The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1)

by Michael Buckley

  After several seconds, she poked her head out of the room.

  “They’re gone.

  "What are we doing here?" Sabrina asked. She didn't feel comfortable waiting around in the hospital room of a man she didn't even know. Especially after people had been dumping what looked like the contents of a vacuum cleaner bag all over him.

  "We're waiting."

  "For who?" Daphne asked, but no sooner had she said it than a thin, frail woman with gray-streaked black hair entered the room. When she saw Mrs. Grimm and the girls, she got a worried look on her face.

  "Mrs. Applebee, I'm Relda Grimm and these are my granddaughters, Sabrina and Daphne. We heard about the accident. Are you OK?" Mrs. Grimm said.

  "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you for asking. Do you know my husband?"

  "Oh, no, we're just concerned citizens and neighbors. I happen to do a little detective work from time to time and I was thinking I might be able to help. How is your husband?"

  Mrs. Applebee gazed down at the broken man and smiled sadly. "To be honest, I'm a little worried about him. He was raving earlier. The doctors gave him a sedative to calm him down . . . Wait a minute, he's waking up," she said as he began to stir. He opened his eyes and looked at the three strangers in his room.

  "Thomas, how are you feeling?" Mrs. Applebee asked as she sat next to his bed and rubbed his hand.

  "Debra, who are these people?" the farmer asked his wife.

  "They're with the police," Mrs. Applebee replied.

  Mrs. Grimm stepped forward. "Not the police, dear. I'm a detective ... of sorts. Mr. Applebee, my name is Relda Grimm, and these are my granddaughters. I'm very glad to see you weren't too badly injured, considering . . ."

  "You three are detectives?" Mr. Applebee looked from Mrs. Grimm to the children, eyeing them suspiciously.

  "Yes," Mrs. Grimm said, causing Daphne to practically swell with pride.

  "Well, I think a crime has been committed, Mrs. Grimm," Mr. Applebee said.

  "You do?"

  "They should arrest whoever dressed your granddaughters this morning."

  "Thomas, stop it! I think they look adorable," Mrs. Applebee cried. "I'm sorry, he's been a grouch since we got here. He doesn't like hospitals."

  Sabrina looked down at her goofy outfit and seethed with anger. Who would buy a girl who was almost twelve a shirt with a monkey on it?

  "Well, what can I do for you, Mrs. Grimm?" Mr. Applebee grunted.

  "Do you remember anything about the accident?" the old woman said.

  "What accident?" the farmer asked.

  Mrs. Grimm frowned.

  "What accident!" Mrs. Applebee exclaimed. "Thomas, the house has been destroyed and I found you lying in the yard."

  "I don't know what you're talking about. There's nothing wrong with the house," Mr. Applebee argued.

  "Oh, dear, the painkillers are really doing a number on you," Mrs. Applebee said, shifting anxiously in her seat. The farmer returned his wife's stare with an innocent look.

  "Mrs. Grimm, I don't think my husband is up to discussing the case right now," his wife said.

  "I understand. Perhaps you might have a moment to spare us, then?"

  "Of course." Mrs. Applebee gestured for them to follow her into the hallway.

  "So sorry to trouble you," Mrs. Grimm said to the farmer as they walked toward the door. "I do hope you feel better soon, Mr. Applebee."

  Daphne stopped and turned to the injured man. "I like my outfit," she said and stuck her tongue out.

  Mr. Applebee stuck his tongue out, too, and the little girl stomped out of the room.

  "He's acting very odd right now," Mrs. Applebee said when they were in the hallway. "I'm considering taking him out of this hospital."

  "Oh, I'm sure he's in good hands. So, you said he was raving about something," Mrs. Grimm prompted.

  "Oh, it's silly. He swore he'd seen a giant."

  "Oh, well, wouldn't that be a sight." Mrs. Grimm chuckled.

  "But I have a different theory about what happened," Mrs. Applebee explained. "There was a British man out to the farm several times, asking us if we would rent the place to him for a couple of nights. He said he needed the field for a special event, but only for a couple of days. At first he was very friendly, but when Thomas refused he got quite nasty."

  "Has he come back?" Mrs. Grimm asked.

