Detective Case 5: To Madame with Love

Girl Detectives' new meeting place
Caravan, Croonford
After School

"No Wi-Fi, simple furniture..." Lin Ling commented as she and Michelle stepped into their new headquarters.

"Beggars can't be choosers. At least Mr Morden allowed us in for a much reduced fee. At least there's electricity, a mobile heater and kettle for water. And a space large enough for your gadgets and science work," Chelle countered.

"Points taken," Lin replied, "Still we have much to refurbish," she remarked as she brushed away dust from a chair as Chelle switched on the heater and boiled some water.

"Yup, our allowances will be drained, but it will work," Chelle remarked confidently, passing over a cup of tea. "We're almost fully girl detectives. Speaking of which, where's the third part of our triangle?"

"Hey girls," Jennifer entered their new lair. Unlike her colleagues, Jenn had changed out of her school uniform and thick tights into her jeans, shirt and sweater.

"Hey, why the glum look?" Lin asked.

"Bad news. Dad punished me after the last adventure. He spanked me."

"Your Dad still spanks you at thirteen?!" Lin exclaimed.

"Yes, it's surprising but he still does," Jenn replied.

"You're joking. Let me see," Lin was curious and Chelle also nodded. Jenn sighed and lowered her jeans and white knickers to reveal light pink strokes across her buttocks.

"Wow, I didn't think this happens to teens, to girls our age. Isn't it like close to child abuse or something?"

Jenn was about to reply when Lin tossed over her mobile phone. "Haven't you seen the news? You're quite a heroine."

"'Marksville Times: Young student reveal people smuggler', 'Marksville Weekly Mail: Croonford girl halts Marksville street festival and brings down smuggler and rescues her friends.' 'Midlands Regional News: Teen girl hoses down a float to reveal a gang and saves her friends,'" Jenn read aloud.

"You see? You deserve a reward, not a beating," Lin remarked patting the newest member of the group.

"Dad's not a monster, he's just the old-fashion kind. I'll show these to him," Jenn remarked. "Speaking of which, how are you two?"

"The hospital stay was like any, but we're both flushed clean of whatever that witch injected into us. Lin's right your father is too strict."

"I said I'll talk to him." Jenn replied. "Now, what's our next case?"

The Next Day
Just after Midnight

Michelle was dragged from her sleep by the rapid ringing of her mobile phone.

"Hullo," she answered sleepily. Chelle glanced at the caller ID on her phone display.

"Jenn?!"

"Mmmmm, mmpph!" Came the cry through the speakers.

"Oh, shit, where are you? At home? Are you gagged? I'll call the police right now," Chelle was about to when she heard a negative cry.

"What?! You don't want me to call the police?"

"But...are you...Are you at home? Your family..." Then she remembered hearing something about Jenn's parents away on business.

"Okay … Hang on here. I'll get dressed and come over as fast as I can."

Michelle sprang out of bed. She slipped into a pair of blue cotton knickers, light jeans, a black bra, and stepped into a pair of trained with rubber soles for silence. She then hurried to Jenn’s house.

With the front door open, she quickly found Jenn in her room very thoroughly taped up. Her wrists were crossed in front of her ankles and they were sealed together beneath half a dozen turns of duct tape. Her arms were trussed to her body by additional layers wound about her torso from her waist to her shoulders, squeezing the girl's breasts together and lifting them up. Tape was wrapped around her jaw. Her nipples were sticking out through her pyjama top, trapped below and above the tape and there was a stain on her crotch.

Before Michelle could yank out the fake penknife Lin invented, a female dressed in a thick nightgown with pieces of duct tape hanging from her arms and cheeks rushed into the room. Chelle stood up, introduced herself and how she came to the house. The lady was Jenn's mother who had returned home early, managed to escape from her restraints, find the burglar and managed to knock him out.

"The police are on the way, my husband is hurrying back from his conference," Mrs Esther Thompson added as she worked on her daughter's gag. Once free, Jenn cried, "Thanks, Mum, thanks Chelle," then rushed to the loo. Back after a few minutes, she fell into her mother's arms as sirens wailed. Mrs Thompson spoke to the officers and her husband briefly then returned. "Jennifer, you better return to bed." Turning to Michelle, she offered to drive her home. Michelle pondered for a while and accepted; she didn’t want to walk again in the growing chilly air.

