CHAPTER TWO: Rick, Rex... Right-o!
Shady watched Sunny finish his second drink and smiled. Shadow was quite the character. He was an reasonably attractive black man, with a loving wife and three children at home. What was he doing working in the Mysteries section of the Ministry? It was risky work for such a wonderful family man. A young single like herself was perfect for the position though. What did she have to loss? Who would she leave behind?
The phone rang, startling her. Sunny made a grab for it, but she beat him, dropping her legs and snatching up the receiver. She smirked at him and answered. It was Maverick. She slammed the phone down and grabbed her jacket. "Let's move."
"Lead?" he followed suit, forgetting to recycle again.
"We're gonna have another little chat." She informed him, nodding. "This time you don't have to cower in the car."
"Ricky Wood?" Sun ignored this as he turned out the light and locked up the office behind them.
"Right-o." she pulled out their car keys.
***
"Inspectors" Shadow and Storm pulled up in an old farm yard - a large barking dog the only soul to greet them. They exchanged glances and approached the front porch. Sunny knocked, "Hello?" he called.
They waited a few moments and turned to leave. Storm sighed, disappointed. She noticed suddenly her partner had stopped walking and was looking behind them. She turned, her black hair whipping in the wind and noticed an older farmer approaching with a pitch fork.
"Hello there!" he called, panting a little as he reached them. "You folks in need of assistance?" he sounded a little intimidated.
"Indeed, sir." Sunny smiled. In unison he and his partner produced their badges. "Inspectors Sunny Shadow and Shady Storm, Ministry of Magic."
"Oh no!" the farmer panicked. "If its about the car… it's not mine, I swear… I…"
"Please, relax, sir." Storm almost laughed. "We're just hear to ask Ricky a few questions. Does Ricky Wood in fact live here?"
"Ricky?" the older man looked surprised. For a moment the Unspeakables figured they had the wrong address, but then the farmer continued with, "What do you want with Ricky?"
"We just want to ask him a few questions about a friend from school - nothing serious." Sunny reassured him, smiling.
The farmer didn't smile back. "Ricky's been dead for years."
***
"That was a waste of time." Sunny sighed, lifting his shades as they stopped for gas. The sun had turned blinding. "How were we to know Mr. Wood was so sensitive about the issues of his dead son?"
"You're so tactless sometimes, Sun." she sighed.
"Fill 'er, please." Sunny turned back to his partner, "What?!"
"That's why Marilyn can't stand you either. You brutally offended her. Accident or not - you raised issues she just can't handle. She's…"
"She's insane, Shady. She thinks, after all these years, her dead son in just gonna walk through the front door. She thinks gardening is all about killing flowers. She cuts the heads off gorgeous tulips and roses, thinking that's normal - that that's RIGHT. Her cookies look Satanic and are poisonous. She tried to run me right through with those damn hedge clippers! She refuses to acknowledge the fact her son was an evil traitor who's LONG dead and NEVER coming back."
"She woke up one morning and learned her son was dead. She woke up one morning and learned that her son was the greatest traitor of all time. She just… snapped. She lost it." Shady hesitated. "Show a little pity, please. The poor woman has been utterly destroyed by all this and our poking around raising these issues…"
"How was I to know she'd freak out like that, Shade? I just ask her some very simple questions and she…"
"There were less blunt, more careful ways to ask, Sunny. More tactful, more considerate ways. Rick's father refused to really answer any of our questions because…"
"All right. All right. I'm sorry." Sunny admitted as he paid and pulled away. "I can be a little insensitive at times. … SO, what now?"
"Well…" she hesitated. "We could always go to the Asylum and…"
"See about signing in Marilyn Q-" he started to joke, before she swatted him silent.
"NO." she tried not to smile at that. "We can check in on our biggest and more or less ONLY lead."
***
"I AM THE GREAT BLACK ZETO!!!" someone was shrieking at the other end of the hall. All the other patients in sight were either chatting quietly amongst themselves or watching television. All the same, institutions always gave Shady the creeps. The few patients that screamed… they just… hit a note with her. They pushed a personal, unpleasant button…
The supervising guards motioned them through… "Third door on the right." one instructed.
Sunny nodded, leading his partner. He'd been in the business many years longer and had become almost immune to the sights and smells of the different local asylums. Occasionally, however, even he was uncomfortable… the key was not to let it show.
They entered, noting their lead had been moved yet again. There sat an extremely handsome gentleman. He wasn't wearing a straight jacket or white clothing though. He was dressed normally and writing away passionately at his desk.
"Hey, guys." He stopped writing suddenly and turned to face them. "How are ya? It's been a while…"
"We're fine, Rex. You?" Sunny smiled as they sat down.
"Can't complain. Still breathing." Rex shrugged. "What's up?"
