*How* do I manage to update a chapter so fast? I had "some" free
time...but it should take me a while for the next few chapters to be
up...so, um, any of you thinking of a review, maybe...? [forced chuckle]
As I've said in the previous chapter, all humor...ends at this point. I'm now focusing on the "suspense" and the character developments.... Where's Pierre? Sorry...somehow I left him out...but I believe I've put too many characters in this fic already...^^
Again, please excuse my level of English...and if you can get past that problem...enjoy the fic...
***
(Third person POV)
Riddle slowly opened her eyes and took some time to stretch in her bed. In her room, she could see Marcy, Nikki, and Irenes sleeping silently. Last night, just before Riddle went to sleep, Marcy told her that she wants to talk to Nikki and Irenes...to ask them stuff about her parents. But about an hour later, she came back with them, all drenched in a sudden rain. According to Marcy, it rained hard last night all of a sudden.... Nikki and Irenes wouldn't want to wake Miki up if they go back to their room now, and besides, they're all pretty sleepy, so under Riddle's permission, they were allowed to sleep in Riddle's room, but just for one night only...
Riddle looked at the clock in her room; it was 6:00 in the morning. Time to get up.
"Good morning Lady Riddle..." Riddle's maid look worried, but nevertheless greeted her...in a distressed tone...as Riddle walked out of her room, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you..." Riddle answered, and she noticed that her maid seemed to be distracted from something, "...may I ask what may be bothering you?"
"W-well..."
~
"Sigh...I wish Karsh isn't here..." Leena yawned lying on her bed, "I just want to spend some time with you...alone..."
"Well, I'm sure whatever you want to do, Karsh would not mind, " Glenn looked at Karsh, who's sleeping like a hog on the other bed... "Trust him, I've known him since childhood, he is the person to go around gossiping about anything."
The couple got up pretty early today, thanks to Karsh's loud snorting. Glenn has been sitting on Leena's bed, talking her to quietly ever since they woke up about half an hour ago.... Now they're spending some quality time together, though Karsh is in the very same room with them....
"Sigh..." Leena replied as she raised her hand and twirled Glenn's hair using her index finger, "That's not what I mean..."
"Go back to sleep..." Glenn said, getting up and pulled a coat on top of his shirt.
"Where are you going?"
"Check the Manor...and make sure everything's alright..."
"Yes Mr. Dragoon..."
~
"MORNING' GLENN," Zoah greeted the scarred Dragoon as he walked down the hallway.
"Oh, good morning Zoah..." Glenn replied, "What are you doing up at this hour? It's...6:30..." He looked at the clock at the end of the hallway.
"CHECKING THINGS OUT," Zoah said in his usual tone.
"Is that so..."
~
(Serge's POV)
"I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me sleep a bit more," Serge grumbled at Kid as they walked towards the Main Hall for breakfast, "I really need it...really..."
"Whaddaya mean ye need to sleep?!" Kid shouted at me, "For one, I couldn't even sleep last night!"
"Hmm, well...I fell immediately to sleep last night," I said, "It's weird, I usually don't sleep until 1 in the morning..." Oh well, 7:30, time for breakfast...I hope this'll get me some energy....
"Hey Serge, ye looking forward to the dance tonight?" She asked me all of a sudden.
"Um, n-no, not really...I'm rather more interested in seeing Steena's magic show..."
"Hmph, you're no fun!" Of course, if I answered yes, then Kid will bug me all day, telling me what to do at the dance...ughh...
When we arrived at the Main Hall, everyone was already there. Hmm, except Miki, seemed like she overslept and doesn't care about breakfast.... Well, most of the people all look down and sleepy...
Just like me...
"People, I am afraid I have bad news to report..." Riddle said when she saw most of the people have arrived, thus receiving all the attention in the room.
"You look down, Riddle, what's wrong?" Karsh asked.
"This morning, I was informed that..." Riddle is in a state of melancholy, "The S.S. Zelbess...was bombed late last night..."
Everyone looked startled at that instant...and started a ruckus. I was shocked too...why'd anybody want to bomb the S.S. Zelbess...? It's like...the only place for vacation back in Home World.... When the noise died down, Riddle continued.
