Chapter 10 – Victims of Fear
Marin General Hospital, Marin County
January 9, 2023
1:10 am
The number Velma dialed rang about ten times, then she swore and hung up. That was the sixth call Lisa Genau ignored. Velma knew it was very late and the librarian was probably sleeping, but she called her one more time anyway. After all, the anger she was feeling and the urgency she had to make Lisa delete everything she had posted would not let her give up. At the moment it rang for the fourth time, her distracted eyes looked at the glass that separated her room from the hallway, and they noticed there were two men watching her — the same men she had seen on her way to the MRI room. They were tall and one of them had a FBI badge. One of them had blue eyes, gray hair, mustache and beard; the other had black hair, a thin nose, amber eyes, and a stern look that sent shivers down her spine. Velma felt fear spread through her body. Immediately, she ended the inappropriate call to Miss Genau.
Shaggy: Like, so far, her post has 34 replies. Nobody said a shit about the book, but everyone got curious, and that's a huge problem!
Shaggy's sudden text message distracted her for a moment. But as soon as she read it — and realized that dozens of people had been informed about the existence of that damn book — she felt fear suffocate her again. Surely, the FBI knew something about it — or even about Mystery Inc.'s secret visits on crime scenes.
Shaggy: 35 answers now. Have you talked to her? Like, she needs to delete this soon! Or we will be in trouble!
"The bitch doesnt answer my calls!", Velma typed angrily, while her heart was about to explode. When she looked away from her phone screen, she noticed the amber-eyed man was still staring at her with the same evil gaze. Even though she stared at him back, his facial expression didn't change.
Shaggy: Like, give me her number. I think she doesn't answer because she knows youre calling.
While she forwarded Lisa's contact to Shaggy, Velma realized her hands were shaking. She could feel the impact of that strange agents gaze on her.
Shaggy: Like, youre right, the bitch doesnt answer the fucking phone. But Ill keep trying. She won't sleep until she deletes all the shit she wrote!
Velma replied to her boyfriend's message with a heart emoji, and a sticker that said "good night, babe". Without courage to look at them again, she put her phone inside her purse and turned off the bedside light. Then, she took off her glasses and closed her eyes tightly, hoping those actions would make the agents go away. Unfortunately, she couldnt sleep. Velma stayed in that position for several minutes, unable to relax and unable to open her eyes again. When the tachycardia started to bother her, she gave up and sat up in bed. Unfortunately, both men were still there. Irritated, she took several photos of them and forwarded them to Shaggy, along with a message:
"These motherfuckers are here for hours, they are watching me! So, if I disappear, die, or get arrested, you already know who did it!".
Velma thought the photo would intimidate them, but they didn't care. As a result, she herself felt intimidated, and her hands turned cold.
Shaggy: Zoinks! Like, do you want me to spend the night with you?
Velma laughed at her boyfriend's message. It was a cute suggestion, but she knew that none of Shaggy's qualities included being a protector.
Velma: If I say I want you to come, what could you do for me?
Shaggy: Like, we could be scared together…
The answer was expected, but it made Velma smile and it calmed her heart. For a few minutes, they exchanged funny messages of support, until she received a message that said:"sduifhueiadnmasklwejaksncas". Then, she received some emojis and other series of numbers and letters that made no sense at all. She laughed and understood that Shaggy had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep — and Scooby was pawing at the phone to make it stop vibrating. To her surprise, when she took her eyes off the screen, they had finally disappeared, and she felt safe again. Unfortunately, safety was not enough to make her feel sleepy, and Velma considered the possibility of taking a sedative. When her finger was about to press the help-button on her bedside, she hesitated. She feared that a simple pill could cost her more than 75 dollars in the final hospital bill, so she gave up. In the end, she resorted to a powerful anti-allergy pill she had in her purse, and within minutes, her eyelids felt heavy and she fell asleep.
The sound of the doorknob startled Velma, so she sat up in bed and looked for her glasses. When her eyes focused in the sounds direction, she saw a young woman with brown skin and long, wavy brown hair. She was wearing a dress with patterns similar to the fabric she had found around the book in San Francisco. When the woman turned in her direction, Velma immediately recognized Allyra Mahon. The hem of Allyras dress was covered in mud, as were her hands and feet. Allyra smiled and walked slowly towards her, leaving a trail of mud. In panic, Velma tried to leave the bed and escape the frightening image that was coming in her direction, but strangely, the lower half of her body was paralyzed. Allyra reached the bed and held Velmas left hand tightly. Looking directly into Velma's eyes, she smiled and whispered:"thank you!". In a panic, Velma screamed and pulled her hand from the woman's dirty hand, and at the same moment, she woke up. She was sweating and panting, when she sat up, she realized it was only a vivid dream. Velma took a few minutes to recover, and when she felt stronger, she looked for her glasses and her cell phone.
Velma: Jinkies!
Velma shuddered when she saw the time"1:41"on the screen."Dont be ridiculous, Velma! Obviously, the logical explanation was the totally inappropriate mixture of an antihistamine and a morphine-derived painkiller!", she thought. However, in the following minute, all rationality disappeared: when she touched the cell phone with her left hand, she left mud on the screen.
Darrow University Campus
January 9, 2023
1:45 am
After many attempts, the call was rejected. Fred typed the same message for the tenth time:"Alice, please answer! We need to talk!".However, to humiliate him, she kept viewing all messages — and responding none of them. Since the phone seemed ineffective, Fred tried to contact her through voicemail and social networks. In vain. She didn't want to talk. To make matters worse, on Instagram, she had deleted all their photos together and all traces of five-year-old relationship, and she had changed her status to"single". It was definitely the end. Panic made him run towards the car, intending to drive to her house. However, at the moment he got into the driver's seat, the cell phone vibrated and, finally, a response appeared.
