Previously: “Episode One“, “Episode Two“, “Episode Three“, “Episode Four“, “Episode Five“, “Episode Six“

  

“Tools in a Candy Store”

Manny and the tools wasted no time in getting to Mr. Lopart’s Candy Store. At the entrance they saw that the lights in the main part of the store were out, but looking further back, Manny could see the glow of lights. He opened the door, and the jingling of the bell that hung overhead startled him and the tools. When a few of them gasped in surprise, she made a shushing gesture, and grabbed the bell so it made no more noise. 

Stepping inside, the store was quiet, with a display or too having toppled over and spilled onto the floor. Manny and the tools had to be careful not to slip on the spilled candy. Venturing deeper into the store, Manny finally sees Kelly, who notices him right away.

She is bound with heavy nylon cord, and gagged with tape over her mouth. She had a gash on her forehead, blood from the injury drying on her face. Manny and the tools rush over to her, and he beings to untie her bounds. As he’s about to remove the gag, he hears Pat call out, “Manny! Look out!” 

Manny turns to see that Mr. Lopart has captured Pat the hammer, and is brandishing him as a weapon, threatening to hit Manny with his own tool.

“Don’t move a muscle!” Mr. Lopart warns Manny and the other tools. Pat struggles in Mr. Lopart’s grip, to no avail. 

“Now, there’s no need to hurt anyone else, Mr. Lopart.” Manny said calmly, raising his hands and backing away from Kelly. The remaining tools followed suit.

“Now, you just stay over there, with the jawbreakers,” Mr. Lopart said, his voice shaking slightly.

“Si, Mr. Lopart.” Manny said calmly. “No one is making any sudden movements. Why don’t you put Pat down? I’m sure he’d be more comfortable and calm over here, too.” Pat was still struggling in Mr. Lopart’s grip. 

“I don’t think I’ll being doing that, just yet, Manny.” Mr. Lopart tightened his grip on the hammer, holding with both hands. “You see, I don’t trust you or your tools, now that you know my secret.”

“Si, I understand.” Manny said. “But were not here to hurt you. We were all just concerned about you. After what happened to your mother.” Manny hinted that he knew about Mrs. Lopart.

“Oh Manny, I hated to do what I did. But it had to be done.” Mr. Lopart confessed. “I was never really good enough, you see. I was Mother’s bumbling son, always messing up.” He sighed. “I became weary of it all.”

“Your mother, she loved you very much. I’m sure she was very proud of you and your candy business.”

“I only figured that out by accident!” Mr. Lopart was exasperated! “My life is a series of accidents! Always screwing something up! I couldn’t even shush my mother without leaving evidence behind! Poor Rusty was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“But, Rusty was in the repair shop! With us tools!” Pat said, confused. Manny and the other tools shushed him, but Mr. Lopart didn’t notice.

Mr. Lopart looked at the hammer in his hands. “I just meant to borrow him.” He said, his nervous grip tightening. “We had a leaky pipe, you see. I meant to fix it myself. So I borrowed Rusty.”

“Kidnapped in the night, you mean,” Turner said under his breath, but Mr. Lopart heard.

“BORROWED.” He said firmly. “I borrowed Rusty to fix the pipe, but Mother kept insisting. “Call that Manny,” she said over and over. “He’s quite handy. He could fix it in no time!” He repeated, mocking her womanly voice. “I tried to tighten a washer and the pipe busted! I was so angry! And then Mother said, “I’ll call Manny.” And walked away without even thinking of letting me try it!” He paused as if remembering the moment. “Next thing I knew, I was swinging the wrench, and Mother’s face got in the way.” Mr. Lopart made slight jerking motions, without realizing what he was doing. His thinning hair was waving breezily with the movement, and Manny noticed a twitch developing in his right eye.

“I couldn’t think,” Mr. Lopart continued without prompt. “So I wrapped Rusty, who wasn’t moving anymore, in a cloth and put him behind the repair shop.” He sighed. “I’ve been hiding here ever since.”

“When Kelly came knocking on the door,” he looked at Kelly and then toward the entrance, “I knew she knew. When I didn’t answer she gave up and left.” He paused, staring dazedly at his captive. “But I couldn’t let her get away and tell what I did. So I followed her back to the hardware store.” He paused, sighed again. “She put up a good fight. But she’s still alive! That’s good right?”

“Mr. Lopart. She didn’t know it was you that had done all of these things.” Manny informed him.

