Thanks to Mandrakefunnyjuice and Poet Bucky for reviewing last chapter. So with one case solved, I'm sure you're all itching to see how Gil deals with the other one. Well don't fret, because here it is, and Bucky is going to have a HUGE role to play in it.

Namco owns Tales of Symphonia. Hong Kong TVB owns To Catch the Uncatchable.

"Sorry we have to make you do this again," Dr. Austin stated apologetically as he led Leonard Yancey into the morgue once more. The first time around, it was to take the Heart of Balacruf off of Leonard's good friend and colleague Candy Shallow. But this time, it was a different victim, and one that Leonard had some not too fond memories of.

Austin glanced at Leonard, who had a stoic expression on his face as he put on his white gloves. Staring grimly at the covered body, Austin gripped the sheets and slowly peeled it off like an orange skin. "Here she is," he announced as the face was revealed.

And just like the previous time, a rare and expensive jewel was wrapped around the collar of a beautiful young woman whose elegance, even in death, seem to resonate through the dark and damp morgue. The combination of the face and the lustrous topaz reflected light from the lamp above in all directions and illuminating into Austin's face. "The floor's yours," he told Leonard, shielding his eyes as he stepped back.

In a calm and cool manner, Leonard approached the body just as Austin backed off. The bespectacled man placed his hands around the necklace, feeling each chain and piece like tapping a Morse code. Austin looked on curiously as Leonard finally reached the back, not even blinking or lifting his head as he worked to loosen the hold.

Austin was amazed and intrigued. "You know, I've never seen someone that comfortable with dead bodies before," he commented, "I recall when I first received my training, it took me months before I got used to cutting up these bodies. But your first time in loosening the necklace, you didn't even flinch, and now you're at it again. Is it because of that curse or whatever that you said last time, that somehow you predicted or know that someone would die after wearing it?" he asked, leaning his head into the light.

The shadow of Austin's round head cast a strange silhouette that cut right down the middle of Leonard's face. But the darkened lighting did not deter Leonard from doing his task as his fingers twisted and turned through the complicated clasp. "It's what happens when a jewel goes through so many events throughout its history," he replied, not even looking at Austin, "Things just start accumulating and they end up being the so-called curse of today. This is the destiny of the Heart of Balacruf: to be mentioned by the public as the most cursed and most valuable jewel of all time."

Just as this was said, the clasp popped loose, freeing the necklace from Fiona's neck. Austin immediately rushed to the side and grabbed the usual storage box that was brought back from her home, letting Leonard place the necklace back into its place. The heavyset coroner closed the box and tucked it under his arm. "I hope you don't mind, but the police might want to keep this for a while for evidence collection purposes again," he informed Leonard, "Can you please stay a while as well, just in case they have any more requests?"

Leonard's expression remained neutral, taking off his gloves nonchalantly and picking up his belongings again, all the while nodding his head, "I'll tell everything, but I don't see what I could have missed from the last testimony," he explained, "Everything I saw from the time I got to Miss Kauffman to when I left was documented already."

Austin nodded as he tucked the case under his arm. The two were silent as they headed back to the interrogation room. Austin pushed the door open and was greeted by a shocking sight. Before them was a quarrelling couple, shouting, pointing fingers, and waving their arms as they exited the area. The man was dressed in a suit and bow tie, while the woman had on a dark blouse. "So is that the big secret you're hiding? You're in bed with another woman?" the lady yelled, jabbing an accusing finger at the man's face.

"I already told you, she's only a friend, and one that I've worked with for years," the man retorted, pushing the finger away, "And don't you dare point that thing at me. I already told police and you the truth, so I have no need to explain more to you!"

"You call her a friend? Then what is your definition of friends, Gordon?" the woman snapped, her hands pressing firmly at her waist, "So you give a friend the Heart of Balacruf, only to have her die wearing it, while I, your own wife, was supposed to receive it at the ball and ended up getting shown up by that whore? Explain that!"

"I don't know! I already said, she snatched it out of my case and put it on herself. I couldn't even get my hands on her!" the casino owner Gordon Perry bellowed, slapping a hand on a nearby table. It jolted the three seated figures; a teenager in horse rider gear, a Mizuho native in a track jacket and pants, and a goateed man on crutches, nearly popping them out of their chairs. "But I swear. The necklace was for you, not her!"

Austin and Leonard merely plugged their ears as surrounding officers swarmed in to calm the feuding couple down. The gaudy casino owner Perry already lost quite a lot of face by having to appear at the police station, but now with his wife on his case, there was nothing more humiliating. A nearby officer escorted Leonard to somewhere quieter while Austin sat at Gil's table. "How long were they at it?" he asked, cupping one ear.

It was the young horse rider who answered. "They were called in just after you showed up and before Sheena came in, and the officer even said I'd be next. The two entered the room and within minutes it's just sheer pandemonium," she described, "It's more like an argument between the two than an interview with police."

