Brookdale is a small, model town. Positioned on either side of the cold, murky ‘Wolfwater’ or ‘moaning’ river and besides a conspicuously peaked spooky ‘Thornmond hill’. It presents itself like all the other classic, serene developing burghs. Brookdale has everything that other similar towns all over the world have to offer: an ideal highschool, marble and brick houses, a huge stone church, a local cinema hall, laid out parks, a community hospital, Brookdale police station, a cozy communal coffee house as a hang out spot, and a 18th century clock tower right in the centre, hoisted like a thumb on a palm that is Brookdale. The town although, comes with its fair share of wonders and mysteries.
And the people who live in the town are often unified but at times bifurcated between affluent and working class: uptown and midtown. The well heeled have established their posh residence in the northern part of town- uptown estates whereas the locals have occupied the inner city suburbs. The story is about four teenage girls contrasting in their choices and differing in their conducts yet somehow adhered to one another. They forged through fire numerous times and came out stronger and revered.
White fluffy clouds are floating in the azure blue sky as the sun’s glowing beatifically, with frequent cool breezes, traffic’s at a crawl, Sunday afternoon shoppers hustle and bustle through the market streets which are lined with stalls selling organic produce, fresh meat, local baked goods, potted plants and herbs. Four girls are huddled up together in the Summer’s family dining room. Ira Ray-a happy-go-lucky girl with a quirky sense of humour looked up from her notebook tucking her auburn curly hair behind her ears and asked the others “alright, where are we having dinner tonight?”
“Maybe at ‘The Burrow’…” answered Blair Arthur. Her eyes still looking downwards and her hand continuing to write. She then tied her long raven hair into a pony tail and passed a hair elastic to Ira. Blair- a pretty brunette, living with her mom and Lawyer dad had an interest in criminal law. She’s usually laid back, sporting casual girl-next-door styles. With a simple and sweet nature and an eye for detail.
Elizabeth Summers who was pacing around her dining room learning answers stopped midway and quipped in “Yep, last week we ate at Violet’s place so today it’ll be outside and besides, I need to meet George which will be possible since his brother owns the burrow now.”
“George…Why? Do you guys have a common group project or something?” Ira asked. “We have to put up a team for quiz competition next month.” “You in Violet?” Blair questioned Violet.
Violet Harrison who was listening to a historical documentary with earphones on didn’t hear a thing. Elizabeth walked to her and took her them off.
“Lizzie! What?” Violet snapped. “Jeez relax, we were just asking if you’re okay with having dinner outside today”
“Oh sure, sorry Liz” Violet stuck her tongue out to Elizabeth who grinned back. She went back to listening the lecture, swinging her legs to a tune she liked to hum. Her short brown hair framed her tiny pixie-like face perfectly. She was the tiniest amongst the four but certainly not weak. She was the introvert type talking only when she felt the need to do so, usually timid but fierce in academics Violet loved English and Chemistry. Her elder sister Scarlet was unlike her, always the one standing out. The sister’s usually got along but had a difference in certain opinions. Harrison’s and the Ray’s were amongst the socialites in Brookdale.
The girls mostly studied together on holidays, today being Sunday it was natural. Around 2 p.m. they were done and were now munching snacks at the table when Elizabeth’s mother came home from grocery shopping. Summer’s was a semi-affluent family. Elizabeth being the only daughter, she was the athletic and feisty of them all, had likes for quizzes and field hockey and lead the school team. “Such a tragedy…I know” “do they know who did it?” the girls heard faint voices they fell silent.
Mrs. Summers entered the dining area and placed the bags on the counter.
“Hello Mrs. Summers!” Ira, Blair and Violet greeted Lizzie’s mother.
“What tragedy mom? What were you telling dad?” Lizzie enquired to her mother.
“There was Robbery at the Wagner’s house sometime after 12 in the noon; around 1.6 million worth jewellery was stolen from their safe. Mr. Wagner was in the house and he was injured while stopping the thief. Mrs. Wagner had gone out for shopping.”
The Wagner’s were one of the founder families of Brookdale; generations of the family had flourished in this town. Currently approaching extreme old age Mrs. Clara Wagner and Mr. John Wagner lived in the Wagner’s Ville. John had married Clara who was then the daughter of Cal Wagner-the wealthy businessman who had carried on the family empire. To continue the family name John had taken the Wagner name and dropped his original name- Riddler.