"Just checking in." Shady smiled, lost in his beautiful eyes and handsome smile. He was SO dreamy and finally lacking the annoying ego.
"How's your memory coming?"
Rex sighed, "Well… they've pretty much determined it's permanent. Many of these cases can be reversed… but… Gilderoy was apparently very powerful when it came to Memory Charms…"
"So there's no hope?" Shady was only disappointed on a professional level, because they desperately needed his information. On a personal level, she was glad because Rex was great guy. He looked just like the gorgeous Gilderoy, only he wasn't a loser. This guy had a winning personality AND the most sexy appearance imaginable…
Rex shrugged, "Sorry. I know you needed Gilderoy's memories. I do have some good news for you, though. The pictures you showed me. The name you mentioned. They did trigger something, I think."
Storm and Shadow looked very surprised. Gilderoy's own mother hadn't triggered anything. "What?" they nearly gasped together.
"Nothing at all major, obviously. Just… an old floor board… I don't know. It's strange, really. It was at least something though - and I thought you should know. Anything might be useful, you did say."
"That's all, Rex?" Sunny nodded gratefully.
"Sorry, guys. I'll keep trying for you though. This Quin IS familiar to me though. You were right about that much…"
"He should be. He was your best friend."
Rex smiled, "Really? I have a best friend out there?"
"You had two."
"Why haven't they been to see me in here? It's terribly lonely. They might be able to help with my memory and…"
"Rex." Sunny stopped him. "I'm sorry."
"Oh." The former Gilderoy frowned. "We aren't friends anymore."
"No, no, Rex…" Sunny tried to be tactful. "They're dead."
There was a very long, sad silence, in which Rex rolled himself to the window and stared at the butterflies in the garden below. Shady felt a horrible pang of sorrow for him. He'd reacted in a similar manner when he'd been informed his father and brother we're dead.
Sunny would note later in the car, "It reminds me of my grandfather's last years. He had Alzheimer… the memory loss, you know? It was so devastating for my mom to have to remind him every time we visited him that Grandma was dead. The look on his face every time… It was so horrible. Every single time. It's still horrible to me."
Finally, the former Gilderoy Lockhart turned, composing himself for them… though it was clear he was giving up inside. "I've been thinking. There's someone you haven't interviewed you really should…"
***
The sound of slamming car doors outside awoke a blond young woman. She hurried to throw a house coat around herself and reached the door just in time to open it for two unexpected guests.
"Mrs. Smyth?" An intimdating black man with a badge smiled warmly. He was standing with a pretty white girl who was thankfully less intimdating. "Inspectors Shadow and Storm from the Ministry. We'd just like to ask you a few questions."
"My husband isn't home…" she tried not to panic. "Can you please come back later when he is. I…"
"We're sorry to disturb you. We'd just like to ask you a few questions about your brother, Mrs. Smyth…" Shady tried to reassure her. "There's nothing to worry about."
"My brother is dead." the young woman swallowed nervously.
"Not Jeff. Gilderoy." was Sunny's reply.
"BOTH my brother's are dead." she tried to shut the door. Sunny blocked it and Storm found herself thinking him tactless again.
Sunny, very fond of Rex, started in on her. "Technically, yes, Gilderoy Lockhart is dead. Rex Lockhart is very much alive though. He's sitting in the local Asylum and he's your brother, Mrs. Smyth…"
The young lady's expression was unchanged. Sunny had on more than one occasion pointed out how much he detested the lack of feeling this woman displayed for her ruined brother.
Sun sighed… noticing Shade's expression, "Please, we're just trying to do our job. Gilderoy isn't in trouble and neither are you. We just need some information."
Leslie Smyth, formerly known as Leslie Lockhart, brushed her messy hair from her face and invited them uneasily in. "Sorry. People are always around here harassing us about Gil. Day and night. Day in and day out. Gilderoy this. Gilderoy that. Things have gotten a zillion times worse since he died. It's been tough enough without those loony fanatics and press people always at the door…"
They all sat down and her eyes were wet. She looked so nervous, but it wasn't until she unexpected starting spilling her guts the detectives realized she'd just been carrying a lot of baggage and was finally willing to drop it, hoping to leave it behind.
"Mrs. Smyth…"
"Call me Leslie…" and then she began, "I don't know what to say to you, Inspectors… I've lost both my brother's now. Not that Gil was ever much of a brother. Well, that's not really fair… well, maybe it is. I don't know. What exactly do you want to know?"
Shady patted her hand, "Gil was a super model for years and then… suddenly he went off on some quests and became a writer. What happened?"
"Jeff died. Gil was never the same after that. Jeff was killed in a car crash. Everyone blamed Gil for it, especially Gil himself. Jeff left a family get-together really pissed off at Gil and well… never drive when emotions are high, they say."
