Chapter 4 – A night to remember
Blake Manor, Crystal Cove, January 6, 2023 – 6:00 pm
For almost an hour, Daphne read new True Crime Forum posts about the moon pendant mystery. They said the case had gone viral in Australian media, and Elandra Mahon had contacted San Francisco police to request a DNA test on Jane Doe. Furthermore, users had found 88 year-old Joel Marlow, and vandals had broken his house´s windows and sprayed his walls with graffiti. To make matters worse, the old house where the body was found was invaded several times, and police had to isolate it. After so many new (and scary) facts, Daphne felt that cherryred had to intervene. She had started it, so it was her duty to contain those actions before worse consequences happened. The moment Daphne finished posting the first message at the forum, she heard someone knocking on her door. She was deleting all online history when the door opened, so she quickly closed the MacBook.
Nan: Are you ready, sweetie? We´re leaving in 30 minutes…
Daphne: What? Excuse me, what do you mean by "I'm ready"? Ready for what?
Nan: For the dinner, sweetie!
Daphne: Dinner? What? But… no one told me!
From downstairs, Bart shouted, "I told her we had a dinner tonight!", and Nan impatiently repeated her husband's words, looking at her daughter with disdain.
Daphne: Oh! But… I thought you and dad had a dinner! Well… I wasn't expecting that, so I couldn´t chose my makeup and my look, so… sorry! You´ll have to go without me… But don´t worry! I'll be fine!
Nan: Daphne Ann Blake, we´re leaving in 30 minutes!
After taking out all her bad mood on her daughter, Nan slammed the door, and Daphne sighed with anger. Before she could start dressing up, Bart opened the door and tried to fix the things.
Daphne: Oh, daddy, for God's sake, I'm 21! I can stay here alone, there are security guards everywhere!
Bart: You know the social etiquette, honey… they´ve invited Blake family, so all Blake family will be there.
Daphne: So, why aren't Delilah, Dawn and Dorothy here?
Daphne's angry question was answered with a disdain look and a mocking smile from Bart, which clearly said "don´t be ridiculous, darling." Soon after, Bart left, and Daphne had to deal with the frustration of not being able to finish her work at True Crime Forum, and the anger of having to go to a dinner with improvised look and homemade makeup. She was about to leave her room when Daisy knocked on her door.
Daphne: I deserve, at least, to know where you´re taking me, don´t you think?
Daisy: Don´t worry, your Majesty, it´s only a birthday dinner for the son of my professors, Dr. Brad Chiles and Dr. Judy Reeves…
Daphne: Great! Besides wasting my friday night, I'll have to put up with little monsters running around and screaming? How can I explain it to my fans?
Daisy: Don't worry, Miss. Celebrity, their son is a big boy… and he looks more like a Greek god than like a monster…
Daphne: Oh, too bad! Guess what? I'm not interested!
Daisy: Oh, no, he's already taken... but, you know, he´s worth admiring…
Daphne: You know what is worth making? Instagram posts! And I can´t do it, because I have to go to a big boy´s stupid party… so, thanks for the free publicity, but I already hate him!
Daisy laughed and rolled her eyes at her younger sister's childish comment, then she pulled her by the hand towards the door.
Darrow University Campus, Crystal Cove
January 6, 2023 – 6:45 pm
Velma was trying to straighten her hair into a different hairstyle when the doorbell rang. At the door, she saw Fred with a messy hair and an untied tie, and he greeted her.
Fred: Glad to see you before dinner! I would hurry you up, but honestly, I don't really want to go...
Velma: I see that. Well, in fact, if it weren't for Judy, we wouldn't have known about dinner, because...
Before Velma could tell Fred what Alice had done, Shaggy poked her and she stopped. Fred didn't notice the interruption and continued talking quietly.
Fred: New messages have been posted, so I guess you were wrong about Diane Staton being… you know who…
Velma: But it's still dangerous!
Fred: Dangerous? All the places we visited were dangerous, that's how urban exploration works... I don't understand why this is a problem now!
Velma sighed and tried to glare at him, but she saw him kneeling, making comical gestures and begging her to change her mind, she laughed.
Velma: And I don't understand how someone can go to his own birthday with such a hair and a tie...
Fred: Thank you! Is that a "yes"?
Velma: That's a:"maybe I´ll go if still in good mood after this dinner."