“Is he okay? I hope he isn’t seriously injured.” Blair stated.
“He’s fine now, I heard he has a swelling on his right hand and suffered a minor blow on his head which knocked him out for half and hour, it delayed the police arrival.”
The girls were shocked; there hadn’t been any such incident in Brookdale in last few months. Now a new mystery had engulfed their town. They were very much involved in solving such mysteries, people who admired them referred to them ‘the four’ or ‘the sisterhood’ or simply ‘the girls’.
Violet asked “was it a more than one person who did it?”
“No, just a man. Apparently, he had a complete black attire and also wore a black mask over his face.”
“Could we go meet Mrs. Wagner mom?”
“You can but not now, the police are still investigating, and we should not overwhelm them after such a terrible incident. And you girls should get home immediately, afterall we aren’t aware of the actual situation yet.”
“Of course Mrs. Summers.” They promised her.
Mrs. Summers asked Elizabeth’s dad to drop the girls home. The dinner plan had to be dropped. They decided to meet up next morning in school before their first period to discuss the mishap.
The following night every family in town would discuss the robbery at the dinner table, digging up the history, disclosing the hidden facts and confessing their theories about the culprit. This tragedy in Brookdale meant a new nail in the coffin, while the thief was still out there, probably lurking in the corners of their town or hiding in plain sight. Little did the girls know what was about to unfold.
They met up every day in the Brightcrest school student lounge. Every student from the town attended Brightcrest public school, a large stony institution was the place where the girls met for the first time. 6th grade biology period- they were paired together as group for a class quiz, Blair and Violet were aiming to answer every question that was asked. Elizabeth and Ira sat there looking back and forth between the two girls who seemed to know everything. Other students were simply glaring at the outshining group unable to put up with any question. Now, the teacher had asked something different…Blair and Violet were thinking, when “Norepinephrine!” two girls had yelled the answer at once- Elizabeth and Ira, the students were now gawking at the four – the show-stealing group, they simply looked at one another and laughed which marked the beginning of the ‘The four’.
Today wasn’t about catching up, it was important. Blair, Violet and Ira had arrived; Elizabeth entered jogging with her ponytail bobbing right and left.
“Sorry I got caught up arranging the notice board. I have news! Mum told me about the Wagner family history, Cal Wagner was Carla’s father. Mrs. Carla and Mr. John…um is it disrespectful if I call them by their first names? Lizzie sheepishly asked the others. Ira and Violet chuckled, Blair smiled “Nope go on.”
“Right, so they fell in love after college and got married. John wasn’t a Wagner initially his name was Riddler, he wasn’t even rich but since Carla was adamant to marry him, Cal couldn’t refuse her and gave his blessings but also appointed John as the chairman of their company to keep their business going. But unfortunately they couldn’t have children, that’s when Carla’s older sister died leaving her 16 year old boy Nigel- an orphan, his father too had died long ago. Mrs. Wagner then raised Nigel as her son. He’s currently studying abroad.” Ira added “I know about this, Cal had only given John the company but the property and the jewels were still Carla’s which she was going to pass on to Nigel.”
“The Brookdale Observer states that the thief broke the closet in which the safe was kept, then he broke the safe too. There are no suspects until now.” Violet explained.
“What about the servants?” Ira asked. “Seemingly Mrs. Wagner gives off to the servants because she cooks and cleans on Sundays…Ugh! This gives us no leads whatsoever.”
They sat pondering, none of them were looking forward on giving up the mystery, and they had to come up with a plan to know more, when the bell rang. They stood up; Blair stuffed the newspaper in her bag. Blair suggested “Meet up after school? We could visit Mrs. Wagner’s, see how she’s doing?” “Could we go after 5 please? I work at Spellora today remember?” Lizzie requested. Spellora was a departmental store and also a pharmacy where Elizabeth worked part-time for 3 days a week, likewise Blair worked for the town library. “Ok so…meet at ‘the Burrow’ at 5:15? We’ll have coffee and then leave?” “Sure, see y’all then” all agreed and rushed off to their respective classes.
“Why rob on a Sunday? I mean why do it when it’s a holiday, that too in broad daylight! It’s simply strange.” Ira said while sipping her coffee. “It was definitely pre-planned.” Blair reasoned. “He knew that Mrs. Wagner would be out for shopping and she gives the servants a day off.” Violet finished -“But Mr. Wagner was at home unexpectedly, that’s why he had to knock him out.” “anyways, we’d better get going.” Lizzie concluded glancing at her watch and dropping her cup in the garbage bin.