"I'm sorry." Shady squeezed her hand.
"Jeff ran right up a tree. Died instantly."
Sunny cringed. He hated car accidents - having lost a close cousin in a particularly bad wreck. "And Gil blamed himself?"
"Totally. He went away for years and years. He eventually started writing about his adventures. He was always such a damn good writer. Only reason he was placed in Ravenclaw. Damn smart with the quill, that one. He claimed his stories were true… but I never believed them. He always wrote so convincingly, with such light hearted humor… but STILL it always seemed to me like just another piece of creative writing he'd made up to enter in some contest. He let me read some of his stuff growing up… pure fiction. It seemed just like his adult works."
"Turns out he DID make it all up." Shady said quietly.
"Worse. He stole other people's experiences and wrote about them. It wasn't even his own imagination anymore. He became obsessed with stories of the Dark Arts and well… started stealing them. I was so ashamed. We were ALL ashamed."
"All because he accidentally killed his brother? His extreme depression fueled an obsession with the dark elements?"
Leslie didn't answer… she stared off, lost in thought… "His memory charms were really something… Nobody could touch him. Nobody." She suddenly seemed to hear the questions and snapped back to the present, "Yes, yes… his ego was out of control after that. I mean, it had always been there… that's what he and Jeff were always fighting about… but… after Jeff was killed in the crash… everything got worse."
"Jeff and Gilderoy fought about his ego?" Shady asked gently.
Leslie nodded, staring off. "And his selfishness."
Sunny sighed, not sure what to ask. "What else can you tell us about your brother, Leslie?"
"My brother was a fraud." She managed to whimper. "An ignorant, arrogant fraud!" There was a long pause before she added, "And now everyone knows it and they won't leave us alone."
"Rex Lockhart is the loneliest soul alive. Why don't you visit your brother?" Shady was saddened. Sunny wouldn't have asked as nicely.
Leslie didn't answer. She was staring out the window, eyes wet.
"Surely Rex doesn't deserve to punished for Gilderoy's mistakes… and even Gilderoy didn't mean to hurt anyone. He didn't intend for Jeff to die on the road that night. He didn't intend to drag you into his mess of fraudulence… and even if he DID do it all intentionally, Leslie… REX can't help that. Rex didn't bring your family shame." Shade went on.
"Rex is a stranger." Leslie muttered, blinking back tears.
"He doesn't have to be though." she insisted.
"Sounds like Gil was a stranger." Sunny noted, blunt.
Leslie sniffled for a moment and then looked up suddenly, growing angry, "What was it you people came her for? What do you want from me? You said you wanted information… but instead you're acting like reporters! Why are you bothering me about Gil or Rex or whoever the Hell he thinks he is!? Visit him - not me!! You're just like everyone else!!"
"Please, Leslie… we're sorry. We'll cut to the chase. We realize this must be painful for you… rehashing all this, but…"
"You realize nothing! If you were at all considerate you wouldn't be here… prying into my life and…"
"Rex sent us to you, Leslie. All this time he kept you from us. He didn't mention you because he knows you want nothing more to do with him … or Gilderoy. However, knowing we're at the very end of out ropes, he told us about you."
"Why?" Leslie's lip trembled and her eyes continued to tear up.
"He felt you'd remember things he can't now." Sunny explained, trying to be sensitive. "Stuff about his past… at school."
"School?" Leslie was surprised. "This isn't about his fame and fortune? His stupid books?"
"Not at all." Shady patted her hand again. "We just want to ask some questions about his friends growing up. People he hung out with all the time and Hogwarts. This is about THEM… not so much him."
"What do you want to know? My brother socialized with a lot of different people back at school. He was really popular."
"So we've heard. Prom King and all that." Sunny confirmed. "Who were his closest friends though? His BEST friends?"
"Oh… um…" she thought. "I really didn't have much to do with my brother at school… but he was good friends with the sports star - Ricky Wood. Ricky was over at the house a few times. He hit on me… at the time I thought he was really intimidating though. It's a shame about Rick though… he died."
"So we've heard." Sunny repeated. "How did the late Rick Wood die, Leslie? Do you know?"
"I'm really not sure." she admitted after a second's thought. "Probably fell off his broomstick. He was a Quidditch fanatic."
"Oh. I see." Shady sighed, wishing someone could answer their questions. "Did your brother have a friend who was Head Boy?"
"Oh! Quin… He was such a good guy. When I was a freshman the other girls were always teasing me and well… (it was probably the only nice thing Gilderoy ever did for me in school) … but Gil got his good buddy Quin to take me to the Semi-Formal that year. Even though Quin had every girl around wanting him as a date, he went with little old me. He was such a nice guy. He treated me like gold. After that night, the other girls stopped teasing me. In fact, I was popular suddenly. Only because I was connected to the two hottest guys at school, though."
