Mystery Series # 3: The Hound of Freezerville

Detective Version: I sat at my desk, my eyes peering through the case detailed before me. The day was slow, lethargic, apathetic, and it was starting to get to me. My desk was mahogany, the best available, and it sat facing my closed office door. A slight tap-tap-tap noise brought the world back into focus. I grunted my enter, and the door opened, cautiously. In stepped a black high-heeled, open-toed pump covering well-manicured toes. They were red, a blood red, the kind of red that makes you think of, well, manicured toes. Following the pump was a leg, long and smooth. I leaned back in my tall leather chair. My eyes moved from the charcoal low-cut dress suit to the crimson lips to the bobbed brown hair. She was beautiful, too beautiful, something didn't quite add up. But I could tell from her eyes that she needed me.

Husband's version: I sat at my desk, the one I bought for my college apartment and that has moved with me 2 times after that. I glared at the ever-cluttered desk before me. A stomp, stomp, stomp made me sigh, as my wife came down the steps after putting our daughter to bed. She entered the kitchen, her blue Penn State sweats nearly covering her white socks. She glanced in my direction as she headed for the sink full of dishes.

Detective version: With a nod, I directed her to the chair across from me. She hesitated, struggling with consciousness, then sat. She crossed her ankles, and as she brought her eyes up to meet mine, her story poured forth. She was in trouble. A valuable family heirloom was missing. Her great aunt had died, leaving her the sole heir to a large estate. The estate was known for a number of rare and valuable artifacts, but there was one of great importance. An alabaster elephant carved in the oldest of ivories. It was worth more than "The Mona Lisa" and "Starry Night" combined. It was always kept in a safe built into the wall behind her great aunt's bed. The key to that safe was stored in a book, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", in the library. No one knew of the safe or the key's existence, that is until the aunt died and revealed their locations in her will. The key was found as well as the safe, but when they tried the lock, it would not open.

Husband's version: I told her we needed to straighten up the basement. Currently, it was a mound of boxes all placed in the center of the room with no rhyme or reason behind their arrangement. Tonight would be the night we tackled this task.

Detective's version: Tragic eyes met mine, and a crimson blush spread across her cheeks. The elephant must be found, she cried.

Husband's version: The basement must be cleaned.

Detective's version: I agreed to take the case and meet her at her great aunt's home the next evening.

Husband's version: We both went down to the basement.

Detective's version: The house loomed before me surrounded by the cloudless, gray sky. It was still, eerily so. A bell clanged through the house, and I heard footsteps marching toward the door. A butler, silent and grave, opened the door. As I entered a long, narrow hall, I caught sight of a maid scurrying into a neighboring room. "This way," the butler stated. He led me into a dimly lit room with walls covered in bookcases. Stark furniture surrounded a fireplace, empty and cold. On a table, I saw a book titled, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", it lay open, and inset into the pages, was a small silver key. I turned my back on the book, and perused the vast array of shelves.

Husband's version: First, we began to move boxes onto the built in storage shelves. We organized by category, i.e. high school boxes here, college boxes here, Christmas decorations here, and baby items here. Then we began repacking boxes that were previously opened and had items removed and on the floor. The entire time we collected trash, some from us in the moving process, some from the previous owner who had left things scattered around.

Detective's version: I smelled her scent of lavender and rose before she spoke. "Detective, I'm so glad you're here." Her hair fell in curls, surrounding her face. Her eyes met mine, and relief filled them. She stepped forward. "You've of course noticed the book here on the table," she asked. She seemed shocked when I turned away and began pacing the room. "I've solved your mystery," I said. Utter bewilderment descended upon her, and she collapsed into a nearby chair. "But how," she cried. "Did your great aunt ever use the word book when describing where to find the key?" I asked. "Well, of course, she said to look in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'. Does not that in itself signify a book?" Her eyebrows raised as she examined my face. I turned from her and continued my path back and forth across the room. "Your great aunt did not mean the book, "The Hound of the Baskervilles", she meant the movie, "The Hound of the Baskervilles". If you'll notice in the corner adjacent the fireplace there is a row of DVD's. As I see that there is no TV or DVD player in this room, I must attest that they are there as a ruse. "The Hound of the Baskervilles", the 1972 version directed by Barry Crane, is indeed one of those movies, and I believe that in that case you will find the key to your safe and your alabaster elephant."

Husband's version: As we were peering into boxes, we noticed a small, white shopping bag in the corner which we had never looked in before. When we opened it, we found parts to our freezer which has been missing its ice dispenser. Sure enough those were the very parts that have been missing all these months. Those were the parts that we were preparing to call a service man to replace or worse still giving up on this freezer and purchasing a new one.

Oh yes, there are lots of mysteries being solved here this month! And of course, I'll post pictures of the basement in a future post.

For previous mystery entries, see the following:

Mystery Series # 1
Mystery Series # 2