The Scarlet Derby and Midnight Jay - Volume 1: Gallery of Rogues Read Free Page A

she thought for a moment about what the commissioner told her. Was Thaddeus Hedwater just some eccentric little American boy playing with a chemistry set, and if she were to stay with him, could she possibly get hurt?
    Perhaps.
    But for the moment, she decided, she wouldn’t trade him for anything.

The Three-Headed Mob
    The strange circumstances started where most people’s days end: In the parlor, drinking tea, as Thaddeus J. Hedwater, and his wife, Mary Jane made a polite evening for their guest Chief Constable Howard O’Gratin. Their previous date for tea was sadly cut short. First there was a small explosion, which Thaddeus had caused in his basement workshop, then there was the threat of a larger explosion, caused by arch-criminal Silas Monstrosity. He had attempted to destroy Big Ben using several gallons of stolen nitroglycerin. Fortunately for the city, The Scarlet Derby and Midnight Jay had intervened, and brought with them a chemical that was able to neutralize the volatile weapon in time.
    “Most of my men are still down in the sewers scraping that goopy concoction The Scarlet Derby left about the walls,” The Constable said between sips of tea. “I wonder what had gotten mixed in with the nitrate to cause such a reaction.”
    “Perhaps it was yeast?” Thaddeus offered. Indeed, while disguised as the Scarlet Derby, Thaddeus had thrown a vial of yeast in the nitrate. He had originally developed another chemical compound that would have done the trick a bit neater, but in the heat of the moment the two heroes had thrown in the yeast instead.”
    “Piffle,” the constable replied “A common household compound like yeast would not react that way. As a professional chemist, you would know that.”
    “Well, perhaps The Scarlet Derby simply got lucky this time,” Mary replied with her lips still hovering very close to her tea cup. Her husband grimaced, and slouched back in his chair with crossed arms.
    “Well, at any rate, the city indeed owes a great debt to The Derby,” The Constable stood and went for his coat and cap. “I appreciate you re-scheduling our little tea-time, but I’m afraid I must be going.”
    “Already working on another case, Constable?” Mary Jane asked curiously.
    “I’m afraid so. It’s the strangest thing as well: Belle’s Tea House at the bottom of Cocoa Road was left in shambles at the growth of some giant beanstalk.”
    Mary Jane gave a gasp “The devil you say!”
    “I would HOPE to say the devil,” The Constable replied “But I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It was indeed a giant green vine which just sprouted through the middle of the shop. We suspect it’s just a freak natural disaster, but nonetheless we must investigate.”
    With that, the Constable tipped his cap at the two of them and walked out the front door. As he left, Mary Jane felt The Constable’s words eat at her. Was The Scarlet Derby really the only one responsible for saving the day? She certainly remembers helping. Maybe it was just his oversight.
    "Dear," Mary Jane addressed her husband "Do you think the Constable was aware that Midnight Jay was also at the scene of the rescue?"
    Sadly, Thaddeus had completely ignored what Mary Jane had suggested with her question, for no sooner than the door shut did his deductive mind tinker with the anomaly the Constable had discussed. “There is no possible way that was a natural disaster.”
    Mary Jane scoffed, “Do you suspect little boy Jack of the book with the giant has taken to hitting tea houses?”
    “I suspect that in reality beanstalks don’t usually grow tall enough to cause such collateral damage, unless they were acted on by some sort of man-made, at-will, instantaneous mutation.”
    “I agree with you on that,” Mary Jane replied “But why, of all places, would a supposed plant-mutating criminal damage a small tea house?”
    “Because of the tea,” Thaddeus replied simply.
    “They wouldn’t care to just walk in and buy a cuppa?”