Chapter 2
"So it's Carla Ul Copt?"
"Yes, that is my name."
Mina sat down in the chair next to Gourd. They both were facing their new client. The woman had her hands in her lap and was peering around the room with a look of interest as they both looked at each other and shrugged. Now back in the office upstairs, they could start business.
"Well, my name is Mina Inverse, and this is my partner, Gourd Gabriev." She said, extending out her hand to show the woman who now was looking at them intently.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Mina, and you to, Mr. Gabriev." She said, smiling as he waved to her. Carla lifted the hat off her head and placed it in her lap, and shook her head of hair out of her face.
Just as Mina was about to open her mouth to talk, the door opened suddenly. The woman jumped slightly in her chair and clutched her hat tighter. Amelia walked in holding a tray, upon which sat three teacups and a plate of biscuits. She smiled at the client, walked into the middle, and set the plate down on the coffee table that sat between the other three. The teacups were of old china, and all of them had chips around the rim. The one in front of Gourd had a crack. Mina looked at her employee and raised an eyebrow. She had noticed when she was walking in that she was limping slightly. While the others were making small talk and Amelia was introducing herself, Mina looked down at her secretary's shoes. She smiled some and laughed silently to herself. The heel of her left shoe was intact thanks to a clump of tape that was wrapped around it sloppily.
"Well Miss Ul Copt, I was wondering if you'd be so kind as if to tell me and my partner, Gourd here, why it is you've come here. Surely not for small talk?" Said Mina, grabbing the attention of the two blondes and the raven-haired Amelia.
Carla flushed slightly, then sighed -"Yes you're right Miss Mina. Well first of all the reason I picked to come to this place is because-"
"Our name is well known and you've heard of my excellent detective work!!!" Mina interrupted, one foot on the table, one hand pressed to herself, the other out in a fist, and smiling triumphantly.
"Hey what about me.?" Said Gourd in a small voice.
"Actually, quite the opposite." She said laughing slightly, a sweatdrop appearing on her forehead. "It was because I found a detective agency that was so remote and almost impossible to find, because I prefer it not to go public. I'm sorry if I've offended you." She said, smiling gently as Mina fell back into her chair with a sad look on her face, only to wave her hand dismissively.
"No, no it's quite all right.err, before you continue, I was wondering about the fee?"
"The fee.? No wonder this place isn't well known." Carla said, abashed, her finger on her chin as if pondering what she said. Mina bared her teeth slightly, and Gourd nodded his head as if agreeing; only to receive a death glare and a rising fist from his partner. "Well . how many shillings will you need?"
On the word "shillings" Mina stopped her hand and went right into business mode. She took out a tiny notebook and pen.
"Now, it depends what kind of case it is, how much effort will be needed, and extra money expenses like for the bills and food???"
"Bills.food? But that doesn't concern what I'm asking you to do!" Carla said her voice sounding worried and somewhat upset.
"If we're going to be working on this case, we'll be up all night and we'll need our strength up, so that would be appropriate for you to pay us the money for it, correct?" Said Mina, pointing the pen at Carla as she wrote notes down.
"Well I guess so."
"You're gonna be paying a lot. This one eats like a horse." Said Gourd, clasping his hand on Mina's shoulder. She turned and gave him a rather hard "tap" in the stomach. Gourd, now dazed, held his stomach as the red head seemed to calculate the cost in her notebook. Amelia leaned over and whispered into her ear, her hand cupped so the woman couldn't hear.
"Uuuuuuuuuummmm.Miss Mina, if I might add . should you put the price so costly? She may be rich, but that doesn't mean."
"Look, we haven't paid the rent in over two months, and the tax payer isn't going to let us off any longer." She whispered back. "Unless you want to give him another kiss?" That shut Amelia right back up. She turned to Carla, who looked quite distressed as she turned the hat she held in her hands, and said -"Well Miss Ul Copt, that sums up to about 30 pounds!"
"30 pounds! Oh, father is going to kill me!" Exclaimed Carla, holding her face with her hands, shaking her head. Mina was smiling and nodding, her arm crossed over her chest. Amelia was patting their clients arm, and Gourd was consuming all the biscuits, to occupied to be bothered with anything else.
Carla slowly took out her purse from her sash and fumbled in it, tears streaming down her face, muttering how she was going to be in so much trouble. After the money was handed over and stuffed into Mina's pocket she got up and began to pace the room tapping the end of her chin with her pen.