But Gil's attention was elsewhere as he stared a hole into the wall. Amidst the noise of the feuding couple, nobody could hear his inaudible mumbling. "He throws a party for their wedding anniversary, promises her the Heart of Balacruf, then she got shown up by that dancer," he murmured, his arms crossed tightly around his chest, "And with so many witnesses around, they can't really be the culprits."

The arguing couple finally made their way out the door, giving the interrogation officers some time to take a breather. Before long, the lead interrogator called in the horse rider, who merely nodded at Sheena before stepping into the room. "Don't worry, I still have all the details fresh in my head," she reassured the Mizuho native, "I think if our stories are combined together, we can free Zelos for sure."

After two hours of interrogations and evidence analysis, Arnold flopped into his chair in his office and sighed in fatigue. Finalizing the charges on Childress was taxing enough on his energy, but with new interviews from the Perry's, Leonard Yancey, and others involved in the second Heart of Balacruf case only sapped whatever little strength he had left. He struggled to lift his eyelids, which he swore weighed more than a ton right now, and reached for the files on his desk with outstretched arms.

But his concentration was snapped by a familiar voice at the door. "What's the big struggle all about? You cracked a case, so be happy about it!"

Arnold glanced up and saw a man on crutches leaning against the doorframe. He had left the door ajar earlier, but the former mole managed to squeeze his way in. "What can we say from the two cases right now?" Gil asked as he clopped in and taking a seat.

Arnold rubbed his temples, trying to stay focus, with much difficulty. "Childress' case is pretty much all laid out. The forensics unit analyzed all the tape and decided that the ones from Sheena's room and Masako's room, from both the time he stayed in there and the ones with you were all from the same camera. That means your hypothesis on the spy camera thing is entirely correct," he explained, "And with evidence from Masako's shirt, we realized that it was Childress' prints and loose fibres from his suit that got on, and the positions do resemble his description of climbing on him and clubbing him."

Gil nodded, satisfied that everything turned out as expected. He made a mental note to visit his bartender friend later on, as he helped the young man redeem himself by turning in Childress and saved his only source of income for his school year. Turning to the other case, he asked, "What about Zelos Wilder? Is there enough from the testimonies from Sheena and her friend to prove his innocence, or even bring up new leads?"

Arnold shook his head. "We have to cross-reference the two new testimonies with hard evidence from the casino, and the forensics unit haven't gotten a chance to analyze those yet. We are going to do them as soon as possible," he responded, wiping his mouth in stress, "There is something unusual about this situation, because it seems like there is a person who was at the crime scene that didn't quite explain his actions fully."

Gil cocked an eyebrow as Arnold finally flipped open the folder. "On the night of the death, Leonard Yancey was called to the casino by Gordon Perry's assistants to deal with the Heart of Balacruf, which was put on by the deceased. This is consistent with both the assistant's testimony last night, and the one by Perry today. However, after the deceased threw items at him, and the custodian told him to step outside, nobody knew where Leonard was. In fact, the only person who could pinpoint his whereabouts was Leonard himself, who said he went home," Arnold explained, pointing out each detail.

Gil scratched his chin, realizing that there was something unusual about Leonard during the entire time. "I was talking with Dr. Austin earlier, and he had Leonard in the morgue to pull the necklace off the deceased. He said Leonard didn't even flinch, which was surprising considering that it's supposed to be the second dead body he's ever seen."

Arnold exhaled in exasperation. "So we can keep Leonard in as a suspect in the meantime, and it'll only complicate matters," he sighed, stretching his spine by leaning back on his chair and raising his arms high, "I actually have another problem with that, because we still require someone to authenticate the jewel. Now that it's no longer in the possession of the auction, we can no longer have the auction authenticate it. Leonard Yancey is still a suspect, so we require someone else to do the job," he pointed out.

Gil scratched his chin, mulling over all his options. Somehow, this would really put him at a disadvantage, as keeping Leonard at the police station would ultimately pull his eyes off the jewellery expert. With the situation precarious as it was and with Zelos and Leonard in custody, it was becoming increasingly difficult to balance all sides. How I can observe him while let the police do their work is the problem here, Gil thought.

Then it struck him, as there was a perfect person he could use to observe Leonard and validate the jewel as well. "She's the perfect person for the job," Gil told Arnold, "So if you just give me half an hour, I can convince her to tackle it."

With that, Gil whipped out his cell phone and clicked a speed dial button. From the other side of the table, Arnold could only look on in curiosity, one eyebrow cocked up and his fingers tapping the tips rapidly as he wondered what crazy trick the former mole had in mind for solving this maze of a case, especially with the stakes higher than before.

Raine's silver hair flowed freely in the wind as she strolled into the police station with confidence, knowing that this would be a chance for her to showcase her knowledge and research depth into the Heart of Balacruf. Straightening out her dark blue tank top one last time, she pulled the doors open and marched into the building.