"So, you remember Quin then? Can you tell us anymore about him?"
"Not really. He was head boy, as you said. He was Caucasian. Tall and reasonably buff. Not like Ricky Wood or anything though. He was very handsome… jet black hair and these soft brown eyes. He was very friendly and popular. He was so much nicer than my brother. Down to earth, that one. I don't understand how they were such good friends. Quin knew how to treat a lady. My brother was such a PLAYER. Quin was brilliant and my brother was well… my brother…"
"Can you tell us anything more about Quin?" Sun asked, having finally found their focus. Someone to give them more information about their case…
"Yes, what happened to him after school?" Shade zoomed in.
"I really can't say. He was a brilliant student in the Dark Arts. Then again, I hear he was a brilliant student in everything. The only reason Dark Arts sticks out in my mind is… my brother was into it. He and Gil would always talk about stuff like that. It was the only thing Gil seemed intellectual about. Actually, ya… THAT was probably the root of their friendship…"
"Interesting." Sunny smiled at Shady. "Tell us more, Leslie…"
"Well… after school he and Gilderoy kept in touch, of course. Gil became a model obviously… but Quin wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was into Dark Arts Research and hoped to make a career in that field, I think. It's hard to say. I've never really thought about Quin at all. He wasn't part of my life once he graduated and he was scarcely a part of it before that."
Leslie looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "Someone once mentioned to me though… that he took a year or so off from his research and went to see the world. I doubted it was true, though. After school, Quin and his dad had a fall out, you see, and well, Quin was cut off from the generous family funds he was use to. There's no way he could have afforded an excursion like that."
"He surprisingly did see the world for a year. Only, his motive for that year off is still very sketchy, as well as his method payment." Shadow replied, thinking. "It was one of the things we hoped you could help us out with."
"Why? Is Quin the one in trouble?" Leslie realized. When they had starting focusing on her brother's old best friend… she'd assumed Quin had gone missing and they were trying to find him. However, now she wasn't sure. It sounded like he wasn't in danger… in trouble…
"He's dead, Leslie." Shadow was blunt.
Leslie gasped, "What?" She was silent for a moment before something seemed to click, "Oh! You're investigating his murder. My brother adored Quin, I swear. He would never… Jeff was an accident… Gilderoy wouldn't…" she trailed off, not making sense.
Sunny was almost touched - almost. After all she'd been through and as much as acted cold and hard towards her older brother - Leslie still was trying to protect him. "No, no. We're not after Gil. We told you that. We are investigating Quin's death… but not in the way you're probably thinking."
Shady nodded and Sunny knew it was time to ask, "Was your brother a supporter of You-Know-Who?"
Leslie yelped in terror and shook her head 'NO' furiously before she found her voice. "NO! He would never get wrapped up in anything like that. Sure, he was interested in studying Dark Magic and werewolves, vampires, hags… and that stuff… but he wanted NOTHING to do with THAT horrible… NO… my brother would never betray… He wasn't a traitor."
"We didn't think so." Shady was careful. "Keep in mind Rex would never be punished for what the deceased Gilderoy Lockhart did. Therefore, telling us the truth won't hurt anyone."
"I am telling the truth." Leslie was now trembling slightly.
Sunny added, blunt as ever, "Excellent. Never doubted you for a second. NOW, do you know if Quin had anything to do with You-Know-Who?"
"I have no idea…" Leslie shuddered. "I… I highly doubt it though. He was such a decent sort. Good and kind. Not one to get mixed up in all that. No, I can safely say Quin wasn't a traitor."
"Is there anything more you can tell us about him?"
"Not that I can think of… off the top of my head. Just that once he left to see the World… I never heard a word about him until this very conversation. I don't really know anything about him. Didn't really know him. I can tell you this though - I'm SO sorry to hear he's dead now. He was a really sweet fellow. A really great guy."
The others nodded, rising as she showed them to the door.
Shady shook Leslie's hand. "Thank you very much for your time."
"If you think of anything else… anything at all… please call us." Sunny handed their number to the blond girl. "Good night, Mrs. Smyth."
Leslie silently closed the door behind them and leaned against it, crying… After a moment, she pulled herself together and went into the old back room of her house. She unlocked the bottom drawer of an unused desk and pulled out a picture just like the one Marilyn carried with her everywhere in a basket.
Quin smiled at her and she was mortified. "Why didn't I tell?" she whispered to the moving photograph.
***
A/N: Strange, sad story... yes. Oh well. Bet you figured it all out long ago, right? ^_^
I might rewrite this someday. I'm not liking it. lol
What do YOU think?
