The Case of the
Missing Onion Starring Tommy the Tomato Written and Illustrated by Michael Zhang
There’s two types of veggies in Veggie City. The fresh kind… and the rotten kind. These days, it seems, all you get is the rotten ones. A good fresh veggie’s hard to come by.
ck kno ck kno
It was a stormy evening when he knocked on my office door.
You’ve got to help me! My wife, Olivia the Onion, has been kidnapped!
Cory the Corncob, a wealthy Salsa magnate, known for producing the best and freshest salsa in all of Veggie City. A Veggie like him doesn’t sprout his way to the top without making a few enemies.
I’m on it!
There was no ransom note, which meant no leads. Something about this case didn’t sit well with me. If they didn’t want his cash… what did they want? I decided to start at the last place she was seen…
THE The SLOPPY Sloppy SALAD SALOON Salad Saloon
What was a veggie like Olivia the Onion doing at a place like this?
What’ll it be?
Water. On the rocks. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you some questions.
Careful, brother. Questions can get you squashed. Thanks for the warning, but I think I’ll take my chances. I’m looking for an onion.
Sorry man. I ain’t seen nothin...
You don’t sound so sure...
THE The SLOPPY Sloppy SALAD Salad SALOON Saloon
After hours of interrogation, I felt like I was still running in circles. I thought my search had reached a dead end, but it looked like the Good Gardener upstairs had other plans for me...
Midnight on the pier. There she was, as the note had promised. Emerging from the fog like a ghost. Maybe I would finally get some answers...
When I returned to my apartment, I found a note on my desk. I was following the evidence, but apparently someone was following me.
You’re playing a dangerous game, Big Red. The name’s Tommy the Tomato and dangerous is my middle name.
I thought “the” was your middle name. Nevermind about my middle name. Why did you bring me here?
I’ve got a job to do. And I ain’t going home til it’s done. Now you can tell me what I need to hear, or you can get out of my way.
You don’t understand what you’re getting yourself into. These aren’t your ordinary rotten veggies. These veggies are rotten to the root and they will dice you up—Literally!
I’m going to regret this… You’re looking for a Cheese Puff named Chuckie. He’s Cory the Corncob’s main rival in the salsa industry. He’s been after Cory’s secret recipe for ages.
Of course! Chuckie! I should have known. But why no ransom note?
How do you know this? And why are you telling me?
He doesn’t need one. He knew he’d never be able to coax the recipe out of Cory. He’s not that kind of cob. So Chuckie went after the one other person who knows it, his wife. Head over to the Carrot Club to find her. But be careful. And trust no one.
Wait! I don’t think I ever got your name.
Let’s just say I’ve been watching out for you.
Camilla, Camilla the Cucumber.
Looks like I had found the “root” of the mystery. the infamous Carrot Club, a front for Chuckie’s twisted salsa business.
THE CARROT CLUB
May I fetch you a drink, sir?
Water. On the rocks.
So many questions in my head. Who was Camilla? Why did she help me? How was I going to rescue Olivia the Onion? Like Arthur the Avocado had said, in this town, questions can get you squashed.
H
All of a sudden, I felt dizzy. THE WATER! The water had been poisoned! “Trust no one,� she had said....
Your water, sir. Thanks.
one.... Trust no... one.... trust... no... one.... trust... no one.... Trust no
No one.
Didn’t I tell you to trust no one?
Where am I?
I was wrong when I said there were two types of veggies in this city—there’s three: The fresh kind, the rotten kind…. And the sour kind.
You’re a pickle.
I’m disappointed, Mr. Tomato. I thought you were a detective. I thought I’d have to pull some strings to catch you but instead, you walked right into my trap. Don’t you see? The Onion was only the first ingredient for my special salsa. She was just a decoy… for the main ingredient.
The tomato!
And now that I have you both, I can finally set my diabolical plan into motion! Hahaha!
Precisely.
Tomorrow when you are ripe, I will return to finish the job. Enjoy your last night, Detective. Muhahahahahahahahaha!
Oh no! They got you too? You were my last hope Tommy! Now it looks like we’re both goners.
Don’t worry, Olivia. When you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you tend to pick up a trick or two...
the next day...
Rise and shine, veggies! Time for your moment of reckoning!
What? Where’d they go?!?!
What is this?!
How did you escape? Still disappointed?
I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve too. Or should I say, hat?
But... but how?
You of all veggies should know. First rule of any job…
...Trust no one.
You traitor! We had a deal!
And so did we...
Sorry man. I ain’t seen nothin...
Is that so, Arthur the Avocado? This is a nice establishment you’ve got here. It’d be a shame to see it get shut down...
You don’t sound so sure...
Look, I don’t know nothin...
What I’m doing is giving you one last chance to save yourself. If you don’t tell me the truth… someone else will. And when that happens, you’ll wish you did when you had the chance. Choose your friends wisely.
Are you threatening me?
It’s Chuckie the Cheese Puff. He wants Cory’s secret salsa recipe. He and his partner… some pickle named Camilla… cooked up this plan. Kidnap Cory’s wife. Get the recipe from her. And sell it here at the Sloppy Salad. I’d get a cut of the profit.
I didn’t have nothin’ to do with the kidnapping, I swears! It was all Chuckie. I can’t go to jail, Tommy, I can’t. I’m soft on the inside!
I can’t promise nothing. But if you help me with one more thing… I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you.
Our plan worked perfectly. I’m actually a little disappointed. I thought I’d have to pull some strings to catch you, but instead you walked right into my trap.
Anything, Tommy!
I need you to get me inside Chuckie’s headquarters...
Nice try, Chuckie. But you’re going to have to do a little better than that if you want to steal my secret recipe.
Thanks for all your help, Tommy. I knew I could count on you.
I will get my revenge on you, Tommy the Tomato!
Just doing my job!
The End