She weaved her way around the unit and officers' cubicles, trying to keep a formal and serious pose as she journeyed towards the lieutenant's office. Gil was in there waiting for her; at least that was what he told her over the phone, requesting her that the Heart of Balacruf was in police custody again after yet another death. Originally, Raine had decided against coming to the station for the authentication, given the bloody history just had another event added to it. But after some persuasion from Gil, she changed her mind. There was something not right about this situation, and it was in her best interests to show up. Moreover, Gil made it clear to Raine that she was currently the only person who he trusted with the jewel, and that made her feel just that much more convinced.

Raine looked up just in time to see Gil wave her in from Arnold's office, and the female half-elf hurried through the unit and quietly slipped into the room. She swiftly took a seat before Arnold as Gil closed the door. "Gil told me what's going on, and after some careful consideration, I've decided to do it," she quickly informed Arnold.

Arnold nodded and handed Raine the file. The half-elf glanced at it like a medical report, panning over it in detail while Gil stepped up to her. "There are other parts of this issue that I want you to deal with," he requested, "It involves Leonard Yancey and certain parts of his testimony that we want you to inadvertently unravel for us."

This caused one of Raine's eyebrows to tick up, as the mention of Leonard being a suspect struck a chord with her. "On what basis do you have for that argument? Was there something really unusual with his testimony?" she quizzed the two police officers, sounding very much like an interrogator herself. Although the necklace's involvement in another death alarmed her, she still trusted Leonard enough to doubt any possible guilt.

It was Arnold who explained the situation. "Leonard Yancey admitted to visiting Perry's casino around the time of death. It's because the deceased, Fiona Kauffman, had put on the Heart of Balacruf but couldn't take it off. But when Leonard got there, he claimed the deceased refused to let him remove the necklace, leading to a confrontation where the deceased pretty much threw Leonard out of her dressing room," he described.

Raine clacked her tongue, shaking her head at yet another superficial beauty that let the necklace get to her head. "She probably thinks that the necklace was so expensive and rare that after a few minutes of staring herself in the mirror, she won't take it off," Raine commented in disgust, "So what else is new? What made him suspicious?"

"In his testimony, he said that after the violent response, the custodian escorted him out. He claimed he waited there for a few more minutes, but when there wouldn't be a change of heart from her, he went home," Arnold continued, double-checking his words with the notes, "But since nobody saw him at that time, it remains suspicious that his story is incomplete. Moreover, despite finding Zelos Wilder on the scene before the already dead body, two witnesses claimed that Zelos is innocent, and we're analyzing the evidence they offered us right now. That's why we want to know more about Leonard."

"Also, it almost seems too coincidental that Leonard could get close to both victims, considering how similar their deaths were," Gil continued, "Now, we can say that Zelos had close calls with both bodies, but has alibis and at least some evidence each time showing he couldn't have done it. But for Leonard, his story seemed incomplete for both cases. That's why we have to hold him as a suspect, and that's also where you come in," he concluded, pointing at Raine.

Raine blinked quickly, almost like someone had tried to jab her eye. "How will my presence here for the authentication of the jewel be useful to your investigation?" she asked, closing the folder and apprehensively handing it back to Arnold.

Arnold looked nervously at Gil, hoping the Iselia native could explain this precarious situation to his friend. But amazingly, the former mole didn't even flinch as he invited Raine outside of the office. "I think it's best that I fill you in on your role," he stated, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Besides, a good walk will do us both good, better than being cooped up in that stuffy office. Shall we?" he opened the door, leading the way out to the room where the Heart of Balacruf was stored at the time.

After a short talk with Gil, Raine was left mumbling to herself as she made her way down the hallways of the unit. She still had issues with how Gil basically parachuted a bunch of suggestions into her without any discussion with her whatsoever. But knowing that the case had reached a crucial point, she almost felt bad if she refused him. She was left shaking her head after reluctantly agreeing to Gil's offer. "Why does he always make me do the hard stuff? It's just like when he was undercover and he sent Lloyd and me to Noishe," she fumed, her fists nearly clenching and creasing the papers in her hand.

Raine manoeuvred out of the unit and into a side staircase, heading downstairs to the evidence holding area. It felt like Raine was being arrested herself, being taken into the cells like she had committed the crime. The dim lighting at the stairs sent shivers up her spine, the silence intriguing her as she made her way down. Her eyes shifted from one side to the other, wondering what was in store for her as she casually flipped through some of the papers in her hands. She had read through them just a while back when Gil briefed her, but it still didn't make her comfortable knowing that the Heart of Balacruf would be in her hands for authentication. "This is serious stuff," she muttered.

Just as she turned from the break in steps, getting off the first flight on stairs and onto the second one, she didn't pay attention to her footing. Her eyes were glued to the papers that she missed a step, and ended up sliding down the remainder of the stairs. A wannabe gymnast performed the splits in the most unusual settings as Raine's legs parted wider and wider, her right reaching forward and her back was a lame duck being dragged as she tobogganed down this hill. "Aaahh!" she yelled, her arms flailing in the air.

Fortunately, the final steps broke her plummet, her stretch slowing her momentum and screeched her forward progress by bringing her to her knees. The falling plane finally ended its devastating plunge, and the result was a mild sprain to the gear known as her ankle. Added to the few cuts and bruises on her shins and Raine was officially out of it. "Oh boy, just what I need," she winced, rubbing and clutching her lower legs.

