"Mystery Solvers" - written by Freedom Fighter Last time... The four remaining detectives found themselves with the dilemma of trying to figure out which of the suspects is really the thief. Terry McGinnis was named captain for the second time in the game, leaving the three girls... Kim Possible, Penny Proud, and Raye Hino... to carry forth the day's tasks. The girls checked out leads at the mayor's house, the bank, and at the sheriff's office. A few new clues popped up, but it was up to the group themselves to determine their validity and relevance to the thief's identity. Taking a break from the case that night, the detectives, led by Raye, decided to honor the other six that had left the game before them. Feelings about their fallen teammates arose from inside the hearts of the foursome, leaving it up to interpretation as to which of them was still in the game. The next day, Kim, Penny, and Raye were treated to a mini-movie festival, in order to get background research on the remaining suspects. But when they returned to headquarters, they found out that they had to tear out one page of their journals and hand them to another player. Would it prove to beneficial to any of them? For one, it wouldn't. Penny was starting to catch onto the thief's identity, but it was too little, too late. Penny became the seventh detective to be sent home. 3 detectives and 10 suspects are left. One of those 10 suspects is the thief. And one of the three detectives will catch him or her and win the game and the reward of $500,000. Which one will it be? Will it be Kim Possible, the peppy junior varsity cheerleader? Will it be Raye Hino, the solemn shrine keeper? Or will it be Terry McGinnis, the street smart errand boy? Find out tonight on "Mystery Solvers." ====== Mystery Solvers Fanfic Reality Series written by Freedom Fighter Hosted by Christian Tangera 'Remaining' Detective Line-up: - Kim Possible, Kim Possible - Raye Hino, Sailor Moon - Terry McGinnis, Batman Beyond Fanfic Rating: Will be PG throughout most of the duration, but there may be a few PG-13 elements spliced in. Disclaimer: The animated characters that are participating in this fanfic are assigned specific roles that may portray them differently than what you're used to seeing from them. All events are carefully staged and planned out. No one was seriously hurt during the production of this fanfic. Any similarities between real people, places, and things are totally coincidental. The show's host was created by the author himself and may not be used by anyone else without permission from me. None of the characters belong to me; they belong to their respective production companies and shows. ====== Episode Eight - Under the Bright Lights (04.05.03) Terry: (CC) I can't believe it. There's only three of us left. Raye: (CC) I bet no one back home, including Serena, would think that I'd get this far. Kim: (CC) Getting this far was not as easy as I thought it would be. Terry: (CC) We're just days from catching this thief. I can feel it in my bones. The day of reckoning is coming. Raye: (CC) I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't over. It's not over until I apprehend the thief. Kim: (CC) No pressure... no pressure at all. I feel very confident that this thief is finally going to go down at last. ====== [Location: Team Headquarters - First Floor Lobby Date: Monday, November 4th, 2002 (Day 13) Time: 11:00 a.m. PT] The set of candles sitting on the former bar now count seven. The last pink, strawberry-scented candle was lit this morning to mark the departure of Penny from the game the previous night. Only three detectives were still in Gullible Gulch trying to unmask the person that's been causing trouble in town. Kim, Raye, and Terry were all very happy to be the final three, but they all knew that there was no looking back. It was every man or woman for themselves. Only one of them could officially solve the case and lay claim to the reward money. They all seemed prepared to move on as Chris entered to give the group their morning briefing. Once again, he had a suitcase in hand. Chris: Good morning, detectives. How are you this morning? Raye: Just great. Kim: Rested and ready. Terry: Let's bag this guy. Chris nodded, then opened the suitcase. Like the thief had done the other day, two photographs had been torn into scraps and placed into separate plastic bags. Chris: Looks like our thief doesn't want to risk being identified on tape, so he or she remains low tech today. (holds the bags up) Who wants them? Both of the girls reach out and take a bag each. Emptying them onto a nearby table, they piece the photos together while Terry and Chris look on. It only takes them a few minutes to do so. Kim: It looks like I've got the mayor, Velma, in this one. Raye: And I have the plumber, I think. Mario's his name, right? Terry: Yeah, that's Mario. Chris went over to the suspect board and X'ed out Velma and Mario's pictures. That only left eight possible suspects for the detectives to choose from. Kim: Well, a 1-in-8 chance of correctly picking out the thief is better than a 1-in-10 chance. Terry: He or she is definitely isn't making it easy. Raye: Yeah. Every one of our remaining suspects has a motive or at least one clue that could point to them as the thief. Chris: Looks like you three have your work cut out for you today. Chris heads back over to the suitcase and pulls out an empty bag of Proud Snax. He hands it over to Terry. Usually, the bag has a picture of Penny's dad, Oscar Proud, whose company makes the snack food that one usually finds in these bags. Instead, the front of the bag has a picture of Penny on it, X'ed out. Terry: At least we can't accuse the thief of being dull. Raye: I thought the one done for Gary was a whole lot better. Kim: Way better. Chris: Detectives, we are reaching the end. Thanks to you, we have almost identified the thief. But to make sure we're not goofing up, you've got today and tomorrow to interview all of the suspects to see what they know. But first... Chris motioned for Terry to hand over the Team Leader pin, which he did quickly. Chris: There is no team leader because this is the final leg. By tomorrow night, we will have identified the thief and have him or her arrested and put into custody. Raye: You serious? We're that close? Chris: Yep. But like I said before, we want to make sure. That's why for the last two days of our investigation, you're going to try to talk to as many of the suspects one last time. Maybe you'll find out something that may have been missed, or the