Pur-Ling & the Mystery of the Missing Gunge - Part 2

Alleycia’s apartment looked like it had been ransacked. Fast food boxes and their leftovers scattered across the floor, cushions off the sofas, one curtain torn down, Xbox upside down in a bowl of popcorn and mini cucumbers, drinks spilt, chairs on their sides, bookcases overturned…Pur-Ling wondered what on earth had happened. When she’d arrived, no one had answered the door but it had been left unlocked so she let herself in.

She stepped cautiously over a slice of cake with a shoe wedged in it and looked around. Then, she heard a moan coming from the kitchen. The detective kicked some debris out of the way and went to investigate.

“Yowl!” She exclaimed as she opened the kitchen door.

The drummer was slumped over, his head inside the washing machine.

“Alley?” He groaned.

“No, it’s Pur-Ling,” Pur-Ling said, going over to see if he was alright. “What has happened here?”

“Wha?” said Yowl as Pur-Ling helped him out of the washing machine. “Waddya mean?”

Pur-Ling gestured towards the mess. “That!”

Yowl grinned. “Oh yeah. Good party!”

“That was a party?!”

Yowl clambered to his feet and picked up a lettuce leaf covered with butterscotch icing and nibbled it happily. “Yeah. You’d have loved it but we knew you were at work.”

Pur-Ling didn’t look impressed. “I was but I doubt it would have been my thing by the look of it. Where’s Alleycia? Or Gypsy?”

Yowl shrugged. “Nuuuuuu idea. Alley asked me to watch the place about…” Yowl glanced at his watch, “some time ago and I haven’t seen her since. Think Gypsy is with her.”

“Do you always watch the place with your head in the washing machine?”

Yowl just hiccuped.

“Never mind,” Pur-Ling sighed. “Any idea where they went?”

“Um. Maybe the rehearsal studio? Alley got a call earlier and said she had to help someone with something then had to go on to the rehearsal studio because she’d left her bag there or something.”

“If she comes back before I’ve spoken to her, give me a call will you?” Pur-Ling instructed.

“Sure thing!” Yowl replied.

Pur-Ling went to leave, took a final look around the room and turned back to Yowl.

“You may want to tidy this place up a bit before she gets back.”

Yowl gave a little nod then fell headfirst into the laundry basket. Pur-Ling sighed and left him to it.

*********

The rehearsal studios were in darkness. Not really surprising as they’d closed about three hours ago. It was a small, dingy little place, just one storey above ground and two lower levels in the basements where the rehearsal rooms were. Shutters had been pulled down over the main entrance and windows leaving Pur-Ling looking for a way in. She noticed a small skylight that had been left open on the roof.

“That will do!” She said to herself.

Pur-Ling pulled over a bin, climbed on top of it, then managed to use that and a fence to work her way up to the roof. Carefully, she walked over to the skylight, opened it wider, and slipped down inside the building.

She landed on the desk in the main reception area, skilfully managing to avoid knocking anything over, then hopped down to the ground.

All was quiet. Well, mostly. Somewhere underneath her, Pur-Ling could hear the faint sound of music. That was where she was heading. She set off down the corridor towards the stairs but stopped on the first step as she noticed something lying on the floor. She picked it up. It was Alleycia’s mobile phone and it was unlocked.

Pur-Ling remembered Yowl mentioning a call so had a quick flick through Alley’s recent call log to find out who may be behind this. The last number to call was from a number not in Alley’s address book. A quick online search revealed it to be…Funky Gunky!

The plot thickened. Was Alleycia really involved in the theft of the gunge? Catnapped Reeow and Sassy because they found out about it perhaps? Had Gypsy helped her? Or was Alley holding her hostage now too? Pur-Ling guessed some of the answers may be further downstairs.

She headed deeper down into the gloom using her own phone’s flashlight to show the way. She followed the thump of the awful music down to a rehearsal room at the end of the corridor. She opened the door, switched on the light and saw two catgirls tied up on the floor, fast asleep. Alleycia and Gypsy.

The music blared out through one of the amps. How Alley and Gypsy were sleeping through it was anyone’s guess. Pur-Ling could only assume some kind of sleeping pills or something. Or maybe they’d been bored to sleep by the repetitive lyrics…sounded as bad as a Scouting For Cats song.

“You did it
You did it babe
You did it
You did it babe
Stole our hearts and more
And everybody saw
You did it”

Just that. Over and over again. With not much in the way of a melody either. Pur-Ling looked around to find a way to switch it off before trying to release the girls before deciding it was easiest to just yank the leads from the back of the amp.

With the ear-torture over, Pur-Ling went over to Gypsy and tried to rouse her.

“Gypsy? Wakey-wakey!”

Gypsy murmured but was still very dozy.

“Gypsy,” Pur-Ling continued as she started to untie Gypsy’s paws. “Come on now, time to wake up. GypSMMMMMPPPH!”

The lights went off. Pur-Ling felt a paw holding a wet rag clamp over her mouth. She struggled in the darkness but it was no use. She could feel her eyelids growing heavy. She felt her struggles grow weaker. Then, she was asleep.