Alice: I dont want to talk to you, Jones, please stop insisting. And don't you dare to come here! I don't want to see you. I could kill you right now, really!
The cold message paralyzed all the urgency to fix what he had done. And the harsh words hit him hard. He had lost her, and along with her, he had lost part of his past and his entire future. In fact, he didnt lose her, he had exchanged her for distractions and banalities, plus, he had put her into a shameful situation. Fred sighed and took out his anger and the overwhelming emotions on the steering wheel. Alice was right, he shouldnt go. The emotions they were feeling at that moment could make everything worse — and could eliminate the little chance they had of reconciling."I will fix this, Alice, I swear! I will explain every detail to you and I will fight to win you back,"he typed while he managed to calm down.
Alice: You can't fix what's over, Jones. ITS OVER! Enjoy yourinfluencer. After all, you're single now.
Fred looked at the rude sentences for a moment, until he saw Alice's photo disappear from the apps avatar, indicating he had been blocked by her. Then, emotions engulfed him. Sadness, anger, nostalgia, regret and, above all, guilt. Fred felt as if he were dying, and those five years with Alice were slowly passing before his eyes. The emotional trance only ended when a call from Velma appeared.
Velma: Fred? Can you talk? You cant believe it! I think Mystery Inc. is in trouble. Two FBI agents were watching me for hours! And to make things more bizarre, I just had a dream about Allyra Mahon and...
Fred: FUCK ALLYRA MAHON AND THE FUCKING FBI, MYSTERY INC. HAS RUINED MY LIFE!
Fred heard his friend sigh on the other side of the line. He knew he was wrong for taking out on her the wrong decisions he had made, but he didn't apologize. Then, anger made him end the call without saying a word. With the snow piling up outside the car, he decided to return home. As he slammed the front door, the noise spread throughout every room, until emptiness echoed in his heart. For the first time in his life, he had nothing. Alice and the whole life he had with her were over. Mystery Inc. and the escapes from reality had to end. And that beautiful red-haired illusion... he could never have.
Despite being exhausted, Fred didn't go to bed; he was too nervous to sleep. He tried to read some of his college textbooks, but soon he discovered he was too tired to study, too. Bored, he sat in the chair in front of the computer. His hands wanted to reach for the most obvious distraction —True Crime Forum—but his broken heart prevented him. That damn forum had caused him enough trouble, and it was time to stop. With no other option to deal with his insomnia, he opened the search engine and searched for the disappearance of Hannah Renner.
Fred carefully read all the news and articles he found on the first three pages of the search engine. Then, he revisited each image he found, looking for clues that would show where a copy of the book could be. In the crime scene photos, he recognized the former Crystal Cove sheriff, Ted Almerick, and younger versions of Brad Chiles, Dr. Carlswell, and his own father. Fred also found Bart Blake— he was still a FBI agent and had no gray hair — and two tall men he did not know. One of them had blue eyes, gray hair, mustache, and beard, and he was wearing old-fashioned clothes that were not common in the year of 2002. The other strange man had black hair, a thin nose, and amber eyes, and he was staring at Fred Jones Sr. Fred was intrigued by the presence of both strangers, so he saved the photos in which they appeared. Then, he used the search engine's lens to research into them, and he found more questions than answers.
The search engine took him to a series of photos showing the faces of both men, some in color, others in black and white. To Fred's surprise, all of the photos were taken at crime scenes, and all of the crimes occurred on dates that formed a palindrome. Fred felt a shiver run down his spine, but he continued to analyze each of the images. The most recent photo was taken February 22, 2022, and it showed both men at a school in Kentucky, the place where Adam Fuller, a 15-year-old boy, was found dead. Fred compared the 2022 photo with the 2002 image, and he shuddered when he realized their appearance had not changed in a period of 20 years."Well, 20 years isn't that long. Besides, Chiles, Carlswell, and Blake work long shifts and have a lot of stress in their lives, thats why they have aged so much,"Fred thought, trying to normalize what he had seen. So, he analyzed photos from older dates and noticed the same macabre fact. While analyzing the first black and white images, dated 1909 and 1904, Fred was convinced those men were not human, nor were they alive. After all, if they were already adults at the beginning of the 20th century, they could not look the same a hundred years later, in the 21st century. On impulse, Fred typed a message to Velma, but before clicking "send", reason stopped him.
"You're making quite stupid decisions, Frederick, but this is definitely the stupidest of al theml. First, you gave up your career and your relationship because of a book and the ghost of an old man; now, you're believing two men aren't human. Soon youll be a joke in college!", an intrusive thought scolded him."Obviously, the lenses are wrong. The algorithm simply put together photos of people who look very similar!". Although the argument was quite rational, Fred wasn't convinced and he looked for evidence to prove it was indeed a mistake. He tried to find their names, but the articles about Hannah's disappearance didn't mention them. There was no mention in the news about Adams death either, nor in the older newspaper clippings."You don't even know their names, how can you say they're the same people?",Fred admitted. And in the next minute, he found proof his beliefs were correct: in a video about Adam's case, a journalist walked around the boy's school and interviewed some people. When the woman passed by a mirror, the camera filmed everyones reflections, except both mens. Without taking his eyes off the computer screen, Fred sent the long message to Velma.
Velma: Fuck you, Fred, really. Now I dont wanna talk about the things that have ruined your life.
The rude response reminded Fred of what he had done to his friend. Still, the urgency to tell what he had discovered made him call her — but Velma promptly declined the call.
