## Sherry Rathbone I: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by gagged-cowboy » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:14 am

Hi, this is my first contribution to this site and my first effort to write a story in English (it is not my native language). It's a mystery story with my original character, Sherry Rathbone, who is a teenage detective and she often gets herself into trouble I have written three stories about her, originally for a different forum but I decided to post them all here as well. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. This is the first:
Mysterious Housebreakings
Chapter I: Lucy's horrible experience
It was a dark and stormy July afternoon. Sherry Rathbone was sitting in her comfortable rocking-chair, listening to the latest Metallica album and reading A.C. DoyleÂ´s The Hound of Baskervilles. She knew it almost by heart but every time she was reading it again she loved it like it was the first time.
Brief look at the watch showed her that it was 4:55, almost time for her afternoon tea. She put the book away and wanted to get the water heated when suddenly her cell-phone rang.
â€œOh no,â€ Sherry said to herself. â€œNot now.â€
She guessed that her tea would have to be postponed because every time somebody called her, something had happened. She answered the phone.
â€œYes?â€
â€œHi Sherry, this is Lucy. I must tell you something?â€ said the cheerful voice of SherryÂ´s best friend, Lucy Baker.
â€œHi, couldnÂ´t it wait? I donÂ´t have much time now.â€ Sherry lied. Lucy always knows the best time for her phone calls.
â€œNonsense, I have something which might interest you, dear Holmes. Meet me at my place in ten minutes, OK?â€ Lucy hanged up before Sherry could refuse.
â€œOh no, she always knows how to spoil my tea-time,â€ Sherry was quite upset but suddenly the â€œwhat ifâ€ idea came to her mind. What if this could be the beginning of a new mystery? Curiosity replaced anger and our teenage detective put a red flannel shirt over her black t-shirt and left the house.
Rain had stopped by the time Sherry Rathbone reached the house where Lucy lived.
â€œI hope this is important,â€ said Sherry, after her friend opened the door.
â€œSure, sure, it is important, darling. Please come in. IÂ´ll tell you everything inside.â€
They entered LucyÂ´s room and sat down on the bed.
â€œWell ...?â€ with every chance of the new mystery Sherry was becoming more and more curious.
â€œWell ...â€ Lucy smiled at her friend with her irresistible Rita Hayworth-like smile. â€œLook at this.â€ She handed her friend a copy of newspaper.
Sherry took a look at the article. She had already read the very same article this morning.
â€œOh yeah, one of those strange housebreakings â€“ everybody at home bound and gagged, house ransacked, nothing stolen. I have been thinking about it recently, four houses broken into, nothing stolen, no clue, no connection between them, only big nothing. Maybe some freak who enjoys tying people up.â€
â€œFive houses,â€ said Lucy.
â€œWhat?â€ Sherry was astonished. â€œBut they didnÂ´t ...â€
â€œNo, nothing was in the papers about the fifth home invasion, because I didnÂ´t report it.â€
â€œYou didnÂ´t? You wanna say you ... your house ...?â€ Sherry was surprised as hell and now she certainly didnÂ´t regret missing her tea.
â€œYes, the last night they were here. They tied me up and gagged me as the other victims and then they ransacked all the things and left, they didnÂ´t touch me at all. After more than ten hours I managed to untie myself. Nothing was stolen so I decided not to report it to the police. I told nobody, neither my parents, they are on the business trip out of town, nobody knows but you.â€
Sherry sat there on LucyÂ´s bed, her mouth was open and she wasnÂ´t able to say a word.
â€œOK Lucy,â€ said Sherry after five minutes of thinking. â€œNow I am going to ask you several questions. Can I?â€
â€œBut of course, letÂ´s start.â€
â€œGreat. So, maybe you should tell me exactly what happened yesterday night.â€
â€œWell, it was certainly after midnight.â€ A pretty raven-haired girl started to tell her horrible experience. â€œI was sleeping and suddenly I was woken up by some noises. I opened my eyes and saw a silhouette of a man. He was standing in my room. His gun was pointed at me. He said he didnÂ´t wanna hurt me and that I should stay quiet and cooperate, you know, like in the movie. I was so scared I wasnÂ´t able to move. He stuffed my mouth with my very own scarf and taped it shut with three pieces of duct tape and then he tied my wrists behind my back with some rope, ankles and knees as well, tied me to my bed and left my room. I struggled very hard and when I managed to get myself free after more than ten hours nobody was in the house, only the mess on the floor.â€
â€œOh, that must have been awful, being tied up and gagged for such a long time. You donâ€™t know how I am glad you are alright, Lucy. So, you saw only one man?â€
â€œYeah.â€
â€œDo you think there were more of them in the house?â€
â€œHard to say. I didnÂ´t see anyone else and didnÂ´t hear anybody either.â€
â€œWell, can you describe the one who tied you up?â€
â€œHe wasnÂ´t big, actually he was quite small, maybe smaller than I, he was dressed in black and wore a ski mask so I wasnÂ´t able to see how he looked.â€
â€œWell, any special marks? Tattoo? Perfume? Or do you think you have heard his voice before?â€
â€œNo, nothing special and I never heard that voice either.â€
â€œOK and you say nothing was stolen, just like the other invasions, right?â€
â€œNo, not a single thing is missing.â€
Sherry thought for a while.
