Chapter twenty-six: The aftermath
Trigger warnings for those who need them
No trigger warnings
I’m climbing again.
Step after step after step after step.
It’s tedious, exhausting and oddly meditative.
It’s been three weeks since the funeral.
Things have gone ‘as normal as is possible’ for our chaotic lives.
Xuiyo, Hamala and Dana all pitch in their time and expertise to transform the place they got into a restaurant.
I should be helping them.
And yet I’m climbing.
Sore and out of breath, I crash through the door and tell the person behind the front desk. “I like to talk to officer Menfrey please.”
The clerk rolls his eyes. “He’s on rail durty again.”
“Really!?” I grunt “Which part of the city this time?”
“North side range.” The clerk explains patiently.
“Thanks.”
“Have a nice day.”
I wish him likewise and mentally prepare myself for a lot of steps down again.
This city needs a zipline just like in the book ‘hanging by a threat’.
But without the deadly obstacle course of course.
At least the north side range isn’t too far away from the police station.
“Menfrey! Over here.” I wave at him as I make my way over the bridge.
Menfrey raises his eyebrow at me “Miss Chastella? You got a new case already?” He asks.
“No, I’m just following up on the last one.”
“Well, as you can see the case is over and I’m very busy trying to regain Officer Bailey’s favour.”
“Same deal as last time? I help you here you tell me what I need to know?” I offer.
“What do you need to know?”
“What happened to Otto and Jerebiah.”
“You can start on that side.” He points to the other side of the bridge.
“Gotcha, now start talking.”
“Well, we let Otto go to make room for Valentine in the slammer so I can only tell you where he’s not.” He walks to the bridge I entered through and checks the railings there. “As for Jerebiah.” He bites his lip and takes a good long moment to weigh his words. “He’s no longer being detained for the murder weapon accusations. He is still behind bars however while we try and to figure out how much of Magnolia’s prop department he sold and where all the pieces went.”
I declare this railing sturdy and more on to the next one being sure to stay within Menfrey hearing range. “What about Tashi?”
“He got two years for conspiracy. His sob story was very effective at shortening his sentence.”
“I see.” I slink closer to the man “And did you follow up on Valentine’s story?”
Menfrey scoffs at the notion. “With the psycho rich guy? Yeah we did but there wasn’t much substance to it. The man living on the address wasn’t even called Adrian Kariakov, in fact city records don’t show anyone by that name on the entire island. So that’s obviously made-up. Turns out Valentine would hang around the old city center, rara out his mind. And one day this guy just got sick of it. He invited him inside to sober up and that’s all the involvement he had.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “But what about the sitting room? Did you go inside?”
He turns to me, hands on his hips. “Alice, having excentric tastes for home decor is not a crime I can arrest someone on.”
“I’m not suggesting that, I just-“ I bite my lip. “There are still things I’m unclear on. Can I talk to Valentine?”
“Valentine has requested a no-visit policy.”
“Well I’m not really a visitor…”
“There are no exceptions for detectives who aren’t even in service of the police force.”
I huff. “Fine, so you’ve just left it there then?”
“We have our murderer.”
“But not a complete story.”
“The real world doesn’t tie into a neat little bow at the end.”
“But-“
“Let it go Alice. There’s too much crime happening in this city to get hung up on a single case. You got the big bad, you move on to the next one. It’s more efficient that way.”
“Right, cause that’s what it’s all about with you lot.” I pull out the envelope marked ‘Miss Castella’ and hold it out for him. “That’s exactly how Otto Zelious got arrested and slandered for a crime he didn’t do and had to spend several days in jail. I don’t feel comfortable with that system.”
He looks at the envelope, then has the audacity to laugh at me. “Did someone else pay you for your work?”
“No.”
“Then keep it.” He holds up his hands “If it helps, tell yourself it’s not for putting Otto in jail, but because you pulled him out again.” He then crosses his arms. “Pride is great and all but I imagine there’s good things you can use that money for. How about you do those instead?”
