1 Daniel arrives

Do you know Xavier Lanchouse? Well, he is a well-known scientist who is part owner of a house, which everyone thinks that the house entirely belongs to him, and thanks to this, Daniel's career started. But of course, I'll have to explain what happened because the police probably think that it's confidential. But it's not! All characters and their characteristics are based on my imagination and may not be duplicated by anybody. The characters are also entirely fiction, their existence to the real world is entirely false. Any real person's name or characteristics similar to the characters in this, and my other stories are solely a coincidence.

Now it all started when a Caucasian man with a height of one hundred and sixty-three centimetres arrived in Western Australia. His name was Daniel Solomon Smith; he was fifty years old today because it was his fiftieth birthday. He was hoping that his mother and his family were organising something for him at their mansion, which resided atop a cliff near the city of Perth. Anyway, Daniel was in the airport looking at a newspaper, and what does he find? He finds that his old friend, Xavier Lanchouse was throwing a party. As far as Daniel could remember, the last time they met, he was forty-eight, and Xavier was sixty-three, it was a month before Xavier's birthday, and that same day just happened to be Daniel's birthday. It's been two years since then, and Daniel thinks, 'just imagine, he should be sixty-four now, in a month from now he would be sixty-five, and it seems he has not lost his strength.'

Daniel was able to get a taxi, he told the driver to take him to a place he knew, it was in Mandurah, and he also knew that it had the tastiest pastries in Perth. But when Daniel got there he saw Xavier waiting for the Pastry Palace to open. Daniel said: "Xavier, old friend, why are you here?"

"I see your taste hasn't changed," Xavier replied.

"So, you remembered when I took you to this place the day before my birthday two years ago."

"Of course, what better place to meet you."

Just then the taxi driver got out of his car, and he said: "Hey Smith, where's my money."

"Oh sorry, sir," Daniel replied searching for money in his wallet. "I got so distracted with my friend that I forgot that I took your taxi to get here." When Daniel finished his sentence, he gave the amount of money he needs to pay.

"You know Smith," the taxi driver said when he got money, "In my entire career I never had any gentlemen in my taxi. Where you from?"

"Here."

"Here? Wow! Either you're wealthy, or you've been travelling."

"It's a bit of both." Once Daniel said this, the taxi driver drove off.

"What a nice man." said Xavier, "Daniel do you remember Christen Jhounce?"

"I believe she was the best pastry cook on even days at this same restaurant that we are standing in front of, she was 25 when I was here last. I wish she worked on odd days."

"She does!"

"Really?" Dan replied with a confused look on his face.

"Yes, she has been working for me on the odd days. Since today is an odd day, I can take you to my new house. It's where I'll be throwing your party."

"Oh, I would hate to impose. But if I go with you, I won't have to spend any more money. At least I'll taste something much better then Betty Ninice cooks. So, I'd rather go with you if I want to get an English cottage pie."

"I never knew you could joke. My car is parked around the corner over there." He said pointing to his left.

The next thing that happened was that Daniel and Xavier were in the car driving to Xavier's house. When they arrived at Xavier's home, there was a policeman there.

"What's he doing here?" Daniel asked while Xavier was parking.

"Oh, that's Henry Zachroy; he is off duty at the moment and a business partner of mine," Xavier replied. After he finished his sentence, they both got out of the car.

"Finally, you're here. Is that Daniel? He has a nice hat. That hat has his insignia stitched on to It." said Henry.

"I see you've been telling your friend about me," said Daniel facing Xavier.

"I understand," Henry started up again. Daniel turned to face Henry. "You don't have a job at the moment."

"A bit too much," Daniel replied, still facing Henry; Daniel also folded his arms together above his waist.