â€œOK, that can mean only one thing. The intruder or intruders were looking for something particular, something that ainâ€™t yours, something that doesnâ€™t belong to this house something that may have been hidden here only by chance.â€
â€œBut why here? ...â€ Lucy looked little bit confused.
â€œQuickly, bring me all the newspapers containing the articles about the intrusions. I get the addresses and then we are going to check those places and take a look around. We must find the connection.â€
â€œI think I got it.â€ Sherry, standing in front of the site of the first invasion, looked quite proud of herself.
â€œBut I donÂ´t get it.â€ Lucy looked even more confused than before. For one hour she was running around the town with her friend, watching her â€œworkingâ€ but she did not know what to think of it. They started at her place where the last invasion occurred. Sherry went round Lucyâ€™s house several times and then without a word ran to 26 Carter St, where the previous invasion happened. Lucy followed her.
â€œI thought so,â€ said Sherry after they reached that house.
â€œThought what?â€ asked confused Lucy.
â€œLater, later, we still have three places to go. I must be sure.â€ Shouted Sherry and started running again.
â€œLook, nothing could be simpler than this. Five home invasions, five random houses completely ransacked, nothing stolen ...â€
Both girls were standing in front of the house at Roubik Street where the first strange invasion took place several days ago and catching their breath.
â€œWell Lucy, did you notice anything remarkable during our little jogging?â€
â€œEhm ... to be honest I did not.â€
â€œHave a good look. What do you see in front of this door?â€
â€œOnly a plaster dwarf.â€
â€œExactly, thatâ€™s it.â€
â€œWhat? They were looking for a dwarf?â€
â€œOf course not, but donâ€™t you have by any accident a similar one in front of your house?â€
â€œYeah, we do ...â€
â€œAnd so do the other victims. Do you understand now?â€
â€œThose guys are breaking into the houses with plaster dwarves?â€
â€œApparently!â€
â€œBut why?â€
â€œThese dwarves are the connection we need. I am almost sure that somebody has hidden something into the house which has the plaster dwarf in front.â€
Lucy was speechless with amazement. This happened to her every time Sherry started to use her deductions and solved the crimes only like that. She only stood there with her mouth open and waited for her friend to tell her more.
Sherry took out the map of town from beneath her shirt.
â€œHere ... here ... here ... here and finally here. These are the places of all the housebreakings.â€ Sherry made 5 black points with a marker on the map. â€œYou see, they are all pretty close to one place.â€ She pointed her finger at the point in the map that was proximately in the middle of irregular circle bounded by five black marks.
â€œThe town gallery?â€
â€œYes, the gallery.â€
â€œWhat connects our gallery with these houses?â€
â€œIt is not so hard to guess if you read the news about crime regularly, dear Lucy. Last week Family of bones, a precious painting by Vincent Furnier, a French modern painter, was stolen from the gallery during the daylight. You probably heard about it. There were five robbers. They left in their car and cops were after them. Their car broke down, so they had to run away on their feet. They split and disappeared among the houses. One of them was shot and died, three were arrested and the last one escaped. The painting wasnÂ´t found.â€
Lucy was more than surprised. She would have never thought that breaking into her house was connected to the robbery that took place a week earlier. But on the other hand she wasnâ€™t much convinced.
â€œWell, one shot, three arrested and the fifth one got away with the painting.â€
â€œMaybe Lucy, maybe ... but I donâ€™t think this is what happened.â€
â€œAnd what do you think that happened?â€
â€œWell ... the car breaks down and the robbers leave it and split. One of them is running away with the painting, he is shot but he somehow manages to lose the cop who was after him. He feels that he wonâ€™t be able to run for a long time so he decides to hide the painting. He chooses the house with the plaster dwarf, I donâ€™t know if it was done by purpose or not but it doesnâ€™t matter. He gets into the building by the basement window, hides the painting somewhere inside, leaves the house and continues to run. After a while he falls on the pavement and dies of his wounds.â€
â€œAnd now his ghost is searching the houses with plaster dwarves and looking for his painting?â€ asked Lucy jokingly but was sure that it was no ghost who tied her up.
â€œOf course not, there are several possibilities. Either hiding the picture into the house with the plaster dwarf was the part of the plan in case something went wrong, but I, personally, donâ€™t believe in this, or shortly before his death he met one of his partners, the one who got away, and told him about the place he hid it. He didnâ€™t tell him the address he told him only about the plaster dwarf and now our little fella is searching all the suitable houses in the area one by one, looking for it. The case is practically solved.â€
â€œWell, maybe, but you still donâ€™t have the painting and you still donâ€™t have the guy who did it.â€™
â€œOnly a detail, dear Lucy. Something tells me that this is going to change tonight.â€
â€œOK, I donâ€™t want to spoil your fun but I still think that the last guy disappeared with the picture and we will never hear about him again.â€
Last edited by gagged-cowboy on Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:16 am, edited 2 times in total.