  "Well, that's just it. A week later he did come back and apologized for being so rude. He said he wanted to make it up to us so he booked us into a fancy hotel in New York City, all expenses paid, and tickets to a Broadway show. We hadn't had a vacation in years—farming is a tough business—so I accepted."

  "How nice. Did you enjoy your vacation?"

  "Not at all. When I got there I found that the hotel didn't have any record of our reservation and the tickets to the show were counterfeit," Mrs. Applebee said angrily.

  "You say you found out. Didn't your husband go with you?" Mrs. Grimm said.

  "Oh, no, Thomas doesn't care for the city much," Mrs. Applebee sighed, tears forming in her eyes. "I took my sister. We had to use our own money for a hotel and the only place with a room was infested with bedbugs."

  "How dreadful," Mrs. Grimm sympathized. "Mrs. Applebee, this man's name didn't happen to be Charming, did it?"

  "Oh no, it was Englishman," the woman replied, sniffing.

  "What did this Mr. Englishman look like?"

  "I'm sorry, I never saw him. Thomas had all the dealings with him."

  "One last question, Mrs. Applebee. I'm sure you want to get back to your husband. Do either of you own a video camera?" Mrs. Grimm took a clean handkerchief out of her handbag and offered it to the woman. Sabrina noticed that a soft, pink powder fell from the handkerchief as the woman wiped her eyes.

  "No, we don't. Mr. Applebee is a little tight with the money, if you know what I mean." Suddenly, Sabrina noticed a change in the woman's face. It seemed to wipe itself of all emotion and her eyes drifted into a blank stare.

  "I'm sorry, have we met?" Mrs. Applebee asked, her voice distant.

  "No," Mrs. Grimm replied. "But I hear you had a wonderful time in New York City."

  "OK," Mrs. Applebee said. Then she turned and went into her husband's room without saying good-bye.

  Mrs. Grimm pulled her notebook out of her handbag and jotted down some notes. "So, the plot thickens," she said with a wide smile. "We can definitely say there was a giant, now."

  "There's no such thing as giants!" Sabrina said, a bit louder than she meant to. The declaration echoed down the hospital hallway.

  "Sabrina!" Daphne shouted.

  "You heard the woman," Sabrina said in a much lower tone. "This Mr. Englishman wanted to rent their farm for some special event. When the farmer wouldn't agree, he lost his temper and blew the place up. Charming is probably trying to cover this up because he's in on it."

  "Sabrina, I'm proud of you," Mrs. Grimm said as she led them into the elevator. "You have incredible skills of deduction. You looked at the clues and chose the most likely path to solve the crime. You're going to make a great detective. But how do you explain the footprint?"

  "Listen, I don't know where you live, but my sister and I are here on Earth where things can easily be explained without having to consider giants. Maybe whatever Englishman used to blow up the house caused the ground to sink."

  "Brilliant, but there's a loose end in your theory. When someone blows something up, usually pieces fly everywhere. This house looked like it had been squashed from above," Mrs. Grimm pointed out. The elevator stopped and the Grimms stepped into the busy emergency room lobby.

  "The house was stomped on," Daphne said.

  "That's my theory," the old woman said as they left the hospital. "And I know who is responsible."

  "Who is it?" Daphne squealed.

  "I think you'll enjoy it more if it's a surprise."

  "Well, hello, ladies," a voice said as three men emerged from the deep shadows that lined the pathway to the parking lot. The
y were the same men in suits who had been staring at them when they entered the hospital. The small, dumpy one held an iron bar that he kept smacking into his gloved hand. The men on either side of him stood like huge, muscle-bound bookends to their much shorter leader.

  "Good evening, gentlemen," Mrs. Grimm said calmly, despite the fact that one glance told Sabrina the men were trouble.

  "We hear you've been asking some questions about a certain piece of property," the dumpy leader said. Sabrina saw that his nose had been broken in three places. She could tell he wasn't a man to mess with.

  "Then you've heard correctly, young man," Mrs. Grimm said as she placed herself squarely between the girls and the thugs. Daphne grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed tightly, but Sabrina hardly noticed. She was too awestruck by the old woman's courage.

  "Well, if you know what's good for you, then you'll just forget about the whole thing," the leader said with a wicked grin that revealed the absence of a front tooth.