Then, out of nowhere, Leonard charged out and approached Raine. "Are you alright?" he asked the half-elf, eyes of concern reflected behind his glasses.

Raine glanced up with a look of surprise, wondering what Leonard was doing here. "I thought the police wanted to investigate you," she pointed out.

"They did, and I was told to wait here while they finished the paperwork," Leonard told Raine, helping her to her feet. He could see her exposed shins dotted with red bits here and there, and an egg-shaped bulge appeared her ankle. "Are you alright? Can you walk properly?" he asked, his eyes peeled for the cuts and bruises.

Raine tried to take a step, but couldn't go more than a metre without collapsing in pain. Leonard's face scrunched up as Raine held onto to him for dear life. "Here, why don't we let you take a seat somewhere, and I'll heal you up," he suggested.

Leonard led Raine into the waiting room he was brought into earlier and gently placed her into a chair while elevating her leg. Raine looked on as the bespectacled man stepped out of the room, turning around the corner before the whirs of an ice dispenser could be heard from the door seconds later. She continued to massage her ankle, trying to halt the swelling when Leonard returned with some ice in hand, trying to cover them with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. "Just hold still and relax," he assured Raine.

Raine leaned back on her chair and put her arms to the side as Leonard placed the ice bundle onto her ankle. The half-elf hissed as the cold cubes contacted the throbbing area, causing the pain to slowly dissipating away. While balancing the pack on the ankle, Leonard turned and pulled some paper towels from a box on the other side of the room like a prize being drawn. He dabbed it onto the melting block on Raine's ankle to moisten it. Putting on the same gloves her wore for handling jewellery, he slowly wiped away the blood stains on her shins. Raine looked on in amazement as Leonard's gentle touch mesmerized her, making her forget that she was in danger of slipping to her doom earlier. "I'm glad you're so dedicated to healing me and such, but you don't really have to mess up your working gloves," she stated, the concerned look now on her face.

Leonard smiled. "Don't worry," he assured Raine, "The paper towels are thick enough to prevent most blood from reaching me. Besides, I could just give these a wash once I get home. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

Raine chuckled as the cool sensation of the water evaporating from her shins and ankle relaxed her completely. Upstairs, she was in a foul mood after what Gil told her to do, but everything just seemed so much better with Leonard around her. It was almost like he cleared the dark clouds above her head after he rescued her from the stairs. "You really are an amazing person, Leonard. I just wish all the people I work with are just like you, being cool and collected all the time," Raine commented, "All they do is run around like a headless chicken. How do they possibly succeed in studying anything like that?"

Leonard shook his head as he tossed the paper towels away. Raine's wounds had already stopped bleeding, leaving dark spots here and there. "Here you go with your ruins craziness again," Leonard said, "I don't think I'm that great, not at all."

"What are you talking about? You shouldn't degrade yourself like that!" Raine scolded, gently slapping the jewellery expert's shoulder, "You're eager to learn, you have a calm mind, and you don't hesitate to help those needing it, so what more can I say?"

Leonard's face flinched a bit, almost like he wanted to avoid the issue altogether. Changing the subject, he pointed at the papers Raine had in her hands. "What are those for?" he asked, applying some pressure onto the ice pack on Raine's ankle.

"Oh, this?" she responded, flipping a few pages for Leonard, "The police asked me to authenticate the Heart of Balacruf today. You're still a suspect, meaning you can't really do it. I originally didn't want to do it, with the bloodshed and all. I mean, just earlier you saw me slip down the stairs, and it's all because I had that thing on my mind. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to believe there's something wrong with it," Raine ended with a whisper, rubbing her bare arms as a sudden chill descended onto her.

But Leonard would have none of that. Raine could hear the sounds of ice cubes being crushed as Leonard's hand slowly clenched into a fist. "That's nonsense, there is no curse on that necklace," Leonard stated, spitting out each word like venom, "Too many people used it to gain attention, and that's why it's led to the state it's currently in." He grabbed the pack in his hands, the slush crumbling and sloshing as he whipped around in one smooth motion and tossed it in the trash. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

With great care, Leonard helped Raine get back to her feet and eased her out the door. They approached the first door down the hall, where an officer sat inside signing some papers. In front of him was a familiar red-haired individual standing casually, tapping his feet and drumming his fingers on the desk. Leonard and Raine craned their necks to see as the officer carved a name into the sheet. "All set," the officer stated.

They could see the figure nod before turning around, and his eyes automatically lit up as he saw Raine. "Well, if it isn't the two history buffs," Zelos chuckled as he saw the two, a flirtatious look in his eye, "What brings you guys down here?"

Raine updated Zelos on the events of the Heart of Balacruf since his arrest, ending with Gil asking her to authenticate the jewel. "What about you? I thought they had you in the holding area. Did they manage to clear your name?" Raine asked.

