My headcanon for Belgium is that she is kind but that she also can be kind of a bitch when she wants to, so sorry if you think she's ooc. Also, apologize for any spelling errors as I wrote this on my phone in a very crowded train :/ I would also like to thank the person that reviewed the previous chapter. Nice to know that someone is actually wondering about the identity of the culprit :) Enjoy this chapter :D
Red lips shimmered in the dim light,curling into a kind, though slightly seductive, smile.
"You wanted to see me, mister Zwingli?" She purred, leaning forward, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
Vash felt his cheeks flush, slowly scanning the woman before him. You could see she was a stylist, her makeup made the right features of her face stand out. She wore a simple black dress and red stiletto heels that matched the ribbon in her curly hair. There was something mysterious in the way she was lounging in the leather chair, legs crossed and one arm above her head.
Yes, miss Van Rijn, I'm here to interrogate you."
"Please sir, call me Bella. Everyone does." She said, raising a beer bottle to her lips. "Would you like a beer?"
"No, thank you. I would like to ask you a few questions now." Vash said sternly.
She giggled, walking towards him with a confident strut, laying her hands on the collar of his coat.
"Ofcourse, please sit down. Let me take your coat."
Vash felt his face heat even more when the long red nails toyed with the buttons on his chest. "I-I would rather prefer to keep it on, danke."
Her smile dropped for a second, but she quickly composed herself, walking back to the chair, gesturing for Vash to take the seat opposite her.
"So," Vash began when they were both settled down. "Tell me everything you know about Francis Bonnefoy."
Bella raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, before letting out a soft,melodious laugh. "Oh my, oh my. Feliks was right, you are so blunt. Honest and direct, I like that in a man."
"Miss Van Rijn, I would like if you would be so kind to answer the question now." Vash said, tone cold and direct.
For a fraction of a second she flashed him an angry look, before folding her hands in her lap. "Ofcourse you would approach me for such a question, wouldn't you, you smart little detective?"
When Vash only looked at her in confusion, she sighed, rolling her green eyes. "I'm a stylist. There's no one closer to the dancers than me, right? They trust me more than their own family. It's adorable; they just assume I won't leak any of the precious information they even don't want their friends and lovers to know."
Vash narrowed his eyes, looking at the still smiling woman. "You look like you enjoy that sense of power, miss Van Rijn."
Her smile turned into a grin and she leaned forward, giving Vash an impressive view of her cleavage. "Ofcourse I do, mister Zwingli. But would never leak any of the things they tell me, it's part of my job to keep them skeletons in the closet. And believe me, you want those skeletons to be in that closet forever. Ballet dancers are fucked up people."
Vash's attention perked up at this and he looked at the woman with renewed interest.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked walking towards her chair, towering above her.
She casually studied her nails, throwing one slender leg over the armrest. "Have you ever seen the feet of a ballet dancer? Then you'll know what I mean. They are completely fucked up, vain,jealous and competitive, willing to kill themselves and eachother in order to get fame. Behind the curtains lies a world full of manipulation, jealousy,affairs and the never ending hunger for recognition."
Vash leaned forward, placing his hands on the armrests of her chair, cold green eyes staring threateningly at twinkling ones, so close that he was able to smell her alcoholic breath. "Miss van Rijn, you know that I can arrest you if you are keeping any crucial information from me?"
She didn't look scared or intimidated, in fact, Bella van Rijn seemed to enjoy this little game, brushing her leg against his gloved hand, smiling up at him.
"I know that, Vash. But who knows if I am keeping anything crucial from you? After all, I don't know what you want to know. I guess you'll just have to find out whether the information I am keeping from you is crucial, or not."
"So you admit you're hiding something from me, miss van Rijn."
"Yes."
They glared at eachother for a minute, listening to eachothers breaths, Vash carefully comparing his options.
After a while, he took a step back, folding his hands behind his back. "Answer the question, bitte." He sighed.
She gave him a bright smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Ofcourse, Vash."
"It's Herr or mister Zwingli for you, miss van Rijn." Vash growled, growing very annoyed with the Belgian.
She ignored him, straightening her dress, long nails tapping against the beer bottle. "So..Francis, huh? He wasn't very loved here."
