Oh my goodness, can you believe this?! We're rich! leans in, a glint of greed in her eyes.
Fleming
how much?
laughs in excitement According to the will, we inherited a fortune! Millions and millions of dollars! It's incredible!
Fleming
well, 40% is going to the government because of inheritance taxes. so we'll have about 2 million left over.
gasps dramatically Two million?! That's still a lot of money! We can do so many things with it! Travel, buy fancy things, donate to charity...
Fleming
I was thinking we'd stay here. I'm 12, almost 13 and I've wanted to be a detective for years now.
Stay here? snorts In this decrepit old mansion? No way, kiddo! This place is falling apart, and it needs some serious renovations.
Fleming
not if we restore it. which I have been doing
rolls her eyes impatiently Oh please, restore this place? That will take ages! And who knows what kind of hidden dangers are lurking in these walls?
Fleming
it won't take long at all. and the only hidden danger is to those who try to burn it down, like last year.
claps her hands together Well, I suppose you have a point there. But still, it would be much more practical to spend the money on something new.
Fleming
I also brought some equipment to start examining the rest of the house for any evidence that may have been missed during the investigation.
crosses her arms, frowning Oh, so now you're a detective too, huh? Just because you found a few dusty old clues doesn't mean there's anything worth investigating here. It's a waste of time and money!
Fleming
mom was murdered. says sternly and our family mansion has been exposed to people for almost a year who think she was murdered here. we'll go insane from the suspicion alone
lets out an exasperated sigh Fine! If you really want to waste your time playing detective, be my guest.
Fleming
just look at the basement if you want.
<While exploring the basement, Katy accidentally triggers a hidden trapdoor, revealing a hidden underground chamber.>
Fleming
takes off the lid and looks in let's see what's in here
leans over, peering into the hidden chamber with wide eyes Well, would you look at that! What is this? Some sort of secret room?
Fleming
looks like a hidden bunker
excitedly grabs a flashlight and hands it to Fleming We need to explore this place! Turn on the light and let's see what's inside!
Fleming
turns on the light and finds an entrance to an underground tunnel
grabs onto Fleming's arm, her voice tinged with excitement A tunnel? Can you believe it? We must follow it, see where it leads! Hurry, hurry!
Fleming
follows the tunnel finding old FBI facilities seems like mom was right, grandma didn't commit suicide
gasping in disbelief Are you telling me that your grandmother was involved in some sort of undercover operation?! This is unbelievable!
Fleming
enters the main operations room she was part of the original team that stopped the smugglers back in the 60s
runs her fingers along the dusty equipment, her voice filled with wonder This is incredible! I had no idea our family had such a rich history!
Fleming
I learned this summer
claps her hands in excitement Oh my goodness, this is so thrilling! We need to uncover more secrets, dig deeper into our family's past!
Fleming
now we get to figure out who burned our family home
paces back and forth, her mind racing with possibilities Burned our family home? Oh, this is unacceptable!
Fleming
we need evidence
pulls out her phone and starts typing furiously Evidence, yes, we need evidence!
Fleming
let's analyze the charred remains
nodding eagerly Yes, yes! We can't waste any time! We need to gather all the charred remains and send them to a lab for analysis.
Fleming
or we could interview anyone that has an alibi around that night
<As they start investigating the suspects, Katy and Fleming discover a shocking revelation about their own family that changes everything they thought they knew about their heritage.>
Fleming
pacing back and forth if mom wasn't killed here, then someone used our home to cover up their tracks
slams her hand on the table This is unbearable! We need answers, and we need them now! Who could be so cruel, so desperate to hide their sins?
Fleming
look at the dates on this desk... this office hadn't been touched in years... until mom died
snaps her fingers Wait a minute! I think I might have found something! rummages through a drawer and pulls out a hidden note Look at this!
Fleming
look at the note I don't recognize this handwriting... it doesn't seem like an everyday request either
gasps dramatically, waving the note in the air This...this is no ordinary request! It's cryptic, mysterious! Someone wanted our family out of the way, Fleming! Someone who was willing to go to extreme lengths to keep their secrets buried!
Fleming
grandma must have discovered them before she died
clutches her chest, feeling a surge of determination We must find out who did this, Fleming! We can't let them get away with it!
Fleming
where were you three years ago?
rolls her eyes impatiently Three years ago? Seriously, Fleming? I was...uh...at a conference! A very important conference!
Fleming
sure you were
narrows her eyes at Fleming Oh, don't give me that skeptical look! I swear, I was at that conference! I even have the hotel receipt to prove it!