The morning sun peeked in through the window, making Vivi sit up in bed silently. She's always been good about waking up, but some mornings just felt harder to manage. After Arthur got out of the shower last night, I had to shower… I went to bed around 2:30…and now my watch tells me it's 8:13… Do I really need to get up early today? She stretched and looked outside her window, seeing the lake shimmering in the distance. What a beautiful place… It's a shame that it doesn't have any more customers… Vivi rubbed the tiredness out of her eyes immediately, then got out of bed.

"This mystery needs to be solved as quickly as possible," She said as she walked to her door. "We can sleep when it's all done with." She quickly went to Arthur's door and knocked on it, almost feverishly. "Wake up Arthur! We need all the daylight we can manage!" She pulled back her hand and readied to knock again, when it swung open.

"I'm awake V," Arthur mumbled softly, rubbing his eyes with his flesh arm. "I woke up a few minutes ago… Before we go out to investigate, I demand food." Arthur laughed softly, trying to be playful with her.

"Alright then," Vivi responded plainly, "Just make it fast. I want to get on with it." Arthur looked at her and loud out a heavy sigh.

"You seem extra motivated today…" He went into the kitchen and made himself a quick breakfast, some buttered toast with orange juice, then went back into his room. "I'll get changed." Vivi stared at him for a moment, sensing something was off. She looked him up and down slowly, Arthur getting a nervous flush when she does. "What's wrong…?" Vivi bit her lip, thinking of how to word it.

"It's just…not that I'm against it…"

"Just say it…"

"I'm wondering…why you slept with your arm on?" Vivi asked slowly. Arthur raised an eyebrow, before looking back to metallic arm.

"I…I just didn't want to mess with it this morning…" He answered, avoiding her eyes. Vivi put her hands on her hips and grit her teeth.

"Arthur, you are a grown man," Vivi almost hissed at him. "But you are the lousiest liar in the country." He winched at her words, but she didn't back down. "I swear if you don't look me in the eyes and tell me the truth, I will toss you in the lake!" It's not like she would actually do that to him, knowing he'd sink like a rock, but her threats felt real.

"O-Okay…" He mumbled as he slowly met her eyes. "I…I usually do maintenance before bed…and last night, I didn't feel like it. So…instead of leaving it to get cold on the nightstand, I decided to put it back on." Arthur smiled gently at her, a sheepish look in his eyes. He isn't telling me the whole truth… Was he afraid of something attacking him while he slept? He definitely has that look of fear about him…

"Fine, don't tell me everything," She grumbled while crossing her arms. "You'll make it up to me later." She turned gently and went back into her room to change. Arthur stared where she had just gone, and gently rubbed his arm. I can't tell her what I did last night… I can't let her know… She'd be so upset with me… He closed his door and gently took off his shirt. The skin above the metallic arm looked swollen, discoloring as it disappeared under the housing unit. I can't tell her… She'd never leave me alone again… He looked into the trashcan at half full bottle of lidocaine that had been hastily thrown on top. It's not that I like pain or anything…but it's the only time…the only time I feel my problems vanish… If only that feeling would last… He shook his head and left his room, still half dressed, and went into the kitchen. He found some plastic wrap and carefully bound his metallic arm, only leaving the hand untouched. I don't know what's going to happen today…but I can't be too careful… Once he was done, he returned to his room.

Arthur threw on a white, long sleeved shirt, then searched his bag until he found a pair of bright orange swim trunks. He pulled them on as well, smiling gently at his reflection. He then shifted to the bathroom and added gel to his hair, spiking it up, when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He let out a short laugh.

Long sleeved shirt with shorts. Really fashionable Arthur… He sifted through his luggage until he found a pair of blue jeans. It took a bit of tucking and straightening to pull the jeans over the swim trunks, but overall, the look wasn't bad. He found a bright orange coat and threw it on too. I'm not sure what the weather's like, so I should account for all weather. To top off his look, Arthur grabbed his gloves and pulled them on over his hands. He scooped up his backpack and opened his door, almost running into Vivi on the other side. She was dressed in her normal attire, with the exception that she was wearing her blue scarf today. Vivi put her hands on her hips and pouted gently. "You look like you're getting ready to go skiing."