"Well now that we've come to an agreement with the money in advance, you should start by telling us what the problem is." Mina finished off, stopping behind her own chair and placing her arms folded over the back looking, at the blonde. Carla cleared her throat and placed the purse back into her sash, her face dropping suddenly, as if a cloud of sorrow had just filled her head.
"It started only two months ago.
~~~~ ****~~~~
I was at my house one day, in my room writing in my diary of my days passage, when I heard a terrible scream coming from my mother's room. When I had reached the room, I saw the maid, her head was on my mother's bosom and she was weeping. Fear ran through me, like ice freezing a lake. Soon my two brothers, Jonathon and Michael, my father and my cousin Mills arrived. I fell beside the maid and held her in my arms as we wept together, leaving the other men in confusion. Jonathon and Michael were both sent out to get a doctor. Father came over to mother's bed and kneeled down beside me, and taking my hands he asked;
'My dear Carla, what has happened here?' He said his voice failing him, for by now they had all guessed what was wrong."
"What was wrong?" Gourd interrupted.
"She was dead numbskull .am I right?" Mina asked turning to Carla, who had by now tears in her eyes and was turning her hat once again. She nodded.
"I told him through my woes of what I had heard. Father and my cousin tried to get a straight answer out of the maid, but they never could. Every time she started, she went into hysterics, so finally Mills sent for another maid and took Mary, my mother's maid, out of the room. When the doctor arrived, I was sent out of the room, for they didn't want me to worry anymore. One of the last times I got to look at my mother's face was then. I craned my neck as Mills escorted me to my room. She must have died without a struggle, for she looked quite peaceful, but her face was unusually pale."
"Soon after my mother's death, the funeral was beautiful mind you; I still go and place flowers on her grave every Sunday . my brother Michael got sick. You must understand this, Michael was a beautiful man. He used to go out and pull pranks on people with my brother, and he went out in my or my mother's clothes, and people mistook him for a woman. He had wonderful long brown hair that I was often jealous of. Father was often disappointed in Michael, because he wasn't into anything manly by father's accord. He loved music and dancing, Michael was a wonderful dancer. Now that Michael was sick, I was fretting so, he was the only one I talked to so much. He was my best friend, for I never was allowed to get out much, Father was very overprotective. So out of concern for Michael, he was sent out of town to go to a hospital. I hear he is recovering quite fine now that he has left. But Jonathon wasn't so fortunate."
"He died too? Wow, you don't have much luck in your family." Said Gourd, shaking his head. Carla burst into tears and buried her face into her hands. Mina glared at Gourd and crunched his toe under hers.
"That must have been awful for you." Said Amelia sympathetically.
After regaining her composure, Carla bowed her head.
"I'm sorry for making such a scene. It's just that, now my father has grown ill with the same symptoms. I fear greatly for him, for he is too stubborn to leave town while I stay here alone." She was now wiping the remaining tears out of her eyes.
Mina was now writing down notes on her notepad, pausing every moment or so to think. Now the office was in dead silence, except for the sound of Mina's pen scratching against the paper. Gourd took a side-glance at the clock and his stomach gave a little rumble, it was, after all, noon now.
Amelia had now retired back downstairs to her office, and through the un- insolated floorboards she could be heard tapping away at the typewriter. Carla placed her hat back on her head as Mina silently put away her notebook in her back pocket, and her pen into her bosom pocket.
"Well its noon now and I think after all this sad talk we all deserve a big lunch? What do you say Mina?" Said Gourd as he rose from his chair and brushed off his pants, his coat hung over his arm as he placed his hat on. Mina beamed at the idea.
"I think that's a wonderful idea Gourd! You do come up with some bright ideas after all." She said, getting up herself. "Will you be joining us?" She asked, tuning to Miss Ul Copt.
"I don't see why not, besides lunch would be the perfect thing to get all this off my mind." Carla said standing up and straightening out her skirt. Gourd placed out his arm and Carla smiled, bowing her head somewhat, and took it. Mina's eye twitched somewhat .he was being a gentleman .plus ... this might get them extra bonus points money wise . Mina thought to herself, then smiled.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!!!" And with that, all three of them trudged out the door to find an appetizing place.
***
Author's Notes: Hallo again. I'm sorry for not updating sooner ^_^'' I actually didn't realize I had written this chapter and not updated, hehehehe silly me . well, keep reading cause I'll keep posting ^_^'' This fic is going to take a odd turn soon so keep in touch! ^_^V
"So it's Carla Ul Copt?"