### Re: Sherry Rathbone: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by gagged-cowboy » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:14 am

Chapter II: Sherry in Trouble
â€œHow can you be sure he is going to come tonight and here?â€ whispered Lucy who was kneeling beside her best friend covered behind a large dustbin. Both girls were watching the house that Sherry chose as the next most probable scene of crime. It was several minutes until midnight. The night was extremely dark and quite cold and both girls were wearing warm flannel shirts and bandannas around their necks.
â€œWell after you went for your dinner I took my bicycle, rode through this neighborhood and looked for another plaster dwarf. This is the only one I found.â€
â€œOK, but what if the painting has been already discovered in my house?â€
â€œIn that case we are going to spend nice and quiet night behind this lovely dustbin.â€ Sherry smiled innocently at her friend. â€œAny more questions?â€
Lucy wanted to tell her at least thousand times today that it was nonsense, that the guy who got away had the painting or that the invasions were caused by some kind of a freak who liked to tie women up or something like that but decided to be silent and wait. It wouldnâ€™t be the first time her friend was right and her crazy deductions appeared to be truth.
After ten or fifteen minutes of absolute silence disturbed only by the sounds of TV from the nearest house Lucy became quite bored.
â€œHe is not coming Iâ€™m telling you.â€
â€œWell, all of his invasions were committed between midnight and 1 AM so he still has plenty of time.â€
â€œOK, whose house is this anyway?â€
â€œTammy Laneâ€™s. Sheâ€™s 26, divorced, lives alone, working as a secretary.â€
â€œHow do you ... mmmmm?â€ Lucyâ€™s did not have time to finish her question because her friend gagged her with her hand.
â€œSilence.â€ whispered Sherry. â€œDo you see that?â€
A car without lights was approaching slowly to them and suddenly it stopped in front of the very same house that Sherry chose as the crime scene. A dark masked figure of man got out of the car. He looked around and, when saw nobody, came ahead towards the house and entered it through its front door.
â€œThatâ€™s him.â€ said Sherry.
â€œWhat will we do?â€
â€œYou will wait here and when I am not back in 15 minutes, you will call police.â€
â€œWhy donâ€™t we call police now?â€
â€œWell, do we have any proof? He can be her boyfriend coming late from work or whoever. We need to be sure. I sneak inside and check the situation. Meanwhile you write down the carâ€™s number.â€
Lucy wanted to protest but Sherry disappeared in the dark and so her friend decided that it will be better to do as she was told.
Tammy Lane, gorgeous blonde, was sitting in her living-room tied to the chair. She was wearing only her ex-husbandâ€™s flannel shirt.
â€œPlease, donâ€™t hurt me.â€ She wispered. She has never been so frightened in her life.
â€œOf course I wonâ€™t hurt you, honey. But you mustnâ€™t cause any trouble.â€ The intruder was standing opposite to her, holding some pieces of cloth in his hand. â€œI have to make sure, you are quiet. Do you know what that means?â€
â€œPlease, donâ€™t gag me. I promise I will be quiet.â€
â€œOf course, you will, honey. But the gag is necessary. Open your mouth.â€
Tammy did as she was told and a large piece of white cloth was stuffed deeply into her mouth. Her captor then secured the gag with another one.
â€œThatâ€™s much better. Now stay calm while I am taking a look around here.â€
â€œMmmmph, mmmmph.â€ It was the only thing Tammy was able to say. The intruder left the room.
Sherry was hidden behind the curtain in the hall and saw everything that happened in the living-room. When the guy left poor Tammy completely helpless and silenced and went down to the basement, she decided to act.
She left her cover behind the curtain and entered the living-room. Tammy gave her an amazed look.
â€œBe quiet. Iâ€™m here to help you.â€ Whispered Sherry and started to untie that powerless woman.
She didnâ€™t even finish untying the legs when she heard a voice behind her.
â€œI forgot my torch here, honey ... Wait, who are you? What does it mean?â€ The man did not hesitate and sprang at Sherry, knocking her down on the ground. She struggled with all her powers but he was much stronger and overwhelmed her.
Several minutes later Sherry was lying on the floor with her hands and feet tightly bound.
â€œOK, Lois Lane, who are you?â€
â€œIâ€™m her cousin, I happened to be nearby so I paid Tammy a visit.â€ Sherry said the first lie that occurred to her.
â€œOf course and Iâ€™m Eleanor Roosevelt, honey. You are a snooper, arenâ€™t you?â€
â€œNo.â€
â€œYes, you are.â€
