Chapter 21
Sans let himself into Undyne's office without knocking. Undyne eyed him while still typing before turning away from the computer to face him.
"Whatcha got?"
*nat's story checks out. no surprise there. gabe approved her personally since she's making food that our charges eat."
"So why's her ex all up in her business? He came out of this with millions."
Sans smiled. "*he didn't. did nat mention that paying her divorce lawyer was an automatic deduction?"
"The divorce lawyer cleaned out the account as 'fees,' didn't he?"
"*oh yeah. and i don't think the investments even come into this. i'm betting that davis thinks the divorce lawyer took the money and just gave it back to nat on the sly."
"So where's the money?"
"*off shored. legally i might add. judge rubber stamped the fees paperwork without actually reading it."
Undyne laughed. "Oh this is rich! Paps got a bead on Davis?"
"*yeah. he's been living on credit all this time and bankrupting himself trying to get rich quick. even sold the big house below market for quick cash."
"What's your plan?"
"*he's got a room at a hotel just off the highway. we're waiting for the face stealer to show. with a little luck, we can apprehend him and the imposter in one go. if davis checks out of the hotel before that, we'll nab him and take him to the capitol."
"Good. I have a couple people looking into why the police in St. Canard weren't looking into the kind of breaking and entering we saw last night. You don't do that unless you're sure you're safe from retribution."
"*what about frisk and school?"
"Until we have the imposter underwraps, Frisk is staying home. Of course, they got enough snow on the ridge last night that you'd need snowshoes to come into town. Susie's fine to take Frisk anything she needs. Muffet will be in Nightrest today."
There was a knock on the door and Muffet opened it with a smile. "Hello, Dearies! I hope my ears are burning because you've had nice things to say about me."
Sans shrugged. "*nah. it's all neutral."
Muffet stepped inside. "Reporting for duty."
"Good to see you again. Are you settled in?" Undyne asked.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Excellent. I'm putting you with Sans for the moment. We have a situation and while Frisk isn't in a position to be anywhere but home, it takes priority. Sans will fill you in."
Muffet nodded once. "While I'm here, I'm also to scout a good home for Lady Aramita. Should I back burner that for the moment?"
"Yes."
Sans' left eye began to glow. "*that's paps. we have a problem."
One shortcut later had Undyne, Muffet, and Sans standing outside the standard white rectangle of a hotel in ankle deep snow. The parking lot had seen a plow, but the sidewalks were neglected. Every car in the lot was covered with a thick blanket of snow. Papyrus met them at the front door and took them up to the third floor. Room 314 was blocked by a Nightrest policemonster, a humanoid cat that looked like he'd been vomiting up something other than a hairball earlier and was pointedly looking anywhere but inside the room. He stopped them at the door.
"I'm sorry, Sheriff. Forensics isn't here yet. You're all going to need PPE before you go in."
"That bad?" Undyne asked.
"JUST A MOMENT PLEASE!" Papyrus said. He handed Undyne a tablet. "LOOK AT THIS."
Undyne gulped hard, refusing to vomit as she swiped through photo after photo of a man whose head had been bludgeoned to pulp while he lay in bed; blood and brain matter splattered against the headrest and across the bed. There was nothing but mush from the neck up. The rest of the body was bruised and bloody, wearing only a gore soaked blue tank top and black bed shorts. One photo was a closeup of a relatively unmangled hand clutching a broken gold chain and a heart shaped locket.
"Someone wanted this to look like the guard was behind this," Muffet said.
"SPECIFICALLY PRINCE CHRISTOPHER." Papyrus swiped a few pictures forward to show the open locket. Inside was a photo of Asriel.
Undyne's mouth twitched. "And they effed up. We know there's an imposter running around." She tapped the pic. "And that's not the photo in his locket."
"AND THIS ISN'T DAVIS. DAVIS HAS AN IGUANA TATTOO ON HIS LEFT BICEP. THIS MAN HAS NO EVIDENCE OF HAVING HAD TATTOOING OR TATTOO REMOVAL."
"So where is Davis and the imposter? How did they get in and out of here without the guard noticing?" Muffet asked.
"*magic. the imposter must know some serious stuff. to do this without the guard noticing requires teleporting."
"A TELEPORT IS WHAT ALERTED ME TO SOMETHING BEING WRONG. DAVIS, IMPOSTER, AND VICTIM MUST HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE I GOT TO THE HOTEL FOR OBSERVATION. I FELT THE RESIDUAL OF A TELEPORT AND INVESTIGATED."
