Finally, 2 chapters already in! I love the content of my story so far, so hopefully my dear readers are too! I would appreciate it if you review my story, so I can see what I can improve or continue writing! (*^o^*)
Ciel looked at Corinne with his face full of surprise.
"Why would you…"
"Young master, I have returned with the list of suspects and their alibis." Sebastian appeared besides Ciel, holding one scroll.
"You're slow today. I asked that you return in fifteen minutes I believe?"
"Young master, I have completed my mission in fourteen minutes and fifty-nine seconds. I believe I am right on time?"
"Tch." Ciel takes the scroll, than glanced at both Corinne and Elizabeth. Corinne raised her eyebrows at Sebastian and turns a little pink around the cheeks.
"Lizzie, I promise I'll go out with you another day, but I have business to discuss right now. Do you mind leaving?" Ciel asked.
"What? But I wanted to…"
"Lizzie, now." Ciel said steadily, trying his best not to yell at his fiancée.
"But…" Ciel's sharp look cut Elizabeth off. "Fine. You promised though, ok? You PROMISED." Lizzie pulled Corinne with her out the door.
"Wait!" Ciel said. Lizzie whizzed back around happily.
"I can stay?"
"No, Lizzie. You leave. Corinne, you stay." Ciel said. Elizabeth looked upset and glanced at Corinne. Surprised, Corinne came back into the room and Lizzie closed the door with a slam. Ciel motions Sebastian.
"Young master, I shall go brew tea to serve our guest." Sebastian bowed and left the room. Corinne stared at Sebastian as he left the room.
"So you'll let me help you on this case?" Ciel ignored Corinne and continued to shuffle through his pile of paper. "I believe he's your butler? How did you just appear out of…?"
"I have already gathered some information on the prime suspects and their alibis of this case. But before I let you know any of the information, I would like to know the reason why you would be so generous to help me solve this case." Ciel crossed his arms, waiting for Corinne and she sat down in a chair in front of the Earl's.
"My father is the Count Fosset. He would always talk to me about current affairs, politics, etc. I really don't care much about anything that goes around London but it's this particular case that caught my eye. Because the death of each girl was…very similar to the way my elder sister was killed. Hearing from Lizzie talk about you all the time, I did my own little research of you from my uncle, the Marquee, and found out that not only are you the owner of the company Funtom, but also known as "The Queen's Watchdog"." Corinne said. Ciel nodded and reached for the scroll.
That's odd. Usually, Sebastian has at least three scrolls full of suspects. Why just one today? There was a knock on the door and Sebastian rolled in a cart with a pot, two cups, and a cake.
"Young master and the lady, I have brought Jackson's "Earl Grey" tea, which matches perfectly with the banoffee cake." Sebastian bows to Corinne.
"Good day, madam. I am Sebastian Michaelis, the butler of the Phantomhive family." He smiled at Corinne, which made her flush bright red. Ciel chuckled at her expression.
"Um, well, my name is Corinne Fosset. Most servants would call me Countess Fosset, but I prefer Lady Corinne. Pleased to meet you." Corinne murmured turns her face away from Sebastian while he pours the tea and cuts a slice of cake.
"How unusual. Why call you Countess at such a young age?" Ciel asked.
"Just like yourself, Earl Phantomhive. My mother died when I was four, leaving the title for my eldest sister, Meg. But since she died as well, I inherited the title Countess, for being the eldest woman in the house." Corinne, bit her lip for a moment, but relaxed. "So Earl Phantomhive…"
"Call me Ciel. It'll be a nuisance for me to always hear you say "Earl Phantomhive" then just hearing my first name."
"Then, Ciel. Where is the list that you said you have? I wish to see it." Ciel hands her the scroll, but Corinne looked at it with confusion. She ripped off the seal of the scroll and it rolled out, showing tiny scripts of names and their alibis.
"But…that's not possible. Just a few minutes ago, you were having a conversation with your butler saying that he came back in about fifteen minutes with that scroll! You're saying that within fifteen minutes, he got all these names AND their alibis?" Corinne exclaimed.
"As Earl Phantomhive's butler, how could I not accomplish such small matter?" Sebastian smiled and placed the two plates and cups in front of Ciel and Corinne.
"Please enjoy. Young master, about the scroll I gave you, I could only find a limited amount of people. There are not a lot of suspects in this case yet." Sebastian said. Ciel sipped his tea and stood up.
"Sebastian, get the horse carriage ready. We're going into London to find some clues and give the Undertaker a visit. For the meantime, we'll stay at the house in London. (The one I absolutely hate.)"
"We're going to see the Undertaker?" Corinne asked, horrified.
"Yes, Lady Corinne. We need to know specifically what wounds are found on the bodies." Sebastian answered. Corinne took a deep breath and swallowed.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Time to visit the dreaded Undertaker."
~In London~
"No matter how many times I see the front door of the Undertaker's place, I still get goose bumps." Corinne muttered under her breath. The three were standing just outside of the Undertaker's store. Already, a sinister feeling creeps onto Corinne. Placed on the side of the entrance was an old coffin, with spider webs and dust. The walls of the store were filled with cracks, as if the building will collapse any moment.
