There was nothing better than the thought of catching somebody red-handed. It brought pride and confidence to the accuser as they imagined the culprit standing knock-kneed and stuttering before their own questioner. It was what Sarah was currently hoping for as she attended Anastasia's school. Sarah had consulted Ana's teachers and stayed in the back of the room but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing and it smashed Sarah into confusion.

According to her homeroom teacher, Anastasia wasn't hated by anyone in the slightest. Then who would give such a note to someone who was just about traumatized by death anyway? Sarah sighed softly as she finally threw the paper away in the trash bin outside of the school.

"I don't get it," she murmured softly, running her hands over her face while she sat down. School had yet to be out but she was ready to just simply get up and go to the bakery to try and relax. There has to be something that will point at least a finger to someone. But she interrogated lightly at least five teachers and she got nothing. The only bad kid had been sent home for being sick two days before the paper was found. And it didn't look worn either.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" Looking up, she noticed a man standing nearby the rosebushes that guarded the iron fence, wearing casual clothing and looking as regal as her father had once been. The only difference was that he had no cane.

Sarah quickly nodded before smoothing her curled hair out of her face. "Yes, I'm fine, sir. Thank you though." Mustering her most realistic looking smile, she gave him a nod before she noticed that he was staring. It didn't take him long to realize this as he looked away, using a large hand to rub the back of his head.

"Forgive me; I just noticed that your eyes were a beautiful color." Her cheeks reddened automatically. "O-Oh. Well, t-thank you, sir." The brunette gave a warm smile that made Sarah's stomach get butterflies.

"Please," he said after an almost non-existent pause, "call me Thomas."

Watching him for a bit of a long moment, she nodded once before she stood and gracefully curtsied. "Sarah. Sarah Hall. A pleasure to meet you, Thomas." The male gave a faint smile and nodded before Sarah straightened. "Do you work here, Mr. Thomas?"

"No." He shook his head. "I'm just here to pick up my kid." That made total sense to her as she nodded. "Ah, I see. I'm waiting on my own little sister to come out."

Thomas raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head to the side. "How old is she, if I may ask?"

"Nine."

His eyes seemed to shine as a smile was brought to his lips. "Ah, then you are the momentarily famous Miss Hall. A tragedy it was for your parents to pass away so quickly." He sighed and shook his head. Sarah couldn't help but feel her stomach and heart twist, her breath hitching in her throat. "I'm sure it will be a horror, being at the funeral."

At this, she realized something. Her parents' bodies were never buried; they were put at the Kaernstein Hospital for research on who murdered them. She realized something else at this point. Why had she not been informed of the date of the funeral? Was Scotland Yard onto something and decided to keep the body for a bit longer?

Thomas noticed her sudden silence and surprised expression and he wandered over to her with a rather quick step. That snapped her out of her reverie but not soon enough as he kneeled in front of her. "Are you alright?"

Swallowing, she let a nervous yet shy smile show. "I-I'm fine. Just thinking, forgive me." Thomas shook his head.

"No, no," he said, "forgive me. I am the one brought back some bad memories." The golden-eyed female watched him for a long second before she softly sighed and shook her head, soon smiling a bit more at this point.

"Oh no, don't ever think that. I just…still have things to get used to with my parents gone." Thomas nodded a few times, looking a bit worried before he heard a voice only Sarah would automatically recognize.

"Sarah-onee-sama~!" And a pair of small arms was wrapped around her skirts and legs. Sarah smiled and gently adjusted the small coat around the girl's shoulders.

Thomas gave a warm laugh before he knelt down to her level. "Well, you don't happen to be Anastasia, do you?"

She gave a bright smile as she turned to him and curtsied. "I am," she replied, soon looking up to her sister, ready to ask a question. "Did you say your name, Onee-sama?"

"Of course I did," she said. "Don't expect me to be rude."

"But you can be."

Sarah quirked an eyebrow before she rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Of course," she said again but this time under her breath before she looked to Thomas.