“But I don’t deserve it.”
“You think I do?” He gestures to his list of railings to check.
I bite my lip.
Consider the options.
Then slip the envelope back into my jacket.
Millard would probably squander it anyway. “Fine.”
“Is that all?”
“I guess. Oh! Actually no.” I push my hand back in my pocket and rummage around it for a second, pulling back a small stack of cards still kept together by its wrapping paper. “Here.”
“What is it?”
“It’s the address of my detective agency, and also a very good Jigani restaurant should you need one of those. Be sure to come by before you mess up.”
He shakes his head with a grin on his face. “Sure thing. Have a good day Miss Castella.”
I head straight to the restaurant after, hoping I’m not terribly late.
I definitely missed tea but they might have just gotten started with the work.
I open the door and declare. “I’m here to help. Give me something to do.”
Hamala pokes her head out from the to-be kitchen. “Ah, morning Alice.”
She then emerges in full, walks over to an assortment of cans by the wall and hands me one together with a large pig-brush. “These three walls need painting.”
“What about the back wall?” I ask.
“Dana managed to get her hands onto some free wallpaper that’s just enough to cover that.” She rushes back to the cans and pulls out a large roll, unfurling it only slightly to show off a wonderfully intricate woodblock print. “Oh that’s marvellous.”
“Thanks, now get to painting. Xuiyo will help too once we’re done moving stuff about in the back.”
“Aye aye.” I salute to my friend, then watch with delight as she grins widely before returning to the back again.
I wipe the paintbrush up and down the wall dragging out streaks of pale green. The colour is excellent, calming, yet warm and inviting.
I bend down for more paint and feel the sweat drip down my back as I get up again.
It would have been nice if Hamala and Xuiyo managed to find a bigger place, but secretly I’m also a bit grateful there isn’t as much wall to paint.
“Am I doing it right?” I look over to Xuiyo who’s painting the wall opposite to mine.
He back, eyebrow raised. “I don’t think there’s a wrong way to paint a wall?” Xuiyo responds sarcastically.
“Oh I bet there are. Imagine if I just left all these drips here. It’d look horrible.”
Xuiyo huffs bemusedly. “As long as Hamala doesn’t yell at you, you’re doing great.”
“If you say so” My eyes drift to the window on the other side of the room.
Hamala is standing outside with the signpainter to make sure the name of the establishment gets painted in the right place, in the right colours and all that.
She sees me looking and waves at me.
I wave back while trying to push down a nagging feeling.
It’s not a problem, it’s just…there.
A gnawing sense that I don’t truly deserve this happy ending.
I didn’t solve the case.
Not really.
I just stumbled around for two weeks and happened to be correct at the end.
Would I have even been able to catch Valentine without the mysterious letter?
I don’t know.
I guess I would have gone to the funeral regardless but I doubt things would have played out the same.
And I don’t even know who wrote that letter.
Or what they might want in return one day.
“Alice- Alice!” Xuiyo calls to me.
“Huh!?”
“You’ve been painting the same strip of wall for five minutes.”
“Oh! I’m sorry.”
Xuiyo grins to me “Guess you were right. There is a wrong way to paint.”
I smile back awkwardly, then try to keep my attention to the wall from there on.
Then the door opens.
“I must admit I expected there to be more in here. How long has it been now, three weeks? And they’re still painting the walls.” Melanie says.
“That’s because floor had to dry a week. And most effort is going to kitchen first.” Hamala explains as she enters the restaurant followed by an entourage of familiar faces.
“You should get a little bell, that always livens us a restaurant in my opinion.” Tonya says as she passes the door.
“I think chimes would work better for the atmosphere. You know, since it’s a Jigani restaurant?” Melanie adds.
“I’m not sure, what do you think George?”
“Wooden chimes maybe, I think metal ones would sound too cold.”
“That’s an excellent point.”