Zelos winked an eye and snap-pointed at Raine. "Oh yeah, they can never hold the popular Zelos Wilder in here for long, especially with my charm. I bet even without the evidence, they'd let me out," he bragged as he received his release papers from the officer, "What happened to your ankle? It looks swollen," he pointed out.

"I accidently slipped on the stairs earlier, and just rolled my ankle, along with scrapping and cutting my shins," she answered, lifting one leg to show Zelos. Beside her, Leonard grew increasingly disgusted with the enticing way Zelos looked at Raine, with his eyebrows wiggling and that smirk pasted across his face way too well. "Thankfully, Leonard was kind enough to help me with my injuries, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"Well, in that case, I think we owe Mr. Auction Man here our thanks," Zelos told Leonard, nudging his elbow into him almost sarcastically, "I guarantee, Raine will be in good hands. When I was told I was cleared, the first person I called was Gil and he told me you'd be down here, so I don't mind looking out for you. In fact, if you can't make it up the stairs, I'll carry you up," he offered, lifting one sleeve and flexing his arm like a bodybuilder, "So which do you prefer, wife-carrying method, or fireman's carry?"

As Raine and Zelos guffawed along, Leonard felt like he outstayed his welcome. Being the only one standing near the door, he watched the cheerful couple approach the seated officer for more information. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the doorknob and wristed it around, marching outside and hoping to block out any sound from their voices.

Leonard was the only one left in his floor, clicking away on his computer as most of the other auction staff had left already. The police didn't let him out until lunch time, which made him lose a huge chunk of the day for his work. Already somewhat behind in his schedule, he had to stay late just to get things done. Rubbing his temples, he pondered on the events earlier at the police station, the scene of Zelos flirting with Raine and Raine accepting his advancement showing in his mind like a sports highlight replay. What was Raine thinking at that time? It's so unlike her to be like that, he thought.

He turned his eyes back to his computer screen, looking over his archived photos from shoots past. Candy was, of course, the centre of attention here, but there was an odd feeling churning inside Leonard, his stomach twisting and turning like it had just been thrown into a blender. Every time he saw Candy's beautiful face stare at him, he would imagine the look she might have had when she fell to her doom. And each time he saw the body roll helplessly down the stairs like a barrel, it always ended with Raine's body lying lifelessly below instead of Candy. Was this a premonition of some sort?

The shrill ring of his office phone jolted the jewellery expert out of his daze. Glaring at the offending object, he snatched the phone from its stand, wondering who would call him this late. "Hello?" he barked into the speaker.

"Leonard? It's me, Raine," the other side called in a frantic tone, "I didn't mean to do it, but I'm in a lot of trouble now, and you've got to help me!"

"Raine?" Leonard said, concern replacing irritation in his tone, "What happened?" his mind raced madly, wondering what mess Raine got herself into.

"I didn't mean to do it, but when I was at the police station authenticating the Heart of Balacruf, the officer told me to take it to the vault to be locked up as evidence. I just couldn't part with the necklace, since it looks so beautiful and rare. I went to the bathroom and put it on, just to see what it looked like on me, but now I can't take it off!" she sobbed, "I can't let anyone else know about it, or my reputation will be done, plus the police will arrest me for stealing evidence. You're the only one who can help me now!"

"Alright, calm down. I can help you, but you must tell me where you are now," Leonard instructed the half-elf, "Tell me where you are and I'll be right there."

"I'm at my hotel right now," Raine informed him, "I'll come down to the lobby in a few minutes, and I'll wrap my neck so that nobody can see it. But please hurry, I don't know how much time we have before I get spotted!" she cried.

Immediately, Leonard turned off his computer and grabbed his case of tools. He snatched his coat from the rack and rushed to the parking lot, sliding into his Honda Civic and flooring the gas pedal. During the hurried drive through the Altamira night, Leonard mumbled nonstop, trying to reassure himself that Raine was alright. Images of Raine in distress blazed through his head as Leonard was so caught up in her well-being that he nearly missed the entrance to the hotel parking lot. Turning violently, he screeched the car into the tunnel and swerved into the closest possible spot to the entrance.

The car bucked to a halt as Leonard turned off the ignition. He pulled his case from the back and stepped out in one smooth motion, swinging the door shut behind him and trotted towards the door leading to the lobby. He pushed the doors open and glanced around, seeing if he could spot the familiar silver hair anywhere. There weren't too many people in the lobby, so Leonard figured finding Raine shouldn't be too difficult.

But the task soon became impossible, as Raine was nowhere to be found. Leonard climbed through sofas and stepped around each waiting tourist, but none of the people were Raine. Biting his lower lip, he immediately went to the front desk to ask if she had been down here. "She has silver hair, stands about five-foot-six or seven, and is usually seen in a dark blue tank top with a matching skirt and dark sandals. Have you seen her?"

"I actually did see someone like that," a female clerk responded, "She came down here ten minutes ago, but when a few young men strolled through, they commented on her clothes or jewellery or something. They went inside the bar," she pointed out.