thief will slip up in front of you. Chris brung out the empty tissue box that the detectives used to draw names out of for today's suspect interviews. Chris: As you remember, yesterday you randomly drew to see who you would interview. All of the interrogations will be held here, upstairs in your rooms. We have arranged things so that none of your rooms are next to each other, in order to discourage eavesdropping through the walls. Terry: I don't think any of us would resort to cheating. Chris: I agree, but we're taking precautions just the same. Now, let's see who you are interviewing today. Walking over to the chalkboard, Chris made a chart that had each of the detective's names and four different interview times. He then listed whom each detective was interrogating, in the order that they were drawn yesterday. Chris: You are to conduct your interviews in the order given here. Terry will interview Jack, Kou, Botan, and Judy. Kim will interview Peter, Sakura, Lois, and Naru. And Raye will interview Velma, Bubbles, Spike, and Ryoko. You may ask each of your interviewees whatever you want, but your interrogations will be limited to an hour each. Naturally, what information you share with your fellow detectives is entirely up to you. Kim: Is there anyway we can interview someone other than who we drew? Chris: Not today, but you will get ample opportunity to interview other suspects tomorrow. For today, please stick to the ones you're assigned. Your interviews will begin at one o'clock. Terry will get to talk to Jack, Kim to Peter, and Raye to Velma. Good luck to you all today, and let's go get 'em! Chris then packed his things and left, leaving the three detectives to prepare for their interviews. Raye: So, do we just share everything that we learned today? Kim: I think we should have a personal say in the matter. What if one of us finds out the thief's identity for real? Terry: Right. If I were to find that out, I'd definitely try to keep it from you two. Raye: Let's just agree to share whatever we see fit to divulge. Agreed? Kim/Terry: Agreed. ====== [Time: 1:00 p.m.] The first round of interrogations begin. Once again, Terry has got Jack, Kim has Peter, and Raye has Velma. The interviews may last as long as the detectives want, but they can't go over the one hour time limit. Let's start with Terry and Jack, shall we? Jack: So, why have you called me here? Terry: I know that you're not the thief. So I need your help to try and figure out who the thief really is. Jack: You mean you don't know yet? Terry: I have a general idea, but I'm not completely sure. Jack: What do you want to know? Terry: What day did you arrive in Gullible Gulch. Jack: October 19th, I believe. The day before everything happened. Terry: (nods) Right, right. Now, what were you doing the morning of October 20th? Jack: I was out training in the desert. Terry: Do you remember seeing anything suspicious that day? Jack: Hmmm... not that I can recall. ====== Kim: So, since you are a photographer, you haven't captured anything suspicious on film in the last two weeks, have you? Peter: Nothing that the sheriff probably doesn't know about already. Kim: Just how many pictures have you taken? Peter: A few hundred, probably. Kim: And you say you took pictures of all the crime scenes? Peter: Yes. Kim: The bank, the houses, the movie trailer park, and the watering hole? All of them? Peter: Yes. Kim: And you're sure you didn't see anything out of the ordinary? Peter: I'm pretty sure. ====== Raye: Mayor Dinkley, what do you know about this? She handed Velma the copy of the fax she had found in the mayor's home office. Velma: It's a fax from the sheriff's office, informing me of the bank robbery. Raye: Doesn't it seem strange to you that time stamp listed here on the fax is 7:42 a.m.? The reported time of the robbery was 7:45. Velma: Are you inferring that I knew about the crime ahead of time? Raye: Well... did you? Velma: Don't you think that it's possible that the clock on my fax machine may be slow? Raye: Hey, I'm the one asking the... wait, I never thought of it that way. Velma: The same could be said for the clock on the sheriff's fax. Raye: I guess. Velma: Besides, I learned about the robbery when the sheriff called me at 7:58 a.m. He briefed me on the situation and I was down at the bank at 8:15. I never saw the fax until I checked it when I got home that night. Raye: Still, do you think it's possible that the sheriff or the deputy knew about the crime beforehand? Velma: I can't say for sure, but they have assured me that they did not know that the robbery was going to occur. ====== [Time: 2:00 p.m.] Just before the next round, the three detectives confer to share notes. But the sharing seems to be rather scarce. Terry: Jack knew nothing. Kim: Peter wasn't saying anything. Raye: Velma seemed to know nothing new. Terry: Well, I didn't expect all of us to strike out. Raye: I guess we really are keeping tight-lipped about everything. Kim: This ought to make things a little bit interesting later on. Terry: It's almost two o'clock. We'd better get moving. ====== Let's begin with Kim this time, who's interviewing Sakura. Kim: Rumor has it that you have magical powers. Sakura: (laughing nervously) Whomever gave you that idea? Kim: You know, you shouldn't lie. You're not helping yourself by lying to me. Sakura: I'm not lying! I... just don't want the whole world to know my secret, that's all. Kim: Okay then, I'll put it another way. Are you capable of jumping off a building? Sakura: No. I'm only eleven! Why would someone want to jump off a building anyway? Kim: What about the money you found? Did you put it there? Sakura: Of course not! It was just there! Kim: It was just there? How can two large sacks of money just be there? Sakura: I didn't put them there! I just found them there. That's when I was found by... ====== Bubbles: I knew Sakura had to be the bank robber, so I gave her a left! And a right! And another left! I didn't want to hurt her, but Blossom always says criminals deserved to be punished. Raye: And that's when the sheriff found you two and put you both in jail. Bubbles: (sadly) They wouldn't listen to me. I was trying to save the day! Bubbles became teary-eyed, and Raye had to do something to keep the young Powerpuff from crying. Raye: We all believe you now! It took us a lot longer than expected, but we know you had good intentions. ====== Sakura: I'm just trying to help! I wanted to make everything right! Kim: We are too. Look, if it makes you feel better, you're so not the thief. Sakura: You really think I'm innocent? Kim: Of course. That face of yours is so innocent. Who could ever suspect someone like you? ====== Bubbles: So that means the girls and I have to find Sakura and put her in jail? Raye: No, that's my job. I'll take it from here, Bubbles. ====== Terry: Were you informed of the bank robbery beforehand in any way? Kou: No. Terry: Did anything about the thief stand out when he or she attempted the robbery? Kou: No. Terry: Did Naru notice anything about the thief? Kou: Why are you asking me? She can answer her own questions. Terry: But I'm asking you. Kou: Yes. Terry: What? Kou: When the thief pulled out the gun from his or her pants pocket, Naru noticed that the jeans were rather tight. Terry: Anything else? Kou: She said there was something strange about the disguise. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, though. Terry: Any idea what Naru might have been talking about? Kou: Who knows? Maybe she saw through the costume. Though I don't see how you can see through a black costume. Terry: Good point. ====== [Time: 3:00 p.m.] Raye started off the third round by grilling Spike on the fax. Raye: When I searched the mayor's house, I found a fax from the day of the robbery. Spike: Yes. I was the one who sent Velma the fax. Raye: But the time stamp on the fax was 7:42, almost three minutes before the bank was robbed. Care to explain? Spike: I was at the office that morning and someone called it in. A woman, I believe. Raye: She just called it in? Spike: Yes. Anyway, I decided to call the bank. Kou picked up the phone, but he told me nothing was happening. Raye: And then? Spike: Then I tried to call Buzz. It took a few minutes before he finally picked up. Raye: And you didn't think of running down to the bank yourself just to make sure it wasn't being robbed? Spike: I trust the bank manager a whole lot more than you think. He's managed the town's bank for almost two years now without any problems. I'm sure he told me the truth when I called him. Raye: Why are you only telling me all of this now? Spike: I didn't think that it was relevant to solving the case. Raye: I don't believe you. Spike: What do you mean you don't believe me? Raye and Spike stared each other down, both wondering who would be the first to move. It happened to be Spike, who got up and headed for the door. Spike: I don't have to stay here and take this! I'm leaving! Raye doesn't even try to stop the deputy as he leaves, slamming the door behind him. She sighed deeply, bathing in this new discovery yet not knowing how much she should make of it. ****** Meanwhile, Terry was drawing back on the formerly stolen items in order to get somewhere in his interrogation of Botan. Terry: How long do you think the sack of stolen items was sitting in the cave before you found them? Botan: I don't know... maybe a day or two. At least overnight. Terry: And how do you figure that? Botan: Someone could've seen a person dragging the sack towards the cave during the day. It's harder to see at night. Terry: What were you doing jogging that morning anyway? Botan: A girl's gotta stay fit, doesn't she? Terry: But why so far away from the trailer park? And why jog at all? You're a camerawoman. Botan: There's no excuse for not exercising when one has the chance. Besides, the farther you run, the more exercise you're getting. Terry: Do you think the wind may have blown away any signs of the bag being dragged? Botan: Oh yes, definitely so. Being in a desert, small sandstorms can kick up at anytime. Even a small tossing of sand by the wind is enough to cover freshly made footprints or tracks. Terry: Tell me... would someone as fit as you be able to carry the sack? Or would you have to drag it on the ground? Botan: (slightly peeved) What do you think, buster? It wasn't that heavy! Terry: Well, the thief must have thought it was. Either that, or he or she was very lazy. Botan: Not necessarily. The person could have been tired too. Terry: Would you have gotten tired carrying that sack? Botan: That's a silly question! I think eventually, yes. One can only carry something on her back for so long. Terry: Uh huh. Everyone does have a limit. Botan: (giggles) I guess we all do, don't we? ====== Kim: I've read the articles that you wrote in the town's newspaper. Lois: I am the paper's main columnist, and thus, I'm responsible for everything that gets printed. Kim: Could you explain what the scene was like when you arrived at the bank the day of the robbery? Lois: Curious. Kim: Curious? Lois: There were a lot of people already gathered around the bank. I know this is a small town and all, but when I had arrived, it was barely ten minutes since the robbery took place. Kim: Do you think anyone could have seen something? Like the thief running away or heading somewhere to begin the looting spree? Lois: I honestly believe someone did, but I can't prove it. Every person I talked to said they saw nothing. Kim: Any idea who the first person on the scene was? Lois: Ken Taki, the explosives expert. Kim: Him? Lois: I know. The thief somehow blows a hole into the bank window, manages to sneak through it, rob the bank, and then escapes without any resistance. And suddenly he's there? Kim: Hold on! Lois: What? You think Ken was involved with the whole thing? Kim: I doubt it, but still, I can't be too sure. As for the bank window, that's the part that bugs me... the thief blew up the window, but decided to escape through the front door. Why? Lois: Probably thought it would be harder getting out that way than getting in. Kim: Or maybe she did to avoid the risk of cutting herself. But still... couldn't the sheriff checked for fingerprints on the door? Lois: It would help if the sheriff had a forensics kit in town. But he doesn't. So they couldn't identify a person using blood or fingerprints if they wanted to. Kim: If only I had my Kimmunicator... I would have wrapped this case up long ago if I had thought to look for prints. Lois: You got here days after the robbery, though. The chances of getting the actual prints weren't good at all. Kim: I suppose... but I still wish I had that opportunity to check. ====== [Time: 4:00 p.m.] Kim is standing out in the lobby, waiting for her next interviewee to arrive. She seemed to be deep in thought as Raye came out of her room to join her. Raye: Find out anything interesting? Kim: (without looking at Raye) Lois said that Ken was the first person on the scene after the robbery... not counting Kou or Naru, of course. Raye: Do you think Ken's our guy? Kim: Maybe... but I don't like going