Chapter 10
~~*The True Assassin*~~
"What are you playing at?" One hissed to his brother.
"I was going to ring the doorbell, O favoured one" mocked Two.
One sighed. "I seriously think that we are going to have to get you a very large notebook and then you can take notes on what a true assassin should act like."
"Go on then. What should a 'true' assassin act like" smirked Two.
"Like this" said One and phased through the oak door.
Two stood silent for a moment and blushed. "I knew that!"
"Yeah, sure" replied One as his brother joined him inside "Now all we have to do is to find that girl"
"Why are you so sure she'll be here?" asked Two.
"I had a little chat with her while you were searching for your blade and she told me something that makes me certain that she'll be here."
"Why do you always have to be so secretive?"
"It's a pity you don't already have a notebook with you"
"Why?" asked Two
"Point Four. A true assassin never reveals important information that he believes to have significant value." One quoted.
"You made that up!"
"Ah, but you'll never find out will you?" grinned One receiving only a scowl from Two in response.
They walked through the hall speaking nothing to each other as they searched for any clue that might lead them to Estelle. The first room they came to turned out to be the living room and being the type of person to make themselves at home, One helped himself to a whisky from the sideboard. Two reached over to pour himself a glass too, but had his hand slapped away quickly by One.
"Hey!"
One raised an eyebrow. "Point Seventeen. The true assassin is the only one to ever have the privileges of someone else's property."
"That's not fair!"
"All's fair in love and war dear brother." One drained his glass and exited back out into the hall.
The searched the whole of the downstairs and after finding nothing except a jar of pickles in the fridge which One put ' point seventeen' to use on, they decided to venture upstairs.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd?" remarked Two after the through search of the study.
"What's odd?" replied One.
"Don't you think we'd have heard someone in the house by now if anyone was here?" Two explained.
"No. She could be hiding from us."
Two suddenly grimaced, sniffed deeply and immediately pinched his nose.
"Can you smeld dat?" he said turning to One who already had his nose in a tight pinch.
"Yes. I cad an it stiks!"
"Pardon?"
One released his nose and continued.
"I said 'Yes I can and it stinks'"
"Oh. Right!"
"It's coming from over there" One pointed to the opposite room across the landing. He looked at his twin who hadn't responded to see that he still was holding his nose, hard.
"Oh, stop it you idiot!" scowled One "If I can stand it, you can."
"I have a senditive dose" said Two.
One narrowed his eyes and Two finally released his nose.
"Thank you. Can I continue?"
"Please do. Just don't complain if I faint from this stench."
They wandered across to where the smell was coming from and opened the door. It was like stepping into a furnace. The whole room was a violent shade of orange and red and by the far wall under the window was a wooden cot surrounded by many stuffed toys and plastic oddities.
They edged closer to the cot and peered inside to see a small pink face grinning up at them. It lifted a finger to its mouth and murmured "Tommy go poo poo!" and giggled.
The twins exchanged horrified glances then One cleared his throat.
"The true assassin never strays from the job in hand."
Two suddenly hooted with laughter.
"Great. Since this is now the 'job in hand' I believe as you are the true assassin you get this task!"
One gulped and reached inside the cot when suddenly footsteps sounded on the stairs. The twins whipped out their blades ready for anything that might come through the door. A voice followed with the footsteps and they grew louder as they neared the room.
"Sorry Alan. I must've fallen asleep outside. That new deckchair is so comfy."
The door opened and in came a woman with chestnut coloured hair wearing only a blue bikini and sunglasses. When she saw the twins she did something totally unexpected. She didn't scream or yell for help. Quite on the contrary she remained quite calm, lowered her sunglasses and simply said "Who are you?"
Two's eyes and mouth however had become rather fixed. He stared determinedly at the wall in front of him to prevent his eyes from wandering to stare at something they shouldn't.
One answered the question very formally but to the point.
"My name is One and this is my brother, Two. We were told that a woman named Estelle Croft lived here. Do you know where we might find her?"
The young woman suddenly laughed. "Why, my name is Maria Croft. Estelle is my sister. Why do you want to find her?"
"We have a message for her from her late boss."
"I never knew she was employed. Oh well. She lives on Hertside Road that's the road across the street. She lives on the third floor of the apartment building at number 17."
"Right. Thank you Miss Croft. You have been most helpful. We'll just be leaving now."
"Leaving? Of course. But I'm coming with you."
"What?!" The twins stared at her in utter disbelief. One was the first to regain composure.
"That will not be necessary, Miss Croft."
"Oh but it is. You see what concerns my sister, concerns me."
"You have a baby to look after though."
"I know. I'll call Mrs Lloyd. She'll be glad to look after Tommy for a while."
"You are making this very awkward for us."
"I'm sorry but you must understand-"
Suddenly a loud wail sounded from the cot and Maria rushed over to it.
"Oh dear" she said "It looks like I'll have to stay here after all. I'll ring Estelle later. That' not a problem is it?"
"No, no. Of course not" said the twins sounding thoroughly relieved.
"You can find your own way out right?"
"Yes of course. Goodbye Miss."
"Goodbye."
The twins walked back downstairs but just before they got to the door, One took a detour back inside the living room. Two however, walked out to the car and was about to sit in the driving seat hen he was shoved out the way by One.
"Remember Two. The true assassin-"
"Yes I know. Stop going on about it."
One started up the car and reversed out of the driveway. He shoved a large glass bottle containing a bronze coloured liquid in Two's lap.
"Make sure you take good care of that." He said "I want a decent nightcap tonight, not the sewage that the Merovingian gives us!"