"Janice was okay...because she was at the opposite site of the explosion..." Riddle looked like she's gonna cry, "But Sneff...!"
No one made a sound...
~
(Third person view)
"Sigh...I don't like the atmosphere this morning...nobody spoke..." Nikki said as he and Irenes were going back to their room...
"Ja...I agree with yoü..." The mermaid replied, "I jüst hope that everyone cöuld regäin their energy soon..."
"Are you still sleepy? That's weird..." Nikki raised an eyebrow, and when they reached the room, he attempted to open the door, but immediately drew back him hand when his hand got in contact with the doorknob.
"Whät ist wrong?" Irenes asked, "Ist it löcked?"
"Yeah, but the doorknob..." Nikki turned to face Irenes, "You try touching it..."
When Irenes put her hand on the doorknob, she immediately threw back her arm... "Ja...thät ist very cöld..."
"It's freezing, Irenes..." Nikki emphasized, "MIKI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
No response...
"Miki? Are yoü in there?" Irenes raised her voice, "Miki?"
"Alright...something's goin' on..." Nikki mumbled, getting the key out, "I have a bad feeling about this..."
When he unlocked the door and went in, he saw a broken window, Marcy's bird is alive and well...but Miki is just lying on her bed...not moving...
"Whät happened to zë windöw...?" Irenes went over and checked out the broken pieces, scattered around near the window inside the room...
"Get up already, Miki," Nikki said, "You missed breakfast, and something big just happened..." Still, Miki did not move...
"Miki? Are yoü all rïght?"
They got closer to check out their friend...moments later, screams were heard loud and clear throughout Viper Manor...
She was dead.
~
It was exactly ten o'clock; Riddle had called everyone for an emergency meeting in the Main Hall. Doc had finished examining Miki's corpse and is now preparing for a report to tell everyone.... It was absolutely quiet in the Main Hall...the atmosphere was even more eerie than the breakfast that morning.... Irenes was weeping quietly, and Steena was comforting her.... Nikki...sat still, silent, and did not show any expression...
"I can't figure out what caused Miki's death...though she looked pale, she seemed very peaceful at the time of her death..." Doc is speaking in front of everyone, "...as if she died during her sleep...last night..."
"Um, I have a question," Leah raised her hand, "How do you explain the broken window?"
"Serge and Kid are investigating that area..." Riddle explained, "They should be back soon..."
"Anyway, I couldn't find any outside injuries that caused her death..." Doc continued, "And judging from the stuff in her stomach, I believe the time of death is sometime near 3 o'clock this morning..."
"Does that mean...that someone must have killed her by intruding from the outside...?" Leena asked.
"Nope, can't be!" Kid said loudly as she walked in with Serge, both receiving all the attention, "Serge will explain the rest."
"Yeah, well, we found this in Marcy's room..." Serge said, holding up a rock about the same size as his fist, "I believe this is what caused the window to shatter..."
"And besides, didn't it rain last night?" Kid added, "so the area outside of the window are all muddy an' stuff..."
"But there aren't any footprints, in the room or around the muddy areas..." Serge continued, but that just added to the confusion of how Miki died...
"Ah! The bird is alive, right?" Orlha suddenly exclaimed, and everyone turned their head towards her, "We can ask either Guile or Steena, who stayed at the room next to Marcy's room!"
"Like, right, Guile, Steena, did either of you like, hear my bird make any noise last night?" Marcy asked.
"Well, I think the noise of the window shattering is what woke me up last night...then I heard the bird chirp for a few minutes..." Guile said, "...but when I took a look at the clock in our room, it was 1 o'clock...right, Steena?" The chief of Guldove thought about it for a second and nodded, then went back to calming down Irenes.
"As I recall, that time is when it rained hard..." Glenn added, "The rain woke me up, and when I looked at the clock, it was 12:58"
"That was about the time when Marcy came back with Nikki and Irenes...into my room..." Riddle said, "...all soaked in the rain."
"Did ev'ryone feel sleepy last night?" Luccia suddenly asked, and got a feedback when almost everyone nodded their heads, "I t'ink I have a reason vhy that happened..."
"Please go on..." Doc said.
