Get a Clue: Part 2-The Question of the Clown
The storm was approaching quickly, and soon the sky poured down rain and hail on Boddy Mansion. The Frosty Dreams van was still parked at the end of the road in front of the manor. From experience, Butler Didit knew the clown inside was camped down for the night.
Charlie the Clown had been spying on Josephine Scarlett for days now. Charlie Stalker was well-named.
Inside the mansion, the mood was still uneasy. Carie the mascot had been murdered. There was no doubt about it. But who had done it?
Peter Plum suggested searching the Uni welcome bucket Carie had left on the porch. But they didn't find anything except cheap t-shirts, team banners, and blank aptitude tests. Not a hint of why the girl had been killed.
But Butler knew they had to take action about the clown. The buffoon could cause trouble. Butler asked John Green to meet him outside in the gazebo. He'd need help in dealing with Mr Stalker.
Butler: My dear man, you do realize the serious nature of the predicament we find ourselves in?
John: Of course, and that Frosty Dreams clown hanging around just complicates everything.
Butler: I see you've already assessed the situation. The two of us need to silence Stalker--immediately.
John: No murder, Didit! We can't bury another body.
Butler: Never entered my mind, sir. I was thinking more along the lines of a friendly kidnapping.
John: And just how do you propose we do that?
Butler: Get the man indoors and shut away until we can make a deal with him--for his silence.
John: Blackmail.
Butler: No need to be coarse, Green. I'm sure we'll all be able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
John: Yah, right. A gentlemen's agreement. But first we need to knock the fellow out, hide his van in the woods, and drag him inside. Easy.
Butler: I believe a sleep-inducing apple could be of better use to us. Not quite so brutal as bashing him over the head, eh?
Butler braved the hail and rushed straight out to the ice cream van. He called through the service window to the clown attendant inside.
Butler: Mr Stalker, are you in there? I have something for you. Too cold to eat ice cream. Would you like to try one of my special organic apples? Quite healthy. Miss Scarlett swears by them.
Charlie: Man, that's cool of you. Thanks! ...Mmm, very good.
Charlie: Hey, do you think I could use your bathroom? My van's having engine trouble and I won't be able to start it until the weather dries out.
Butler: Certainly. Wait just a moment and Mr Green will be here with an umbrella.
The plan went smoothly. Charlie Stalker sank into oblivion with just a few bites of the apple. John drove the van into the woods at the side of the house, and then the two men carried Charlie into the basement and locked him in a servant's room.
They double-checked the road for any evidence. It was doubtful Mountain Lake would miss the clown--not right away at least, but they couldn't take any chances. The hail storm was violent now and the men hurried back inside.
John: I hope the fool cooperates!
Butler: He has no choice. ... We better go upstairs and let the others know what's happened. Someone's bound to find him down here.
John: We can't have any more complications, Didit! A murder and kidnapping both? If the police ever find out ...
Butler: Stay calm, Green. We just need to discover what happened to Carie. Then we can all get back to the way things were.
John: The way things were! Yah, well, who's to say that it wasn't YOU who killed the mascot? You seem to be pretty handy with those poisoned apples, chum!
Butler: Don't be absurd. Keep it together, man. We have enough insanity upstairs to deal with. ... Let's go.
The two men locked the doors leading out from the bedroom and the connecting bath. The clown wouldn't be going anywhere.
Soon though, the sleeping drug wore off and Charlie Stalker woke up, only to find himself locked in a strange room. He was not a happy clown.
But all the yelling and screaming brought him no aid.
He was just going to have to wait for someone to show up. Maybe he'd hit them over the head with that green bucket ... or the lamp.
Then again, attacking could make his jailers angry. They might tie him up. At least he had a certain amount of freedom right now.
Charlie: Hello? Guys? Anyone? ... Hey, whatever it is you want, I'm willing to listen. Really. ... Please!!
Charlie was glad to see they'd left him with his Tattle Bear. That was one small comfort.
Charlie: Hello? Can anyone hear me? I could use some food here, you know!
But Charlie got no response. It was as quiet as a crypt.
So he turned on the TV and watched the kid's channel. That always lifted his spirits when he felt lonely.
