Eduard And Natalia
The next person he went to see was the second person to call in a complaint about stolen property. Vash had to fight an initial dislike as he walked up the hill to the large house perched on top of it. Extravagant display of wealth was distasteful, but he was not here to pay a social call, so it did not matter.
"Can ye believe only one man lives here?" Brian asked.
"Far too much space fer one," Roy agreed.
"We are not here providing social commentary," Vash reminded them.
"Ye need ta loosen up a tad," Roy told him, ringing the doorbell. Vash ignored the comment.
They were let in by the maid, who looked as suspicious as they came. Her eyes were slightly red and there was the slight imprint of a shadow beneath them, as if she had been up all night. Still, she led them to the owner of the household and remained at Eduard Von Bock's suggestion.
Actually, it looked more like she simply chose to stay, more than it having anything to do with her employer's wishes.
"Natalia told me it was all missing when she came in this morning," Eduard told them.
"I was cleaning in the kitchen yesterday," Natalia appended. "I had not finished before I left, so when I went to continue this morning I noticed it was all gone."
"What is missing, exactly?" Vash asked.
"The herbs."
"Everything in that particular cabinet," Eduard clarified, "which was a vast assortment of them. It's a strange thing to have to call 'thief' about, but it was not as if anyone asked to utilize them. They were stolen."
It certainly was strange, but Vash could not hold it against anyone for not wanting their things stolen. Even if they had a lot of things. "What time did your maid leave?"
Eduard frowned slightly, the smiled apologetically. "I'm not sure. I was on a business call all evening."
"A rather unsuccessful one, I think," Natalia replied. "I left around eight."
"Where did you go?"
From the corner of his eye, he saw Brian flinch. Eduard began to look uncomfortable as well. Natalia's answer did not seem appropriate to everyone like that.
"I went to find my brother."
"Was he missing?" Vash questioned.
Natalia's hands tightened on her skirts. "I could not find him. Nowhere! Yao told me he had just been there, but I could not find him! He did not go home last night! I waited and waited..."
"I'm sure he's fine," Eduard said awkwardly. Vash stiffened as he heard Roy's voice in his ear.
"She's obsessed wit' 'im. 'e was prolly jist avoidin' 'er. Nothin' new."
That did not make any sense, but Vash still made a mental note to find out where her brother was all night if he had not gone home.
"I waited all night," Natalia continued, her eyes looking rather paranoid.
Vash was getting the picture. Then something else came to mind. Something a lot more useful. "If you were out all night, what time did the train come in?"
Natalia hesitated, her strained expression still not leaving her face. "Midnight. It came in at midnight. It left twenty minutes later."
"Ye're alibi was collaborated with by Natalia!" Brian exclaimed.
"A first fer everythin'," Roy agreed.
At least he had proved one thing, Vash supposed. Still, he had given his word with solving the rest of this mystery, so he would do so.
He asked Eduard for the number of the person he was on the phone with so as to get a time line that would agree with what Natalia had said. Eduard was slightly miffed, but agreed. It was not so much for Eduard's alibi as it was for Natalia's.
That girl was creepy.