When they finally reached the yard, four penguins stood with their backs to them. Just that instant, all the penguins turned facing them. Their Expression were like female clones of their own. Skipper was stunned as the majestic leader glared at him. "Ramona, ..... um it's nice to see you, again." Skipper gulped hard. "I wish I could say the same. Well, I see you're late, as always." She rolled her eyes. "You know, I wasn't usually late." Skipper corrected. "For us, bạn are." She shot back. "If it's an apology bạn want, ... I have nothing to say." He concluded stalking off. "We're not done with this, bạn know." She called at him. "What was that all about, Skippah?" Private puzzledly pondered. Skipper ignored the question, not wishing to chịu, gấu the tale on Private.
They strode up to Todd, the butler, to discuss import manners. He seemed flummoxed about the whole situation between Skipper and the mysterious female. The mystery of their past only seemed to turn it thêm intreging. Deep down, both leaders were absorbed with intense lust and want for the other. Beneath the luminous beam of the cresent moon, they both strained their eyes straying at each other's glowing, sapphire eyes. "Is everything alright?" The butler asked. "Fine!" Skipper covered while Ramona yelled. "Peachy!" Todd took a few steps back. "I would introduce bạn all, but I see bạn all know each other pretty well." He observed hesitantly. "Actually we don't all know each other." Private admitted. A chim cánh cụt girl, that looked about his age, smiled and blushed anxiously. She whispered to the tallest one, who had glasses, giggling. She turned back to look at him, and winked.
"Hey, I'm Ellie. This Olive, Ivory, and I know you've met Ramona." She đã đưa ý kiến with a grin. Private knew he was going to soon befriend her, but it felt like something more. Not how he felt about his team, though. It was like she put him in a daze. A pleasantly surprising one, like it was only them.
"Hello, Ellie. I'm Private. I thought there were supposed to be thêm teams here? Oh dear, I hope they didn't drive off that cliff that we almost drove -" Skipper covered Private's babbling beak. Ramona's attention was captive to the fact that they almost drive off course. "Wow! bạn almost drove off a cliff?! Were bạn scared?!" Ellie squealed excited anticipating a marvelous tale. "Well, we made a turn at that sign." Private began. "You must be really brave. bạn know, for coming here." She blushed. "Thank you, you're really beautiful." Private returned the complement. "Aw, that is the sweetest thing anyone has told me. I -" Ellie flurted, but was interrupted bởi Skipper's sarcasm. "If bạn two are finished jibber-jabbering, we'd kind of like to find some clues to help us solve and survive this mystery. Unless, bạn both want to end up in the morge."
"Don't worry about him. I know for sure he'd choose his work over tình yêu any day." Ramona sneered. "Do bạn really have to bring that up in front of Private?" Skipper remarked pulling Private behind him. "Did youhave to break my heart?" Ramona snapped. "As a matter of fact -" Skipper was cut off. "I know I speak on behalf of the whole staff, when I say I am grateful that bạn all made it. Some groups failed to make it here. No one has heard from them either." He greeted "Well, it is a pleasure to serve your needs. Shall I give bạn the grand tour?"
"Oh, that would be lovely!" Private and Ellie cheered, as Skipper and Ramona groaned.
The stubby butler opened the door for the investigators. They all stepped inside the colossal mansion. A chandleer dangled above every single room. "Please, do wipe your feet." The butler said. They entered the hallway. Chairs and tables were on each side. Mounted heads of game such as deer an elk. Private shuddered and clenched Skipper's fin. Through the rest of the hallway, Skipper dragged Private.
They entered a gorgeous ballroom. Kowalski's eyes glimmering dazing up at the windowed ceiling, that opened up an ocean blue sky to Kowalski and Ivory. He only then noticed how dazzling she was under the moonlit sky.
The tiếp theo room wasn't as antique, but it was not without its luxurious charm. It was a colossal room with a white couch, a roaring fireplace, and a window twenty times Private's height.
In awe, Private and Ellie gazed out the window. A garden full of hoa springing full of life. In the center stood a statue of an enchanting woman. Her features were lovely but her glare and expression, wicked. Her eyes were filled with hateful tears.
Rico looked rapidly around, his face potraying extreme terror. Skipper was startled. "Rico, what is it, boy?!" Skipper stammered. "No TV!?" Rico whined, as Kowalski and Skipper breathed a sigh of relief. "Really?" ôliu, ô liu complained "well, at least they have a pool,"
"Yay, pool!" Rico cheered.
Private and Ellie were too distracted to notice the figure coming up from behind them. "I tình yêu the view, myself, too." A fragile voice declared. The young penguins jumped and turned to find an eldery woman. "Oh dear me, I didn't me to scare you, darlings." She đã đưa ý kiến comforting the privates.
"You must be-" Skipper started, but was interrupted bởi the woman. "Ramona! How are you? I see bạn haven't được trao up on your dream of being the leader of a commando team and getting back together with someone." She chimed in greeting Ramona.
"I'm doing welll," she said. "Oh, and bạn must be Skipper and his well-known team! It's so grand to meet bạn all." The woman đã đưa ý kiến happily. "You must be Ms. Williams, it's an honor to help solve this mystery for you." Skipper said. "I do dearly appreciate your help." She đã đưa ý kiến truthfully. "So, have there been any thêm deaths recently?" Skipper interrigates. "Not since my husband," she sighs.
