User blog:Metool Bard/Fanfiction: Missing Linc (Chapter 7)

Chapter 7: One-Eyed Jack is Dealt In
“Thank you for your cooperation, gentlemen. If you can remember anything else, don’t hesitate to call us.”

Huh. Great timing. Just when we arrived at Clyde’s house, we saw the police wrapping up their own interview. Guess that means Clyde knows what’s going on. Poor guy. I wonder how he’s taking it.

We waited for the police to drive off before pulling up to the front door. Clyde’s dads, Harold and Howard, walked out to greet us.

“Oh. I thought all of you would be here,” said Harold. He sighed and hung his head. “Listen, we heard about what happened to Lincoln. If there’s anything you guys need, anything at all, don’t be afraid to ask.”

“Thank you, Mr. McBride,” I said. “That literally means a lot to us.”

“Actually, we hope you don’t mind, but we’d like to ask Clyde some questions,” said Leni.

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” said Howard, looking over at Clyde. “We already gave our statement to the police. I don’t think Clyde’s up to taking any more questions.”

I looked over Howard’s shoulder at Clyde. He did seem to be quite shaken by the whole thing. But as soon as he noticed me, he made a beeline right for us.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” he said. “I can be strong for Lori.”  He then bowed to me. “Ask me whatever you want, my lovely angel.”

Oh, Clyde. Always putting on such a show for me. Y’know, when he’s not getting a nosebleed or acting like a robot. I guess Lincoln’s disappearance is weighing too heavily on his mind for him to go completely ga-ga over me. Thank goodness for small favors.

“Maybe we should talk inside,” I said, getting out of Vanzilla. Leni followed suit as I locked the door and turned on the car alarm.

“Oh, sure. Please, come in,” said Harold. “I’ll go put the kettle on.”

Leni blinked. “On what?”

“He’s offering to make us tea, Leni,” I explained. “Thank you, Mr. McBride, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense,” said Harold, shaking his head. “Lincoln’s practically family, and that makes you family, too. It’s the least we can do.”

Well, I can’t exactly say no to that. The McBrides have always been there for us ever since Lincoln and Clyde became friends. Even if Clyde didn’t have a crush on me, they’d probably still offer to help. That’s just the kind of people they are.

“Think we should tell them about what Lisa found?” Leni whispered.

That’s… actually a good question. We should definitely tell Clyde; he has a right to know, and he might be able to help us with the detective work. But what about his parents? If they knew we were investigating, would they try to stop us? Or do they trust us to handle ourselves? Hmm. I don’t know if I wanna take the risk.

“Thank you again, Mr. McBride. We’ll gladly stay for tea,” I said. “Um, do you mind if we speak to Clyde in private?”

Harold and Howard looked at each other for a moment. “Um, any reason why?” asked Howard.

Wow, way to put me on the spot. Okay, think, Lori. How can we convince Clyde’s parents not to eavesdrop on us? If I remember correctly, they can be pretty overprotective of him. Dang it, I can’t come up with a good excuse.

“I’m sure they just don’t want you two to worry, dads,” Clyde said suddenly. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”  He then stared up at me. “Anything for you, my dear Lori.”

I swear, I think I just saw his eyes literally turn into hearts as he said that. Oh well. At least he’s willing to cooperate. That and I think he’s starting to catch on. Guess all that time playing Ace Savvy with Lincoln helps him pick up on that sort of thing.

“Well, okay, Clyde,” said Harold. “Just be sure to tell us if you need anything.”

“I will,” said Clyde. “This way, please.”

With that, Clyde led us to his room. I’m not sure how he’s gonna take this, but as long as I’m around, I think he’ll be fine. Still, I do hope he finds his own girlfriend someday. Literally any girl would be lucky to have him for a boyfriend. Well, as long as they don’t mind him getting blood all over their nice shoes.

***

“Y-you think he was what?!”

“Everything alright in there, champ?”

“E-everything’s fine, Mr. McBride!”

The moment we filled Clyde in on everything we knew, he did a spit take and started hyperventilating. Honestly, I was expecting that reaction. Clyde has always been very excitable. I’m just glad the tea didn’t stain the nice red beret Leni “borrowed” from me. She’d better look after that thing. Bobby got it for me the day before he moved to the city.

“C-calm down, Clyde. Deep breaths,” said Leni. “W-we’re scared, too. But Lincoln needs us to be strong.”

Clyde took out an inhaler and used it, allowing him to catch his breath. “O-okay. I-I’m alright now,” he panted. “Still, this is pretty serious. I should’ve asked my dads to drive Lincoln home.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” I said. “There’s no way you could’ve known this would happen. It’s not like Royal Woods is known for kidnappers.”

“I did warn Lincoln to be careful, though,” Clyde sighed. “My dads always said it’s dangerous to travel alone at night, no matter what.”

See what I mean about Clyde’s parents being overprotective? I dunno, maybe it’s because Lincoln is usually so on top of things that no one has ever thought that he needs supervision. Heck, he’s taken care of his younger siblings all by himself.

