Croonford
Detective Case 30: Resort and Mystery
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Author's
note: While this story is pro and anti-British Royal Family, it does not
reflect the view of the author.
Warning:
Young damsel humiliated.
On a Discord
server centred on the British Royal Family, there was a heated argument going
on, particularly Her Majesty the Queen Camilla. One user FrankJ was an
extremely supportive of the Queen, citing her relentless work for the Royal
Family and the United Kingdom.
Another ,
MikeW, was in contrast, against the Royals, also specifically the new Queen.
FrankJ: She's
devoted to duty, the appointments she holds and given..
MikeW:
Appointments?! What, the simple baby-carrying, ribbon-cutting events? He used
expletives, cursing her and her appointments.
FrankJ: I don't
write your kind of language. Her appointments are all honorary, given mostly by
the Monarch, in this case her husband. They are not ' baby-carrying,
ribbon-cutting events' rather engaging and further understand communities,
individuals, providing moral support.
MikeW countered
with more degrading words and swear words and the debates still intensified
until MikeJ uploaded a photoshopped image of Queen Camilla sitting with
knickers down. The user added , 'Sitting on the throne'.
FrankJ: *In
Caps* YOU WILL REGRET THAT!!!
At a small
eatery in Croonford, the teen detectives were gathered. Jenn, dressed in an
unusual clothes - black shirt, black jeans, even black summer coat hanging over
her chair.
"Jenn,
we're teen detectives," Chelle smirked. "Not secret agents. And you
don't have to look at the clientele every few minutes. I don't think the Cat is
amongst them." As Chelle pulled up the straps of her beige dress, Jenn
still glanced around. She also had repeatedly told what how she was stunned and
trussed up previously.
"If anyone
is, I have my ink and pepper spray pen ready and my guy has his net
right?" Lin patted her boyfriend's shoulder. Reinhard nodded and was more
focused on Lin's clothes, purple top and jeans mini-skirt.
"Yeah,
thanks for the protection and confidence. Yet, the Cat has quite definitely
returned, targeting us."
"We're a
team," Chelle's boyfriend Mark noted after drinking his coffee.
"We'll defend each other and find out who this person is. Maybe we need a
break..."
"Hey you
lot," they heard a familiar voice and saw Julia Humes, Chelle and Lin's
classmate. "Hey, boys, girlie chat. You mind?"
The three boys
all raised eyes though moved to a nearby table.
"Heard you
want to take a break. I've got the ideal idea. My aunt has finished remodelling
her resort down at Cornwall and allows me to head there for a relaxing time.
It's a mini-country club - game stations, gym, sports hall, tennis courts, food
outlets and of course swimming pool. I've invited some of the girls from our
year - Hattie, Bethan, Heather and others. It's the perfect way to relax before
term starts. You three want to come? Or stuck here with your detective
work?"
"Well,
wish the weather was warmer. Sure," Lin replied.
"It's a
deal." Chelle stated confidently.
Jenn took a few
seconds to ponder then agree.
"What
about the boys?" Chelle nodded in their direction. "Are they
invited?"
"I d like
to keep girls -only. Just us lot. I'll text you the address and where to meet
up. Oh, with the pool there don't forget your bikinis." Julia darted off.
"Bikini...got
to check if my black pair needs dusting off," Chelle remarked.
"Oh, have
a nice purple one," Lin added.
Jenn fell
silent and the boys re-joined them.
"Girls
only? Sound sexist," Reinhard added.
"Don't
worry pal," Lin squeezed him. "I'll text you pictures of me at the
pool," she teased.
"What if
some event crops up?" Richard wondered.
"We're
going to relax not find a case. If there is any Chelle declared.
As the teen
detectives dispersed, Lin caught up with Jenn. "Something on your
mind?"
"You know
me. I'm not comfortable wearing a bikini even if it's with all girls."
"You did
eventually wore when we were in Penang."
"Yeah,
still not comfortable. I think I hide that one away."
"Why don't
we go shopping again for another. Please, give it a try?"
Lin took her to
a cheap swimwear store with plain designs. Jenn looked at the white or beige
ones and ruffled a few ones. She made her decision in 10 minutes. "I
really don't think I can wear a bikini. I don't have..."
"The body
for it?"
"Don't say
that!" Jenn cried then thankful they were alone/. "Ok, yes, it's more
I just don't feel comfortable with it. I'll wear a swimsuit ok?'
"Thanks
for let's us stay, Aunt Judy," Julia told her aunt as the girls entered
the resort. "Wow, it's really vast."
