Chapter Eight: Questions Answered
Fabletown, New York, August 2011
For the rest of the night Remembrance Day continued as normal with the majority of Fables being unaware of what had been transpiring. At midnight, per Fable tradition, the ball was considered over and the attendees went home. Or out for further celebrations elsewhere.
For a select few, they were brought into Snow's office. The current occupants were Snow, Mayor Cole, Wendy, Bluebeard, an undisguised Rose Red, and an unconscious Bufkin.
"Rose, what has been going on with you? If you weren't dead why not tell me you were alive?" Snow pleaded to her sister, who had taken off her brunette wig revealing short red hair.
Rose refused to give her sister direct eye contact. "Sure, make this all about yourself Snow, as usual."
"You should have told me you know." Bluebeard stated, looking a little insulted by this whole ordeal. Rose did not say a word to him.
The door opened and in walked Bigby along with a drowsy Harry.
"Okay Bigby, we're all here. Now stop stalling already." Snow commanded.
Bigby took a drag off his cigarette for a moment. "Okay, first thing I need to tell you is Mr. Range is being held in our detention area with Piper and Bo currently standing guard. I haven't heard back from Dumbledore, he must have gone to the wizarding section of New York to get what he needs. So Harry and everyone else is safe, though I am going to be keeping a closer eye on him for the time being."
Harry fidgeted but didn't look ungrateful for the concern.
"As for the part about Rose, I can tell you exactly what happened with her now." Bigby continued. "Now, bear with me here, right now I have that one opportunity very cop wishes to have, the parlor scene. That one moment when they can tell a whole room of people how they solved the crime. So pardon any dramatics I might do here."
The sheriff paused to clear his throat. "Now, I've been doing this job since we settled here in America, back when this city was still called New Amsterdam. During that time, I've never been in a gunfight, never been in a car chase, never did any of that stuff you see on the cop shows or Die Hard movies. But I have experience in spades, and let me tell you, this case has been suspicious since the first moment."
"How so?" Cole asked.
"Well sir, let's start with the very first moment. My office is here in the Woodland, while Rose's apartment is on Grimm Street. That distance covers roughly half of Fabletown. Yet Jack took a cab to get here from the apartment, acting like he was in a hurry. Not unrealistic, but when he got to me he was out of breath and sweaty like he had been running. Jack's in good shape, he wouldn't exhaust himself like that with what little running he had actually done."
Snow found herself nodding.
"Jack needed me to believe that he had to rush to my office like it was a matter of life or death. He needed me to believe that what he saw truly got him worked up. And like a kid faking sick to stay home from school, he overacted."
"I told him to be subtle." Rose muttered under her breath.
"So already aware that something was off, I went to Rose's apartment. It was immediately obvious to me that the crime scene was staged, and like Jack, it was overacted. Blood was splattered everywhere, on virtually every possible surface, yet there were no footprints in the blood. Jack himself had said he had already been inside the apartment, confirming that Rose was not in the bedroom."
"Couldn't he have been trying to preserve evidence?" Cole asked.
Bigby shook his head. "Not a chance. If you had thought that your girlfriend had been brutally attacked your first priority would have been to make sure she was safe, not that evidence was preserved. And even if by chance Jack was preserving evidence, an actual murderer couldn't have done something like that without themselves or Rose stepping in the blood too. Speaking of which, all that evidence there, Jack was the one who set up the scene."
"Why do you say that?" Snow asked.
"Harry, since you had to do the scene recreation, do you want to tell this part?" Bigby offered.
The eleven year old stepped up and cleared his throat. "Well, all the furniture looked like it was knocked over, but aside from some tears and broken glass there was little actual damage done. The lamp was on its side but the bulb was intact, an ashtray was far from the table but wasn't even chipped, and the stereo system was the only thing that didn't have a drop of blood on it."
"Not to mention the CDs on the floor were all the ones in the back of her collection, instead of the ones near the front that would have been much easier to grab in an actual struggle." Bigby added. "Rose was obviously unwilling to damage and replace her favorites, the ones she would put in the front since she'd listen to them the most often. Just the lack of blood on that area alone made it clear Rose intended to use the stereo again, which is something she wouldn't have on her mind in a legit struggle to save herself from a murderer. The whole scene was staged and Rose was in on it."
