Archivist note: This post is from an older recovered archive.
==Initial Post==
(Posted by Verlia Bilavio on April 6, 2010 at 4:30pm)
I have to admit, I was a bit uneasy knowing that I would be looking at that man’s cold body once again. Even as I was dancing at the Gangplank, something was holding me back and I knew for certain it was the pain of knowing that the time was drawing near. Ever since we found that knife underneath the trolley, Sky and I have been debating theories as to why it was there and what involvement it had in the death of Mr. Adderstein. I’m sure both of us were not expecting the ending in quite the way we had imagined. I had hoped I would have enough time to return to the bar, as it had been an enjoyable night, but after we had concluded our examination and Mr. Darkfold had revealed more of what actually happened, all I could do was stumble back to my studio and pass out in the chair by the fireplace.
”Lia sighs, dropping her pen. She picks up the ticket she found in Mr. Adderstein’s clothes, feeling the rough edges on her fingers, now knowing that all that was said last night was indeed true”
It was around nine when I met Sky, Blackberry, and Miss Adderstein in front of the hospital with nervous apprehension. Despite Mr. Darkfold continued hints at this examination providing us with all the clues as to the nature of the accident (we were still very unsure as to why he acted in such a disrespectful fashion), both Sky and I knew that either we would find a wound consistent with a stab, or that we would not and we would then be back to our initial theories.
As Miss Adderstein approached, I noted that while she looked nervous, she did look much better than when I had seen her previous and so I told her. It seems to ease her a bit as she smiled and responded, “Time heals all, right? Even my jaw seems to be improving. At least, the swelling has subsided.”
Sky looked around, although I was quite curious as to what she was looking for in the dark. Finally she spoke, “Well, I was hoping Darkfold to be about, I have a feeling he may yet.”
Miss Adderstein looked at the young lady, seeming a bit saddened by her comment. “Oh, I don’t think he was planning on attending.” Sky nodded. I was a bit disappointed myself, as Mr. Darkfold had seemed quite interested in the examination of Mr. Adderstein’s body, although it was a relief to not have to be insulted by the man another night. Sky and I had joked that it would be nice to get that man to lighten up for once. Perhaps if he wore other colors.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/13392252315_85446c84f1.jpg
As I was lost wondering why Mr. Darkfold had not showed, Blackberry spoke up, “Well, I’ve kept the ice refreshed every few hours, so there should be very little decay.” We all entered the hospital to where he had been keeping Mr. Adderstein’s body.
Miss Adderstein looked even more nervous upon seeing the box that held his body. I wondered if she was regretting not bring a bottle of absinthe with her. After all, this was the first time I had encountered her without the substance. I fidgeted while Blackberry and Sky took off the lid and heaved the body over onto the bed and then sighing, I walked over to take a closer look. I looked back at Miss Adderstein, “Don’t you want to come a bit closer to observe?” I knew that even though she seemed so nervous, if she did not see him with her own eyes, then she would not finally come to some sort of understanding, even if it was difficult facing the body of a dead relative. She nodded and moved closer, staring down at Mr. Adderstein, unblinking.
We all looked down at him, noting what we saw. Sky started, looking closely. “Well the upper body is evidently bruised with some deep cuts.”
I nodded. This was nothing we hadn’t seen before, even if there had been far too much blood than I could ever face calmly. “Yes, from the large number of bones that we noted before broken in his chest,” I said.
“Too deep to be from the short knife then?” I was surprised to hear Miss Adderstein speak, and her words carried a bit of fear as she looked on down at the body.
I sighed. “Yes. None of these that I see look like knife wounds.” I saw Blackberry and Sky both nod. “And of the other side of him?” I inquired, reluctantly putting my hands on his cold skin to flip him over. From the corner of my eye, I saw Miss Adderstein reach out to help, but she quickly retracted her hand. Curious. With a bit of effort, Sky and I had him turned over and examined the nature of his wounds further.
She nodded again, noting what she saw, “Bruises, broken bones, and cuts, but no knife wounds.”
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7444/13392387873_37683f109a.jpg
Exactly what I had been fearing. We were once again back to our initial observations when we first found him. I nodded as I looked down at the body, “Yes, all of these wounds look more of what I’d imagine someone being dragged by a trolley would have.” Sky frowned as well. “”Unfortunately, I have no expertise to tell for certain if it was the trolley that killed him, but from what I can tell, it does look like that’s what happened.”