At the end of the procession Otto follows the group silently.
I dive down from my chair to greet Melanie, Tonya, George and Otto. “Welcome to Nao’s restaurant and detective agency, what brings you all here?” I ask.
“Well, we wanted to thank you first and foremost. Without your help, that slime Valentine would have gotten away with his crimes and we’d have to miss Otto here. Isn’t that right, Otto?” Tonya says as she drags the dancer in question along.
He gently pulls his arm away and steps towards me “I take it you had something to do with me getting arrested, since the police never talked to me properly.”
“Yes, I’m very sorry about that. I uh-“
He holds up his hand “I don’t wanna know. But I do wanna say I’m glad you got me out again.”
I grin widely. “So am I.”
“Since you helped us, is there anything we can do in return?” Melanie offers.
I look to the boss. “Hamala?”
I note a distinct sparkle erupt in her eyes at the opportunity “Oh there’s plenty to do. There’s painting, cleaning the windows and helping Dana with the kitchen plumbing.”
“We’ll do the windows.” Melanie declares holding up Tonya’s hand as well. Tonya rolls her eyes with a smile on her face.
“Good. The plumbing doesn’t work yet so we’ll have go to the neighbours for water. Follow me.” Hamala says leading them out into the street again.
“Then I’ll go into the kitchen.” Otto decides pushing his hands into his pockets and walking off.
George scratches the back of his head. “I’d like to help too but I don’t know how?”
“Well I don’t have a piano for you but I could do with a distraction. If you want you could talk to me while I paint?”
“If you think that helps.”
“Absolutely. Do I need to get you a chair?”
“I’m fine standing for now.”
“All right.” I step back onto my chair and put more paint onto my brush. “How have these last couple weeks been for you?”
“We’re rehearsing the next play and things seem to be moving forward the same as before Donna died.
“Really?”
“Yes, but our room is still too quiet at night.”
“I can imagine.”
“But the funeral gave me the option to say goodbye now. And I’m really grateful Hamala was with me the whole time. She gave me strength I didn’t know I had.”
“Really? That’s wonderful, Hamala’s really good at that.”
“She really is.”
“Did you think about her offer yet? To stay here.”
“I think I’d like to, but not right away. The restaurant needs work still and I still haven’t told Barnaby about my plan to leave. He has been really kind to us so I want to give him enough time to replace me.”
“That’s probably for the best, yes.”
Work goes a lot faster with extra hands and the list of tasks for the day gets wrapped up at three in the afternoon.
I sit down on the floor and stretch my arms and back.
I don’t think I’ve ever sweat this much in my life before…
It feels oddly rewarding.
“Good news, water works so I made tea.” Hamala announces with a steaming pot in her hands.
“Great timing!” I shout to the universe at large before sagging together again into a pile of fatigue.
“So how are things at theatre?” Hamala asks while enjoying her tea.
“Rehearsing like crazy for the next play. Otto here will be playing a primary role now that Tashi’s in jail.” Tonya explains.
“My condolences.” Hamala says.
“Uh, you mean congratulations.” I quickly pitch in.
“Oh! Right, I’m sorry. I meant congratulations.”
Otto nods politely “Thank you. I am aware part of my promotion is a simple necessity but I still hope to do the title justice.”
“I’m sure you will.”
He nods shortly.
Then there’s silence.
There’s a Tashi shaped hole in the conversation as everybody is thinking but no one wants to talk about it.
It’s Hamala who once again saves the conversation as she asks “So what is new play about?”
After everyone leaves for the night I excuse myself for a moment.
All day I’ve been waiting for the gnawing in the pit of my stomach to go away.
It hasn’t.
I’m not sure if the surprise visit of the Magnolia performers made the feeling of unease worse or not but I’m certain it didn’t make me feel any calmer.
And I think I know what I need to do.
I stuff my hands into my pockets to keep them warm as I cross the threshold.
I’m standing in a part of the town I’ve never been to before.
