The phone slipped from Audrey's trembling fingers, clattering onto the damp concrete with a sound drowned out by the continued screams from the zoo's exit. The news hung in the humid air, colder than the seawater that was still pouring around their feet.
Fish flopped beneath their feet, their empty eyes staring at the sky for water, then they stopped completely.
Kira knelt down in front of a fish, holding her hands together as she started praying to the sky, "I hope… I hope that the primordial witches may be good to you in the afterlife".
Audrey was still frozen, not from fear but from a strange feeling that went through her. "Father…murdered"? Her voice was flat, an echo in the ringing chaos. Her eyes, usually a dull green or a shifting black was now devoid of any soul, a horrifying blank slate. She had never seen her father before but she still wondered what this feeling was. THe sudden shift in her demeanor was chilling, even to Hoshimi.
Kira stared up at them, her eyes still shaking and tears readying to rush out of her eyes. "W-what? He was m-murdered? Weren't we supposed to protect them"? She looked from the frantic crowd to Audrey, then back to the now headless creature twitching feebly amidst the aquarium debris, she then collapsed back onto the ground, holding her head. "It's all my fault isn't it? I shouldn't have asked to come here"!
Hoshimi's violet eyes narrowed, unsurprised by the news, softly patting Kira's head as he asked Audrey. "So is there anyone suspected to be the killer"?
Audrey calmed herself down, she said. "Adrian was seen running out of the patriarch's office hidden underground when the children were released, there were also his fingerprints on father's dead body".
Hoshimi rubbed his temples. [I think this is awfully obvious who it might be. The hint from the patriarch to "Espy, descry and distinguish from one action to another" – meaning to watch his children. This is moving a little too quickly. But the real question was how the patriarch managed to predict that one of his children might kill him?]
He knelt, retrieving Audrey's phone. [I have a theory on what might've happened. I guess I should save it for when I find any actual proof on the matter]
Hoshimi handed the phone back to Audrey, wiping off the droplets of water from the case. "Who was on the other side, telling that to you"?
"Tian the head butler". Audrey stared blankly at him, her lips barely moving. "He sounded… indifferent. Like he was reading a script".
[No reaction from him, even after the master he served had died. That fuels my theory even further] Hoshimi stood up, bringing Kira a bit closer. "We must return to the estate. I believe that would be best for you".
The trip home was a haze of blinding sirens and muffled murmurs. The zoo erupted into chaos, rescue squads swarming the shattered aquarium. Hoshimi clutched Kira and Audrey close to him, separating them from wailing crowds and questioning uniformed police officers. He knew the character of the Mirlo estate, the horrors that resided beneath. The late patriarch was but a symptom of a more sinister rot.
When they arrived, the large green gates of the Mirlo estate were open wide, a stunning difference from their foreboding closed condition. Police cars lined the tidy manicured driveway, their red and blue lights splashing the sparkling white walls in a horrific waltz. Policemen in their classic blue uniforms swarmed the garden, their faces grim as they cordoned off the battered rose beds and the shattered fragments of the outside walls.
Adrian was nowhere to be found, probably taken into custody. The battle against the stitched children had quite clearly been lost, leaving behind a destruction that could never truly be wiped clean. The sharp, acrid scent of ozone and raw mana, and something metallic and sweet – blood – still clung in the air.
They were met at the door by Tian, the head butler. His posture was rigid, his expression flawlessly blank, but Hoshimi noticed the faint trembling of his hands.
"Miss Audrey, I'm glad you weren't at the zoo today, I hope you're not injured"? Tian's voice was as smooth as polished marble and as cold. He didn't spare Kira a glance, and his eyes didn't widen in surprise at Hoshimi's presence.
"I'm fine, you don't have to worry about me", Audrey replied, her gaze sweeping over the chaos. "What happened here"?
"Master Adrian seemed to have lost control, well that's what the detectives say, but there weren't any real eyewitnesses though", Tian stated, a faint but perceptible tightening around his mouth. "He was found at the scene, running away from master Johan's dead body, the master was stabbed using a kitchen knife straight through the throat".
Hoshimi held his chin.
