CHAPTER 19 - MUTINY IN THE MEATHEADS AND ADVENTURES OF NANCY DREW JR

NORMAN AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - A WEEK LATER, AFTERNOON

MASTER BEDROOM

LINDSAY

I take out the Preen and preen at my good fortune. “Exquisite just exquisite.” I sigh happily. “I think I will wear it to the first meeting of the Modern Christian Lesbians. It is only befitting as the co-chairwoman.”

“Lindsay, are you up there?!” Norman calls up and I quickly put the dress in the bag and the bag in the wardrobe.

“Yes. What are you shouting for?” I demand tersely as I come out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind me and blocking his ascent up the stairs. He frowns but does turn back.

“You forgot to pick up Effy. I was worried that something happened to you when I couldn’t get hold of you.”

“I thought you were picking her up.” I hope that he believes my confusion. To be honest, I got caught up in another bag of clothing that was brought in. Admittedly, I had to correct their mistaken belief that my emporium was a goodwill store and reassured them that I had taken their donations across. But I was happy to be their drop off point so they didn’t have to go up the street. After some initial embarrassment at their faux pas, they agreed to my suggestion. I had to make sure that my stock matched close enough to what was in there to not raise suspicion. “Well, anyway where is she?”

“At YEP S&D. It opens next week, so she’s helping with last minute snagging and stuff. They are letting her loose with nails and a hammer.” He replies and pauses, looking at me strangely. “Are you okay? It’s not like you to forget something like that, since the last thing you said to her was you’d see her later.”

“Yes, I had a busy day in the boutique. You know being that I’m by myself now that all the interns…”

“Let’s not have this out again. Besides, you might be able to offer internships to those at the drop in centre.”

“Of course!” I nod in agreement, thinking I will have the pick of the crop.

“So are you going back to your store or are you done for the rest of the day?”

“You don’t normally ask this many questions. What’s going on?”

“Nothing, just...”

“To answer your question, no I am not, but I am going to be visiting my new committee members tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow? Tomorrow’s Saturday, I thought you...”

“I know Norman…”

“You said you had your Blueblood Sale at your boutique.”

“Oh damn, I had forgotten that!! I gasp. “I haven’t even prepared for it! See? This is why I needed the interns. What am I going to do?!”

“What else needs to be done? You’ve got the stock already, right? You just need to price them up.”

“Or I could just do my sale another time. Yes, I will do that. I can’t as co-chairwoman let them down in my first meeting. Really, I can’t! Oh, I know! I can get Ed...Effy and Gus to do the stock for me!”

“They are volunteering at YEP and working at LFD. Remember?”

“Well surely they can take time out to help their mother?” I sniff. “In fact, I will insist on it, especially for Effy.”

“Okay.” Norman replies and I am surprised that he let that go so easily.

“Okay as in okay for me to pull her out of YEP and you will back me?”

“Yes. Now I’ve got to get back. Left Lefty by himself and he’s still not got the hang of a wrench! See you later.”

I wait for him to drive down the road before heading back upstairs to admire my pieces.

FUKOWSKI GARAGES - AN HOUR LATER

OFFICE

NORMAN

Something is definitely up with Lindsay, but this plays into my hands. Effy has noticed that she is wearing more investment pieces than before and when she passed the goodwill shop up the road on her way to YEP S&D, she could’ve sworn she saw an item of new stock from Lindsay’s shop. I pick up my phone to call my little Nancy Drew and put her on speaker.

“Hey Effy, how you doing darling?”

“Fine...oof...just...dragging...some buckets!” She pants and I hear scraping along the ground.

“Don’t hurt yourself, sweetheart.” I warn.

“I won’t, dad!” She huffs in some air. “So where was she?”

“At home, said she thought I was picking you up.”

“Yeah right. Now she has her own committee to ladyship it over, her mind is focused on that! I am so pleased that someone gave her a place on a board. It was driving me insane! So what’s up, Daddio?”

I chuckle at her new affectation. “She also forgot that her Blueblood Sale is tomorrow so she hasn’t prepared for it.”

“What a crock! All the stock she was going to put in the BS sale…”

“Effy…” I warn, without much heat.

“Well it’s just so pretentious. I mean, come on... the Blueblood sale?!”

