Chapter 17

It wasn't a deputy that arrived about fifteen minutes later, it was Sheriff Bronson Stone himself. With ten minutes notice, Jeeves was shaved and fully dressed in his butler uniform. He led Sheriff Stone into the entry parlor.

Daphne didn't wait to be announced but immediately came down the stairs followed by Barty who was dressed in a cashmere bathrobe with the initials BB on the pocket. They entered the parlor together.

Daphne opened. "Sheriff, I'm Daphne Blake."

"I remember you, Miss Blake. I'm told that you were called from Ms. Dinkley's phone?"

"That's correct."

"Why would they call you?"

Barty broke in. "Because she has money, you clod!"

Daphne ignored her father. "Probably because I'm the only person with money whose number was on Velma's phone." She ignored her father but didn't disagree with him.

"Why is your number on her phone?"

"She's a classmate."

"Is your number on all of your classmates' phones?"

Daphne saw where this was going. "No. But it is on the ones with whom I was falsely accused of a crime."

Barty also saw what was going on. "Sheriff, I believe that a young woman's life may be in jeopardy. If you insist on playing games , then I will instruct my daughter to cease talking until our attorney arrives. It might not go so good for you next election if it became known that you prioritized gamesmanship over the safety of Ms. Dinkley.

Stone took the threat calmly. "Certainly, Mr. Blake. We have both Ms Blake's and Ms. Dinkley's phones being monitored. Ms. Dinkley's is presently inactive. We presently have an 'all hands' call out to the department and, as soon as your daughter's phone is contacted, we will track the calling phone and send every available deputy to that location."

The doorbell rang.

Barty looked up. "What on earth?! It's one o'clock in the morning!"

Jeeves stepped toward the front door but Sheriff Stone stopped him with a hand gesture. The sheriff then unholstered and drew his pistol and peeled back the valance to peer through the sidelight window next to the door. On seeing who it was, he holstered his weapon and nodded to Jeeves who opened the door. Angie and Dale Dinkley were standing on the front stop with expectant looks on their faces.

Dale spoke. "A deputy called and said there was a ransom demand for Velma."

Angie chimed in. "And they called here?"

Barty huffed at the sheriff.

Daphne couldn't remember if she had ever met Velma's parents before. "Mr. and Mrs. Dinkley, I'm Daphne Blake. I'm the one they called."

Angie was at a loss. "Why did they call you?"

Barty looked at Dale Dinkley. "Do you have $100,000?"

Dale shook his head. "No. Not even close."

Angie's mouth dropped open. "Is that what they asked for… $100,000?"

Daphne jumped in before her father could say something even more harsh. "Yes. That's what they told me."

Dale looked imploringly at Barty Blake. "Mr. Blake, if it takes that money to get our daughter back, I swear I'll pay it back!"

Barty took in a long breath and then let it out. "Call my bank in the morning and set up an appointment. If you can qualify for a loan, then they will expedite the process." He then turned and ascended the stairs.

Dale called after him. "Mr. Blake, your bank has turned me down before!"

Barty continued his steady pace up the stairs without looking back or speaking.

Dale had only one word left. "Please!"

Barty topped the stairs and disappeared down the upstairs corridor.

It was one o-clock in the morning, but Daphne decided to call Fred. She then changed her mind and called Shaggy. She didn't really want Fred to have her number—he might use it.

Shaggy answered on the second ring. "Hello?" His voice was groggy but didn't sound slurred like when he was high.

"Shaggy, this is Daphne. Sorry to call so late but Velma's been kidnapped. We just received a ransom demand for $100,000."

Scooby's head popped up from where he had been sleeping on a blanket on the floor. "Relma? Ridnapped?"

Shaggy's brain was trying to catch up. "Wait… what?... we?"

"Me. I received the ransom call. They called me about an hour ago."

"And they asked you for $100,000 to ransom Velma?"

"I don't know why, either. It has to have something to do with this mystery. That's the only thing I have in common with Velma."

"What do you need me to do?"

That wasn't the response she had expected. But it was the one she needed. "Call Fred and you two try and figure this out while I try and get Velma away from the kidnappers."

"I don't have his number."

She gave it to him and hung up.

It took Fred five rings to answer. "Wha-a-a-at?" He was obviously a heavy sleeper.

"Fred, this is Shaggy…"

Fred was alert now and angry. "Why the heck are you calling me at 1:30 AM? Are you high?"

"Not right now. Velma's been kidnapped and they called Daphne and asked for $100,000."

"How did you find out?"

"Daphne called me."

"Why did she call you instead of me?"