Fred: Sorry for being a jerk and taking my mistakes out on you. Please, answer my call!
Velma replied to his message with a thumbs-up sticker and ignored Freds following attempts to apologize. With no other option, he forwarded all the evidence he had found, hoping that her typical curiosity would make her respond.
Fred: Please, Velma, it's urgent. I need to talk to you about these men. They've been at every crime scene with fractals since 1904. And as you can see in this video, their images are not reflected in the mirror.
In less than a minute, Velma sent the photos she had taken before, and finally responded.
Velma: You want to talk about these men? Nice, they were here hours ago!
Fred felt a rush of adrenaline when he read the reply, and immediately called her.
Fred: Where are they?
Velma: I don't know! They're gone. I'll report them to the hospital security! Certainly, theyre not FBI agents, they must be cult members!
Fred: Velma, these men are not human, didnt you see the video? You are in danger, and the security guards can't protect you! Call Shaggy and come home immediately!
Velma: I can't, I'm still in treatment, remember? Besides, we can't be irrational now, Fred. If we panic and do stupid things, we'll get in trouble with real FBI agents.
Fred: We've been being rational, and it's not working. Things are getting worse and worse, and at any moment, one of us can die or disappear. It's time to accept things are out of control. We're dealing with something bigger than we ever imagined!
Velma: Fred, calm down, ok? Surely, the cult is trying to scare us away from this mystery. Or theyre even trying to make the police blame us for the crimes theyve committed. There must be a logical explanation for these photos... are you sure they weren't made or edited by artificial intelligence?
Fred sighed, showing impatience. He was irritated that Velma was questioning his findings, but he knew she could be right.
Fred: Whether the photos are real or not, its just a detail. There is other macabre evidence. Raffalo is dead, he took his own life a few hours ago. And shortly before that, he brutally attacked Daphne Blake while screaming incoherent sentences, and not even the feds could stop him. I saw his eyes myself, Vel, they had the same silver glow you saw in that apparitions eyes. We cant deny we are dealing with the supernatural!
It was Velma's turn to sigh impatiently, showing irritation that Fred was inevitably right. At the moment, she remembered her vivid dream about Allyra Mahon, but she felt embarrassed to reveal her supernatural experience.
Velma: Yes... unfortunately, I think you're absolutely right. Shaggy saw a video at True Crime Forum, and in it, Joel Marlow behaved in the same way. Shaggy also saw Gertrude Genau, the former librarian, show the same violent behavior when he asked her about the book. He visited her in a retirement home, and had to escape from her rage. There is something inexplicable about this book. Even animals behave strangely around it.
Fred: That's why we have to protect everyone who had contact with it. Whether it's a supernatural force or just a cult of killers, we're all in danger right now. Call Shaggy and come back immediately. These men appear at crime scenes. If they're around, you can be the next victim.
Velma agreed monosyllabically. When Fred was about to say goodbye, she interrupted him.
Velma: Wait, Fred! There are other people involved… the couple who sold me the book, and possibly, Gertrude Genau too. Also, Lisa Genau, the librarian who helped me in San Francisco, has opened the book. And to make matters worse, she has posted about it onTrue Crime Forum…
Fred: WHAT?
Velma: Yes, unfortunately, shes done that. It's a long story... but Shaggy is already taking care of everything...
Fred: Velma, if this book goes viral, we will…
Velma: We don't want it to go viral, Fred, but if it does, the cult will prioritize hiding it from everyone, and we'll be safe for a while.
Fred: Well... I guess you're right. Still, you have to be careful. Tell Lisa and the couple youve met in Marin, and come home with Shaggy and Scooby as soon as possible.
Fred said goodbye again, and Velma interrupted him once more.
Velma: Wait! You need to tell Daphne Blake. No matter what kind of involvement she has with this damn book, she's in danger too. Even though I don't like her, I don't want her to die.
The request made Fred's heart race. Velma quickly said goodbye and hung up before he could verbalize a response. His urge to protect Daphne made him type several messages to her— and in the end, he considered all them ridiculous."Man, why do you care so much about this girl?", an intrusive thought appeared, encouraging him to give up."Why do you think you have to protect her?", another thought attacked him. Fortunately, at the same moment, Daphne's sweet voice echoed in his mind, making him change his mind:"No rough questions, Freddy!"
Blake Manor, Crystal Cove
January 9, 2023, 2:15 am
Daphne was silent for more than ten minutes, but tears continued to roll down her face. She couldn't look into her fathers eyes, but she could feel the fury in his gaze, and his silence tortured her.
Daphne: Now that you know everything, can I please take a hot shower and go to bed? I'm hurt and Im exhausted... and if I don't sleep, I'll have horrible dark circles under my eyes...
Bart sighed, and he brought again one of his hands to his forehead, in a clear sign of disappointment.
Bart: We can continue this conversation tomorrow. But before you go, I want you to know that your mother will be in shock when she finds out. She may not forgive you. So, prepare yourself for that.
Daphne felt the pain of every word, and several tears rolled down her face. Still, she stood up, considering that Bart's speech was a permission to leave.
Daphne: I know. I'll have to deal with it. I'm really sorry, I never meant to hurt you…
Bart: Expect the same from your sisters, they'll hate you. Especially Daisy. Youve ruined her college life... and Alice Carlswell's life too!
Daphne: I know, I'm sorry, I never meant to do that!
Daphne covered her eyes with her hands and cried profusely. Bart was moved to see his daughter sobbing, but he did not comfort her.