“Leave your mother’s whims and fancies alone, young lady.” I smile at her indignant tone. She really doesn’t like the way that Lindsay tries to be better than everyone. “So the thing is you are going to be marking down…”

“Further…” She snickers and I can’t help but to bark out a laugh.

“Stop it now. You’re doing the tickets for her tomorrow while she’s at her first meeting as co-chairwoman.”

“Oh, do I have to? Can’t I do it Sunday, since the sale is not happening?”

“But Ted can’t make Sunday and I would rather do it when there isn’t a chance of her dropping in to check on you.”

“Daddio, what are you up to that involves Uncle Ted?” She says cautiously excited.

“Nothing, but if you so happen to be in the office and the books just so happen to be in a place he can find them…”

“Okay.” She mock sighs heavily. “I’ll do the tickets for her.”

“Thank you for taking one for the team!”

“Hey, I’m Effy Fukowski…”

“Peterson-Fukowski.” I correct her.

“No, she’s a Peterson-Fukowski; I’m a Fukowski through and through. But right now, I have to get back to helping. Will you pick me up at seven or will you remind her to do it?”

“I’ll pick you up. You need to practice your whine....”

“I’ll just call the master and ask him how he does it.”

“Who’s that...oh Michael! Now Effy, how is that having respect for your elders?”

“He’s 13, not that much of an elder...oh wait! You meant actual years, not mental ones, right?!”

“Go be charitable and I’ll see you later. Love you!”

“Love you too, Daddio.”

HEATHAN’S APARTMENT - FRIDAY EVENING

LOUNGE

HEATHAN

“How come this is the first time you’ve invited us round?” My Captain demands.

“Because, my Captain, I have only just got it to myself after my last roommate moved out. He wouldn’t understand our aims and would’ve been disruptive.”

“I see. It’s very nice here. Very nice indeed.” He replies and suddenly his eyes widen. “Wait! I have a great idea! I could move in with you!”

“P-pardon, my Captain...!” I stammer.

“You have the space and I’m fed up with living under the iron fist and stinky paw of Uncle Vic and his fucking dog. This is the perfect solution for us both. You get a roommate, which I assume you need, who understands your special interests…”

“...but My Captain, you have free room and board where you are. Here you would be expected to pay rent.”

“But only a token amount, right? We’re friends, colleagues, comrades in arms...you wouldn’t gauge your Captain on the rent, would you?”

“No, no of course not! You just took me by surprise that you would want to live with me, that’s all.” I add hastily.

“Great! So I can move in tomorrow then, can’t I?!” He exclaims and after swallowing hard, I paste a smile on my face and nod. “Right. Now that that’s settled, let’s go to the matter at hand. Uncle Vic has taken great strides to keep the details of next Thursday’s fancy-schmancy dinner to himself, but we have enough information to derail it and…”

“Uh my Captain, I hate to point out the obvious but won’t you moving in tomorrow be a giveaway.” I say somewhat desperately.

“How do you mean?” He narrows his eyes at me.

“Well, he’s told you to stop ‘fucking with where he works or find somewhere else to live’, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Well, my Captain, if you move out tomorrow that takes away the element of surprise. You want him to think that you are abiding by his rules. After we have disrupted the dinner, then you move out.”

He sits back and thinks for a bit before smiling at me. “I agree. I will move in next weekend, instead.”

“So what are the plans my Captain?” Royston asks.

“We know who is having the event and the time. We simply flood the building during their dinner.”

“Flood the building?!” I gasp. “How...my Captain?”

“Um, can I just say something my Captain?” Stanley asks and he nods. “That would definitely be a bad idea…”

“No, it wouldn’t!” He snaps at him. “But do feel free to tell me why?”

“Because it’s illegal and we’ve already gotten in trouble with the police for the illegal dumping...”

He clears his throat and glares, but Stanley doesn’t say anything further. “You seem to have forgotten to finish that sentence.”

“No, I haven’t. I got suspended from work for two days because of you. I am not ending up in jail again! If you want to do this my Captain, you are on your own!” He snaps.

We all gape at him. We knew he was upset over what happened, but to abandon us like this is a shock.

“Are you resigning your post?” Michael demands.

