Dick Spanner: The Case of the Lost Princess

Scene 3 - Travel Agents

We are outside the building, it's very ordinary, not very interesting. With a big sign on the building "Travel Agents", several blocked windows and door. Spanner approaches the building with extreme care.

Dick Spanner:

Well, this was it, I didn't like the look of it at all. Now obviously they would have wanted me to go straight through the front door, now I'm not that daft. They wouldn't expect their guest to come through the back.

He goes around the back Spanner reaches the back door of the building, but it is locked, looking puzzled, he then had an idea.

The door is locked, the other was most likely open for me to walk blindly into. Then I made a dumb move, the only way for me to get into is breaking it down. And that's when I made a dumb move, I picked up my gun from my coat pocket and shot the lock for the door to swing open and to make my entrance.

The gun is pulled out from his pocket and Dick Spanner fires it at the lock with a bang, then sliding to the side of the door like a gunman in a gun war to be cautious, the object opens wide up.

As they say, desperate times calls for desperate measures.

With more caution, Spanner enters the building where he presumes his trap lies.

Anyway, I made my way into the building

The robotic private investigator, carrying his gun in his hand, proceeds carefully into the main storeroom.

I didn't know what to expect, my first place to investigate in the building was the front, the room with the open door that was obviously for me. I had that feeling through my wires again, either I'm not alone here or I'm about to be blown sky-high.

He reaches the entrance of the main storeroom, with no door. The nervously cautious Spanner, once again, dives by the side of the entrance like earlier for protection.

Well, here we go.

The next move he makes is turning into the building with his back to the wall like a compass. Spanner was now inside the room of his trap, the room was relatively small but highly dangerous. He noticed tied to the unlocked door a thin rope attaching hanging delicately to an object on the store's main table which looked exactly like a hand grenade. If the door had been opened, it would have caused the bomb to fall to the floor and explode, it's ticking. Spanner freezes at the sight.

Thank god I went around the back! If I went straight through the front door I wouldn't be here alive telling you about my survival because I would have been blown to smithereens.

Quickly, Dick Spanner rushes over to the bomb and does as he explains...

I carefully untied the rope to the grenade that dropped down onto the floor and picking up the... Jumpin' Ge-, it's an A229 grenade, it could take up half the street if it goes up! I then turned the top of the bomb extremely slowly and until it got loose, remember this is timed and I was sweating so hard that it might as well be raining. I pulled it out of the container and so it was safe.

He gives a huge sigh of relief and places the components in his pocket.

It was all ok then, but I noticed another slip of paper on the table, the bomb was too distracting for anything.

Spanner picks up the piece of paper and reads it aloud

The piece of paper said; well done Spanner, the bomb could have been timed for all you know, your clue should be in the top draw on the left side of the desk.

Putting down the piece of paper, he follows the letter's orders by going over to the draw.

I did as the letter said and went over to the draw, but I didn't wanna open it in case it was another bomb, but I couldn't feel that strange feeling in my wires, so I carefully opened the draw up.

The draw is very carefully opened and inside is another slip of paper, it is picked up by Spanner.

Fortunately, I was right and there was no bomb and it contained another piece of paper and I picked it up and read it. It contained the address of where the Princess was from this, somewhere in the Gobi Desert with a diagram of the temple she is being kept by her kidnappers, I know it because it said and remember this is my only lead, and I have been lucky so far. The letter also explained that the bomb was timed, as I already figured out, it even said at the start, "Well done Spanner, that bomb was timed, you, the letter and the street could have gone up in smoke there". Hmm, ok then pal.

Spanner looks around and decides on his next actions.

So, it was a lead anyway, but instead of looking for some more evidence, I made another dumb move.