Einstein had led the teens to an apartment complex and stopped running. Marty and Ally were hanging onto the back of a truck on their skateboards.
When they make it, they let go of the truck and hop onto the sidewalk. "Alright, we're getting somewhere," Marty said, kicking his skateboard up.
They walked up to the complex and looked around. "Um, how is this supposed to lead us to Doc? I thought we'd see somebody," Ally said, holding the shoe out
Marty sighed and walked over to the buzzers that were by the front door. "What're you doing, Marty?" Ally asked, walking up to him. "Gonna see if anybody can help us out," he answered, pressing the button.
It made a loud buzzing sound. "Step away from the door!" the voice of an old woman shouted. The siblings shout and spin around to face her. They saw that it was a woman in her late 70's with a bullhorn in her hand.
Her hair was white and pulled back into a bun. Her eyes were bluish-green. She wore a pink long sleeve shirt with a white collar and a green skirt.
It turned out that she was Edna Strickland, the elder sister of Hill Valley High School Principal, Gerald Strickland. Just like him, she shared the Strickland family trait of uncompromising morality and discipline.
"Now, let me get a look at you two, Edna said, eyeing the duo up and down. Einstein started barking and growling at the crochety woman.
Ally stroked the dogs fur to calm him down. "Calm down, Einie,she said, making the dog calm down. He laid down on thie sidewalk and stopped barking.
The woman scowled at the two. "Just as I suspected- hooligans! Get along now! Scat! she spat coldly.Ally's eyes narrowed at what she said and called out, "We're not
hooligans, lady We re just teenager-"
"I wasn't born yesterday, young lady! Aren't you two the miscreants who skateboard through the town square every moming between 8 and 8:30 in a decidedly unpunctual manner?" Edna shouted thirough her bullhorn.
"Um, yeah? Marty answered. "All skateboarders are hooligans its a fact-look it up!" Edna shouted, purely disgusted by them. Ally shook her head at Edna in disbelief.
Was it because Edna knew that they were the youngest McFlys in their family or did she despise all teenagers?
""Can you let us in? We ve got something for you," Marty called up. Edna's expression softened at what Marty said and she called, "What is it? Let me see,"
Marty did a head motion to let Ally know to pull out the shoe that they found. "It's this!" she called, pulling the shoe out. She held it up for Edna to see.
"A shoe? Now what would I want with a she scowled before getting a closer look. She gasped at this and called out, "Wait there!"
She puts the bullhorn down by the window and walks away. The siblings smiled at one another.
"Looks like that did the trick," Ally said, lowering her hand with the shoe. "Yeah, maybe we can find out where Doc is while we're in there," Marty replied.
Edna comes back with the same shoe. But the shoe looks worn down and deteriorated over the years. When she saw that Ally held up the exact same shoe, she went to buzz them inside. They watched as the door opens up and Einstein growls and barks at it.
Edna comes back and shouts into the bullhorn, "Leave that CREATURE outside," Einstein cocked his head a little bit, giving a whine. "Sorry, Einstein," Marty said, walking inside.
Ally followed behind him and petted the dog. "We'll be back in a minute," she said before following her brother inside the apartment complex.
(Inside Edna's Apartment)
The siblings make it up to Edna's apartment and they looked around. In front of the window, there was a living chair with a small box tv on the right side and a small side table with a ceramic glass bowl.
On the sofa, there were boxes of old newspapers of Hill Valley. Pictures were hanging on the wall beside the window.
"Wow, comfy," Ally commented.
They stepped inside of the apartment and Edna spins around in the living chair. "Well! Took you two long enough," she spat at them.
"Um...there's a lot of stairs," Marty said, pointing towards the door with his thumb.
Edna shook her head and stood up from the living chair and walked over to them.
"To return the shoe, I mean. I lost it AGES ago," she said, looking at Ally, who still held the shoe in her hand, "You can
put it down next to the other one,"
Ally knelt down and dropped the shoe right next to the other shoe.
Much better. So neat and orderly," Edna said, walking up to the teens with her hands on her aging hips. "So I suppose you two will be wanting some sort of reward now?" Edna continued.
"Um, no-" Ally started but Edna insisted. "All I got is tea and candy," Edna clarifted, heading towards the kitchen. "But we don't" Marty started.
"Look, I'm sorry I called you two hooligans. I try not to jump to conclusions, but after all-nine out of ten people in this city ARE hooligans. It's a fact- look it up," Edna apologized, putting a tea kettle on the stove.