"Apparently, it was unusual that everyone vas sleepy, isn't it? I took some food from last night into my lab this morning for some tests..." Luccia continued, "And I vound components from sleeping pills...in some dishes"
"So that means...Orcha's...behind this?" Kid asked.
"No, I asked him 'tis morning...and he let me investigate his kitchen..." Luccia answered, "...And I vound no components of sleeping pills...anywhere."
"He feel asleep immediately when he came back from the kitchen...so he was affected by the pills without knowing too..." Orlha defended for Orcha, who also slept in the private's room, "Whoever it was that tried to make all of us to go sleep, it wasn't him."
"Can someone explain about the freezing doorknob?" Neofio asked, but no one volunteered...
"Maybe it's because the window is broken..." Turnip said after a while.
"But it wasn't THAT cold last night..." Karsh replied.
"YES, WHEN I TOOK A WALK THIS MORNING, IT WAS RATHER WARM." Zoah added.
"The gate was locked...so no one is able to come in into Viper Manor..." Riddle stated the facts, "If someone did try to come in, he or she would be found by our guards stationed at the front...."
"Which means, I'm sorry to say this...but one of us...must have killed Miki." Serge concluded, and everyone clamored with worried faces...
~
The time now is 9:00 at night. Everyone was silent the whole day, even during the dinner that was just finished. The dinner that day is very different, everyone is asked to eat the same amount of food, so if someone...or if it really was Orcha...decided to put sleeping pills into the food again, at least everyone will be sleeping and nothing will happen to anyone.
Riddle cancelled the dance as well as other activities originally planned for that day shortly after the meeting in the morning. Miki's body was now wrapped in sheets and secured in one of the prison cells of Viper Manor...as an evidence of the crime scene. Irenes and Nikki...moved to the privates' room because Marcy's room is now an official "crime scene," meaning only Riddle, Serge, and Kid have access to that room, as Serge and Kid are running everywhere around the Manor investigating the murder case...
"What is happening to us..." Sitting on her bed, Leena grumbled, "First Sneff died...now Miki is gone as well..."
"Leena..." Glenn sat on a chair, facing his fiancée, "You are not the only person upset because of this thing...Lady Riddle is very, very down because of what has happened. In fact, she thought it was all her fault...to have invited everyone to the Manor.... She said if she didn't do that, then nobody would have died..."
"But it wasn't her fault..."
"I know..."
"Sigh...this is totally not the quality time I have in mind..." Leena said palely. The couple is now alone because Riddle has asked Karsh and Zoah to go on patrol around the Manor until everyone sleeps.
"I know what you are saying...but look on the bright side," Glenn went to her and reached out to take her hand gently, half kneeling in front of her, "Once this whole thing is finished...you and I...we will...."
"We'll get married," Leena finished the sentence for him with an attempt to smile, but she broke down into sobs instead.
"Leena..." Glenn got closer to her, "Do you not want the marriage...?"
"What are you talking about?! Sorry...it's just so sad that Miki and Sneff can't come to our wedding...anymore..." Leena looked away with watery eyes.
"..." Glenn can't think of anything to do...so he only wrapped her in his arms...and comforted her...
After a while, Leena stood up as if she thought of something, making Glenn release his hands and stand up as well, "Stand here and wait."
She went to her luggage, searched for something...and when she found it, she stood up, back facing the Dragoon, and began...undressing.
"WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Glenn turned around so face the door, blushing. Totally not knowing what has gotten into Leena...then he heard some zipping and shuffling of clothes...
"It's okay, you can look at me now," Leena told him after a few minutes of dead silence, "Glenn, it's okay, I have clothes on." That's when Glenn decided to slowly turn around...
"What the..." He could only see Leena in an night gown. It was what she planned to wear that night during the now canceled dance. It is a white low-cut night gown with feathers on the sides...and a translucent blue robe that covered the front of the dress, top to bottom. The back have two thin ocean blue lobes hanging to the ground. It suited her very much, and she looked absolutely fabulous...
The Arni girl giggled, "Sorry...I forgot to put makeup on...and there are no jewelry what-so-ever.... But...since the dance is canceled..." She walked up slowly to the Dragoon, grabbed his hand and gestured him to wrap his arms around her. Glenn, however, took some time to analyze all that information in his head...he just stared at her.... When he came to, he got closer to her and put his left arm around her waist, and his right hand extended to hold her left hand.