"Want me to walk you two home?" Sarah couldn't help but blink. Didn't he have a kid to pick up? Before she could ask, the male held his hand up, callused fingers close together to stop her. "He said he was going home with a friend. He knows that I expect him back at the house before night time."

The dark-haired beauty watched him for a moment before she nodded once to show that she understood but it was slow. "Al…right then. Thank you, Thomas-san," she said, nodding once again to confirm her words. His smile shown on his face again and her stomach twisted again. Anastasia soon curtsied quickly in thanks before lightly bouncing on her feet. "Yes, thank you, sir!" The male simply nodded to show happiness in leading them safely home before he began to turn their back to them, allowing the two to go ahead forward and lead the way. Sarah kept ahold of Anastasia's hand as they headed onward, Sarah keeping her skirts up with one hand as she walked out of the school grounds.

"So, if I may ask, what do you do for a living, Mr. Thomas?"

"Me? Well, I run the nearby candy shop actually on Unison Boulevard," he replied, seeming to nod once in thought.

Anastasia's green eyes lit up as she practically started to bounce out of her shoes. "Do you have any candy with you now?" He chuckled softly before he started to search through his dark green coat, searching for any of the candy that Anastasia wished for. After a bit longer, he was turning over his shoulder and holding out a small red piece of hard candy.

With a small hand, the red-head took it with glee and automatically started to open it from its wrapper. Sarah softly smiled as she saw the small ball of chocolate soon pop into Anastasia's mouth. Her face lit up brighter in satisfaction. "It tastes really good!" His smile was invisible but it rang in his voice as he said, "I'm glad to hear that."

The little girl giggled before she noticed a familiar shop up ahead and ran over to it, removing herself from Sarah's hold to do so. The female stopped and straightened the skirts of her dress out as she watched, a small smile on her lips. Thomas, however, looked completely befuddled beside her. "…Please tell me that you're not living 'here'," he asked, awe and bemusement in his voice. Sarah laughed at his surprise before she turned to him, soon simply shrugging.

"We've been here with the Undertaker. Despite his appearance and job, he is a kind man." Thomas still seemed shocked before he simply shook his head out of awe, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket.

"Wow. I see. Oh!" His exclamation made her question immediately in her own mind before a small chocolate was shoved under her nose. Blinking several times, Sarah soon took it in her gloved hand and looked over it. It was a square-like chocolate and as she unwrapped it curiously, it was white. "Hey…"

Thomas's word made Sarah look up from the chocolate. He was moving into a nearby alleyway and she couldn't help but automatically frown. Popping the piece of chocolate into her mouth, she followed as the sugary treat melted on her tongue.

"Thomas?" Softly chewing on the homemade chocolate, she soon swallowed it, feeling the taste linger on her tongue as well as a rather odd…maybe stale after-taste. She blinked cluelessly at the taste and as Thomas stood still. His back was to her as he seemed to look at the ground. Licking at her gums and swallowing the rest of the leftover treat from her mouth, she suddenly caught a sharp smell. Something…something related to some sort of medicine.

Moving her hand up to her mouth, she softly sniffed at her own breath and reeled. She smelt a strange type of sedatives in her mouth and... "Thomas?" she asked again, this small tint of fear gripping at her tone.

Slowly, he turned around and Sarah flinched at the sudden haze hovering around her eyes. It… The medicine was in the chocolate?! His soft chuckle was no longer gentle but it was more of a warning, like the warning of a buzzing electric fence. "I'm glad you actually got my little note, dear Sarah," he murmured, a sly grin on his face. "Pity I had to give it to such a small girl at first to make it get to you."

…No…He was the one who had given Anastasia that note from before… Turning sharply on her heel, she attempted to bolt over to Undertaker's shop. It was just over there. A dizzy spell slapped itself across her face and her footing was off enough for her to trip however, she landed right in a fast pair of arms that encircled her waist and shoulders.

"Goodnight, Sarah," he murmured, his lips hovering right over the shell of her ear. Her only response was a soft whimper as she attempted to remove herself from him but her only reward was the darkness closing in on her quicker. And she was out, laying limp in her captor's arms.