“What’s that now?” Mr. Lopart asked, confused.

“Kelly, the tools, and I went to Mrs. Lopart, because I found a white hair in the repair shop. Knowing she was one of those who have white hair here in Sheetrock Hills, we wanted to ask her about it. To see what she knew.” Manny said. “That’s when I found her in the kitchen floor. Kelly was just coming because she thought a friend she be the one to tell you  that your mother was dead.”

“Oh, oh my.” Mr. Lopart said. “Well, I appreciate the thought, Kelly.”

Kelly, still bound and gagged, just stared at Mr. Lopart with a combination of fear and disbelief on her face.

“I only realized that the hair wasn’t human when the detective told me it belonged to a cat. It was then that I thought of Fluffy.” Just at that moment, as if the overly confident kitty knew they were discussing him, he sauntered into the room, in all is white haired glory.

Mr. Lopart looked longingly at his beloved pet, momentarily distracted by the feline’s presence. Manny took advantage of the interruption, and he reached out and began to free Kelly. 

Mr. Lopart’s grip on Pat loosened, Fluffy having eased his nerves, and the hammer wiggled free enough to take a brave swing at his captor. Mr. Lopart called out in surprise, tripping over Fluffy as she attempted to pounce on the tools. 

Kelly, now free, shoos the cat away from the tools, who then began to pin Mr. Lopart to the ground. Manny steps up to Mr. Lopart, whose lying in the floor shielding himself from the tools’ sudden aggression. Using a bit of the rope used to tie Kelly, Manny secured Mr. Lopart’s wrists together. 

*

Moment’s later, the sounds of sirens near as the current occupants of the candy shop await their arrival. 

“Thank you for saving me, Manny.” Kelly said with a whisper.

“We tried to get him to call the police instead.” Felipe said, looking bashful.

“Yeah, we thought it’d be dangerous.” Turner said.

“Well, I’m very grateful you came to my rescue, Manny.”  Kelly said again. “You’re my hero.” She kissed him on the cheek.

Manny blushed, suddenly shy. “Well, I always try to do the right thing.”

“You know, if you think about it, Kelly wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped if we hadn’t went to Mrs. Lopart’s and found her!” Pat said. “And that was Manny’s idea!” Everyone but Mr. Lopart laughed awkwardly at Pat’s revelation, as the police arrived.

THE END

Previously: “Episode One“, Episode Two“, “Episode Three“, “Episode Four“, “Episode Five“

  

“Manny to the Rescue”

Upon realizing that Kelly might be in danger, Manny rushed to the hardware store, on the same street as the shop, without a moment’s hesitation. The tools followed obediently as he raced just a few doors down.

When he reached the front door to Kelly’s Hardware Store, he realized something was wrong. Yes, Kelly had said she wanted to make sure the shop was closed up, and the lights were off. But once glance in the window showed that all was not closed up tight.

Just from the window he could tell that things were left in disarray. This was unlike the Kelly he knew. She’d never leave anything out of place. Manny tied the door handle and found it to be unlocked. “Esto es muy malo,” Manny whispered, and out of habit, translated. “This is very bad.” He looked down at the tools, who all looked apprehensive about the next step. Manny, however, did not hesitate.

Opening the door, he stepped inside the darkened hardware store. The disarray  of the shop was even worse than he’d realized. Things had been knocked off shelves and into the floor, a box of nails had spilled onto a counter, energy efficient bulbs had fallen to the floor and shattered. A box of PVC pipe had been overturned.

“Manny,” Stretch whispered. “What happened here? Where’s Kelly?”

“There appears to have been a struggle.” Manny said, looking around the room, careful not to touch anything, though he knew Kelly would be upset at the mess. He walked over to what once was a shelf of heavy duty drop cloths, and looked at the pile that now lay on the floor.

Had he not stepped closer, he might not have seen the tiny droplets of blood on the white drop cloths. Closer inspection revealed something else. Hard to make out against the while fabric, but noticeable once you saw them, were white hairs, clinging to the thick fabric.

Manny stood slowly and walked around the room, though he already knew what his next step would be. “I know where Kelly is.” He said to the tools, who’d scattered around the room, inspecting for themselves the damage done.

“Where—where is she, Manny?” Pat asked, his voice shaking.

“She’s with Mr. Lopart. And we have to rescue her.” Manny told the tools.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Manny!” Turner said

“Si,” Felipe agreed. “Maybe we should call Detective Carlson.