Shady watched Sunny finish his second drink and smiled. Shadow was quite the character. He was an reasonably attractive black man, with a loving wife and three children at home. What was he doing working in the Mysteries section of the Ministry? It was risky work for such a wonderful family man. A young single like herself was perfect for the position though. What did she have to loss? Who would she leave behind?
The phone rang, startling her. Sunny made a grab for it, but she beat him, dropping her legs and snatching up the receiver. She smirked at him and answered. It was Maverick. She slammed the phone down and grabbed her jacket. "Let's move."
"Lead?" he followed suit, forgetting to recycle again.
"We're gonna have another little chat." She informed him, nodding. "This time you don't have to cower in the car."
"Ricky Wood?" Sun ignored this as he turned out the light and locked up the office behind them.
"Right-o." she pulled out their car keys.
***
"Inspectors" Shadow and Storm pulled up in an old farm yard - a large barking dog the only soul to greet them. They exchanged glances and approached the front porch. Sunny knocked, "Hello?" he called.
They waited a few moments and turned to leave. Storm sighed, disappointed. She noticed suddenly her partner had stopped walking and was looking behind them. She turned, her black hair whipping in the wind and noticed an older farmer approaching with a pitch fork.
"Hello there!" he called, panting a little as he reached them. "You folks in need of assistance?" he sounded a little intimidated.
"Indeed, sir." Sunny smiled. In unison he and his partner produced their badges. "Inspectors Sunny Shadow and Shady Storm, Ministry of Magic."
"Oh no!" the farmer panicked. "If its about the car… it's not mine, I swear… I…"
"Please, relax, sir." Storm almost laughed. "We're just hear to ask Ricky a few questions. Does Ricky Wood in fact live here?"
"Ricky?" the older man looked surprised. For a moment the Unspeakables figured they had the wrong address, but then the farmer continued with, "What do you want with Ricky?"
"We just want to ask him a few questions about a friend from school - nothing serious." Sunny reassured him, smiling.
The farmer didn't smile back. "Ricky's been dead for years."
***
"That was a waste of time." Sunny sighed, lifting his shades as they stopped for gas. The sun had turned blinding. "How were we to know Mr. Wood was so sensitive about the issues of his dead son?"
"You're so tactless sometimes, Sun." she sighed.
"Fill 'er, please." Sunny turned back to his partner, "What?!"
"That's why Marilyn can't stand you either. You brutally offended her. Accident or not - you raised issues she just can't handle. She's…"
"She's insane, Shady. She thinks, after all these years, her dead son in just gonna walk through the front door. She thinks gardening is all about killing flowers. She cuts the heads off gorgeous tulips and roses, thinking that's normal - that that's RIGHT. Her cookies look Satanic and are poisonous. She tried to run me right through with those damn hedge clippers! She refuses to acknowledge the fact her son was an evil traitor who's LONG dead and NEVER coming back."
"She woke up one morning and learned her son was dead. She woke up one morning and learned that her son was the greatest traitor of all time. She just… snapped. She lost it." Shady hesitated. "Show a little pity, please. The poor woman has been utterly destroyed by all this and our poking around raising these issues…"
"How was I to know she'd freak out like that, Shade? I just ask her some very simple questions and she…"
"There were less blunt, more careful ways to ask, Sunny. More tactful, more considerate ways. Rick's father refused to really answer any of our questions because…"
"All right. All right. I'm sorry." Sunny admitted as he paid and pulled away. "I can be a little insensitive at times. … SO, what now?"
"Well…" she hesitated. "We could always go to the Asylum and…"
"See about signing in Marilyn Q-" he started to joke, before she swatted him silent.
"NO." she tried not to smile at that. "We can check in on our biggest and more or less ONLY lead."
***
"I AM THE GREAT BLACK ZETO!!!" someone was shrieking at the other end of the hall. All the other patients in sight were either chatting quietly amongst themselves or watching television. All the same, institutions always gave Shady the creeps. The few patients that screamed… they just… hit a note with her. They pushed a personal, unpleasant button…
The supervising guards motioned them through… "Third door on the right." one instructed.
Sunny nodded, leading his partner. He'd been in the business many years longer and had become almost immune to the sights and smells of the different local asylums. Occasionally, however, even he was uncomfortable… the key was not to let it show.
They entered, noting their lead had been moved yet again. There sat an extremely handsome gentleman. He wasn't wearing a straight jacket or white clothing though. He was dressed normally and writing away passionately at his desk.
"Hey, guys." He stopped writing suddenly and turned to face them. "How are ya? It's been a while…"
"We're fine, Rex. You?" Sunny smiled as they sat down.
"Can't complain. Still breathing." Rex shrugged. "What's up?"