"Yeah, I know. Daniel, listen, why don't you go in and have a coffee"? Henry and I have a private meeting in the pool yard." Xavier stated, he was searching his pocket for the key that opens the gate to the pool. This pool gate was right next to the house. The house was an even house, meaning that its number was an even number. Number eighty-four in fact. There was a garage on the right side of the house. It's on the right side because this explanation is of the front of the house. There was a pathway about ten centimetres to the left of the driveway, between the edges of the drive and the path there was a flower garden. The trail led beyond a garden bed. The walls of the garden bed where about fourteen centimetres high. It contained a hedge where some of the bush was cut to look like animals. One part was professionally cut to look like a green statue version of Xavier. The pathway behind the garden bed splits to two routes. One of the paths lead to the front door, and the other leads to another fork. One trail leads to the pool gate, and the other continues back to the sidewalk.

Daniel walked into the house while Xavier and Henry walked to the pool gate. The last thing Daniel saw, before opening the door and entering the dwelling, was Xavier passing the gate key to Henry saying, "It's your turn."

The inside of the house looked very pretty and was well lit because of the windows in the living room and kitchen. From where Daniel was standing, he could see a library with several bookshelves in it and a comfy recliner. Xavier obviously used the recliner to sleep after he read a good book. Somewhere near the recliner was a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. There was also a door behind the recliner that led to an office. Since Daniel cannot see inside this room, I'll explain its appearance to you as soon as someone is inside it.

Anyway, Daniel also saw a lounge room in front of him and connected to the left was a kitchen. The wall facing the big window had a part cut out, and beside it some stools, meaning that part of the kitchen was a private bar, and cooking some food was Christen. She was using her chef mastery, and she created a waft of English cottage pie through the air. In the lounge room there was a huge window with a view of the pool area, and near it was a couch, a small part of it faced the big window, another little piece was a corner, and the last part was opposite an HD TV. Next to the wall with the TV on it was a hallway, and at the end, there was a fork, on the right side was the toilets, and the other path was the back way into the pool area.

Daniel walked to the bar and said: "Christen, can you make me a coffee, two sugars and some milk."

"OK, Daniel," She said in a soft feminine voice, which I can't explain myself, "Did Xavier tell you about the party?"

"Yes, he did," Daniel replied; his coffee was half finished by this time, as the water was already boiled "He must have told you about his plans, how come the water boiled so quickly?"

"I was feeling on the weak side when I put my pie in the oven, so I made myself tea. Lunch is not finished yet, so the dishes are still dirty, the maid is upstairs, and she'll be down for a slice of pie, as soon as the pie is ready."

"I see." said Daniel taking his coffee, "I'll see you again later." He finished taking a sip of coffee; he then moved to the dining table, this table was a glass table tinted brownish red, Xavier's favourite colour, the metal parts were black, this is where Daniel put his hat down as well as his coffee. Daniel then walked across to the library and grabbed a mystery book, he then took it to the lounge and placed it down, and got his coffee from the table. He then went back to the couch and put his coffee on a counter beside the lounge and sat down to read his book which was beside him when he seated.

Daniel looked out the big window before he picked up the book. Hesitating before he did pick up the book. Because something more interesting was happening outside, Xavier and Henry were in a fight, at one point Henry seemed to be winning before he was punched down. When Henry hit the ground, the zipper on his jacket fell off, neither Henry or Daniel noticed it; however, Xavier did see it, and picked it up and put it in his jeans pocket on the right side, Daniel saw this. When Henry got up and gave his invitation to the party, which was aqua coloured, (Daniel's favourite colour was aqua) to Xavier. Xavier tore it up, and Then Henry left, locked the gate and threw the key over, and Xavier caught it. Xavier went to the door that connected the pool area to the inside of the house.

While Xavier was continuing towards the door, still cooling off, Daniel began reading the book, but he was soon interrupted, but after he finished the first page, by Xavier, who said: "You can borrow that until the party."

"Thank you," Daniel replied, "I appreciate it, and I'll be going now." Then as fast as Daniel would allow himself to walk he exited the front door and headed towards the shopping centre, he was walking towards a pay phone nearby. He didn't even realise that he had forgotten his hat.

Meanwhile, back at Xavier's house, there was a knock on the door, Xavier moved through the lounge room, and to the door, he opened it and saw Simon, Danielle and Dora, Dora was a post woman, she had delivered to every house on her route already.