“I don’t think Lincoln could’ve seen this coming, either,” I said. “I know we didn’t.”

Clyde simply nodded. After a pause, he looked up at me. “So, you’re looking for him, right?”

“Of course we are,” I said with a small smile. “Which is why we need you to tell us what you know. Think you’re up for it?”

Clyde shrugged. “I guess, but I don’t know if it’ll help. There’s not much I can say that I didn’t already tell that police.”

Well, Lisa did say we all have to be on the same page. Even so, I should think of a few questions the police might not have asked.

“Let’s start with the basics,” I said. “When did Lincoln leave here last night?”

“About 9:50,” said Clyde. “I know, he was cutting it pretty close to curfew, but I had to show him something really special.”

“Something more special than a Dream Boat marathon?” asked Leni. “Lincoln’s usually down for that.”

“Trust me, this was way more important,” said Clyde. “Hey, how was the marathon, by the way? Keisha ended up picking Boris, right?”

I had to raise an eyebrow at that. “Wait, you watch Dream Boat?”

Clyde’s face turned bright red. “Um, well…”

He didn’t have to say it. I could tell just from his eyes that he was a fellow Dream Boat fan. That’s literally adorable. I think Lincoln’s starting to rub off on his friends.

“Let’s try to stay on topic,” I said, taking a sip of my tea. “So, what exactly was more important than a Dream Boat marathon?”

“H-huh? Oh, right,” said Clyde. He cleared his throat and ushered us to come closer. “We’ve been hearing rumors around school that they’re gonna make a movie based on the Full House Gang comic Lincoln and I wrote. And guess what? The rumors are true. We saw an ad for it last night during Operation: Dessert Storm.”

…

Omigosh, that’s… that’s fantastic! I know Lincoln and Clyde won that Ace Savvy competition with their Full House Gang comic a while back, but a movie? Wow. Good on them, I say. It’s just a shame Lincoln didn’t tell us the good news himself before he got nabbed. Actually, now that I think about it…

“Hang on, something’s not adding up,” I said. “Lisa’s simulation showed the Lincoln made a detour before he disappeared. Wouldn’t this Full House Gang movie give him more reason to get home as soon as possible so he could tell us?”

“Well, you said he was heading for Flip’s, right?” Clyde mused. “Maybe he wanted to pick up a treat for you guys to celebrate.”

Huh. That actually makes sense, knowing Lincoln. It doesn’t get us any closer to finding him, though.

“I still can’t believe this,” Leni muttered, staring at her tea. “Like, who would want to hurt Lincoln, and why? H-he doesn’t deserve this.”

Preaching to the choir there, Leni. Heck, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Still, that’s a very good question. Who would have something to gain from abducting Lincoln? I know Lola thinks Lindsey Sweetwater has a motive, but it’s pretty flimsy from where I’m standing. What really gets to me is that this happened right on the cusp of Lincoln getting some of the best news in his life. Talk about a tragic irony.

…

Hang on. I just had a thought. It’s a bit of a stretch, but we don’t have anything else to go on right now.

“Hey, Clyde. Remember when you first submitted that Full House Gang comic in that contest?” I asked.

Clyde blinked. “Uh, yeah. I remember Principal Huggins tried to sabotage our chances of winning, but we ended up writing his character into the final draft. Why? Do you think the Full House Gang movie is connected to Lincoln’s kidnapping?”

He catches on pretty quick.

“It might be,” I said. “Tell me, where did you first hear about this rumor?”

“From Principal Huggins himself, believe it or not,” said Clyde. “We’ve been a lot closer ever since he made me junior administrator.”

“What else do you know about this movie?” asked Leni. “Ooh, is Blake Bradley in it? Please tell me Blake Bradley’s in it.”

“Focus, Leni,” I said sternly. Though that would be a dream come true. Blake Bradley is such a hunk.

“I only know what Principal Huggins told me, and even he admitted that he didn’t know that much,” said Clyde. “Just a few things that were supposedly leaked onto the Internet ahead of the trailer. But you know how dodgy those alleged leaks can be.”

“Can you get more specific?” I asked.

Clyde took a sip of his tea and thought for a moment. “Well, that depends. Do you mind me spoiling the movie for you?”

“I’m not sure if plot details are gonna help us find Lincoln,” I said dryly.

Clyde nodded. “Good point. Well, the only behind-the-scenes stuff I heard is that Bill Buck has been wanting this to happen for a while, ever since he announced that the Full House Gang is canon to the series.”

“And when did that happen?”

“He posted about it on social media about a month after the contest.”

Sounds like this has been in development for quite some time. I heard movies usually take a while to make, but I’m not sure how long it takes on average. I should still make a note of it in case it becomes important later.

“Hey, so, this might seem a bit random, but do you know someone named Chandler?” said Leni.

Clyde blinked. “Chandler? Yeah, I know him. He’s really popular in our school. He actually invited me and Lincoln to a party he’s hosting today. I would’ve gone, but I have other plans today. That is, I had other plans before the police showed up.”