[I wonder… if Adrian would be able to do such a thing, even if he was skilled in swordsmanship, I doubt that he had the balls to kill someone in person]
He watched Tian closely, noticing the brief hesitation before the butler spoke again. "Master Adrian was… disturbed by the revelation of his adoption, and Master Elias's words further antagonized him. At least that's what I believe happened".
[I heard during the dinner that Adrian killed their mother, I heard from Audrey that her mother died in a car accident, clearly he orchestrated such an event but he doesn't seem like the kind of person who had the balls to kill someone.]
Hoshimi leaned against the crumbling concrete wall.
[ Adrian did try to throw the knife towards Neila but what would I know? It's clear that he was framed for this and only one person can come out of this with all of the positives]
He glanced towards Audrey and back towards the butler.
"Tian, I saw what happened on the news, I can't believe that the zoo was attacked by a bunch of creatures, how about them"? He asked, his voice cutting through the strained politeness. "Were they also a part of Adrian's doing"?
Tian's eyes, which had remained on Audrey, flicked to Hoshimi for half a second. "That is still under investigation, Sir Shirogane. We suspect it may be related to Master Adrian's… incident."
Hoshimi almost smiled, putting his hands into his pockets.
[He was good, very good, not a single trace of evidence that I can pin on him.]
Just then, a black government vehicle slid up the drive, doors opening. Reina stepped out, her long ginger ponytail swinging. Her tailored black suit was pristine, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Her gold eyes surveyed the scene, assessing the damage, before settling on Hoshimi.
Hoshimi slightly bowed to her, treating her as the vice principal instead of Hex academy instead of his step mother. "Hello there Miss Reina, what brings you here"?
She walked straight up to them, ignoring the officers and even Tian. "Reports of an invasion at the zoo leading me here, be glad that the riot has been recently pushed back thanks to Sophia Miller". Reina got close to him, whispering into his ear as her warm breath tickled his ear. "How's your task going so far anyways, any leads on the killer"?
Hoshimi sighed, whispering right back into her ear. "I found out who it is, but I don't have a concrete lead on them".
"Well good luck then, my little pookie".
"Vice Principal Reina," Tian cut in, his voice surprisingly calm. "It's taken care of. Master Adrian has been apprehended." he said.
Reina merely blew her cigarette, a thin thread of smoke escaping her lips. "Under control, you say? One of the thousands of creatures that came out of your estate is as strong as a level 5, just because you took care of the supposed cause of the problem doesn't stop the current riot outside". Her gaze hardened, through the butler.
Elias appeared in the doorway of the mansion. His white hair was still perfectly coiffed, his pale skin unblemished. He gave them all a small, polite smile, the same unnatural expression Hoshimi had noted before. He walked directly to Reina, his hands clasped neatly behind his back.
"Vice Principal Reina", Elias said, his voice soft, almost angelic. "I apologize on Adrian's behalf of the trouble that he caused, both the riot outside and of the patriarch's death". He looked at Audrey, his smile not really reaching his eyes. "My condolences Audrey, for our adoptive father's loss".
Reina puffed out another cloud of smoke, her eyes assessing Elias. "Tragic, indeed. As a witch, Miss Audrey, you are unable to inherit the title of prime minister but according to his will, the oldest receives 60 percent of his total fortune while the rest goes to the others".
"It's such a shame that Adrian had murdered our father". Elias's smile expanded, a subtle, almost imperceptible movement. "But one could say that ill fortune often provides opportunity." He turned his focus to Hoshimi then, his blue eyes shining with something predatory.
"You know? I doubt it was Adrian that released the creatures, the basement was hidden in the library after all, speaking of the library, I heard that you usually walk around with books in your hand, Elias". He subtly pulled out his phone, a quick flash of the screen, long enough to catch Elias's attention before he slid it back into his pocket. The images of the basement.
Elias's smile faltered for a nano-second, a glimpse of something ominous passing in his eyes.
[Is this guy trying to provoke me on purpose? And how did he even find out about father's basement?]