Undyne handed Papyrus the tablet. "Do your best to ID the victim. Sans, take us back to the office. Then I want you and Muffet up at Chara's place."
A few minutes later and Muffet was glad she'd come in her boots. While the area had seen earlier shoveling, there was enough new snow on the little parking area to come up to her shins. The only places that had seen a shovel recently were the patios and the path between the two houses. The A-frames and field were covered in a thick layer of snow, the windows of both homes slightly misted.
Sans knocked on the front door of the big A-frame and Frisk opened it.
"Hello, Officer Tarsus."
"*hey kiddo. is chara in his studio?"
Frisk snorted. "Nope."
"*he's usually carving about now, right?"
Frisk stepped aside to let Sans in, revealing Chara laying on the couch and staring at the ceiling, listlessly. "The smell of chocolate was killing him."
"I couldn't concentrate. It smells too good over there," Chara whined. He put an arm over his face dramatically.
Muffet kicked the snow from her boots and shook the melting dandruff from her head before stepping inside. "It has been so long since I've been here."
Frisk stepped back. "Hello."
"Have you never seen a spider monster before?" Muffet giggled. "I apologize for disconcerting you."
She knelt on one knee. "In the name of the Lord, I, Muffet Loxosceles, in the presence of Prince Christoper Dreemurr and Sir Sans Tarsus, do solemnly swear to be the faithful and loyal protection of Frisk Isabella Dreemurr. I will defend her against all enemies, sacrifice all necessary for her protection, and recognize with gladness that her safety is my life, her well being is my sweetness, and her smile is my hope. All this I swear, on my honor, so help me God."
"And We Serve With Gladness," Chara and Sans intoned solemnly.
"Oh!" Frisk reached out with both hands. "Welcome. Thank you for taking on my care." She looked back at Chara. "You're okay with it, right?"
He dropped the drama to sit up, leaning forward to prop himself up over his knees. "I don't get a choice."
"My assignment is for the moment, Dearie. But Nightrest is likely where I will be for the long term. Why does your studio smell of chocolate? Based on your reputation, I'd have thought it wouldn't be a problem."
Chara gave her an annoyed frown. "I don't eat chocolate all day long. Until the issue with William Davis is cleared up, Natalie is staying in the guest house. And she started baking early."
"I'll go visit her now, while I have the chance," Muffet said.
"After an autograph? Or do you know her?" Frisk asked.
The front door opened, Natalie coming in with a covered dish.
"Know her?" Muffet laughed. "Oh Dearie, I taught her everything she knows!"
"Pfft! I've got quite a few things you didn't teach me up my sleeve, Professor."
Muffet swung around, hugging Natalie with all six arms. "It is so good to see you again, Dearie!"
Natalie hugged her with one arm, the other balancing the dish. "The army finally discharge you?"
"I've worked my way to the Royal Guard." Muffet stepped back. "I'm here to help Chara with Frisk." She crossed all of her arms over her front and lifted her nose. "And since you're so sure that you know more than what I've taught you, I want to see proof of it."
Natalie brought the dish around. "Coconut and chocolate curry chicken."
Muffet's eyes narrowed. "This is not baked."
Natalie put her face in Muffet's. "There's more to food than just baking."
"That's a myth."
"You were definitely baking something," Chara said.
"Chocolate kolachi. It's resting now." She frowned suddenly. "Any news, Officer?"
Sans shrugged. "*nothing you and frisk are allowed to hear."
Frisk hooked her arm in Natalie's. "Just leave lunch here. We'll go hang next door for a few."
Chara stood and took the dish from Natalie. "Thank you."
"You won't let me give you rent, so I'll just have to cook for my keep." Natalie gave them a wave before she and Frisk stepped out into the snow.
As soon as the door shut, Sans turned a frown on Chara. "*davis and the imposter are looking to peg you for murder, bud. left a body we were supposed to believe was davis in his room with a heart shaped locket."
"How'd they get one of our lockets?" Chara asked.
"They didn't," Muffet said. "It is just a regular, heart shaped one. I suppose they were hoping that the local police would just arrest you on suspicion alone."
"And leave Frisk without protection." Chara perked up, his eyes turning red. "Two humans just crossed my wards. They're hanging just beyond the tree line."
His phone beeped and Chara pulled it out; a text from an unknown number with a photo of William Davis and another man, face covered, in snow gear. Both were observing something from behind a snow covered evergreen bush.
"I distinctly remember not giving her my phone number."
"*who?"
Chara showed him the photo. "There's a fae by the name of Tarisse watching the other side of the ward line." He texted 'Thank you' back.