"Yes, that is my name."
Mina sat down in the chair next to Gourd. They both were facing their new client. The woman had her hands in her lap and was peering around the room with a look of interest as they both looked at each other and shrugged. Now back in the office upstairs, they could start business.
"Well, my name is Mina Inverse, and this is my partner, Gourd Gabriev." She said, extending out her hand to show the woman who now was looking at them intently.
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Mina, and you to, Mr. Gabriev." She said, smiling as he waved to her. Carla lifted the hat off her head and placed it in her lap, and shook her head of hair out of her face.
Just as Mina was about to open her mouth to talk, the door opened suddenly. The woman jumped slightly in her chair and clutched her hat tighter. Amelia walked in holding a tray, upon which sat three teacups and a plate of biscuits. She smiled at the client, walked into the middle, and set the plate down on the coffee table that sat between the other three. The teacups were of old china, and all of them had chips around the rim. The one in front of Gourd had a crack. Mina looked at her employee and raised an eyebrow. She had noticed when she was walking in that she was limping slightly. While the others were making small talk and Amelia was introducing herself, Mina looked down at her secretary's shoes. She smiled some and laughed silently to herself. The heel of her left shoe was intact thanks to a clump of tape that was wrapped around it sloppily.
"Well Miss Ul Copt, I was wondering if you'd be so kind as if to tell me and my partner, Gourd here, why it is you've come here. Surely not for small talk?" Said Mina, grabbing the attention of the two blondes and the raven-haired Amelia.
Carla flushed slightly, then sighed -"Yes you're right Miss Mina. Well first of all the reason I picked to come to this place is because-"
"Our name is well known and you've heard of my excellent detective work!!!" Mina interrupted, one foot on the table, one hand pressed to herself, the other out in a fist, and smiling triumphantly.
"Hey what about me.?" Said Gourd in a small voice.
"Actually, quite the opposite." She said laughing slightly, a sweatdrop appearing on her forehead. "It was because I found a detective agency that was so remote and almost impossible to find, because I prefer it not to go public. I'm sorry if I've offended you." She said, smiling gently as Mina fell back into her chair with a sad look on her face, only to wave her hand dismissively.
"No, no it's quite all right.err, before you continue, I was wondering about the fee?"
"The fee.? No wonder this place isn't well known." Carla said, abashed, her finger on her chin as if pondering what she said. Mina bared her teeth slightly, and Gourd nodded his head as if agreeing; only to receive a death glare and a rising fist from his partner. "Well . how many shillings will you need?"
On the word "shillings" Mina stopped her hand and went right into business mode. She took out a tiny notebook and pen.
"Now, it depends what kind of case it is, how much effort will be needed, and extra money expenses like for the bills and food???"
"Bills.food? But that doesn't concern what I'm asking you to do!" Carla said her voice sounding worried and somewhat upset.
"If we're going to be working on this case, we'll be up all night and we'll need our strength up, so that would be appropriate for you to pay us the money for it, correct?" Said Mina, pointing the pen at Carla as she wrote notes down.
"Well I guess so."
"You're gonna be paying a lot. This one eats like a horse." Said Gourd, clasping his hand on Mina's shoulder. She turned and gave him a rather hard "tap" in the stomach. Gourd, now dazed, held his stomach as the red head seemed to calculate the cost in her notebook. Amelia leaned over and whispered into her ear, her hand cupped so the woman couldn't hear.
"Uuuuuuuuuummmm.Miss Mina, if I might add . should you put the price so costly? She may be rich, but that doesn't mean."
"Look, we haven't paid the rent in over two months, and the tax payer isn't going to let us off any longer." She whispered back. "Unless you want to give him another kiss?" That shut Amelia right back up. She turned to Carla, who looked quite distressed as she turned the hat she held in her hands, and said -"Well Miss Ul Copt, that sums up to about 30 pounds!"
"30 pounds! Oh, father is going to kill me!" Exclaimed Carla, holding her face with her hands, shaking her head. Mina was smiling and nodding, her arm crossed over her chest. Amelia was patting their clients arm, and Gourd was consuming all the biscuits, to occupied to be bothered with anything else.
Carla slowly took out her purse from her sash and fumbled in it, tears streaming down her face, muttering how she was going to be in so much trouble. After the money was handed over and stuffed into Mina's pocket she got up and began to pace the room tapping the end of her chin with her pen.