The next day, Michelle noticed Jenn alighting from her mother's car. "Mum's worried that I would be mugged on the way to school or even kidnapped," she explained, even though the burglar turned out to be a homeless man with mental disorder. Just then, Lin Ling ran up to them, hugged Jenn and pinned some badge on her school blouse.

"Hm, thanks, what is..." Jenn read 'I've been B&G'.

"Uh, why do I need this? Do you two have it?"

"Thought you like the badge of honour..." Jenn placed the badge in her school bag, muttered 'see you' and head to her class.

At Chelle's and Lin's class, the whole class was waiting for their history teacher. Hattie Coy was drawing pictures of the classroom, particular of students. Julia Humes was talking to Heather Smiths, who was developing and growing in height. Both girls were 'assaulted' by paper airplanes thrown by Art Morton and the class prefect could not stop him.

"Damn unusual for Miss Harrison to be late," Michelle wondered.

"Maybe the bus she took is late," Lin stayed positive.

"Maybe she was with a guy overnight and still kissing and cuddling with him," quipped one male classmate.

"That's not what she..." Lin was about to argue when a 1.68m or 5'7 foot, ample busted, black haired lady in dark clothes lady entered.

"I'm Madame Priscilla Redmond. Miss Harrison had caught a nasty stomach flu so I'll be your relief teacher," some students eyes widened and some could help but exclaim, " for history for at the next four weeks. Now open your textbooks, turn to chapter three, we'll be learning about monarchies today."

At lunch break, Chelle and Lin noticed Jenn in a corner and asked to sit next to her. Jenn nodded as she poked the tripled-cheese pasta. "Why the glum look again?"

Jenn didn't answer.

"Was it because of...last night?" Chelle didn't want to drop the words 'bound', 'gagged' or 'tape'. Jenn still didn't answer, shoved a fork full of pasta, made a slight cough and drank plain water.

"Alright." Turning to Lin, "That was such a tedious..."

"Terrible lesson," Lin corrected as she slurped the average bowel of Chinese soup noodles. "We finished monarchies like two weeks ago and fast and this new Redmond - I don't think Madame suits here - has a strict tone."

"I can't detect that," Michelle replied biting into her roast chicken baguette. "There's certainly something about her."

Girl Detectives' new meeting place
That afternoon

Chelle was cleaning the caravan while Lin was finishing painting the laboratory side of the meeting place with quick-dry paint. After much scrubbing, she dropped the sponge and Mr Muscle spray bottle. "You think Jenn has quit?"

Lin dropped her brush back in the pail, wiped her hands then answered, "It's like PTSD, shell shock. “Her first time bound and gagged right? And quite tight correct?" Chelle nodded her head. "Remember when you were bound to that chair by those seniors and there was that bomb - ok fake bomb - ticking away, didn't you feel some shell shock?"

"Uh yeah," Michelle recalled. "How about you? After you were trapped in that large rubbish bin?"

"I tend to get over such perils fast. Jenn..." There was a knock and it was Jenn. Still in her school uniform, she asked where the changing area and toilet was. Running there, she emerged in her hoodie and jeans, and slumped down on the sofa.

"Look, I'm sorry I created that badge," Lin started.

"Jenn," Michelle sat down next to her, "It's ok, you'll be over..."

"I don't know it's ok!" Jenn finally burst out, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm a grown up, not some little girl who can't fight back! He grabbed me, I tried to use everything you invented Lin, but he trussed me up so hard! The gag was so tight I thought I was going to suffocate and I was..." She didn't want to talk about her period.

"Jenn," Chelle patted her, "Maybe you should take a break from all this detective work. Lin and myself can handle it."

"Yes, but remember how you came to rescue us at Marksville, you're a heroine Jenn," Lin added.