Leonard's heart sank, as Raine probably didn't do a good enough job of hiding the necklace, and was spotted by guys wanting a drink. Hoping to diffuse the situation before it got worse, Leonard thanked the reception staff and headed into the dining hall, where the bar was an atmosphere that he hoped wouldn't turn Raine out of control. He sidestepped staggering people and dodged couples trying to kiss, all the while the scent of alcohol plugging up his nose. He was about to ask the head bartender, who was serving up drinks when he heard a familiar voice. "What's prettier, me or the necklace?"

Several young men roared in approval in chorus, causing Leonard to stare in their direction. And to his horror, there was his target yakking it up with the crazy guys while downing a beer. It only added to the men's delights as they took turns complementing her, hoping that she would choose one of them as the one to spend the night with. "If you give me the best compliment, then my penthouse is all yours!" she exclaimed, bursting out in hysterical laughter even as her soberness slipped lower than her tank top straps.

Seeing how the men basically flung themselves at her, Leonard decided to end the act once and for all. "Raine," he called out, reaching into the gray and grabbing her hand, "Raine, come with me. Tt's not safe here, not with you wearing that in public."

Raine gasped and hiccupped, but didn't have enough energy to fight back as the bespectacled man hauled her out. He led her away from the bar and back into the centre, just between the alcoholics' hangout spot and the dining hall. "Why'd you drag me out here, Leonard?" Raine protested, flinging his arm away. She wobbled a couple of steps to regain her balance, all the while staring at Leonard with annoyed but dazed eyes, "I had so much fun back there, it's like I was the centre of attention."

Leonard winced upon hearing that line, knowing full well what happened the last time a woman uttered it before him. "Raine, look," he said diplomatically, "I know you had a blast, and I personally do think you look beautiful, but we have to take that off."

"What? What do you mean, take it off?" Raine asked, appalled at the suggestion, "Don't you see what this is doing to me? It's making me the VIP tonight! You said this was worn by those princesses, or queens, or aristocrats, right? Well, that's how I feel like right now! For once in my life, I can be appreciated!" she exclaimed, spinning around slowly like basking in an awards ceremony where she was the winner.

Leonard looked on in disbelief, wondering how the normally modestly dressed and professionally behaved Raine had degraded this quickly. Waving his hand before his nose, he figured she must have had quite a few drinks, and that was doing a number on her mind. "Come on, let's take you to your room," he offered, "You're drunk already."

"No. In fact, I haven't been this awake, and free, since forever!" Raine declared, spinning away from Leonard's grasp, "And it's all because of this nine million-dollar necklace, as it allowed me to be the centre of attention tonight. I'm doing all sorts of things that I wouldn't even think of doing in my regular days."

Raine's voice suddenly became lower in tone, sounding more subdued as she leaned against the wall, her eyes turning away from Leonard. The jewellery expert tried to gauge Raine's current emotions, sneaking in closer and tilting his head to see. "Don't you know how hard life is in Iselia?" she said, some sniffles following her voice, "All I get each and every day is the same routine: assist Frank's research, be the teaching aide in his classes, attend the same boring conferences. Nobody saw me as a person, they only know how to use me!" she yelled, nearly bursting into tears. She turned to face Leonard, who didn't know how to react to her expression, which was a mix between sadness and release of her pent-up frustration, "Only you understand what truly represents me."

As those words were uttered, a flashback sequence blasted through Leonard's brain. When he was with Candy during her Heart of Balacruf project, she said something nearly identical to that. Now, with Raine completely drunk and slurred, Leonard couldn't help but get a sense of déjà vu. And just like with Candy, Raine was only getting into more danger the longer she kept the necklace on. Shaking his head clear, Leonard pulled Raine over to face him. "Let me take it off, right now," he ordered, placing his hands around her neck, "It's no longer safe here, so listen to me, alright?"

"No, leave me alone. I don't want to take it off!" Raine shouted, twisting her head back and forth and shaking Leonard loose. This battle almost resembled the one he had with Fiona Kauffman at the casino, where she unexpectedly lost her mind and refused to let him remove the necklace, even though minutes before she was complaining about it. "I want to be special, and it's only with the necklace that I get to be special!"

But it was Leonard who was getting more and more frustrated, as Raine had, at least in his mind, sunk down to the same level as the superficial ladies he met and worked with almost throughout his adult life. Determined not to let another person, let alone one of the most intellectual and educated people he ever met, fall down the same trap, he came at Raine again. "The necklace, give it back to me!" he shouted.

"Let me go!" Raine screamed. With that, she swung around and landed a vicious left hook on Leonard. Luckily for the jewellery expert, Raine's aim was a bit off thanks to the alcohol, as her fist only slammed into his forearm and not his face. But the punch still struck hard enough for Leonard to release his hold. The bespectacled man screamed as the pain throbbed up his arm like wildfire. As he leaned against the wall, trying to regain sensation in the region, he could see Raine stumble out of the bar, making quick work into the lobby even in her half-drunk state. Staring at the lobby with ice-cold eyes, Leonard gripped his tool case with his unharmed hand and bolted out in pursuit.