The siblings peeked into the kitchen and saw what Edna was doing.
Marty walked over to the table just as Edna made her way back into the livingroom.
"Have a seat, you two," Edna said, walking back to her living chair. Marty and Ally looked at one another, exchanging confused looks.
Neither one of them wanted a reward for returning Edna's long-lost shoe. All they wanted was a date so they could figure out where Doc was.
Ally walked over to the piles of newspaper and cracked her knuckles.
"HEY! You kids put out those cigarettes!" she shouted through the bullhorn
'Jeez, what a control freak,'Ally thought to herself. The siblings walk to the end of the apartment so they could talk without Edna hearing them. "So what do we do now?" Ally asked, feeling uncertain.
"Let's find out what she knows. Maybe we can talk her into giving us a date or give us hints of a date," Marty answered, quickly glancing over at Edna. Ally looked over at her for a moment and nodded. "Okay, let's do it," she replied.
They walk back over to Edna, who was still looking out of the window. Luckily, she
hadn't heard what they were saying.
"Hey, can l look through those Marty asked, looking at a pair of binoculers that sat on the table in front of Edna.
"Go ahead, dear," Edna said. Marty picked the binoculers up and looked through them. "What do you see, Marty? Ally asked.
"I can see Biff goin' into the video store!" he said, looking at the street. "Really? Those are powerful binoculers," Ally commented, smirking a little.
Edna rolled her eyes at Biff's activity, knowing that he was up to something.
"Tsk. You two wouldn't believe the filth that boy watches. He's nothing but a out-of-control hedonist, just like his father!" Edna commented with a scoff. Ally looked over at the elderly woman.
"Oh, we believe that," she said with a shrug, "Other than Biff, what did you see?" Ally asked, looking up at her brother. Marty only shrugged his shoulders.
"No, I couldn't find anything else. There has to be a clue to finding Doc out there. Man, I don't know where to start!" Marty exclaimed.
Ally groaned in exasperation. She figured she could find something through the binoculars. It'd be easier for both to look in order to find something.
"Um...Mrs Strickland?" Marty asked.
"Jack! Diane! I know what you're doing behind that tree!" Edna shouted through her bullhorn. She then turned to the siblings.
"Do you remember WHEN you lost your shoe?" Marty said partly curious. Edna raised a brow in confusion. "Shoe?" she asked.
"He's talking about that shoe," Ally said, pointing to the shoe that they found. "Oh, that shoe! My, what Nosy Nelies! Nobody likes a busybody, you know," Edna exclaimed, now remembering.
"But-" Marty started. "Oh fine, let me think about it," the old woman said, looking away to think.
"Yes, I remember. I lost it in a scuffle with a dog... when was it? Oh yes, it was the day that speakeasy burned down," she explained, her voice and expression becoming bitter and cold.
"A speakeasy? In Hill Valley?" Ally said, eyes slighty big. Even though they lived in Hill Valley their whole lives, Marty and Ally were never told a bout any spea keasy from their peers nor their parents.
"Don't act so surprised, young lady. You and his generation doesn't hold a copyright on moral depravity, you kinow. Sin has bern on the prowl in Hill Valley since the day it was founded," Edna scoffed.
"Wow, A Speakeasy That must've been wild. Is it true they used to drink gin out of slippers like our grandma said?" Marty asked.
Edna scoffed at what Marty said. "Don't romanticize the past, young man... Prohibtion was a time when gangsters ruled the town while honest ctizens quaked in ther beds!" she explained, raising her voice a bit.
"They needed to get deeper into this conversation, so Ally asked, "So where was that speakeasy at when it burned down?"
"That was ages ago. If you two are looking for bootleg hooch... Edna started but Marty stopped her. "Oh, no. My sister and I are just curious. Were students of history," Marty clarfied.
Edna, obviously, didn't believe what Marty was saying. She could see that they werent the type to be interested in any sort of history. "Students of history my aunt Fanny! Your generation of hooligans and slackers could give two ripe figs about history, she scoffed.
"The video store!" Edna exclaimed suddenly. "Huh? What doyou mean?" Ally asked not understanding what she meant.
"The speakeasy used to be hidden in plain sight down there in the town square, right where that disgusting videotape rental' store squats today," Edna explained
"So the video store must've gone up afer the speakeasy burned down," Marty theorized. "Yeah, it makes perfect sense," Ally agreed.