Jenn thought for a few seconds, then replied, "No, no, I'm not a quitter just because I was duct taped and gagged tightly for the first time. I just join this group and its super amazing! Just one thing, " Chelle and Lin tensed up, "I've just joined the debate club to see how good my oratorical skills area. I hear the schedule could be almost every other day and strenuous, but I'll be with both of you. Now what's this about your relief teacher?"

"We like to shadow her," Lin remarked, "I've some device ready, just needs batteries. Meanwhile, you two might like to keep this," She reached over and handed over two pens.

"Lin, you must be joking," Chelle half-laughed.

"As Q said to James Bond, 'I never joke about my work'. It's not just a pen, twist the top counter-clockwise, and the tip burns away material. Watch," She held up a cloth and turning one of the pens, it burned the middle cloth and the Chinese girl blew to put the flame out. "Should work well on ropes, a bit longer on zip ties because of the plastic. I don't recommend it on tape, " Jenn cringed remembering last night but kept silent, "oh, don't use it too much for writing; there's not much ink."

"Marvellous work, Q," Jenn happily responded, hugging her fellow teen detective.

Across the next few weeks, Chelle and Lin had to endure Madame Redmond's teaching. In stark contrast, some classmates loved her style of teaching. Hattie liked her way of introduce history events and prominent figures. "I've even drew a picture of her," Chelle said she like the picture though silently it made Redmond look nastier. Julia, Heather even bully Art liked how she tested them.

One Wednesday, Michelle grudgingly headed towards Madame Redmond's office. She had to pass up a re-written essay on Edward VIII's reign and his abdication. "Enter," came the sharp tone. "Ah, Michelle," Redmond greeted the student. She briefly glanced through the re-written essay. Miss Harrison would always read essays in detail, Chelle remembered.

"Much better," Redmond remarked, changing the grade. Just as the passed back the essay, Chelle noticed some papers on the left side of her table. The top one had words like contained words like 'monitor closely', ' use all equipment', ' ensure tight security', ' initiate...'

"Miss Michelle Summers? I've given you a higher grade and I think that's business done. Would you leave or do you want me to help you out?" Chelle noticed the papers were gone.

"Uh, sorry, Miss, uh Madame Redmond," She took back her essay and left.

"There's really something odd about this relief teacher," Michelle informed her fellow detectives as they met at the locker room during a short break, telling them what she saw in Redmond's office.

"Well I've the device ready," Lin replied, patting some box in her locker. "You two free after school today? We can shadow her car."

They both responded 'yes' but Jenn said she had debate practice at 4pm but could still can make it. "You two shadowing her in your uniforms?! You'll be sticking out like fish, fishes out of water. Don't you have ordinary clothing?" She exclaimed.

"Just hoodies and coats," they both answered. "She won't notice us, not with Eagle."

After school, Lin showed them what 'Eagle' is. "A UAV?!" Jenn exclaimed. "Good gosh, you actually made this?"

"Well, no the main UAV was bought online as is the camera. I just joined them together," Lin answered with a sheepish look. Ok, you better assume position Jenn." Jenn was to be on a high slope that gave her a bird's eye view of at least a hundred metres one had.

" 'Eagle' is flying," Lin radioed through her special earrings. These earrings were now enhanced so that they could communicate up to five metres away.

"Her car is moving," Jenn was using normal binoculars. "She turning down Barker Street, west."

"Eagle following, high," Lin pushed a joystick, moving the UAV higher.

"That camera is really high quality," Chelle observed.

"It can spot objects and people as small as children. Shit, she moving away."

"She is, " Jenn radioed. "Oh, she’s on Crawford Street moving out of the town."

Lin moved the UAV further but received warning signals, indicated malfunctions. "Damnit," she gritted her teeth as she steered 'Eagle' back to received her.

Jenn was confident about debate. The only problem was wearing the full uniform - coat, definitely a tie and formal shoes. This is practice not a competition, she thought when she knocked into someone.

"Sorr..Bethan?! You're also joining the debate club?"

"Of course,” She replied in her Welsh accent. "Molly as well. We can argue."

Half an hour later, the three girls emerged. "Darn, my bra's too tight. Need to buy a better one," Bethan complained.

"Well the next topic is after all, feminism. You two are lucky, my male partners are horrible."