Bart: Besides, I cant hide your confession from the FBI. You've meddled in over sixty cold cases. The media, the authorities and the community are demanding explanations, and it's my duty to provide them. So, prepare yourself for that, too. Unfortunately, they will indict you and your friends for everything.
Daphne felt panic take over her body, and tried to contain her tears with her fingers. Bart hugged her briefly to calm her down. After the initial shock, she reflected on her father's words and reacted.
Daphne: Wait! What friends? I did it all alone, no one helped me! The girls at college know nothing about it... and Tessa isn't my friend, she's just my assistant and...
Bart: No, Im talking about Velma Dinkley, Norville Rogers and Fred Jones Jr…
Daphne: What? No, dad! Fred didn't do it, he just wanted to help me!
Bart laughed at his daughter's innocence, and Daphne fell silent, without understanding what she had said wrong.
Bart: Honey, didn't you know that Fred and the others are"Mystery Inc."?You've been working together for months!
Daphne was shocked and covered her mouth with her hands. Bart smiled and stroked his daughter's red hair tenderly. Even at 21, she was still too innocent.
Bart: That's why I always doubted you when you said you weren't friends with Fred Jones. I thought you were lying to me.
Daphne: No, we're not friends, I've only seen him two or three times. And the other two, I don't even know who they are. Anyway, I take full responsibility, dad. You cant blame them! They would never have done that if I hadn't posted confidential information onTrue Crime Forum.
Bart laughed again.
Bart: Its like blaming who invented guns for Kennedys murder, honey. No doubt you were irresponsible and posted information you shouldn't, but they're all adults. They knew what they were doing when they broke into those places.
Daphne looked down and let the last tears run down her face. Bart was angry, but he wiped every tear, and when he finished, he pulled her chin up, to make her look into his eyes.
Bart: But I have good news: since its a federal crime, everything will be kept in secret. At least for a while, your identities will be protected, and you won't have to deal with newspaper headlines and public reactions.
Daphne nodded and looked down again. Without saying goodbye, she walked towards the door, and when she touched the handle, Bart stopped her.
Bart: Wait! You still need to tell me something. A few hours ago, youve said you were at James Arthur's house and witnessed strange things related to a cult... you still haven't told me what you saw there.
Daphne rolled her eyes and sighed impatiently, because she wanted to rest. Even so, she calmly returned to the chair where she was before, and told her father everything she had experienced that night, from the moment she arrived at Arthur's house, until the eerie events during her inexplicable death. She knew much of what she had experienced made no sense, but she felt her father deserved to know the truth. When she finished, Daphne was surprised by his reaction. Instead of becoming angrier and more disappointed, Bart was shocked. Silently, he walked to a file on a shelf, took a very old folder and, after opening it, handed three photos into his daughter's hands.
Bart: Is this the"Otto Reinier"you're talking about…?
Daphne picked up the photos carefully, and felt a tightness in her chest when she saw the little boy's smiling face in the black and white photos.
Daphne: Yes, that's him. But he looked much older and very sick. He was pale, had dark circles under his eyes and... well, it was like he was dead. He was also very scared.
Bart's expression worsened. He collected the photos, then gave her more photos.
Bart: Do you recognize any of these kids?
Daphne looked at the photos calmly, and her heart raced as she recognized the children's faces.
Daphne: Yes! They were the other children who were watching TV with Otto! They looked dead too... including this little girl... she didn't even look like a girl!
Bart: And the place where this TV was... is this place?
Bart gave her some yellowed newspaper clippings that showed the same old living room. Daphne's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the photos, and she nodded. Bart silently collected all the photos and put them back in the folder.
Bart: Well then, I think we should keep this a secret. Let's give the authorities a satisfactory answer and put an end toCherryred,Mystery Inc.andTrue Crime Forumwithout public exposure, ok? We won't mention the book and the fractal mysteries, and you won't tell anyone else what happened during your sudden death... ok? Let's repair the damage and move on.
Daphne nodded silently and said goodbye. However, before she left, she looked at her father again, who still looked worried.
Daphne: So, this is real, right? Hannah, Otto, the book, the old man... it wasn't just my imagination! That's why authorities don't want people to know what's going on. They don't want to help the victims, they dont want to prevent others from suffering the same fate... and, unfortunately, you're on their side.
Bart sighed at the accusation, and looked seriously at his daughter.
Bart: Actually, Ive been fighting for years to keep this case out of the authoritieseyes, honey. And contrary to what youre thinking, a lot of people know what's going on. Right now, most of the ones who know are resting in a cemetery, and that's why I asked for discretion. If you want to find out the truth, you have to pretend you dont know the truth.
Daphne felt fear and looked away.
Bart: Can I count on you to keep this secret?
Daphne glanced at him before leaving.
Daphne: Sure!
Marin General Hospital, Marin County
January 9, 2023
5:10 am
Velma called Shaggy for the fifth time, and like the previous times, her call was promptly rejected. Then, another meaningless message appeared on the screen:"SE$2m1USCmdiiue3rm20657qwe".It was Scooby-Doo again, telling her, in his own way, that she should stop calling his tutor. Velma rolled her eyes and sighed to relieve her frustration. She needed to wake Shaggy up immediately. She had already told the nurse that she would have to leave without finishing the treatment, and she was afraid the delay to leave the hospital would cost her some extra dollars. While she dialed her boyfriend's number again, the nurse appeared with some papers in her hands.
"I heard youve asked to leave the hospital… did something displease you?"
Velma was embarrassed by the question.
Velma: Oh, no, of course not! The hospital was great, it's just that... I'm a law student and I have an unmissable trial tomorrow... so, I think my ribs can wait...
