Elementary, My Dear Percy - ThomasNATION Fanstory
March 11, 2023
One day on Sodor, Percy had been sent to Ulfstead Castle to deliver some stone. He seemed particularly happy about something, which the Earl's engines and Gordon noticed.
"Mornin', Percy!" chirped Stephen. "My word, youāre in a good mood today. Are you that glad to see us?"
"Yes, but I just heard the most amazing story outside the Knapford school," Percy explained.
"Oh? What about?"
"It was about a great detective, and he and his partner had to put together all these clues to solve a mystery."
"Ooh, what was the mystery?" asked Glynn.
"I think it was finding out who stole the queen's sceptre." Percy thought as his cargo got unloaded. Just then, the engines saw Sonny pull into the station. Now, Percy was still completely trusting of Sonny, even after his involvement in a criminal plot. In fact, even Stephen was willing to trust the guy. The other engines, on the other hand...
"Oh. Hello, Sonny." scowled Gordon. "Steal any goods today?"
"Just the passenger's hearts, Gordon," chuckled Sonny. "that's all."
Gordon rolled his eyes. "Please! You're here, at Ulfstead, fully aware that there's an ancient crown on the premises. It surely can't be a coincidence."
"Please, how am I gonna steal that crown?" he asked as a cook unloaded his cargo. Gordon noticed the cook immediately.
āLook at that,ā he said, āyouāre being brought here to bring over supplies for a cook. Doesnāt that sound a little bit familiar?ā As Gordon was talking, the cook slightly tripped on the stones, splashing a bit of garlic oil under Sonnyās nose. Sonny didnāt realise this outside of getting a little itch. āIs my nose runninā?ā
āGive him a fair chance, Gordon,ā chuckled Stephen. āHeās redeemed himself after all that business with the cooks. Not to mention rescuing Diesel. Would he have done that, knowing how troublesome Diesel is, if he was an evil crook?ā
Hearing Stephen explain it out loud, it started to make a bit of sense to Gordon. āOkay, I see where youāre coming from.ā
āSee?ā said Sonny. āIām not a crook anymore, bruv! Iām as useful as the day is wide!ā
āI told you, Gordon,ā chimed in Percy, ātrust him.ā
āHmmā¦alright.ā Gordon snooted. āBut one of these days, youāre going to have to prove how useful you are.ā
Percy and Sonny didnāt meet up again until later at Knapford. A group of engines were discussing the latest goings-on on the railway.
āAlright, lads?ā asked Sonny. āWhat are we talkinā about today?ā
āNothing much,ā Thomas explained, ājust a couple of changes to the railway, thereās a bridge out in Ffarquhar, and apparently thereās been some turmoil up in Ulfstead Castle.ā
āTurmoil?ā asked Percy. āWhatās wrong?ā
āThe earl hasnāt said.ā said James.
Just their luck, the earl approached the platform after talking to some policemen. āEveryone, I have some dreadful news!ā
āWhatās the matter?ā asked Thomas.
āItās King Godredās crown! Itās been stolen!ā
āStolen?!ā gasped Percy. āButā¦but who stole it?ā
Immediately, all eyes were on Sonny, particularly from Gordon. āI think I have an idea.ā
āWhaā¦me?!ā Sonny gasped.
āYes!ā Gordon continued, āYou were still at the platform when I left being āunloadedā.ā
āI had a lot of cargo!ā
āPah. Likely story.ā
āYou saw me there, I didnāt move an inch!ā
"You were stationary when I left! How do I know you didn't steal it while no one was looking?"
"I didn't steal anything!" Sonny was getting fed up, his voice raising.
"I don't care who stole it!" interrupted the earl. "What matters is that we find it. I'll need to contact the local detectives."
"Detectives?" Percy pondered. "Uh, sir, if it's all the same with you, what if I found it? I have an idea on where to look."
"What a splendid idea, Percy!" said the earl. "But are you sure you want to do this? This could be a very difficult case."
"Good point, I may need some help." thought Percy.
"Can I help?" asked Sonny.
"Sonny?" gasped the earl. "But...are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Capital!" exclaimed the earl. "Now, you two, get started right away.
The earl left, leaving Percy and Sonny to get started. Percy was ecstatic to get to do some detective work like in the story he heard. Sonny, on the other hand, knew nothing about solving mysteries. He immediately regretted his decision.
"Why did I agree to this?" Sonny complained. "I don't know anything about hoodunnits."
"Don't worry about it, Sonny," Percy reassured his friend. "It's easy! We just need to look for clues."
"Like what?"
"No idea, but letās go check."
Percy and Sonny raced into the castle grounds. They searched everywhere around the crime scene. But no luck.
"Oh, Jiminy Christmas!" Sonny groaned. "This is a sneaky crook, I tell ya, Percy."
"There has to be something." thought Percy.
"We've been here an hour, Percy." replied Sonny. "If this guy didn't leave nothin', then he didn't leave nothin'! Unless that little pile of flour on the station is his calling card."
"How would you know?"
"Experience. I know how crooks act. They always leave behind a little something. For example, that day Baz and Bernie stole them blueprints for the flying car, Bernie left one of his cufflinks in the castle. That's how the cops caught 'em."
"And not for stealing Kenji?"
"Well, that too...hang on."