The girls walked from the town’s square to the private, posh street where Wagner Ville was placed- behind huge iron gates. Wildflower plants and trees adorned in pink flowers which swayed gently to the chilly wind were flanked in rows to the old winding stone path, it led directly to the a colossal mansion which installed itself proudly. Yards of garden laid on either side of the path, a police car was parked at the entrance with other two vintage cars. There were two delicate marble fountains pinned in the midst of the gardens, the pleasant gurgling of the water would be melodic under usual circumstances. Now, it resonated in the surrounding like a painful silence. The girls were invited in by the gatekeeper. A great hall of chandeliers and renaissance paintings hanging on walls was spread ahead and a large central hallway was serving as entrance to the adjacent rooms, it flowed into a large, wide staircase which was divided into the private rooms on the second floor. A servant went to call Mrs. Wagner while the girls marveled at the interior. “I think you should do the greetings Ira.” Violet asked Ira, to which she nodded.
“Oh look, who’s here! The infamous adventure-hungry-vultures. You guys just cannot resist the temptation of a mystery, can you?” A familiar voice reached their ears.
The four stilled “Not her again.” They collectively whispered, preparing to face the person who had said the words. Their arch nemesis- Portia Wilson stood at the top of the stairway with her hands crossed and a brow arched. Portia was a girl with spoiled upbringing and a thirst for power, ruthlessly determined to get to the top of the social ladder. She had an unshakeable confidence and considered the four as an obstacle due to their popularity. “Why are you here Portia?” Elizabeth asked with conviction. Mrs. Wagner followed; she was hanging up the phone. She joined Portia with a frown on her face. Clara was a pleasant woman, carrying herself in a classy, elegant way. Her pearls glowed in the light. But today her face was downcasted and appeared wrinkled almost absent of the elegance she presented. “I felt deeply distressed by the incident so I decided to do something nice for Mr. and Mrs. Wagner, I brought dinner for them.” Portia beamed. Lizzie rolled her eyes.
Mrs. Wagner looked up taking notice of her guests ‘Ira! Sorry I didn’t notice you, I’ve been really occupied since yesterday.” “It’s okay Mrs. Wagner. We wanted to see how you were doing, we’re all very sorry about what happend.” She then introduced her friends and asked if they could help in the investigation. “Everyone knows you girls; you’re welcome to help in anyway. Huh, I am up for any form of help now. All that I had for my dear Nigel is gone. I had promised my sister I’d take care of him…” she swallowed back a tear gathered her cool and then ordered lemonade for her guests. She informed them that Mr. Wagner was at the station helping the cops, and then she walked them through the details of the robbery. Unfortunately they could only watch the scene from a distance since the cops were still investigating. The safe was in a locked room on the second floor in a safety closet. The thief had apparently entered from the woods in the back, through a window undetected by the gatekeeper. The only thing that was broken in the room was the safe; every other door showed no sign of forced entry, there was nothing odd to disclose any hint. They soon left without any leads after spending a long time searching for clues from a distance, but assured Mrs. Wagner that they would keep an open eye for anything helpful, and also asked her to stay calm.
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“He used a sledgehammer to break the safe; surely he knew everything about that family and planned precisely.” Violet said exasperated. “Maybe he is an insider who knows the family well…but not well enough to have known the combination to the safe” she wondered. Lizzie countered “Or maybe he did his homework” Meanwhile Ira was too distracted to add any theories of her own “I cant think about this right now, Ms. Cooper announced an algebra test for day after tomorrow. I gotta study for it and we’ve got nothing! So let’s just wait…what else can we possibly do?”
Elizabeth perked up “that reminds me, Violet would you lend me your essay on ‘cold war and civil rights’? I have to submit it and I am halfway through but I am unable to get any more stuff, please please don’t say no.” She begged with wide-eyes at her. “Uh…you’re not going to stop staring at me like a lost puppy until I agree right?….” Violet surveyed Elizabeth’s expression with a firm look for a minute “fine! take it tomorrow.” she gave up. They bade goodbyes and hoped to find something to give them a step ahead in the mystery. Next day at school wasn’t so eventful except for Portia mocking them for their lack of success. “That bonehead wench! She really challenges my patience.” Ira had said with her teeth clenched in anger.