"Well now that we've come to an agreement with the money in advance, you should start by telling us what the problem is." Mina finished off, stopping behind her own chair and placing her arms folded over the back looking, at the blonde. Carla cleared her throat and placed the purse back into her sash, her face dropping suddenly, as if a cloud of sorrow had just filled her head.
"It started only two months ago.
~~~~ ****~~~~
I was at my house one day, in my room writing in my diary of my days passage, when I heard a terrible scream coming from my mother's room. When I had reached the room, I saw the maid, her head was on my mother's bosom and she was weeping. Fear ran through me, like ice freezing a lake. Soon my two brothers, Jonathon and Michael, my father and my cousin Mills arrived. I fell beside the maid and held her in my arms as we wept together, leaving the other men in confusion. Jonathon and Michael were both sent out to get a doctor. Father came over to mother's bed and kneeled down beside me, and taking my hands he asked;
'My dear Carla, what has happened here?' He said his voice failing him, for by now they had all guessed what was wrong."
"What was wrong?" Gourd interrupted.
"She was dead numbskull .am I right?" Mina asked turning to Carla, who had by now tears in her eyes and was turning her hat once again. She nodded.
"I told him through my woes of what I had heard. Father and my cousin tried to get a straight answer out of the maid, but they never could. Every time she started, she went into hysterics, so finally Mills sent for another maid and took Mary, my mother's maid, out of the room. When the doctor arrived, I was sent out of the room, for they didn't want me to worry anymore. One of the last times I got to look at my mother's face was then. I craned my neck as Mills escorted me to my room. She must have died without a struggle, for she looked quite peaceful, but her face was unusually pale."
"Soon after my mother's death, the funeral was beautiful mind you; I still go and place flowers on her grave every Sunday . my brother Michael got sick. You must understand this, Michael was a beautiful man. He used to go out and pull pranks on people with my brother, and he went out in my or my mother's clothes, and people mistook him for a woman. He had wonderful long brown hair that I was often jealous of. Father was often disappointed in Michael, because he wasn't into anything manly by father's accord. He loved music and dancing, Michael was a wonderful dancer. Now that Michael was sick, I was fretting so, he was the only one I talked to so much. He was my best friend, for I never was allowed to get out much, Father was very overprotective. So out of concern for Michael, he was sent out of town to go to a hospital. I hear he is recovering quite fine now that he has left. But Jonathon wasn't so fortunate."
"He died too? Wow, you don't have much luck in your family." Said Gourd, shaking his head. Carla burst into tears and buried her face into her hands. Mina glared at Gourd and crunched his toe under hers.
"That must have been awful for you." Said Amelia sympathetically.
After regaining her composure, Carla bowed her head.
"I'm sorry for making such a scene. It's just that, now my father has grown ill with the same symptoms. I fear greatly for him, for he is too stubborn to leave town while I stay here alone." She was now wiping the remaining tears out of her eyes.
Mina was now writing down notes on her notepad, pausing every moment or so to think. Now the office was in dead silence, except for the sound of Mina's pen scratching against the paper. Gourd took a side-glance at the clock and his stomach gave a little rumble, it was, after all, noon now.
Amelia had now retired back downstairs to her office, and through the un- insolated floorboards she could be heard tapping away at the typewriter. Carla placed her hat back on her head as Mina silently put away her notebook in her back pocket, and her pen into her bosom pocket.
"Well its noon now and I think after all this sad talk we all deserve a big lunch? What do you say Mina?" Said Gourd as he rose from his chair and brushed off his pants, his coat hung over his arm as he placed his hat on. Mina beamed at the idea.
"I think that's a wonderful idea Gourd! You do come up with some bright ideas after all." She said, getting up herself. "Will you be joining us?" She asked, tuning to Miss Ul Copt.
"I don't see why not, besides lunch would be the perfect thing to get all this off my mind." Carla said standing up and straightening out her skirt. Gourd placed out his arm and Carla smiled, bowing her head somewhat, and took it. Mina's eye twitched somewhat .he was being a gentleman .plus ... this might get them extra bonus points money wise . Mina thought to herself, then smiled.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!!!" And with that, all three of them trudged out the door to find an appetizing place.
***
Author's Notes: Hallo again. I'm sorry for not updating sooner ^_^'' I actually didn't realize I had written this chapter and not updated, hehehehe silly me . well, keep reading cause I'll keep posting ^_^'' This fic is going to take a odd turn soon so keep in touch! ^_^V