â€œWell, I called the police. They will be here any minute.â€
â€œIn that case I must hurry.â€
The intruder untied a bandanna from Sherryâ€™s neck, knotted it in the middle and gagged her with it. Then he left the room.
Sherry started a desperate struggle but the ropes around her wrists, ankles and knees were tied very well. She was unable to reach the knots. She grunted desperately through her gag and tried to spit it out but the intruder really knew how to silence a snooping girl.
She became very upset. This was the first time she ended bound and gagged during her investigation but she always thought it would be easy to get out. She was trying it again and again but without any success.
Tammy resigned a long time ago and now she was sitting in her chair with tears in her eyes, watching her â€œrescuerâ€ fighting the ropes.
After some while their heard that familiar voice again.
â€œOK, ladies, Iâ€™ve finally got what I was looking for. Sorry for tying you up. Have a great time and good bye.â€ They saw that he was holding the painting under his arm.
When the guy left Sherry put all her efforts into furious struggle but there was no use.
Ten minutes later, they heard the sounds of sirens. Finally the police was here. Exhausted Sherry stopped her struggling, happy that they will be rescued but angry because she wasnâ€™t able to prevent the burglar from getting that picture and what was worse because she was lying helpless on the floor while he was stealing it and couldnâ€™t get free.
Two uniformed officers entered the house.
â€œOh my god, are you OK ladies?â€
They quickly untied them. When her hands were free, Sherry untied her gag. She felt unpleasant pain in the corners of her mouth as well as in her wrists. She rubbed the red rope-marks with her hands.
â€œSherry, how many times did we tell you not to play private eye? What happened?â€
Sherry told them the whole story while Tammy Lane was sitting on her couch still slightly shocked.
â€œWe will get him, donâ€™t worry. But next time, donâ€™t mix into our business.â€
â€œBy the way, where is Lucy, officer?â€
â€œWhat Lucy?â€
â€œLucy Baker, my friend. She was waiting outside. She must have called you.â€
â€œYes, she did but there was nobody outside when we arrived:â€
And where was Lucy? She was sitting tightly bound and gagged with her own bandanna in the villainâ€™s hide-out.
How could I be so stupid? She asked herself. After she called police, she saw that guy leaving the house with the painting. She did the most foolish thing that came to her mind in that moment. She sneaked into the guyâ€™s van before he started the engine and covered himself in the back part of the van with some blankets. When the van stopped she wanted to get off and call the police but she was not too careful and the guy saw her, overpowered her, tied her up with ropes and gagged her.
This was the second time she was tied up by this very same guy. She was afraid that it becomes sort of habit.
That stolen painting was on the floor next to her. She took a good look at it.
Oh my god, such an awful piece of rubbish. Why should anybody risk his neck for this ugly picture? She couldnâ€™t believe it.
â€œHey I know you, honey.â€ Her captor was here. â€œYouâ€™re that babe I tied up yesterday in your house, ainâ€™t you? It wasnâ€™t really a good idea to follow me. Your friend knows that too. I tied her up and gagged her as well.â€
Lucy tried to say something rude through her gag but only unintelligible moan came out.
â€œWhat? I didnâ€™t understand. Did you say you were happy to see me, honey?â€
Lucy grunted angrily.
â€œYou are funny when you are upset. Do you know that?â€
If her eyes could have killed, he would have died with long and terrible death. But instead of that he only laughed.
â€œWell, honey, I like you and since you havenâ€™t seen my face yet, there is a good chance that I let you go. But you must behave yourself.â€
Lucy stopped murdering him with her eyes and mumbled something that should have been â€œOKâ€.
â€œYou wouldnâ€™t believe, honey, how incredibly hot it is underneath this mask. I would like to take it off. You wouldnâ€™t mind a little blindfold over your beautiful eyes, would you?â€
Lucy said nothing. Her captor took out a scarf from his drawer and tied it over her yes.
It was 4 a.m. when the doorbell rang.
â€œWho the hell can it be?â€ Richard Gloucester, 23 year old reporter for the Bakersfield Chronicle, got out of his bed and went to open the door.
â€œHi, Richie,â€ greeted him a smiling girl. The most beautiful girl he has ever seen.
â€œSherry? What the hell are you doing here in this goddamn hour? Do you know what time it is?â€
â€œYeah I know, itâ€™s little early but I need a big favor.â€
