"Mayor Charming!" Granny Relda exclaimed. "I never thought I'd see the day when you would come to this family for anything."
The man lowered his right hand and groaned. "Do you think I would ask you if it wasn't absolutely necessary? I swore I'd see your family rot before I asked for your help, but drastic times call for drastic measures."
"What are you talking about?" Sabrina demanded impatiently, but as she waited for the mayor to answer, she noticed something odd about the mansion. It was filthy. Several curtains in the ballroom had fallen and lay in heaps on the floor. A giant red stain had ruined a polar bear rug lying near the fireplace. The carpet on the stairs needed a good vacuuming and a bucket sat on the floor collecting rain from a giant patched-up hole in the ceiling. Half a dozen overflowing bags of garbage sat by the door waiting to be taken out and a thick layer of dust covered everything, including a full suit of armor that leaned precariously against a wall.
"What happened here?" she asked.
"You happened here!" Charming snapped. "You and your smelly sister ruined the only fund-raising event this town has each year."
Daphne raised an arm to smell her armpit. She crinkled her nose and lowered her arm quickly. "I'm not that bad," she said.
"You crashed an invitation only party, brought a giant here, which nearly destroyed the mansion and several cars in the parking lot, and worst of all, you made me look like a fool in front of the town's biggest donors," the mayor said. "We didn't raise a penny. The town is broke."
"We know what the fund-raiser is really for," Sabrina replied. "You want to use the money to buy the whole town. Why don't you just dip into the money you've conned out of everyone for the last two hundred years?"
"You dare question my honor?" Charming growled. "I haven't taken a penny out of this town. The rumors about my finances are greatly exaggerated. Relda, do you believe I would live like this if I didn't have to?"
Granny Relda gazed around the room. "No, I don't," she answered.
"Services had to be cut drastically. Transportation, education. I've even had to fire the crew of workers who polish statues of me in the park. Mr. Seven has agreed to a substantial cut in pay and I haven't taken a salary in weeks. I had to lay off three-fourths of the town's police force, which, since there were only four police officers to begin with, leaves me with Hamstead. The sheriff works hard and he's smart as a whip, but he's only one pig. We're stretched too thin, and we just don't have the resources to investigate a crime, let alone a murder committed by the Scarlet Hand. I need your help, and since most of this is your family's fault, I think it's your responsibility."
"So now the Scarlet Hand exists, huh? Why did you lie about it back at the school?" Sabrina asked.
"Because I don't need the citizens of this town to panic. If word got out that there was a terrorist group killing people, there would be chaos in the streets. Hamstead can barely keep up now with speeding tickets and jaywalkers. Your family has proven to be good detectives: you're persistent and lucky and stubborn," Charming continued. "If you don't stop whatever did that to the teacher, then it won't get stopped."
"Why do you care what happens to a human teacher?" Sabrina said. "I thought you hated humans."
Charming said nothing.
"You don't want anything bad to happen to Ms. White," Daphne cried. "You are in love with her. You want to kiss and hug her!"
"Nonsense!" the mayor shouted. "I can't have terrorists running around the elementary school, even if I approve of who they're killing."
"You want to write her love notes," the little girl persisted. "You want to hold her hand in the park and look at puppies in the pet store."
"Is there an Off button for this one?" Charming asked Granny Relda.
The old woman grinned at the mayor. "You haven't answered the questions."
"All right!" Charming surrendered. "Snow has a knack for getting in trouble. I would sleep better at night knowing she is safe."
"Of course, we'll do what we can," Granny Relda assured him.
"What are you going to do for us?" Sabrina asked.
The old woman looked at the girl in horror. "Liebling, we would never take payment for helping folks."
"Granny, finding the killer is going to take a lot of time- time that we could use to find Mom and Dad," Sabrina argued.
"What can I do?" Charming said. "I can't exactly send Hamstead to search everyone's homes."
"No, but you have connections we don't," said Sabrina. "People will talk to you. Maybe there is something we could use, something magical lying around we don't know anything about. Use your imagination, Billy."
Charming thought for a moment. "You have my word."
He raised his right hand.
"It'll have to do," Sabrina said as she raised her hand as well. Granny Relda and Daphne did the same.
"I do solemnly swear to protect and serve the inhabitants of…"
"What does inhabitants mean?" Daphne interrupted.
"It means the people who live in a particular place," her sister answered, noting Charming's impatient face.
"Why didn't you just say the people, then?" the little girl asked.
"Let him finish, lieblings," Granny Relda said.
"I do solemnly swear," Charming started over, "to protect and serve the people of Ferryport Landing to the best of my ability. I vow to protect the peace, secure the safety, and uphold the rule of law."
The Grimms repeated what he said, word for word, and then lowered their hands.
"You are now officially deputized under the laws of Ferryport Landing," the mayor said, as he pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Granny Relda.
"What are these?" Granny said, looking down at the key ring.
"Keys to the school," Charming said. "You'll need them to get inside."
Granny smiled and handed the keys back to the mayor. "I've got my own set, thanks," she said. Charming scowled and shoved the keys back into his pocket.
"Well, I'd love to keep this happy event going all night, but as you know, I can't stand you people," he said, leading them to the door. As his hand clutched the knob, he turned and looked the girls in their eyes. "Snow is important to me. I would appreciate you keeping a close eye on her."
"No problem, Billy," Daphne replied, wrapping her arms around the mayor and hugging him tightly. "It's sooooo romantic!"
Charming sneered, opened the door, and forcefully shoved the family outside.
"You should really tell her that you love her," Daphne said, right before the mayor slammed the door in her face.
Sabrina had been to a lot of schools in the last year and a half, and they all had a few things in common. Every one of them had a couple of grouchy teachers, a bully, a bully's punching bag, a weird cafeteria lady, a bathroom that everyone was afraid to go into, and a librarian who worshiped something called the Dewey Decimal System. None of those schools, however, had a teacher-killing monster scurrying through its hallways. And they said New York City had everything.