“When it comes to this part of the mission, I would rather not be enlisted.”

“You are either in it entirely or not at all! The legacy of the Novotny name depends on us working as a team. It’s got to be us, Captain Liberty and His…

“Captain Mouthyass and his Moronic Unfuckable Meatheads actually.” Stanley cuts him off.

“Mouthy...what?!” He gasps.

“That’s what we are known as on Liberty Avenue. You do not want to know what they have named the rest of us! Let’s just say we got off lightly compared to our illustrious leader!”

We are stunned into silence.

“That fucking blonde asshole has done this!” Michael snarls. “Oh he’s so going to get it when…”

“He had nothing to do with it. I overheard someone in Woody’s and they claim that Cyril named us.”

“CYRIL!” Michael explodes. “Wait till I see that fucker! I shall give him a piece of my mind!”

“Cancun.” Stanley retorts.

“Yes, I can!” Michael snaps back at him.

“Cancun as in the place, not can’t do.” Stanley sighs. “He’s over there for six months, so your piece of mind will have to wait to be given to him.” He rubs his face. “Look, this has to be better thought out. Why attack now? They will, despite your good behaviour, be expecting it surely and be ready for us, won’t they?”

“No, they won’t; this will work! Have I ever let you down?” Michael looks around.

“Night in jail and a $300 fine means you did...oh wait, my Captain.” Stanley sneers. “Well I bid you all goodnight, I wouldn’t want to compromise the mission by listening in where I should not.”

We are dumbstruck as he puts on his coat and walks out.

“He’ll be back. He will miss the camaraderie and come crawling back.” Michael asserts. “Now back to the mission...”

Mental note to self, first get a roommate and second get a date with Stanley...that was seriously hot!

CHIQUE BOUTIQUE - SATURDAY MORNING

STOCKROOM

EFFY

I look around and can’t understand it. There should be more stock here for her Blueblood Sale. I check all the cupboards and there is still only half of what there should be. I glance at my phone as it beeps and head upstairs to let in Uncle Ted.

“Hey sweetheart!” He smiles and kisses me on the cheek. “What’s with the frown?”

“There’s not enough stock. Well not the amount of stock that there normally is, at any rate. Something is not right. The books are in the office; I just need to check something.” I grab my jacket and head downstairs and find what I am looking for then run back up. “Just going down the street, Uncle Ted.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Be careful!”

“I will.” I lock the door behind me and dash up the street with the jacket in hand to the goodwill shop and I was not going crazy. There in the window is the matching dress, I go inside.

“Hi can I help...oh wait. I know you, don’t I?” The lady behind the counter smiles at me. “Now don’t tell me...hmm, your mother owns the emporium down the street, doesn’t she? Wait Edna…”

“No please! It’s Effy! And yes, she does.” I look round and see more and more familiar pieces. “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course, you can.”

“Has my Mom been in lately?”

“Yes. Seems she’s having a clear out. She has some nice pieces, but they had to be marked down a bit more.”

“Can you show me the pieces she brought in? I think she has made a terrible mistake.”

An hour later, I head back to the store and find Uncle Ted, looking very puzzled.

“You okay, Uncle Ted?”

“Something is not adding up here. I think I will have to speak to your dad first though. Now come on, let’s get you home. You okay? You too look confused.”

“I think I need to have a word with my Mom right after I look in her wardrobe!” I reply as I flick through the pictures I took.

“Why? What’s up?”

“Mom took some stuff to goodwill….”

“Well that’s good, isn’t it?”

“But it was brand new stock. Okay three months old, but still she should be selling it not giving it away, and some stuff on the racks look really fancy but…”

“But what? Come on, it’s obviously bothering you.”

“It’s too big for her. She’s marked it down as pre-owned…”

“And…” He prompts.

“It smelt of her perfume.”

“Okay. Still not following.”

“She tried it on, which means, well to me…”

“Ah, she meant to keep it for herself. I see what you are getting at. Perhaps get all your evidence first and then confront, okay Lil Miss Drew?”

“Okay Uncle Ted, but I hope I’m wrong.” I kiss his cheek as I get out of the car.

“Oh honey, I hope we both are.” He looks grim faced as he drives away.

Oh Mom what are you up to now?!