The Last Mystery
Ned
Disclaimer: I do not own Scooby Doo
Chapter 3: Ned
Grieving, out of practice, sleep deprived, and down by one member, the mystery, inc. gang knew right away that this was one mystery that they would not solve easily. One thing was certain; with the cards stacked so high against them, they would need help. Before they could find it, though, they needed something to go on. To that end, they needed to see the police again. The gang piled into the mystery machine, with Shaggy in the driver's seat, and pulled out of the hospital driveway.
The station was buzzing with officers , all kept busy by the murder. The gang, however went straight to the office of the chief. Over the years, they'd helped many patrolmen to catch dangerous criminals. One of them was now in charge of the department, and put a call to Daphne inviting them as soon as he'd heard the victim's name. He was waiting at the office door, and held it open for them as they filed into the room.
The Chief took a seat at his desk, and spoke, more to the group of them than to any individual. "You've been a big enough help to us in the past that I'll tell you anything. I'm just not sure what there is to tell. To be honest, we have little to go on."
"Well, just run down what you do know for us," Fred said, keeping his voice even. "You never know what may help."
"True enough. Well, she was reading through an old article on the creeper when she died, near as we can tell. She had a stack of articles to read through, and the next one in line was the last case you worked on, the forest phantom.
Probably, she got some nostalgia worked up. Far as forensics, we haven't found much. The bullet was a small round, never exited the skull. No prints, no weapons. However, this does let us know one thing. Whoever did it, she didn't see 'em as a threat."
"How do you suppose that?" Fred asked. The chief took out o written report of the crime scene, and pointed to a highlighted portion.
"Well, like I said, small caliber rounds. The killer was in the room, possibly talking to her for a bit. Couldn't have been much further from her than I am from you. That's about the best starting point I can give you. I wish you kids luck, but I need to get my own investigation straight."
"Like, not a problem," Shaggy said, just as he noticed Scooby sniffing around the left side of the chief's desk. "We were, like, on our way out now. Right, guys?" With that, they filed out of the room, Scooby lifting his head out of the desk side trashcan with a half eaten sandwich in his mouth. "Hey Scoob, old pal, show some restraint."
Outside the station, and with little to go off of, the gang began toward the mystery machine. None of them were sure where the case would lead, and none of them were particularly confident, either. Just then they heard a small scuffle break out as a rather round, bespectacled man, who had been talking with some officer in front of the building, suddenly tried to push past the policemen and into the station, shouting "You need to hear what I have to say!" in a rather nasally voice.
The gang, as a whole, immediately turned to watch the man, waiting to hear what else he would say. He was a rather large man, with thick black glasses and a striped tan and beige collared shirt. "I have important information on this case!" he shouted past the officers. "You have to let me in!"
The gang, intrigued by the man, immediately walked over to him. Fred tapped his shoulder and said, "Excuse me sir, but what information." The man turned around, opened his mouth to speak, and then his eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He was shaking and stuttering, trying to speak but obviously over excited.
"Yo-you're mystery inc!" he shouted loudly. "My God I can't believe I am finally meeting you all, like in person! You are all just like I thought. I'm your absolute biggest fan! My name is Ned by the way!" He had said all of this at high speed while over zealously shaking each of their hands.
"Um well, that's very flattering and all, Ned, but um…" Fred said uncomfortably. Once his hand had been shaken, he fell to the back of the gang, and wiped it on his pants when Ned was no longer looking. "What I mean to say is, we heard you say you knew something about the case. Care to let us in on it?"
Ned stopped talking, thought for a moment, and said "Well, I may not look it but I'm an detective out of my own office, and I'd met velma once or twice since the gang split. I managed to get the basics out of the cops, and decided to look into what happened." Fred listened as well as he could, but was unable to help imagining the look on Velma's face as she answered Ned's surely endless array of questions.
"Once I had all that, I put this together. "The papers on her desk were the mystery of the creeper file, the case file involving the creeper's daughter, and the case file on the forest spirit. I had a hunch, so I looked for living relatives of the forest spirit. His brother, Jim, was in Coolsville for the entire week of the murder."
The gang were now gawking. They had to admit, that was impressive detective work in only a day or so. Shaggy was the first to speak. "So, like where's our fiendish friend now?" Ned suddenly smiled very widely, and something about that look gave them a sneaking suspicion about his next words,
"Oh it's not far. He lives just outside of Cleveland. But can I ask one thing?" He waited excitedly until Fred sighed and signaled him to go on. "I want to come with you!" The gang struggled not to let out a collective groan. He seemed competent, but they were all wary of how grating on the nerves it would be, having him along. " Oh come on! I gave you the lead! I'm great with computers too! Please!" Daphne told Ned to wait, and led the gang behind the mystery machine.
"Fred, I say we take him up on it." Her voice was sure, though she looked just as agitated as the others. Fred was about to answer, when Daphne continued. "Come on, Fred. We are going to need help this time." Fred gave a look that showed he gave up and would allow it, and they went back to Ned.
Fred gave a long sigh, and said you can come. Ned was literally jumping for joy for a moment, and then followed the gang in shuffling into the mystery machine.
