The Puzzlemaster lay asleep on his desk while the detectives stood around waiting for him to say something. With a spark of inspiration, Ashwald tipped the sleeping puzzle lover out of his chair, stole his coat, put it on, and sat down behind the desk, speaking in the most ridiculous-sounding voice he could muster.
"I are the Muzzlepaster!!11!! Go out and do stuff!!!!11!!!!eleven!! ...ew, this coat is covered in bagel crumbs."
"Well, we WOULD do things," said Trentolf, "if only we knew where he stuffed that note."
"I thought it was in the coat we burned." interjected the Doc.
"No, friends! You must remember that the plot works in mysterious ways! The coat was hopeless, but the Puzzlemaster has told us that he was smart enough to write down a copy of all the words!"
"I don't remember that." said Kusumahendra.
"As I explained, Herr Hendra, these things work very strangely. Off-screen action."
"There's a screen?"
"We learned of this principle in Germany."
"Isn't it all just text anyways?"
"We found out, after intensive investigation, that is it best amplified through exactly 4 glasses of beer."
"Isn't there an ordinance against breaking the fourth wall?
"The thought of such tasty, tasty German treats makes me hungry. Where does this Puzzlemaster keep his Leberkase?"
Goodalt checked the bottom drawer of the desk, which he saw the Puzzlemaster go into all the time. After trying to open it and failing, he noticed that there was a puzzle lock on the front:
14-5-22-5-18
7-15-14-14-1
7-9-22-5 2
25-15-21
21-16
Deftly drawing his pistol from his pocket, he shot the lock off and opened the drawer. Reaching inside, he drew out a bagel.
"I wanted Leberkase, but I suppose a Semmel will do."
Right before he could take a bite, Trentolf screamed "WAIT!", and took it out of his hand.
"Look! There's words engraved on this bagel!"
"Well, what do they say? Read them!"
"The note says: 'Dearest Lynette, I know we have to wait. Each moment away from you is torture. Sneaking around in the shadows is only a small tease of the happiness I know we can give to each other. I trust you to handle the divorce right. Neither one of us wants to be poor, but all the same, I can barely contain myself. If I can do anything at all to speed things along, let me know. Signed, Your Adoring Slave.'"
"At last! We can solve the mystery!"
"Just hurry up about it," said the Puzzlemaster, rising up from the floor, snatching the bagel from the table, and eating it, "we've only got one day left. Now, anyway, as I was saying, I left the note on- ...why are you all looking at me like that?"
Night falls. There is a light in the Puzzlemaster's office. All that is inside is an empty desk and some chairs. Not a figure moves. It sits still, tranquil, unmoving, resting, serene, at peace compared to the angry and screaming mob of detectives chasing after a figure with a bagel in its mouth in the moonlight.Not too far away, another sound can be heard, one of dueling musical notes and a final song...
Skeletonbow and Djaron's duel for t-
"IF THOSE SONGS TURNED OUT TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MYSTERY WHATSOEVER, I'M GONNA SHOVE THAT BAGEL DOWN YOUR THROAT
WHOLE!" yelled an angry detective with a Greek accent.
The fleeing figure began to run faster.
Skeletonbow and Djaron's duel for today is:
<span class="bold">The Final Countdown</span>, by Europe (1986)