The place Lara was in looked abandoned. She walked to her right first but found the gate locked. So, she came back and looked up to see three sets of balconies going up the rooftops.
I might just climb my way out of here.
Lara looked to her left and found a dumpster near the first balcony. She studied it first.
Looks like it can hold my weight.
Lara climbed on top of it and jumped, grabbing the balcony with one hand. She quickly grabbed with her other hand and pulled herself up.
Lara looked on to see the balcony going around a corner. She followed it and went around the bend. She saw a ladder going up to the next balcony. But looking straight on, she saw a gate.
Might be locked as well.
She saw a light that could have been from a flashlight on the other side of the gate.
Guards.
She scaled the ladder up to the next balcony and out of the guard's sight before she got caught. Going to her right on the second balcony, she found birds flying away and another ladder going up. Next to the ladder, an open window led to an abandoned room.
Should be something useful there.
Lara slipped into the window.
The place looked like a mess.
The small kitchen was missing some cardboard doors and drawers.
Lara looked through it but only found some money in a bottom drawer.
Not much. Only 100 Euros.
Lara looked away from the kitchen, seeing a bed upside down without its mattress. The place also smelled bad. She decided it was enough going around the place and made her way to the rooftops. She climbed out the window and took the ladder up to the third balcony, looking at the other side.
A canopy went around a drainpipe. She could use the pipe to climb up the rooftop.
The jump to that canopy looks challenging but I think I can make it.
She took a few steps back, drawing a breath.
The ground was far down. If she missed she'd be dead. But someone had to find her mentor's murderer and clear her name. She released the breath and ran, jumping only to grab onto the edge of the canopy. She pulled herself up and took some slow breaths, her heartbeat calming down.
A few minutes later, she stood up and walked to her right, turning to the drainpipe.
It looks like it can take my weight.
She climbed the pipe. It cracked. She climbed faster. As she jumped and grabbed the edge of the roof, the pipe shattered.
That was too close.
Lara looked up to see a railing in her way. She shimmied to her right and made the corner, finding an opening where the railing had broken off probably years ago. She pulled herself up to find herself on the building's roof.
I made it. Now to get out of here and get to Carvier.
Lara walked to the opposite side of the building. On her left, she found another opening. It had a balcony below her. She lowered herself onto the balcony and made her way over to the other side, finding a gate with a ladder going down.
Lara heard a sound from around the corner. She went into stealth mode, peeking around the corner only to see a guard with his back against her, busy with his patrols. A key hung from his belt.
I need to get that key.
Lara snuck up behind him and grabbed his neck. She punched him in the temple, lowering him to the ground. She unhooked the key and headed over to the gate. After unlocking the gate, she went down the ladder.
When she got to the bottom, she looked around and walked over a bridge. She froze, a helicopter's blades whirring above.
Lara kicked open one of the old apartment building doors and ran inside. She closed the doors, sealing them as she heard the police on the other side.
She sprinted to the last floor. As she did, the doors below opened up. Gas grenades bounced and clattered over the floor.
Better move fast before they gas me out of here.
Lara looked around to try and find a way to open the door leading to the rooftop. She scanned the hall. It was full of boxes and crates. She found another door and kicked it open. It had a second door leading to the rooftops. She went outside and sealed the door behind her.
A wire went to another rooftop.
That wire looks like it can hold my weight.
Lara jumped on the wire and crawled across. The helicopter came flying over the rooftops spotting her on the wire with their spotlight on her.
Lara jumped to the other rooftop and made her way down to another balcony. She ran through the building until she found herself going up another building's rooftop.
She stood still at the edge, seeing no other way out. She saw a drainpipe on the other side.
If I can grab hold of the type, I will be on my way to Carvier's.
Lara backed up and jumped for the drainpipe. She held onto it and went down as the helicopter circled the building.
Lara made it safely down the street. Carvier's apartment block was just around the corner and not longLara arrived at the apartment block of Mademoiselle Carvier.
As she came out of the shadows near the door, she heard something and ducked behind some bushes. It was already past midnight and the streets were deserted. As two police officers passed by turning around the corner, Lara exhaled and came out of her hiding spot, ringing the bell.
"Who is it?" Carvier's voice rang out the intercom.
"Mademoiselle Carvier, it's Lara Croft. I need your help," Lara said
The door clicked open.