They danced slowly in the room...
"You know, I would be wearing a tuxedo at a time like this," Glenn said, blushing, "It was a white one, too..."
"There's no need...for that..." She whispered and kissed her fiancé as they danced....
~
Meanwhile, on the hallway just outside Karsh's room...
"Orlha, Serge wanted me to...ask ye to do a favor..." Kid asked the bartender from Guldove, "Can you...watch over Nikki?"
"Oh, sure...why?" Orlha gave her a confused look...
"I dunno...Serge said Nikki seemed to be too calm about the death of Miki...so..."
"...Right, I understand..." Orlha gave Kid a faint smile, "I'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks..."
~
At the same time, in Zoah's room...
"I just don't get it! The window's broken at 1 in the morning...but Miki died 2 hours later...there aren't any footprints inside or outside..." Serge crossed his arms, sat on his bed, "It totally doesn't make sense..."
"Like, don't think too much..." Marcy said.
"If someone killed her with a powerful blue element...then the room would be very wet..." Doc told Serge, "However, it isn't..."
"And ye shouldn't suspect Nikki like that! Although he's a blue innate...and he's too calm...but still!" Kid came back into the room with those words. Serge, Kid, Doc, and Marcy have been having the discussion ever since dinner that night, and they still don't have a clue to Miki's mysterious death.
"The field effect in Marcy's room appeared to be all blue..." Doc informed the group.
"But like, it has always been that way, like, it's my room to begin with, so like..." Marcy explained, "And besides, like, Nikki was in Lady Riddle's room like, the whole night..."
"What is if he woke up while you guys are still sleeping and walked out of Lady Riddle's room?" Serge asked, not giving up.
"Serge!" Kid was shocked, "I can't believe ye would make assumptions like that...!"
"But then again there aren't any footprints..." Doc reminded.
"Sigh..."
"Serge, ye need to rest. Ye've been running around the Manor ever since this morning," Kid said.
"Yeah...I guess..."
"Well, if anything comes to your mind, let me know." Doc left with those words.
"Serge, like, Nikki isn't wouldn't do such things..." Marcy headed out of her room as well, "Like, he's my...relative..."
"I know...sorry..."
~
Leena woke up at 3 in the morning, together on the bed with Glenn. Apparently, she had a great night with Glenn...not only did they dance, but their "friendship" evolved to a new level that night... 'Good thing Karsh didn't go out and gossip to everyone about this when he came back and found us asleep on one bed...' She thought, 'Glenn is right...he's not that kind of a person...' Then she got her panties and a shirt...and began dressing. Afterwards, she stuffed her pillow onto Glenn's arm, and he clutched the pillow into his bare chest, thinking it was Leena in his deep sleep.
'Sorry Glenn, I'll be back soon...' Leena thought as she gave a warm smile on her face, 'Let's see...the nearest restroom...is beside the Main Hall...I think...'
When she got to the Main Hall, she saw a familiar person...
"Oh...it's you...what are you doing up at this hour?" Leena asked, walking towards that person...
"..." The person was silent...
~
"Sigh...I cän't sleep..." Irenes whispered to herself and got up in the privates' sleeping quarter. The death of Miki has been on her mind ever since she saw the dead body...and now she's having troubles sleeping... "I should get söme fresh aïr..."
Irenes turned to look around, and noticed that everyone were asleep. She saw that Orlha is guarding the door, sleeping as well. She went to Orlha and tapped on her shoulder to wake her up, then gestured that she wants to go to the restroom....
'My duty is to watch over Nikki...so Irenes would be fine...' Orlha thought to herself, then nodded and slowly opened the door...
~
When Irenes got to the Main Hall, she saw a standing figure...and a collapsed one...
"W-whä..."
"...!" The person saw Irenes immediately...
***
Where are the Kindaichi and Konan stuff? I've decided to tell you guys at the end of the fic... so I won't spoil it for anyone right now...
I'm a guy, so how did I describe girls' clothes? Simple, I just asked a girl...^^
Finally...done with this chapter too...hope it's interesting enough for people LIKE YOU to submit a review...