Snow looked to her sister. "Why on earth would you fake your own death?"
"I'm getting to that." Bigby cut off. "Now Snow, at the time, all the evidence told me was that Rose was a part of setting up the scene. She obviously had input given the lack of blood on the stereo and in her kitchen. Yes, her toaster and some glasses were brought out of the kitchen and banged up good, but no damage or blood was in the kitchen itself. But that wasn't enough to prove she was still alive. There was still a chance she had been killed after the scene was staged."
"But why would that happen?" Cole asked.
"Maybe Rose wanted to fake her death but her killer wanted the real thing and saw the scene as a great red herring. Anyway, my nose said it was definitely Rose's blood so I had to consider the possibility, then I had Harry and his friends recreate the scene to find out how much blood had actually been spilled before things went bad. Harry, how much blood did you use to make an exact replica?"
"Five or six pints, enough to kill a normal person."
Bigby nodded. "We knew the scene was staged, but we obviously had reason to suspect Rose was dead. The amount of blood was the one part where Jack and Rose had truly outsmarted me."
"But then I figured out the missing part." Harry said with some pride. "According to Google, the average person can give a pint of blood every six weeks without any harm. If Rose wanted to, she could collect her own blood little by little until she had enough to make it look like she couldn't possibly have survived. Grandpa said it was possible but where could she have kept it? I reminded him of the busted lock he found in the kitchen, one that matched holes found on the freezer."
Bigby nodded. "Rose likes to party, so I didn't think anything of a padlock on her fridge. Who wouldn't want to protect their food from nosy guests on a regular basis? But as Harry pointed out, the padlock was removed and put into a utility drawer, not flung across the room. It wasn't removed as part of a set-up, it was removed because it was no longer needed. And that meant that inside the freezer was Rose's own blood, kept there over the course of thirty weeks proving that this whole thing was planned well in advance."
"Why did you do it Rose?" Snow asked.
"Mind if I have a crack at that Rose? Just to see if I got it right?" Bigby asked.
The redhead looked a little distant right now, like she had given up. "Go ahead, you've figured out all this so far."
"Okay, the simple fact is from day one I was never looking for her killer. I was looking for whoever would make her want to fake her death in the first place. Here's my theory. Over a year ago, Jack had another of his get-rich-quick schemes, this one a dotcom business."
"Seriously?" Wendy asked.
Bigby nodded. "Yep, leave it to Jack to think he can win where everyone else has failed. Naturally he needed money to get it off the ground, so he turned to Rose for a handout. He talked her into it, but she didn't have enough to give him what he asked for, not without going broke herself. So then they had their break-up, done where everyone would see it and be aware of it of course, and not too long later Rose ends up with Bluebeard."
The aforementioned man looked at the redhead, not liking the direction this was going.
"Bluebeard being the romantic he is wanted to marry her in no time, but Rose convinced him to let their engagement last a year first. She had him write up a contract, and Bluebeard what were the terms of it again?"
"That our engagement be kept secret for a whole year, and she receive a cash dowry up front. In return we would still be allowed to have sex during that year and Rose would speak on my behalf regarding any requests I had from our deputy-mayor."
Bigby nodded. "That gave Jack the money he needed, and time for Rose to make enough to pay you back and end the engagement without repercussion. However, Jack lost the money, like anyone but Rose could have seen him doing."
Rose had the good grace to look humiliated.
"So the year began to dwindle down, and Rose knew it would come time to make good on the marriage. And of course, she knew Bluebeard wasn't exactly going to just let her off the hook if she tried to get out of it. Especially if he knew all this. So she and Jack came up with this scheme to cover their asses."
"What about the dead body in my apartment? How did it get there?" Snow asked.
"The how is still unclear, but my best guess is Rose herself snuck into your apartment and planted it there, though I'm sure she had some help." Bigby answered. "As for who it was, allow me to show you."
Bigby opened the door to the office, and in came a blonde woman in a wheelchair that none of them recognized. She had several bandages and a cast around her neck, showing she hadn't been out of the hospital for long. "Everyone, meet Jack's first partner in crime, Jill."