Despite the relative distance they were from the dining hall section, the strange altercation and chase did not go unnoticed by two female guests seated at a table near the doorway. A certain Mizuho native had her eyes on Leonard the entire time, making sure he had left the area before calmly reaching into her pocket. Pulling out a cell phone, she dialled a familiar number, all the while waving a waiter over for the bill. "If my guess is right, they should be getting closer to the beach now," she informed her friend.

The teenager across from her nodded, watching the arriving waiter just as Sheena's call connected. "Hey Gil, this is Sheena. I just saw Raine and Leonard tussle around the bar earlier, and Raine just took off with Leonard in hot pursuit," Sheena explained, "They should be in your position in a few minutes. What's your call?"

The streets were oddly quiet for an Altamira summer night, as relatively few tourists were out and about. The beach was also sparse, with only a few people scattered here and there. The only sound that could be heard was from the waves, with the water crashing against the sand rhythmically. Add the ever present sea breezes, with the winds exhaling onto the shores by the night sky, and the night was complete.

However, this would be anything but an ordinary situation, as from the hotel front doors barged out a silver-haired, female half-elf. She hustled through the street, not even bothering to look for traffic as she ploughed across the intersection. The fresh air seemed to rejuvenate her instincts, as she was no longer staggering around aimlessly. Rather, she marched along quite efficiently, taking long stride across the road and onto the other side, where the beach was located. The little altercation inside the bar didn't make her feel any better, and she hoped a walk on the beach could shake loose her pursuer.

But this chase was only getting worse, as a familiar bespectacled man stumbled out of the hotel. He looked around desperately, his head tilting from side to side like a metronome, before finally spotting Raine across the street. Tucking in his tool case, he charged across like a running back splitting the defence and confronted her again. "Look, this isn't right!" Leonard shouted, "Raine, give me back the necklace! Raine!"

Instead of halting, Raine continued her torrid pace down the sidewalk. "Why are you after me?" she shouted back even as her pace quickened, her sandaled feet slapping the concrete like a thoroughbred, "This necklace isn't yours anyway, and even if it is, you only watch over it because you know how to take it off. You're nothing but the dog that guards the front door, nothing more! Just leave me alone and let me run free!"

That only enraged Leonard, who picked up his pace as well. Even when wearing a dress suit and carrying a heavy case, there was still enough in his tank to catch Raine, as pure anger and contempt drove him to chasing the half-elf down. She was already near the stairs leading down to the beach, all the while yelling at him from the front. "Are you after me because you want the necklace, or are you after me because you want to take advantage of me?" she called, half taunting and half scolding Leonard, "If you have the guts, then come get me for yourself! Otherwise, go home!"

Just as this was said, Raine leaned against the railing to the stairs, posing tantalizingly and glaring at Leonard. From her angle, a streetlamp cast a strange spotlight onto the jewellery expert, illuminating his pose. His shoulders slowly shuddered while his hand clenched his briefcase just that much tighter. The light also showed Leonard's face, as a mean grimace etched on tightly, with bullets being stared back into Raine. A flurry of thoughts blasted through Leonard's head right now, repeating each nasty word Raine had sprayed into his face like cobra spitting venom. Somehow, it all reminded Leonard of those other uncooperative ladies he met in the not-too-distant past. Combine it with how the respect Leonard had for Raine dissipated thanks to her current state, the bespectacled man was a ticking time bomb. His eyes continued to shoot lasers into Raine, his body itching to pounce as his prey teetered that much closer towards her doom.

But all that was fodder for Raine, who continued her crazy rant. "You're just as bad as Frank, the other graduates, the students I teach, and the haughty people whom I attend conferences with. All of you want to put me down, but the second I do something right you all want a piece of me!" she cried, waving her arm and pointing at Leonard, "I thought you were a gentlemen, different than the rest of them, but you're just a wolf in sheep's clothing, or should I say a 'pervert in a fancy suit.' I show you my best and you ignore it, opting for the necklace? What kind of a man are you? I know, a useless one!"

That seemed to back the last straw, as something inside Leonard's head snapped. Like a demon had taken him over, Leonard could feel his limbs move by themselves, propelling him faster and faster towards his target. The half-elf's continued barrage of acid words only threw more fuel to the fire. "Get out of my sight! All you men are like this! I never want to see you again! Leave!" Raine yelled, turning for the stairs.

And that was the perfect position for Leonard to strike, as the jewellery expert had Raine in the most vulnerable pose. "You whore!" he roared, diving head first at her. His hands pushed out, lunging for Raine and eager to push her off the stairs. To him, it would rid the world of one more self-gratifying woman, and satisfy his insatiable anger. "This ends now, Raine," he growled, his palms centimetres from contacting Raine's back.

But the contact was never made, as a sharp call from below interrupted his act. "Wind Blade!" a young voice yelled, and immediately the sea breeze combined in a ball of air, surrounding Leonard and sliced at him from all directions. The man could only cover his face, frozen in position as small slits were incised into his suit, making Leonard feel like he had intruded into a wasp's nest, causing the insects to attack simultaneously.

