Mystery Incorporated in Lawndale - Part 2

 Daria walked out with Velma to the Mystery Machine. “This is likely to be tedious, Daria,” Velma said.

 

“No doubt.”

 

“You want to help?”

 

“I may have an inspiration you may not,” Daria pointed out.

 

“That’s a good point.”

 

 

“So, how often is there a mystery you can’t solve?” Jane asked after Velma and Daria had left.

 

“Not very often,” Daphne answered. “Velma would say that we always get our man, or woman, as the case might be.”

 

“I see,” Jane said. “I guess I’m concerned that this is something quite difficult.”

 

“There are many times when we had to search for the clues,” Fred said.

 

“So, we are going inside there?” Trent asked.

 

“Yes,” Fred answered.

 

 

It did prove to be tedious. Daria looked around the van as Velma applied another filter to the sound. She was no closer to knowing what it was than when she started.

 

“Jinkies!” Velma exclaimed.

 

“What’s wrong?” Daria asked with concern.

 

“This is proving to be more difficult than I expected,” Velma groused. “Almost as if it were produced electronically, or it’s such a sound mixed with others.”

 

“So, it will take longer?”

 

“Too long.”

 

“So, we’ll have to go inside?” Daria asked.

 

“Yes,” Velma answered with a sigh.

 

 

Daria and Velma exited the van to see the others coming out of the house. “Anything?” Fred asked.

 

Velma shook her head.

 

“I see,” Fred said. “We’re going to look inside the house.”

 

“It’s not nightfall yet,” Daria said.

 

“It’s better to do it in the day time,” Shaggy said.

 

“And they might be home, but chose not to answer the door,” Fred said.

 

“That certainly could be the case,” Daria said.

 

“Let’s do this then,” Fred said.

 

 

Once again, the group approached the front door. Fred looked for traps again, but found that it looked the same as earlier. But he knew that could be deceiving. He walked slowly up to the door before ringing the doorbell. The result was the same as before. Or was it? He suddenly realised. “Get back!”

 

They all jumped off the porch, part of which dropped down.

 

“That was close,” Fred said.

 

“You don’t say,” Daria said.

 

Velma rolled her eyes. “It’s far from our first experience with such things.”

 

“Of course,” Daria said.

 

“So, what now?” Jane asked.

 

“We proceed very carefully,” Daphne said.

 

“At least we try to,” Velma added.

 

“There’s something there,” Daria murmured.

 

‘Daphne isn’t that danger prone! Fred thought. She hadn’t been for a while. “We’re going to find another way in.”

 

“Sure,” Trent said.

 

 

They returned to the Lane’s, where Velma looked at the neighbor’s house from the Gazebo. “There’s definitely something happening.”

 

Fred looked at the Lane’s house, then at the neighbor’s house. “How far apart do you think it is?”

 

“About thirty feet,” Velma answered.

 

“What are you planning?” Daria asked.

 

“We’ll go from the upstairs, to the neighbor’s upstairs,” Fred explained.

 

“Are you sure?” Daria asked.

 

“And how?” Jane asked.

 

“Let me figure that out,” Fred said.

 

 

Having grabbed an extending ladder from the Mystery Machine, Fred and Velma called the others to the upstairs hallway. “Are you sure this is safe?” Jane asked.

 

“Very safe,” Fred said.

 

“That’s not very reassuring,” Daria said.

 

“Don’t worry,” Velma said. “We’ve done it before.”

 

“But not very often,” Shaggy said.

 

“OK, Jane, you open the window, and we’ll slowly push the ladder over to the neighbor’s window,” Fred directed.

 

“Got it,” Jane said. She opened the window and stepped aside.

 

 

It took a few minutes to place the ladder. “This is going to be difficult,” Daria said.

 

“You can say that again,” Shaggy said.

 

“We’ll have to crawl across,” Fred said.

 

Shaggy’s knees knocked together. “I knew you would say that!”

 

“I’ll go first,” Fred said.

 

 

Fred crawled across to the neighbor’s window and carefully opened it. He shone his flashlight into the room beyond and saw that there was no one there, before clambering through it. He beckoned for the others to follow.

 

 

Daria, Velma, Jane and Daphne followed him across, leaving Shaggy, Scooby and Trent on the other side. “After you,” Shaggy said to Trent.

 

“It’s OK to be afraid,” Trent said. “Just don’t look down.”

 

“That’s what the others say. I always look down.”

 

“Hmm. I’ll be right behind you,” Trent said.

 

“Right…” Shaggy steeled himself with a glance at Scooby and then looked at where Velma was encouraging him from the other side. “Here goes.” He began crawling across, with Trent right behind him.

 

It proceeded well enough, but Shaggy did look down when he was almost at the window. “Zoinks!”

 

“I’ve got you, Shaggy,” Velma said as she reached out.

 

Velma helped Shaggy through the window and Trent followed without trouble. Scooby didn’t have much trouble, although his teeth were chattering.

 

 

Daria looked around the room as the Trent and the Great Dane clambered through the window. It was mostly bare, with only a closet on the wall to the right of the window and a chest of drawers opposite. “What’s the plan?” she asked Velma.

 

“It’s up to Fred,” Velma answered. “He usually comes up with the plans.”

 

“I see,” Jane said.

 

“We’ll split up,” Fred began. “Daria, Velma and Daphne will search this floor. Jane and I will search the attic. Shaggy, Scooby and Trent will search the lower floor and the basement.”

 

“Sure,” Daria said.

 

“The B B Basement?” Shaggy asked.

 

“Yes, the basement. Trent would agree that it wouldn’t be a good idea to do it by himself,” Fred said.

 

“It wouldn’t,” Trent agreed.

 

“Sure,” Shaggy said.

 

 

Fred opened the door and saw that the hallway was as empty as the room. He stepped out, followed by Jane, who spotted the attic hatch. “So, why with me?” she asked as she pulled it down.

 

“Either with you, Daria, or your brother,” Fred said.

 

“Yes! But you chose me!” Jane said.

 

“I thought Daria would work well with Velma and Daph, and, and I saw Trent encouraging Shag, and so…”

 

“Got it,” Jane said as she climbed up to the attic.