"HELLO SIR, THIS is M & M detective agency, do you have a case that you'd like
us to solve? What? No we are NOT a candy company, what? NO! We will not make
you a wedding cake! No sir, I would suggest that you go elsewhere!" Marvin the
brown Moehog slammed the phone down angrily, that had been the seventh "candy
call" they had received that week.
"Maybe we should change our name... " Marvin
mused. Suddenly, he turned around. A faint rustling was audible as Marvin's
brother, Mark, a white Moehog, stumbled into the room. Mark grinned toothily
at his brother and held up a sketch-a-pic board.
"Hey Marvin, wanna play some tic-tac-toe? Oh..."
Upon seeing Marvin's dejected face, Mark stopped short.
"Another candy call?" he sympathised.
"Yup... maybe we should change our agency's
name, people always think that we're connectionists."
"But M & M works so well! Marvin and Mark, the
Moehog brothers!"
"I know! I know! It's so weird! We're still
getting them, even though we changed our newspaper add to say 'NOT A CANDY COMPANY!!!'
In bold, red letters!"
"Maybe people just don't pay attention anymore."
"Maybe sleuthing isn't the right career for
us."
"Don't worry Marvin, we'll get business at some
point or other."
"We haven't solved a single case!"
"Sure we have! Remember, when we were little
hogletts?"
"I don't consider finding mom's car keys to
count as cracking a major diamond theft or mystery."
"Don't say that, Marvin. Hey, why don't we play
some Armada?" Mark offered, shaking the Armada box temptingly
"Oh all right."
Mark set the board down, and Marvin set up the
pieces. Soon, Marvin had destroyed about half of Mark's fleet, and was winning
by a long shot.
"Well Mark, looks like I win again! Let's see,
that's 263 wins, my favour."
Mark smiled painfully. "Oh I know," he thought.
"I don't even know how to play!"
Marvin yawned. "Well Mark, my old boy, what
say we curl up with the Neopian times and read some of those detective stories?"
"Oh boy! Dibs on issue 41!"
Soon, both Moehogs were lost in their reading.
Mark was surveying a who dunnit book, and Marvin was immersed in "Snow Job."
The tiny, drab office was pleasantly cozy, a single light bulb illuminating
the small room and it's occupants. The corners served as a home for numerous
Spyder webs, abandoned and filled with dust. A large desk sat off to one side,
dominating most of the room. Papers, board games and empty Pizzaroo boxes littered
the hardwood floor. Marvin glanced at Mark.
"Hmm... have you figured out who dunnit, brother
dear?"
Mark looked up. "Yeah, I think it was Mr. Body!"
Marvin groaned and rolled his eyes skyward.
"You idiot! Mr. Body is the victim! Honestly, how can you ever hope to be a
world class detective like Furlock Joanes if you can't even figure out a simple
child's mystery?"
Mark's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry
Marvin! I'm just not as good a detective as you!"
Marvin sighed, and patted his brother's moehawk
with his rock like hoof. "Ah well, we've only been in the business for a few
weeks."
Mark's shoulder's slumped. "Do you think that
we'll ever get a case?"
"I don't know Mark, we migh--" Marvin was cut
off by the phone's piercing ring.
"I'll get it! I'll get it!" Cried Mark.
"No you won't, I'm the older one. I'LL get it!"
Marvin straightened himself up and cleared his
throat. Trying to sound important and formidable, he greeted the mysterious
caller.
"Hello?"
"Hello. Is this the Marvin and Mark detective
agency?"
Marvin realised that the caller was a female.
"How did you know our names?"
"Uh... Lucky guess. Anyway, I have a case for
you to solve. I tried calling the Buzz detectives across the streets but they
were fully booked."
Marvin swelled out his chest, had found an opening.
"Oh yes ma'am! M & M detective agency is right there for our customers!"
"I understand that you had no bookings?"
"Uh, how did you kno--"
"Never mind. Anyway, I recently bought a house
on Krawk Island, but everyday when I go to water my garden, I find that all
my chalk has disappeared. I buy new chalk, but it disappears the next day. I
need you to find out who's behind this. I need you to find these chalk-a-holics."
"Why would you need chalk to water a garden?"
Marvin thought, but he kept those thoughts to himself. "Sure Ma'am. We'll be
right on it!"
Marvin furrowed his brow. The client had sounded
oddly familiar. He shook his head soundly, removing the thoughts from his mind.
It didn't matter who the client was, a client was a client! After receiving
the details from "Ms. Exit," as she was called, Marvin hung up the phone with
a feeling of great ecstasy. Sure, it wasn't the mass codestone theft that he
had been hoping for, but he and Mark had their first case!
He turned to Mark, who had been waiting with
hope shining in his eyes. Marvin grinned toothily. "Come on little brother,
we're going to Krawk Island!"
"Grab your bike, little bro. I couldn't afford
a boat ride."
Marvin and Mark were on their way to Krawk Island,
after receiving their first case, they were very eager to get started.
"What do you mean we couldn't afford a boat
ride? We had plenty of money!"
"Not anymore! I spent it on this great detective
kit! See, it comes with a plaid, ear flapped cap, a magnifying glass and some
genuine fingerprint powder!"
"Oooh... Let me see, Marvin!"
"Cool eh? But listen, I get the hat."
Both Moehogs mounted their bikes, Marvin's was
blue, and Mark's red. Even though they were older pets who were out on their
own, they had still named them.
"Yeah! Go Tsunami!" Marvin cried.
"Come on, FireThunderWaterfallBlazer! We have
to beat Marvin!" Mark bellowed.
At last, they came to the seashore. Marvin skidded
to a stop, lowering his hoof and kicking up some dust. He hopped off his bike
and surveyed the ocean. It was a wide expanse, the sunlight glittering beautifully
off the gently rolling waves. He grinned.
"We can bike no further," he proclaimed. "It's
a good thing I brought these boards to make a raft with."
Mark came up behind Marvin on his bike. He bent
down to peer pessimistically at the boards. "What're we gonna stick them together
with?"
"Glue gun," Marvin mumbled, rummaging through
his backpack. At last he stood up, triumphantly showing Mark the glue gun, which
had stuck to his tusks.
Mark looked around worriedly. "What're we gonna
plug it into?"
"Uh... well, we can always... Um..." Marvin
turned sheepishly back to Mark. "Feel like going for a swim?"
To be continued... | 