The storm was approaching quickly, and soon the sky poured down rain and hail on Boddy Mansion. The Frosty Dreams van was still parked at the end of the road in front of the manor. From experience, Butler Didit knew the clown inside was camped down for the night.
Charlie the Clown had been spying on Josephine Scarlett for days now. Charlie Stalker was well-named.
Inside the mansion, the mood was still uneasy. Carie the mascot had been murdered. There was no doubt about it. But who had done it?
Peter Plum suggested searching the Uni welcome bucket Carie had left on the porch. But they didn't find anything except cheap t-shirts, team banners, and blank aptitude tests. Not a hint of why the girl had been killed.
But Butler knew they had to take action about the clown. The buffoon could cause trouble. Butler asked John Green to meet him outside in the gazebo. He'd need help in dealing with Mr Stalker.
Butler: My dear man, you do realize the serious nature of the predicament we find ourselves in?
John: Of course, and that Frosty Dreams clown hanging around just complicates everything.
Butler: I see you've already assessed the situation. The two of us need to silence Stalker--immediately.
John: No murder, Didit! We can't bury another body.
Butler: Never entered my mind, sir. I was thinking more along the lines of a friendly kidnapping.
John: And just how do you propose we do that?
Butler: Get the man indoors and shut away until we can make a deal with him--for his silence.
John: Blackmail.
Butler: No need to be coarse, Green. I'm sure we'll all be able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
John: Yah, right. A gentlemen's agreement. But first we need to knock the fellow out, hide his van in the woods, and drag him inside. Easy.
Butler: I believe a sleep-inducing apple could be of better use to us. Not quite so brutal as bashing him over the head, eh?
Butler braved the hail and rushed straight out to the ice cream van. He called through the service window to the clown attendant inside.
Butler: Mr Stalker, are you in there? I have something for you. Too cold to eat ice cream. Would you like to try one of my special organic apples? Quite healthy. Miss Scarlett swears by them.
Charlie: Man, that's cool of you. Thanks! ...Mmm, very good.
Charlie: Hey, do you think I could use your bathroom? My van's having engine trouble and I won't be able to start it until the weather dries out.
Butler: Certainly. Wait just a moment and Mr Green will be here with an umbrella.
The plan went smoothly. Charlie Stalker sank into oblivion with just a few bites of the apple. John drove the van into the woods at the side of the house, and then the two men carried Charlie into the basement and locked him in a servant's room.
They double-checked the road for any evidence. It was doubtful Mountain Lake would miss the clown--not right away at least, but they couldn't take any chances. The hail storm was violent now and the men hurried back inside.
John: I hope the fool cooperates!
Butler: He has no choice. ... We better go upstairs and let the others know what's happened. Someone's bound to find him down here.
John: We can't have any more complications, Didit! A murder and kidnapping both? If the police ever find out ...
Butler: Stay calm, Green. We just need to discover what happened to Carie. Then we can all get back to the way things were.
John: The way things were! Yah, well, who's to say that it wasn't YOU who killed the mascot? You seem to be pretty handy with those poisoned apples, chum!
Butler: Don't be absurd. Keep it together, man. We have enough insanity upstairs to deal with. ... Let's go.
The two men locked the doors leading out from the bedroom and the connecting bath. The clown wouldn't be going anywhere.
Soon though, the sleeping drug wore off and Charlie Stalker woke up, only to find himself locked in a strange room. He was not a happy clown.
But all the yelling and screaming brought him no aid.
He was just going to have to wait for someone to show up. Maybe he'd hit them over the head with that green bucket ... or the lamp.
Then again, attacking could make his jailers angry. They might tie him up. At least he had a certain amount of freedom right now.
Charlie: Hello? Guys? Anyone? ... Hey, whatever it is you want, I'm willing to listen. Really. ... Please!!
Charlie was glad to see they'd left him with his Tattle Bear. That was one small comfort.
Charlie: Hello? Can anyone hear me? I could use some food here, you know!
But Charlie got no response. It was as quiet as a crypt.
So he turned on the TV and watched the kid's channel. That always lifted his spirits when he felt lonely.