"Everything
in order, except the swimming pool. Repairmen are fixing it and shouldn't take
long. Enjoy your time girls, just don't make too much of a mess."
Pool's out for
a while yay, Jenn cheered silently. The others didn't seem too elated hearing
that. As Julia, stated, Hattie, Bethan, Heather were present as well as Madeleine
Ranson and Lorna Cheatle. Both were in Jenn's class with Lorna having just
recently shifted to her class. Jenn had talked briefly with Maddie though Lorna
seemed to keep her distance from her classmates.
"Alright,
what ya all want to start with?" Julia asked after they dumped their bags
in rooms. Lin and Heather decided to try the sports hall while the others
stayed in the games room. Jenn tried her hand at snooker then gave up and
switched to floor chess set with she and Bethan were lying on the ground
laughing. The girls met together for lunch and as Jenn scooped more jerk
chicken on her plate, Bethan poked her.
"Hey, hey
Chelle and Lin, this is up your alley." It was a news clip from the local
channel.
"In
breaking news, local resident Michael Water's ten-year-old daughter Amelia has
gone missing. Police are not ruling out a kidnapping at this stage. In world
news.."
"Missing
child? Perhaps, perhaps not," Chelle replied.
"Very
vague information and we're resting," Lin added.
"Yeah, I
mean we're on holiday," Jenn agreed.
"I though
you lot pick out any police stuff that pops up in the news," Lorna
remarked with Jenn raising her eyes at her.
The rain
suddenly poured down, resulting in everyone staying indoors. After a round
of table shuffleboard and teams playing on pinball machines, the girls sat
on bean bags sofas and watched a series romantic dramas. As the credits rolled
on the 2005 film The Wedding Date, the weather cleared and the girls decided to
explore more of the resort. They quickly found an adventure park and just as
they change to sports gear, Julia nudged Lin and passed her one earphone.
"The
police are treating ten-year-old Amelia Water's disappearance as a kidnapping.
At present, they have very little leads except her father Michael of Orange
Lane had a online dispute. Amelia was last seen playing in the garden on her
home has was wearing a yellow floral dress, is 4'7. Anyone who has seen her can
call..."
Lin passed on
the news to her fellow girl detectives, stating it was worth looking into.
"Well, we
first have to head to this Orange Lane, Chelle remarked.
"Hey,
we're on holiday," Jenn protested but after the girls played on childish
bouncing castles and chasing each other through a man-made maze, Jenn turned to
Chelle and Lin and announced, "Ok, we can head down there before dinner.
But darn, this is supposed to be a break."
The trio left
as their female schoolmates either smiled or shook their heads, expecting them
to investigate the kidnapping. Orange Lane turned out to be a downward-sloping
lane and the Water residence was at the end of it.
Michael Waters
was a heavily tattooed man working on machines thus not extending his hand to
greet the girls.
"I just
had the coppers visit me, why would I wish aid from three lassies? Man, you are
one hot chick even though ya a Chink," he nodded to Lin. Lin was about to
react when Chelle pulled her arm said they could assist and asked what the
online dispute was about.
"Oh the
****ing media reported that. It's..." There was the roar of a
thunderstorm.
"Let's
resume this tomorrow. See ya girlies," He waved.
"Hot
Chick?! Chink?! I'll show him who I am," Lin lifted her arms to flex her
muscles.
"His
constant swearing and calling us lassies and girlies is so degrading, almost
misogynistic," Jenn shook her head. "Are we seriously helping him?
Let's return, before we're drenched."
After dinner,
the girls again congregated in the mini theatre and Lin not interested in war
movies, turned to her laptop to read some science articles when she switched to
the news site.
"We just
received a message from an unknown sender. Viewers may find it offensive so be
warned."
The screen
changed to a darkened room and a dim light shone. A muffled masked man started,
"If the foul-mouth MikeW wants his daughter back, he should apologise for
that humiliating picture of he posted of Queen Camilla publicly and the Queen
herself. If not, his daughter will continue to sit like in his image." The
camera shifted to the young girl as described earlier. She was sitting on some
wooden chair, her mouth cleaved-gagged with a thick piece of cloth, arms were
wrench behind her back and legs were tied with thick rope against the chair s
legs. What was the humiliating part was that her knickers were pulled down to
her ankles.
Lin quickly
called her fellow detectives and replayed the video with Jenn shaking her head.