"Jack came to me about the loan first and I told him no, so he must have gone to Rose next." Jill explained, her voice rough and gravelly. "Then the other day he came to me again begging for more, and it got aggressive. Next thing I know I'm falling and break my neck, then I wake up in Swineheart's clinic and the sheriff tells me I was used as a prop to fake Rose Red's death."
Bigby nodded. "That's how I learned about Jack and Rose's motive in all this. Jill's nearly dead body gave them an opportunity to throw me off that they couldn't pass up. After they used some wizard stuff to make her look like Rose of course. That must have been expensive though. They just didn't count on her surviving all that."
"In summary, Miss Red faked her death just to get out of keeping a promise she never intended to keep in the first place, right Grandpa?" Harry asked, and Bigby nodded.
"Did you really think this was going to work Rose?" Snow asked.
"It only had to work long enough for me and Jack to find another way to make the money. I needed something to help me avoid the deadline." She answered, ignoring the infuriated look on Bluebeard's face.
"All you were doing was trying to get out of one hole by digging another." Wendy stated.
"Well we can't all fly like your ex-boyfriend can we?" Rose snapped.
Wendy glared and grabbed her gun, only for Bigby to roar. "Stop!" Wendy looked to him and sighed before putting away her gun.
"Behave everyone, this isn't Jerry Springer!" Bigby warned. "So Mayor Cole, Deputy-mayor White, now that you know what happened I believe you can take over from here."
"Yes, we will." Snow stated. Wendy moved to place cuffs on Rose again to make it less likely she'd try to escape.
"Thank you for your time everyone, now please enjoy what's left of the night." Bigby said to everyone else.
Dumbledore had a little trouble finding the wizarding section of New York, but once he did find it he wasn't that surprised about it's location. According to the taxi driver he had used to get there, who was a wizard by the way, the magical community was located all along the perimeter of Central Park. It made sense, since historically wizards preferred to live close to natural areas and magic was rumored to be strongest in those sorts of places.
Like Fabletown, the wizarding area had a muggle front for the non-magical people in the area to use and be none the wiser. But behind it was where the wizards had their shops and residences, concealed with charms and bigger-on-the-inside spells. Some such places were also hidden inside the park itself. Dumbledore had found a drug store and of course in the hidden back there had been a potions shop.
"Here you go." The clerk said, handing him a small bottle of potion while Dumbledore gave him some of his remaining dragots.
"Thank you." Dumbledore replied, pocketing the potion. "By the way sir, could I ask you something?"
"I've got time, shoot."
"Do you know of Fabletown?"
The clerk looked surprised to hear that. "Of course I do, who doesn't?"
"I'm not exactly from around here. What do you think of Fabletown?"
"I haven't been there in years. But I've got nothing bad to say about them. Though there have been people that have complained about them before."
"How so?" Dumbledore asked, curious.
The clerk shrugged. "I can't remember anything specific. Usually most people just make jokes or comments about the stories they're in. They have been pretty helpful in helping us find more ways to be less dependent on magic for everything. Most Fables can go years without ever using magic."
Dumbledore blinked. 'Wow, and I myself can barely get dressed in the morning without at least one spell.'
"Because of that and the low birth rate, I remember hearing about a vote a few years ago where MACUSA considered removing the fifth dorm from Ilvermorny, but that bill didn't pass." The clerk continued.
Dumbledore blinked again. "Wait, did you say fifth dorm? I thought Ilvermorny was modeled after Hogwarts and had four dorms too."
"Sure, back in the beginning. But after wizards and Fables started their alliance long ago, a fifth dorm was added as a way to symbolically include the Fables as a part of Magical America. The only downside is children are usually only born once every decade in Fabletown, or so I've been told. So it's not only Fables who get to be in that dorm."
"That… is quite interesting." Dumbledore commented. "Thank you for your time."
He left the store and with luck managed to get another cab that took him back to Fabletown. As he walked into the Woodland he saw some people exiting already, likely having decided they were done for the night and returning home, and he approached Grimble at the front desk.
"I've got something that the sheriff can use in interrogating the prisoner."
Grimble moved his hat to look at the wizard. "Holding cells are downstairs."
