Saturday finally came, and the Landmark Theater was packed for the youth talent contest.  The seats were filled with proud parents, friends, and some well-known talent scouts, agents, and music producers.  All awaited the start of the contest.
 Backstage, the young performers were getting ready for their big night.  Shirley and her friends, all dressed in formal wear, watched as the kids checked their appearance, practiced their routines, and tried not to be nervous.

 "Man, you can feel the nervousness in here," Bo commented.

 "Not from everyone," Blake said, pointing to Molly.
Dressed in a long, black dress, Molly walked around with a confident stride, studying the other participants.

 "I've heard that Molly's been practicing six hours each day after school," Alicia said.

 "Is that so?"  Shirley raised an eyebrow.

 Molly walked up to Shirley and the others.  She flashed a smile at Blake.
"Blake, I'm so glad you could make it," she said in a friendly manner, looking him over.  "You look great in that suit."

 "Gee, thanks," Blake said, trying to sound sincere.

 Stink, dressed in a tan checkered suit, straightened out his red bow tie and joined the others.
"People, you are looking at the winner of the variety category," he said proudly, pointing to himself.

 Molly studied Stink's attire.  "Stink, if your act is as bad as your suit, you're in big trouble," she said snidely.

 "Oh, please.  I know you like it," Stink said, grinning at Molly.

 Molly rolled her eyes.  "Get help, Stink."

 "Some people never learn," Bo whispered to Shirley.

 "Well, I've looked at my competition, and quite frankly, I'm not impressed.  I'm sure to win the musical category," Molly said confidently.

 Alicia looked around.  "I wouldn't be too sure, Molly.  Madelyn's not here yet."

 "Who?"  Molly thought for a moment.  "Oh, you mean this wonderful singer I've been hearing about?  I've heard that she dropped out due to
some...personal problems."

 "Gee, where did you hear that from?"

 Molly turned around to see Madelyn standing behind her with a boy of Japanese descent.  She was wearing a light blue dress.
Shirley smiled to herself as she saw the surprised look on Molly's face.

 "Madelyn!  You made it!" Alicia exclaimed.

 "Thanks to Hiroshi here," Madelyn said, gesturing toward the boy, who was hiding something behind his back.
"Since my mom's working tonight, he and his dad dropped me off here."   She looked at Hiroshi.  "Hiroshi, say 'hi' to everybody."

 Hiroshi pulled out a ventriliquist's dummy dressed like a samurai from behind him.  "Hi, everybody," he said through the dummy.

 "Whoa."  Bo looked at Hiroshi.  "His lips didn't even move."

 Hiroshi made the dummy look at Stink.  "Boy, who picked out your suit? Blech!"

 "Hmph.  Everyone's a critic," Stink said.

 Hiroshi laughed to himself and went to a corner to practice.  Molly looked at Madelyn suspiciously.  "So, you're Madelyn Clifton, huh?"

 "That's right," Madelyn answered.  "And you're Molly Hardy."

 "Correct."  Molly tried not to lose her temper.  "It's nice to see that you made it.  Now, if you excuse me..."
Molly brushed past Madelyn and left the backstage area for a moment.

 Alicia checked the time on her watch.  "It's almost time for the contest to start.  We'd better get to our seats."

 "Go ahead, Alicia," Shirley said.  "We'll catch up."
After Alicia left, Shirley talked to Madelyn.  "Well?"

 "Well, your plan worked," Madelyn acknowledged.  "I just kept a low profile for the rest of the week.  I didn't mention the contest, and I put on that sad look like you told me to.  That spiky-haired guy must've given Molly the wrong idea."

 "Looks like Molly should really get some good stooges next time," Bo joked.

 "Well, she had at least one good flunky."  Blake looked at Shirley.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked with concern.  "Nothing was taken?"

 "What happened?" Madelyn asked.

 Shirley shook her head.  "I'm fine.  I believe our one-eyed friend left us a little warning."  She motioned to Bo, who took out a computer print-out of the message found on Shirley's computer and handed it to Madelyn.

 "'You will pay for your interference, Holmes,'" Madelyn read out loud.

 "For emphasis, it was copied ten more times," Bo remarked.

 Madelyn handed back the paper.  "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused," she said apologetically.

 "Don't worry about it."  Shirley looked at Blake.  "We have a way to deal with Y.  Just don't forget the other part of the plan."

 "Are you sure I have to do it?" Madelyn asked nervously.

 "You must if you don't want this to happen again," Shirley said.

 Madelyn nodded in agreement, knowing that Shirley was right.  "It'll be difficult, but I'll do it."
 The stage manager called for all the performers to get ready.  "That's my cue," Madelyn said.  "Wish me luck."

 "Good luck," Shirley said.

 "You can do it," Blake said encouragingly.

 "Break a leg," Bo said, beaming.
 Madelyn smiled back and joined the other performers.
 

 "Did you spot any of Molly's accomplices?" Shirley asked Bo and Blake as they made their way to their seats, which were located next to the aisle.

 "I did see Mr. Bad Hair Day," Bo said.  "No sign of the one-eyed grouch."