"That is
totally disgusting," Jenn remarked and briefly covered her face. "No
child should receive that kind of humiliation in front of a camera, even as its
due to a dispute between adults online."
"Well, the
facts are a little clearer now it was an argument about the Queen, "Chelle
pointed to the screen. "And MikeW or Mr. Waters uploaded some image,
definitely photoshopped, that wasn't real and attracted the fury of this
kidnapper. "
"How're we
going to proceed? It's still vague who this kidnapper is," Jenn argued.
"I'll go
meet Waters tomorrow morning you to might want to check what the local police
know."
"Well, no
tall Chinese girl and no short one," Michael Waters remarked as he shook
hands with Chelle and gave her a cup of coffee. She grimaced, instantly knowing
it was from some instant can yet immediately started with the issue at hand.
"Oh yeah
the bloody news, the cat's now out of the bag." Waters took a drink and
Chelle noticed his used of 'less' offensive words. "Yeah, it was a heated
debate over the horse-face woman holding the title 'Queen' which only should go
to a proper monarch. So after a while, I uploaded this," he pulled out his
phone and showed her the image. Chelle only momentarily raised eyes at the
insulting image.
"What are
you Michelle? Pro or anti -Royal?"
Chelle said
neither although personally was leaning to the Royals having influenced from
her parents. She queried the origin of the Photoshop and learnt the discussion
was on Discord.
"I didn't
make it; found it somewhere on the 'net. Now, it was to aid my fight with that
pro-Camilla user. Now, instead of continuing, he kidnaps my Millie."
Chelle
expressed sympathy then wondered how his daughter was easily taken.
"Haven't a
clue, lass. There's my garden, the fence isn't that tall. She always loves to
play there. I didn't hear any cry from her that day then suddenly she was
gone."
Chelle looked
at the garden for a few minutes then with Waters heading inside, she snapped a
few pictures, thanking him and left. Meeting up with the others, they didn't
have much to tell.
"The
Detective, DI Scott Maddison, on the case hardly spent time with us and even
when we mentioned our work, he didn't hear of us, even when we mentioned
Nikki's name." Lin referred to their long-term police ally, DCI Nikki
Heath.
"Well,
it's not always the police are friends," Jenn shook her head. "Ok, as
I said, no child should suffer over adult disputes. How do we proceed from
here?"
The answer was
obvious - to check out the original discussion on Discord. That task fell to
Lin and while Chelle watched Jenn played around of table chess with Hattie and
improved her snooker skills. Finally, she joined her fellow detectives.
"It is a
complex scroll but here's the discussion," Lin pointed. They read through
the debate with Jenn noticing the good strong arguments provided by the user
FrankJ vs the simple words and coarse language used by Waters. The discussion
ended with those capital letter, 'YOU WILL REGRET THAT!!!'
"From one
threat to a kidnapping," Lin just remarked. "Something on your mind
Miss Summers?"
"There's
something odd. I just can't place it."
With no clear
path to thread, Lin made a call. "Hey how's the resort? How's pool?"
Reinhard asked.
"Hold your
horses. my boy," Lin answered and she knew he like that. She quickly asked
him how one could trace another's IP address from instant messaging apps,
"That's a
tough one," he answered. "Never heard of that though there may
devices out there. You want me to find and get back to you?"
Lin said no
then there was excitement from Chelle. "It's this!" She held up her
mobile phone and the other girls squinted. Chelle enlarged the image to the
full. "See that? It's a torn orange piece of cloth. And it matches...She
lift open Lin's laptop, "the avatar of that person."
"Ok,
" Jenn still not convinced. "So what? We're looking for someone
wearing orange?!"
Chell noted
that the residences here mostly had low fences and clothes were strung up to
dry on washing lines. We'll just check the local area if there's a torn
clothing matching this. If nothing, we'll leave the authorities to handle
this."
The three girls
had a tight time frame as the news came that swimming pool was almost fixed. As
Chelle mentioned, the residences were few and had low fences. The girls covered
the various houses in less than an hour and as Jenn wished to return, Chelle called
the girls over.
"See
that?" She pointed at the house with the only cement wall. The other girls
watched and an orange T-shirt fluttered in the wind with one corner clearly
torn.
"Ok, looks
like it. So what? We ring the door and ask the owner about his shirt?"
Jenn wondered, however, Chelle darted off towards that residence. It's going to
be another bound and gagged time, Jenn guessed.
The residence
looked a little wealthier than the others the girls walked pasted and had no
immediate neighbours. After searching around, Chelle found the doorbell.