Girl Detectives' new meeting place
Days Later

"That looks a set of mobile earphones," Chelle watched Lin fixing what look like earphones attached to a miniature device.

"It's actually parabolic microphones. The left goes in your ear while you hold the right towards the source. Should be a good range of 500 metres or further."

"What on earth do you do you need parabolic microphones for? I thought they are for police and special forces," Jenn commented as she looked up from her debate prep.

"We'll be heading to the last known location Redmond's car was and find her home. We'll listen from a distance," Lin explained. "You coming?"

"Can't," Jenn pointed to her papers. "But keep me posted."

The following day after school, Lin and Chelle, changed out of their uniforms into causal jeans and hoodies, headed to the area where they last knew Priscilla Redmond was driving. Twenty minutes later, there still was no sign of her car. "Maybe she took another route," Chelle commented.

"Maybe..." Lin replied just then Redmond's car appeared. "Back in the side, we don't her to spot us," she suggested. Redmond's car suddenly turned a corner and Lin changed her mind and called, "Let's follow!" The girls have previously ran a race but Redmond's car was accelerating fast. After a ten-minute chase, the car entered a luxury home.

"Which teacher has enough ten-minute money to own such a place?" Chelle exclaimed.

"That makes her even more suspicious," Lin replied, setting up her latest gadget.

"Hey, her car's coming out!" Chelle pointed. The girls again ran to shadow. This time is was a shorter jog but the car entered a dilapidated building. Both girl detectives tried to follow in, but the gate locked and there were signs reading 'no trespassing', and ' private property'.

"More like sleazy, broken down, dirty property," Chelle remarked.

"Yeah, but let's move to the side road to pick out what she's saying," Lin remarked.

Much later, back in their meeting place, they played back what they listened with Jenn joining them.

"Yes, observing now. Slight movements, no they are moving around the place. One animal, quite likely a Siamese cat. Male sitting down, working on laptop, wait screen towards my direction, taking pictures, video recording now.... initiate Op Rem..."

"Static?" Jenn noted. "Was she noticing you two and blocking signals?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Lin replied. "The walls of that place looked rather thick and this device isn’t high quality. What we need is to enter the building."

"You know, what it sounds like some undercover officer or intelligence officer observing neighbours. Breaking into houses or building is illegal you know?" Jenn sounded worried.

"Don't be, we'll be very stealthy," Jenn replied confidently.

The next afternoon...

"The proposition has not established any strong argument how feminism has advanced the international order...." Bethan Morgan continued her summation. Jenn, despite being on the proposition side, was now agreeing. Her two male debating colleagues had hardly prepared so their speeches ruined her team after she opened the debate as First speaker of the Proposition.

Meanwhile, Chelle dressed in black jeans, a black coat, a black jumper and every clothing black, met up with Lin. "Hey, we're on a case, well, going to intrude into property, not going to a party," She pointed at her friend who was in black tights with dark coloured shorts over her waist and almost sheer black top clothing.

"There's nothing wrong with this. The tops won’t really shine. Got everything? There's our taxi," Lin replied. Half an hour later, they were dropped half a block from the run down building. "We definitely can't enter via the gate," Chelle pointed at the chained gate and additional keypad locks. Lin stared at it for a few minutes then motioned her colleague around the building.

"The back, eh?" Chelle commented.

"Remember Return of the Jedi and how the Rebel team first penetrated the bunker? Wear your mask. Watch," Lin brought out her fake pen and started burning the wired fence. Minutes later, there was a gap. "Let's enter," She lowered her voice.

"This will leave a mark," Chelle noted, also lowering her voice.

"I'll fix it, now you want to investigate or chicken out?" Chelle tightened her mask and squeezed through the gap. There were shaded windows and one door in front of them. After a scan, the girls noticed a lower window and with several tugs, they brought it up.

"Stand on my shoulders," Lin instructed, Chelle gave a quizzing look, then understood. She managed to enter the building and helped Lin in. "Better stick close together and whisper in each other ears," Lin recommended. They did as they moved through the dimly-it corridor. Their first encounter was a set of CCTVs across the ceiling. "How..." Chelle whispered in her friend's ears and Lin held up her gloved hand.

