Mysteries of Lawndale - Night of the Coffee House - Part 4

 Mysteries of Lawndale – Night of the Coffee House – Part 4

Iris Johansen was down in her basement. She got the thing she wanted. And started up. There was no ring of the doorbell. There was certainly no one at her step selling chocolates...

 

 

Later that afternoon, Quinn returned to the street Danny was on, with Daria, Stacy, Jane and Trent.

 

“Why this street?” Trent asked when they had arrived at one end of it.

 

“Some of the yards had weirder stuff than you have,” Quinn answered.

 

“Cool,” Jane said.

 

“A good motivation, Quinn,” Daria said. “Now, we have to get going before night falls.”

 

“Yes!” Stacy said. “Mom wants me back before dinner,” she added.

 

“Just as well you’re on one of the cross streets then,” Daria said.

 

Stacy nodded.

 

“Not only are we investigating the street, we’re also finding out more about the break-in,” Daria stated.

 

“Certainly,” Stacy said.

 

“By the way...” Quinn began.

 

“I haven’t watched much. I had to do homework first,” Daria said.

 

“You get all A’s Daria...” Quinn said in a tone that suggested that she was ribbing her sister.

 

“Still, I need to keep on top of it,” Daria said in a similar, but understated tone.

 

Jane smirked at the exchange.

 

“Let’s start,” Daria directed.

 

 

Again, Danny heard a knock at the door as he was preparing to make dinner. He opened it to find another girl. This one had her brown hair in pigtails. “Hello?”

 

“Hi! I’m Stacy. I’m with the Lawndale High Mystery Club!” she said in a slightly panicky voice.

 

“Mystery Club,” Danny considered. “Wait a minute...” He went and got the piece of paper that Quinn had given him earlier.

Stacy was still there, trying not to bite her nails.

 

“You’re with this... Daria?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Stacy answered. “We’re investigating the cybercafé break-in.”

 

“I have read about it, but I have no idea who might have done it,” Danny said.

 

“Oh,” Stacy said. “Sorry for wasting your time.”

 

“There is something I’d like solved, about Lawndale.”

 

“Oh, let me get a notepad!” Stacy said, flustered. She opened her bag and hurridly took several objects out, before finding a notepad and pen. She then put the other objects back in. “Ready!” she said.

 

“I heard that the developers involved in the construction of the Big Strawberry didn’t really have approval...”

 

“Really?”

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 15^th, 1997

After school, the Mystery Club met in one of the many classrooms on the campus of Lawndale High.

 

“I’m sure you’ve heard that I have started to investigate the break-in on Sunday night,” Daria said.

 

“Of course, Ms. Morgendorffer.”

 

“Charles, knock it off!” Daria said.

 

“Feisty!” Charles Rutthiemer III said.

 

“Charles...”

 

“Sorry, Daria.”

 

“Anyone else?”

 

“So, you have been investigating?” Alecia Nibblett asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered. “Quinn,” she indicated.

 

“Daria, Jane, Stacy and I went along Main Street on Monday afternoon, asking various shop people about the break-in,” Quinn said.

 

“Yes?” Charles, otherwise known as Upchuck, asked.

 

“So, I have obtained video footage of the break-in,” Daria explained.

 

“So, you’ve watched it?” Corey Bateman asked.

 

“Of course,” Daria answered. “By itself it isn’t very conclusive.”

 

“But?” Upchuck asked.

 

“It’s difficult to go on,” Daria said. “Jane?” she asked.

 

“Yes, Daria?”

 

“How would you like to be a sketch artist?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“This afternoon we’ll watch the videos together...”

 

“OK.”

 

“You have some idea though?” Upchuck asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria answered.

 

 

After the Mystery Club meeting ended, Quinn went to a meeting of the Anime Club. “Quinn, has your sister solved the break-in mystery yet?” the president, Jenna asked.

 

“Not yet,” Quinn answered. “Although I think she is on her way to solving it.”

 

“That’s good,” Jenna said. “If there are more break-ins, the police will start to make more patrols.”

 

“That would be good,” Quinn responded.

 

“Not really,” Jenna said.

 

Quinn was mystified. “Why wouldn’t it?”

 

“You don’t know Lawndale’s history yet,” Jenna said.

 

“Could you tell me?” Quinn asked, wondering what had happened that Jenna would be concerned at a bigger police presence on the streets.

 

“It will take too long. You can ask Mr. DeMartino. He’ll have a book on Lawndale’s history,” Jenna answered.

 

“Sure,” Quinn thought, thinking that Daria would certainly like to read such a book too, and get more out of it. She was going to say more, but more members of the club arrived...