By the time Leonard recovered from the ordeal, Raine was already whisked away, covered tightly in a red towel by a grey-haired woman. Grunting in frustration, he hoped to make a quick dash away before he was spotted, only to be stopped by rocks blasting up from the concrete, throwing him off his feet. "Have a Stone Blast," the same voice from the beach yelled amidst footsteps from the stairs, "No one hurts my sister and gets away!"

Leonard looked up, pain ripping through his body as a young boy wearing only a pair of two-toned swim trunks, a beach hat, and sandals trotted up at him. Still intent to break, Leonard lifted a leg and kicked the gravel and sand at the boy, some hitting him in the chest and stomach while he was still at the stairs. With the boy distracted, Leonard tried to push off like a sprinter, only to have two strong bodies on him. "Hey, what are you doing? Let me go at once!" he demanded, twisting and turning to free himself.

But it was no use, as a teen with brown spiky hair and a red-haired young man clamped down on him. To add insult to injury, a blond girl moved up to him with a video camera, taping the entire sequence. "We saw everything you did and have it on tape," she stated, "The police will make good use of this evidence, right, Mr. Irving?"

Colette moved aside, revealing a familiar man leaning on crutches staring at Leonard with unimpressed eyes. To his either side were his friend from Mizuho and a certain horseback rider. "You're pretty aggressive, aren't you?" Gil asked in a taunting tone, "So if Raine falls off, what do you think Lynn will do to me?"

Leonard sat stoically in the interrogation office, eyes scanning expressionlessly around him as all of Gil's friends and several police officers sat around the main table. Arnold chose to take the testimony in the main office rather than the smaller rooms to fit everyone, but it didn't mean a more open and friendly atmosphere. Pacing back and forth before Leonard, Arnold flipped open his folder and placed it on the desk, sliding it at Leonard. "Meet the first victim of this serial killing case, one you happen to know well."

Leonard took a glance at the picture, and saw the familiar face of Candy Shallow, her shoulder length brown hair, crystal blue eyes and charismatic smile captivating his eyes. Leonard's face flickered, showing a crack in the armour as Arnold continued to pound away. "Those who love her stop all their activities just to look her way, those who don't like her still have her haunt their minds," he listed, nodding at Zelos, "And those who worship her will do anything to be with her, including sacrificing their own safety."

That was Gil's cue to step forward, as the Iselia native balanced delicately on his crutches and turned his ice cold stare at Leonard. "But for Candy, the more attention she got, the crazier she became, and when the Heart of Balacruf became hers to model, it was too much," Gil described, taking the group back to the day of the first auction, "But she never had a chance to showcase it, as she was found dead in the back staircase of the hotel, minutes before heading out. And present in the crime scene were two suspects."

Gil's eyes tilted to the far side of the room, where his fellow former mole sat confidently with his arms crossed, his right hand gently massaging the cast on his left. "Zelos Wilder wanted nothing to do with Candy again, and Andrew Crocker loved Candy so much that he wouldn't dare to hurt her. Moreover, there was an eye witness that could point to them both being away from the crime scene, and that's our horse rider friend." He gestured to a teenager in the centre, who merely nodded in agreement. "All the evidence plus eye witness accounts show logical inconsistencies in framing them as the suspects, so the first case was ruled a tragic accident, and not pursued any further."

"But it didn't stop a second death," Arnold added, placing another folder adjacent to the first, "Fiona Kauffman, lead dancer at the local casino and secret lover of casino owner Gordon Perry. Logically speaking, the most likely culprits are the Perry couple, since he wants the necklace back, and she wants the secret admirer gone. But they were attending their wedding anniversary ball during time of death, thus eliminating them as suspects."

"Yet in both cases, there was one common theme," Gil chimed in, clopping back into the view. The light fixated itself on the table, illuminating the two police officers towering over the seated jewellery expert. "The Heart of Balacruf was present in both deaths, and was irremovable from the bodies. In fact, Dr. Austin asked for your help both times, and he reported seeing you not even flinching as you acted. Add to the fact that you approached the two so close to their times of death, that made you the key suspect."

Gil smirked as he glanced around the room, his friends looking at him like an award-winning actor. "All I had to do was to set up an experiment to test my theory. My ingredients were a cursed necklace, an attention craving woman, and a shameless flirt willing to pay attention to said woman," he reminisced, his lips curling up into a smile. Then, in the voice of an announcer, he bellowed, "Starring in the epic 'The Staircase Murders,' The Heart of Balacruf as the necklace, Raine Sage as the attention craver, and Zelos Wilder as the shameless flirt!" he ended with fake applause, cupping his hand over his mouth and breathing loudly, much to everyone's delight.

Just then, Leonard's cuffed hands slammed into the table, causing Gil to snap his eyes back at him. "So that finally got your attention, yes?" he asked, a condescending look piercing right through Leonard's soul, "Then I say the floor's yours."

All that remains is to see how they arrive at the conclusion of how those deaths occured, and that's the end of this story. One more chapter for me to wrap up loose ends and for Bucky's horse to give everyone a big surprise. Until then!