"Where downstairs?"
"You'll find it when you get there." Grimble said, covering his eyes with his hat again.
Not getting more, Dumbledore decided to go with it and went to the stairs, going down to the lower floor. He wasn't sure where to go from there, but seeing two people by a door gave him a good idea where to start.
"Excuse me, is this where the prisoner is being held?" He asked.
"Yeah, we're guarding him on behalf of our boss. I'm Bo Peep and this is Pied Piper."
"Is Mr. Wolf going to be long?"
Piper shrugged. "Hopefully not, but I'd get comfortable if you're going to be waiting for him."
Dumbledore nodded and conjured up a chair to sit on. "So how's the prisoner?"
"Right where he should..." Bo replied, turning to look on through the window for good measure. "… be?" Her eyes widened and she looked more thoroughly inside. "He's gone!"
"What?" Piper asked, almost pushing her aside to look through as well. "I don't believe it. He's gone."
"Hold it, let me check for something." Dumbledore said, getting up. "Open the door, slowly."
Bo and Piper did just that, and when it was open enough Dumbledore went inside. "Accio invisibility cloak." He said with his wand out.
There was no reaction.
He then walked out of the room with them closing the door behind him. "I was wrong. Somehow that man has indeed escaped."
"First Jack and now this. Miss White is not going to be happy." Bo rued.
Morning came and so far no rumors had spread about the event. Dumbledore didn't get a chance to speak to Bigby so he went back to the hotel. Bigby himself was more than a little upset that the man who came here to attack Harry had somehow escaped again. There was no trail to sniff out or search, so Bigby couldn't even begin to look for him. As a result, he had to call it a night and just keep Harry safe.
Now, Bigby and Harry were eating breakfast while Colin was seen sleeping on the couch. So Bigby considered that part at least a success.
The doorbell rang and Bigby went to answer it, seeing Dumbledore on the other side. Opening the door he naturally checked the scent to confirm it was really him.
"Hello Mr. Wolf, I'm sorry about what happened. I still cannot figure out how he did that. There were no portkeys and I checked for anti-apparition wards." Dumbledore greeted, then looked to Harry. "Harry, can I have a word with you?"
He put down his fork and looked to the old man. "I suppose. What do you want to talk about?"
"For starters, I want to say I'm glad that you weren't harmed last night. You weren't scared were you?"
Harry shrugged. "A little, but I was sure everyone would get the guy this time. And if he got here I was ready to defend myself."
"That's good to hear. Do you know anything about this man?"
"Only that he apparently worked at Ilvermorny. Right Grandpa?" Harry asked.
"Allegedly. I reported the case to MACUSA and asked them to confirm his alias, but it will take time to get confirmation. But he did seem rather familiar with the war Dumbledore was in and he expressed sympathy towards the dark lord in it."
"He may have been a Death Eater that fled British law." Dumbledore theorized. "Though I fear what this could mean for Harry if Death Eaters truly have gotten into Ilvermorny."
Bigby leaned back a little. "Can you promise that there are no Death Eaters in Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore did his best to not fidget. "There is no one loyal to the dark lord under my employ."
"That's not what I asked Dumbledore." Bigby warned.
The old wizard silently sighed. "Alright, I do have one professor who used to be a member, but he abandoned the organization before the war ended. He just couldn't follow Voldemort any more. I can assure you he has my complete trust."
"Still, it's a Death Eater that will have easy access to Harry if he were to go to your school." Bigby contemplated.
"Look at it this way, there is only one at Hogwarts and I can do everything in my power to assure you he will be no threat. On the other hand you don't know how many Death Eaters are in Ilvermorny and have no way to guarantee Harry's safety without asking for too much from the administration."
Bigby and Harry looked at each other for a moment, then Bigby looked back to Dumbledore. "We'll think about it, but you do make a good point."
Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if I can get a proper English breakfast rather than an American one."
"Don't think I want to know what that is." Harry said, enjoying some bacon.
Snow was in a foul mood, going over the loose ends of the recent events. Fortunately Cole trusted her judgment so she wasn't going to get much hassle over her choices, but a lot of people were going to be unhappy with her choices.
But at least there was one person she didn't mind too much seeing be unhappy.