“Yeah, Manny. It could be dangerous.” Squeeze said.

Manny looked away from the tools and glanced out of the window in the direction of the setting sun. “Si. It will be dangerous. But I cannot let him hurt Kelly. He’s hurt enough people.”

Manny lead the tools out of the store. “Shouldn’t we call the police, though?” Dusty asked.

“No, Dusty,” Manny said. “Not yet. I’m afraid that he will hear the sirens, and he’ll get nervous. He could hurt Kelly before I can stop him.”

“I think we should at least tell Detective Carlson. Maybe he could come quietly!” Stretch suggested.

*

Before leaving the store, Manny took Stretch’s advice. He called the detective and told him about the mysterous circumstances at the hardware store. “I think you should run over, check it out.” He said. Detective Carlson agreed, “Just as a precaution,” and he told Manny he’d let him know if he found anything.

Concluded In: Episode Seven: “Toys in a Candy Store”

Previously: “Episode One“, “Episode Two“, “Episode Three“, “Episode Four“

  

“Home Sweet Home”

After giving his statement to the officers at the scene of Mrs. Lopart’s violent death, Manny returned to the shop. He and the tools were all tired and weary of the excitement of the day. The worry over dear Rusty, and the tragic loss of Mrs. Lopart was too much sadness for one day. 

While the tools rested in their tool box on the counter, Manny sat in a chair, thinking. Fixit was nearby, keeping Manny company, as a good robot dog should. The stillness and silence of the shop was broken however, when a knock came to the locked door. Manny stood, seeing Detective Carlson there, and went to let him in.

“Hola, detective,” Manny greeted solemnly. “What can we do for you?”

“I have some news for you Manny.” The detective said. “About Rusty.”

The tools, Manny, and even Fixit all perked up at the sound of the monkey wrench’s name. Worry washed over Manny’s face. 

“Rusty is awake. Though shaken, it seems like he should be fine.” The detective said.

“Muchas Gracias detective! Thank you!” Manny shook the man’s hand happily. 

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “Although, I’m sad to say, he doesn’t remember anything of what happened. The blood found on him and the cloth he was wrapped in did come back as from a female, with no matching DNA on file.”

“I’m sure you’ve already thought to compare it to Mrs. Lopart.” Manny suggested.

“Yes, and the lab is working on that now. I have a sinking suspicion that it will be a match.” All fell silent, thinking of the tragedy. After a moment, Detective Carlson continued. “I also have some information on the hair you found this morning.”

“And?” Manny asked.

“Well, first I need to ask, do you have any pets?”

“No, well, none with hair anyway,” Manny gestured to a very enthusiastic mechanical creation, Fixit, who spun in circles at the thought of attention. “Fixit is the only pet we have.”

“I see. The hair you found this morning, Manny.” Carlson paused. “It isn’t human. It’s cat hair.”

Manny doesn’t speak. He simply stands in silence as he contemplates the news.

“Well, that’s all the news I have for now. I will  be sure to keep you and the tools informed of any new developments.” The detective shook Manny’s hand and left.

The tools watched anxiously as Manny paced back and forth. Fixit followed his path obediently. 

“Are you okay, Manny?” Stretch asked.

“Yeah, whatcha thinking about, Manny?” Pat asked.

“I’m thinking I know who’s doing such horrible things. I would have never imagined.” Manny said, still pacing.

“Wha—what? But who?” Dusty asked.

“And, shouldn’t you have said something to the detective?” Pat asked.

“You see, tools. I can think of only one white long- haired cat in Sheetrock Hills.”

The tools looked at each other as the truth dawned on them.

Manny rushed to the phone, and called Kelly at her hardware store. He allowed it to ring repeatedly before he finally hung up. “Oh no,” he said, replacing the receiver. “She went to Mr. Lopart’s Candy Store to tell him about Mrs. Lopart.”

To Be Continued…

Previously: “Episode One“, “Episode Two“

  

“Rusty in a Problem”

Police sirens filled the air as the cars turn onto the street in front of Handy Manny’s Repair Shop. Citizens of Sheetrock Hills fill the street as officers begin to block of the area with police tape. Nothing quite so disturbing happens around town, and individuals are curious and nervous all at once.