Lara went up the stairs to Mademoiselle Carvier's apartment, knocking on the door. A wrinkled woman with grey hair and drooping eyes opened it. She was dressed in what looked like a light brown suit.
"Ms. Croft, I recognize you from photos and Werner's description. Please come in,"
"Thank you." The apartment room was small. It had a living room with a desk by the corner. Two chairs were on the other side along with a coffee table. No TV. Just a small radio. The living was adjoined to the kitchen which was next to the bedroom.
Lara shook her head as she sat down on one of the chairs.
Carvier did the same.
"An evil night to be out alone Ms. Croft," Carvier said. "Our streets are not safe anymore."
"Mademoiselle Carvier, I just came from Werner's apartment."
Lara sighed. She ran all night, wet and now wanted for something she couldn't remember.
"And how is Werner?"
"I'm afraid Werner is dead."
"Dead!"
"Mademoiselle, are you okay? Can I get you anything?"
Carvier raised her hand. "How was Werner killed? What happened?"
"It's all a bit vague. I arrived at his apartment today from London. He was babbling with fear."
"He told me he tried to contact you."
"He did. I never expected that," Lara said, shaking her head. "Not after Egypt."
"Werner has been fearful for his life. He accepted a commission five weeks then he's been acting strangely. Even jumping at shadows." Carvier drew a breath. "He left a package with me for safekeeping."
"Who was the commission from?"
She couldn't remember what Werner said earlier about a client.
Is it the same person?
"The client's name was Eckhardt," Carvier said.
Lara's eyebrow rose.
That was the name. Eckhardt. I should find him.
"Eckhardt wanted Werner to research something called the Obscura Paintings. Werner then approached me at my department at the Louvre."
"Wait, Obscura paintings?"
"Five 15th century images. Thought to be linked to Alchemy and the dark arts."
"Were you able to help him?"
Carvier stared at her hands.
She's hiding something.
"A little I think." Carvier looked back up. "Poor Werner was clearly terrified."
"I wonder why exactly?"
Did this Eckhardt scare him that much or did he learn something?
"He felt he was being stalked," Carvier said.
Could also be this Monstrum I heard from the cab driver.
"He could well have been. The Monstrum is running around Paris according to the press."
Lara didn't want to let Carvier know a cab driver told her the press had been going on about this. But maybe now that she mentioned it, Carvier can tell her more.
Maybe this Eckhardt works with this Monstrum murderer.
"Don't joke about the Monstrum. That murderer is a psychopath." Carvier looked out the window, sighing as it kept raining.
Bingo. I remember Werner saying that the client is a psychopath. That already connects the two.
"Look. Werner left a package here with me. I have to give it to you if anything happens to him."
"Do you know what it is?"
Carvier crossed her arms. "It's his field notebook."
"If he left his field notebook then someone did in fact spook him." Lara stood up as well.
"Ms. Croft, you still haven't explained what happened,"
"There was gunfire. That's all I can recall."
"Gunfire! Werner was shot? Did...did you kill him?"
Oh yeah, accuse me because I run around tombs and kill bad guys who try and kill me.
Lara sighed. "I can't remember. It's all a blur."
"Ms. Croft, I strongly suggest that you talk to the police."
"Mademoiselle, I was a good friend of Werner's. I didn't kill him. I didn't."
"If you say so."
"Do you have the notebook?"
"I do. It's safe for the moment."
Lara could see she didn't believe her.
"I really am going to need Werner's notebook."
"Somebody killed Werner. You say you don't remember what happened."
The radio in the background buzzed with the news.
The police had identified the woman who fled a crime scene earlier as Lady Lara Croft.
Carvier stared at Lara. "Perhaps the police are right in suspecting you."
"I never killed Werner!"
"I think you'd better leave, Ms. Croft."
"Wait, what about the notebook?"
Carvier went into the kitchen, pulling open a drawer.
"I am not sure this is the right thing to do but I must respect what Werner wants."
"The right choice Mademoiselle," Lara said as Carvier gave her the notebook, walking to her bedroom and turning to look at her.
"And now you had better go. I'm calling the police. They'll be here in minutes." Carvier closed the door behind her.
Lara walked out of the apartment, opening up the window on the wall. She jumped out, running off as the sirens blared.