You and Me Against an Army

Chapter 2: Officer Bishop and Officer Stephenson

Officer Bishop and Officer Stephenson were extremely stereotypical, sitting around the police station that used to be a museum eating donuts and talking to each other through their walkie-talkies even though they were in the same room. This may be why they did nothing about the scandalous organization on the loose in Isle o' Pearl. They were well aware of the crimes committed, but they did not see what was hidden beneath.

"Officers!" Penny was breathless from running. Clare was not far behind her.

Officer Bishop lifted his head, glanced at them, and rolled his eyes.

"What theories have you been making up, children? You haven't been putting yourselves in any danger, have you? Please don't make us call your supervisors . . . That would be the fifth time this month! They would not be happy." Officer Bishop complained.

"No!" Penny and Clare shouted together. "Don't call our supervisors! They will surely never let us leave the apartment again! Please Officers . . ."

Officer Stephenson set down the donut in his hands and wiped them off on his pants.

"Come and sit. This better be worth it." an evil grimace appeared on the officer's face and they knew that without proof, Penny and Clare would get nowhere.

"Ok." Clare began calmly. "We have no physical evidence of it, but we hope you will believe us when we tell you what has just happened."

"If you have no proof how can we possible know you are telling the truth!?" Officer Bishop and Officer Stephenson exchanged disapproving glances.

"Because otherwise we wouldn't be here!" screamed Clare, losing her patience.

Now, personally I think I would have reacted in exactly the same way. After all this is my story isn't it? And as you've probably previously assumed, this was not the first time that Officers Bishop and Stephenson had been completely ridiculous. Penelope and Clarence Quincy had come to the Officers repeatedly, hoping that they had enough verification to convince them that this gang was leaving hints to their plans of crime. And clearly, they have not been very successful.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me why someone would want to throw off the police? After all you are the ones who appear to be doing so. We are doing our best to bring these criminals to justice. Why don't you let us do this in peace?" the officers had identical approving nods.

"You're not doing anything though. We've come closer to catching these lawbreakers than you ever have! And we are 14!" Penny's face was growing scarlet.

"You have done no such thing. You have disregarded the official way to investigate crimes and have gotten yourselves far too deep into this problem. Go home." Officer Stephenson spit when he spoke.

"We were being chased by the felons! We were in mortal danger and you- the police- were not there to help us. Mind you, we were not armed and we could have died! Do you think that you are doing well at your job?" Clare knew she shouldn't have said that.

The Officers simultaneously reached for the large, awkward telephones that sat upon the corner of their desks. Dialing the number of Penny and Clare's supervisors, the Officers looked at Penny and Clare with dislike.

Clare and Penny were forced to return to their apartment in their supervisors' old sedan, and they now sat in the small bedroom they shared. Clare pulled a blurry photo out of the leather bag she often carried with her.

Clare was a photographer and a bit of a biologist. No, these things have just about nothing in common, but they are what she likes. She always considered herself a lover of science, but at the same time, she loved to take photographs for the local newspapers.

The local newspapers are of no big deal to the citizens of Isle o' Pearl, but they were still alive by some crazy miracle. The only people who actually read the newspapers are the young people of Isle o' Pearl. This is because the newspaper is written by a close friend of Penny and Clare's, Madame Fitzroy. She hid small codes in the newspaper that all the youngsters had a key to, so they could translate the written story into a secret message. Usually the messages were updates on Penny's, Clare's, and anybody else's progress on the case.

"I was going to show them this. It's all I could get of them." Clare dejectedly pinned the photo onto the wall, which was a disarray of mismatched leads as to where and how they could capture the culprits of so many horrible wrongs in this poor town.

"You got a picture?! That's amazing! It could lead us to identifying the lawless gang of miscreants!" Penny flicked the picture off the wall and held it close to her face.

"You can't see their faces. What's the point of it?"

"Just because you can't see the facial features you recognize doesn't mean you can't find other features you can identify. Like their body shape and other revealing aspects such as . . . there." Penny victoriously showed a red unfocused blotch to Clare.

"Oooh. I see, so we're going to see Ms. Bailey tomorrow?" Clare said, a mischievous grin appearing upon her face.

"Yes, this is why every detail is important." Penny and Clare glanced at each other before their supervisors opened the door to the bedroom and began to scold them for staying up so late.