"Right. You need to sign these documents, stating that you are totally responsible for abandoning the treatment. And also these documents from your health insurance. The last sheet is a payment bill, for procedures not covered by your insurance, and you must pay at the reception. I recommend you to call an Uber immediately, since using the waiting room for more than an hour may generate extra expenses…"
After placing the papers on the small table, the nurse removed all the intravenous lines from her arm.
Velma: Thank you. My boyfriend is coming.
"Please ask him to come with clean shoes. Look what he has done last night!"
Velma had a fright when she saw the trail of mud on the floor, and she was so shocked that she couldn't care about the nurse's rudeness. She knew Shaggy hadn't done it. And, consequently, she knew the dream she had had... hadn't been just a dream.
Velma: Uh... sorry, but I don't think it was my boyfriend... yesterday, I saw two FBI men in the MRI hallway... then, I saw them watching me through the glass... I think they came into my room with their dirty shoes while I was sleeping...
Velma took advantage of the woman's anger to find out more about the mysterious men, but to her surprise, the nurse stopped complaining and looked at her questioningly.
"Excuse me… which men? I've been here for 8 hours and I haven't seen anyone from the FBI."
Velma felt fear slowly take over her body. She tried to insist on the question, but stuttered every time she tried.
"Are you sure you're ok to leave the hospital? Apparently, the morphines effect made you hallucinate… I think you should stay and talk to a doctor…"
Velma: NO! No… don't worry! I'm fine! I was just curious why the FBI was here… but I guess it was a vivid dream…
Velma signed the papers in a hurry, and had to press the pen to make her shaking hands not mess up the signatures. When she finished, she handed the documents and got out of bed to gather her belongings. Immediately, she felt a sharp pain in her ribs, and regretted her decision. The nurse briefly checked the signatures and left. As soon as she left the hospital room, Velma had a brilliant idea to wake Shaggy up:call the fast-food delivery service and order a large amount of food. After all, the only sound that could wake Shaggy up was the honking of a delivery driver's motorcycle. She finished the order as she reached the reception chairs. And she only took her eyes off her cell phone screen when a receptionist asked: "How can I help you, miss?".
Velma: I would like to pay for procedures not covered.
Velma handed her the paper and regretted not reading it before. As the woman typed the information into a computer, she worried about the possibility of not having enough money to pay all those outrageous amounts.
"Oh, dear, don't worry, your expenses have already been paid! You can go now…"
For a split second, she thought about the possibility of her parents paying for her, but they were too far from Marin. She thought about Madelyn — then, she remembered her sister wasn't old enough to have so much money. She thought about Shaggy…"but Shaggy is practically in coma!". So, she questioned the attendant.
Velma: Excuse me, can you check again? I think theres something wrong. I didn't pay it, and no one in my family did. I think youve checked another patient's bills.
The woman didn't like the request, but she showed admiration for Velma's honesty. After typing the information again into the computer, the attendant pointed to the screen and showed it.
"That's correct, Velma Dace Dinkley, right? Look… the expenses have indeed been paid. Here it is! Payment made at 2:40 a.m. by… uhh… Bartholomew George Blake."
The revelation added extra doses of adrenaline to Velma's (already overloaded) cardiovascular system. In disbelief, she just nodded her head affirmatively, without saying a word.
"This name sounds familiar… isn't it the name of the man who became head of the FBI?"
Another attendant's question caught the attention of those around her. Velma shrugged and tried to think of a clever and plausible answer to that question — but she couldn't find one.
"Wow! You must be pretty important for the FBIs director pay your medical bills…"
The attendant handed the sheet of paper into Velma's hands and smiled. Velma also forced a smile.
Velma: Yeah, more important than I would like…
Darrow University Campus
January 9, 2023
6:00 am
Fred woke up with a fright. He knew he had dreamed something disturbing, but he couldn't remember what it was. Looking at the clock, he was disappointed: six o'clock. Two hours before he was supposed to wake up. Insomnia had given him only three hours of sleep, and despite feeling exhausted, he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. He groped around the empty bed, looking for his cell phone… and the absence of Alice hurt. Then, he remembered the breakup, the circumstances that led to it — and everything he would have to face because of it. For a few minutes, anxiety paralyzed him, and the feeling of failure and abandonment made him not want to get up. However, when he found his cell phone, a small hope motivated him: a new message from Daphne Blake.
Daphne: Sorry about last night, I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble. I hope you're ok.
They were only seventeen words, but…they meant so much.So much that, like magic, they made all his anguish disappear. Immediately, Fred sat up in bed and deleted the stupid message he had written to her hours ago — and didn't have the courage to send it. In the following minutes, he thought of something appropriate to respond."No need to apologize, I had a lot of fun!", was the first failed response attempt. He didn't want her to apologize for the moments they had spent together. Even in the middle of chaos, life seemed different with her by his side. However, it was disrespectful to talk about "having fun" at that moment. "No need to apologize, you didn't cause me any trouble!", was the second failed attempt. He didn't want her to feel guilty for the small bond they had created with each other… but he knew that such a bond had caused him serious problems. In fact, everyone knew, and now, with the explicit end of his engagement, more and more people would know."It was all my fault!",was the third attempt. The only true one, and that's why it was sent. Fred stared at the screen for a moment, anxious for a response from her and, at the same time, for new appropriate words for continuing that conversation. With so many confused feelings in his head and heart, he could only translate one of his desires into words:"I hope you're fine".