No leads were found yet, no evidence was turned in. They decided to visit the station and check if they had missed anything. Elizabeth was working at Spellora as per her schedule when Ira dropped at the store. The store was large, divided into departments as furnishings, electronics, cosmetics, stationary and sometimes also groceries. A pharmacy was connected to it; the owner- Colin managed it. Elizabeth was posted at the stationary section today, she was arranging newly arrived products when Ira came and stood behind her and declared “you need to help me Lizzie.”
Startled by the sudden intrusion she dropped a box of pen which she bent to pick up, Ira joined her. “Jesus, Ira! You scared the crap outta me. Never sneak upon ANYONE like this again.” She warned. “I know, sorry bout that but I need you, you have to help me study today.” She told her with a determined face. Lizzie laughed “You’re creepy sometimes you know, I can’t help ya hun. I’ve got an essay to submit.” “Please just an hour! I am done with studying; just monitor me while I do the solving. We can do it after our visit to the station. I’ll even buy you dinner.” Ira pleaded again. Lizzie agreed afterall she was being given free food. I can complete my essay tomorrow she thought. That’s when someone unexpected had walked in, it was Mr. John Wagner. He was a man with sharp features, his face radiated intensity, but the greyish hair on his head neutralized it. He walked to the pharmacy counter; his right hand was bandaged and put in a sling pouch. Mercifully it wasn’t fractured just swollen. The girls noticed him. “Let’s go talk to him.”
“Just lemme put these on the rack.” Elizabeth picked up a stack of books and started aligning them. Mr Wagner asked for something. Colin looked for it under the counter when he didn’t find it he shouted- “Lee! Get me a blister of Silenor from the new stack.”
The girls were witnessing the interaction “Silenor…isn’t that Doxepine? The sleep pill?” Ira asked Lizzie to which she nodded and said- “I can’t blame him if he has trouble sleeping after the theft…poor Mr. Wagner.” “I can’t find it here, sir.” Lee’s shouted back to his boss. Colin gave Mr. Wagner the receipt and asked him to wait and left muttering curses under his breath. Mr. Wagner looked at the receipt and inserted his left hand in his left pocket to take out his wallet and froze. He looked up, then to his right, no one was in sight. Slowly he took out his left hand and twisted his frame slightly to put it in his right side pocket.
“What the hell!?” Lizzie exclaimed, Ira gasped too. He abruptly turned to his left to see if anyone was there. Both the girls ducked behind the counter, with aghast expressions. Slowly they rose; he had taken out his wallet from his right pocket now and was paying for the pills.
“What is he doing? Did he just…” Ira continued “does this mean…..?” Lizzie robotically nodded. “Text Bee and Vee to meet us as early as they can, I’ll get my stuff! We have to tell them what we saw and until then follow him.” Ira typed out a SOS to the others. They saw Mr. Wagner get into his car and drive off. They too got into Ira’s car and took off behind him. Lizzie decided she’d get her bicycle later. Ira was the only one to have a car amongst them four, being the oldest of them at 16 years old and 9 months she had a provisional license. They followed him till the Wagner Ville, and parked outside and waited for Blair and Violet. The police car wasn’t present today. Violet arrived first, “what’s the matter, did you guys find something?”
“Sort of…it’s kinda alarming but it’s definitely something. And if it is what it is then it’ll be outrageously complicated. But we need to wait for Blair.” Ira’s lack of divulgence made Violet excited and anxious both. Blair finally arrived. When told what they saw Blair was stunned yet somehow Violet had a straight face, but was lost in a thought.
“Why would he have his wallet in his right pocket if he is injured? He can’t use his right hand afterall it’s in a sling bag!” Elizabeth burst out. Ira then took off “He is definitely hiding something! It was so suspicious, him checking around to see if anybody was around then taking out the wallet from his RIGHT pocket with his freakin LEFT hand!” Blair proceeded with caution- “if he’s faking his injury because he is involved in the robbery…then its terribly upsetting, but what if it has an explanation..? We need to learn more.” The girls nodded. 86Please respect copyright.PENANAYOBJF6jrUg
Ira looked at Violet and asked “Vee…you don’t look surprised?” “Because I think it’s true.” 86Please respect copyright.PENANAhfmJ7CPClI
To be continued....
Hope you liked the 1st part of the story, but the mystery isn't solved yet. Keep an eye out for the next part...i'll be getting back to you with a saucy, thrilling ending.
Sending love x