Fred: So it's a: "I'll pick up Fred at midnight and we'll solve this mystery".
Velma: It's MAYBE! The only thing I'm sure right now is that you should spend your energy learning how to tie a tie...
Fred: The only thing I'm sure at this moment is that I should spend my energy getting rid of situations that force me to wear a tie...
Velma: Well, if FBI catch you, you'll have to wear a tie and spend all your energy in court... satisfied?
Shaggy: Like, can we just "not spend" our energy on stupid arguments? I'm hungry!
Fred and Velma laughed and agreed. When they left, Scooby-Doo ran to the window and cried, watching them leave.
Crystal Cove Country Club, January 6, 2023.
7:00 pm
Looking at the car mirror, Daphne saw that she looked as beautiful and elegant as she always does on Instagram. However, she wasn't as friendly and smiling as she always is on Instagram, and that would be a big problem. When Blake family arrived at the club, the usual toadies greeted her parents and started long, boring conversations full of compliments. Fortunately, Daisy couldn´t bear that situation either, and right after rolling her eyes and making a gesture of shooting herself in the head, she asked Daphne to follow her. However, Daphne realized there was something way worse than her parents' friends: Daisy's friends. Like high school girls, a group of adult women screamed with excitement when they met each other. Daphne used the last bit of friendliness she had to greet the girls, then escaped to the club hall as soon as she had the opportunity. Unfortunately, she had no peace, when she arrived at the decorated hall, she saw her mother talking to two women, and Nan took her by the arm.
Nan: Ah, here's my youngest, Judy! Daphne Blake, my little celebrity!
Daphne had run out of her friendliness supply many minutes before, and being introduced as an 8-year-old girl didn't help her stay in a good mood at all. Even so, she smiled and greeted both blondes happily.
Judy: Oh, Nan, she's more beautiful than she is in the pictures! Alice and I are your fans, you know, dear?
The younger blonde agreed, and Daphne thanked her, smiling once again.
Judy: Well, this is my daughter-in-law, Alice... and I would introduce my son to you if he were here... but, as soon as he arrives and I kick his late ass, I promise I will!
The three women laughed, and Daphne had no friendliness left to do the same. As soon as they changed the subject, Daphne said goodbye and retreated towards the garden. There, she saw her father talking to Sheriff Bronson Stone, and she approached to listen to their conversation.
Bronson: This morning, San Francisco police had to intervene in the case, Bart… these meddling kids are getting crazy! Joel Marlow's daughters are terrified, fearing for their father's safety...
Bart: Don't worry, everything is under control. We are keeping an eye on them.
Bronson: Were you able to find out who's behind this?
Bart: Well, we have no online traces. These kids are smart, Stone, all them surf anonymously on a protected network... but we'll find them by the method they use. By the small details, and the careless information they themselves provide. We already have some profiles… we have found footprints, vocabulary patterns, we know the habits and routines of each one of them. These clowns' days are numbered.
Daphne's heart raced after her father's words, and she felt fear take over her body. What careless information did she leave while posting those threads? And what information did Mystery Inc. leave? Again, she felt like deleting everything, and putting an end to that double life once and for all. So, she looked for a isolated place in the club's garden, accessed the True Crime Forum using her cell phone and tried to delete her posts.
Crystal Cove Country Club, January 6, 2023.
7:15 pm
Fred looked like a drunk fresher and he was late for his own birthday, so he knew he had no right to complain about the disapproving looks from his fiancée and his in-laws. However, he was with Shaggy and Velma, his childhood friends, and he knew this would make his parents smile and calm down the fury of his fiancée and his in-laws. Furthermore, he knew that Alice would never fight with him in front of Judy and Brad, so, when Fred arrived at the club fifteen minutes after his own guests, he immediately looked for his parents. Like a 56-year-old teenager, Judy exclaimed joyful phrases and hugged Shaggy and Velma several times. Then, she started the kind of personal interrogation that 56-year-olds usually ask to those they have watched grow up. Alice approached them glaring furiously at Fred, but as soon as Judy finished greeting Shaggy and Velma, she smiled and greeted them politely too.
Judy: Honey, you're famous! Guess who came to your birthday? Daphne Blake! She has arrived some time ago, and I told her and her mother that I would kick your ass for not being here... anyway, let me find them... oh, look there's her sister... just a minute!
