The line of investigation concerning Malcolm Landgraab had hit a dead end: His alleged criminal activities around his school could not be proven: The combination of him being a slippery customer and his parent's protection had led to nothing being learned. Likewise, her enquiries about Bella Goth's disappearance a few years ago had hit a brick wall: Mortimer Goth had seen to that. The Fengs? Well, Suzy found nothing on them so far. Looking at other documents she looked at the leaked development plans of the Landgraab Corporation to redevelop large parts of Willow Creek...including the street she lived on. There were proposals for a large industrial facility on this site but what made the document strange was that it kept referencing the large and colourful tree that grew just by Jeremy Saint's house. Under no circumstances was this tree to be cut down or damaged, the report said. But why? Suzy asked herself.
She went through some other documents attached to the proposal and what caught her eye was a handwritten note, attached by paper clip to the builder's plans. The note contained some cryptic instructions about the tree. It seemed like something a child would write for a creative writing assignment at school but the handwriting was definitely that of an adult. What could it mean and why was it attached to these building plans?
Suzy made a few phone calls...she was going to need some help!
Within the hour Neil, Jeremy and Summer had arrived at Suzy's house. She welcomed them in and talked over her plans.
"Thanks for coming" she said. "I've invited you all here because you've been very helpful to me, one way or another, during my investigation into this strange story involving the Landgraabs and their plans to bulldoze this street and build a factory here."
"Have you made a breakthrough?" asked Summer.
"Well....maybe" said Suzy. "The plans I've got here keep mentioning that big tree at the end of the road. And there's a note that refers to it as well. Here, take a look everyone" she said, passing the note around the group.
"It sounds like a nursery rhyme" said Jeremy.
"Yeah, are you sure this is serious?" said Neil, handing the note back to Suzy.
"At this point I have no idea but....how about we do what the note says? We'll go over to that tree and follow these instructions. Let's see what happens" she said to her friends.
There was a pause as Neil, Jeremy and Summer looked at each other, unsure of what to say. "Well, I guess so..." said Summer, eventually.
They grabbed a watering can and a flashlight and ran over to the large tree in question. Suzy stood right next to the tree and asked "Neil, what's the first instruction?"
Neil said, sceptically "The first instruction is...'water the base of the tree'"
"Water....a tree?" said an incredulous Jeremy. Suzy picked up the watering can and began to water near the roots. She emptied the can of its contents and waited to see if anything had happened. It didn't appear to have had any effect.
"OK, what's next?" asked Suzy.
Neil took a deep breath. "It says we have to praise the tree for its wonderful leaves"
Jeremy looked askance at Suzy "You want us to talk to a tree?"
"If that's what the note says, that's what I'm going to do" she replied. Suzy looked up and began to speak "Oh tree...oh beautiful tree with your magnificent foliage..."
Jeremy put his hands up to his face. "No...I'm not doing this!" he said.
Summer lightly punched him on the arm. "It looks weird but maybe something will happen?" she said.
"Yeah, they'll haul us away to the madhouse" said Jeremy.
"Your leaves are wonderful!" said Summer, joining in with Suzy.
"And every Spring the blossoms must be...erm....great" said Neil
Still nothing seemed to change so Neil read out the next instruction. "Now praise the roots" he said.
So the friends did the same thing again, but this time talking to the ground where the main roots buried themselves. Jeremy kept looking over his shoulder to see if anyone could see them doing this.
"I don't see any changes" said Summer, looking up and down the tree.
"We've been conned" said Jeremy.
Suzy walked all the way around the tree, touching the trunk and looking for the tiniest sign of something significant. Then, pulling back some creeper foliage, she saw a cavity in the tree trunk...a cavity she'd never noticed before when looking at the tree. "I've found something!" she exclaimed.
"Wait! That wasn't there before!" said Jeremy, excited.
"It's some kind of hollow in the tree that....leads into it" said Suzy, shining a flashlight into the hollow. "Wait...I can't see the back or the sides of the tree...it's like some kind of tunnel"
"How can that be?" said Summer.
"I don't know...but I'm going in to explore" said Suzy.
"Wait! Let me go first!" said Neil, trying to get in front of his girlfriend but he was too late...she had stepped inside the hollow and all he could do was follow her. Jeremy and Summer stayed outside.
Suzy's flashlight didn't reveal much...they were in some kind of tunnel, perhaps running underground but they couldn't detect any downwards slope. They walked on another 20 or so feet when Suzy heard the sound of the wind far off in the distance and could see a small light coming from a different direction. Thinking that the light was the exit point, Suzy and Neil walked towards it...but instead it led back to where they came from.
"Oh" said Suzy, re-emerging into the sunlight where she had just been. "We looped around on ourselves"
"How can that be?" said Jeremy. "I mean, that tree can barely hold two people in it and yet you were in there for...what, 5 minutes, and we couldn't see you at all. Did the passage lead underground?"
"I'm not sure" Suzy replied. "Let's talk about this over at the gardens"
The group went over to the communal garden to have a chat about what they'd seen and experienced. Suzy looked disappointed. "I thought they'd be more to it than that" she said.
"Well, that's a lot more than you expected before we went and checked that tree out" said Neil, trying to be helpful. "Now we know there's a hollow and an underground path in that tree. And I'm sure there was another path we could have taken. Maybe next time we'll try that?"
"Well, until then, I have to get to work. Chin up, Suzy" said Jeremy. Summer too had to leave but Neil remained behind.
"I think we should try again...but go better prepared." said Neil.
"Thanks for your help, Neil, I really appreciated it. You backed me up all the way and it was sweet the way you tried to go first and protect me" said Suzy, reaching out and hugging him. Neil only slightly recoiled at being spontaneously hugged.