"All right, when and where did bạn last see him?"
"It was a dark night. A treacherous storm was brewing outside. He was alone in the attic, when ... the đàn piano began playing ... and ... the power went out. He screamed out of nowhere, and the door was locked. And when we finally opened the door ....." She was too traumatized to speak. "There was nothing there." Ramona said. "What? How do bạn know?" Skipper was puzzled. "Oh, I was here when it happened. I was staying with them. After I quit. I'm a family friend." Ramona anwered with her beak up in the air snobbishly.
"Oh, okay, so were there any footprints hoặc other clues like feathers?"
"No," she answered.
"That's strange ..... strange indeed."
The old woman rubbed her flippers together. "Well, I should probably hiển thị bạn your rooms. You're all probably exhausted after your long trip."
She did as she said. Skipper and his team settled in a quite large room with two beds, and a rocking chair. Nightstands sat between the four beds. A dresser was placed against the wall. Private leaped on a giường and covered himself up. Kowalski and Rico hopped in their own beds. "Please, do wash up before dinner, at eight o clock sharp." Ms. Williams said, "oh, and, Skipper darling, may I see bạn in the hall?"
"Of course," Skipper đã đưa ý kiến warmly and headed outside the room.
Skipper never expected what was coming next. "WHAT EVER bạn DO, DON"T TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!" She cried in hysteria, desperately. "I-I promise, I won't." Skipper winked and went inside the room.
About half an giờ later, behind the door came a heavy breathing. It was an eerie sound. Skipper tip toed to the door cautiously.
He jumped as he saw a young woman at the door with a pyschotic smile. "How are bạn all coming to like your room? I'm Ellen, your maid." She said. "Those beds look antique. How old are they?" Private asked. "Actually, they are antique, very vauluable! I see, I am in the presence of some one who appreciates art. They are about ....."
Skipper groaned as Private talked ecstatically with the maid, as if he had forgotten where he was.
They finally reached the kitchen, where everyone was awaiting them. A gigantic plate of salmon, thêm prepared than the team would eat it normally, sat in the middle of the table. Everyone took one except for Rico, who seized cá bởi cá with his flippers and gulped them down and let out an even ruder burp. All shocked eyes fell on Rico, and the uncomfortable silence was cut off bởi ôliu, ô liu doing the same exact thing.
No one had even touched their thực phẩm yet, except Rico and Olive. Private nudged his cá with his fork, back and forth. Skipper leaned over toward the Daydreaming penguin. "Do bạn want me to cut that for you, Young Private?" Private jumped out of his bored daze. "Oh, um … yes, please,"
"All right," Skipper đã đưa ý kiến reaching over to make an incegin on Private's fish, that looked thêm like steak. As soon as he penetrated the meat, blood gushed out from it onto the dao, con dao and the center of the plate. Private squealed in terror, and caught everyone's attention. "Is everything still all right?" Ms. Williams asked concerned.
Skipper came up with an act. "Yeah, the dao, con dao slid, and I got a minor cut. I'll be fine." Skipper bluffed. "Oh heavens! There is a bathroom up those stairs, and the first right in the hall."
Skipper followed the instructions, and ascended up the stairs. When he reached the hàng đầu, đầu trang step, a distinctive foul odor slammed into him. The smell was eminating from a room at the far end of the hallway. Skipper went phía trước, chuyển tiếp and was about to open the door, when Timothy came out of nowhere.
"What're bạn doing near my room?" He asked agitatedly. "I-I-I was just looking for the restroom." Skipper stammered. "It's over there," Timothy đã đưa ý kiến directing his flipper at the bathroom door. "Oh, thanks," Skipper đã đưa ý kiến nervously, "I'm just going to go wash my flipper off." Skipper rushed into the room, stood with his back to the tường and flippers wiping his sweat, and slid down the wall. "He couldn't be there he was just downstairs." Skipper gasped to himself.
The sound of Timothy's heavy breathing vanished, and Skipper curiously but cautiously stuck his head out the door. No one was there, and there was no sign of anyone ever even being there. "I must be going insane." Skipper whispered shaking his head.
Soon he got up, and made his way down the stairs. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Private and Rico already scarfing down their dessert. But once they saw him, they paused. "Are bạn all right, Skippah? bạn look like you've seen a ghost!" Private asked, concerned about his leader. "Yeah, I mean, no - I just don't feel that well." Skipper said. "That's too bad. bạn haven't even touched your food." Ms. Williams sympathized. "I'm not that hungry." Skipper bluffed. "All right, well just call for me if bạn need anything." Ellen said. "Will do," Skipper đã đưa ý kiến turning to mope up the stairs. "How come Skippah doesn't have to eat his fish, but I did?" Private protested whispering to Kowalski. "Shush!" Kowalski hushed, and elbowed Private in the ribs. "Ow!" Private whined. The three got up and followed Skipper into the room. "Are bạn absolutely sure you're okay, Skippah?" Private asked suspiciously. "No," Skipper simply answered. "Maybe, it's best if bạn lay down and go to giường early." Kowalki suggested. "First, we need to find who our hàng đầu, đầu trang suspects are."