Immediately, the large gate swung open exposing a clean-shaven man, a stark
contrast from Mike Waters. He had a slight limp.
"Ah, I
don't get visitors at this time of the day. Girl Guides? Nah.?" The owner
started.
"No, well,
there's a young girl kidnapped due to..."Chelle replied.
"Ah some
debate. Please come in. It's not that warm but I don't like standing around.
Jenn suspected something but her fellow detectives already entered.
"I have
some Chinese tea. It's becoming my favourite," He had non-Chinese pot and
poured tea into mugs with handles.
"So
where...ah yes, the poor child. What a way to pay for the parent's
actions," The owner continued. "Then, what brings you three to my
place?"
"Well, we
met the father of the girl and am assisting him," Chelle answered. Where
are you going with this? Jenn wondered.
"Ah, the
wonderful world of...detectives work. I always wanted to be one when I was
young age," he continued. "So, what did you girls find?"
"Oh,
nothing much," Chelle answered. "Just a torn orange cloth like the
shirt you have hanging," Jenn, having spent much time with suspects, saw
his eyes twitch.
"Oh, that,
I torn it on a sharp garden stick," he remarked though at a quick view, he
didn't have any such stick in his small garden. Before Lin could open her
mouth, she knocked her given mug and fell down on the ground.
"Lin!!"
Both Chelle and Jenn cried simultaneously and bent down to check her.
"Oh, she's
fine. Just knocked out for around ten minutes." The pair looked up and the
man now held some small handgun with a suppressor attached at them. He threw
cable ties and a piece of cloth. "Why don't you two bind and cleave gag
your friend. I'm sure you two know how."
"You're
the FrankJ user!" Chelle shouted.
"That's a
little too loud for me. Why you gag yourselves." He threw them a roll of
tape. As Chelle reluctantly stuck a piece over her lips, he waved his weapon,
telling her to spread a long strip all over her head. That took up almost the
tape. "Well lucky you," he pointed to Jenn who had to cleave gag
herself. With the unconscious Lin in their arms, the girls were forced inside
and down narrow steps into a dark basement.
Chelle and Jenn
immediately heard muffled sounds but an immediate call of 'quiet' from their
captor silenced the room. "Over there, bind her hands to the railing, then
her ankles," he ordered.
As Chelle did
so, she tried used her legs to swim at him but he was quicker and pushed her
down on the ground. "You two as well!" As Jenn lay in fear, He drew
out more cable ties and soon Chelle was strictly hogtied. Suddenly, Lin
stirred.
"Ah,
sleeping beauty awakes," he muttered and warning Jenn to keep lying down,
he moved over to stuff cloth into Lin's mouth, sealing it with a round of tape,
just like Chelle's gag.
"Now for
you," He yanked the shortest girl detective up and was going to truss her
up, Jenn decided a unusual move.
"Mimter, I
thinmmk we camm taammlk this outmm," she said through her gag.
He had finished
binding her wrists behind back then stopped. "What did you say?" Jenn
repeated herself as best as she could through the cleave gag, hoping he
wouldn't tighten it.
"Oh, I
don't fall into the 'let me go and I won't tell' trick," he said,
restraining her ankles.
"Nmm,
Immnk we canmmm tak abmmout thismmissue u hadmmonline," Jenn again hoped
it came out right.
He paused, then
pulled her into the only spot of light in the basement. "Oh, you're trying
to discuss the matter. You were quiet earlier now you want to talk?" Just
then, the muffled sounds came again.
"You stay
put. Try to move to your friends, you'll forget about speaking," he warned
and headed up.
Jenn took that
seriously and called as best to her friends to check on them. Chelle had rolled
a little though not much given the threat and gave a gagged 'ok'. Lin, still
weak from whatever sedative he added to her tea, gave the softest positive
groan.
As stated, the
captor returned, moved to an side where Jenn suspected the little girl was held
then returned. He check on Chelle and Lin then moved to Jenn.
"Ok, you
want to talk, talk."
Jenn gestured
for her gag to be lowered but that wasn't going to happen.
"Lookmmm,
the Royals aremm nicemmmolks n I'mmmsure yu eally ike em," Jenn said .
Gah, I'm a debater but never debated with cloth wedged between my lips.
"They are
beyond nice! They are wonderful! The country would tear apart without
them."
"U
stronglyyyy believe inmm Queen Camilla?" Gah, even though this gag isn t
the tightest, my words sound alien, she thought.
