"Geez...what the hell is this and what was it doing in there?"
One of the worst aspects of Action's job was frisking suspects. This guy was a joker...making life deliberately awkward for Action trying to search him for incriminating evidence. Well, somehow, he had managed to hide a child's toy on him. Oh ha-ha-ha, thought Action.
"Action...there's a civilian at the front desk wanting to report a crime" said Officer Datta, Action's partner. "I'll take over here if you like"
"Be my guess...watch out, he probably has a whoopee cushion hidden on him" said Action.
Out in the front office a bearded man stood there, waiting for someone to take a statement from him.
"Officer! I saw some kids over at Foundry Cove lighting old cans of gas, spraying graffiti and harassing some locals."
Foundry Cove! That's where Action lived.
One of the worst aspects of Action's job was frisking suspects. This guy was a joker...making life deliberately awkward for Action trying to search him for incriminating evidence. Well, somehow, he had managed to hide a child's toy on him. Oh ha-ha-ha, thought Action.
"Action...there's a civilian at the front desk wanting to report a crime" said Officer Datta, Action's partner. "I'll take over here if you like"
"Be my guess...watch out, he probably has a whoopee cushion hidden on him" said Action.
Out in the front office a bearded man stood there, waiting for someone to take a statement from him.
"Officer! I saw some kids over at Foundry Cove lighting old cans of gas, spraying graffiti and harassing some locals."
Foundry Cove! That's where Action lived.
"OK, thanks for the report...we'll get a squad down there to check things out" he said to the man. Action knew that if they got there quickly they had a chance to apprehend these vandals. He got a car, 2 other colleagues and headed down to Foundry Cove.
When they got there, there was no one to been seen. However Action recognised that his neighbour's house...Summer, Liberty and Travis' house had been broken into.
"Looks like vandalism, Action" said one of the cops. "Spray paint everywhere, things thrown about...they've left the TV, the record player and haven't touched any artwork."
"Looks like vandalism, Action" said one of the cops. "Spray paint everywhere, things thrown about...they've left the TV, the record player and haven't touched any artwork."
"Any witnesses?" asked Action.
"Yes, a Miss Dyble...she was walking past the house and saw the door smashed in. She called us from a payphone around the corner. She's waiting down the hall there"
Action walked over to the witness and recognised her. She'd also witnessed the art theft over at the Solar Flare Lounge last week.
"Miss Dyble, we have to stop meeting like this" he said to her.
"Yes, a Miss Dyble...she was walking past the house and saw the door smashed in. She called us from a payphone around the corner. She's waiting down the hall there"
Action walked over to the witness and recognised her. She'd also witnessed the art theft over at the Solar Flare Lounge last week.
"Miss Dyble, we have to stop meeting like this" he said to her.
"Ah officer...you must think I'm some kind of crime magnet" she replied.
"Or going through an unlucky patch...so tell me what you saw"
"Not much, I'm afraid" she said. "Like I said to your colleagues, I noticed the door off its hinges and when I went for a closer look I saw the graffiti and the mess...I didn't see anyone suspicious in the area at all."
Action took a statement and started looking around the property for more clues. As he was doing so, a young woman with bright red hair approached him.
"Officer...I believe you're in charge of this crime scene" she said. "Allow me to introduce myself...my name is Daphne Blake"
"Did you see anything, Miss Blake?" he replied.
"Oh no, I'm not a witness...I'm here to help with your investigation"
"In what way?"
"Well me and my associates investigate mysterious crimes...the strange, the bizarre, the ones that have no obvious explanation" she said, enthusiastically. She seemed very young for this kind of detective work, very trendy and svelte rather than hard boiled.
"Nothing strange about this case, Miss Blake...we had a report it was local punks"
"No one saw anyone break in or leave" said Daphne. "No one heard anything. Whoever did this entered and exited without anyone noticing...that's a mystery. We'd like to help you solve this one if you've got no leads"
"Or going through an unlucky patch...so tell me what you saw"
"Not much, I'm afraid" she said. "Like I said to your colleagues, I noticed the door off its hinges and when I went for a closer look I saw the graffiti and the mess...I didn't see anyone suspicious in the area at all."
