is prepared, agent... but, still, someone has to do the dirty job...
Velma: How can you handle this? I mean… that´s so irrational… I keep asking myself: why?… why capture and sacrifice innocents?… there's no reason! There's no logic in evil...
Flim Flam: Not everything has a logical explanation, Velma… "There are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy", someone important said this one day, I don't remember who and I won't leave my online game to open a browser and search for it, but the idea is something like this…
Flim Flam's sincerity made a small smile be formed on my lips, but it wasn't enough to calm me down. I was born in the cradle of science and raised in a scientific environment, so I was not prepared to deal with something so unscientific as the vile human nature. I wasn't prepared neither to listen to premonitions confirmed by terrible evidences, nor with nightmares that seemed to be... real. But there was a dirty job to be done. And it should be done, even if I wasn't prepared for it at all. There followed an awkward silence while we both tried to think of something to say – or something to continue that video call-, only interrupted by the sound of Free Fire shots (Flim Flam´s) and Shaggy's laughter coming from Fred's office. Then, it was Fred's turn to moan in protest and mumble swear words to show that I should stop making so much noise. The noise didn´t stop, so he got up, threw a pillow in my direction and unconsciously migrated to his own bed, seeking the necessary comfort to continue sleeping. Even though I knew I should have warned him about Daphne's presence in his bed, I did nothing about that and let them figure it out for themselves in the morning. I was dealing with too much unscientific and irrational stuff in my mind, and at that moment I couldn't put up with the illogic, obvious love that both insisted on denying. Between one Free Fire shot and another, Flim Flam said goodbye. And I, haunted by thoughts, curled up on the couch and let sleep bring me some peace.
Thanks for reading! You are amazing! :)
Chapter 20 is short just like this one, and having 40 mm of rain everyday made all my beach plans fail, so I believe I will have plenty of time to write and post one more chapter before 2023.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a nice time with your family and friends. For those who are in the North, stay warm and enjoy the snow. And those in the South like me, enjoy the summer and stay safe during the tropical storms!