 They found Alicia and sat next to her.  The show started with the emcee introducing the three judges and explaining the contest to the audience.
The dance category was first.  The audience was treated to various numbers of tap, stomping, ballroom, and ballet accompanied  by pop rock, rap, jazz, and classical music.  Next came the variety category.  The first act was a boy who belched out the entire alphabet.
 Alicia, as well as the judges and most of the audience, winced.
 "Thank goodness it's over," Alicia commented when the burping boy was done.

 "I thought he was cool," Bo whispered.

 Alicia glared at Bo.  Blake covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.  Unfortunately, his face shook as he tried unsuccessfully to control himself.
Shirley looked at them and simply smiled.  Before anyone noticed her, she took on a serious look and returned her attention to the contest.
 After the belching boy was a girl with a juggling act.  As a boy tossed her items, including oranges, rubber balls, and bowling pins,
she flawlessly juggled them.  When she was done, the audience rewarded her with a standing ovation.

 During the next act, which was a magic act, Shirley felt a tap on her shoulder.  She looked up and saw a tall black woman in a brown coat.
Shirley noticed the waitress uniform the woman was wearing.
 "Excuse me, but is this seat taken?" the woman asked Shirley, pointing to the empty seat next to her.

 "Why, no, it isn't, Mrs. Clifton," Shirley replied.

 The woman looked surprised.  She sat down in the seat.  "How did you...?"

 "Madelyn told me a little about you," Shirley explained.

 Mrs. Clifton settled down and looked at the stage.  "Has Madelyn been on yet?" she asked anxiously.

 "Actually, the musical category starts after this category," Shirley replied.  "You haven't missed her yet."

 Mrs. Clifton let out a sigh of relief and wiped her forehead.  "I asked my boss if I could take the night off to watch Madelyn.
He was rather willing.  Nothing's gonna stop me from watching my baby girl sing.  Nothing."

 "You really must be proud of your daughter," Shirley said.

 "You bet," Mrs. Clifton responded.  "Madelyn's made me so proud.  She's got a God-given gift and tonight, she's going to share it with everyone in this room."

 "I have a feeling she's going to make you more proud," Shirley said.

 During the talk between Shirley and Mrs. Clifton, the magic act turned into a disaster.  The poor magician tried at the beginning to pull a rabbit out of his top hat.  The rabbit leapt out of the hat and the magician spent the rest of his stage time trying to catch it as it hopped around the stage.  The next act was an even bigger disaster.  A girl dragged out a table with little bicycles, a tightrope, and a little pool complete with diving board and a cage full of pigeons.  The pigeons were trained to do the tasks on the table.  When the cage was finally opened, the pigeons quickly flew out and started flying around the room, occasionally diving into the audience.  People ducked in their seats to avoid the pigeons.  Eventually someone opened the doors and chased the pigeons out.  The girl made a quick exit during the chaos.

 The next acts in the variety category were much better.  Stink's comedy routine had the same effect on the audience as it did at the Quazar Cafe.  A clown act, in which tow girls beat each other up with pillows and oversized styrofoam clubs, blasted each other with seltzer bottles, and had an old-fashioned cream pie fight, got the same reaction.  After the stage was cleaned up, Hiroshi closed out the variety competition; the audience laughed as he held a humorous
conversation with his samurai dummy.

 The musical category started off with a girl singing opera.  Bo covered his ears whenever she reached a high note, which was frequent.
When she was done, Bo breathed a sigh of relief.
"I don't think my ears could've taken anymore," he whispered to Shirley, rubbing his ears.

 After a guitar player, hip-hop artist, country singer, and a rock band, Molly was next.  A grand piano was pushed on stage for her.  The
emcee introduced her, and she walked on stage, taking in the applause of the audience with a smile.  Shirley could not help but notice that
Molly seemed to be looking for somebody in the crowd.  Molly's search was fruitless; she sat down and started to play her piece.

 The audience was awed by Molly's playing.  "You know, Molly may be a sociopath, but she's a great piano player," Bo whispered to Shirley.

 Shirley nodded.  "It's the only good thing about her."

 "Definitely," Blake whispered.

 When Molly was finished, the audience applauded loudly.  Some people gave her a standing ovation.  Molly stood and bowed, searching the
audience again.  Finding nothing, she left the stage.

 "Hmmm..."  Shirley started to think.

 The emcee stepped onto the stage.  "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now close to the end of our musical category and the contest as a whole.
Our final act hails from George Edison Junior High.  Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Madelyn Clifton!"
 The audience applauded loudly.  Mrs. Clifton clapped enthusiastically.
 "My baby's coming up!  My baby's coming up!" she cried out, smiling and almost in tears.

 Madelyn did not show up on the stage.  The emcee, puzzled, called out her name a second time.  When she did not come out, the emcee called
out her name a third time.  Madelyn still did not come out.
 The audience was confused.  Mrs. Clifton could not believe it.
"Where's my Madelyn?  Where's my baby?"

 "Alicia, take care of Mrs. Clifton," Shirley ordered as she got out of her seat.
 As Alicia tried to comfort Mrs. Clifton, Shirley walked out of the room.  Bo and Blake followed her.

END OF PART FIVE
 

More Fanfics