A detective in uniform, just that morning promoted by the mayor, walked up to Manny. “Good morning, Manny. I’m officer—I mean Detective,” he stands a little straighter, proud but still nervous, “John Carlson. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Si, yes.” Manny said, beginning his statement with how he always started the day. “And then I began the song, counting the tools as they jump in my tool box, and one is missing. I do a quick roll call, and then begin the search for Rusty.” At this he gets a little choked up, the other tools are moping in the tool box. “I find him in the alley near a dumpster, covered in a bloodstained cloth.”

“Any idea when he might have been taken?” The detective asked. “Any of the tools see anything?”

“No,” Manny said, looking at the tools. “They were all sleeping, they think, when he went missing. They’d just woken up when I came in this morning.” He noticed the way the officer looked at them. “They are muy triste, very sad. And worried about Rusty.” He told the officer. “I am sure they’d be glad to talk to you once they learn more about his condition.”

“That’s fine, Manny. I can speak to them later.” Detective Carlson told Manny. “We are going to collect some evidence, search the shop for any clues. If you remember anything or find anything out of place be sure to let us know.”

“Si. Yes. Gracias. Thank you.”

As the officers and Detective Carlson search the shop, Kelly Krenshaw, Manny’s friend and fellow shop owner walked in. “Oh Manny!” She called out when she saw him. When she reached him, she gave him a friendly, supportive, awkward hug. “Elliot called me!” She told him. “He said he’d called you for help with the lifeguard chair, and you never came! Then I saw all the police cars! What happened? Are you hurt?”

“No, Kelly,” he said sadly. “It’s Rusty!”

“Rusty? What happened?”

“I’m not sure yet. I came in this morning, and he wasn’t among the other tools. We went searching and found him outside next to a dumpster, covered in blood and wrapped in an old cloth like he was discarded.”

“Oh no!” She gasped and put her hand over her mouth. “Is he alright?” she asked in a worried whisper.

“I don’t know. They’re with him now.”

Within minutes, Detective Carlson stepped up to Manny again. “Manny,” he began. “Rusty is unconscious. He appears to be okay, but we need to talk him in for evidence. The blood on the cloth and on him is not his, so we need to thoroughly examine him for any trace evidence.”

“You can’t do that here, now?” Manny asked. “If he wakes up somewhere strange he’ll be asustado, frightened.”

“Manny,” Kelly, said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Its best. They need to find out who did this.”

“Si. Yes.” Manny agreed, reluctantly. “Can I see him before you take him away?”

The detective led Manny, the tools, and Kelly to the gurney where the motionless form of Rusty the wrench lay.

Tears began to well up in Manny’s eyes, and he looked away. Kelly and the tools were silent as well. “Por favor, please, contact me the moment he wakes.” Manny asked Detective Carlson, who nodded as they carted Rusty away.

The officers finished their search, and just before he left, Detective Carlson spoke to Manny once more.

“We’ve completed our search, and we’ve collected samples and a few possible bits of evidence. But I have to admit I don’t think we’ve found anything that could lead to an arrest. We will have to go over the evidence, but we will keep you informed.”

The police officers and Detective Carlson cleared out of the shop, leaving Manny, Kelly, and the remaining tools alone to their thoughts.

After a few moments of silence, Manny expressed his disbelief at what had happened. “Who would—or could do something like this? Rusty would never hurt anyone?!” He sighed, rubbing his face with a gloved hand.

“I don’t know, Manny,” Kelly consoled. “Someone would had hand to get into the shop to get to Rusty, wouldn’t they?” She asked.

“Si, yes. But I always lock the door. The police found evidence that someone had picked the lock.” He walked over to the door, and showed her the scratching around the keyhole.

Kelly leaned in for closer inspection. “It looks like they had trouble figuring out how to do it.”

Manny walked through the shop, silently tracing the steps the offender took. Kelly and the tools followed him without a word, wondering what he was up too. “The tools were all here, like they usually are, when they go to bed.” He was standing at a counter in the back of the shop, where the toolbox stood.

“We didn’t hear or see anything, Manny!” Pat the hammer said. “We were all sleeping!”

“I remember, Pat.” Manny looked around the shop area, in the path that the individual would have taken to get to the tools. There was scuffing on the bottoms of some counters and some furniture seemed out of place. “He or she must have stumbled as they made their way back. Unfamiliar with the shop layout.”

Kelly and the tools looked at each other, and back at Manny. “Someone who isn’t in the shop a lot, you think?” Kelly asked.