The mention of the name Daphne Blake made Fred feel slightly embarrassed, and Shaggy and Velma laughed. Alice remained serious for a few moments, waiting for Fred to apologize for being late, but she was interrupted by Judy, who called her. However, Shaggy insisted on the initial topic to irritate his girlfriend.
Shaggy: Like, hey Vel, we will say hello to Daphne Blake, wanna go with us?
Velma made a disdainful expression, while the two boys laughed like 13 year olds.
Velma: Excuse me, who? Damn, you talk as if she were important…
Fred: Isn´t she?
Velma: Besides being in your nasty thoughts, what does she do? I mean, in a serious society where women are not objectified for their beauty, the person who should be admired is her mother! Nancy Blake is a real celebrity, not Daphne!
Shaggy: Nah… like, not my type, thank you.
Fred and Shaggy laughed again and Velma got angrier.
Velma: For your information, Nan is a Law legend! She was the first woman to be the President´s advisor on legal issues, and she was the first Superintendent of Justice…
Shaggy: Like, what does a superintendent do?
Fred: The kind of thing only Velma cares about...
Velma: The kind of thing that fans of digital influencers like you two can't understand!
Shaggy: Like, strange languages alert, Fred… time to stop annoying her.
Velma gave them the finger and they laughed. At the same moment, Judy motioned them to approach, but Shaggy hesitated.
Shaggy: Like, I think I'd rather greet the buffet... those TikiTub smoked salmon canape are way more famous...
Fred laughed and pulled Velma by the arm.
Velma: What? No way! I´ve already said that I´ll say hello to her mother! Maybe she can give me some tips for my career, like: "stop hanging out with your stupid friends in abandoned houses, and don't be a spoiled rich girl like my daughter!".
Velma laughed at her own joke and left. Judy moved her arms insistently, calling Fred, until he walked towards her. However, when he got there, instead of Daphne Blake, it was Frederick Jones Sr. , her biological father, who was waiting for him, along with Brad, Judy and Alice.
Judy: Oh, dear, look! Mayor Jones came to wish you a happy birthday!
Fred: If he really wanted to make me happy, then he wouldn´t have come.
Fred's response was quick, and he said it so loudly, so emphatically and with such anger that the people around him stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Obviously, Judy, Brad, Alice and Mayor Jones got embarrassed, but none of them dared to intervene. Fred looked at them with a serious expression and left without further explanation. While he walked, he heard Brad say: "Sorry, Mayor, he's just nervous with some college stuff." Before reaching the garden, Alice grabbed his arm and stopped him.
Alice: Don't you think you should apologize for being late and for the rude way you´ve treated your father?
Fred: Actually, I think I should spend a single fucking day without having to apologize, Alice.
Fred's rudeness made Alice angry. She sighed, sulked and returned to the place thee mayor and Fred's parents were, expecting Fred to follow her and apologize. However, this time, Fred didn't act as expected, he simply walked towards the garden. There, he saw Shaggy walking around the dessert table, Velma sitting at a table with a very elegant red-haired lady… and far away, in an isolated part, a beautiful red-haired girl alone, distracted by a cell phone screen. Fred recognized her immediately, even though she was incredibly prettier than the girl in the photos. For a moment, he regretted not having cared about his appearance, but with a little courage – and with a quick, poorly tied knot- he walked towards her.
Fred: Daphne? Daphne Blake?
Fred didn't raise his voice, nor did he suddenly approach her, even so, he startled her, and she hid her cell phone inside her purse. Fred felt stupid for that, but she pretended nothing happened.
Daphne: Oh, yes! And… you must be… Fred ? It's Fred, right?
For some reasons he couldn't explain, Fred felt nervous answering that simple question, so he just smiled and nodded. An uncomfortable silence started and they looked at each other for a while, none of them had the courage to go ahead and greet each other the way they should. Until Daphne extended her hand for a formal and distant greeting.
Daphne: Nice to meet you, Fred. You're late, but it's still a pleasure!
They both laughed and Fred shook her hand. And he tried to keep that conversation on.
Fred: Well, seems like you're having a great time at this dinner… so, I think you understand why I was late…
Daphne laughed, and Fred was pleased to see her laugh.
Daphne: Well, Fred, my parents literally forced me to come, but your dinner is great and I'm having fun... your mom is really cool... and seems like you are too…
Her words made him feel more pleased, and he smiled disconcertingly while he thought of another topic to keep the conversation on. Daphne was faster. She feared Fred had seen True Crime Forum account access on her cell phone screen, so she tried to justify herself.