  "If I knew what was good for me, I wouldn't be in this line of work," Mrs. Grimm replied. "Now, if you'd be so kind to let us pass, I really must get my granddaughters out of the cold air."

  "In a minute, Relda." The leader grinned. "We just want to make sure you understand what we're trying to say."

  "I seem to be at a disadvantage, young man. You know my name, but I don't know yours. Or better yet, who the unfortunate employer is who hired the likes of you three."

  The two big men grunted angrily, but the leader raised his hands to quiet them. "No need to get rude, Relda. We're just having a conversation, ya know, trying to avoid a confrontation."

  "Boys," Mrs. Grimm said with the tone of someone who has lost her patience. "I want you to go back to your boss and tell him that he should know it takes more than three thugs to make me give up. Now, good night."

  She tried to pass the men, but as she did, the leader grabbed her jacket and pulled her close to his fat face.

  "Some people can't take a hint."

  Mrs. Grimm pulled a little silver whistle from around her neck and blew into it, but no sound could be heard. When she put it back inside her dress, the bullies laughed.

  "I'm warning you. If you don't let us pass you are going to regret it," she said. Sabrina's heart began to pound. How could Mrs. Grimm be so calm? These men were about to tear her apart!

  "Lady, it's you who's going to have the regrets."

  Chapter 4

  eave my grandmother alone!" Daphne commanded. Before Sabrina could stop her, the little girl rushed forward and kicked the dumpy man in the shin. He cried out in pain and rubbed his leg. Mrs. Grimm then hit him on top of his head with her heavy, book-filled handbag. He crumpled to the ground and groaned. Seeing how easily their leader had fallen to a little girl and an old lady, the two other thugs laughed.

  "What are you laughing at?" the leader snapped as he crawled to his feet.

  "Sorry, Tony, we didn't mean to laugh," one of the goons said.

  "What are you doing?" Tony bellowed.

  "What?" the tall one asked defensively.

  "You told her my name. We all agreed we were going to keep our identities secret."

  The tall one shrugged. "Sorry, Tony, I didn't think."

  "Steve, you just did it again," the other thug pointed out.

  "You did it, too!" Tony shouted. "You just told them Steve's name."

  "Who cares?" Steve said.

  "Because they can identify us to the cops," Tony complained as he turned his attention back to Mrs. Grimm. He raised his heavy crowbar above his head and snarled. "Now we have to kill them!"

  "Easier said than done," a voice said from behind them. Sabrina and Daphne turned to see Mr. Canis emerge from the shadows with Elvis close behind.

  "Look out, here comes her boyfriend." Steve laughed. "You want to handle him, Bobby?"

  "Shut up! Both of you!" Tony shouted. "Why don't you idiots just give them our addresses and phone numbers, too!"

  "If you run off now, no one will get hurt," Canis offered. His voice was powerful and hard but the thugs just chuckled. Even Sabrina could tell that frail old Mr. Canis wasn't going to be able to stop them. Sometimes he looked as if his own clothes were too heavy for him to wear.

  Sabrina realized now would be a great time to grab her sister and make their escape, but it didn't feel right. The old woman and her feeble friend needed their help. She would have to do something herself—find a weapon—a rock, a stick—anything she could use to fight the men off. But the pathway was as clean of debris as it was of people.

  "Girls, get behind Elvis, please," Mr. Canis said, taking their hands and pulling them back so that the Great Dane was between them and trouble.

  "Enough of this. Get him!" Tony ordered, and Bobby and Steve lunged at Mr. Canis. Sabrina was sure they had seen the last of the old man, but he caught both of the men by the throat, one in each hand, and lifted them off the ground, holding them aloft as their feet dangled and kicked. Even more shocking was the loud, guttural growl the old man released when he tossed the two thugs, sending them sprawling across the cold concrete ground. For ten yards they thumped and bounced, groaning with each painful smack against the pavement.

  "All right, if that's the way you want to play it," Tony threatened as he pushed Mrs. Grimm roughly to the ground. He swung his iron bar wildly at Mr. Canis and rushed forward, but the old man quickly stepped sideways and tripped him, sending the thug to the pavement with his friends. Tony leaped up and rushed at Mr. Canis again, only to feel the same painful results.