on circumstantial evidence. My guess is that he is involved, but indirectly. Raye: Indirectly? Kim: Ken's the only person we know who's a professional at handling explosives. And since I don't think he's our guy, he may have shown someone else how to use them. Raye: But that would mean he's still involved, and is just as guilty. Kim: Not necessarily, Raye. Think about it... he might have had to explain the set-up of the explosives on the movie set to everyone involved. You know, to make sure they knew what they were getting themselves into. Raye: I get it! So Ken might have shown everyone on the movie set how the explosives work! Kim: And one of those on the set might have used that to help her make that hole in the bank window. Raye: That's right, Ken's the only guy on the set. Everyone else is female! Kim: Which means we know for sure that we're looking for a woman. Raye: But considering who we have left... we've got a 50-50 chance at correctly picking out the thief. Kim: (nods) Now, we just need the one bit of info that will lead us towards the right person. Raye: (seeing Ryoko come in) Just leave it to me! As Kim watched Raye lead Ryoko off to be interviewed, she began to think about all of the clues again, hoping to find that one clue that would break the case wide open. ====== Raye is sitting down with Ryoko, trying to see if she could get anything out of the space pirate. Raye: Where were you when the robbery took place? Ryoko: I was asleep! Where the hell did you think I was? Raye: I don't know. Maybe robbing the citizens of Gullible Gulch blind? Ryoko: Why would you think that I'd do that? Raye: Penny found out that you're a space pirate in real life. Ryoko: Just because I'm a bad guy in real life doesn't mean I'm one here! Raye: That's what you want us to think! But we're on to you! Ryoko: (huffs and crosses her arms over her chest) You have no proof. Raye: You never liked being a part of 'The Princess and the Pirate!' You didn't like that Sally was getting top billing because she was the heroine! And after Sally was out of the way, you freaked out when you heard Kizuna was taking her place. So you tried to take her out too! Ryoko: I admit that the whole film is stupid. And I wasn't out to kill either Sally or Kizuna. I just wanted them out of the way so that our film company would be forced to scrap the movie! Raye: And then you'd walk off with all of the money that you stole from the bank! Ryoko: You think I'm an idiot, don't ya? Only a mere amateur would stick around here after making that big of a withdrawal! Raye: Once again, you're trying to make an excuse to cover your story up! Ryoko: Can't you get it through your thick skull that I am not the thief? Raye: You haven't done one thing to prove that fact true! Ryoko: You want to see one thing, huh? Wait 'til tonight... you'll see! With that, Ryoko leaves the room. ====== Naru: Are you all idiots? I keep telling you that I am not the thief! Kim: You so don't know how many times I hear the bad guys say that. Naru: The guy insulted me, pointed a gun at my head, and made me look stupid! The only thing he didn't do was eye me up... (clenches her fists angrily) and if he would have, I would've knocked the guy senseless! Kim: That pretty much follows all of the logic thus far... the thief's a woman. Naru: If this thief is a woman, she's doing a great job of stumping you. I bet I could have figured this mystery out by now. Kim: Really? Then how about telling me who you think the thief is? Naru: It's gotta be Ryoko! I mean, have you seen her? Everytime I see her, she's smiling at me! It's like it's her sadistic way of enjoying her success! Kim: So she's majorly creeping you out? Naru: Of course she is! Just the other day, she gave me that look! You know, the one that makes everyone think they know everything! Just like the one on your face! Kim: I don't think I know everything! If I knew everything, I wouldn't need someone like Wade to help me out on my missions! Naru: Anyway, long story short, I'm not the thief! Ryoko is! Kim: If she's so powerful, why would she need a gun then? Naru: I... I don't know! Maybe if someone strong tried to stop her. Like the pompous airbag Hercule, for example! Kim: I'm pretty sure she could handle him without a gun. (smirks at Naru) You, on the other hand... Naru: What is going to take for you to believe me? Do I have to take a lie detector test? Kim: I wouldn't mind... if we had one available, that is. Naru: Look, all you need to know is that Ryoko is your thief, not me! Naru then began to pace around the room, trying to shake all of the anger out of her. Kim just sat there, waiting for Naru to calm down so she could resume the interview. ====== Meanwhile... Terry: Do you know if anyone was not at the park at the time of the robbery? Judy: I believe Botan was not there. She usually goes out to jog early in the morning. Terry: Any idea when she left? Judy: (dramatically) No, for alas, mine eyes were closed when she left. Terry: Yeah... anyway, do you know what time she came back? Judy: Maybe about half past eight or so. I don't remember for sure. Terry: Did she look any different than she usually did coming back from her daily jog? Judy: Not really. She was sweating, but that's to be expected. Terry: Did anyone else think anything of it? Judy: Now that you mention it... Sally was worried about where Botan was when the robbery took place. Terry: How did Botan respond to that? Judy: She said she didn't know that it had happened. Terry: That's weird. You'd think that in a small town like this that the news would spread like wildfire. ====== [Location: Buffalo Buffet Restaurant Time: 5:15 p.m.] After wrapping up their day of interrogations, the detective trio went to eat dinner. It was then that they shared what they learned in their interviews. Of course, that happened to be very, very little. Kim: Alright, let's review. We know that Ryoko has the more likely motive towards trying to end the production of the movie. But Botan was closer to the scenes of the crimes, as far as we know. Raye: Ryoko could still do it. She could have used the robbery, the thefts, and the drowning to scare people off of her trail. If she scared the movie crew enough, they'd all want to get out of town even if the movie were never finished. Terry: But Botan could have done it too. She knew where the stolen items were, and I don't buy that alibi of hers. Jogging everyday to stay in shape. Kim: What's wrong with that? Terry: She's a camerawoman! A cameraperson usually doesn't need to be in that great