The CASKET Files (P.I.E. Fanfic)

𝙻𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚘𝚙

  "Log six. February twenty-fourth, twenty-twenty. Monday.

  I spent my whole weekend trying to find out something about Timothy Casket's death, but to no avail. I had asked Leonard on Friday, before he left for home, if he had found something, but he said no.

  I was starting to lose hope on this case, when I think we may have broken through a brick wall."

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  Johnny Ghost and his partner, Johnny Toast, were almost ready to leave on another case. "Do we have the guns loaded with salt?" Ghost asked, as he was going down a checklist of their gear. "Yep! With extra salt this time, sir." Toast answered, Ghost checking off that item on the list with a pencil.

  "Ey, Toast!" A voice called out. The two turned to see Leonard catching up to them. "What is it?" The Brit wondered. "I found something!" He explained. "Found what?" Ghost asked, looking curiously to the folder in his hand. Leonard hesitated, as he looked at Ghost, then to Toast. 

  "Would you excuse us a minute, sir?" Ghost was confused, but he nodded. So, Toast and Malkovich went to one of the two HQ break rooms down the hall.

  "What did you find?" Toast asked eagerly. "Okay, so I was looking through the company's archives, and I found a file on some guy called Jimmy Casket." Toast's eyes widened. Of course! Why hadn't he ever considered Jimmy's file? "I thought to myself, you know, 'Hey, this guy has the same last name as that victim, so'-" Leonard was cut off. "Thank you so much! Listen, I have to go. Can you just leave the file on my desk, please?" Toast requested, to which Malkovich nodded in response.

  The two then left the break room.

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  "I still have no clue as to why I hadn't considered Jimmy Casket. Surely there's going to be something in this file that could help.

  The minute Ghost and I had returned to Headquarters, I was back in my office—ready to tear through this file.

  I took off my dirt-covered, black vest, then set it aside as I sat in my desk chair.

  The moment I had the file open, I found the part listing off family. The list seemed very short, and to the point."

  "FAMILY:

-Timothy Casket: Father (DECEASED)

-Catherine Casket: Mother (UNKNOWN)

-Gregory Casket: Brother (DECEASED)"

  "Wait a minute. Gregory Casket? Where have I heard that name before? It sounded vaguely familiar...

  I had to think for a minute, before I remembered when I heard it."

  Johnny Toast pressed the inner-com button that had recently been installed, and spoke into the small mic. "Can I please have Leonard Malkovich come to my office? Thank you." Within a minute or two, Leonard entered Toast's office door. "Yeah, chief? What's up?"

  "Can you find me an entity file on Cardboard Box Friend, please?" The Brit requested. Leonard nodded, and was gone again.

  Once Leonard was gone, Toast held up the Jimmy Casket file, and began searching through it again. The moment he did, Johnny Ghost came in with absolutely no warning. Startled, Toast closed the file and placed it face down on his desk. "O-Oh! Hello, sir!"

  "What are you doing, Johnny?" Ghost asked, somewhat pressingly. "I erm,  am working on that case I told you about the other day, sir." Toast answered quickly. "What case?" Ghost wondered, to which Toast replied with, "I can't tell you quite yet, sir." Ghost let out a huff of frustration.

  "Look, I was cool with you doing a case on your own. But then you started asking me questions about my dad without telling me why. Then, you make me doubt myself about him!" He started. "Sir, listen-"

  "I'm not finished, Toast! On top of that, why, jus- why? Why in the world do you need the entity file on Jimmy Casket? I though we agreed to leave it alone! Oh, and let's not forget Leonard." Ghost ranted. "What?" The Brit was confused. "I, you best friend, partner, and freaking co-proprietor of this company, offered to help you. But not! You asked the CRAIGSLIST intern to help you. He's not even a full time employee!" Toast was silent for a second, just to make sure Ghost was finished.

  "Listen, sir. Right now, I cannot tell you why I need Jimmy's file, or why I was asking you about your father. Second, I was just giving Leonard a case to help with, you know, that way he might get some experience!" Toast explained, but his partner rolled his eyes. "He's the expendable one we take out in the field with us!" Toast was mildly shocked by that statement. "Sir! He might actually be a valuable employee. We'd have no way of knowing if he'd gotten killed on a field case, now would we?"

  Ghost was nearly gob smacked. "How come you've never given that kind of experience to Spooker or Colon, huh? Why is Leonard so special?" Toast was beginning to get frustrated with this argument. "Because he's the new guy, and I need help!" He lashed out. "Then why not ask me?!"
  "I can't tell you what this case is about, yet!" Toast all-but-shouted. "FINE! Keep your secrets, then!" Ghost snapped. "Sir, I promise, once this case is solved, I will tell you! Alright?" Toast told him. "Yeah, okay..." Ghost mumbled with a pout.

  As Ghost began to leave, Leonard walked in with a manilla folder in hand. "I got the file-" But Ghost snatched it before Leonard could finish his sentence. Upon looking at the file, Ghost saw the title, "ENTITY FILE N° 28: Carboard Friend". Ghost shot the Brit a frustrated glare, before tossing the file onto his desk, and steaming out.

  Leonard stood there confused, and Toast put his head in his hands for a second. Then he told Leonard, "You can go, now."

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  On this Saturday afternoon, Little Gregory was in the back yard, drawing on the face for Carboard Friend. The face consisted of two little circles for eyes, and a small triangle for it's mouth. Once finished, Gregory put the marker down.

  "I'm gonna call you..." Gregory paused to think of a name for this thing. After a few seconds, the boy gave up. "Cawboawd fwiend is otay... Will you pway wif me?" The inanimate box was silent. "Yay! Let's pway... I spy!" Gregory excitedly suggested.

  "I spy wif my wittle eye, somet'in that is..." The boy thought for a moment, before saying, "Somet'in bwown!" In answer, Box Fried was silent. "No! Not my haiw!" Gregory corrected with a small giggle. There was silence once more. "Yep! It's da twee!" Gregory confirmed to his imaginary friend.

  Gregory was quiet again. He looked at Box Friend. He seemed as though he was listening. "Hm..." Gregory hummed thoughtfully, before guessing, "Is it da bwue sky?" He wondered—turning to look back at the box figure. 

  "Gregory, hun! Come wash up for dinner!" Mrs. Casket called from the back porch. "It was?! Yay!" Gregory cheered to his imaginary friend, all while ignoring his mother. "Gregory!" She called out again. "I spy..." The little boy started again. "Gregory Casket! Come here!" Mrs. Casket practically shouted out. 

  Gregory swiftly turned around to look at his mother. She motioned with her hand for him to come to her. With a small huff, Gregory complied.