Cherry, Atticus, and the Rescuers

chapter 3

Jeffry got into the driver's seat, hooking up his seat-belt, then getting ready to drive once Atticus would be buckled up. After so, they made a stop to Morningside Orphanage. They came for official detective business and came to the owner, named Sunny. 

"Thank goodness you're here..." Sunny said to them, she looked exhausted and devastated like a deathly worried mother, she was with the other orphans who were awake despite it being bedtime. She saw that Atticus was next to Jeffry. "What's with the kid?" she asked.

"He's my nephew, he wanted to come along." Jeffry explained. "Now, the kidnapping?"

"Yes, come with me..." Sunny went to show them the room, there was one bed that was a little messy, but there was a cat with a scarf by it and he appeared to have glasses too, Cherry also seemed to be with the cat. 

Cherry looked over and saw the two.

"Cherry?" Atticus said out of confusion.

Cherry got up and walked over to them, she looked to the boy she knew. "Atticus, what are you doing here? We called the cops."

"I'm a detective, young lady." Jeffry told her, then went to talk with Sunny in private.

"What are you doing here, Cherry?" Atticus asked her quietly.

"Didn't you get my message?" Cherry asked him. "I'm working here as a volunteer."

"Oh, yeah, I did, so did you see of what happened here?" Atticus asked her.

"I didn't actually see anything because I had to put the kids younger than Penny to sleep," Cherry explained the best she could. "There were parents coming in today and Penny was hoping to have the chance of being adopted since this woman looked at her, but looked to the red-headed girl with a ponytail saying she was prettier than Penny..."

Atticus was writing all of it down. "And was there anybody with Penny afterwards?" He asked her as a detective.

"Not that I'm aware of..." Cherry shrugged a little. "I told her I would be right back... But someone just took her away... I don't know who it was and neither does Sunny... The other orphans don't know either, it's like she vanished." 

The old cat came by. "I actually saw... I was hidin' under Penny's bed, but I saw." he spoke up.

"And your name is?" Atticus asked.

"Rufus," the cat replied. "I'm the owner's pet cat... I usually come along to meet these orphans, but I was very close with Penny. I always tried to keep her confident whenever adults would visit to adopt children, but no one would come for her... There are two bad ones to look out for who really wanted Penny to help them in a heist to find a rare diamond since she was the only one able to fit down there... They're Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops."

Atticus wrote down both of those names. "Can you tell me what they look like?" He asked the old cat.

"Medusa has wild red hair, she wears way too much make-up, and she's very thin and bony... Mr. Snoops is short and FAT in a yellow suit, has curly brown hair and glasses," Rufus described. "I feel that woman doesn't have a nice bone in her body, but she pretended to be nice to Penny..."

Atticus wrote down everything the old cat said.

"That's about all I know..." Rufus sighed. "I just can't believe they took poor Penny... All for a jewel they can't and don't deserve to have."

Cherry gently hugged him and stroked him to have him gently purr. "That poor girl... She seems so sweet and innocent too."

"Don't worry you two, I promise that Penny will be found and rescued and that Madame Medusa and Mr. Snoops will be arrested for kidnapping her." Atticus assured them both.