The Investigators, Inc. The Case of No Prison. Chapter 1. Where is Steve?

Well, it has been a week since the end of our last case and it has been quiet and relaxing. Except when we visited the new cat shelter today to find a couple more of our special kind of cats. I had promised one to Nakedra and Rock. Sherry wanted one too, and Aurora, and Amber. So I decided to ask if anyone else would like a cat.

Carine had her hand up very fast, but, unfortunately, Rock was standing next to her with his cup of coffee and she hit it, splashing the whole cup of coffee all over him. She is the only ghost without a cat, so it makes sense that she should have one too. However, allowing people to have one and actually finding one are totally different things.

We checked at that cat shelter and out of 300 cats, we found one. I said Nakedra could have that one since she was first to ask, though I still don’t remember that part. Sigh. The cat we found was quite unusual, like Mac’s cat which is black and white striped, only this cat is brown and black striped. But, because it was such a special looking cat, she wanted Carine to have her.

Carine cried with joy when Nakedra gave her the cat. That night I struggled to get to sleep for some reason, Jennifer was asleep quickly and that didn’t help. Then, around 3am I awoke to the sound of a voice, one that I recognized right away. “Do you remember me Steve?” she asked. “Yes, of course I do,” I said, “but…” “Please, get up, get dressed and come with me,” she said.

I quickly got dressed and she held out both hands to me and I put my hands on hers. Suddenly we were in a jail cell. “We must whisper,” she said. “No, we can talk,” I said, “no one can hear us and no one can see me.” She looked a bit puzzled but said nothing more about it. “I don’t know how I got here,” she explained, “I never betrayed you Steve, I would never do that. I was drugged, like some of the others. Please believe me.”

“I do believe you,” I said, “I knew you could not betray me like that.” “Thank you Steve,” she said smiling, “now, please, you need to get me out of here. I’m dying and only have 4 more days left. I need Kat to help me, she’s the only one who can now. She will know what I mean, she can explain it. I need to rest, this trip took a lot of my energy, that is why I have only 4 days left. Please Steve, please help me.”

“We will get you out of here,” I said and hugged her, “somehow we will do it, I promise.” “Thank you Steve,” she said, “I knew you would help me.” Then she told me where this prison was located. “How do I get home?” I asked her. “You are home again Steve,” she replied, giving me a weak smile again.

Meanwhile, back home, Jennifer woke up and noticed I wasn’t in bed. The bathroom door was open, but no light was on. She turned the lights on and couldn’t find me anywhere. “Cynthia, have you seen Steve?” asked Jennifer. Cynthia was on computer detail that night. “Um, no, should I?” she asked. “Do a scanner check immediately,” said Jennifer.

Cynthia did so. A scanner check takes about 3 seconds to check every room, and it came back saying ‘no results’. Next came the blaring sound of “Red Alert, Code A”, repeating itself several times, followed by “Steve is missing, look everywhere”. Every cat was awake in a hurry and looking all around for me as well, both inside and outside.

Meanwhile, as this was going on, I found myself sitting on my bed again, with a bit of a headache. Muffin was running down the hall and came to a sliding stop, coming back to peek into the bedroom. Then she jumped on the bed beside me, looking at me. Meow, meow?= Why we busy looking for you when you here sitting like bump on bed?

“Everyone is looking for me?” I asked. Meow, meow?= I just say that, you having memory problems? You holding head, maybe you bang head again? “Who’s on the computer tonight?” I asked her. Meow, meow.= Human Cynthia. “Cynthia, I’m fine and in our bedroom,” I said, “cancel the red alert and tell all team leaders, ghosts, Amerie, Tracy, Hannah, John and Mac to come here right away, Code 1.”

She did so and everyone came as directed. “What happened to you?” asked Jennifer. “You won’t believe this, but I went away with a beautiful woman on a long trip,” I said, “and I just got back.” Meow, meow.= He bang head again and have headache. Then I told Cynthia to find out all information about a place called Montagne Health and Spa Resort.

Including everything about it from the time it was built, floor plan, room sizes, present and previous owners, and everything about a jail associated with it. “Uh, Steve,” said Kat, “I have been to that place, it is a very high class hotel and resort. There has never been a jail of any kind up there.” “There is now,” I said, “I was in it, a regular prison, though I don’t know how big it is.

There was only very dim security lighting so it was very hard to see.” “Um, do we get to hear who your mysterious girlfriend is?” asked Jennifer. “Oh, sorry, all this excitement, I forgot,” I said, “it was Kristina.” Everyone got very silent and looked at each other, then at me. “No, I am not crazy,” I said, “it really was Kristina, she was right here and took me back with her, then she sent me home.

I don’t know how all this happened, but it happened.” Meow, meow.= He bang head again too. “No, I didn’t,” I said to Muffin, “I am just fine, though I do have a headache. She told me she only has 4 days to live, that Kat would understand, and she said only you can help her Kat.” “If it really is Kristina, then she’s right,” said Kat, “her time would be limited since Dr. W. is no longer here to help. But how she could even be alive…I just don’t know.”

“We need to make reservations for tomorrow,” I said, “so we can start looking for her.” “That’s impossible Steve,” said Kat, “that place is for the ultra rich, it takes a year to get a reservation.” “Sienna,” I said, “she should be able to do it. Misty, call Sienna right away for me. If we can’t get a reservation, then we will break in.”

“I know that place too,” said Aari, “there is only one road in, so there is no sneaking up on them and there is no other way into that place.” I could tell this meeting was not going well, so I figured now was the time for a vote. I always keep voting ballots on hand, just a simple yes or no type, so I handed them out to everyone to see if we should do this.

Everyone was just kind of looking around, not quite knowing what to do or say. Meowr.= Human Kristina my first human, she loved me and took care of me when you find me half dead in desert land. Me love her, she help me, me now help her. I not need to vote, if it other team member we say, let’s go, so that what I say now, let’s go.

“I say the same thing,” said Jennifer, “why do we need to vote? We’re wasting time, we need to plan and get the details of that place from Cynthia.” Everyone else was very enthusiastic about getting started too. I guess it did sound rather odd at first, like maybe I was dreaming, except for the fact that I had disappeared. Hopefully Sienna can get us into that hotel…

To Be Continued.

©2025 Steve McLeod.