It has single houses and tiny gardens, all arranged in rings like a target.
A peaceful, bubble city, in the middle of the chaos that is Venusia.
The red line on the ground by entry is very clear about how this place got to be.
‘OLD CITY CENTRE’ it says ‘DO NOT BUILD WITHIN THIS BOUNDARY’
It’s not a large section.
Maybe fifty houses in total fit here?
But then if you were to stuff it in the way the rest of Venusia looks that number could be quadrupled or maybe even more.
I wonder why they decided to be this protective about this piece.
Is it about the history? The houses here actually look rather plain even in comparison with Chourmuri or Callahaggy.
So I doubts it’s architectural merit.
The cynic in me thinks that the rich people just wanted a place to live ‘without the riffraff’ and use the history as an excuse to keep the prices in the place prohibitively high for anyone who doesn’t share their outlook on the world.
I wouldn’t mind being wrong on that one.
I look for the house of Adrian Kariakov.
I think it’s this one? But all these houses look the same.
They do have little numbered signs.
Number 18.
I double check-
Then triple check just in case.
If Valentine is telling the truth, then a murderer lives here.
The one who made the lethal prop knife and swapped them out when Jerebiah Nek wasn’t looking.
I’m not gonna knock.
Xuiyo would get mad at me all over again.
But maybe I can find something regardless.
I carefully sneak around the building and look through the windows.
There’s a kitchen beyond with tiled walls, floor and ceiling.
The room next to that is a bedroom that looks unassuming enough.
But if I can find the sketch of the knife or even a workshop then that could help me understand.
It’s not about guilt or even justice at this point.
I know the police has given up, moved on. I’d have to annoy a lot of people to even hear me out. Never mind make an arrest.
I just want to know.
There’s a fence keeping me away from the back garden. The only way to get to the other windows is past the front again.
If only I had Xuiyo’s skills at melting into the shadows.
I duck as I try to pass the front door undetected, then rush to the window to find the room Valentine must have meant when he referred to ‘the curiosity room’.
I can’t even tell the colour of the wallpaper.
It’s covered from floor to ceiling with a assortment of bookshelves, art-pieces and dead animals.
I admit the massive red lizard hanging from the ceiling does look a little creepy.
“Can I help you?”
My shoulders jump as my heart-rate quadruples.
I turn to see a man with brown hair and brown eyes standing by corner of the house, looking at me.
Unremarkable.
Just your average middle aged man.
Is he supposed to be the monster Valentine described?
“Good evening.” I lift my cap “My name is Alice Castella, I’m a detective and I’m looking for a man called Adrian Kariakov.”
He thinks for a moment.“I don’t think anyone with that name lives in the old city center I’m afraid”
“I see.”
“Why are you looking for him?”
“Do you know Valentine Garcia?”
“You mean the murderer?”
“Yes. Do you know him?” I repeat.
The man chuckles, scratching the back of his head. “Well, knowing him is perhaps a bit strong of a term. He hung around here raving madly, high out of his mind and I let him in one day so he could sober up. But he didn’t tell me much about himself and I had no idea he was dangerous.”
“Can I ask what it is you do for a living sir…?”
“I’m a scientist.”
“Which field.”
“Chemistry.”
“Really? I expected something more akin to biology considering your sitting room.”
“Actually, I like to think there’s a lot of overlap between the two fields. it’s just that instead of interactions in a test tube, they happen inside living beings. It’s very fascinating stuff, even something as basic as a plant has complex interactions between the gasses and minerals it absorbs and the light that hits its leaves.”
“Really?”
“Yes, would you like to come in? It’s still quite nippy out and I’ll gladly tell you everything I know, accompanied by a cup of hot cocoa.”
“That sounds delightful but I’m afraid I do not have the time.” Or inclination to enter the house of someone who’s still a suspect.
“Another time perhaps.”