As he prepared breakfast, Fred fought the urge to ask Daphne if her father was angry. It wasn't just a personal concern, Fred was afraid that Bart Blake would find out everything he, Shags, and Velma had done in the last few days — and, by extension, everything they had done in the last few months. "No rough questions, Freddy!", her gentle voice chided him once more, and Fred smiled. Daphne was a problem that made him smile. That's why, sometimes, he thought of her as a solution. A problematic solution, a very pretty one that called himFreddy… but it was an unattainable solution to the serious problems he had created."Time to make amends and face reality, man…", he said to himself out loud, as he filled a cup with coffee and a plate with his meal."…before Bart Blake finds out about Mystery Inc.!",he concluded. On the same moment, a thought instigated his curiosity:"What does Bart Blake know about Raffalo, Marlow, Arthur and all the cases that Mystery Inc. investigated?", So, Fred placed the cup and the plate in front of the computer, accessed the search engine and typed: "Bart Blake".
"Bart Blake (born Bartholomew George Blake on July 13, 1956, in Cartersville, Georgia) is the current director of the FBI. He was appointed in 2017, after a brilliant career in the Department of Justice, which began in 1992, in the Deacon Carlswell case in Los Angeles…",were the first sentences the search engine's AI wrote. After finishing reading, Fred was intrigued by the familiar surname, and decided to search for Mr. Blake's emblematic first case."Deacon Carlswell case refers to the mysterious death of the famous banker John Deacon Carlswell, on September 9, 1990. He was found dead by his son Joseph Carlswell in his Beverly Hills mansion, and the circumstances that led to his death remain a mystery to this day…",the AI reported, while showing some graphic photos of where the banker's body was found. Fred shuddered when he realized that Deacon was Dr. Carlswell's father — therefore, Alice May's grandfather. He spent years visiting the Carlswells home, and had never heard of that tragedy. To make matters worse, when he looked at the photos, he noticed the same patterns of all palidrome cases: there was a fractal next to the body, the death occurred on a palindrome date, and both mysterious men appeared in the photos among the police and paramedics. Intrigued, Fred spent a few minutes reading news about the case, until a sentence from a 1991 article caught his attention:"The first decision young medical student Joseph Carlswell made after inheriting his father's fortune was demolishing the family mansion. The second decision was prosecuting Special Agent Bartholomew Blake for digging the mansion's grounds without his permission…". So, he called Velma.
Fred: It's me again. I have bad news…
Velma: I already know that Mr. Blake is watching us… and I'm trying not to freak out about it…
Fred: WHAT? What do you mean?
Velma: He has paid my medical bills, Fred, and that certainly wasn't a random generosity. He knows everything! We're screwed!
Fred sighed and rested his forehead on his hand to ease his anxiety.
Fred: He doesn't know about Mystery Inc., Vel, he knows about the book. And he knows about it for years! Ive called because Ive found another palindrome case... the victim was Alice's grandfather, Deacon Carlswell... and the killer was probably his own son, Alice's father! This was the first case Bart Blake ever worked on... he tried to dig Carlswells property, so I guess he knew what he was looking for!
Velma was silent, and after a long pause, she whispered,"Jinkies."
Velma: Do you think he found out we dug up a book in San Francisco?
Fred: Of course!
Velma: But how did he find out? Did he see us trespassing the property?
Velma's breathing was ragged. By the legal content of the question, he understood she was trying to figure out what kind of crime Mr. Blake could prosecute her for.
Fred: I dont think so!
Velma: So, how, Fred? Does he know about the fabric weve found?
Fred used Velma's silence to reflect briefly, then he remembered he had told Daphne himself — and she had probably told her father. He felt panic, but he also felt embarrassed for it, so he didnt reveal the truth to his friend.
Velma: Fred, cmon, we need to know what he knows, so we can hire good lawyers and provide a good defense!
Fred couldn't make the words get out of his mouth. His mind was too busy replaying the sentence he'd said to Daphne:"If the FBI finds out about it, I'll know you told them!".Fortunately, Velma came to a plausible conclusion.
Velma: Oh no! Lisa! It was Lisa Genau, for sure! She said she would report it to the authorities... it was all my fault! Damn, I can't believe I was stupid enough to trust that bitch!
Fred listened and agreed — even though he disagreed with what Velma was saying.
Fred: Its not time to blame yourself. As youve said, we need to think about our defense. Also, we need to protect ourselves, after all, the FBI is the least of our problems right now.
Velma agreed, and spent the next few minutes talking about things that Fred couldn't pay attention to. When she hung up, he felt relieved she hadn't suspected he had told Daphne. He also felt a huge emptiness, knowing that Daphne had possibly deceived him."She's not what you think she is, man. And this is another evidence to make you stop wasting your time",Fred concluded, as he closed the browser's search tabs. He brooded over his disappointment with Daphne Blake — and his fear of being condemned — while shaving. When he finished, he found a solution to his problems and contacted Velma.
Fred: Don't worry, I have a plan. There's a copy of the book buried in the house where my mother disappeared, and Ill search for it today. If the FBI contact us, we'll give them the book and the fabric weve found in San Francisco. If we give intact evidence to the FBI, we'll get away with a lot of crimes, won't we?
Seconds after Fred hit the "send" button, the message app signaled Velma was typing a long reply. The delay in receiving the response made Fred realize his plan would not make Mystery Inc. get rid of crimes — and Velma was making legal arguments about it. After a few minutes, a simple message appeared.
Velma: Technically, no. Considering we're being watched, that's a pretty stupid idea. But I can't think of a better plan right now, so... please be discreet.