"Hi Xavier," Dora began, Simon and Danielle knew Xavier well. Simon only knew Daniel by his old job, Daniel was a standard physicist until he turned Forty-nine, that was when Daniel thought he was too old for the job, but Simon always knew Daniel would find a job one day, he hasn't got one yet though. "We're here to help set up the decorations for the double celebration." Dora finished, and Simon suddenly remembered, this wasn't only for Daniel, but for Simon and Danielle too, you see, Simon's application to go to detective school in the other world had been accepted, Simon told them he was inviting a friend, and they said that was fine with them. Simon never informed them that he was asking his friend Danielle to join him, not that it had mattered anyway.

Simon and Danielle took the box of decorations out of Dora's hands, the one that she had when she entered and put it on the table, then they grabbed a handful of ornaments each, and we boosted off at top pace and started setting.

"Can I have some tea please?" Dora asked in a very polite manner; her voice was very light, it was effortless for grown men to fall in love with her because of her voice. She was very neat and tidy as well, no matter what she wore, she had forgotten to change and was still in her postal uniform.

When she received her tea after three minutes of explaining what she liked, one sugar and a bit of milk, she was on a diet. She kindly said: "Thank you," she then moved very slowly to the dining table, Dora didn't spill a single drop, Dora sat down after placing her cup down on the table, she took one sip and noticed the hat.

On the side she could see that it was blank, she took another sip and then turned the hat around, and on it was: 'D.S. Smith.' She was confused, she had not seen Daniel yet and only knew him by what Xavier and Simon had told her about him, she knew Dan wore a hat, but never knew what it looked like, the hat could have belonged to any 'D.S. Smith'.

"Whose hat is this?" Dora asked looking at Xavier, out of all people in that room, he was the only one who ever saw Daniel in person. Everyone else only saw the pictures in the paper, and he never wore a hat in them, and one the reports said that Daniel said that his hat was 'camera shy'. An unbelievable story, because hats don't talk; which is why nobody could believe the story.

"That's Daniel's hat," he replied, "I saw him leaving the house without it on."

All of a sudden, at that moment everyone in the house heard a car stop in front of the house, and a mumbled voice that seemed to say: "stay here, I have to pick something up." They were not sure; it was a deep voice.

"He's back," Xavier said, it sounded like he was whispering under his voice; however, they were all able to hear what Xavier said, "Dan is back," he continued in a half yell. Then, several seconds later there was a knock at the door. "The Door's open Dan, Come on in."

Daniel walked in, some of his dark hair was standing up because there was still static travelling through it, "how did you know it was me?" He said looking at Xavier.

"He recognised your voice," Simon said.

"Who are you guys? I'm Daniel Smith; now it's your turn."

"I'm Dora Goldan." Said Dora, standing was she already was.

"I'm Danielle Goldan." Said Danielle, also standing still where she was at the moment.

"I'm Simon Blueford," Simon said. "Xavier told me a lot about you; he's a science teacher in the other world detective school that's how I know him, and how I came to know you."

"It's pleasant to meet you all," Daniel said, he walked to Dora and shook her hand, then he walked to Danielle then shook her hand. Last, he walked to Simon and shook his hand, and he said, "not many people know the name Daniel Smith, but I like it that you do." Simon smiled, and he walked to the table, "I believe I forgot this," he said as he picked up the hat and put it on his head.

"You also forgot your slice of English cottage pie." Said Christen, as the oven dinged, then the sound of footsteps came from the staircase a few seconds later, Christen was upstairs giving the maid some cleaning products. Christen sliced up the pie, and put a piece in a paper bag and gave it to Daniel, "Thank you." He said as he received his slice.

"I'm so sorry about this, I won't disturb your preparations anymore, and I'll see you all later." he finished and walked to the door, opened it, went through, and finally closed the door. Several seconds later everyone heard the car drive away.

After this, they started getting their pie, and they voiced the words thank you to Christen.