Sigh...I *need* reviews...whether they're good or bad...
As I've said in the previous chapter, all humor...ends at this point. I'm now focusing on the "suspense" and the character developments.... Where's Pierre? Sorry...somehow I left him out...but I believe I've put too many characters in this fic already...^^
Again, please excuse my level of English...and if you can get past that problem...enjoy the fic...
***
(Third person POV)
Riddle slowly opened her eyes and took some time to stretch in her bed. In her room, she could see Marcy, Nikki, and Irenes sleeping silently. Last night, just before Riddle went to sleep, Marcy told her that she wants to talk to Nikki and Irenes...to ask them stuff about her parents. But about an hour later, she came back with them, all drenched in a sudden rain. According to Marcy, it rained hard last night all of a sudden.... Nikki and Irenes wouldn't want to wake Miki up if they go back to their room now, and besides, they're all pretty sleepy, so under Riddle's permission, they were allowed to sleep in Riddle's room, but just for one night only...
Riddle looked at the clock in her room; it was 6:00 in the morning. Time to get up.
"Good morning Lady Riddle..." Riddle's maid look worried, but nevertheless greeted her...in a distressed tone...as Riddle walked out of her room, "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thank you..." Riddle answered, and she noticed that her maid seemed to be distracted from something, "...may I ask what may be bothering you?"
"W-well..."
~
"Sigh...I wish Karsh isn't here..." Leena yawned lying on her bed, "I just want to spend some time with you...alone..."
"Well, I'm sure whatever you want to do, Karsh would not mind, " Glenn looked at Karsh, who's sleeping like a hog on the other bed... "Trust him, I've known him since childhood, he is the person to go around gossiping about anything."
The couple got up pretty early today, thanks to Karsh's loud snorting. Glenn has been sitting on Leena's bed, talking her to quietly ever since they woke up about half an hour ago.... Now they're spending some quality time together, though Karsh is in the very same room with them....
"Sigh..." Leena replied as she raised her hand and twirled Glenn's hair using her index finger, "That's not what I mean..."
"Go back to sleep..." Glenn said, getting up and pulled a coat on top of his shirt.
"Where are you going?"
"Check the Manor...and make sure everything's alright..."
"Yes Mr. Dragoon..."
~
"MORNING' GLENN," Zoah greeted the scarred Dragoon as he walked down the hallway.
"Oh, good morning Zoah..." Glenn replied, "What are you doing up at this hour? It's...6:30..." He looked at the clock at the end of the hallway.
"CHECKING THINGS OUT," Zoah said in his usual tone.
"Is that so..."
~
(Serge's POV)
"I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me sleep a bit more," Serge grumbled at Kid as they walked towards the Main Hall for breakfast, "I really need it...really..."
"Whaddaya mean ye need to sleep?!" Kid shouted at me, "For one, I couldn't even sleep last night!"
"Hmm, well...I fell immediately to sleep last night," I said, "It's weird, I usually don't sleep until 1 in the morning..." Oh well, 7:30, time for breakfast...I hope this'll get me some energy....
"Hey Serge, ye looking forward to the dance tonight?" She asked me all of a sudden.
"Um, n-no, not really...I'm rather more interested in seeing Steena's magic show..."
"Hmph, you're no fun!" Of course, if I answered yes, then Kid will bug me all day, telling me what to do at the dance...ughh...
When we arrived at the Main Hall, everyone was already there. Hmm, except Miki, seemed like she overslept and doesn't care about breakfast.... Well, most of the people all look down and sleepy...
Just like me...
"People, I am afraid I have bad news to report..." Riddle said when she saw most of the people have arrived, thus receiving all the attention in the room.
"You look down, Riddle, what's wrong?" Karsh asked.
"This morning, I was informed that..." Riddle is in a state of melancholy, "The S.S. Zelbess...was bombed late last night..."
Everyone looked startled at that instant...and started a ruckus. I was shocked too...why'd anybody want to bomb the S.S. Zelbess...? It's like...the only place for vacation back in Home World.... When the noise died down, Riddle continued.
"Janice was okay...because she was at the opposite site of the explosion..." Riddle looked like she's gonna cry, "But Sneff...!"