of shape. They just have to be strong enough to hold a camera for a prolonged amount of time. Raye: I think at this point, they're both on equal pegging. If only we could figure out which one is the more likely to do it. The detectives mulled that thought to themselves as they continued to eat. ====== [Location: Team Headquarters - First Floor Lobby Time: 7:30 p.m.] Once they had gotten back to headquarters, Raye and Kim decided to go straight to their rooms and go over their notebooks alone. Terry, on the other hand, was satisfied by remaining in the lobby, using the pictures of the suspects as aids in his quest to identify the thief. But suddenly he began to hear noises coming from outside. Terry: (looking up from his notebook) Where is that noise coming from? Terry headed out of the building. In the middle of the street before him was a battle costume that was covered in dirt. Terry: What the... He walked over to check it out. On the way over, he noticed that a small group of people were curious as well. Edd: Oh my... Eddy: What's with all the racket here? Blossom: Somebody has left their outfit here on the ground. Bubbles: Eeeewwww! You mean someone's running around here naked? Edd: Oh my again... Terry: Why does this seem to be familiar? Tomoyo: (off-screen, gasps) Oh no! Tomoyo made her way through the small crowd and to the costume, which had dirt and sand all over it. Tomoyo: This is one of the costumes that I made for Sakura-chan! Terry: Sakura-chan? You mean Sakura? Ed: (screaming) Aaaaaahhhh! The evil witch has shed her clothing for her more comfortable, insect-like body that resembles the smallest of the caterpillar race with wings! Eddy: There's a girl running around here naked? Where, where? Suddenly, Terry begins to hear those strange noises again. He glanced around the area until he pinpointed the source... a shadowy figure standing atop one of the nearby buildings. Tomoyo: (worriedly) Sakura-chan? Terry: What's she doing up there? Although none of them could see her face, there was something she could show them. And that was what she was riding as she lifted off from the rooftop and flew straight up to the moon. Shadowy Figure: (feminine voice) You'll never pin it on me! Ha ha ha ha! ****** As the figure disappeared into the night sky, the reactions among the group were rather mixed heavily. Tomoyo: (teary-eyed) How could you, Sakura-chan? Ed: I knew it all along! She's a moon man, Eddy! Eddy: I didn't even see anything! Stupid shadows! Edd: How shallow can you be, Eddy? The costume was planted just to get our attention. She wouldn't be flying around in the nude. Bubbles: I told you that she was the thief! Buttercup: Let's get her! Blossom: Girls, this isn't our responsibility! As much as I hate to say it, we're powerless to stop her. Terry: Why would she do something like this? Raye: (off-screen) Terry! Raye and Kim, both of whom had also heard all of the commotion, came running out of the building to investigate things for themselves. Kim: What happened? Terry: It looks like Sakura... or someone posing as her... is trying to get our attention. Terry pointed to the dirty battle costume that Tomoyo was protecting. Kim: You think she's trying to tell us something? Raye: She's just trying to distract us. Kim: You think Sakura would honestly do that? Raye: No. That's why this 'Sakura' is a fake! Someone must have dressed up as her in hopes of throwing us off the trail. Terry: Well, I think she failed. Kim: She's majorly desperate. I think that was her last hope. She thinks that we've got her, and she'll try anything to deter us from fingering her as the thief. Raye: Well, it didn't work, and now we've got her right where we want her! At that point in time, Sheriff Lightyear arrived on the scene to conduct his own investigation of this strange scene. After giving their statements, the detectives were content to let Buzz clean things up. They had to head back inside to resume their studying sessions. ====== [Date: Tuesday, November 5th, 2002 Time: 11:00 a.m.] The three remaining detectives were sitting in the lobby, where Chris was to give them their second-to-last briefing of the game. Chris: Good morning! I trust that you are now closer to figuring out the thief than you have ever been, right? Terry: Someone's sure been keeping up with us. Chris: That's my job. Now, today is the last day of the investigation, so this will be your last chance to get together the clues you need to solve this mystery and identify our perp. Chris brung out the chalkboard that was used yesterday to show whom each of them was going to interview. Today, those slots are empty. Chris: Today, you'll get to choose yourselves who you'll interview. You can interview someone you didn't get to interview yesterday if you want, whether that be someone one of your fellow detectives talked to or someone who was not interrogated yesterday. Raye: Can we choose the same people we did yesterday? Chris: No, you can't. The rules are that if you personally interviewed the person yesterday, you can't interview them today. Someone else, naturally, can. In fact, you can talk to the suspect as long as you didn't talk to them yesterday. But of course, you must each interview the suspect individually and not in the same time period. So keep that in mind. The first round begins at one, and you're allowed four rounds. You can use as many of your rounds as needed. Whatever you decide, it has to be decided before the interviews start. So, off to make your choices, and I'll see you later this afternoon once this is all over and done with. Chris then left, leaving the detectives to discuss whom should interview whom. Terry: I think we need to look at who's left on our suspect board and interview everyone but those who we know can't be the thief. Raye: It definitely can't be Bart. Throw him out. Kim: And throw out Naru too. Raye: Are you sure? Kim: She continually denies her involvement, and we haven't found anything incriminating her. Terry: Okay, drop Naru from the list. That leaves us with six. Raye: Let's see... I talked to Spike and Ryoko yesterday, so I can't pick them. Kim: I had just Sakura, at least out of the ones we have left. Terry: And I talked to Kou and Botan yesterday. Kim: We should stay with our two main suspects, so Raye, you and I need to talk to Botan. And Terry, you and I need to speak with Ryoko. Terry: Who else should we really consider talking with, if just to get more information? Raye: Ken! He's part of the movie set crew too. He might know something. Terry: Then Kim and I will