Dominique Azure and the haunted music box Chapter 1

“Good evening all. I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here today…tonight.” A young boy, of about twelve, spoke to the small group in front of him. The other children were sitting in foldout chairs and looking extremely bored.

“Not really, Dominique.” A girl told him, rolling her eyes as she spoke. “Just get on with it already.”

  “Zelda!” Dominique Azure glared at the girl. “You’re my sister! Can’t you have even a little faith in me?”

“No.” Zelda stated, examining one of her nails and yawning. “Not even a bit.”

Dominique Azure was a detective, or at least he tried. His only problem was that there were no good mysteries in this little town. The few that they did get the police and the detective downtown took care of. Dominique had even asked his mother for a private phone line dedicated to Azure Detective Incorporated, so far they hadn’t gotten any calls. But Dominique had heard a rumor when he went shopping for his and Zelda’s mother. Old Mrs. Johnson had a music box, which was supposedly beginning to play on its own.

“What’s the point of this, Dom?” Trevor asked him, leaning back in his chair. “It’s nine o’clock at night, do you have any idea what I went through to get mom to let me come here so late?”

“Patience, Trevor, all in good time.” Dominique replied, in what he thought was a cryptic voice. Trevor rolled his eyes.

“C’mon, Dominique!” Patrick all but yelled from the second row. “Quite your stalling and get just tell us what all this is about.”

“Fine!” Dominique huffed. “I was shopping today and I heard something.”

“Birds?” Alison guessed sarcastically. None of the other members of Azure Detective Inc were too happy at being drug out of their homes at such an hour for another of Dominique’s stories.

“Well, yes but…” Dominique stopped and shook his head to clear his mind. “But that’s not all. Mr. Clazer told me that Mrs. Johnson has a haunted music box!”

The other four members blinked and Dominique stood, quite proud, at the front, having found their first prospective client. Zelda raised an eyebrow and shook her head, but said nothing, it being her brother and everything.

“A haunted music box?” Trevor gasped, a look on his face that clearly stated he thought Dominique and Mr. Clazer were both a few apples short of a fruit basket. “A…a haunted music box?”

“Yep.” Dominique grinned at him. “It’s the best case in town. Not only will it look good on transcripts if we catch an evil ghost, but it’s so off the wall that absolutely no one else will eve take the time to look into it. We’re Mrs. Johnson’s only hope.”

“More like we’re the only ones stupid enough to take her up on the job.” Alison groaned. “All right, Dominique. I’m in, got nothing better to do than to go on a wild goose chase for a haunted music box anyway.”

“Dom,” Trevor began, his voice dangerously low. “If you weren’t my best friend I wouldn’t even consider doing this.” Dominique’s eyebrows rose expectantly. “But you are, so I guess I’m in too.”

“I go where Trevor goes!”

All eyes turned to Zelda, nervously. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when she saw that her brother was about to start groveling.

“All right, already!” She burst out exasperatedly. “He’s my brother! Of course I’m in!”

Dominique looked so happy it wouldn’t have surprised any of them if he’d started jumping for joy. He did, however give Zelda a big hug.

“Thank you, sis.” He laughed, releasing her. “All right, everyone! Azure Detective Incorporated officially has its first case!”

“And what a case it is.” Alison muttered. “Well, I’m off. Mom’s waiting for me.”

“Yeah!” Trevor and Patrick agreed in unison. “See you tomorrow Dominique and Zelda.”

“Do you get the feeling that they planned that?” Dominique questioned his sister dryly.

“Absolutely.” Zelda replied simply. She then began to gather up the chairs and to straighten up ADI HQ, as Dominique liked to refer to it as.

“I see.” The young man who answered the door murmured when he saw five children in front of the house.

“She’s got servants?” Alison gaped. “Why doesn’t she just get them to get to get rid of the stupid music box?”

“Mainly because she is not my mistress, whichever way you look at the word.” The young man replied softly. “She is my grandmother.”

“Oh…” Alison mumbled apologetically.

“Do not worry about is, Miss.” He replied calmly. “I am Aubrey. Aubrey Aodhán. I thank you for agreeing to look into this for grandmother. I keep telling her that it’s not so, but she just keeps insisting that it is, so…I apologize. Never let me start talking, I’ll never stop.”

“Oh, we’re happy to do it!” Dominique interrupted him happily. “It’s out first case, we are Azure Detective Incorporated, or ADI for short.”

“I see…” Aubrey raised an eyebrow and offered him a questioning look. “Such eager young children.” He began to walk down the hall and the ADI members followed him suit. “Not too many normal people would wish to tamper with ghosts and the like, but then- I have a feeling that you are no ordinary children.” He stopped suddenly. “Grandmother’s in the room at the end of the hall, please continue without me. I wish to have a word with the boy with the funny hat, alone.”

Dominique was wearing the traditional detective garments, including the khaki trench coat and reporter hat. He stopped with Aubrey and nodded for the others to continue with out them.

“I sense something within you, Dominique Azure.” Aubrey’s words were quick and quiet, barely over a whisper. “You have what it takes to be great. Be patient and above all, survive this case.”