Daphne: Oh, don't be offended because I´m here alone, using my cell phone. The party is great, I was just… uh… reading… some news… did you hear about that Crime Forum? I saw it on TV this morning and I decided to search for it…
Daphne sighed when she finished, even so, she was still tense. She felt that her words were not convincing enough, and because of that, she was still nervous. On the other hand, Fred's heart raced when he heard her mention the news. So, he decided to repeat the clichés that most people said.
Fred: Oh, sure, those idle civilians who solve the cases police couldn't solve? Crazy, isn´t it?
Fred's common sense reassured Daphne and made her realize that, perhaps, he hadn't seen anything on her cell phone.
Daphne: Yeah! I mean… no! Well... in fact, I don't think it's crazy, I think… it's quite interesting… if the FBI and the courts can´t solve a case for years, why can't people help each other and do it?
Fred's heart raced again when he heard her praise something he had done, but he tried to contain himself and act like an ordinary person.
Fred: Wow, hear such a thing coming from the daughter of the head of the FBI and the first woman to be... uh... superintendent?... of the President, that's a very uncommon point of view…
Daphne: Well, seems like you´ve done a very uncommon research on my parents...
Fred blushed and Daphne laughed disconcertedly.
Daphne: …but, yes, you're right, I should agree with my parents. But when you see your mother crying for her own reputation, instead of celebrating that a killer was identified after decades, you rethink your concepts...
Fred: That´s really nice of you. I saw your message on that profile… uh… what's the name again? Mystery Inc.?
Fred got nervous for mentioning Daphne's message of encouragement, but at that moment, it was the only thing he could do to continue talking to her. Daphne´s heart raced when she heard him mention "Mystery Inc.", but the content of the conversation showed Fred didn´t see her accessing True Crime Forum.
Daphne: It wasn't a big deal, I just congratulated them for helping, just like everyone else was doing... it may sound crazy, but I enjoy that page. It's interesting to see what abandoned places are like inside…
Daphne's words made Fred feel a silly pride. Being responsible for Daphne Blake's smile and admiration was something that caused mixed feelings in his chest. For a moment, he wanted to say he'd been at James Arthur's house, just to keep the feeling of having her attention. However, he couldn't. Even though I knew that girl was worth all risks.
Brad: Oh, here he is, sheriff! Alone with a pretty girl, that's my boy! Fred, Sheriff Stone and his wife want to greet you!
Fred's adoptive father, Brad Chiles, showed up smiling, along with the Sheriff and his wife. His inappropriate banter brought an abrupt end to the little conversation Fred was struggling to keep. Daphne smiled and blushed, and seeing her embarrassed, Fred got embarrassed too. Not caring at all, the Stones shook Fred's hand, greeted Daphne and said a few more inappropriate words about the fact they were alone. Then, Judy and the Blakes approached them, and she took the opportunity to introduce her son to Daphne's parents. Brad thought it was time for another inappropriate joke.
Brad: Be careful, Fred! Her father is the head of the FBI! After this night, he will watch you forever!
Bart got serious and made a sign that he was keeping an eye on Fred, and everyone over 50 years-old laughed, while Fred and Daphne smiled awkwardly. When they all walked away, Fred tried to make amends for what his father had done.
Fred: Daphne, I don't even know where I should start to apologize, but… anyway, I'm really sorry about that... my dad has a really weird sense of humor...
Daphne: Didn´t you see that my father was also part of it? Don´t worry… I´m used to it… I hear the same FBI joke since I was 6…
Both them laughed awkwardly, and neither of them had the courage to look at the other´s face. Unfortunately, Fred didn't know how to keep the conversation anymore.
Fred: Well…Daphne… I… I need to get back to… you know, dinner…
Daphne: Oh, no problem! It was a pleasure to meet you, Fred. And happy birthday!
Fred: Uh… Do you wanna... uh ...come with me? My friends are ther…
Daphne: I'm sorry, Fred, but my last stories were posted almost two hours ago. I need to post something about my night and check my notifications, so… thanks!
Daphne refused politely and pointed to the cell phone inside her bag. Fred felt disappointed, and he couldn't hide it from his face when he said goodbye to her. While Daphne watched him walk away in silence, she felt bad for turning down and tried to fix what she had done.