  "Hurry girls, we should get to safety," Mrs. Grimm said as she got up and led them away from the fight. Elvis trotted along beside them, barking warnings at the goons not to follow. When they got to the car, Daphne climbed in but anxiously peered out the windows. After several minutes, Mr. Canis had still not joined them.

  "We shouldn't have left him. There were three of them, Granny! He can't fight them all," the little girl said, with tears running down her cheeks. Before Mrs. Grimm could calm her down, the car door opened and Mr. Canis crawled in behind the wheel. He was completely unharmed, and oddly, he had a little grin on his face.

  "See, lieblings? He's just fine," the old woman said. She turned to Mr. Canis. "The girls were worried about you."

  The old man turned in his seat and looked back at Sabrina and Daphne. He was his same painfully thin, watery-eyed old self. Daphne leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek. His face turned red with embarrassment.

  "Don't you ever do that again!" she commanded as she hugged him tightly and then sat back into her seat. Mr. Canis nodded in agreement.

  "I, for one, am thrilled at what's transpiring," Mrs. Grimm said, taking out her notepad and pen. She began jotting notes frantically.

  Sabrina was shocked. "Thrilled? We were almost killed."

  "Killed? Oh Mr. Canis, doesn't she remind you of Basil?" Mrs. Grimm tittered.

  Mr. Canis nodded.

  "No, I think we have cause to celebrate," the old woman continued.

  "Why, did you find a clue?" Daphne asked.

  "No, not at all."

  "Then, what's to celebrate?" Sabrina said.

  "We're getting close, lieblings. When they send the goons, the bad guys are getting nervous."

  "So what now?" Daphne asked.

  "We'll follow those goons back to their hideout."

  "What? Why would we do that?" Sabrina cried, remembering Tony and his crowbar.

  "Because they're going to lead us right back to their boss.

  Ladies, we're going on a stakeout."

  • • •

  Mr. Canis managed to find the thugs' car in no time and he trailed them at a distance (which had to be pretty great, considering the noise coming from Mrs. Grimm's old rust bucket), driving high into the hills overlooking Ferryport Landing. They passed no other cars, just a few deer wandering by the road in the fading light. But Sabrina wasn't enjoying the scenery. She was a nervous wreck. She had already worried about Mrs. Grimms sanity
, based on the ridiculous fairy-tale story she had told earlier that day. Now the crazy old woman had them chasing three dangerous men. She wanted to kick herself for not escaping when they had had the chance, and decided that she and Daphne would make a run for it as soon as possible.

  Eventually, the thugs' car pulled into the empty driveway of a small mountain cabin. Mr. Canis turned the engine and lights off and let the car coast along the road until they found a dense growth of trees to park behind. When they came to a stop, Mrs. Grimm opened up her handbag, fumbled through it, and took out a pair of odd-looking binoculars.

  "What are those?" Daphne asked.

  "They're binoculars for nighttime. They're called infrared goggles. I thought they might come in handy tonight," the old woman said as she handed them to Daphne. "Want to take a peek?"

  Daphne took the goggles and raised them to her eyes.

  "Oh, that's horrible!"

  Sabrina looked out the window but saw nothing. "What? What do you see?" she asked nervously.

  "You." The little girl giggled. "Here, take a look."

  The older girl stuck out her tongue and took the goggles from her sister. When she looked through them, the darkness became illuminated in green light, and she saw the three thugs going into the cabin.

  "Let's see who else turns up," Mrs. Grimm said. "Sabrina, would you mind letting Elvis out? He probably needs to stretch his legs."

  Sabrina handed Mrs. Grimm the goggles and opened the door. Elvis lumbered out, causing the car to make noises that sounded like squeals of delight. With the door open, the girls could have easily made a break for it, using the woods for cover as they made their escape, but Daphne was leaning on the front seat asking questions.

  "Granny Relda, are all the fairy tales true?"

  "Almost all of them, but some are just bedtime stories to get kids to go to sleep. For instance, a dish never ran away with a spoon, and no cow that I know of has ever jumped over the moon."

  "How about the three little pigs?"

  Mr. Canis shifted in his seat but said nothing.

  "Yes, dear, they are real," Mrs. Grimm replied.

  "How about Snow White?"