The masquerade was about to begin. Based on what Charlotte said, Arabella tended to disappear during the waltz.

  That’s when she killed them—it had to be.

  Not under my watch.

  I counted the couples who entered the ballroom: 150 in total, extravagant masks hiding their faces.

  And if 150 couples turned into 149 and a lonely, confused girl...

  I yawed despite myself as I watched one third of them take to the dance floor. Last night had been all plan and no sleep.

  It was worth it, though—I glanced up at the balconies on my left, closed by red draperies.

  Cellos and double basses opened the dance with an ominous oom-pah-pah, oom-pah-pah pulse, setting the couples in motion. They seemed to be in love. Admittedly, I found it kinda nice.

  I leaned closer when the violins slid in, sending the women spinning in their long, ruffled dresses…

  I looked down.

  Formal pants. The manly kind.

  Maybe I should buy a dress.

  I worked too much for that; I had to scold myself, pursing my lips. Back to work.

  The number of couples watching from the side tables was the same, so I set my sight back on the dance floor and began to count.

  Thirty-six... forty... forty-nine...

  That was it, forty-nine. My eyes widened.

  Arabella was nowhere in sight; only musicians were left on the stage.

  I rushed upstairs, ready to drop the only mask that mattered that night.

  The balconies weren’t so high, so I knew at least half of the people on the lower floor would spot the commotion straight away.

  Good riddance.

  I didn’t notice anyone slipping inside any of the balconies, but succubi undoubtedly had a few tricks up their sleeve.

  One by one, I put my ear against the fabric and held my breath for a second.

  The first ones were quiet. Next.

  I hope it’s not too late.

  I stopped on my tiptoes when a strange noise came from one of them, like a painful, low moan. My fingers clenched into fists.

  Arabella!

  The metal rings above snapped loudly as I grabbed the draperies and pulled them with all I had. The waltz down below died out with a last out-of-tune chord.

  Startled, the singer spun around in her red dress.

  “Arabella, release this man at once—”

  My eyes blinked rapidly when I realized—

  Arabella was alone, her face smeared with makeup.

  She was crying.

  There was some sort of pipe in her hand.

  I tilted my head. “Is that... opium?”

  My stomach dropped as I heard footsteps behind me. The patrons watched Arabella in her lowest with shocked looks on their faces.

  Her delicate features contorted in anger, bloodshot eyes glaring at me. “ARE YOU INSANE?!”

  All eyes turned to me now.

  The silent ballroom echoed the sound of my own loud, dry gulp.

  “What’s going on here?” Sergeant Cornell emerged from the crowd behind me.

  My eyes darted, searching for answers in the air.

  But the truth was quite simple—

  I messed up.

  Disorderly conduct, crimes against Arabella’s honor, vandalism. They didn’t leave a single charge out.

  I hit my head against the iron bars.

  My God, I’m so stupid.

  At least now I had time to think.

  What did I miss?

  All roads forked onto Arabella. Charismatic, alluring singer, secret escapades, the wigs.

  It doesn’t make sense.

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  But most importantly, what would I tell Fred?

  He told me to keep casualties down, and I couldn’t even do that. A man went missing while I played solo detective.

  I hugged my legs, the prison cell growing even darker around me.

  The bars rang as someone sat beside me.

  “Fred?” I lifted my head.

  “Sorry, he couldn’t come.” Savio removed his hat. “Busy wrapping up his case.”

  Honestly, I was glad he didn’t see me like this.

  “So... he already caught the perp?”

  Savio nodded.

  I looked away, ashamed.

  “It happens, you know,” Savio said. “I paid your bail.”

  “I don’t remember you ever having to get Fred out of jail, though,” I said, wiping away the tears that wouldn’t stop coming.

  Savio sighed. “I used to. Before... well, you weren’t ‘born’ yet, so you couldn’t possibly know.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yeah, Fred used to get riled up easily, then get himself in all sorts of trouble with the law. That’s how he and Cornell met.”

  “It’s hard to believe... what changed? I mean, what happened before I was born?”

  Savio went quiet for a while, staring at the floor between his feet.

  “I feel like it’s not my place to talk about this subject,” he finally said, then looked at me. “But you’ll be alright, Connie.”

  I don’t know why, but the last part felt like Fred talking to me.

  I nodded.

  Savio moved out of the way as the jailer showed up. Keys clicking in his hand, he unlocked the cell.

  Clack.

  “You’re free to go,” he said. “Behave yourself.”

  Savio watched me as I climbed back to my feet. “I gotta go now. What’re you going to do?”

  I honestly didn’t know. That man might’ve been dead by now.

  If Arabella wasn’t the succubus, then it had to be another random patron, which would broaden my investigation to an impossible scope since she was the only woman who was always there—

  My heart sank at the realization.

  No, it can’t be.

  Arabella was, in fact, not the only woman who worked there.

  She was only the visible one.

  My mind raced backwards, desperately reaching for evidence to exonerate Charlotte.

  Unfortunately, it just raised more questions.

  How did she know about the wigs?

  At the time, I brushed it off as another occupational hazard of her being Arabella’s assistant.

  Then I saw that place that shouldn’t exist, dark and dusty—clear as day in front of my mind’s eye.

  Like the perfect slaughterhouse.

  I snapped my eyes shut, fingers digging into my palms.

  I’m so bloody stupid!