Fred responded with a thumbs up emoji, then walked to the garage, to grab some tools. As he put the shovels inside the trunk, he felt a sadistic pleasure in knowing that, if he found the damn book, the person responsible for his mother's disappearance would have a horrible death. But in the next minute, the memory of Daphne's sweet voice made him return to reality:"We can't do this, Fred, revenge is not justice!". Then, Fred slammed the trunk and sighed. He couldn't do this. Killing the person who did it wouldn't bring Hannah back, nor would it solve the whole mystery. And for police, it was better to have the criminal alive, so he or she could tell more about the cult, the book, and all palindrome crimes. Plus, digging around the Myrna Street house would be a totally stupid thing to do. The town was too small, and people would certainly find out and report the police. At the moment Fred gave up going to Myrna Street house, he remembered Daphne's suggestion:"we need to find the place where Otto Reinier disappeared, there must be another book there".And that motivated him to return to the computer.
"The Otto Reinier case concerns a mysterious event that occurred in Cartersville, Georgia, on September 26, 1962, involving four children, which culminated in the disappearance of the american-german boy Otto Reinier and, presumably, his sister Anna Reinier…",the AI wrote. Fred had an insight when he read the name of the town, and immediately remembered Bart Blake's biography. After researching Mr. Blake's name again, he confirmed he was from the same town — and he was only six years old when Otto disappeared."Late in the afternoon of September 26, 1962, Otto was pitching baseball with two friends. His mother Peggy Reinier invited the boys for a snack and lured them to the basement. Around 6pm., the neighbors heard screams coming from Reinier home, and when they went outside their houses, they saw one of the boys covered in blood, asking for help. When police arrived at the place, officers found candles, blood, and a mysterious stain on the basement floor. There was also a boy lying unconscious on the floor. Peggy Reinier was found two days later, wandering around a road. She was clearly in an episode of psychosis and her hands were covered in dirt and blood. Otto Reinier was never found. According to one of the boys, little Anna Reinier was also in the basement with them, and she disappeared along with her brother…", Fred felt his heart beat faster at each word he read. "Otto Reinier cases kids", Fred typed quickly."There were four children involved in the incident in Cartersville, GA: Otto Reinier, Anna Reinier and 2 other boys, whose identities have been kept confidential by Witness Protection Service", the AI replied, making Fred sigh in frustration. So, he tried the image search engines — and was once again frustrated, as he found the same old images: the location of the disappearance and the boy's photo. He only got a relevant result when he searched for the name"Peggy Reinier". "In mental hospital, mother of Otto Reinier confirms she used her children in a ritual",said the headline of a very old local newspaper, dated 1963."Peggy Reinier found dead in Garrison Sanitarium",said another headline from the same year."Peggy Reinier was murdered with 13 shots, says Cartersville sheriff",said the last one Fred could find. After carefully reading all the news about his mother, Fred accessed the newspaper's website to research the boy."Cartersville in shock after macabre incident with 4 children",said a headline from September 27, 1962, which featured photos of the three boys and the little girl. The photo was in black and white and had poor quality, even so, Fred shuddered when he recognized Bart Blake's features in one of the boys."Cartersville will never be the same again", said the next headline, which featured different photos of the same children — and again, Fred noticed an uncanny resemblance between Mr. Blake and one of the boys." 'I saw the Devil take my friends', says boy who survived Peggy Reinier's Ritual",was the headline of another article, and right below it there was a large photo of a boy who was clearly Bart Blake.
Fred: Velma, it's me again, with horrid news... I don't know what Bart Blake knows about us, but I found out why he knows about the book. He was a victim! He survived a ritual in 1962 in Georgia!
When he finished the audio message, Fred forwarded the photos and news he had found. Then, he clicked on the most recent article, from 1977:"Fifteen years after Cartersville incident, survivors still have aftereffects". In it, the journalist reported that one of the survivors was still in a vegetative state, and the other — the one Fred believed to be Mr. Blake — still had frequent nosebleeds. Fred immediately remembered what had happened to Daphne that night. Father and daughter had survived the same macabre event, and surely that was not a coincidence. As he finished searching, Fred fought the urge to tell Daphne about his discovery. She deserved to know. In fact, she should know, after all, the Blakes had something special that kept them alive. Then, he picked up his cell phone… and froze. No, it was a stupid subject. And he was just a jerk who created stupid subjects to talk to her. Luckily, when he looked at his watch, he gave up. He had too many problems to deal with, and he couldn't waste time and energy creating a new one. But, in the next moment, a problem made his phone vibrate. That beautiful red-haired problem.
Daphne: It wasn't your fault, Fred. In fact, I'd like to thank you for listening. And for not judging me. I feel a lot better after sharing this secret with someone.
Fred admired the message for a moment and smiled. Like magic, all the disappointment he had felt disappeared, and he felt a foolish pride in sharing a secret with her.
Fred: See you today at 9 pm? We have found out some things about the book.
He typed the reply on impulse, without thinking about the risks and consequences of that meeting. After all, Daphne Blake was a problem he enjoyed dealing with.
Daphne: Sure! See you tonight!
The conversation ended too soon, and took Fred's smile with it. Once again, the urge to tell her about Bart's past came... but he himself didn't know how he would tell her. As he prepared to leave for college, he thought of several strategies, and typed the best one.
Fred: Have you researched the place where the boy disappeared?
He knew she was smart enough to figure out the truth herself.. A woman like her didn't need help, much less help from a guy like him.
Daphne: Not yet. Can we do it tonight?
His strategy produced a surprising result, and Fred couldn't hide his feelings. His anxious fingers quickly typed a confirmation, and Daphne responded with a sticker of a cat blowing kisses. Well, it was just a sticker...but it meant so much!