"I think we share equal feelings." Ciel replied and opened the door. "Undertaker? Are you in here?" The Undertaker's place matches his job perfectly. Coffins of all different sizes and shapes were scattered about, spider webs clinging from corners. Skulls and mysterious jars filled with things you don't want to know decorated the pitch black shelves. A tiny creak echoed through the room and Corinne shivered.
"He he. It's been awhile Earl. Though I knew you would visit me in one of these days. Kehehehe" There was another creak nearby and the cover of the coffin next to Corinne moved.
"KYAAAAAAAAA!" Corinne screeched and jumped, hiding behind Ciel and Sebastian.
"So, Earl, have you finally decided to feel what it's like to sleep inside one of my coffins? I have a custom made one just for you. Perfect in size and everything. He he he." The Undertaker crawled out of the coffin and slithers to Ciel.
"I'm not here to look for coffins or to play…" The Undertaker touched Ciel's lips to prevent him from talking and smiled.
"Just like any other time you would find me, I know what you want, Earl. Why else would you pay a visit to the poor Undertaker?" He reaches to touch Ciel's cheek when he noticed Corinne shrinking back.
"My, who do we have here? I haven't seen you in a veeery long time, Countess Fosset. When was the last time you paid me a visit? Ah, I remember now. Four years ago, when your family had your sister Meg buried wasn't it? How much a child can grow over a few years?" Corinne braved herself and stepped out from behind Ciel and Sebastian.
"Yes, very long time. I wouldn't want to visit you a second time if it wasn't for this case."
"Ouch. Well, this one here sure does not like me. Anyway, Earl, Countess, and butler, please take a seat. I will tell you the things you wish for me to tell you about the Red Slasher." Ciel and Corinne look around to find only coffins.
"Sit on the coffins?" Corinne whispered to Ciel.
"Uh…guess that's the only thing here we can sit on." The Undertaker creped around the room and grabbed a jar from one of the shelves.
"Well, the other day, I was cleaning the bodies of the young pretty girlies, when I found something very unusual."
"Something unusual?" Ciel asked, leaning forward.
"Yes, very unusual indeed. Ah, but Earl, this isn't the first time you've met me. You know the price of me giving you the information." The Undertaker smiled. Ciel motioned Sebastian, but the Undertaker held up his hand.
"Ah, but Earl, this one here has already made me laugh. A good one at that, but the Undertaker wants someone new. Perhaps the Earl himself can show me a "first rate laugh", then I shall be obliged to share some information." The Undertaker shifted to Corinne and placed his claw-like hands on her shoulder. "Or does the young Countess wish to do so instead?" Corinne moved uncomfortably around the coffin then stood up, making the Undertaker topple over.
"Fine then, it can't be helped. But you have to promise that if you laugh, you'll tell us everything we ask, ok?" Corinne said fiercely. The Undertaker sat down on one of the coffins.
"Of course, of course." The Undertaker said. Corinne turned to Sebastian and Ciel.
"You two, can you please step outside please? I hate other people witnessing this." Corinne shooed the two outside and slammed the door closed behind them.
"Her methods are much like yours huh, Sebastian." Ciel commented. Sebastian raised his eyebrows.
"Let's see how long it would take Lady Corinne to make the Un…"
"GUUUUUUFUUUUUUUUGUUUUUFUUUUU!" The laugh of the Undertaker rang throughout the entire store and outside, so strong that the sign on his door and the decorative coffin all fell down.
"Uh…that was…fast." Ciel remarked, obviously frightened as he and a surprised Sebastian stepped back into the store. The Undertaker was on all fours, banging his fists on the floor and still laughing. The sleeve's of Corinne's dress was rolled up as if she has been doing something that would get her sleeves dirty like washing. Her face was glowing bright red from embarrassment.
"There. He should be able to tell us everything we ask now." She said, unrolling her sleeves and taking her seat back on the coffin like a lady. The Undertaker crawled on the floor, still chuckling.
"I am willing to tell you anything you want to know, gu hehehe" The Undertaker unscrewed the top of the lid of the jar he was holding and reached in, taking out a strawberry.
"First, care for a strawberry, my Countess and Earl?" He gives a strawberry to Ciel, Corinne, and then Sebastian. Sebastian examined the strawberry and frowned. Corinne herself looked at the strawberry and wrinkled her nose.
"Undertaker, why does this strawberry smell like blood?" Corinne asked, not eating the strawberry. The Undertaker takes out another strawberry and inhales the scent.
"You see, this was what I found unusual of the "guests" I cleaned. In all five of my "guests" I found a single strawberry wedged inside the wound on their back."
End of Chapter 2! Woooow, that was fast. If anyone wonders, or do not understand, Corinne is known as Countess Fosset because she is the eldest woman in her family. Just like Ciel, if Ciel's father was still alive, he wouldn't be called Earl. And to clear up any confusion once again, Corinne's older sister is called Meg.