"Just checking in." Shady smiled, lost in his beautiful eyes and handsome smile. He was SO dreamy and finally lacking the annoying ego.
"How's your memory coming?"
Rex sighed, "Well… they've pretty much determined it's permanent. Many of these cases can be reversed… but… Gilderoy was apparently very powerful when it came to Memory Charms…"
"So there's no hope?" Shady was only disappointed on a professional level, because they desperately needed his information. On a personal level, she was glad because Rex was great guy. He looked just like the gorgeous Gilderoy, only he wasn't a loser. This guy had a winning personality AND the most sexy appearance imaginable…
Rex shrugged, "Sorry. I know you needed Gilderoy's memories. I do have some good news for you, though. The pictures you showed me. The name you mentioned. They did trigger something, I think."
Storm and Shadow looked very surprised. Gilderoy's own mother hadn't triggered anything. "What?" they nearly gasped together.
"Nothing at all major, obviously. Just… an old floor board… I don't know. It's strange, really. It was at least something though - and I thought you should know. Anything might be useful, you did say."
"That's all, Rex?" Sunny nodded gratefully.
"Sorry, guys. I'll keep trying for you though. This Quin IS familiar to me though. You were right about that much…"
"He should be. He was your best friend."
Rex smiled, "Really? I have a best friend out there?"
"You had two."
"Why haven't they been to see me in here? It's terribly lonely. They might be able to help with my memory and…"
"Rex." Sunny stopped him. "I'm sorry."
"Oh." The former Gilderoy frowned. "We aren't friends anymore."
"No, no, Rex…" Sunny tried to be tactful. "They're dead."
There was a very long, sad silence, in which Rex rolled himself to the window and stared at the butterflies in the garden below. Shady felt a horrible pang of sorrow for him. He'd reacted in a similar manner when he'd been informed his father and brother we're dead.
Sunny would note later in the car, "It reminds me of my grandfather's last years. He had Alzheimer… the memory loss, you know? It was so devastating for my mom to have to remind him every time we visited him that Grandma was dead. The look on his face every time… It was so horrible. Every single time. It's still horrible to me."
Finally, the former Gilderoy Lockhart turned, composing himself for them… though it was clear he was giving up inside. "I've been thinking. There's someone you haven't interviewed you really should…"
***
The sound of slamming car doors outside awoke a blond young woman. She hurried to throw a house coat around herself and reached the door just in time to open it for two unexpected guests.
"Mrs. Smyth?" An intimdating black man with a badge smiled warmly. He was standing with a pretty white girl who was thankfully less intimdating. "Inspectors Shadow and Storm from the Ministry. We'd just like to ask you a few questions."
"My husband isn't home…" she tried not to panic. "Can you please come back later when he is. I…"
"We're sorry to disturb you. We'd just like to ask you a few questions about your brother, Mrs. Smyth…" Shady tried to reassure her. "There's nothing to worry about."
"My brother is dead." the young woman swallowed nervously.
"Not Jeff. Gilderoy." was Sunny's reply.
"BOTH my brother's are dead." she tried to shut the door. Sunny blocked it and Storm found herself thinking him tactless again.
Sunny, very fond of Rex, started in on her. "Technically, yes, Gilderoy Lockhart is dead. Rex Lockhart is very much alive though. He's sitting in the local Asylum and he's your brother, Mrs. Smyth…"
The young lady's expression was unchanged. Sunny had on more than one occasion pointed out how much he detested the lack of feeling this woman displayed for her ruined brother.
Sun sighed… noticing Shade's expression, "Please, we're just trying to do our job. Gilderoy isn't in trouble and neither are you. We just need some information."
Leslie Smyth, formerly known as Leslie Lockhart, brushed her messy hair from her face and invited them uneasily in. "Sorry. People are always around here harassing us about Gil. Day and night. Day in and day out. Gilderoy this. Gilderoy that. Things have gotten a zillion times worse since he died. It's been tough enough without those loony fanatics and press people always at the door…"
They all sat down and her eyes were wet. She looked so nervous, but it wasn't until she unexpected starting spilling her guts the detectives realized she'd just been carrying a lot of baggage and was finally willing to drop it, hoping to leave it behind.
"Mrs. Smyth…"
"Call me Leslie…" and then she began, "I don't know what to say to you, Inspectors… I've lost both my brother's now. Not that Gil was ever much of a brother. Well, that's not really fair… well, maybe it is. I don't know. What exactly do you want to know?"
Shady patted her hand, "Gil was a super model for years and then… suddenly he went off on some quests and became a writer. What happened?"
"Jeff died. Gil was never the same after that. Jeff was killed in a car crash. Everyone blamed Gil for it, especially Gil himself. Jeff left a family get-together really pissed off at Gil and well… never drive when emotions are high, they say."