Chapter 3: Ned
Grieving, out of practice, sleep deprived, and down by one member, the mystery, inc. gang knew right away that this was one mystery that they would not solve easily. One thing was certain; with the cards stacked so high against them, they would need help. Before they could find it, though, they needed something to go on. To that end, they needed to see the police again. The gang piled into the mystery machine, with Shaggy in the driver's seat, and pulled out of the hospital driveway.
The station was buzzing with officers , all kept busy by the murder. The gang, however went straight to the office of the chief. Over the years, they'd helped many patrolmen to catch dangerous criminals. One of them was now in charge of the department, and put a call to Daphne inviting them as soon as he'd heard the victim's name. He was waiting at the office door, and held it open for them as they filed into the room.
The Chief took a seat at his desk, and spoke, more to the group of them than to any individual. "You've been a big enough help to us in the past that I'll tell you anything. I'm just not sure what there is to tell. To be honest, we have little to go on."
"Well, just run down what you do know for us," Fred said, keeping his voice even. "You never know what may help."
"True enough. Well, she was reading through an old article on the creeper when she died, near as we can tell. She had a stack of articles to read through, and the next one in line was the last case you worked on, the forest phantom.
Probably, she got some nostalgia worked up. Far as forensics, we haven't found much. The bullet was a small round, never exited the skull. No prints, no weapons. However, this does let us know one thing. Whoever did it, she didn't see 'em as a threat."
"How do you suppose that?" Fred asked. The chief took out o written report of the crime scene, and pointed to a highlighted portion.
"Well, like I said, small caliber rounds. The killer was in the room, possibly talking to her for a bit. Couldn't have been much further from her than I am from you. That's about the best starting point I can give you. I wish you kids luck, but I need to get my own investigation straight."
"Like, not a problem," Shaggy said, just as he noticed Scooby sniffing around the left side of the chief's desk. "We were, like, on our way out now. Right, guys?" With that, they filed out of the room, Scooby lifting his head out of the desk side trashcan with a half eaten sandwich in his mouth. "Hey Scoob, old pal, show some restraint."
Outside the station, and with little to go off of, the gang began toward the mystery machine. None of them were sure where the case would lead, and none of them were particularly confident, either. Just then they heard a small scuffle break out as a rather round, bespectacled man, who had been talking with some officer in front of the building, suddenly tried to push past the policemen and into the station, shouting "You need to hear what I have to say!" in a rather nasally voice.
The gang, as a whole, immediately turned to watch the man, waiting to hear what else he would say. He was a rather large man, with thick black glasses and a striped tan and beige collared shirt. "I have important information on this case!" he shouted past the officers. "You have to let me in!"
The gang, intrigued by the man, immediately walked over to him. Fred tapped his shoulder and said, "Excuse me sir, but what information." The man turned around, opened his mouth to speak, and then his eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He was shaking and stuttering, trying to speak but obviously over excited.
"Yo-you're mystery inc!" he shouted loudly. "My God I can't believe I am finally meeting you all, like in person! You are all just like I thought. I'm your absolute biggest fan! My name is Ned by the way!" He had said all of this at high speed while over zealously shaking each of their hands.
"Um well, that's very flattering and all, Ned, but um…" Fred said uncomfortably. Once his hand had been shaken, he fell to the back of the gang, and wiped it on his pants when Ned was no longer looking. "What I mean to say is, we heard you say you knew something about the case. Care to let us in on it?"
Ned stopped talking, thought for a moment, and said "Well, I may not look it but I'm an detective out of my own office, and I'd met velma once or twice since the gang split. I managed to get the basics out of the cops, and decided to look into what happened." Fred listened as well as he could, but was unable to help imagining the look on Velma's face as she answered Ned's surely endless array of questions.
"Once I had all that, I put this together. "The papers on her desk were the mystery of the creeper file, the case file involving the creeper's daughter, and the case file on the forest spirit. I had a hunch, so I looked for living relatives of the forest spirit. His brother, Jim, was in Coolsville for the entire week of the murder."
The gang were now gawking. They had to admit, that was impressive detective work in only a day or so. Shaggy was the first to speak. "So, like where's our fiendish friend now?" Ned suddenly smiled very widely, and something about that look gave them a sneaking suspicion about his next words,
"Oh it's not far. He lives just outside of Cleveland. But can I ask one thing?" He waited excitedly until Fred sighed and signaled him to go on. "I want to come with you!" The gang struggled not to let out a collective groan. He seemed competent, but they were all wary of how grating on the nerves it would be, having him along. " Oh come on! I gave you the lead! I'm great with computers too! Please!" Daphne told Ned to wait, and led the gang behind the mystery machine.
"Fred, I say we take him up on it." Her voice was sure, though she looked just as agitated as the others. Fred was about to answer, when Daphne continued. "Come on, Fred. We are going to need help this time." Fred gave a look that showed he gave up and would allow it, and they went back to Ned.
Fred gave a long sigh, and said you can come. Ned was literally jumping for joy for a moment, and then followed the gang in shuffling into the mystery machine.