SWNOVELXO Chapter 17: Chapter 5
Shirley read the note Joyce dropped and saw that it was another threat. Shirley said, "'If you're reading this, you won the fight. I sent these goons as an extra warning. Now, you better stop bothering me and my plans, or you'll join your friend, Sherry.' I am not giving up. Sherry's counting on me." Shirley started to look everywhere where she saw Sherry throughout this case, beginning with the rose garden maze, where they chased Mike. Shirley yelled, "Sherry! Are you in here?" Shirley ran down every path in the maze until she found the exit, but she didn't find Sherry. Shirley then looked where the chess and Jenga attacks occurred but didn't see Sherry anywhere. She returned to the game store they investigated and where the cat attack occurred, but didn't see Sherry anywhere. Shirley's last place to check was The Statue of Liberty, but Sherry wasn't anywhere there.
Shirley sat down and said, "Oh. This plan isn't working. Looking for one person in one of the biggest cities in the world is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. And I'm running out of suspects." Shirley walked across town thinking the case through until she ran into Warren, who walked out of a magic shop. Warren said, "Oh, Shirley. Are you getting close to solving the mystery?" Shirley said, "I'm close." Warren said, "Good because I want to do another magic show without anything going wrong," Shirley said, "Why do another one?" Warren said, "The first show was a mess. Still, I think I deserve another chance." Shirley listened to Warren's words because she thought he gave her the final clue to the mystery." Warren said, "I want to prove I can do it. So, I'm going to do it again." Shirley said, "And I think I know who's behind this." Warren said, "Really?" Shirley said, "One way to find out." Shirley ran as fast as she could and returned to Sherry's bedroom. Shirley looked in Sherry's garbage and found a small piece of paper. Shirley said, "It was what Warren said. He said he knew he couldn't be a good magician. What if Sherry felt the same way about being a detective?" Shirley brought out the flyer for Sherry's detective agency, which she found, and tapped the missing piece in Sherry's garbage back on it. Shirley also found Sherry's notepad on her desk and confirmed her theory when she looked at the notebook and the flyer.
Shirley went to the theater's basement and found Sherry watching TV there. Shirley said, "Hey, Sherry." Sherry turned around and saw Shirley standing behind her with her arms crossed. Sherry said, "Oh, oh. I'm so happy to see you. Lilly is the one who's behind the attacks and my kidnapping." Shirley said, "Save it. I figured it out." Shirley showed Sherry the flyer she had put back together, and Sherry saw what was on it. Shirley said, "I guess we now know who did it." Sherry said, "I don't know what you mean." Shirley said, "I think you do...." While Shirley was talking, Sherry stood still with her back turned, her arms crossed, and a non-caring look.
Shirley said, "You knew you couldn't be a good detective. It was you all along. Now, I'd like for you to come with me." Sherry said, "OK, fine. Just let me grab my backpack." Sherry grabbed her backpack, and it released a rope that made a net rise. Sherry caught Shirley in it. Sherry said, "Haha. I can't believe you fell for that. Now I can play with other people's lives as much as I like." Shirley said, "So it was you." Sherry said, "Yep. And now that you've found me, I can go back and start saving people from me, which will make me look like a good detective." Shirley said, "You mean you're going to try to kill innocent people just to make your dreams come true." Sherry said, "Yep, that's right." Shirley said, "You'll never get away with this."
Sherry said, "Too bad once I go back up there, I already will." Shirley said, "Not if I stop you first." Sherry said, "Answer this. How will you save New York City when you can't save yourself?" Sherry pushed a button on a remote. It moved the net Shirley was in over Warren's most deadly magic stuff. Sherry said, "Goodbye. And have fun playing in the magic stuff. Haha, haha." Shirley said, "Well, she's got the evil laugh down." Shirley looked down, saw all the blades and thorns Sherry placed her over, and got worried.
Shirley was in her net when it started to lower her down towards the magic stuff. When lowered, Shirley opened her backpack and tried to find something to help her escape. Shirley found her knife and thought she could cut part of the net. Shirley rubbed the knife from her backpack on the net, cut it, and climbed out. Shirley then jumped and landed on the sofa while the net landed on the magic stuff. Shirley said, "Time to go burst Sherry's bubble." Shirley ran out of the basement and went to find Sherry.
Sherry was watching the theater play from the balcony. Then she climbed down from the balcony and pushed over a part of the scenery. Shirley was ready to save the actors when she got on her scooter, threw her knife, and stopped the tower from falling. Sherry said, "What the?" Shirley rode her scooter up the stage ramp, on the stage, and stopped in front of Sherry. Shirley showed Shery her badge and said, "Sherry, it's over. Give it up." Warren said, "What do you mean?" Shirley said, "Sherry set you up. She's the one behind this, and she did everything to make herself look like a good detective since her original detective agency went out of business." The audience was shocked when Shirley revealed that Sherry was the culprit. Warren said, "Sherry, you, but how could you?" Sherry said, "Maybe a better question is, HOW COULDN'T I?"