talk to him, since you talked to him yesterday. Raye: I think just so that I keep busy, I should talk to Sakura to make sure she wasn't behind what happened last night. Kim: Fine by me. Terry: Okay. Anyone else? The girls shook their heads. Terry: Now all we have to is decide in what order we'll be talking to them. ====== [Time: 1:00 p.m.] The detectives' stomaches are full and their brains are at full power as their interviewees enter, wondering what they might be asked about today. ====== We begin with Kim and Ryoko this time around. Kim: Just to see where you stand on the issue, why are you not the thief? Ryoko: Because I'm not, okay? Kim: That's not a good enough reason for me to believe you. Ryoko: How about this? Because I'm smart enough to know that if I was the thief, I would have left town long ago! Kim: I see... Ryoko: No, you don't! You're all broken records, for crying out loud! You keeping asking the same damn questions, and I keep giving you the same damn answers! And still you don't get the damn point! Kim: Okay, okay already! Just calm down... Ryoko: How can I calm down if I'm being constantly accused of being a thief by you, my co-workers, and everyone in this damn town? Kim: It's only because you've done things that have made you look suspicious. Ryoko: Like what? Kim: Like your dislike for the being in that movie that you're filming. Ryoko: I'm not free to let out my opinion on the subject? What's wrong with saying that I hate being part of that film? Kim: Because if you didn't like it all, you would have left the project long ago and moved on. Ryoko: Hey, stop turning my words on me! Kim: Doesn't that strike you as weird? You could have left town to show your dislike for the movie, but that would have made everyone think you were the thief and that you were trying to escape with the money! But to avoid suspicion, you decided to stick around and bear staying with the movie. Ryoko: What kind of reasoning is that? Kim: Perfect reasoning. With you still here, people wouldn't suspect you as much. But it's obvious that you do want to leave, yet you know that you can't. The moment you try to walk out of town, the sheriff would be there to arrest you. Ryoko: So? Even if I were going to leave town, which I don't plan to, I could've easily taken care of him. Kim: So... if you're not the thief, who is? Ryoko: How the hell should I know? Do I look like a detective to you? Kim: You are so not helping right now. Ryoko: Why would I want to help you anyway? Kim shook her head in disbelief. ====== Meanwhile, Raye is talking and having her own conversation with Botan. Raye: So, what's it like being a ferrywoman of the dead? Botan: Huh? You mean in real life? Raye: Yeah. Unless that's not your real job. Botan: You know how it is... Raye: No, I don't. I'm not dead. Botan: Oh, right. Well, I guess it's one of those 'it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it' type of things. Raye: How did you end up with that job anyway? Isn't it reserved for some kind of dark and evil cloak-wearing fiend like the Grim Reaper? Botan: Well, the Spirit World decided that scaring people to death when they're already dead didn't do well for business. If there's someone who's nice like me to accompany them, they tend to be more relaxed. You know, like it really was their time and that things in the afterlife aren't as bad as they believe. Raye: I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you deal with affixed spirits? Botan: Why yes, I do. Why? Raye: I live in a shrine, you see, and I'm constantly asked to conjure up spirits of loved ones... or vanquish evil ones, but that's another story. It would make my job so much easier if I didn't have to worry about those lost ones that aren't going anywhere anyway. Botan: I guess I could look into it. Raye: Thanks... you're the greatest! Botan: But aren't you going to ask me questions about the bank robbery? Raye: I don't need to. I already know who it is. Botan: I see... ====== Ahem... since it seems Raye is taking things easy, let's check in on Terry and Ken, okay? Terry: Did you tell anyone in the film crew how the explosives being used in the movie worked? Ken: Yes, I told all of them. Explosives are very dangerous. I wanted them all to understand the risks involved in using them as special effects. Terry: By chance, did you actually go through the process of setting the explosives up, step by step? Ken: No. I don't think it was necessary to take it that far. Terry: Could it be possible for someone to watch what you do to set these explosives up? Ken: Yes, but I doubt a person could memorize the entire process in just one sitting. It would have to be over a course of several settings. If you even make one wrong twist here or place the wrong wire in the wrong place, the explosives might not even work... or worse. Terry: I see. And there's no one that watched you set things up constantly? Ken: Judy would. After all, she is the director of the film. Terry: But she's not one of the suspects still on our list. What about Ryoko? Or Botan? Ken: (thinks) I believe Botan watched me once or twice. Ryoko maybe once. But like I said, I doubt anyone, much less those two, could figure out how to correctly set up the explosives used in the film by themselves with that little knowledge. ====== [Time: 2:00 p.m.] After a very intriguing first round, we move on to the second. Terry will be interviewing Ryoko, Kim will be chatting with Botan, and Raye will be checking out Sakura's story. We'll begin with Terry this time... ====== Ryoko: Do me a favor... if your questions have to deal with me wanting to get out of that stupid movie, then don't even ask. Terry: Um... okay. Terry began flipping through his notes, looking for something to ask. Terry: Alright, how about this... were you responsible for leaving those clothes on the road last night? You know, as a sign to throw us off? Ryoko: I don't know what you're talking about, bub. Terry: You don't? You mean you didn't hear about it? Ryoko: No! And I wouldn't try something like that either! Terry: Hmmm... ====== Kim: What do you know about what happened last night, Botan? Botan: Last night? Oh, that practical joke that I heard was played. Kim: What practical joke? Botan: You know the one I'm talking about. Someone leaves their clothes behind, thinking they're running around without any on, when in fact they are wearing something. Kim: (nods) That's exactly what happened last night. Well, sort of. Do you happen to know who was behind that? Botan: Nope. Sorry. Kim: I have reason to