CHAPTER 2: One Of Our Fridges Is Missing

 

From the journal of Jon Quayle Cornelius. Our first day of investigations in Strangerville have revealed much, and all of it a complete mystery.

First; what strange illness has befallen members of this community?

Second; what do their cryptic messages of open eyes and mothers mean?

Third; what happened to our refrigerator? 

As Cornelius wrote those words in his investigation journal he could hear David cursing in the kitchen.

"Damn, all that food we'd left out that didn't get stolen with our fridge has gone off!" he said.  "There's nothing to eat, Cornelius."

David threw the bowl of rotting salad in the bin and stormed out of the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry anyway." replied Cornelius.  "I'm more interested in why it was taken in the first place"

"And by whom" interjected David.  "I can't think on an empty stomach.  There's a diner down the road; I'm going to get dressed and get breakfast there.  Are you coming?"

"I think I will.  It'll be another opportunity to interact with the local residents" said Cornelius, immediately leaping to his feet.

It wasn't far to the diner and they were both relieved to find that it was open.  When they entered they found that they were the only customers.

"Interact with the locals, eh, Cornelius?" said David, sarcastically.

"The barman's a local.  Hello my good man!" said Cornelius, cheerily, to the barman.  "Are you serving breakfast?"

"We are.  Here are some menus." the barman replied.

"Excellent" said Cornelius, taking a seat at the bar.

"I'd like a bacon roll with some coffee and orange juice" said David.

"That sounds capital!  Same for me" added Cornelius.

With the two of them the only customers it didn't take long for either to be served their meal.

"You gentlemen new in town?  I ain't seen you in here before" said the barman.

"We are new...Mr?" said Cornelius.

"The name's Dill.  So you with the military?" 

"No"

"The lab people?"

"Not them either"

"So that leaves the hippy commune"

"Not this time.  We're...independent of those groups and doing our own investigation" said Cornelius.

"Investigation?  Into what?"

"What have you got?" Cornelius answered cryptically.

"So you ain't military and you ain't with the science people..." said Dill.

"I didn't say we weren't scientists.  I said we weren't with the laboratory here in Strangerville."

"Outsiders...well, just be aware that the army folk are everywhere in this town; this joint is popular with them when they're off duty.  Don't make them angry..." said Dill.

"Easy to antagonise, eh?" said David.

"They don't like folk poking around in their business.  I don't ask questions of them, I've learned that."

Cornelius downed the rest of his orange juice, took out his wallet and threw a $5 on the counter.  "That should cover things, David.  No, don't get up; you finish your breakfast in peace.  I need to get back home...there are things that need urgently attending to.  Mr Dill, thank you for your help, goodbye." and with that he got up and walked out.

As he headed home he noticed the man in the pale suit from the day before.  He was still walking in that strange, robotic manner and had the same manic look on his face.

Cornelius approached him.  "Hello again!" he said, disarmingly.  "Are your eyes still open?"

The man stood still but didn't look at Cornelius but instead just looked up to the sky.  "ReD iS tHe CoLoUr Of MoThEr" he muttered.

"Ah, mother, how is she doing?  Could I meet her?" said Cornelius

The man said nothing.  Cornelius waved his hand in front of his face to see if there was a response but the man didn't react at all.

Instead the man just continued on his way in that strange, jerky manner.  Cornelius considered following the man but knew he had to get home now because he was expecting visitors...

David, in the meantime, finished his breakfast and proceeded on to the local library.  He was determined to learn more about recent Strangerville history from their newspaper archive.  He went through the microfiche, making a note of anything that seemed out of the ordinary.  There were already signs that within the library all was not normal as he noticed that there was a man wearing a colander with coloured lights attached to it on his head.  As he was writing up his findings and observing the strange utensil wearing person, he was approached by a friendly face.

"Hello David" said Lauren, the librarian.  David had met her yesterday and she looked distraught at that time but today she seemed a lot calmer.