No one made a sound...
~
(Third person view)
"Sigh...I don't like the atmosphere this morning...nobody spoke..." Nikki said as he and Irenes were going back to their room...
"Ja...I agree with yoü..." The mermaid replied, "I jüst hope that everyone cöuld regäin their energy soon..."
"Are you still sleepy? That's weird..." Nikki raised an eyebrow, and when they reached the room, he attempted to open the door, but immediately drew back him hand when his hand got in contact with the doorknob.
"Whät ist wrong?" Irenes asked, "Ist it löcked?"
"Yeah, but the doorknob..." Nikki turned to face Irenes, "You try touching it..."
When Irenes put her hand on the doorknob, she immediately threw back her arm... "Ja...thät ist very cöld..."
"It's freezing, Irenes..." Nikki emphasized, "MIKI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
No response...
"Miki? Are yoü in there?" Irenes raised her voice, "Miki?"
"Alright...something's goin' on..." Nikki mumbled, getting the key out, "I have a bad feeling about this..."
When he unlocked the door and went in, he saw a broken window, Marcy's bird is alive and well...but Miki is just lying on her bed...not moving...
"Whät happened to zë windöw...?" Irenes went over and checked out the broken pieces, scattered around near the window inside the room...
"Get up already, Miki," Nikki said, "You missed breakfast, and something big just happened..." Still, Miki did not move...
"Miki? Are yoü all rïght?"
They got closer to check out their friend...moments later, screams were heard loud and clear throughout Viper Manor...
She was dead.
~
It was exactly ten o'clock; Riddle had called everyone for an emergency meeting in the Main Hall. Doc had finished examining Miki's corpse and is now preparing for a report to tell everyone.... It was absolutely quiet in the Main Hall...the atmosphere was even more eerie than the breakfast that morning.... Irenes was weeping quietly, and Steena was comforting her.... Nikki...sat still, silent, and did not show any expression...
"I can't figure out what caused Miki's death...though she looked pale, she seemed very peaceful at the time of her death..." Doc is speaking in front of everyone, "...as if she died during her sleep...last night..."
"Um, I have a question," Leah raised her hand, "How do you explain the broken window?"
"Serge and Kid are investigating that area..." Riddle explained, "They should be back soon..."
"Anyway, I couldn't find any outside injuries that caused her death..." Doc continued, "And judging from the stuff in her stomach, I believe the time of death is sometime near 3 o'clock this morning..."
"Does that mean...that someone must have killed her by intruding from the outside...?" Leena asked.
"Nope, can't be!" Kid said loudly as she walked in with Serge, both receiving all the attention, "Serge will explain the rest."
"Yeah, well, we found this in Marcy's room..." Serge said, holding up a rock about the same size as his fist, "I believe this is what caused the window to shatter..."
"And besides, didn't it rain last night?" Kid added, "so the area outside of the window are all muddy an' stuff..."
"But there aren't any footprints, in the room or around the muddy areas..." Serge continued, but that just added to the confusion of how Miki died...
"Ah! The bird is alive, right?" Orlha suddenly exclaimed, and everyone turned their head towards her, "We can ask either Guile or Steena, who stayed at the room next to Marcy's room!"
"Like, right, Guile, Steena, did either of you like, hear my bird make any noise last night?" Marcy asked.
"Well, I think the noise of the window shattering is what woke me up last night...then I heard the bird chirp for a few minutes..." Guile said, "...but when I took a look at the clock in our room, it was 1 o'clock...right, Steena?" The chief of Guldove thought about it for a second and nodded, then went back to calming down Irenes.
"As I recall, that time is when it rained hard..." Glenn added, "The rain woke me up, and when I looked at the clock, it was 12:58"
"That was about the time when Marcy came back with Nikki and Irenes...into my room..." Riddle said, "...all soaked in the rain."
"Did ev'ryone feel sleepy last night?" Luccia suddenly asked, and got a feedback when almost everyone nodded their heads, "I t'ink I have a reason vhy that happened..."
"Please go on..." Doc said.
"Apparently, it was unusual that everyone vas sleepy, isn't it? I took some food from last night into my lab this morning for some tests..." Luccia continued, "And I vound components from sleeping pills...in some dishes"
"So that means...Orcha's...behind this?" Kid asked.