Sky frowned again and said, “No knife wounds, surely.” A mysterious knife, that just happened to be present at the scene of an accident with a paper with a red x on it. Yes, these things still needed to be explained, and if only I knew more of what really happened. At least, with the lack of blood present, I did feel a bit more calm, tapping into how I thought my father might feel if he were in this situation. I still couldn’t help thinking of my mother in her coffin, right before we laid her in the ground.
“You have discovered what?” A man’s voice came from the doorway as the doors slid open. I turned, frowning at Mr. Darkfold as he entered. Miss Adderstein seemed to be a bit surprised by his presence. It was nothing new to me.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3777/13392387953_b33ca00d48.jpg
I sighed and looked down at the body, hiding a grimace. “Well, I’m afraid we haven’t found any more than I already knew. The doctor who examined Mr. Adderstein right before I left that day didn’t seem to find anything unusual either.”
Blackberry looked up, asking, ” Miss Netizen, did you find out anything about the “X”?”
Sky, still looking down at Mr. Adderstein, sighed, “The X is Mr. Darkfold’s signature I believe.”
Mr. Darkfold walked a bit further into the room and I saw Miss Adderstein begin to fidget more impatiently, a look of fear still apparent on her face. I did feel sorry for the woman. Being involved in a death could be extremely difficult. Mr. Darkfold spoke up, “The X is the last thing my targets hold ever, but it was not given to mr adderstien, why you found the X will come in time. Mr. Adderstein, your run of the mill rich, corrupt, police chief.” Miss Adderstein cleared her throat nervously.
Sky shook her head and started to talk slowly, “All we know now is no knife wound.”
Mr. Darkfold glared at the woman, speaking quickly, “All you know now is that he was not stabbed, your ears are to do the investigation now miss, not your mouth.” To which, I could feel a burning look extend between Sky and Mr. Darkfold. I wondered if I shouldn’t step back. Mr. Darkfold continued. “Mr. Adderstein, had been planning for time to kill Ms. Adderstein.”
This. Now this I wasn’t expecting. I tried to hide my surprise, but I’m sure everyone else in the room was equally not expecting those words. I gasped a bit, turning to Mr. Darkfold. “He had? Well how do you know such a thing?”
Mr. Darkfold only glared further at me as he continued. Oh how I hated seeming like such an annoyance. “It was not coincidence he was to find this town to promote his boxing oaf. I went to Galloway, in look of work, one must look to the head of such corruption in a town to survive. It was in observation. It was found. He came to try and gather Ms. Adderstein’s trust, as she never had given it, of which he got, they were to travel together to Galloway. Mr Adderstein slept at the bar the night before, with his large friend, borris, woke up and pretended to rush, to throw the man off, as it was nine, and not ten. He, a man of normal composure, became one of haste, not being able to wait, the train was to leave at ten, to not Galloway, but Halloway, a sister city to the north. It is easy to forge a g on teh ticket. They were to arrive there and the deed be done, but angst got the better of him and he could not wait. He was to attempt at her life in the street, near the cocojava, where he had asked to meet at 9:30.”
Blackberry looked just as confused as I, saying, “Are you saying that he fell prey to his own trap?”
Reed Darkfold looked to the man, this time speaking, “Your questions will answer if you tongue does not plug your ears.” He paused for a moment, and I immediately felt a sense of disgust bubbled to the surface for this man. “Ms. Adderstein, a clumsy woman, did fall and hit her face, but the cause of her bruise is not such. The man struck Ms. Adderstein after he explained the circumstances, arrogant he was, the source of her bruising. He drew his knife, such that you found, and was to strike at Ms. Adderstein, but he had not determined that I was to arrive. As he thrust, it was my leg he found and not her.”
Mr. Darkfold looked down to a hole in his jacket, under a pocket that had been cut and ripped open the leg of his pants, freshly mended to show a stiched wound. “This is what comes of such.” I felt a bit embarrassed to be seeing the wound, but looked on, noting that he, indeed, did have a wound in his leg that matched his story. He continued, “To strike an assassin, is in theory never smart, a shove pushed him away from me as I drew my weapon, a red X fell from my cut open pocket, I was intending to kill the man, but the trolly crept up from behind him as a frieght train, and struck the man. His legs drug on the ground ripping, his head slamming into the pavement. Ms. Adderstein has acted in lies and in fear recent as she has been in both shock and fear of reprocusion that could happen if thought went astray. I happened to return here earlier in the week of the death, at which time I did see the trolly on the wrong track. Public works are slow to fix much in this town, as you could see by how long the trolly stood on the track, and the blood was not cleaned up. It was happenstance that he was to be on the track as it was to pass.”
