11:35 a.m.
A young female clerk was sitting behind the reception desk, doing her daily duties on checking in and checking out visitors. Then, she heard the door open and slowly started to look up, "Hello, may I help-..." She couldn't finish her sentence because she was starting to blush at the sight of the visitor. It was a young boy wearing a short-sleeved black and white striped shirt, a dark blue berret, black pants, white gloves, and white shoes. He was carrying a strange-looking violin case.
The boy came up to the girl and said, "Bonjour, Mademoiselle. Uhhhh, I'm here to see ze four art students zat just came here from our home in France. I am here to check een if you please."
It took a while for her to recover from her blushing, but she said, "Uhhh, sure. I-I'll uh, put you in Room 207, close to your friends if that's alright."
"But, of course. It'll be a pleasure."
"OK then, here you go." The clerk gave the boy the key to his room. "By the way, I haven't got your name."
"Me? Oh, well I'm Pietro, Pietro Bartinelli."
"Well, it's a....pleasure to meet you, sir."
"Merci beau coup." He winked at the girl before heading to the stairs, and at that moment the girl fainted. Pietro smiled under his hat and thought, "Well, it looks like my disguise worked like a charm. Heheheheh."
Pietro climbed up the slanting stairways until he reached the second floor. There, he saw a whole hallway of rooms including Room 207. "There it is." Then, he started to put his hand in his pants pocket and started searching for something. "I need to look at that note Sherlock Hound gave me in that case file. I have to meet up with these four students. They could be anywhere around here." He finally pulled it out, unfolded it, and read it. "It is your duty to keep these four art students safe from any danger whatsoever. I'm already sure you know how to handle your disguise. We're all behind you on this one. -Sherlock Hound." Then, he looked at the bottom. "203, 209, 215, 220."
"Hmm, these guys really want to stay together. I guess the last case got right them right into it." He finally put the note back in his pocket. "No matter, I'll find them. I'll start with 220 so I can be closer to MY room once I'm finished." Without hesitation, he went and did what he planned.
Pietro went up to Room 220 and knocked on the door. He could hear a voice inside saying, "Hang on, I'm coming!" The door opened and there stood a young man with a long-sleeved blue collared suit with a pink-collared shirt under it, blue pants, and brown shoes. He was looking strangely at the guy with the kooky-looking outfit. "Um, bonjour."
Pietro tipped his hat in greeting. "Bonjour, Monsieur. Are you Paul?"
The boy looked quite shocked. "Why, yes. How deed you know?"
"Well, I've been hearing a lot about you and your friends at your art school. You're a pretty talented young fellow and I was called here from our home to 'ow you say, tag along."
Paul then smiled, knowing that he's with them. "Well, it's good zat you can join us, Monsieur....."
"Bartinelli, Pietro Bartinelli. And merci beau coup on your acceptance."
"You're welcome. Oh! And if you are here to find my friends too, be very careful 'cause zhey can be a little defensive on strangers."
"Oui, I heard about what happened zat time. Alright, zhanks for ze advice and I'll be on my way."
"Nice talkeeng to you." With that, Paul closed his door and Pietro continued on his way.
The next room that Pietro went to was Room 215 and he knocked on the door. At first, he heard tumbling noises as if someone fell off a chair. Then, he heard rustling on the floor and a voice called out, "Who's zhere? And what do you want?"
Pietro had a confused look on his face as he replied, "Uhh, I just wanted to meet Monsieur Armand."
The door finally began to slowly open to reveal another young man who wore dark suspenders, a yellow-collared shirt, a bowtie, black shoes, and a pair of glasses. He moved his specs a little to see if the guy really is wearing strange clothes.
After a long pause of staring, he finally said, "Um....hi."
"Hi." Pietro kindly greeted. "I am Pietro Bartinelli, and I was called from our home to join you."
"I see. Well, even zhough zhis eez quite unexpected, we are happy to have a newcomer een our treep."
"Treep? Zhere eez a treep comeeng up?"
"Oui, eef you want to get some more details, you need to see Louise een Room 209. She'll be happy to help."
"Merci beau coup, Armand." Pietro tipped his hat and turned to go. Armand knows he isn't a kidnapper, but something doesn't seem right about him; how could he not know about the trip?
After a few more steps, Pietro finally made it to Room 209 and was about to knock until he heard a strange sound. It sounded like someone was humming while counting in French; Pietro knew that she was brushing her hair, so he just gently knocked on the door. Suddenly, he heard a slight shriek and the thumping sound of the falling hairbrush.
The girl slowly creeped up to the door and softly said, "Ello? Eez somebody out zhere?"
Pietro looked strangely at the door and replied, "Uh, oui? Zhere eez only person een front of zhis door."
The door finally opened up and there stood a young girl, nearly the same age as him, wearing a pink long-sleeved art shirt, blue pants, and white shoes. She looked at the kooky-dressed boy quite strangely.
"Uh, bonjour..." she finally greeted.
"Bonjour." greeted Pietro tipping his hat. "My name's Pietro, and my guess eez you are Louise?"
The girl was shocked to see that the boy knows her name. "Why, yes! But, how deed you know?"
"Well, back at our home een France, I've been hearing 'ow you and your friends have been successful een your art school, so I was wondereeng if I can come join you een your treep."
"Of course, Pietro. Eet eez good to have a newcomer to join us. Our teacher came weeth us to veezeet ze National Art Gallery here een London, so I zhink he won't mind you coming along."
"Great, eez zhere anyone else joineeng us?"
"Of course, mon ami. Ozher zhan Paul and Armand, zhere eez also Felipe een Room 205. He's usually ze serious one een our group when eet comes to art, eef you even try to protest against heem, he's most likely to punch you een ze gut een sayeeng he's right and you're wrong."
"Uh oui, I zhink I can see zat. Well, I better see Andre myself before I head back to my room. You take care of yourself alright?"
"Oui, I'll do zat." Pietro tipped his hat to leave, leaving Louise with a slightest hint of blush in her cheeks.
Pietro went up to Room 205 and pressed his ear to the door. It was quiet, too quiet. But when Pietro knocked on the door, there was a strange sound inside as if someone dropped a book and its pages are fluttering to the floor.
The person inside rushed over and went close to it. "Who are you? And why are you here?"
Pietro obviously had a thought that there are some weird characters in this hotel. "Uhhh, I'm Pietro Bartinelli and I want to join een your treep?"
The door opened up to show a young man wearing a green long-sleeved collared shirt with a yellow short-sleeved shirt
underneath, green pants, and black shoes. He looked at the boy the same way as the other three did. "Um, hi."
"Hi." Pietro greeted, tipping his hat. "And I suppose you're Andre."
"Oui, I am." said he. "I don't remember being informed about a newcomer on our treep."
"Oh! Well, thees eez just short noteece." Pietro shrugged a little because he's unsure about Andre trusting him.
"So, uh, where eez your teacher?"
"Oh, he'll be here tomorrow leading us to ze National Gallery. Have you got your zhings packed up?"
"Oui, I have."
"And what's zat you got zhere?" Andre pointing at the strange-looking violin case Pietro was carrying all this time.
"Oh, well zhis eez my instrument: Ze Bowed Psaltery."
"Bowed psaltery? Oh, I heard about zhose. You know how to play one?"
"Indeed, I do. But before we go any furzher on zis, I need to get to my room and prepare for ze afternoon."
"Very well, then. Eet's been great talking to you."
"Same here." Pietro tipped his hat and walked off as Andre closed the door behind him. "OK, zhose are ze art students zat Hound was referreeng to. I must keep a low profile to solve zhis case and keep them safe." With that, he headed to Room 207 and carefully closed his door.