Daphne: Wait, Fred! Well… I need to take some photos for my Instagram, and… hmm… would you mind taking a pic with me? After all, I'm at a birthday party and… it´s your birthday party!
Daphne blushed and smiled, but she couldn´t hide the shyness. The request was so unexpected that Fred just replied "of course" in low voice, then let her hug him and take a pic of them both. After the photo, they said goodbye again, and Fred finally left her. At the lounge, Alice took him by the arm and led him towards the guests´ tables.
Alice: I'm glad I´ve found you, dear, your parents want to make a toast!
While his parents and in-laws were saying nice words about him, Fred was looking at his guests. When he finally saw Daphne smiling and holding a crystal glass of champagne, he smiled.
Darrow University Campus, Crystal Cove
January 6, 2023 – 11:45 pm
Fred decided to check True Crime Forum before leaving to San Francisco. The latest messages on the moon pendant mystery´s thread could help him during the exploration. The most interesting update was a message from cherryred , posted ten minutes before: "The crime scene and this forum are being watched. Please, reinforce your security, especially you, Mystery Inc.". The mere mention of Mystery Inc. made Fred think of the small conversation he had with Daphne Blake – and the feelings that conversation caused. So, on impulse, he decided to check her Instagram and see that photo one more time. Much to his disappoitment, Daphne hadn´t posted the pic, nor had she mentioned the dinner, and Fred realized those few minutes had been totally irrelevant to her. Suddenly, an inappropriate and inexplicable frustration took over his feelings, along with emptiness. He felt that his life was so boring that it bored the most interesting things. "What the hell are you thinking, man?", his mind scolded. Then, on the following moment, it took control again and made him forget that moment ever existed. When he closed his internet browser, the doorbell rang. Shaggy and Velma were probably early.
Fred Sr.: Hi, son. May I come in?
Fred got angry and sighed to make it clear, but he didn't have courage to say no and kick him out. Fred Sr. entered, but held the door open, showing he did not intend to linger.
Fred Sr.: Well, like Judy said, I just wanted to wish you the best on your birthday… and tell you that I'm proud of you. Contrary to what you think, I do care about you, son...
The words seemed sincere, yet Fred could only feel anger. Even though he knew Fred Sr. chose good parents to raise him, and Brad and Judy gave him a good life, Fred still had anger issues for being put up for adoption.
Fred Sr.: …and I want you to know the decision I made 21 years ago does not define my feelings for you. And I don't regret it, Frederick...
Fred: You came here to tell me you don't regret getting rid of a 1-year-old baby right after your wife disappeared forever? Damn, you haven´t even tried to be my father! You´ve never searched for your wife! And you dare to say you don´t regret…
Fred raised his voice and silenced his father for a moment. Fred Sr. sighed and remained silent for a moment, then he continued.
Fred Sr.: No, son, I don't regret it. Brad and Judy were the best option for you. They were way better than I ever would have been, and I hope you´ll understand one day…
Fred: Actually, I hope one day you'll stop expecting that I'll understand… I´ll never understand…
Fred raised his voice again, and at the same moment, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby-Doo appeared. Fred's reaction and the presence of his friends made Fred Sr. realize that he was not welcome, so he left. Fred didn't feel like explaining what had happened, so he just grabbed his coat and left, and Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby followed him.
City of San Francisco
January 7, 2023 – 03:35 am
The map showed Fred arrived at the final destination, so he turned off the car, grabbed his equipment backpack and left. Velma did the same, and grabbed her flashlight and Scooby-Doo's leash. The only one who remained inert was Shaggy, as usual.
Velma: What the fuck is going on now, Norville? Afraid of Jane Doe 's ghost?
Shaggy: No! I´m afraid of police! Like, haven't you seen the last forum posts? Cherryred said it's not safe!
Velma: And you let us travel 3 hours by car to say that?
Before Shaggy could argue, Scooby-Doo grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled him towards the window, forcing him out through it. After some swear words and a lot of effort to get through the small space, Shaggy finally left the car.
Velma: Look on the bright side, you might find more jars of that disgusting jam inside the house.
Shaggy: No, I won't! Like, Fruitmeier was invented in 2000, this house is empty since 1981!
Velma: But Atari 2600 was invented in 1977. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to find one in that basement!
Shaggy was convinced immediately, so he grabbed Scooby-Doo's leash and followed his girlfriend. As they approached Fred, Scooby stood still and looked towards the abandoned pool, and that scared Shaggy.