"Lauren.  How nice to see you.  How are you today?" David asked.

"Oh fine...fine.  Actually I must apologise for my distraught state yesterday; work pressure you know."

"No need to apologise, in fact you were helpful:  I was able to find the newspaper archives with no trouble."

"Do you need any help at the moment?" she asked.

"Well...I'm still researching into recent Strangerville history..." he began to say, remembering that when he mentioned that yesterday it sent Lauren into a panic.

"Oh yes, you mentioned that.  I'm sorry I couldn't help you yesterday but...are you with the Laboratory, or military?"

"Neither:  I'm independent of both." he replied.

Lauren seemed to loosen up a bit when he said that.  "I could help, but not now.  It's too busy here at the moment.  Come back later." she said, looking past David towards a scientist in a lab coat.

"Or we could meet after your shift, go for a drink?" said David.

Lauren nodded.  "I end at midday today.  Meet you outside here just after?" she said.

"It's a deal" replied David.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Peggy had arrived to start work on collating Cornelius' findings so far but she was taken aback by a change to the decor of the house.

"Erm, Cornelius...how did you redecorate so quickly?" she asked.

"Oh the Department sent some people around at my request.  Very good and efficient they were as well.  And we have a replacement refrigerator as well."

Cornelius went into the kitchen to show off the new fridge to Peggy when he noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor.  Cornelius didn't recognise it as any of his documents but it was typewritten.

Cornelius picked up the paper and read out loud what was written on it.  "We had to confiscate your refrigerator as it had recently become contaminated.  Please excuse the inconvenience.  Ps, don't go snooping around....oh well that's polite of them" he added.

"Contaminated by what?" asked Peggy.

"Let's think..." said Cornelius.  "When the visitors arrived yesterday one of them made their way to the back and buried something in the planter boxes outside.  Another put something in the fridge.  So, what do you bury in a planter box, Peggy?"

"Treasure?  Something that you want to keep hidden?  Or just plants" she replied.

"And assuming the latter and we don't have any information about what plant it might have been, what do you keep in a fridge?"

"Food"

"So, therefore, extrapolating from information we already have...it might be some kind of food they planted and placed in the fridge.  And someone else came along later and removed it all."

"Who would do that?"

"Who are the most likely suspects in Strangerville?  The scientists over at the lab or the army base."

"My money's on the science lab..." said David, who had entered the house at this precise point.  "Cornelius, what have you done to this place?" he added, looking around at the walls.

"A little decorating, I would have thought you'd approved, given your disdain with the decor" Cornelius replied.

"It's very...you" said David, dryly.

"How did it go at the library?" asked Cornelius.

"Very well, very well indeed.  Not so much from the archive itself but the librarian..."

"Lauren?" interjected Peggy.

"Yes, Lauren, was in a more talkative mood and in fact I'm meeting her after her shift ends which is just after lunch.  I think she knows quite a bit about what's going on..." said David, enthusiastically.

"I'm sure you'll charm her, David" said Peggy, wryly.

"This is good; cultivating a contact.  Peggy, I think the key to this mystery is biological.  I'm going to look into plants that can cause similar symptoms in humans in the meantime can you find out the names of all those we've seen infected with this illness?  We know of the mayor, Ted Roswell, but find out the names of the others, will you?"

"I'm on it, Cornelius" said Peggy, enthusiastically as she stood up, grabbed her handbag and went out.

"As for you, David...you have a lunch date to prepare for..."

She stood alone outside the diner, looking demure as she waited.  David had noticed that she must have gone home to change outfits.  The short red dress and white blouse looked modern without being ostentatious and they showed off a fine pair of legs, he thought.  When he got closer, he could tell she was wearing more make up then when they spoke at the library earlier.

"Lauren!  I hope I haven't kept you waiting long" he said as he approached her.

"No, not at all.  I was earlier than we'd arranged." she replied.

"That's a nice outfit you're wearing"

"Thank you.  It's not Carnaby Street but..."