â€œWhat else?â€ mumble sleepy reporter.
He has been in love with Sherry for several months but she refused him thousand times. However, when she needed help with her investigation she always knew who to call. He didnâ€™t mind her using him. In fact he was happy to be with her because he was still hoping.
â€œA cup of coffee would be very nice.â€ said she smiling after seating herself on his couch.
â€œWhat is it you want?â€
â€œI need a favor. Lucy is in a terrible jam.â€
â€œYou too are working on a case again?â€
â€œYes. You can get the story if you help me.â€
While they were drinking coffee Sherry told him about everything that happened.
â€œBefore I went to that house, I instructed her to wait for me and write the carâ€™s number. After I was untied by police, Lucy was nowhere and I found this on the road.â€
She handed him a piece of paper.
â€œShe must have dropped it there before she was taken by him.â€
Richie looked sceptically at the small piece of paper with scribbled numbers.
â€œDid you try to call her?â€
â€œOf course, Iâ€™m not dumb. I tried that million times but she did not answer.â€
â€œOK, I can find out to whom that car belongs but what will I get in return?â€
â€œI have already told you. You get a story.â€
â€œWhat else?â€
â€œOK ... a dinner maybe?â€
â€œIn that case, letâ€™s go to my office.â€
She was so happy that she didnâ€™t even realize that she hugged him and kissed him on his cheek.
Forty minutes later Sherry was on her way. Richie hacked into the car database and found the name and the address of the vanâ€™s owner - John Smith, 546 Elm Street.
John Smith, how original, she thought. She didnâ€™t know who it was but didnâ€™t care. Her only aim was to set her friend free. For a while she thought that it would be better if she left that matter for police.
â€œNo, I got her into this situation, so I must get her out.â€
Smithâ€™s place at Elm Street was a small ground-floor house. She saw a light in one of the windows. She sneaked silently along the wall and looked inside. She almost screamed with amazement. She saw her friend, Lucy Baker, sitting on the floor of the kitchen. She was bound, gagged and blindfolded and there was the Family of Bones next to her.
What a terrible painting, was her last thought before a gloved hand clamped over her mouth.
â€œLook what weâ€™ve got here, if it isnâ€™t our famous Lois Lane, again. Did you miss me, honey?â€
Sherry grunted something through his hand. He clutched her tightly with the other hand and dragged her inside. She, of course, struggled but it was hopeless.
After the front-door closed behind them, she felt a gun in her back.
â€œDonâ€™t struggle, honey, or I will shoot you.â€
She calmed herself because she knew that she doesnâ€™t have any chance against the pistol.
â€œOh, thatâ€™s much better.â€
He brought her to the kitchen, where poor Lucy was sitting helpless.
â€œOk, I will tie you up too and then I will leave you two here while I will be on my way.â€
Soon after that, Sherry found herself tightly bound with ropes, gagged with her bandanna and blindfolded with the villainâ€™s scarf. She was tied up back to back with Lucy.
She was struggling furiously and grunting loudly through her gag but the bonds were even tighter than the first time. Her muffled curses only made him laugh.
â€œOK, ladies, itâ€™s time to go. Have a nice day and I am sure that someone will come soon. If you found me, the police would too, perhaps. Bye, bye.â€
Both girls heard him leaving and the door closing. Sherry was again left helpless in a very short time and she hated it but couldnâ€™t do anything about it.
After several minutes they heard sirens and shooting in front of the house.
They both started to scream through their gags to let the police know they were here. Finally they felt that somebody was untying them.
â€œAre you both alright?â€ said the familiar voice.
After Sherryâ€™s blindfold was taken off she saw Richie smiling at them. He took out her gag, leaving it hanging around her neck.
â€œOh my god, how did you find us here?â€
â€œYou didnâ€™t want me to go with you but I followed you in case you needed any help. And as I see I was right.â€
Sherry stood up and hugged him and kissed him again. This time she knew what she was doing. Their romantic moment was interrupted by moans of Lucy who was still bound and gagged on the floor.
Sherry smiled: â€œSorry, darling, we must have forgotten about you.â€ And they both started to untie her.
Outside the house there were three police cars and they saw arrested John Smith sitting in one of them.
â€œPick me tonight at six.â€ Sherry whispered to Richie while they were getting into another police car to be driven home.
The End