City Center Motel, Marin County
January 9, 2023
8:30 am
When he saw the blank web browser, Shaggy swore and pressed the "enter" button dozens of times. In vain. True Crime Forumhome page wouldn't load at all, and he realized it was useless to insist. So, he angrily closed the laptop and cursed the very weak wifi signal of the crappy motel he was in. Scooby-Doo was startled by the noise and approached his tutor, trying to understand what was going on.
Shaggy: Don't worry, Scoob, it's just the internet!
Shaggy smiled and patted the dog on the back. Then, he got up and removed all the food packages that were on the bed. As he picked up a big paper bag, he shuddered:
Shaggy: ZOINKS!
There was a note written on the bag:"Shags, it's Velma, please pick me up at the hospital at 6 am, we're in trouble and need to go home immediately!".He had received a large order of free food, opened the paper bag, ate everything inside… and he hadn't even read the message from whoever had sent it to him. Shaggy felt incredibly stupid, and panicked as he imagined how angry Velma was with him."Like, relax, man, she didn't even call you!", he thought, trying to calm himself."And look at that 6, dude, it looks like an 8! Relax, like, she was asking to pick her up at 8 am!", he concluded. While he desperately gathered his belongings, he saw Scooby-Doo pawing insistently at the screen of his cell phone, which was on the bed. As he got closer, he realized that Scooby had declined a call from Velma — the 27th call she had made. Shaggy panicked and immediately pushed the dog away, then he called his girlfriend.
Velma: I WAS ABOUT TO REPORT YOUR DAMN DISAPPEARANCE TO THE POLICE! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?
Shaggy stuttered when he tried to explain himself, because he felt embarrassed to tell her the truth. When he finally found a good answer, Velma interrupted him sharply.
Velma: COME NOW!
Before he could answer, Scooby-Doo slapped the screen again with his paw, ended the call, and smiled happily at his owner — proud of what he had done. Shaggy threw all his belongings into a backpack — including the items from the minibar —, left the daily rate money on the bed, and ran. Confused, Scooby-Doo grabbed some bills of the money and followed his owner.
Velma was standing with her arms crossed when Shaggy found her in the hospitals waiting room. Disconcerted, he quickly kissed her on the lips and hugged her, but she didn't return his affection demonstrations. Not daring to ask what was wrong with her, he took her to the car in silence. When he opened the vans door, Scooby-Doo burst out barking at seeing her. Then, he jumped on her clumsily until he knocked her to the ground and made her scream. Embarrassed, Shaggy scolded the dog, and helped his girlfriend.
Velma: FIFTY DOLLARS, NORVILLE! YOUVE MADE ME LOSE FIFTY FUCKING DOLLARS BY USING THAT WAITING ROOM FOR ALMOST FOUR HOURS! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? THE FOOD WAS DELIVERED AT 6:10!
Velma crossed her arms again and glared at her boyfriend, demanding an explanation. Shaggy looked away and tried to hide his shaking hands. Desperately, Scooby-Doo paced back and forth, thinking of something to calm Velma down. When he realized he still had money inside his mouth, he spat the bills on Velma's shoes, sat down, and smiled. Velma sighed as she saw full-of-saliva dollars on her shoes. Shaggy freaked out when he realized his dog had stolen part of the motel rates money, and that finally made her laugh. After recovering the bills, Shaggy led Scooby back to the van and opened the passenger door for his girlfriend. Velma looked at the old, dirty vehicle with disgust, and with no other option, she sat down next to the driver.
Velma: Your dad's fishing van... really, Norville?
Shaggy: Sorry for that... like,someone destroyed my car, and I had no other choice…
Shaggy didn't look at her, but his tone of voice showed he was irritated. He was unable to take his frustration out on his girlfriend, even when she was to blame for such emotion. Velma smiled shyly and squeezed one of his hands tenderly.
Velma: I know. Sorry about that. And about your car. I swear I'll pay for another one.
Shaggy smiled and kissed her hand.
Shaggy: Like, relax. Take your time. You must be in huge debt with the hospital right now…
Velma: Well, not really. Bart Blake paid for everything, and that's why we need to get out of here right now... we're in trouble...
He looked at her with a frightened look, then groped around the steering wheel for his keys. When he found them, he started the van and sped off.
Velma: …theres more! Fred discovered those FBI agents are… uhh… well…there's something very wrong with them!They always show up at palindrome crime scenes… and they do it for more than a hundred years!
Shaggy's eyes widened and he increased the speed while he buckled his seatbelt.
Shaggy: Like, we need to go to San Francisco. We need to talk to Lisa, she needs to delete that post!
Velma agreed, and immediately called Lisa Genau. She tried to contact the librarian more than twenty times, but she never got an answer. So, Shaggy asked her toaccess True Crime Forum, to see how many replies Lisa's post had. Velma typed the address into her browser and found the same blank page Shaggy had found hours ago. She tried again, and again, but the Forum's home page wouldn't open. When she searched for"True Crime Forum", she found news saying the site had been taken down this morning by the FBI.
Velma: JINKIES!
The exclamation startled Shaggy. Velma read the headlines, then she read every article she could find about it until they arrived in San Francisco. Unfortunately, the sudden end ofTrue Crime Forumwasn't the only shocking news they received. When Shaggy parked the van near the Community Library, they noticed the front door was closed and there were dozens of flowers and candles on the sidewalk. Among many tributes, there was a photo of Lisa, and below it, there was a sign:"In Loving Memory of Lisa Michelle Genau".
Thanks for reading! Thanks for your time! Thank you for your views and reviews , they make me very happy!
As always, I apologize for long chapters, and for the language mistakes :)
I had to post this chapter again because I had problems uploading/loading it. I hope its ok now!