Wait, so Clyde was actually planning on going to a party being hosted at a sewage treatment plant. Just how popular is this Chandler kid?

“Do you think he knows about the movie, too?” I said.

“He probably does, but I don’t know if he cares,” said Clyde. “Some of the kids he usually hangs out with say that they’re too old for Ace Savvy.”

I know a few close friends who would probably take offense to that. Not to mention Principal Huggins is a huge fan himself.

“Though now that I think about it, his invitation was kinda weird,” Clyde mused. “He said he was throwing this party for me and Lincoln, and that he had a super-special surprise for us.”

Huh. That is strange. Why would Lincoln turn down an invitation like that? I mean besides the fact that the party is taking place at a freaking sewage treatment plant. Still, did he have other plans like Clyde did, or does he know something about Chandler that we don’t? I guess Luna and Luan are gonna find out. In the meantime, I should probably switch gears.

“So where were you planning on going today?” I asked.

“Huh? Oh, I was gonna go to an Ace Savvy meetup at the library,” said Clyde.

“Really? Lincoln didn’t mention anything about that in his diary,” said Leni.

Clyde gave Leni a look. “You read Lincoln’s diary?”

Leni blushed. “I-it was Lola’s idea. She thought it would help us find Lincoln.”

Clyde’s expression softened. “Oh. I… guess that’s okay, then.”  He cleared his throat. “Anyway, Lincoln told me he couldn’t make it. Something about doing some stuff for the twins.”

Well, he did mention going over some pageant drills with Lola, but that wasn’t gonna take up the entire day. Hmm…

Oh, right! Lana mentioned that she needed some new auto parts from Flip! I guess Lincoln was planning to take her. Man, this day just threw all of our schedules out the window. Except for Lynn, that is. I hope she’s holding up alright.

“Say, Clyde? Is this meetup invite only?” Leni asked.

“I… don’t think so,” said Clyde. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, maybe that should be our next stop.”

…

That’s… actually not a bad idea. If the Full House Gang movie is connected to all this, we’re gonna need to know more about it. And what better place to learn about it than an Ace Savvy meetup? Just goes to show you that there’s more to Leni’s head than just air.

“Good thinking, Leni!” said Clyde, leaping to his feet. “C’mon, let’s go!”

He was about to open his door when he suddenly stopped. “Oh, wait…”

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Sounds to me like you’re willing to help, and we could use the expertise of One-Eyed Jack.”

Clyde blushed. “Y-yeah. I-I know, L-L-L-Lori…”

“Clyde, deep breaths,” said Leni. “Try to remember the fifty states.”

Clyde then slapped himself and shook his head. “Right, gotta focus.”  He then sighed. “Thing is, I don’t think my dads are gonna want me out of the house with a kidnapper on the loose.”

Hmm. That is a problem. And honestly, I don’t think that fear is unfounded. If there is a connection between the Full House Gang movie and Lincoln’s kidnapping, Clyde might be in danger, too. But I know Clyde. He’s just like us. He doesn’t want to sit here doing nothing when his best buddy is in danger.

“Tell you what, Clyde,” I said. “You have a smartphone, right?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Mind if I have your number?”

Clyde’s blush resurfaced in full force. “L-L-Lori actually wants my n-number?”  He suddenly started twitching at random. “Does not compute~! Error~! System overload~!”

“Say the alphabet backwards!” Leni called out.

After a pause, Clyde slapped himself again. “R-right. Sorry. Gotta focus on Lincoln,” he said. He then wrote down his number and gave it to me. “H-here you go.”

“Thanks. We’ll call you if we need your help,” I said. “Also, see what you can dig up about the movie from your laptop. We might need it.”

Clyde saluted. “No worries, High Card. Even when confined to the Fortress of Solitaire, One-Eyed Jack’s got your back. Good thing I wear my uniform under my clothes.”

Now it was my turn to blush. “U-uh, maybe wait for us to leave before you get changed, yeah?”

Clyde blinked. “O-oh. Right. Sorry.”

Maybe this is why Clyde doesn’t have an actual girlfriend yet. He can just be so awkward sometimes. I guess that’s part of his charm. Even so, I’m glad Leni can set him straight whenever he has one of his Lori freakout moments. Bloody noses and robotic noises are literally not gonna help Lincoln.

“Thanks for your help, Clyde,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find Lincoln, I promise.”

Clyde nodded and gulped. “Y-yeah. G-good luck.”

With that, Leni and I said our goodbyes to the McBrides and headed on our way. Well, we’re making progress, but things still aren’t adding up. I really hope this Full House Gang movie isn’t just a red herring. It’s literally the best lead we’ve got right now, and if it doesn’t pan out, we’re back to square one.

I still wish Clyde was able to come with us. This detective stuff really is more his bag. But even so, I’m grateful for his support. Something tells me that if we even stand a chance of finding Lincoln, we’re gonna need all the help we can get…

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