Action took a statement and started looking around the property for more clues. As he was doing so, a young woman with bright red hair approached him.
"Officer...I believe you're in charge of this crime scene" she said. "Allow me to introduce myself...my name is Daphne Blake"
"Did you see anything, Miss Blake?" he replied.
"Oh no, I'm not a witness...I'm here to help with your investigation"
"In what way?"
"Well me and my associates investigate mysterious crimes...the strange, the bizarre, the ones that have no obvious explanation" she said, enthusiastically. She seemed very young for this kind of detective work, very trendy and svelte rather than hard boiled.
"Nothing strange about this case, Miss Blake...we had a report it was local punks"
"No one saw anyone break in or leave" said Daphne. "No one heard anything. Whoever did this entered and exited without anyone noticing...that's a mystery. We'd like to help you solve this one if you've got no leads"
"Who's we?" said an unimpressed Action.
"There are four of us...well, actually five if you include our dog"
"Oh you have a dog? I'm impressed...maybe he can smell out your strange and mysterious criminal"
"Here's my card if you're interested" she said, handing him a green business card with purple lettering: MYSTERY, INC.
"If we see any ghosts or ghouls, we'll call you" said Action.
Daphne left the room and Action turned to his fellow policeman. "Right, you make sure you keep her, her friends and their dog off this premises...do you hear?"
"I hear, Action...say, she's pretty cute though" said his partner.
"Pretty soft in the head if you ask me!" said Action.
Outside the bedroom Action could hear raised voices.
"I'm telling you I did NOT see any mysterious, ghostly figure...I didn't see anything move of its own free will nor were there any strange noises or breezes! I've told the police what I know!"
Miss Dyble had been cornered by Daphne, who was asking her a series of questions, and did not like it one bit.
"OK ladies, break it up...we've got this covered. Miss Dyble, we'll be in touch. Miss Blake...just leave, please"
"There are four of us...well, actually five if you include our dog"
"Oh you have a dog? I'm impressed...maybe he can smell out your strange and mysterious criminal"
"Here's my card if you're interested" she said, handing him a green business card with purple lettering: MYSTERY, INC.
"If we see any ghosts or ghouls, we'll call you" said Action.
Daphne left the room and Action turned to his fellow policeman. "Right, you make sure you keep her, her friends and their dog off this premises...do you hear?"
"I hear, Action...say, she's pretty cute though" said his partner.
"Pretty soft in the head if you ask me!" said Action.
Outside the bedroom Action could hear raised voices.
"I'm telling you I did NOT see any mysterious, ghostly figure...I didn't see anything move of its own free will nor were there any strange noises or breezes! I've told the police what I know!"
Miss Dyble had been cornered by Daphne, who was asking her a series of questions, and did not like it one bit.
"OK ladies, break it up...we've got this covered. Miss Dyble, we'll be in touch. Miss Blake...just leave, please"
Back at the station, Action and his team logged their findings and then it was the end of shift. Action was glad to be home but he stopped by his neighbours' house to see how they were doing.
"Look, we've got an APB put out on these guys...I'm sure we'll get them soon" he said to Travis.
"Yeah, we'll get the cleaners in soon....fortunately they didn't take anything" replied Travis.
"Well, if you notice anything gone just give me a call...don't worry, guys, we've got this"
Action left to go home but on the way he bumped into Jeremy Saint, who was out for a run.
"Jeremy...congratulations on you and Barbara getting together" said Action.
"Well, she's just moved in to my house...it's not wedding bells at the moment" replied Jeremy.
"I can tell she's having a positive effect on you, man" said Action, smiling.
"That she is, Action, that she is"
"Listen...the guys down the road are pretty shaken up by that breaking and entry...it'd be good if all of us on this street worked together and kept an eye out for one another"
"Agreed" said Jeremy.
"Oh...and out of interest. Do you know of anything strange or mysterious around here?" asked Action.
"No....well, except for that tree over there" said Jeremy, pointing to the big, fungus covered tree by the fishing spot. "Suzy says that it's weird"
Action shrugged his shoulders and went home.