### Re: Sherry Rathbone I: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by milagros317 » Wed Oct 13, 2010 4:09 pm

Fine story. Very well written--it's hard to believe that English isn't your first language.
I love bondage, tickling, and women's bare feet.
http://www.mtjpub.com/ezines/TrappedandTickled.html

### Re: Sherry Rathbone I: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by Chase Ricks » Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:33 pm

"I salute you" from the very old tv kids game show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" Mystery writers are always a great asset to this site and I am very sure that others who write in this genre will be interested in your stories too.
From whence I came and whence I went heaven said I was too evil and sent me to hell. Demons and devils succeeded in breaking my soul.

### Re: Sherry Rathbone I: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by gagged-cowboy » Wed Oct 13, 2010 10:49 pm

Thank you very much for your comments

### Re: Sherry Rathbone I: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by dex » Thu Oct 14, 2010 3:34 am

i am always on the prowl for mystery stories, and mystery stories plus tug's are just brilliant. and this is an especially good example of one
Being bisexual is the worst of any world because you don't really belong anywhere, because you are never sure of yourself or those around you. You can't trust in anyone, their motives or their intentions. And because of that, you have no true identity.

### Re: Sherry Rathbone I: Mysterious Housebreakings

Post by Mister Mistoffelees » Sun Oct 17, 2010 5:05 pm

Outstanding tale, gc! You hae a knack for both mystries and TUGs!...
Welcome to Snowden! Enter at your own risk...