~~*The True Assassin*~~
"What are you playing at?" One hissed to his brother.
"I was going to ring the doorbell, O favoured one" mocked Two.
One sighed. "I seriously think that we are going to have to get you a very large notebook and then you can take notes on what a true assassin should act like."
"Go on then. What should a 'true' assassin act like" smirked Two.
"Like this" said One and phased through the oak door.
Two stood silent for a moment and blushed. "I knew that!"
"Yeah, sure" replied One as his brother joined him inside "Now all we have to do is to find that girl"
"Why are you so sure she'll be here?" asked Two.
"I had a little chat with her while you were searching for your blade and she told me something that makes me certain that she'll be here."
"Why do you always have to be so secretive?"
"It's a pity you don't already have a notebook with you"
"Why?" asked Two
"Point Four. A true assassin never reveals important information that he believes to have significant value." One quoted.
"You made that up!"
"Ah, but you'll never find out will you?" grinned One receiving only a scowl from Two in response.
They walked through the hall speaking nothing to each other as they searched for any clue that might lead them to Estelle. The first room they came to turned out to be the living room and being the type of person to make themselves at home, One helped himself to a whisky from the sideboard. Two reached over to pour himself a glass too, but had his hand slapped away quickly by One.
"Hey!"
One raised an eyebrow. "Point Seventeen. The true assassin is the only one to ever have the privileges of someone else's property."
"That's not fair!"
"All's fair in love and war dear brother." One drained his glass and exited back out into the hall.
The searched the whole of the downstairs and after finding nothing except a jar of pickles in the fridge which One put ' point seventeen' to use on, they decided to venture upstairs.
"Don't you think it's a bit odd?" remarked Two after the through search of the study.
"What's odd?" replied One.
"Don't you think we'd have heard someone in the house by now if anyone was here?" Two explained.
"No. She could be hiding from us."
Two suddenly grimaced, sniffed deeply and immediately pinched his nose.
"Can you smeld dat?" he said turning to One who already had his nose in a tight pinch.
"Yes. I cad an it stiks!"
"Pardon?"
One released his nose and continued.
"I said 'Yes I can and it stinks'"
"Oh. Right!"
"It's coming from over there" One pointed to the opposite room across the landing. He looked at his twin who hadn't responded to see that he still was holding his nose, hard.
"Oh, stop it you idiot!" scowled One "If I can stand it, you can."
"I have a senditive dose" said Two.
One narrowed his eyes and Two finally released his nose.
"Thank you. Can I continue?"
"Please do. Just don't complain if I faint from this stench."
They wandered across to where the smell was coming from and opened the door. It was like stepping into a furnace. The whole room was a violent shade of orange and red and by the far wall under the window was a wooden cot surrounded by many stuffed toys and plastic oddities.
They edged closer to the cot and peered inside to see a small pink face grinning up at them. It lifted a finger to its mouth and murmured "Tommy go poo poo!" and giggled.
The twins exchanged horrified glances then One cleared his throat.
"The true assassin never strays from the job in hand."
Two suddenly hooted with laughter.
"Great. Since this is now the 'job in hand' I believe as you are the true assassin you get this task!"
One gulped and reached inside the cot when suddenly footsteps sounded on the stairs. The twins whipped out their blades ready for anything that might come through the door. A voice followed with the footsteps and they grew louder as they neared the room.
"Sorry Alan. I must've fallen asleep outside. That new deckchair is so comfy."
The door opened and in came a woman with chestnut coloured hair wearing only a blue bikini and sunglasses. When she saw the twins she did something totally unexpected. She didn't scream or yell for help. Quite on the contrary she remained quite calm, lowered her sunglasses and simply said "Who are you?"
Two's eyes and mouth however had become rather fixed. He stared determinedly at the wall in front of him to prevent his eyes from wandering to stare at something they shouldn't.
One answered the question very formally but to the point.
"My name is One and this is my brother, Two. We were told that a woman named Estelle Croft lived here. Do you know where we might find her?"
The young woman suddenly laughed. "Why, my name is Maria Croft. Estelle is my sister. Why do you want to find her?"
"We have a message for her from her late boss."
"I never knew she was employed. Oh well. She lives on Hertside Road that's the road across the street. She lives on the third floor of the apartment building at number 17."
"Right. Thank you Miss Croft. You have been most helpful. We'll just be leaving now."
"Leaving? Of course. But I'm coming with you."
"What?!" The twins stared at her in utter disbelief. One was the first to regain composure.
"That will not be necessary, Miss Croft."
"Oh but it is. You see what concerns my sister, concerns me."
"You have a baby to look after though."
"I know. I'll call Mrs Lloyd. She'll be glad to look after Tommy for a while."
"You are making this very awkward for us."
"I'm sorry but you must understand-"
Suddenly a loud wail sounded from the cot and Maria rushed over to it.
"Oh dear" she said "It looks like I'll have to stay here after all. I'll ring Estelle later. That' not a problem is it?"
"No, no. Of course not" said the twins sounding thoroughly relieved.
"You can find your own way out right?"
"Yes of course. Goodbye Miss."
"Goodbye."
The twins walked back downstairs but just before they got to the door, One took a detour back inside the living room. Two however, walked out to the car and was about to sit in the driving seat hen he was shoved out the way by One.
"Remember Two. The true assassin-"
"Yes I know. Stop going on about it."
One started up the car and reversed out of the driveway. He shoved a large glass bottle containing a bronze coloured liquid in Two's lap.
"Make sure you take good care of that." He said "I want a decent nightcap tonight, not the sewage that the Merovingian gives us!"