Sonny spotted a little wooden oar on the rails. His driver picked it up. "Does anyone you know use oars?"
"Why would an engine use oars?" asked Percy.
"No idea, but it can't be a boat."
Then, Percy got an idea. "Maybe it was a boat."
"What are you on about?"
"Skiff. He's a little railboat down at Arlesburgh. Thomas tells me he also got involved with a criminal. He might know what this oar means."
"I have no idea what that oar means." said Skiff as Percy and Sonny visited Arlesburgh Harbor.
"But...you're the only boat on the whole island with access to the railway." protested Sonny.
"But I've never been up to Ulfstead Castle, Sonny. I couldn't have left that oar there."
Percy inspected the oar again. "But if you didn't, who did? And why an oar?"
Sonny looked at the oar. It just didnāt add up. There was no reason for the oar being there, no one knew how it got to the castle, it didnāt even look at an oar!
ā¦wait a minute. āPercy, look at the oar again. It donāt really look like an oar.ā
āWhat do you mean?ā
Skiff looked at the oar as well. āYouāre right, Sonny. Itās not shaped like an oar at all!ā
āYeah, it looks like one of those paddles they use in restaurants.ā Sonny thought. āWhy do they use paddles anyway? I always forget.ā
āI know this one restaurant in Dryaw that installed a new pizza oven,ā replied Percy. āso maybe this paddle could be a connection!ā
āHow do you know?ā
āI delivered the oven myself!ā
Percy and Sonny pulled into Dryaw Station. They dropped off the paddle at the restaurant and looked for anymore clues. Diesel quickly took note of this.
āWhat are you two up to?ā he asked.
āWeāre looking for any evidence.ā said Percy. āThe crown at Ulfstead Castle got stolen and weāre trying to figure out who took it.ā
āPfft. You steamies and your mysteries,ā scoffed Diesel, noticing the stain of garlic oil on Sonnyās face. āyou act like the answer isnāt under your nose.ā
āWhat?ā Percy gasped. āWhat does that mean?ā
āIām not telling.ā Diesel laughed.
Percy and Sonny tried to decode his words. āUnder our nosesā¦ā they thought.
Sonny tried sniffing to see if that meant anything. But all that he could smell was the breezeā¦and a little waft of garlic.
āAnything, Sonny?ā asked Percy.
āNo. All I smell is the wind, flowers, andā¦for some reason garlic.ā
āGarlic? Whereād that come from?ā
āThe cook that unloaded my cargo spilled a drop of garlic oil on me.ā
āWeāre getting a lot of food related clues here. Are they all-ā
Then, it hit them. The garlicky smell. The pile of flour. The pizza oven paddle. It canāt have been a coincidence. All signs pointed to one character.
āSonny! Thatās it!ā gasped Percy.
āThe one who stole the crown was that cook!ā realised Sonny.
āCase closed!ā they both cheered.
The two raced into Ulfstead Castle as quick as they could. They approached the earl to tell him their discovery. He was talking to the clumsy cook as he unloaded Diesel.
āSir! Sir!ā exclaimed Percy.
āWe found out who the culprit is!ā said Sonny! āItās that cook!ā
āMe?ā asked the cook. āBut I was called here to return the crown.ā
āPah. Horse apples, that is,ā Sonny scoffed. āwhy would a thief willingly return their stolen goods?ā
āBecause the cook didnāt take the crown,ā chuckled Gordon as he approached the platform. āI did.ā
āWhat?ā gasped Percy and Sonny.
āBut why, Gordon?ā asked the earl.
āBecause,ā Gordon explained as the cook handed the earl the crown, āI wanted to see if Sonny could truly show he could be really useful. Diesel helped me come up with a plan."
Sonny looked at Diesel. "You helped him? Really?"
"Hey, just be glad I helped anybody." scoffed Diesel.
"I tried being subtle, but then I knocked over a flour bag. I took this opportunity to create a little chef character you could deduce as the culprit, even borrowing a paddle from the restaurant in Dryaw. In fact, thatās not even a cook. Thatās my fireman.ā
āBut why did you accuse me if you did it?ā asked Sonny.
āI had to inspire you to solve the case somehow.ā
āSo, let me get this straight,ā said the earl, āyou stole King Godredās crown, made a mess of the castle, and pinned the blame on your own fireman, just so you could teach Sonny a lesson?ā
āIām not proud of it. But I did what I had to.ā Gordon smirked. āAnd I must say, Sonny, you passed with flying colors. Iām never going to be weary of you again.ā
āAw, thanks, bruv.ā Sonny grinned. āā¦I think.ā
āVery well done, Sonny,ā commended the earl. āyou and Percy have both proven to be really useful detectives. Now, as for you, Gordon, usually when thieves get caught, theyāre sentenced to community service. So, Iāll talk to Sir Topham Hatt to see if I can give you Stephenās routes on the castle ground.ā
āHm. I suppose I brought this on myself.ā Gordon snooted.
As Gordon left, it was just Percy and Sonny at the platform. They were both proud of each other.
āWell, look at us, a couple of true detectives!ā Percy laughed. āI still canāt believe you figured out what that paddle was. Howād you know it was for a pizza oven anyway?ā
Sonny was too embarrassed to say that it was because Baz and Bernie used to use his firebox as an oven before he came to Sodor, so all he said was āElementary, my dear Percy.ā
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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