I really didn’t understand how that explained everything. In fact, it left me with even more questions than before, questions I did not know enough to ask about, nor wanted to. Mr. Darkfold unpleasant company was intolerable. I nodded, addressing his story, “Yes, quite the strange coincidence.” Miss Adderstein, I did believe, but this man I could not believe fully. Even with these feelings, I wanted nothing to be done with this investigation. Besides happening on Mr. Adderstein’s body, I had no other involvement, nor expertise to lend.
I heard Sky speak up, a bit apologetically, “I’m so sorry we misjudged you, sir.”
I wasn’t quite sure if I was so sorry. He was still a shady character, lurking about in the shadows and not revealing anything until he felt he had to. Such behavior was not too pleasant at all. But still, I could not pass up an opportunity to chid the man. I nodded, as if I was agreeing with Sky, “Yes! I’m sure you are a fine dancer— er… I mean, a fine man, even if you do kill people.”
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3792/13392388263_43dc61698a.jpg
Mr. Darkfold nodded, addressing Sky, “On this case you have, there will more than certainly be a time when you believe of me, and it will be true.” He only walked out the door, mumbling ‘checkmate’, which I thought was rather unfitting, especially considering the number of holes he still left in his story and that he would not even offer to dance once in a while.
I sighed, looking back to the others, “Well at least we didn’t get into too much trouble and Miss Adderstein, save for a bruise, is indeed safe.”
Miss Adderstein still looked a bit apprehensive, even as she spoke, “I-I’m sorry for lying to all of you… I just, if any of Edmund’s colleagues were to think this were my doing, they would certainly send someone after me…” She paused, and I could sense her frustration and fear. “I’ve just… I’ve been so afraid!”
I looked on to her with pity, but really it wasn’t until Blackberry asked if Miss Adderstein still believed them to be still after her that I started to think. I always thought that after we destroyed the machine in the arctic, that that was it. I never before considered that someone could still be after me, looking for father’s research or worse. It was that seed that started a deep set fear inside of me. Why had I always thought I was safe?
I nodded as Sky tried to comfort the woman. “Yes, I understand. Our offer still stands, you know. If there is anything you need, please ask.”
Miss Adderstein smiled, “Thank you, you’ve all done so much.” I’m sure she didn’t really mean it. After all, Sky and I had been thinking that she could have been involved with the death in a worse way. It was horrible of me to think such things of her. She blushed slightly, “I couldn’t feel more protected at the time.” I sighed and immediately thought of Phineas and then became even more confused as I began to wonder why his image had appeared in my head. It wasn’t like he did much to protect me, was it? I had been so sure, but now I just didn’t know. Miss Adderstein sighed, “I must bury him. There is a cemetery over in Iron Bay, perhaps there will do. Unless I should ship him home? I just.. I don’t know.”
Sky nodded, “Perhaps it’s time to rest for the first time in a while.”
Even though the cause of the accident had been determined finally and I was glad that I could put a few things to rest tonight, there were so many unsolved problems that were creeping up on me. Was I really as safe as I thought? And Phineas, well, I still wasn’t quite sure what to think of him, or how I felt about it. I shook my head, saying, “Very well then, if there’s nothing further, I still have a bit of work to get back to.”
Charise Adderstein nodded, “Thank you all again… I think I will take the tip and get some real rest now.” We said our goodbyes and I wandered back to my studio, thinking it would give me time to think things over.
The next moment I recalled as waking up, the fire had died during the night even though the coals still burned. I shook myself, remembering, and then walked over to my desk that still held the ticket I took from Mr. Adderstein’s clothes. There it was, I thought, tracing over the word Galloway, which now looked unmistakably forged.
I laid the ticket back down in the drawer. ‘Perhaps now I could stop thinking about all of this mess and get back to work,’ I thought, turning back to my new shipment of blank canvases.
==Comments==
*Comment by Cyan Icewolf (Cyan Rayna) on April 6, 2010 at 5:34pm
As I had figured, I completely guessed it incorrectly, although I am still correct that it wasn’t Mr. Darkfold who did it. I’m still concerned how a trolley got up there in the first place though. I mean it wasn’t until just recently that Mr. Cleanslate was fixing the tracks back up. Still seems rather fishy to me.
((Very good mystery and very good story telling as always :3 ))