“Si, yes. I think so.” Manny continued his own investigation by walking further back into the shop. He stopped and stared at the back door, remembering that just that morning he’d discovered Rusty, just a few feet from that door. Instead of continuing out it, he turned back and looked around. He was about to speak when his eyes landed on a chair that he’d been in the midst of repairing. Their on the arm, was something he’d not noticed before.

Leaning down to take a closer look, he picked up the long white hair. He looked at Kelly and the tools. “I think I’ve found something.”

Moments later he was dialing the detective he’d me that morning. “Hola, detective, it is Manny.” He greeted. “I’ve found something I think you need to see.”
Continued in “Episode Four: Treasure Those Idol Moments“

Previously “Episode One“

  

“Lost and Found”

The sun rose cheerily on a new day in Sheetrock Hills. The lovely warm weather brought out the singing of the birds, and the suns rays woke the blooming flowers.

With the rising of the sun, so too rose the citizens of Sheetrock Hills, ready to start a new day in their beautiful home.

Manuel Esteves Garcia III opens the door to “Handy Manny’s Repair Shop” whistling a tune and ready for the day to begin. “Buenos días, good morning tools!” He said cheerfully as he walked into the room. The tools greeted him with a chorus of “buenos días” and “good morning” in return.

Almost as soon as Manny walked into the shop, the phone rang. “Hola! Handy Manny’s Repair Shop! You break it,” Manny began.

“We fix it!” The tools finished in unison.

“Hello, Manny, it’s Elliot!” Elliot Krenshaw, was Sheetrock Hills’ “jack-of-all-trades”, and younger brother to Kelly Krenshaw, owner of the hardware store. He was an all around friendly, helpful guy.

“Hello, Elliot! What can I do for you today?” Manny asked.

“Well, I am here at the beach, about to start lifeguard duty, and I saw that the lifeguard chair is kind of wobbly. I’d try and fix it myself, but I have no tools! I need to be able to use the chair safely, so I can see further into the water!”

“I understand your situation, Elliot!” Manny said. “The chair is important to the safety of the beach goers! The tools and I will be right over!” Manny said his goodbyes and turned to the tools.

“Ready tools?” He asked them.

“Ready!” they shouted, once more in unison.

As many called out numbers in Spanish, the tools jumped in one by one. “Uno, Dos Tres, Cuatro, Cinco, Seis, Siete, Ocho,” Manny stopped counting suddenly. “Wait.” He was quiet a moment. “Someone is missing.”

Manny looked hard at the tools. “Felipe, Pat, Stretch, Squeeze, Dusty, Turner, Flicker… Where is Rusty?” He asked the tools. They all looked at each other, as if just noticing that one of their number hadn’t been there.

Rusty, the monkey wrench, was nervous and scared frequently, and Manny was worried that perhaps he’d fallen and was somewhere afraid. “Rusty?” Manny called as he wondered through the shop, the other tools following  him as he went. Once he’d searched the entire shop, top to bottom, the last place to look was out the back door.

Behind the shop, where the back door led, opened onto an alleyway accessible to other shops and stores that lined the street that Manny’s Repair Shop occupied. With the tools still following him step-by-step, Manny opened the door and walked through.

Little of the morning sunlight made it into the alley, leaving it eerily chilly on such a warm morning. Flicker the flashlight stepped up to Manny, and he picked him up, shining his light in the dimly lit alley.

Still calling Rusty’s name, Manny moved around the alley, still accompanied by the other tools. Some of the stores and shops that shared the alley were still dark and closed, so the alley was empty and quiet. Manny looked around a dumpster a few yards away from his door, and shined the light around it. The beam of light landed on a bundle lying against the dumpster and the alley wall. Stepping up to the bundle, he motioned for the tools to stand back, and no one said a word.

Manny unwrapped the bundle, which was covered in stains. Gasping in shock, he stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the tools who’d gathered behind him. There Rusty laid, battered and dented, in the bundle of cloth.

Despite Manny’s attempts to keep the tools from seeing Rusty in such a state, they all saw him, sounds of shock and disbelief and fear swept the small group in the alleyway. Manny regained his composure and stepped back toward Rusty’s unmoving form.

“Is… Is he okay?” Stretch whispered.

“I don’t know.” Manny said. He hesitated just above the motionless monkey wrench, unsure whether it would be a good idea to move him or not. Instead of moving him, Manny shined Flicker’s light on Rusty once more. It was then that he saw what the stains were.

They were blood.

Continued in “Episode Three: Rusty in a Problem“