Muffet smiled. "Ah, but they are likely waiting for the police to come up to the house to arrest you. I say we give them what they want."
"*go on."
"Sans and I will set up an ambush. Have Undyne come up here in one of the Nightrest PD SUVs to remove you and we'll spring the trap."
"Not a bad plan," Chara said. He pulled out his phone and dialed Undyne.
Undyne picked up on the first ring. "Yo."
"Davis and the imposter are on the edge of my property. Here's Muffet's plan. You come up here to arrest me and when Davis and the imposter move on the house, Sans and Muffet apprehend them both."
"I like that. I'm making a change to it. If they knew Sans was guard, they'll know I'm guard too. I'm sending two of the locals up for you. I'll come with them and have them drop me before they get up to the house so I can provide Sans and Muffet with back up. See you in ten, give or take how rough the snow is on the road." Dyne hung up.
Chara smiled. "You two get that?"
Sans nodded once. "*can you get over to the other a-frame without being observed?"
"Of course." Muffet put up the hood of her white coat and disappeared. "I'll go out the back. Don't need visibly opening doors to give me away."
"Good. Let Frisk and Natalie know the plan. As I'm being taken away, I'll put up an illusion of Frisk coming after me and Natalie pulling her back into the house. Once our quarries get up to the houses, Sans, you throw a bone attack to knock them flat. Muffet, you web them down. I need to put the doggos in Frisk's room so they don't try to attack the officers taking me away."
"Got it." Once out the back door, Muffet found the back patio and deck around the fire pit had been shoved clean. North Star rested on the snow free portion of the deck, head drooping in sleep. The path to the back door of the studio was clean and the snow piled high enough that she really didn't need her camouflage as she opened the back door of the studio, letting herself in.
She threw her hood back, reappearing as she knocked the snow from her boots and gloves.
Frisk rushed over to her. "Is something wrong?"
"Davis and the imposter have crossed the ward line. We are preparing an ambush."
Frisk frowned. "If you know where they are, why not get them now?"
"Because we don't want them escaping before we can grab them."
"The imposter is using magic to change his face, Frisk," Natalie said. "That means he's good enough with magic that he'll need special handling. Handcuffs won't be enough. They'll need to slap anti-magic bracers on him." Natalie frowned. "What's the plan?"
"We will wait here. The local police will come up to arrest Chara. That should pull our quarry from the woods. Both of you should hide on the second floor."
Natalie nodded and offered Frisk her hand. They both slipped up the stairs and out of sight. Muffet went to the front windows, happy the mist on the windows obscured her from view.
It wasn't long before an SUV with Nightrest PD markings came up through the snow. Two officers rushed out and into the main house, dragging Chara out. A Frisk who looked incredibly real rushed out after him. 'Natalie' rushed out after them, taking Frisk's arm and pulling her back inside the house.
"As usual, Chara, your skill is breathtaking to watch."
The SUV pulled away and as soon as it was out of sight, Davis and the imposter emerged from the tree line near the house. Muffet grabbed the doorknob and turned it, readying the door for a quick open. The two got to the patio of the main house as a series of bones slammed against them. Davis hit the patio while the imposter dodged the attack. The imposter turned to make a run for it and a line of glowing blue spears shot up, blocking his escape.
Muffet sprang from the door, crossing the snow on all eight, skittering over the surface. She threw webbing at the imposter's feet. The imposter tripped, took a bone to the head, and hit the ground near Davis only to disappear as if he'd never been there.
Sans came out the front door, pulling Davis to his feet and cuffing him. Davis swayed and Muffet kept him upright with two hands. The police SUV came back up to the main house, the officers jumping out to get Davis into the back while Chara held the door open for them.
Natalie followed Frisk out of the studio and over to the main house.
Davis caught a glimpse of his ex-wife and shook himself out of his stupor. "Where is it, you bitch?! Where's the money?! It's mine!"
The officer shoved him in the back and closed the door.
Natalie's shoulder's sank and her head bowed.
Chara put his hands on either side of her head, gently covering her ears. "Don't listen to those words. You don't deserve them."
Natalie breathed in deeply. "It's not that he says them." She looked up into Chara's eyes. "It's how ashamed I am that I once loved him."
Chara pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin. "Having loved someone is not a fault."
Natalie melted against him, resting her head on his chest.
Undyne stared at the spot in the snow where the imposter had fallen. "He got away."
"*contingency. he gets knocked out, he gets a free teleport. we'll be more careful next time."
Muffet frowned. "The imposter is onto us now. He'll switch faces."