"This is all I get?" Charming asked when he got a check, given to him by Snow at the I Am The Eggman diner. The check in question was his payment for putting his lands up for sale in the raffle. Which came to a disappointing total of less than $33,000.
"Yes, after a few legal deductions of course." Snow told him, pausing to sip some coffee. "We had to pay back Bluebeard for Jack and Rose's theft. And since they couldn't, we used this. Think of it as Jack and Rose now owe you money instead of owing him money if that makes you feel better. Also we had to cover the expenses of the investigation, and again blame Jack and Rose for not making this a cheap one."
"But none of that was my responsibility." Charming argued.
"No, it wasn't. But that money started as Fabletown property first. You didn't put your lands up for sale directly, you auctioned them off as a Fabletown event. That means we get first cut and you get the profit. If you wanted the profit to be bigger, you should have done an independent lottery, not a sponsored one."
Charming muttered some profanities under his breath but pocketed the money.
"As for Jack and Rose paying you back what we had to give to Bluebeard, I have a suggestion." Snow continued, getting her ex-husband's attention. "I just mentioned to Rose that a sign of charitable donations, such as the giving of land to someone, might be enough to allow for a reduced sentence. Meaning she'd get something less degrading than scrapping the barnacles off the Hamilton for the next decade. I presume you getting your kingdom back free of charge if Rose takes the hint would suffice, would it not?"
Charming didn't smile, but he didn't disagree. "When did you become such a bitch Snow?"
She stood up casually. "I'm sure we both remember the exact moment that happened Charming. Now, I'm going back to work. You can cover the check for once."
Done with that meeting, Snow headed back into the Woodland, where she was greeted by Bigby and Bluebeard outside her office.
"So Miss White, what do you wish to discuss?" Bluebeard asked.
Snow opened the door and led the two men in. "Bluebeard, I have something for you, but it won't come without conditions." She sat down and opened a drawer in her desk, holding a check. "This is the repayment for the money Rose swindled out of you. You can take this and all will be normal again, but the matter will be officially dropped. Meaning you can't take action against Jack or Rose again regarding this crime."
Bluebeard clasped his hands together. "Out of curiosity, what will happen if I don't accept this?"
"Bluebeard, if you're holding onto some hope that you can still marry Rose, let me ask you this. Why? She went to all this effort to get out of that arrangement, is that a woman you want as a wife?"
"Plus let me remind you that you were caught redhanded in trying to kill Jack while he was a prisoner and that helped him to escape." Bigby pointed out. "That is still considered a crime, but one could make the argument that you were caught up in the heat of the moment and not fully responsible for your own mentality. If you accept the reimbursement, I'll be inclined to accept a plea of 'momentary insanity'."
Bluebeard frowned. "You're blackmailing me."
"Bluebeard, you're a victim in all this, but we're trying to get things back to normal. Rose will still be punished and Jack will still be arrested once we find him, and this way you're no worse off than you were before. What more could you want?" Snow asked.
Bluebeard took a few breaths, then held out his hand. Snow handed him the check and he pocketed it. "What will be their punishments?"
"Community service for Rose since we can't fine or imprison her. Jack's sentence will be determined once we catch him, and should he commit further crimes we may just send him to MACUSA's prison."
"I'd say we ask Dumbledore to take him to England." Bigby commented.
"Good day Deputy-mayor." The bald man said before departing from the office.
Snow slumped in her chair. "Huh, that could have gone worse. Now I just got to figure out what to do about Jack." There was a knock at the door, making her sigh. "Come in."
The door opened and in walked Dumbledore, accompanied by Harry. "Hello, is this a bad time?"
Snow leaned back. "Not the best, but if you're here for what I think you are, I can spare you the time." Dumbledore came in and took a seat, with Harry standing off to the side not far from Bigby. "Let me guess, you've figured out how to accommodate our concerns regarding Harry if he chooses to attend your school?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I've spoken with some people and have much better insight now. Harry will not undergo anything that forbids him from leaving Hogwarts should the school become unsafe or unfulfilling for him. His dorm will meet the standards of Fabletown for himself and other students who live there, and I am willing to allow a few of his friends here to join him so he feels less alone."