Fred: Don't worry, there are no cameras around, and no police either. Apparently, the house is empty. The walls are completely rotten, we have to be careful. Let's get in the basement and go upstairs, it seems safer than using the front door.
Velma agreed and followed Fred into the bushes, but Scooby remained still and alert, looking seriously towards the pool. Shaggy started to shake, and when she realized her boyfriend wasn't following her, Velma returned.
Velma: Damn, Norville, what happened now? If you stay here standing like a jerk, obviously someone will see you!
Shaggy: Like, it's not me, it's Scoob! Scooby saw something there in the pool...
Shaggy stuttered as he finished speaking, and Velma rolled her eyes impatiently as she realized what he meant.
Velma: Ghosts don't exist, Norville, don't even try to tell me that Scooby saw Jane Doe!
The moment Velma finished, Scooby-Doo abruptly pulled the leash, let it go and ran towards the pool. Velma and Shaggy looked at each other, scared, and tried to call Fred, but he had already entered the house. Fearing the dog would run away, Shaggy ran after it, and Velma followed them. When they finally found Scooby, to their surprise, he was not inside the abandoned pool where the young woman's body was found. He was compulsively sniffing out the surrounding lawn, as if he was looking for something. Immediately, Velma and Shaggy directed their flashlights towards the ground, trying to find something that could justify the dog's behavior, but they found nothing relevant. Scooby continued sniffing out the ground for half an hour, until his nose made a sneezing noise and he stopped. He started digging immediately, and that behavior scared Shaggy and Velma even more. When Scooby finished digging a hole, Fred approached them.
Fred: I filmed and took photos to post, but found nothing. Only fungus and rotten wood. The house is completely empty. I think all the furniture and belongings were stolen. I couldn´t find secret passages either, so there is no trace of the identity of whoever lived here in 1981.
Shaggy: Like, I think Scoob disagrees…
Fred lit the place where Scooby was digging and noticed there was fabric in the middle of the soil. They looked at each other astonished, and Shaggy walked away, fearing what his dog would find. Fred used his own hands to help Scooby, and soon they found a colorful fabric wrapping something massive, shaped like a cobblestone. Shaggy covered his face, and Velma helped Fred pull the fabric to the surface. After unwrapping the fabric, they discovered an old book inside it, called "Kabbalistic Numerology" by author Frank Melker. Scooby smelled the book several times and pushed it with his nose, signaling that was exactly what he had sniffed out.
Velma: Well done, Scooby!
Velma quickly flipped through the book, while Fred took photos of everything they found.
Fred: Why would a person bury a book?
Velma: The correct question is: why would a person bury a book from the local library? Look!
Velma pointed to a San Francisco Community Library stamp, then to the last page of the book, where the envelope containing the names of the people who borrowed the book should have been.
Velma: Good news: the library can help us find out who borrowed this book… and when…
Fred photographed the details that Velma showed in the book. While photographing the grass and the place that Scooby had dug, he noticed the abandoned pool had a peculiar brown stain.
Fred: Hey, gang, look at this! Do you remember the stain on Mr. Arthur's house?
Velma: Jinkies... what the hell is that?
Fred jumped into the pool to check the stains.
Fred: It doesn't look like a rain water stain, seems like the tiles were burned... if I remember it right, the shapes of these stains are the same as the stains we saw there...
Velma: How can two different materials be burned on the same way? Weird, isn´t it?
Shaggy: Like, the weirdest part is: it looks like a ritual scene!
Fred and Velma looked at each other and fell silent, because they knew Shaggy was probably right. Fred took photos from every angle of the stain, until he found something tiny, written in the corner of a tile. As he approached with his flashlight, he realized it was the number 1891981. Fred focused his camera and photographed the mysterious number. Before he could announce the discovery, they heard the sound of a police radio saying something about trespassing, then the voice of a police officer responding:"we have already arrived at the scene". Immediately, Velma grabbed the two boys by their arms and forced them to run. When the police entered the property, the three friends were already far away.
Fred overestimated his ability to drive for three hours during the night, so the way back to Crystal Cove was marked by an incessant struggle to stay awake. Shaggy and Scooby slept in the backseat like two small children, and Velma alternated her time between editing and posting the photos and videos and analyzing the book they had found.