"There are blind spots between the cameras. Follow me exactly," Lin ordered. It was basically hoping between the cameras on exactly spots and despite sweating, both girls made it. Now they faced a Y-hook branch. "Left or right?" Lin whispered to Chelle.

"Uh," Chelle flipped a coin in her mind. "Left."

Proceeding so, the girls found themselves in an empty room with only a chair in a corner. "Well 'left' wasn't the right choice after all," Chelle silently laughed.

"There's some large crack on that wall and look, a wire leading out," Lin whispered and pointed. "Help me," Both girls proceeded to pushed the crack when suddenly Chelle heard a 'zing' noise and Lin collapsed on the floor.

"Well, well, history students turn wannabe detectives, breaking into someone else's property," Madame Priscilla Redmond suddenly emerged wearing what looked like police or military jacket, a taser in her raised hand.

"I think you're the one in trouble," Chelle tried to sound confident and summarised what they learnt about their relief 'teacher'. Redmond just responded, drawing out a small tablet with her other hand and laying videos of Lin and Michelle shadowing her car the UAV, shadowing her to her two residences, walking to the back of this building, break through the fence, climbing through the window and crossing through the array of CCTVs.

"Nice work Famous Five or shall I say Famous Two," Redmond scoffed. So, she doesn't know Jenn is involved, Chelle thought thankfully.

"Oh, I set it a little too high," Chelle turned and saw a puddle next to Lin's crotch. "Don't worry, she'll regain control soon. On that note, take off her shorts and tights."

"What?!" Michelle cried.

"Do so dear Michelle, unless you want to want to be stunned as well." Shivering, Michelle unbuckled her fellow detective's shorts, lowered her tights, pulled off her sport shoes. She was about to put back the shorts for decency when Redmond snapped, "Leave it. Sit her to that chair, put her arms behind her between the slits."  Half carrying, half dragging Lin whose bikini knickers were now exposed, Chelle managed to sit Lin on the chair.

"Bind her wrists and ankles," Redmond tossed a packet of zip ties to Michelle, still pointing the taser gun at her. Shaking her head, she did so. "Now, take her tights, pry open her mouth and stuff them in."

"She's still unconscious, she will choke!" Chelle protested.

"Do it!" Redmond moved closer to her student. Chelle picked up the tights, managed to open Lin's mouth and stuff the tights into her mouth. She placed it the mid-section in so that Lin wouldn't taste her pee or smelly feet.

"Please no more," Michelle pleaded.

"Throw your gadgets to me," Redmond barked. Chelle gave a look and said she knew nothing but Redmond replayed how they cut through the fence. So, she passed over both hers and Lin's fake pen, penknife and radio earrings.  Both of them had that special identification device and Michelle had hidden it in a very private place. Redmond didn't ask about it but she also took their mobile phones.

"Put back your mask, hands on your head," came the order. With the taser against her neck, Chelle was marched out and tried to remember the directions as she walked. She was finally seated, arms also yanked behind her, wrists locked with zip ties, her legs parted and ankles also bound like her wrists. Chelle felt rope criss-crossed around her boobs pressing her tightly to the chair's back. Her mask was yanked off and she heard, "too bad you didn't wear tights like your friend," Chelle felt her nostrils pinched as a dirty cloth was jammed into her mouth. It was sealed with two rounds of black tape.

"Got to check back on your Asian friend, stay here, or you will, the chair is bolted to the ground," Madame Redmond now cackled. Chelle wanted to correct her it was 'Chinese' but just screamed through her gag as Redmond left.

Back at school, the chief judge, actually a senior to the new debaters, announced, "With a unanimous vote, we find in favour of the opposition," That team cheered while Jenn banged her fist on the desk and glared at her two male colleagues. She was about to storm off when the chief judge stopped her. "Jennifer, that was an excellent speech and arguments," He praised her. "We want you to swap over, Bethan come over to this team and trains these guys. Jennifer over to that team."

"Welcome Jenn," Molly hugged her new team member. Jenn nodded, collected her mobile phone and typed a text message to her detective friends.