"You'll have to ask her that. Right now, we've got to help Velma."

Fred's voice went thoughtful. "You said they called Daphne to ask for the money?"

"That's what she said."

"And they only asked for $100,000?"

"Who on earth puts the work only in front of $100,000."

"Anyone in this town named Blake and anyone trying to extort money from a Blake. I'm getting a theory. How quickly can you meet me at the outside entrance to the football team locker room?"

Shaggy immediately thought of what his father would do if he was caught sneaking out.

It was as if Scooby read his mind. "Roo know what roo have to roo."

Shaggy nodded. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

Shaggy hurriedly dressed and he and Scooby tiptoed past his uncle's and then his parents' bedrooms before silently descending the stairs. The sight of the top of his father's head in the easy chair sent a dump of adrenaline into his bloodstream but, before he could leap into Scooby's arms, he noticed the overturned beer and small puddle on the hardwood floor. The three 'dead soldiers' on the end table confirmed that it had been a four-beer night for his father. Nothing short of Armageddon would wake Colton Rogers.

The boy and his dog stepped out onto the back stoop and Scooby's nose jerked up into the air. "Rait!"

"Wait for what?"

"Rye smell romething." Scooby headed back behind the deck into the woods.

"Scoob, if you're going to lecture me about my pot smoking, can we do it some other time?"

"It's rot that. A stranger ras here. Rust a rew hours ago."

"A stranger? A few hours ago? Could they have been listening to our conversation?"

"Raybe. The timing riz about right."

"That sounds important but, right now, we have to meet up with Fred."

Shaggy hopped on his bike and pedaled to the school with Scooby running alongside. Fred was waiting for them as they rode up.

"Guys, if I'm wrong, then I'll have a world of explaining to do about why I was in the school at two o'clock in the morning. Shaggy, make sure that you don't have your ID on you, or you'll register, too."

Fred typed in his code on the keypad and the locker room door opened. He led them through the locker room, the gym, and to the lobby where Shaggy had been grabbed by the 'ghost'. They made their way to the far end of the lobby and hid behind a column to watch the door to room B014.

Fred explained in a whisper. "What if they never took the money out of the building? What if they hid it in that room until the heat died down enough that they could come back and get it?"

Shaggy pondered. "Those are two big what-ifs."

"Reah, rig rones."

"But it's the only thing that makes sense. Why else would they have been in here Friday night? If they had the money, then they would be gone or laying low. They came back to get it and we were here, too. They might have been here yesterday, as well, and seen us again. We keep getting in their way. They need something to distract everyone—especially us—away from the school so they can come back and get the money."

"So, they kidnapped Velma?"

Fred nodded. "And called Daphne rather than Velma's parents. And they made the ransom request low enough that the Blakes wouldn't dismiss it immediately. They want us all to be out looking for Velma and not here at the school."

As if on cue, they heard footsteps in the Mall on the next floor. A flashlight beam pointed down the steps from above was followed by a shadowy figure. The bright beam made it impossible to see anything other than a black silhouette. The primary scent was not one that Scooby recognized. But there was a scent on the scent that was very light but recently familiar.

The figure walked over to the B014 door. There was a rattling of keys, then a click, and then the door opened.

The three sneaked across the lobby and stood in the doorway watching as the figure rearranged some boxes on the shelves to reveal the strongbox.

Shaggy bumped his shoulder against the door jamb, making a noise. The figure spun wildly towards them, hitting the flashlight against a post and knocking it out of their own hand. The flashlight spun through the air, hit the ground, and stopped spinning when pointed into a far corner. No one could see anything.

A male voice called out. "Whoever that is, get out of my way. I have a gun!"

A low growl came from Scooby's throat.

The familiar voice spoke again. "What's that?"

Shaggy answered. "That's my dog, Mr. Marcus. He's a very big dog and he doesn't like it when people threaten me." From inside Shaggy's head, he was shocked that the fear he was feeling from the threat about the gun was not coming out in his voice. Where did this acting talent come from?

Scooby's growl deepened.

Mr. Marcus was the one that now sounded frightened. "Call him off! I don't have a gun. I give up. Just don't let your dog attack!"

Shaggy's voice remained matter-of-fact. "Scooby Doo. Don't attack."

Scooby had been trained to never speak in front of strangers. He simply stopped growling.

Fred turned on the lights to reveal Mr. Marcus standing and holding the box of money. Scooby's part was to look menacing. He pulled it off pretty well if he did say so himself.

"I think it's time for us to call the Sheriff, Mr. Marcus." Fred said.