Chapter Six

  Part Six

  It had already been a day and night since coming to The Nights Rest, and Ali had yet to separate the sisters. But at least the royal guards are now back with Queen Silva, which means that the doctor had successfully transported Mauve’s body.

  “Ali, is there a way to sneak into the girl’s room? Since you haven’t separated them yet, maybe there’ll be some missing evidence” Line started.

  Ali nodded “Alright, I’ll try that instead. Hyde, when they come downstairs, distract them for me”

  “sure”

  “Vax’dian” Line continued “I don’t think we’ll get any more clues from Jemiah and Sean, is there anything that you want to do?”

  “There is actually, many things. But for today, I’ll just settle with talking to Denis”

  Ali frowned “the kid?”

  “yes. Apparently, he isn’t his normal self. We might as well check in on him” Vax’dian looked at Line “what about you? What are you going to do?”

  Line thought for a moment before answering “I’ll come with you”

  Vax’dian smiled.

  There were sounds of footstep, as Jemiah, Sean, Anya, and Lyra came down the stairs. After which the two pairs separated and sat at their own tables.

  Ali perked up and said “I’m going for a walk. No one follow me” she said that last part specifically at Hyde.

  Hyde gave a nod, it seemed he understood. Ali then left the table they were sitting at.

  Line looked back at Vax’dian “how should we go about talking with Denis?”

  He sighed “maybe we should wait until the room is empty, when Denis comes out to clean up”

  “Alright”

  *

  Ali stood outside The Nights Rest, underneath the second-floor window that the two sisters were staying in. She produced a thick white rope from her sleeve and flicked her wrist to send it upwards. The rope wrapped itself around the base of a metal hanging lantern above the window.

  She tested the strength of the lanterns base, before climbing up herself. It didn’t take long before she planted her feet on the outside windowsill. Luckily the window stood slightly ajar, so all she had to do was push it further up. She swung her legs in first, and called back her rope.

  She was now standing in Anya’s and Lyra’s room.

  But the room seemed more cluttered than Ali thought it would be. There were two beds, both of them freshly made. The dresser though, had three jewellery boxes and three makeup bags. Was Mauve also sleeping in this room?

  Ali went to the jewellery boxes. Only two of them had earrings, and only one of them had the missing earring that Line was looking for. Basing on the styles of jewellery, Ali could tell who’s belonged to who. She knew who the murderer is.

  It was probably pointless to separate the sisters now, that would be the authority’s job.

  **

  Hyde was keeping an eye on the two sisters, and when they had finished their breakfasts, they decided to also take a walk. So when they left, not too soon after Hyde followed.

  It took a little while longer for Jemiah and Sean to leave, but they did eventually. So now Line and Vax’dian were sitting alone, waiting for Denis to come out.

  “have you spoken to your mother today yet?” Line broke the silence.

  “I have. Now that her royal guards are back, she’s a lot more restricted”

  “a queen, restricted? How is that possible?”

  “father is quiet...protective of her”

  “oh, I understand”

  “I would also like to apologise for whatever it was she said yesterday while you two were alone together”

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  “You don’t have to do that, it’s harmless”

  “harmless? What did she say?”

  Line smiled “she talked about you”

  “About me?”

  “Yes”

  “What did she say?”

  “Nothing in particular”

  Vax’dian relaxed and little.

  “she just said how much you like me”

  Vax’dian’s back straightened, but before he could say anything, the door behind the counter opened.

  Denis. He walked over to the closest table to him, and started collecting plates and cups. Line stood and went on over to help him.

  “hello, Denis”

  Denis remained quiet.

  “Are you alright?”

  Denis nodded.

  “do you know about Mauve? The blonde woman who was also staying here?”

  He nodded again “...I liked Mauve, she was nice...but she’s not coming back, is she?”

  “No, no she’s not”

  Denis just nodded again.

  “Listen, do you know anything about what happened? People say that you’re not yourself recently”

  “...I...”

  “yes?”

  “Mauve went to the long grass like the note said”

  Line frowned “this note?”