"No, I asked him 'tis morning...and he let me investigate his kitchen..." Luccia answered, "...And I vound no components of sleeping pills...anywhere."
"He feel asleep immediately when he came back from the kitchen...so he was affected by the pills without knowing too..." Orlha defended for Orcha, who also slept in the private's room, "Whoever it was that tried to make all of us to go sleep, it wasn't him."
"Can someone explain about the freezing doorknob?" Neofio asked, but no one volunteered...
"Maybe it's because the window is broken..." Turnip said after a while.
"But it wasn't THAT cold last night..." Karsh replied.
"YES, WHEN I TOOK A WALK THIS MORNING, IT WAS RATHER WARM." Zoah added.
"The gate was locked...so no one is able to come in into Viper Manor..." Riddle stated the facts, "If someone did try to come in, he or she would be found by our guards stationed at the front...."
"Which means, I'm sorry to say this...but one of us...must have killed Miki." Serge concluded, and everyone clamored with worried faces...
~
The time now is 9:00 at night. Everyone was silent the whole day, even during the dinner that was just finished. The dinner that day is very different, everyone is asked to eat the same amount of food, so if someone...or if it really was Orcha...decided to put sleeping pills into the food again, at least everyone will be sleeping and nothing will happen to anyone.
Riddle cancelled the dance as well as other activities originally planned for that day shortly after the meeting in the morning. Miki's body was now wrapped in sheets and secured in one of the prison cells of Viper Manor...as an evidence of the crime scene. Irenes and Nikki...moved to the privates' room because Marcy's room is now an official "crime scene," meaning only Riddle, Serge, and Kid have access to that room, as Serge and Kid are running everywhere around the Manor investigating the murder case...
"What is happening to us..." Sitting on her bed, Leena grumbled, "First Sneff died...now Miki is gone as well..."
"Leena..." Glenn sat on a chair, facing his fiancée, "You are not the only person upset because of this thing...Lady Riddle is very, very down because of what has happened. In fact, she thought it was all her fault...to have invited everyone to the Manor.... She said if she didn't do that, then nobody would have died..."
"But it wasn't her fault..."
"I know..."
"Sigh...this is totally not the quality time I have in mind..." Leena said palely. The couple is now alone because Riddle has asked Karsh and Zoah to go on patrol around the Manor until everyone sleeps.
"I know what you are saying...but look on the bright side," Glenn went to her and reached out to take her hand gently, half kneeling in front of her, "Once this whole thing is finished...you and I...we will...."
"We'll get married," Leena finished the sentence for him with an attempt to smile, but she broke down into sobs instead.
"Leena..." Glenn got closer to her, "Do you not want the marriage...?"
"What are you talking about?! Sorry...it's just so sad that Miki and Sneff can't come to our wedding...anymore..." Leena looked away with watery eyes.
"..." Glenn can't think of anything to do...so he only wrapped her in his arms...and comforted her...
After a while, Leena stood up as if she thought of something, making Glenn release his hands and stand up as well, "Stand here and wait."
She went to her luggage, searched for something...and when she found it, she stood up, back facing the Dragoon, and began...undressing.
"WHA-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Glenn turned around so face the door, blushing. Totally not knowing what has gotten into Leena...then he heard some zipping and shuffling of clothes...
"It's okay, you can look at me now," Leena told him after a few minutes of dead silence, "Glenn, it's okay, I have clothes on." That's when Glenn decided to slowly turn around...
"What the..." He could only see Leena in an night gown. It was what she planned to wear that night during the now canceled dance. It is a white low-cut night gown with feathers on the sides...and a translucent blue robe that covered the front of the dress, top to bottom. The back have two thin ocean blue lobes hanging to the ground. It suited her very much, and she looked absolutely fabulous...
The Arni girl giggled, "Sorry...I forgot to put makeup on...and there are no jewelry what-so-ever.... But...since the dance is canceled..." She walked up slowly to the Dragoon, grabbed his hand and gestured him to wrap his arms around her. Glenn, however, took some time to analyze all that information in his head...he just stared at her.... When he came to, he got closer to her and put his left arm around her waist, and his right hand extended to hold her left hand.