'Hey how's it going. What have you two found?'

She received no reply. Jenn sent another text message but there was still no reply. Maybe there’s no signal coverage there, Jenn thought, collected her bag and ran out of school. Using Google Maps, she calculated the distance to the building and ran further on until she was in range with her radio earrings. "Chelle, Lin, are you there?" She pressed her earlobes against her head. Repeating that twice, she still received no reply. Jenn was still in her hated formal uniform but worried, she hailed a taxi. "That's far in the out skirts of town, Miss," The tattooed driver commented. "What you going to do there?"

"Just drive!" Jenn snapped. As the taxi neared the building, Jenn activated the special app Lin invented. The two signals from her friends were there, far apart, with Chelle's signal stronger. Jenn's heart leap, maybe they are searching separately, or maybe they are trussed up.

"Here, you are Miss," the driver announced. The fare was over £10 but he accepted a tenner due to her school uniform. Jenn saw the bleak building for the first time but spotted other items. "Bloody hell!" She swore and seeing gate and main door open she dashed in. "Chelle, Lin!" She cried out. Checking the app, Chelle's signal was coming from the north west. As Jenn headed in that direction, she spotted a clock ticking and arrows pointing. "Oh, super shit!" She swore and ran forward. After passing through many corridors and steps, she found Michelle. Additional tape was stuck to her fingers and more tape sealed her knees to the chair. Her jumper and shirt was cut open, revealing her bra.

"Hold on!" She cried, drawing out the fake penknife and pen. It took time to get the tape and zip ties off but that allowed Chelle to work on her on her own bonds with the pen. Finally, with the ropes and gag off, Michelle exclaimed, "Lin!"

"I know, the place the rigged to explode. Let's go!" Guiding Chelle, they found Lin bound and gagged, her damp knickers still exposed. Both teenaged detectives worked quickly and got their friend free. Lin was still lethargic from the taser shot so both girls had to carry her as a mechanical voice called, "One minute left." Chelle and Jenn exclaimed and as fast as they could, they dragged Lin towards the entrance. Lights and sirens were blaring, and there was a familiar face. "Grab the girls!" Came the order, and police officers managed to pull the trio to safety just as the building exploded.

Thompson Residence
Late that evening

Jenn was searching the web, trying to find out about this Priscilla Redmond when she heard a knock on her door. "Have time to talk, dear?" He father hardly called her 'dear'.

"Uh, yes, Daddy," She twirled her chair to face him.

"I heard you did it again," he began, resulting in her eyes widening.

"Rescuing your two friends," he continued. Jenn relaxed a bit.

"I read the news clips you emailed me. After much discussion, we've decided you won't be spanked anymore." Jenn really relaxed. She was about to thank her father when he continued again, "You'll still have to obey the house rules, grounded if necessary. You can join your friends in detective work but please be careful, we don't want to lose our only daughter." He was about to leave but stayed and asked, "Hug, Jennifer?"

It was the first time in years her father offered to hug her and Jenn enjoyed it.

Girl Detectives' new meeting place
Saturday

"An old abandoned building exploded. Local authorities believe there was gas leak..." The girls watched the morning news on Jenn's phone.

"Hi Nikki...what? Why? Ok, no more, ok, thanks, have a good weekend," Michelle ended the call on her spare phone with only a top-up SIM card.

"What a lie the journalist were fed," Jenn commented.

"What did Nikki say?" Lin asked, dressed in a skirt and another pair of her tights.

"There’s no investigation. The powers that be told her not to open any and we're not to conduct our own, not one bit. What, no whoever Priscilla Redmond is, or is that her real name, there's no case, no two houses, she was just a relief teacher from nowhere," Chelle shook her head.

"That really sucks!" Lin and Jenn exclaimed. Lin complained how the lost of those gadgets and her phone will burn her pocket money and suggested they quietly still investigate.

"Nah not for now, Jenn got up. "Well, not after my dad said I won’t get spanked anymore; thanks for the suggestion of showing him the news. It will be a perilous adventure but what? I have you two," The girls came together and hugged each other.

The End.

Michelle, Lin Ling and Jennifer will return in Halloween Horrors.

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