  Denis looked down at the note in her hand, and nodded “she asked me to give it to Mauve. I shouldn’t have”

  “who asked you?”

  ***

  Line had called everyone back the dining area, so now the room was filled with everyone who was currently in the inn. Line was standing in front of the reception desk, looking at all the faces here.

  “I know who the killer is” Line announced to the room.

  All the faces turned to each other, all seemingly trying to discern each other’s expressions.

  “but before that, let’s talk about the people who it couldn’t be. Jemiah and Sean...” Line shook her head “you two are innocent. Besides, after what you’ve told us it would be extremely stupid to do such a thing”

  Anya frowned “why?”

  Jemiah clenched his jaw, but it was Sean who spoke “...we’re leaving”

  Zayne’s head snapped to him “what!?”

  “we were going to tell you, but then... then...”

  “... Mauve” Jemiah finished for Sean “We’re going to open a winery”

  “a winery?” Zayne scoffed “you always did have an interest in wine making”

  Line continued speaking “and Zayne, I know you didn’t kill Mauve. You couldn’t. Not only that but like Jemiah and Sean, you Zayne have an alibi. You said that you had met with Anya that night, only briefly of course, but when I looked across your jewellery I knew you couldn’t be the killer”

  Zayne cocked his head “what does jewellery have to do with anything?”

  Line pulled the silver moon dangly earring from her pocket “I found this next to Mauve’s body. Does it look familiar to anyone?”

  Anya looked at her sister silently sitting next to her “Lyra? Didn’t you tell me that you were missing that earring?”

  Lyra shook her head, and in a quiet voice mumbled “I’m not sure where I lost it”

  “but now that I think about it” Line continued “Lyra, you’re the only one without an alibi”

  Lyra just shook her head again “I don’t know what you’re talking about”

  Line then pulled the note from her pocket “do you know about this then?”

  “...”

  “Denis told me that you asked him to pass this onto Mauve. It asks her to meet in the tall grass a mile away. I’m sure she thought it was Zayne who wanted to meet her, but now knowing that Zayne was here that night, it couldn’t possibly be him”

  Lyra remained quiet.

  “So, Lyra? If there’s nothing else, I’ll have the guards arrest you”

  “Lyra, say something” Anya spoke up “... you wouldn’t have killed Mauve, right...?”

  Zayne looked across the room at Lyra “you killed her didn’t you?... How could you!?”

  Anya looked at her sister, with tears in her eyes “...Lyra?”

  Now there were tears forming in Lyra’s eyes “I killed her for you, Anya”

  Anya’s eyes widened “... For me?”

  “Yes. I know you didn’t like Mauve, but I also knew that you liked Zayne. I didn’t like seeing you hurting, Anya. So I... so I asked Denis to pass on a note to Mauve, she thought it was from Zayne. But I, I must’ve lost my earring there”

  “Lyra!” Anya stood from her seat “what... what are you talking about! You killed Mauve!?”

  “Lyra... what have you done...?” Zayne muttered.

  “guards” Vax’dian spoke up “take her”

  Lyra was pulled to her feet by two guards “Anya, I want you to be happy. That’s all I wanted”

  “I can never be happy now, Lyra”

  Lyra froze “... what? What do you mean?”

  “you made me happy, Lyra. But you, you... why?”

  “Anya... Anya I’m sorry”

  “It’s too late for that”

  “Wait” Lyra began struggling against the guards “wait, Anya. Anya-!” Lyra was pulled out the door by the two guards. Cutting off her words.

  Zayne then stood from his chair and quietly walked past everyone up the stairs. The room was filled with silence, as a short time later Zayne came back down. His luggage all packed and slung over his shoulder, he then left the inn. Alone. Not even Anya spoke up after him. Instead, Anya covered her tear-soaked face with trembling hands and fell to her knees.

  Anya began muttering under her breath “what am I supposed to do now? Everyone’s abandoned me. I’m alone now...”

  Jemiah and Sean knelt down on opposite sides of her “what are you talking about, Anya? You still have us”

  She shook her head “no, no I don’t. You two were going to leaving us” she broke the hold of Jemiah and Sean and ran up the stairs.