"We've got a dead patriarch, a self-proclaimed murderer, an uncovered illegal experiment, and a panicked city. Hex Academy will be sending in a specialized cleanup crew". Reina laughed, a dry humorless laugh, as a smile spread across her face."Well then, we'll let you off with a light punishment since the patriarch is dead and you are all children. You two will be under house arrest and have 24 hour hour constant supervision by our students".
She paused, taking another drag on her cigarette.
Audrey sighed as she held the back of her neck. "Fine, I guess I'll have to stay within this awful estate again".
Hoshimi looked from Audrey's resolute face to Kira's anxious one. He knelt down beside Kira, softly caressing her brown hair. "Are you okay"?
"I'm fine, I think…. At least I think I'm fine". Kira fingers held onto Hoshimi's sleeve, slightly tugging on it. "Am I fine Hoshimi"?
He smiled softly at her, speaking in a gentle tone. "I think you're fine, I'll take care of everything".
"So anyways, I don't believe this investigation to be over, in order to not attract any attention, the higher ups of Hex Academy have given permission to Hoshimi to lead the investigation of your estate". Reina threw the cigarette to the floor, crushing the smoke underneath the heel of her foot.
[She's making me do more work again, she's probably just lying about the higher ups choosing me, this is absurd]
Hoshimi adjusted his sleeve, as he sighed, walking straight up to Tian, looking up at his eyes, "Let's make this quick, I want you to take me to the body, I trust that you haven't contaminated or moved the body".
Tian bowed slightly, he said politely, "Of course, master Hoshimi".
Tian led them deeper into the estate, his polished shoes tapping on the marble floors. The high halls, which had been so clean, now had a faint smell of iron and smoke, as if the stitched children's trespass had reached within the walls themselves. The elaborate chandeliers above swayed from wobbly mana, shadows drawing abnormally long along the floor.
Hoshimi calmly walked through as Reina followed closely behind, a warm smile on her face. "My little baby boy is finally going to solve his first case, I trust that you will do well, I will not help you though, I am just following to observe you".
They walked until they reached the inner room. Two policemen stood at the door, their stiff posture indicating tension. As Tian pushed open the door, the air within welcomed them first—musty, smelly, and metallic.
The patriarch's body lay in his office chair, a large gash was wide open in his throat with a blade sticking out of it, blood dried at the edges of the wound and his suit was still crisp despite the stab wound that had sliced through his throat so neatly. His eyes were staring open, glassy, unfocused.
[A kitchen knife, but the cutting is too fresh, too straight and there seemed to be no signs of struggle. Like he was killed quickly before he even noticed, there's no way that Adrian could do something like this, this must be the work of a professional assassin on par with Reina]
Hoshimi stood in front of the body with his hands in his pockets, face expressionless. His fingers traced the air above the wound, never touching but measuring its size.
[But Adrian was found at the crime scene, he must've stumbled onto this by accident and at the same time]
"Hey Tian, why weren't you with him"?
The butler did not flinch, although his hand contracted once in his side. "I was preparing dinner, then a maid came rushing to me yelling that she saw Adrian rushing out of the basement with blood on his hands".
[A maid? He really is meticulous, did he really predict that I would ask Tian about this? He's really making it seem like Tian might be the killer instead but he's just trying to divert my attention isn't he? Tian would have no possible reason to murder the patriarch and he has an alibi for where he was during the time]
Hoshimi couldn't help but smile under his breath.
[How am I supposed to find out any evidence on him if he covers up his tracks this well]
"Even with Adrian being arrested, you're still a suspect, Tian. You were the only one to have known where the patriarch was".
"The patriarch was always afraid, he was afraid that someone would kill him so I made sure to always check my surroundings".
Hoshimi tilted his head, "It might be a tracking device then".
The butler's face stayed stoic, he asked. "A tracking device"?
"Check your shoulder".
The butler looked at his shoulder, his black outfit had a small crease where his shoulder was, a small bump as he pulled on it.
The fabric of his shirt was torn.
A small round object was attached to the torn piece of fabric.
"So Tian, why don't you give that to the police for them to check out? For now, take me to this maid that you were talking about. Take me to her".
"Finally finding a lead, are you"? Reina twirled a single strand of her hair as a wide smirk appeared across her face.