"Yes! I
do. You read the Discord discussion." Jenn nodded in response, trying to
prevent her throat from drying out.
"ThmmMichael
has poommmr undermmmmhstanding of thee Queennn's bmmmground, herrrappointments,
herrole," Jenn continued, actually not agreeing with what she said. Gash,
I sound worse than I was when I was a kid. Can't he remove the gag?
"And he
swears way too much!" Jenn nodded. Meanwhile, despite the strain of the
hogtie, Chelle managed twist her watch with laser beam. Just as she tried to
turn her finger to push the relevant button then the argument restarted.
"He swears
like a gangster. And posted that uncouth picture," The captor continued.
"N U
retaliated takin hiss daughtar, putting er in same positione as the
picture?"
"I'm
teaching him a lesson! Respect the Queen! Apologise to her!"
"You
shouldn't go to that extreme, mistreating a child..." While that came out
properly, Jenn started to drool at the sides of her gag. The captor stared at
her for a few seconds, then lowered her gag.
"Tha..anks,"
Jenn coughed hoping to receive watere though he only wiped the side of her lips
and asked her name.
"Jenn, you
think it's right to insult the Queen?"
"No...and
neither should you response humiliating a child," Jenn replied as best as
she could with a dry throat. Nor should you truss and gag us up.
"You
question me?' Before Jenn could respond, there was a loud knock. "Dominic
Hudson! This is the police! Come out and release Amelia Waters!"
"Release...mmmpph!"
Jenn's words were cut off as he wedged the cloth back between her lips and
tighten the knot. Great, and I thought the talk was going fine.
The captor
stared at the stairwell, then at Jenn who gave a muffled 'released her' twice
before slumping down, exhausted from her dry mouth and throat. Slowly, the
captor headed to the other side of the basement and out came the young girl i
his arms.
"Jenn
Thompson, that was really a great move," Chelle remarked as the three girl
detectives sat in the police van. "Talking down a captor."
"With a
gag on," Jenn drank more from the given water bottle. "I don't think
I want to try that again, even with a cleave gag."
The girls were
thankful that the police dismissed them after a short statement--police had
tracked the video the captor Dominic Hudson sent to the media. The trio made it
back in time at the resort with Julia excitedly declared the swimming pool was
ready.
"Get your
bikinis on!"
As they headed
to the changing room, Lin cornered Jenn. "Don't worry, no one is going to
tease you over a normal one-piece."
At the pool,
Julia and Hattie were tightening the string of their bikini tops, less they get
a wardrobe malfunction. Both were wearing G-string bikinis, Hattie in scarlet
while Julia was in orange with triangular bra cups. Behan was wearing a lime
green strapless bandeau > also with a G-string bottom. Heather was in a aqua
blue bikini, the cups further emphasising her C-cup breasts. Maddie Ransom was
wearing a push up brown bikini while Lorna was in an all black halter white
random white patterns.
"Hey
where's Jenn?" Chelle asked as she adjusted her black halter top.
"Probably
taking her time to put on her suit," Lorna called. Lin, in her dazzling
purple strapless two-piece shot her a glance then headed to find her friend.
Suddenly, Jenn emerged from a corner, wearing a T-shirt over...
"Jenn? Are
you wearing a bikini under that?" Bethan called. Not answering, Jenn
nervously removed her shirt, showing the white bikini she bought before the
trip to Penang.
"She is!
Let's get into the water!" Heather led diving straight in and one by one,
all the students dived or slid in and splashed around.
"Jenn, you
really took a turn wearing it," Lin remarked as they hung on one side of
th pool.
"I still
love a good swimsuit," Jenn remarked, looking down at her bikini top.
"Not sure if I'll ever grow used to this."
Lin was going
to reply when Hattie, out of the water, called.
"Hey
detectives! Together! Smile!" Chelle jointed her fellow girl detectives
and Hattie snapped several pictures.
"Oh,
Hattie, don't you dare post those on Facebook!" Jenn cried.
After much
soaking in the pool, all girls returned to Croonford refreshed and ready for
school. The girl detectives met up with their fellow male detectives and Mark
congratulated Jenn.
"Richard,"
Jenn's eyes narrowed. "Why do you have a set of our school uniform?"
"Oh, I was
going to tell you three. I'm switching schools to Croonford school. Teachers
from my old school are leaving for others, affecting grade performance
there."
"What?!
No!!!!"
Michelle,
Lin Ling, Jennifer, Mark, Reinhard and Richard will return in Charity gone
wrong.