"I do not…" He responded, crossing his arms.

"You'll stick out like a sore thumb," She pointed out. "You're even wearing gloves today. It's warm today Arthur." She looked at him questionably. "We can even go swimming if we have any free time."

"Yippee… Swimming," Arthur replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes to add to the effect.

"Come on Arthur, don't be a buzzkill."

"I just don't want any funny looks over my arm, okay?" Vivi''s eyes widened a moment, as if she had forgotten about the arm again.

"Oh I see…" She said gently, "You don't have to worry about that though… Their opinions don't matter."

"It could make us look suspicious though," Arthur announced, "And we want to solve this case quickly right?" Vivi bit her lip, battling her thoughts. I do want to solve this case…but not at the expense of making Arthur hide away… Is there no other option? Before she could make up her mind, Arthur slipped pass her and went to the door. "We're burning daylight."

Cabin A, C, and G were empty. Vivi pointed out how odd it was that they didn't start from A and start filling up alphabetically, but it didn't have to make sense to her. Cabin D belonged to the owners, a very sweet, older couple. The husband looked to be in his 50s, but he was built strong. He was tall, 6'7" at least, and he looked more physically fit than a lot of guys do in their 20s. Arthur was jealous. He had short black hair, and a Fu Manchu mustache. He was dressed casually, wearing a plain red shirt with blue jeans, and worn out old hiking boots. His wife was smaller than him by almost a foot, but the heels she was wearing closed the distance some. She was a beautiful older woman. She had long blond hair and light green eyes. She wore a blue sundress that came to her knees. They both had tanned skin, and appeared to be a lot younger than they actually were. Mr. and Mrs. Kindrin, the owners of the lake, were nothing but friendly. Mrs. Kindrin was responsible for cooking wholesome meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and mending clothing for her guests upon request. Mr. Kindrin was responsible for maintenance for the bathrooms and the cabins when needed. It turns out that, he built and painted all the cabins from scratch, on a tight budget.

"How are you two enjoying your stay?" Mrs. Kindrin asked upon seeing them. "We're the owners here, and I love to hear feedback from our patrions." She gave the younger adults an award winning smile.

"I've loved it so far!" Vivi said happily, clapping her hands together. "The lake is simply beautiful!"

"You like it eh?" Asked Mr. Kindrin, his voice low. "I've always been fond of the water. You should go for a swim today! It's supposed to get to a cozy 87 degrees around noon and stay that way until about 6."

"Sounds nice," Arthur commented gently, trying to be nice. I don't really think I'll go swimming anytime soon.

"Honestly," Vivi said gently, "When we got here last night, I was expecting a real spooky scene, but it's been pleasant." The wife shook her head.

"I'm sure it's nothing but a few mild pranks," She said assumingly, "But we do have to hire someone to catch the naughty little people responsible." Vivi raised an eyebrow and looked to Arthur. Does she…not know that we were hired last night…? Arthur didn't voice his question, instead changing the subject.

"We've been dying to go out to the island actually," He said quickly, hoping to sound enthusiastic.

"That's no problem!" Mr. Kindrin said happily. "Just go to the rental house and ask for a boat. It's only a small fee since they're so old. We do have some rules though."

"What would they be?" Vivi asked.

"You must have life jackets at least in the boat." Mrs. Kindrin started.

"You have to sign the book when you leave and when you come back," her husband continued.

"And you can't have the boat out pass 6 o'clock," Mrs. Kindrin finished.

"Why 6?" Arthur questioned.

"Because the wind picks up around 6, and it can make for a dangerous situation," Mr. Kindrin all but blurted out.

"Inexperienced rowers can get tired really easily…" Mrs. Kindrin continued, "And the last thing we want is for someone to be stuck out in the lake, without someone around to save them."

"Yeah," Mr. Kindrin picked up. "With kids jumping off the docks from time to time, we've had a couple close calls, but thankfully no one has ever been seriously hurt here." Vivi's lipped turned into a smile as she looked to Arthur.

"Well…not that it hasn't been nice talking to you," Arthur said gently. "But we're gonna head away now." They waved goodbye and continued their investigation.