They danced slowly in the room...
"You know, I would be wearing a tuxedo at a time like this," Glenn said, blushing, "It was a white one, too..."
"There's no need...for that..." She whispered and kissed her fiancé as they danced....
~
Meanwhile, on the hallway just outside Karsh's room...
"Orlha, Serge wanted me to...ask ye to do a favor..." Kid asked the bartender from Guldove, "Can you...watch over Nikki?"
"Oh, sure...why?" Orlha gave her a confused look...
"I dunno...Serge said Nikki seemed to be too calm about the death of Miki...so..."
"...Right, I understand..." Orlha gave Kid a faint smile, "I'll keep an eye on him."
"Thanks..."
~
At the same time, in Zoah's room...
"I just don't get it! The window's broken at 1 in the morning...but Miki died 2 hours later...there aren't any footprints inside or outside..." Serge crossed his arms, sat on his bed, "It totally doesn't make sense..."
"Like, don't think too much..." Marcy said.
"If someone killed her with a powerful blue element...then the room would be very wet..." Doc told Serge, "However, it isn't..."
"And ye shouldn't suspect Nikki like that! Although he's a blue innate...and he's too calm...but still!" Kid came back into the room with those words. Serge, Kid, Doc, and Marcy have been having the discussion ever since dinner that night, and they still don't have a clue to Miki's mysterious death.
"The field effect in Marcy's room appeared to be all blue..." Doc informed the group.
"But like, it has always been that way, like, it's my room to begin with, so like..." Marcy explained, "And besides, like, Nikki was in Lady Riddle's room like, the whole night..."
"What is if he woke up while you guys are still sleeping and walked out of Lady Riddle's room?" Serge asked, not giving up.
"Serge!" Kid was shocked, "I can't believe ye would make assumptions like that...!"
"But then again there aren't any footprints..." Doc reminded.
"Sigh..."
"Serge, ye need to rest. Ye've been running around the Manor ever since this morning," Kid said.
"Yeah...I guess..."
"Well, if anything comes to your mind, let me know." Doc left with those words.
"Serge, like, Nikki isn't wouldn't do such things..." Marcy headed out of her room as well, "Like, he's my...relative..."
"I know...sorry..."
~
Leena woke up at 3 in the morning, together on the bed with Glenn. Apparently, she had a great night with Glenn...not only did they dance, but their "friendship" evolved to a new level that night... 'Good thing Karsh didn't go out and gossip to everyone about this when he came back and found us asleep on one bed...' She thought, 'Glenn is right...he's not that kind of a person...' Then she got her panties and a shirt...and began dressing. Afterwards, she stuffed her pillow onto Glenn's arm, and he clutched the pillow into his bare chest, thinking it was Leena in his deep sleep.
'Sorry Glenn, I'll be back soon...' Leena thought as she gave a warm smile on her face, 'Let's see...the nearest restroom...is beside the Main Hall...I think...'
When she got to the Main Hall, she saw a familiar person...
"Oh...it's you...what are you doing up at this hour?" Leena asked, walking towards that person...
"..." The person was silent...
~
"Sigh...I cän't sleep..." Irenes whispered to herself and got up in the privates' sleeping quarter. The death of Miki has been on her mind ever since she saw the dead body...and now she's having troubles sleeping... "I should get söme fresh aïr..."
Irenes turned to look around, and noticed that everyone were asleep. She saw that Orlha is guarding the door, sleeping as well. She went to Orlha and tapped on her shoulder to wake her up, then gestured that she wants to go to the restroom....
'My duty is to watch over Nikki...so Irenes would be fine...' Orlha thought to herself, then nodded and slowly opened the door...
~
When Irenes got to the Main Hall, she saw a standing figure...and a collapsed one...
"W-whä..."
"...!" The person saw Irenes immediately...
***
Where are the Kindaichi and Konan stuff? I've decided to tell you guys at the end of the fic... so I won't spoil it for anyone right now...
I'm a guy, so how did I describe girls' clothes? Simple, I just asked a girl...^^
Finally...done with this chapter too...hope it's interesting enough for people LIKE YOU to submit a review...
Sigh...I *need* reviews...whether they're good or bad...