"I'm sorry." Shady squeezed her hand.
"Jeff ran right up a tree. Died instantly."
Sunny cringed. He hated car accidents - having lost a close cousin in a particularly bad wreck. "And Gil blamed himself?"
"Totally. He went away for years and years. He eventually started writing about his adventures. He was always such a damn good writer. Only reason he was placed in Ravenclaw. Damn smart with the quill, that one. He claimed his stories were true… but I never believed them. He always wrote so convincingly, with such light hearted humor… but STILL it always seemed to me like just another piece of creative writing he'd made up to enter in some contest. He let me read some of his stuff growing up… pure fiction. It seemed just like his adult works."
"Turns out he DID make it all up." Shady said quietly.
"Worse. He stole other people's experiences and wrote about them. It wasn't even his own imagination anymore. He became obsessed with stories of the Dark Arts and well… started stealing them. I was so ashamed. We were ALL ashamed."
"All because he accidentally killed his brother? His extreme depression fueled an obsession with the dark elements?"
Leslie didn't answer… she stared off, lost in thought… "His memory charms were really something… Nobody could touch him. Nobody." She suddenly seemed to hear the questions and snapped back to the present, "Yes, yes… his ego was out of control after that. I mean, it had always been there… that's what he and Jeff were always fighting about… but… after Jeff was killed in the crash… everything got worse."
"Jeff and Gilderoy fought about his ego?" Shady asked gently.
Leslie nodded, staring off. "And his selfishness."
Sunny sighed, not sure what to ask. "What else can you tell us about your brother, Leslie?"
"My brother was a fraud." She managed to whimper. "An ignorant, arrogant fraud!" There was a long pause before she added, "And now everyone knows it and they won't leave us alone."
"Rex Lockhart is the loneliest soul alive. Why don't you visit your brother?" Shady was saddened. Sunny wouldn't have asked as nicely.
Leslie didn't answer. She was staring out the window, eyes wet.
"Surely Rex doesn't deserve to punished for Gilderoy's mistakes… and even Gilderoy didn't mean to hurt anyone. He didn't intend for Jeff to die on the road that night. He didn't intend to drag you into his mess of fraudulence… and even if he DID do it all intentionally, Leslie… REX can't help that. Rex didn't bring your family shame." Shade went on.
"Rex is a stranger." Leslie muttered, blinking back tears.
"He doesn't have to be though." she insisted.
"Sounds like Gil was a stranger." Sunny noted, blunt.
Leslie sniffled for a moment and then looked up suddenly, growing angry, "What was it you people came her for? What do you want from me? You said you wanted information… but instead you're acting like reporters! Why are you bothering me about Gil or Rex or whoever the Hell he thinks he is!? Visit him - not me!! You're just like everyone else!!"
"Please, Leslie… we're sorry. We'll cut to the chase. We realize this must be painful for you… rehashing all this, but…"
"You realize nothing! If you were at all considerate you wouldn't be here… prying into my life and…"
"Rex sent us to you, Leslie. All this time he kept you from us. He didn't mention you because he knows you want nothing more to do with him … or Gilderoy. However, knowing we're at the very end of out ropes, he told us about you."
"Why?" Leslie's lip trembled and her eyes continued to tear up.
"He felt you'd remember things he can't now." Sunny explained, trying to be sensitive. "Stuff about his past… at school."
"School?" Leslie was surprised. "This isn't about his fame and fortune? His stupid books?"
"Not at all." Shady patted her hand again. "We just want to ask some questions about his friends growing up. People he hung out with all the time and Hogwarts. This is about THEM… not so much him."
"What do you want to know? My brother socialized with a lot of different people back at school. He was really popular."
"So we've heard. Prom King and all that." Sunny confirmed. "Who were his closest friends though? His BEST friends?"
"Oh… um…" she thought. "I really didn't have much to do with my brother at school… but he was good friends with the sports star - Ricky Wood. Ricky was over at the house a few times. He hit on me… at the time I thought he was really intimidating though. It's a shame about Rick though… he died."
"So we've heard." Sunny repeated. "How did the late Rick Wood die, Leslie? Do you know?"
"I'm really not sure." she admitted after a second's thought. "Probably fell off his broomstick. He was a Quidditch fanatic."
"Oh. I see." Shady sighed, wishing someone could answer their questions. "Did your brother have a friend who was Head Boy?"
"Oh! Quin… He was such a good guy. When I was a freshman the other girls were always teasing me and well… (it was probably the only nice thing Gilderoy ever did for me in school) … but Gil got his good buddy Quin to take me to the Semi-Formal that year. Even though Quin had every girl around wanting him as a date, he went with little old me. He was such a nice guy. He treated me like gold. After that night, the other girls stopped teasing me. In fact, I was popular suddenly. Only because I was connected to the two hottest guys at school, though."