Fred: True Crime Forum users can surely say something about this book…
Velma: Are you crazy, Fred? We won´t post any photo of this book!
Fred: Velma, this could be the answer to all mystery! There is no reason to bury a book, so, this is a clue.
Velma: But there are enough reasons to NOT SHARE INFORMATION about this clue! First, we invaded a property. After, we dug the place and found something suspicious. Then, to make matters worse, we stole what we found… Can´t you see how many crimes we´ve commited? We´re in trouble!
Fred: I can. And I'm also aware that hiding information about a crime is a crime too…
Velma: Fred, we won't hide anything! We will give correct information to the right people. Let´s investigate the book ourselves, if we find evidence that it is a clue, we send it anonymously to the FBI…
Fred: Guess what? It´s still a crime and we will still be in trouble! But if we help them solve a 42-year-old crime, maybe they won't sue us for everything we´ve done…c´mon, let´s post it!
Velma: But if this book is completely irrelevant to the case, police will have evidence that we´ve committed all these crimes! No way, Fred. We will not mention the book until we're sure it's really a clue... Plus, I´ve found something way more unusual to investigate first: the stain. Do you remember the photo you took near the stain? That had a number? Well, that number is the date of the crime, written in day/month/year format: September 18, 1981! This number is a palindrome, a number that can be read and written from left to right and vice versa. And the number you´ve photographed near the stain on Mr. Arthur's house is also a palindrome!
Fred: Is it Mr. Arthur's date of death?
Velma: That's what we'll find out when we visit his grave, but we already know that he passed away in 2016 in that garage...
Fred: Do you think both crimes are linked?
Velma: No. But, I think the two stains and the two numbers are not mere coincidences. I think we have a bigger mystery on our hands... I mean, we found strange numbers in places where people have died, then we found a book about numerology? Can´t be just a coincidence, don't you think?
Fred: So, Shaggy, the stoner, is right, and skeptic Velma Dinkley is thinking that na evil ritual happened at these two locations? And a supernatural entity took both lives?
Velma: No, jerk, I'm just saying that crazy people believe in this shitty pseudo-science and do crazy things. There are artists who change their names because of numerology, don´t you know? So, I don't doubt someone took 2 lives because this book taught a crazy ritual or stuff like that!
Fred: But there are 42 years of distance between one crime and the other…
Velma: In fact, we don't know if there weren't other crimes during these 42 years! What if Molly´s death was one of them? We need to know more about Mr. Arthur's life between 1981 and 2016... and Joel Marlow´s too...
Velma finished in the moment Fred parked in front of his house. She poked Shaggy and Scooby until they woke up.
Velma: In the afternoon, Shaggy and I will visit Riverdale Cemetery and try to find Mr. Arthur´s grave. Then, we´ll go to San Francisco Community Library, maybe we can find out something about the book...
Shaggy: You and… who?
Velma: Me and you!
Shaggy: Damn! Like, I can´t, today is all-you-can-eat day at...
Velma sighed and looked sternly at her boyfriend. Shaggy smiled disconcertingly and fell silent.
Velma: Anyway, if you want to join us…
Fred: Unfortunately, my day will be full of patients inside a hospital…then, Alice and in-laws during the evening…
Velma: So, between one patient and another, try to find out more about Joel Marlow and James Arthur... ask people on the True Crime Forum, I think it's the quickest way... we need to be quick, I think there´s something bigger behind these crimes!
Fred said goodbye to his friends and got out of the car. Shaggy took his place, and before the car left, Fred approached the passenger window.
Fred: It's good to see you motivated again, Vel...
Velma: Likewise, Fred…
The three friends smiled and the car left. Fred watched Scooby-Doo's face watch him through the back window until the car disappeared. When he got home and checked his cell phone, he noticed there were hundreds of notifications. To his surprise, they all came from Instagram, and when he saw the reason, his heart raced. A few hours ago, Daphne Blake had published the photo and mentioned his personal profile. Fred's eyes got lost in that image for a few minutes, lulled by the good memory of the minutes they had together before that photo. When he realized that, once again, confusing and inappropriate feelings were taking over his chest, he decided to stop looking at it. Of course, he ignored Daphne's public he saved that photo in his gallery, to prolong those feelings that, despite being confusing, seemed very interesting to him.
Thanks for reading! Thanks for your time! Thank you for your reviews , they make me very happy.
As always, I apologize for long chapters, and for the language mistakes :)