“Perhaps. Have a nice evening mister…” I leave the phrase hanging but the man simply responds with. “Good evening miss detective.” and then closes the door.
I leave embarrassed and a little bit annoyed.
I should have asked for his name directly.
I guess I forgot.
I’m not going back.
Not now at least.
In the middle of the city centre is a small park with a tree, round patch of grass and a couple wooden benches.
I sit down feeling even more confused than before.
The man may be excentric but didn’t seem particularly dangerous.
So does that mean Valentine lie to me?
It’s possible.
But then who did swap the knives?
Was it Jerebiah all along?
What if Menfrey’s theory wasn’t complete trash? But it was Valentine who bribed Jerebiah instead of Otto.
Valentine did pay his landlord with a goldie at one point.
But if Valentine knew the knife would kill then why did he seem so surprised on stage?
Was that just good acting?
Did I fall for it?
But why!? He’s going to prison regardless of his motives, right?
I don’t think murderers can get a lower sentence than life in prison.
Does he just roll of a sob story because he feels regret but can’t deal with the idea that he’s to blame for all of it?
It’s about as plausible as the idea that a man he’s only known for several weeks would talk him into breaking into his old workplace to murder a woman he doesn’t even know.
I sigh.
I don’t know.
I don’t like not knowing.
“Hey.” Xuiyo appears from the shadows and sits down next to me. “Are you okay?”
I lean into his shoulder. “I just wanted to feel more sure about all of this.”
He puts a hand on my shoulder. “Well Valentine confessed, so you solved the case right?”
I huff “I wouldn’t call it solved at all. I still have so many questions. Who made the knife? When did it get added to the props? It has to have been somewhere between the last play and the one before that. Someone has to have gone to Jerebiah in that time right? But I doubt he’ll will wanna answer my questions now I got him in jail.”
“Couldn’t Valentine have pulled it off alone?” He asks.
I scoff. “Not unless he has a very specific hidden interest in silver smithing.”
“He could have commissioned it?” He offers.
“From who?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it does.” I throw up my hands. “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out!”
He squeezes my shoulder. “But if he commissioned the knife from some local craftsperson. Is that person guilty of murder?”
I think for a moment. “Well no, that’d be accessory to murder-“
“Even if the person didn’t know what it would be used for? He adds. Back in Jaobai, I stabbed Hashiro with a kitchen knife before I shot him in the head. Is the person made that kitchen knife an accomplice now?”
“Well no, but that knife wasn’t specifically made to replace a trick knife.”
“I guess not.” He sighs.
My eyes fall to my hands, mind still in overdrive. “On the other hand, if I had to commission a murder weapon I probably wouldn’t tell them it’s a weapon. In fact I would commission the pieces separately so none of the people know the person making the mechanism doesn’t know what it is.”
“And Tashi helped Valentine get in once, who’s to say he didn’t do it to swap out the daggers?”
“Possibly, although that does make his case that he didn’t know about the murder weaker.”
“Valentine didn’t have to confide in him why he was there. Didn’t Tashi say Valentine lied to him before?”
“Yes he did.”
“So while you didn’t figure out the entire case you still got the guy who did the stabbing and a pretty good guess at what happened. Isn’t that enough?” Xuiyo asks.
I huff. “You sound like Menfrey when you say that.”
“Sure, go ahead and insult the guy who’s trying to cheer you up.” Xuiyo scoffs sarcastically.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I quickly follow up but he ruffles my hair and gets up “Let’s go back to the Griffin. Today has been plenty long as is.”
“Right…sure.”
He’s right of course.
I get up and follow him.
Away from the city center.
Away from the last loose ends of this first case.
Trying my best not to look back.
Thank you for reading A dance with death.
We’ll be exploring Valentine’s perspective next in Strangling strands of squeezing smoke because a lot happened with that man and Alice missed nearly all of it.
The first chapter of which will release on the 16th of June.
Hope to see you back by then.
-Pumpkin the Gourdian