Heartless
Chapter 4
Maleficent feels a little guilty for throwing Diaval inside a pool of teenagers but he is the best man to know Aurora, to get the first close look of who she is. Besides, she trusts him and his abilities.
She has her own duties-find out more about Aurora's background.
She doesn't actually need to know about her target's backstory but she is curious. No, not curious, it doesn't fully encompass her emotions. She wants to get the timeline straight. She needs to know.
She has to know who the mother is.
It is stupid of her, really, to want to know who the mother is.
Based on her calculations, the mother should have given birth to Aurora approximately fifteen months after Stefan's betrayal.
She isn't angry with the mother. She pities her.
The rage in her is no longer the burning fire it had been. It has now become a dull aching throb, a shadow of the explosion she had felt seventeen years ago. It is an old injury that doesn't fully heal, a reminder of the pain. She doesn't know which she prefer. The constant nagging pain or the quick, sudden explosion that blinded her.
She just wants to know why the mother is missing.
In front of her are the disjointed puzzle pieces, seemingly from different puzzles. But she knows. She knows they are somehow connected by a bigger piece. The missing piece that binds all the questions together.
Her mother's murder.
Stefan's betrayal.
Her father's drug addiction.
And now, Aurora's mother.
If she can find her, maybe, maybe she will find some answers.
"Hi, I am Detective Salt," she introduces herself, under a pseudo name of course, to the three women.
"Yes! We spoke on the phone," the one in green-Thistlewhit, if the description is correct, chirped, and blissfully unaware of Maleficent's true identity.
"Yes. Thank you for agreeing to this sudden visit," she smiles as sweetly as she can at the three women.
"Come on in," the one in pink-Knotgrass- invites her into their house.
The living room is decorated with all sorts of trinkets, ranging from small Russian dolls to a faux lion head. Vases of flowers are found at almost every corner of the room, soaking the place with their awfully bright colours. There seem to be a form of colour scheme-blue, pink and green.
"Take a seat. Would you like some tea?" the blue one-Flittle-asks.
"Would you like some coffee?" Thistlewhit asks.
They glare at each other, almost ready to tear the hair of each other's head.
"No thanks," Maleficent quickly rejects them, before anything crazy starts.
"You want to know about Aurora's mother?" Knotgrass eyes her with a tinge of suspicion.
Knotgrass is a little smart. Smarter than the other two, at the very least.
"We believe that she is connected to a case, which details I am in no position to divulge," the lie slips out from her easily.
"Our cousin, she-" Flittle starts.
"Let me tell her," Knotgrass interrupts.
"I want to tell her," Flittle protests.
"I should be the one to tell her. I am the oldest after all."
"Just this once."
"Good."
Maleficent watches them with impatience. She really doesn't have the time to deal with their bickering.
"Ms Knotgrass?"
"Yes. Our cousin-"
"Our cousin has been missing for sixteen years now, after passing Aurora to us with a specific set of instructions. She used to keep in touch with us, until ten years ago? That was when all traces of her existence were wiped away," Thistlewhit interrupts and babbles on.
"What did she say when she left?"
"She told us to keep Aurora safe, never contact her and to report her missing."
"If you can't contact her, why would she contact you?"
"She sends us money for Aurora, always from different countries," Thistlewhit explains.
"But all of them stopped six years ago?"
"Yes. I- We really shouldn't be telling you this," she becomes flustered and her eyes flickers over to her two sisters.
"I understand. But she is a crucial part of the investigation. I appreciate it."
"Yes," it is Knotgrass this time. "We are happy to help but this is all we can offer."
"Detective Salt?" Flittle asks tentatively.
"Yes?"
"Is she in trouble?"
Maleficent bites her lower lips. She honestly does not know. Hearing from them, it seems that their cousin is in a lot of trouble.
"I don't know," she is truthful, for once.
"What is her name?" she asks.
"Leah. Leah Rose."
"Here's a picture," Knotgrass hands Maleficent a faded old picture of a smiling woman with golden hair.
A chill runs down her spine.
She knows why Leah is missing.
Leah is dead.
She killed her ten years ago, her very first case.
"Detective? Ten years ago, a man came and asked about Leah," Thistlewhit states.
"What is his name?"
"He called himself Goliath."
…
Diaval peeks out from the pillar, making sure that the coast is clear.