Snow nodded and looked to the young boy. "Harry, can you think of anyone who'd be willing to go with you in such an event?"
He shrugged. "Just Coraline and Jane. Jake's needed here and Percy won't leave his mom."
Snow nodded and motioned for Dumbledore to continue.
"I will implement a class to teach wizards about Fables, and I have here a list of qualifications on appropriate teachers, as well as others that might help in other ways." The old wizard said, pulling out a piece of paper that he handed to the brunette woman. "I will also ensure that Harry, when he is ready, will receive classes that are geared towards his personal goals and the goals of Fabletown. Oh, and that he receives proper medication for diseases at my home as well as can get to the school and supplies needed for it. I don't think he'll need more."
"I have a suggestion." Bigby mentioned, getting everyone's attention. "Diplomatic immunity."
"Diplomatic immunity?" Dumbledore repeated. "Why would he need that?"
"Just a precaution. If he gets in trouble with anything and someone outside your school wants to do something about it, they won't be able to. Any punishment Harry needs, that's for us to decide, not your government."
Dumbledore was silent for a moment. "It will raise some questions, but I'm sure Harry would face some regardless."
"You want animals?" Snow asked, looking at the list given to her.
Dumbledore nodded. "Mostly to show the variety among Fables, plus each dorm has an animal mascot. It might help the students open up to the Fables if they have something in common. There is however one thing I would like to ask of you though."
"What is that?" Snow asked.
"I have a rather unorthodox thought regarding Harry's dorm. Hogwarts along with most magical schools have four dorms that reflect differing values among the students and teachers, but I've learned that Ilvermorny has five, one inspired by Fabletown. I too have been inspired by Fabletown, I am in awe of a magical community that can keep up with the muggle society and incorporate the two together. I think my culture can learn a lot from yours, and I think one way to get started is to create a fifth dorm in Hogwarts, one that reflects Fabletown values and lifestyles."
"So a little bit of New York in Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "Modified of course, but compatible. Also think about the primary value of the house. Gryffindor values courage and honor, Ravenclaw values intelligence and wit, Hufflepuff values loyalty and patience, and Slytherin values cunning and power. What would the Fable house value?"
Harry grinned. "That's easy, the same thing Fabletown stands for. Freedom and hope."
Dumbledore blinked. "Freedom and hope?"
Harry nodded. "That's the whole reason Fabletown exists in the first place. Freedom from tyranny and dictators, and hope for the return home. Everyone who calls Fabletown home does so because of those."
Snow smiled. "Nicely said Harry. Maybe you should speak at the next Remembrance Day." She looked to Dumbledore. "Can you really build a new dorm in less than a month?"
"It will be a challenge and it will not be cheap, but if you were to provide some help and part of the funds then I believe it would be possible."
Snow and Bigby looked to each other, then to Harry. "Harry, do you want to go to this school?"
The young boy straightened up a little. "I gotta admit I do feel safer about going there than to Ilvermorny right now, and it would be nice to see where Mom and Dad went to school."
Snow smiled. "Alright Dumbledore, I'll see what we can provide, though I can't promise anything on the funds."
"I think I can cover some of that." Bigby added.
Snow looked to him. "How can you do that?"
"I have my ways."
Snow frowned. "Fine, but when we have a moment you better tell me." She then looked to Dumbledore. "And don't think this means Harry will fight that dark lord you're afraid of. You're the adult, you do it."
"It may not be as easy as you think it is." Dumbledore said. "Anyway, I should return home and get started on everything if I want to be done by the beginning of the school year. Can anyone come with me to help make sure the Fable dorm is set to your standards?"
Bigby nodded. "Yes, Wendy. I already asked her to go along with Harry as security if he accepts. So she'd be perfect."
"Jane will have to go with her too you know." Harry noted. Bigby just nodded.
Dumbledore smiled. "Excellent. Now, I'll just wait for them to be ready and-"
"There's no need for that. Wendy and Jane have their own ways of traveling." Bigby assured. "They'll meet you in London, kind of like how they met you here."
Confused, the old wizard at least accepted it. "Alright then, I best be on my way. Thank you for your hospitality, and I look forward to seeing Harry attend my school."