Edna had told them that the video store had been build sometime after the speakeasy burned down that following year. But they still needed specifically when it had happened.
Ally looked at her brother, feeling a bit frustrated that they weren't getting the answers they needed.
Marty could see it and said, "Excuse us for just a moment," They walked away to the ront door of the apartmeit to talk in private. "You there! Dont even THINK about tossing that kleenex on the ground!" Edna screeched through her bullhorn.
"What's wong, Ally?" Marty asked. Ally rubbed the back of her neck, acting as if she was cracking it. "Were not getting anywhere with this woman. I mean, shes not giving us the date we need. She has to know something, Marty. What do
we do if we cant gét anything out of her?" she sighed, her head starting to pound.
Marty puts his hands on her shoulders and gave it a gente squeeze. "Calm down, AlIy. Were gonna get it. We just gotta, um... keep lookng until we find something," he assured.
She knew that he was right. This isnt the time to start panicking; they needed to remain focused on the task at hand.
"You're right, Marty. I wanna see if I can find something through the binoculars," Ally said with a sigh. Marty grinned at her and they walked back over to Edna.
Ally looked through the binoculars and watched as Biff walked out of the video with something in his hand. "Jeez he never changed," she whispered.
"Marty, it says that it was rebuilt in 1932!" Ally exclaimed, panning over to the gold plaque by the front door. Marty eyes widened in awe. Now they know whan that store was built. "So the fire mustve happaned before then.. but when did it happen? We need a datel" Marty exciaimed.
"Don't look at me. I'm far too old for you," Edna said, looking at Marty. They both looked at Edna with furowed brows. "That's not what he meant. He's aready got a girifriend," Ally corrected, setting the binoculars down on the table
They walked away from Edna for a moment. "Aly, maybe we can look at those newspapers. Maybe they can give us the date we need," Marty whispered, glancing at the newspapers on the couch.
'Okay, sounds good. But, how're
we gonna get Edna to leave so we can look at them?" Ally asked, looking at Edna then to the newspapers.
"I've got an idea," he whispered, walking over to the heater that was attached to the wall. "Man, she keeps it hot in here!" he complained, shaking his hand.
Marty turned the knob, getting the heater
to whistle. The high pitched sound got
Edna's attention. "That's the kettle! I'll be
right back with some tea. You two don't
touch anything," she said, geting up andwalking to the kitchen.
The siblings grinned at each other,
knowing that they wouldn't listen. They
walk over to the newspaper mountain.
"Alright, look for a paper with the right
date," Marty said, looking through the
newspapers.
"Ground Broken on Site of Former
Speakeasy... Singer Vanishes, " Marty
read. "Hill Valley Expo Delights Crowd.. Soup Kitchen Exposed... " Ally read, looking through the papers.
"Oh, good. What's it say?" Ally asked,walking over and started reading the paper. "Speakeasy Arsonist Slain. Legal procedure gave way to old-fashioned vengeance last night, when a mob descended on the Hill Valley Police
Station, "Marty read, holding the paper up.
Ally gently grabbed the paper and started reading. "The suspect in the Speakeasy arson case, a drifter was pulled from his..." Ally said but stopped suddenly. "Carl Sagan?' Marty wondered.
Their eyes got big at the realization. "Then that means-" Ally started Marty flipped the paper and the siblings were shocked to see Doc in a mug shot.
"Marty, its Doc! It says he was killed by a mob!" Ally exclaimed, pointing at the top line. "Yeah, but whats the date?" Marty asked, flipping the paper back over, "June 14th, 1931! Jeez, we got rescue him!"
"Lets go then! But let's put the paper vack before Edna comes back," Ally said, giving a nod. He tried to put it back but the newspaper mountain ended up falling over onto the floor, most of the papers were scattered on the floor. "Oh shit."Ally swore under her breath.
Edna then comes back, seeing the papers all over the floor. "My newspapers!" she shouted. Marty and Ally turn to face the elderly woman, who was carrying a broom.
"No! You two got my history out of order Do you know how it'll take to fix what you two have done!?" Edna shouted, amost screeching. "Look, were sorry!"Ally shouted, holding her hands up.
"Aaagh Get out, ger out, get out!!!" she sreeched, swinging her broom at them. They turned and ran for the front door, not before Aly was hit on the back of the head hard.
"Ow! Okay, we're leaving!" Ally yelped, feetng the impact of the broom. Last thing they heard was Edna shouting nto her bulhorn that she was being attacked by hooligans.