Please. No more fangirls or fanboys.
He has almost forgotten how scary teenagers can be. He shudders, remembering how some students tried to tear off his shirt while pretending to fall on him.
Not cool. He is just a lowly author, not Benedict Cumberbatch.
"Mr Diaval?" a sweet feminine voice whispered beside his ear.
He jumps slightly and swings behind.
He sighs in relief. He thought that it was one of the overly passionate fans. Don't get him wrong. He loves that people likes his work but sometimes, it gets creepy, especially when they start to invade his privacy.
Luckily, it is Aurora behind him.
"Sorry if I scared you," she apologises sweetly.
"No, not a problem," Diaval smiles at her.
It is a chance to know her better.
"I'm sorry to bother you but I have a few questions regarding your works." She is polite but doesn't loose the natural affability that makes people want to connect with her.
"It's not a bother. We should talk somewhere else though," he raises his eyebrows.
They walk to the benches in front of the school and settle down.
"So, what do you want to know?"
Aurora takes in a deep breath.
"What are your writing habits? How do you come up with such plots and where do you find your inspiration? Who exactly is Jade Night? And why is she an assassin? What made her that way? There must be something that makes her so cold and unfeeling. I don't believe that someone can be so cruel." Questions streams out from her without any chances of rest.
She is... enthusiastic, he guesses.
"I write as often as I can. Not necessarily connected to the novel I am working on. It is important to have the momentum running especially when I have writer's block. As for inspiration, erm, I have a really good muse."
"A muse?"
"Yes, well. Before my novels are published, a businesswoman as her housekeeper hired me. I am still her housekeeper, sort of, based on the ten-year contract I signed. She is a very interesting woman, I must say," Diaval shrugs, a tad awkward.
This is the story he gives people. Maleficent is a businesswoman and he is her employee.
Aurora giggles with a knowing glint in her eyes.
"No, we're not sleeping together," Diaval says flatly.
"I didn't ask," Aurora's smile grows bigger.
"You didn't ask really loudly. Let's get back to the questions."
"Yes."
"I can't tell you about Jade Night's backstory. Spoilers, you know?" Diaval grins.
Aurora gives him a familiar eye roll.
"You don't know about her back story don't you?" she smirks, her eyes narrowing onto his.
"I do!" he retorts, a little too indignantly. He has his own theories about Maleficent's backstory, theories he doesn't dare to verify.
And this is about Jade Night, not Maleficent. He knows Jade Night. Jade Night is his character.
"What are your favourite books?" she is asking another question. She is a curious one.
"Wuthering Heights," he mumbles, pink colouring his cheeks.
The smile on her face grows. She smiles a lot. "I didn't know you are a fan of gothic literature, although it does explain your writing."
"Thank you for answering my questions, Mr Diaval," she smiles at him.
"It's a pleasure," he bows.
"Diaval," he hears her voice.
He turns and as he had expected, she is there. Maleficent is there, in her five-inch stilettoes, staring at him with that signature rise of her eyebrows.
"It's time to go," Maleficent has a small smile on her face.
"It's a pleasure meeting you, Aurora," Diaval nods his head.
"Will Jade Night have a happy ending?" she calls out.
His gaze falls onto Maleficent.
"I hope so."
…
"Goliath is pleased with your performance," Midas has his usual icy smile on his face.
Maleficent studies him, waiting for the rest.
"He plans to promote you but you have to prove yourself."
She used to beat people up for a 'living'.
"I understand. What would you like me to do?"
He handed her a picture.
"Kill her," he stated with a shrug.
She took the picture, a little shocked. She didn't… She wasn't…
She wasn't one to kill.
But she had to do it. She must do it.
"Of course." She pushed the disgust and fear away and forced herself to accept it.
She was handed a gun and all the information on her target.
There wasn't a name, though.
Maleficent took in a deep breath and entered the motel room, making sure that no camera caught her.
The gun was heavy in her hands, a vial of power that could bring death and destruction in a blink.
Her target was asleep when she walked into the room.
She aimed.
The target's eyes flew open.
The bullet tore through her forehead, silencing her pleads. The blood soaked through the sheets.
She could feel the corner of her heart turn into ice.
It wasn't long before her whole heart froze.
…..
A/N: Sorry for the late update. Read and review? :D