believe that someone used the incident to throw us off their lead. Botan: (smiling) Now why would someone do that, I wonder. ====== Raye: I trust that you heard about what happened last night. Sakura: It wasn't me, honest! Ask Tomoyo-chan... she knows I wouldn't do something like this! Raye: How about that person on the roof overlooking the scene? Was that you? Sakura: No! I'd never do that! Why would I do that? Raye: Do you have any idea who would try to frame you? Sakura: Well... Bubbles still continues to dislike me. Raye: Bubbles isn't the thief. How about Ryoko or Botan? Do you think they'd try to frame you? Sakura: (shakes her head) No. Raye: How about Ken? Or Naru? Maybe even Spike? Sakura: No, no, and no! I don't know why someone would set me up! I'm not the thief! Raye nods, then makes a notation in her notebook. ====== [Time: 3:00 p.m.] Terry and Raye have no one else to interview, but Kim has a chat with Ken scheduled. Will she find out anything new at all? Kim: I know you've gone through a lot, so I won't ask you much, Ken. Ken: Thank you, I guess. But I want to help you in any way if it'll help you catch the thief. Kim: That's okay. I think I pretty much know who it is. I just need you to answer two questions for me. Ken: Um, okay. Kim: Do you take inventory of your explosives supply? Ken: Of course. I have to make sure that none of it was stolen for evil purposes. Kim: Do you remember if there was anything amiss about your inventory the day of the robbery? Ken: The day of the robbery... ah, yes. One of the sticks was missing. Kim: Really? Ken: Yes, it was. And that was three questions. Kim: (laughs jokingly) Oh, I guess that was. I'm finished with you now. Ken: Good luck catching this guy. I think he deserves what's coming to him. Kim: You mean she. Ken: She? The thief's a woman? Kim: Yep. Ken: Hmmmm... I would've never guessed. ****** [Location: Team Headquarters - Terry's Room Time: 4:15 p.m.] With all of the interviews now done and over with, the three detectives now only have one thing left to do... to prepare for the upcoming quiz. Actually, two things. The other is to pack their belongings. Terry: (CC) I can't believe it's time to leave already. (folds one of his shirts) It's been a blast here. Kim and Raye have been great companions, and I hate to leave them. But all good things must come to an end. ====== [Location: Team Headquarters - Kim's Room] Meanwhile, Kim, physically, is packing her clothes. But mentally, she was thinking of the case. Kim: (CC) The past two weeks haven't been the most pleasant. I guess after everything that I've gone through here, I'm glad to being going back home to Middleton. But first, I have a job to do. And that's to catch this thief! ====== [Location: Team Headquarters - Raye's Room] Although Raye isn't packing just yet, her mind is definitely on going home, as evident by her picture of her friends that she's admiring as she looks out the window of her room. Raye: (CC) It feels like it's been ages since I was home. I'm glad to finally be returing to my friends and family, but before I do, I have some business to take care of. That scumbag, or scumbagette, as the case may be, is going down. ====== [Location: Gullible Gulch City Hall - Lobby Time: 7:00 p.m.] With all of their bags in hand, Kim, Raye, and Terry enter City Hall for the very last time. As per usual, Chris is waiting for them. Chris: Well you three, this is it. Tonight, you will be taking the final quiz. You have done us well by shuffling through all of the clues and piecing the puzzle together. There are twenty questions on tonight's quiz, with many old questions from previous quizzes. Here's where you've got to put it altogether. Whomever answers the most questions correctly tonight will get to apprehend the thief personally. Whomever gets the second most right will get to stick around to see the thief arrested. As for the one who does the worst, well, you'll be sent straight home and you won't be finding out who the thief is. Chris pointed them to a nearby empty room. Chris: You can put all of your belongings in there, and then you can follow me to where each of you will be taking the test tonight. Good luck to all of you, and thanks for the great service that you've done this town. The three detectives place their bags in the empty room, and then are escorted to their testing rooms. ====== [Location: Gullible Gulch - Assorted Offices on the 2nd Floor] Chris: (VO) Kim, Raye, and Terry tonight face the final quiz. Twenty questions which will help them unmask the thief's identity. The one that answers the most questions correctly will win the game, apprehend the thief personally, and walk away with the $500,000 reward grand prize. Which one will it be? (Author's Note: For the last time... e-mail only, people!) Raye: (CC) Here we go. May the spirits be with me. Terry: (CC) This one's for all the marbles. Kim: (CC) Final quiz, huh? So not the drama. Chris: (VO) Question One: Which of these items was reported missing first? (Choices: 1 - A reel of film 2 - A pair of sunglasses 3 - An Olympic silver medal 4 - A disguise kit 5 - Pom Poms 6 - A red-haired wig 7 - A Scooby-Doo plushie) Chris: (VO) Question Two: After the bank was robbed, when did the thief return to the scene of the crime? (Choices: 1 - Day of the robbery, before the sheriff and his deputy arrived 2 - Day of the robbery, when the sheriff and his deputy arrived 3 - Day of the robbery, after the sheriff and his deputy arrived 4 - One, two, or three days after the robbery 5 - More than three days after the robbery 6 - The thief has not as of yet returned to the bank) Raye thinks about this one for quite awhile before finally inputing an answer. Chris: (VO) Question Three: How old is the thief? (Choices: 1 - Preteen or younger (under 13 years old) 2 - Teenager (13-20 years old) 3 - Adult (20 years old or older)) Chris: (VO) Question Four: What is the thief's residential status? (Choices: 1 - Actual resident 2 - Long-term temporary resident (been here for more than 2 weeks) 3 - Short-term temporary resident (been here for 2 weeks or less) 4 - Visitor) Kim: (CC) Without a doubt, every clue points there. The thief has got to be among that group. Chris: (VO) Question Five: What is the color of the thief's hair? (Choices: 1 - Pink 2 - Yellow 3 - Red 4 - Brown 5 - Black 6 - Blue 7 - Teal 8 - The thief is bald) Chris: (VO) Question Six: What is the thief's gender? (Choices: 1 - Female 2 - Male) Chris: (VO) Question Seven: What is the thief's nationality (or nationality they are closest to)? (Choices: 1 - Japanese 2 - American 3 - Chinese 4 - Italian 5 - None of the Above or Not Listed) Chris: (VO) Question Eight: Has the thief had at least one other person from their show appear here in Gullible Gulch? (Choices: 1 - Yes 2 - No) Terry: (CC) Having not seen the shows like Kim and Raye have, I'm blindly guessing at this one. Chris: (VO) Question Nine: How many letters are in the thief's last name? (Choices: 1 - 4 2 - 5 3 - 6 4 - 7 5 - 8 6 - 9 7 - 10 8 - No given last name) Chris: (VO) Question Ten: What profession does the thief have in real life? (Choices: 1 - Aspiring actress 2 - Bomb expert 3 - Bounty hunter 4 - Cardcaptor 5 - Detective 6 - Ferrywoman of the dead 7 - Gundam pilot 8 - Martial artist 9 - Newspaper photographer 10 - Newspaper reporter 11 - Plumber 12 - Prep student 13 - Princess 14 - Repairer candidate 15 - Samurai 16 - Space pirate 17 - Space ranger 18 - Thief is too young to have a profession) Kim rolls her mouse down towards the bottom of the page and clicks on an answer. Chris: (VO) Question Eleven: Is the thief from an American show or a Japanese show? (Choices: 1 - American 2 - Japanese) Chris: (VO) Question Twelve: In what decade did the thief's animated series first premiere in its native country? (Choices: 1 - 1970s 2 - 1980s 3 - 1990s 4 - 2000s 5 - The thief has not had an animated series air in his/her native country) Chris: (VO) Question Thirteen: What is the name of the series that the thief is in? (Choices: 1 - Cardcaptors / Cardcaptor Sakura 2 - Cowboy Bebop 3 - Gunsmith Cats 4 - Love Hina 5 - Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory 6 - The Simpsons 7 - Tenchi Muyo 8 - Yu-Yu Hakusho) Raye: (CC) I've been sure of this for quite some time, and the past few days have done nothing but confirm what I've thought all along. Chris: (VO) Question Fourteen: Does the thief have superpowers (i.e. super strength, the ability to fly, etc.)? (Choices: 1 - Yes 2 - No) Chris: (VO) Question Fifteen: During the final round of interrogations, when was the first time the thief was interviewed one-on-one? (Choices: 1 - Yesterday, 1 p.m. 2 - Yesterday, 2 p.m. 3 - Yesterday, 3 p.m. 4 - Yesterday, 4 p.m. 5 - Today, 1 p.m. 6 - Today, 2 p.m. 7 - Today, 3 p.m. 8 - Today, 4 p.m. 9 - Was not interviewed at all) Chris: (VO) Question Sixteen: Which detective was the first to talk to the thief during the final round of interrogations? (Choices: 1 - Kim 2 - Raye 3 - Terry 4 - Was not interviewed at all) Chris: (VO) Question Seventeen: Which detective was the last to talk to the thief during the final round of interrogations? (Choices: 1 - Kim 2 - Raye 3 - Terry 4 - Was not interviewed at all) Chris: (VO) Question Eighteen: What was the first question the thief was asked in the final round of interrogations? (Choices: 1 - Why have you called me here? 2 - You haven't captured anything suspicious on film in the last two weeks, have you? 3 - What do you know about this? 4 - Are you capable of jumping off a building? 5 - Were you informed of the bank robbery beforehand in any way? 6 - Care to explain? 7 - How long do you think the sack of stolen items was sitting in the cave before you found them? 8 - Could you explain what the scene was like when you arrived at the bank the day of the robbery? 9 - Where were you when the robbery took place? 10 - Really? 11 - Do you know if anyone was not at the park at the time of the robbery? 12 - Did you tell anyone in the film crew how the explosives being used in the movie worked? 13 - Was not asked a specific question 14 - Was not interviewed at all) Terry takes his time here, trying to remember which question is the right one. Chris: (VO) Question Nineteen: Which detective dresses the most similarly to the thief? (Choices: 1 - Kim 2 - Raye 3 - Terry) Chris: (VO) Question Twenty: Who is the thief? (Choices: 1 - Bart 2 - Botan 3 - Ken 4 - Kou 5 - Naru 6 - Ryoko 7 - Sakura 8 - Spike) ====== [Location: Gullible Gulch City Hall - Meeting Hall Time: 7:35 p.m.] Only Chris is in the meeting hall. Fade into the three testing rooms, where Kim, Raye, and Terry all wait patiently to hear their results. Chris: Only three detectives are here. Very shortly, one at a time, we will talk to each them. One of them will be immediately sent home. One of them will be kept here while the thief is apprehended at long last. And one of them will get to accompany us and personally make the arrest himself or herself. Which one of our detectives has figured out the thief's true identity? We look in on Kim, who paces around uneasily in her test room. Chris: Is it Kim Possible, the cheerleader and the only one of our detectives whose identity as a superhero is not a secret? Kim: (CC) This is it. For two weeks I've been considering the facts. Ron wasn't here, and neither was Wade. I had to solve the mystery all by myself, but still, I believe that I've got this case under wraps. Change over to a look in on Raye, who seems to be praying quietly. Chris: Is it Raye Hino, the shrine keeper and the only remaining detective that's from the land of the rising sun? Raye: (CC) No one expected me to get this far. Not even me. I would consider this whole game a failure if I wasn't the one who finally caught this thief. But I've put my faith in my answers, and I feel that I will be the winner. Finally, we look in on Terry, who seems to be shaking his head. Chris: Or is it Terry McGinnis, the errand boy and the only male detective to make it to the end of the game? Terry: (CC) One of the things I've always done in life is trust my instincts. I'm not as confident as Kim or Raye may be, but after all of the observations I made, I'm sure that going with my gut was the right call. Back to the meeting hall, where Chris is smiling happily. Chris: This mystery first unfolded back on October 20th. The detectives arrived here on the 23rd. Now, after two long weeks, this menace will finally be brought to justice. Who is it? Well... you'll have to tune in next week to find out. Chris headed out of the room, turning the lights off on the way. ****** 3 detectives and 8 suspects remain... ****** Next week, on the season finale of "Mystery Solvers": - All of the detectives and suspects reunite in Gullible Gulch. - The thief is finally identified... have you figured out who he/she is? - Check out the clues that could have led you towards identifying the thief. - And finally, which of the three finalists walks away with the grand prize? Episode 9, the finale, airs next Thursday, April 10th! Don't forget to come back and watch the case come to a resounding close at long last!