  “Connie, are you okay?” Savio asked.

  His features tensed up in worry as I looked at him.

  “Can you give me a ride?”

  I asked Savio to drop me a block away from the ballroom. Cornell would never let me go near the place again.

  “Can you distract the cops for me?”

  “Nah, I don’t get paid enough for that,” he said with a smirk.

  “Well, I’ll give you half of my next salary.”

  “Now, that’s a lot.” Savio frowned, looking weirded out by my offer. “Why would you say that?”

  “I really, really want to close this case. Please.”

  “I’ll take a beer.” He chuckled, then shook his head. “Hell.”

  The carriage began to move. I cheered internally, then set off on my own, through a different route.

  I watched from a distance as Savio parked in front of the ballroom.

  “Gentlemen. Hiccup.” He stumbled out of the carriage like a drunk. “It appears I lost my way home. Hiccup.”

  Cornell approached him. “Savio, have you been drinking—”

  Suddenly, Savio began shouting incoherently at Cornel’s face, flailing around like a madman.

  Oh my...

  The other cops scattered on the sidewalk rushed in to help contain him.

  That’s my cue, I suppose. I thought, then sprang out of my cover. Please don’t get yourself in trouble, Savio.

  The doorman raised his hands as I slipped through the outer gates. “Miss, you’re not allowed—”

  “Shut up.” I brushed him aside and then burst through the front door.

  It was early in the morning, and only employees were left inside.

  Arabella let out an ear-piercing shriek as she saw me.

  “I earned it. Sorry.” I dashed across the ballroom, no time to lose.

  Draperies. I slid under the fabric and saw the first layer of darkness behind the stage.

  My blood ran cold as I touched the door. I paused, noticing dust stirred up around the frame.

  There was someone inside.

  I took a deep breath.

  Let’s go, Connie.

  The door creaked as I pushed it open.

  Charlotte turned around, unrecognizable.

  “You came,” she said, black leathery wings batting behind her.

  “So, that’s the real you...” I muttered.

  Fully black eyes stared at me in confusion.

  “What’s the difference between you and me, Connie?”

  My head was growing dizzy.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I’m not a serial killer.” I noticed something on the ground behind her.

  A man. Hopefully not a corpse.

  “You don’t understand,” she said, stepping aside to show me him. “These men are not worthy of your pity.”

  “How could you know? You just kidnapped a random guy.”

  “No, I did no such thing. They come to me, the quiet one, the weak one, with sweet promises and vows.” Charlotte reached for his hand, showing me his ring finger. “But look. It’s always like this.”

  “That sucks, but it doesn’t mean every man is the same.”

  She stood up, teary-eyed. “But they are. You think that man you love is any different?”

  Fred?

  A dagger appeared in her hand, sliding out of her back. I raised my guard.

  “Yes, Fred—”

  She approached me slowly.

  “They’ll say you’re special, the only one in the whole world. All lies, sweet lies to fill your heart with hope.” Her features twisted. “Then crush it without mercy.”

  I swallowed.

  Charlotte lifted the dagger to me, holding it by the blade, then looked at him. “He didn’t suffer. I’m sure he’s still dreaming about our short-lived honeymoon—”

  Her black eyes rolled back to me. “See what it’s like to let love die before they corrupt it.”

  “You want me to... kill this man?”

  She took my face like a lover, gently placing the dagger between my fingers. “You’ll never feel heartbroken again, I promise you, Connie.”

  My eyes drifted back and forth from the man to her.

  Oh snap, why am I considering this?

  Must’ve been succubus magic.

  I wasn’t into these things, though.

  Charlotte’s eyes shot wide as my head slipped from her grasp, then connected with her nose with a sickening crunch.

  Yeah, I headbutted the crap out of her.

  She stumbled back, crying out in pain.

  “How dare you?!”

  I wiped the blood out of my forehead. “Fred never called me special.”

  Charlotte hissed, wings spreading as wide as the room allowed, then flew towards me.

  I rushed in to meet her.

  “Hya!”

  There were cops all over the ballroom. Paramedics carried the man out of the building. Fred watched the chaos with a tiny smirk on his face, hands inside his pockets.

  “What about your case?” I asked.

  “Done. Just a copycat. Someone got inspired and decided to cosplay as a succubus.”

  My jaw dropped. “So, I got the short end of the stick?”

  He shrugged. “It seems you cracked the case with ease in the end.”

  Eh? Doesn’t he know I went to jail?

  I glanced past him.

  Savio winked at me from the street.

  I wanted to cry in relief.

  Thank you!

  I felt like bragging for a second, but I couldn't. My mistake destroyed an innocent woman's reputation and almost cost someone’s life.

  “I’m just glad it worked out,” I said, hugging myself.

  “Yeah. Well done.”

  My eyes lit up.

  I bit my lower lip. Something came to mind.

  “Fred... do you think I’m special?”

  He stared down at me for a while, then frowned. “What kind of weird question is that?”

  I sighed. “Never mind.”

  He turned to leave, then stopped. “It turns out that official work pays quite well, as much as I hate to admit it. So, I got something to show you.”

  My heart skipped a beat.

  “A surprise?!”

  “It’s just something—”

  “Don’t tell me!”

  “Then how—”

  I stuck my thumbs inside my ears. “Na Na Na.”

  Fred walked off, shaking his head.

  “Oi, wait for me!” I ran after him.