"So, you remember Quin then? Can you tell us anymore about him?"
"Not really. He was head boy, as you said. He was Caucasian. Tall and reasonably buff. Not like Ricky Wood or anything though. He was very handsome… jet black hair and these soft brown eyes. He was very friendly and popular. He was so much nicer than my brother. Down to earth, that one. I don't understand how they were such good friends. Quin knew how to treat a lady. My brother was such a PLAYER. Quin was brilliant and my brother was well… my brother…"
"Can you tell us anything more about Quin?" Sun asked, having finally found their focus. Someone to give them more information about their case…
"Yes, what happened to him after school?" Shade zoomed in.
"I really can't say. He was a brilliant student in the Dark Arts. Then again, I hear he was a brilliant student in everything. The only reason Dark Arts sticks out in my mind is… my brother was into it. He and Gil would always talk about stuff like that. It was the only thing Gil seemed intellectual about. Actually, ya… THAT was probably the root of their friendship…"
"Interesting." Sunny smiled at Shady. "Tell us more, Leslie…"
"Well… after school he and Gilderoy kept in touch, of course. Gil became a model obviously… but Quin wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life. He was into Dark Arts Research and hoped to make a career in that field, I think. It's hard to say. I've never really thought about Quin at all. He wasn't part of my life once he graduated and he was scarcely a part of it before that."
Leslie looked thoughtful for a moment before continuing, "Someone once mentioned to me though… that he took a year or so off from his research and went to see the world. I doubted it was true, though. After school, Quin and his dad had a fall out, you see, and well, Quin was cut off from the generous family funds he was use to. There's no way he could have afforded an excursion like that."
"He surprisingly did see the world for a year. Only, his motive for that year off is still very sketchy, as well as his method payment." Shadow replied, thinking. "It was one of the things we hoped you could help us out with."
"Why? Is Quin the one in trouble?" Leslie realized. When they had starting focusing on her brother's old best friend… she'd assumed Quin had gone missing and they were trying to find him. However, now she wasn't sure. It sounded like he wasn't in danger… in trouble…
"He's dead, Leslie." Shadow was blunt.
Leslie gasped, "What?" She was silent for a moment before something seemed to click, "Oh! You're investigating his murder. My brother adored Quin, I swear. He would never… Jeff was an accident… Gilderoy wouldn't…" she trailed off, not making sense.
Sunny was almost touched - almost. After all she'd been through and as much as acted cold and hard towards her older brother - Leslie still was trying to protect him. "No, no. We're not after Gil. We told you that. We are investigating Quin's death… but not in the way you're probably thinking."
Shady nodded and Sunny knew it was time to ask, "Was your brother a supporter of You-Know-Who?"
Leslie yelped in terror and shook her head 'NO' furiously before she found her voice. "NO! He would never get wrapped up in anything like that. Sure, he was interested in studying Dark Magic and werewolves, vampires, hags… and that stuff… but he wanted NOTHING to do with THAT horrible… NO… my brother would never betray… He wasn't a traitor."
"We didn't think so." Shady was careful. "Keep in mind Rex would never be punished for what the deceased Gilderoy Lockhart did. Therefore, telling us the truth won't hurt anyone."
"I am telling the truth." Leslie was now trembling slightly.
Sunny added, blunt as ever, "Excellent. Never doubted you for a second. NOW, do you know if Quin had anything to do with You-Know-Who?"
"I have no idea…" Leslie shuddered. "I… I highly doubt it though. He was such a decent sort. Good and kind. Not one to get mixed up in all that. No, I can safely say Quin wasn't a traitor."
"Is there anything more you can tell us about him?"
"Not that I can think of… off the top of my head. Just that once he left to see the World… I never heard a word about him until this very conversation. I don't really know anything about him. Didn't really know him. I can tell you this though - I'm SO sorry to hear he's dead now. He was a really sweet fellow. A really great guy."
The others nodded, rising as she showed them to the door.
Shady shook Leslie's hand. "Thank you very much for your time."
"If you think of anything else… anything at all… please call us." Sunny handed their number to the blond girl. "Good night, Mrs. Smyth."
Leslie silently closed the door behind them and leaned against it, crying… After a moment, she pulled herself together and went into the old back room of her house. She unlocked the bottom drawer of an unused desk and pulled out a picture just like the one Marilyn carried with her everywhere in a basket.
Quin smiled at her and she was mortified. "Why didn't I tell?" she whispered to the moving photograph.
***
A/N: Strange, sad story... yes. Oh well. Bet you figured it all out long ago, right? ^_^
I might rewrite this someday. I'm not liking it. lol
What do YOU think?