"It compliments you." David said.  "Shall we go inside?" he asked, motioning towards the door.  She smiled and nodded.

They sat at the bar and ordered drinks.  A whisky and soda for him, a gin and tonic for her.  It was Lauren that started the conversation.

"David, how is your research going?"

"Early days, but I'm confident I'll find what I'm looking for."

"Would it be impertinent to ask what your research is about?" she asked.  David noticed that she had a very polite, very mannerly way of speaking.

He lowered his voice and leant in a bit closer so that other patrons couldn't hear him.  "The recent strange problems, like with your mayor."

Lauren looked shocked for a moment but then composed herself before replying.

"Oh...that!  And you say you're not with the laboratory people?" she said, quizzically.  

"No, I'm actually with an organisation called The Department of Paranormal Research.  We've been alerted to the strange behaviours of people living here and one of my colleagues came here and went insane trying to find out."

"Oh...I remember him!  Holden was his name" said Lauren in surprise.

"Yes, that's right!  Did you know him?"

"Not well...it was my friend, Tre, who was helping him.  Poor Tre..." she said sadly.

"Tell me about him, this Tre" asked David.

"He's a friend of mine, a local, born and raised in Strangerville.  He was the first to notice the strange behaviour of people in town.  He made some phone calls and your colleague Holden came to take a look in to the matter.  Tre and he thought it might be the result of something that was being worked on up at the lab so they snuck in one night...Tre said something about a gap in one part of the fence.  The next day they found the two of them wandering around in the desert, their minds completely gone!"

"Is Tre still living in town?" asked David.

"Yes...he wanders around aimlessly.  He must be being cared for by someone as he always looks immaculate in his white and cream suits and ties and his favourite trilby hat!"

David instantly recognised who this Tre was as he had encountered him yesterday.

"Has he been checked out by any doctors?" asked David.

"I don't know...you can't get any information out of anyone!  People are too afraid to talk!" she replied, nervously.

David nodded, making notes in his pocket book.  "Lauren, all this is very useful information.  You must meet my colleague, Cornelius, soon...he's the genius scientist, I'm his eyes and ears on the ground so to speak.  Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of what's happening."

"I know you will...somehow I trust you, David.  You're the first bit of hope we've had around here for some time."

"Would you stay for another drink, Lauren?" he asked.

"No...I have to be going now, I've got a lot of paperwork to do once I get home.  Another time, for sure.  Thank you, David." she said, warmly.  David settled the tab and Lauren left the bar.

David returned home to find Cornelius going over some notes he had written.  

"How did your meeting with Lauren go?" asked Cornelius, looking up from his notes.

"Very well.  So I got a name of our mystery man in the white suit:  Tre Stern"

"Tre Stern..." said Cornelius in a deep, authoritarian voice.  "I'll make a note of that"

"And this Stern was helping our man Holden.  They might have found a secret way in to the laboratory here."

"Good work, David...I'll get Peggy to look in to this Stern character but in the meantime....wait, what's that outside?" said Cornelius, suddenly startled by something he'd seen out of a window.

David walked over to see what Cornelius had spotted.  There was this strange object outside the front of the house, about the size of a plant pot but it was glowing a strange, purple colour.

"A novelty porch light, perhaps?" mused David.

"It wasn't there before..." replied Cornelius.  "I'm going to take a closer look.  David, watch from here and note anything unusual that may happen"

He walked out of the house and slowly approached the glowing object.

"Hmmm, looks more like a mineral but it has a leaf and root system underneath what can be called a pod" he thought to himself.  It's definitely glowing...perhaps some kind of inner phosphorescence."

He took out a small, instamatic camera from his jacket and proceeded to take some pictures of it but stopped short of touching the object.

Then he took a look around the neighbourhood and noticed that there were numerous specimens of this mineral or plant dotted around, practically one on every street.  "They're....spawning!" Cornelius exclaimed.