Fragenmier mystery

Hi, I’m Tobias, and I’m the lawyer of the two finest detectives in this age: Chloe Fennel and Ivy Skadd. They had just gotten a call from the Baroness Fragernmier at Pine Tree Estates… and C&I Detectives were all ready to go.  

It all  started with the phone call. Chloe had gotten a call from the Baroness. “Hello?...Calm down! … Look, lady… Hey! Can’t under… HEY! If you don’t stop hyperventilating, I’m hanging—oh man oh man. Not cool.…Who’d even do that?!...Yes I’m coming right over! What?! Shoot…” and Chloe hung up.

“Friend of yours?” Ivy asked dryly.

“Nope! Client of ours.”

“Mmm”, grunted Ivy. Chloe counted down. One, two… “CLIENT?! Why didn’t you say so?!” Ivy jumped up and zoomed off in one of her inventions: the cheese-powered motorscooter. She was back within a few seconds. “Uh, where is this place again?” Chloe rolled her eyes.

              •••

At the mansion, Ivy was waiting for Chloe to arrive on her horse, Zepplinna. “Where were you?!” yelled Ivy when Chloe finally pulled up. “Never mind. Here comes our client with the funny name!”

A woman came running up out of the house, saying, “Oh thank goodness you’re here! I’m the Baroness Fragenmier, Sue Salí… but you can call me ‘Sue Lee’.” She explained, “Last Saturday night, William, my son, got an upset tummy from our maid, Dorthea,’s cooking. Dora felt terrible and called her doctor, Dr.Rattón, to treat Will. She took care of him all the time. Poor dear is like my daughter… she’s illiterate, you know. Can’t read or write…. but the next morning, Willie was gone!!!!” Here the woman broke down, sobbing, and was unable to offer any further information.                 The detectives hurried down the lane to the door. Chloe said, “Let’s interview the maid first.” Ivy nodded, rummaged around in her briefcase and pulled out…“White out?! How is fixing our mistakes supposed to help us find Dorothea?!” She paused. “Ivy?”

Ivy tapped Chloe on the shoulder. “Boo.”  Chloe screamed and spun around. “Like it? It’s my new line of inventions—Undercover Weapons: the Office.” Ivy shrugged. “I’m still working on the name. But this”—she held up the white-out.—“With just one stripe on my hand, I can ‘white out’ and turn invisible! I can even walk through walls!”

“No need! Here’s your own,” said Ivy, passing Chloe a briefcase leather briefcase with “C.F.” monogrammed at the top. Chloe grinned.

                 •••

The girls found Miss Dorothea dusting a model of the Loch Ness Monster and weeping softly. “Hello? Are you Miss Dorothea?” whispered the (now visible) Chloe. The maid nodded fearfully, backing away. “What do you know about Will Fragenmier’s disappearance?” demanded Chloe in a slightly more aggressive tone. Miss Dorothea shook with fright. “TELL ME NOW!” shouted Chloe, pulling out a pencil that turned into a machete. She threw it to the ground, screaming, “Vee! I just wanted to take notes!!”

Ivy grinned wickedly. “ Didn’t I tell you? Nothing in those briefcases is normal. But if you want to take notes…” She tossed Chloe a vocal recorder. “Here.”

Chloe accepted the recorder, saying, “ But a machete! Really! How… primitive!” She turned to Miss Dorothea. “Now.” That was all she needed to say.

“Okay, okay, I’ll ’fess up!”  blurted the maid. Chloe turned on the recorder. “So, Willie was sick. Doctor Rattón came to treat him. I’d say 1 ½ hours later, Butler Raymond Anthony came to me with a packet, saying the Doctor prribed it to Will. I was surprised, since Will and Ray hate each other, but gave it to Willie in his tea. He was soon fast asleep, bless him, and must have been healing.” The girls exchanged looks. Finally a clue. “Less than half an hour later, Willie was k-k-kidnapped!” She was unable to continue through her tears.

“Poor thing”, comforted Ivy. “May I have a sample of the Doctor’s medicine?” The maid nodded and led the way to the kitchen, sniffling. Ivy pulled out a highlighter and used it as a flashlight.

“Here you go,” squeaked Dorthea as she handed Chloe a tea bag:

The detective stared. “You killed Willie?” gasped Ivy at last. “Killed Willie?” Dorthea looked confused, “but he was sleeping.”

“Yeah”, said Chloe as she examined the poison clodely.  “ In a coma, which he died in after…half an hour. The body was removed in the kidnapping.”

Dorthea gasped a gasp that drained all of the air from the room and fainted. Chloe sighed “I’ll take her to the police station for further questioning.”

“Well, I’m staying,” said Ivy, something is fishy here. Besides, didn’t Baroness Sue Sally Fragernmier say Dorthea couldn’t read? I’m going to investigate the dude who gave this poor girl the poison: the butler.” She pulled out her phone and pu shed a few buttons. “Dunn-dunn-DUNN” played her phone. Ivy grinned, “See ya.”

With Chloe at the station, Ivy was mildly terrified. What if a mad axe-murderer jumped out and – Ivy took a deep breath. Don’t think about that. Besides…what’s the laser pointer for? She slipped it into her hand. She saw a door that read “Butler’s Room” and entered.

“Oh…my…gosh.” Squeaked Ivy. This room wa huge. If this was for a butler, where did the master bedroom go? It must be 200 square feet. Ivy felt around the walls.  “C’mon. C’mon.” she muttered as she felt the walls. She felt a strange knot in the wood. “yes.” Ivy pressed the knot and an incredible change took place. All of the walls, covered with plush hangings turned around. On the other side were loads of torture devices, dangerous weapons and forged bank notes.

This is part one of 2, by my friend... I'll tell you who *she* is soon. Till next time! 

-A.S.