She laughed at Vash's surprised look. "Oh, you didn't know that, did you? Did the others tell you that they loved him? Did they pretend to care for the snobby frenchman who managed to get the female lead role, even though he was a newbie and a man, simply because he was adored by Elizaveta?"
Her expression darkened and she clenched her hands into fists, nails digging into her palm. "Did they cry for the slut, who caused-" She paused, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
"Who caused what?" Vash asked.
She gave him a cold look, before turning her head away from him."I don't want to talk anymore. Next question please."
"Alright..next question. Where were you when Francis Bonnefoy was murdered?"
Thick, dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks. "Didn't Feliks tell you? I was in the ballroom with Feliks, Lizzy, Lovino, Toni and Yao, talking about how the decor had to look if we wanted it to match with the costumes. Suddenly we heard screaming and..well, you know the rest of the story."
Vash gave her a curt nod, writing something down in his notebook. "Okay thank you. Forgive me if this is a very personal question, but do you believe that Arthur Kirkland is the culprit, just like your fellow stylist, Feliks Lukasiewicz?"
She suddenly straightened her back, tucking a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. "Ofcourse I do!"
"Why?"
She took another gulp of beer. "Jealousy ofcourse! Arthur hated Francis. Arthur has been by the ballet for more then 4 years and has never ever been the lead role. Francis has only been here for 2 months, only to immediately become the star of Hetaballet, in the show of the century! I would be pretty jealous too!"
"Don't you think it is a bit strange to kill someone over a role?"
"As I said, Vash-"
"Mister Zwingli" Vash snapped.
"-Vash, ballet dancers are mentally unstable and competitive. You didn't see the look in Arthur's eyes when we found them. He looked completely insane. We were just done with practicing (Practising?) one of the most important dances, complete with costumes, the final one, in which caged and free bird finally embrace eachother. Arthur is Francis' understudy, so I guess he just..snapped when he saw Roderich and Francis in costume, dancing the leading roles."
Vash blinked, trying to take in this information. "Well, that is a very interesting theory, miss Van Rijn. Thank you for your time, but I really have to go now. I have some other people I would like to visit next."
She gave him a kind smile. "Ofcourse Vash, if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to visit again. I quite enjoyed your company."
Vash threw her an annoyed look. "Mister Zwingli. Oh and do not worry miss van Rijn; I will find out what you're hiding soon enough so we'll be seing eachother a lot."
She grinned at him. "I look forward to it."
As soon as Vash was out of the door, he took his phone out of his pocket. "Alfred, call Lovino Vargas, Yao Wang and Antonio Carriedo and tell them I need to speak to them, now. I need to confirm Bella van Rijn's alibi."
Zwingli Detectives
Vash Zwingli
Report: 5
Date: 1-4-2015
Crime: Murder
Place of crime: Building of the Hetaballet.
Victim: Francis Bonnefoy, 26, main role in "Wings"
Cause of death: Beaten to death with a heavy metal object.
Suspects: Profession: Notes:
Arthur Kirkland,Ballet dancer,Found on the crime scene, strong hatred towards victim.
Antonio Carriedo,Stylist, was in the ballroom (according to E.H)
Gilbert Beilschmidt,Stage technician Was in the theatre (according to R.E)
Ludwig Beilschmidt,Stage technician/builder
Lovino Vargas,Decor painter, was in the ballroom (according to E.H)
Feliciano Vargas,Ballet dancer
Sesel Bonnefoy,Ballet dancer,Sister of the victim, at home under supervision
Elizaveta Herdevary Ballet dancer/coach,Owner of HetaBallet. Broken ankle, not able to dance or work. was in the ballroom. Interrogated
Roderich Edelstein Ballet dancer, co-owner, dislike towards victim, Main role in "Wings", was in the theatre, interrogated
Feliks Lukasiewicz Stylist, was in the ballroom (according to E.H) Interrogated
Bella Van Rijn Stylist,Was in the ballroom (according to E.H)Interrogated
Natalia Braginski Ballet dancer
Ivan Braginski Ballet dancer, dislike towards victim
Yao Wang Ballet dancer,was in the ballroom (According to E.H)
I know it is probably impossible to figure out yet, but do you have any speculations on who could've murdered Francis? Would be fun. Yao is the next one to be interrogated. Maybe a certain psychologist will make a comeback soon.