Cabin E was reserved for the worker who manned in the boat house. Chad Marley, an adult in his 30s. He didn't look very fit. He was at least 5'11", a little taller than Arthur (when he stood up straight) and he was twice as thick. He had strong looking arms, but a large stomach. He had short blond hair, and blue eyes that seemed to hold many fond memories. He didn't wear a shirt, and wore a par of blue swim trunks, that were a little too small. He didn't talk much.

"Hey there Mr. Marley," Vivi said softly. "You run the boat house, right?"

"Yes," He replied softly. She waited for him to say more, but he didn't.

"Do you do anything else for the business?" Arthur asked.

"No." He answered. The conversation was going nowhere.

"Well… We're going now!" Vivi said cheerfully as she took Arthur's arm and pulled him away. She lowered her voice down to a whisper. "He's such a creepy guy…" Cabin F consisted of another family, a husband and wife with a single little girl. Vivi didn't really take interest in them, so Arthur quickly forgot about their presence.

By the time their beginning investigation was over with, it was 2 in the afternoon. Vivi came down to the beach of the summing area and sat down close to the water.

"Vivi…You have to take your shoes off at least…" Arthur said gently, when Vivi suddenly pulled off her scarf. She started to pull off her sweater, making Arthur blush and look away.

"Arthur, you're overreacting," He heard her say. "You can look." Arthur blushed more, and slowly turned his head around. Vivi was wearing a white one-piece swimsuit with a small skirt at the bottom. It had blue trim along the top of the skirt, and around the collar. The straps were the same shade of blue. The white made Vivi's skin look darker in comparison. She took off her glasses and laid them down with the rest of her clothes. "I'm going swimming! I need to get my mind off this for a second!" Mystery barked loudly and followed her as she ran and jumped into the water. Arthur smiled softly, watching her splash at Mystery, the pup jumping to bite at the water, before swimming around in the water. The lake water as so clear in the sunlight, he could see everything at the bottom. Mystery paddled out in the water around Vivi, circling her while yipping playfully.

He wanted to join her so badly, but one look at his arm kept him on the beach. The marks are still fresh… She'll notice it for sure… He found himself content with making a sand castle. He glanced up every now and then to see Vivi laughing. Her smile is so bright… I'd give anything to keep her smiling like that. He smiled warmly at her, before looking down at his own hands again. If I told her… If I told her the truth…about Lewis… She'd never smile at me again… She's hate me… Arthur bit his lip gently. If I don't tell her though… Lewis will just force it out of me and kill her… Not only will I die…I'll die being hated… Is it better to live hated? Or die hated?

He didn't notice Vivi until she put a hand on his shoulder. "You're making a sad face Arthur," Vivi said softly.

"I-I am not!" Arthur defended, caught in an obvious lie.

"Don't worry about what other people think," She said softly. "Your metal arm is the coolest thing since sliced bread." She grinned softly, knowing how clichéd that last comment was. Arthur looked up into her sweet eyes and sighed gently.

"Well…" Arthur started to say, when Mystery started to bark loudly. They both turned around toward the dog, who was barking towards the water.

"I see a boat…" Vivi mumbled softly.

"Wait a second," Arthur said quickly as he fished out a pair of binoculars from his backpack. He searched around until he spotted the boat, adjusting it so he could see it clearly. "It's that Marley guy." He muttered as he passed the binoculars over to Vivi. She looked through them as well and nodded softly.

"That's him alright…"

"Shouldn't he be at the rental house?" Arthur asked, raising an eye brow. "He's supposed to be working right now." Vivi lowered the binoculars and looked to him, a determined look in her eyes.

"Vivi… He's not a nice guy…" Arthur said slowly.

"He's still human Arthur." Vivi returned, a smile on her face. "Let's see what he's doing…"

~.~

Note from Author:

Hey! Thanks for keeping up with the story so far! I've got 6 awesome followers that I hope I won't disappoint, and over 300 views. I'm bouncing off the walls! Stay tuned and I hope you'll enjoy. Who do you think the culprit is? Hopefully, you guys like it. Review and tell me what you think!

Also, I'd like to add to anyone who's keeping up, that I won't be able to add the next chapter for a few days. I've got a few family events coming soon, so it may be delayed. The latest I'll post the next chapter will be Dec. 25th, but thanks for being so loyal to me so far!