Chapter One
Death
The infamous Count D smiled. He put away the broom he had been holding, finally finished with the tiring task. D sat down on a plush couch, pouring himself a cup of tea and popping a bit of cherry tart in his mouth. Licking a bit of the sticky mass from his fingers crudely, he noticed the time. His smile widened. He would soon be here. Hopefully, he'd bring some sweets.
"Argh..." Officer Leon Orcot groaned and leaned back in his chair. It was too hot. "Too damn hot..." he said aloud. Jill perked a bit at the sound that broke the monotonous silence. Noticing it wasn't exactly a great conversation started, she sulked a bit and turned back to her paperwork. Leon glanced at the pile on his desk. Then he looked at the clock. 10.... 9...8.... 7.... Leon signed one last paper before jumping out of his chair. Jill glanced at him. "Where are you going in a hurry?" Leon grinned as he started for his jacket. Thinking better of it, he said "Lunch break, my dear Jill" and walked out the door. Jill jumped up herself and drained the last bit of water from her bottle. She slung her purse over her shoulder and headed out after him. It was the first time she had gone out on a lunch break for some actual lunch.
Leon walked into Count D's shop and relished in he wave of cold that washed over him. Being sure to close the door, as it was one of D's biggest pet peeves, he walked towards the... er...well, what he supposed was the living room.
"Greetings, Officer. Bring anything?" D was in his innocent-little-oddball mode, and a childish eagerness sparkled in his eyes.
Leon shook his head. "Sorry, D, I didn't." He smiled. "But if I did, it would have melted anyways." D pouted, but gestured for Leon to sit down anyways. Leon complied, sitting in the same chair as always.
"So, why are you here? Is there a new murder case that ties in with the shop?"
Leon tried to read D's face, but it was impossible. D wasn't smiling or frowning; in fact, he was simply looking out the window and into a garden that grew behind the shop. With a slightly exasperated sigh, Leon replied "No, D. I just came in because of the heat. It's almost 102 out there."
D raised a skeptical eyebrow. "102?"
"Alright, somewhere around 98. But it's still pretty hot. How the hell do you manage to keep this place so cold?"
D smiled. "That's my little secret." Q-Chan squeaked subtly in agreement as D sipped some tea.
Their conversation was rather dull, but it was enough for Leon. When his break was officially over, he sprung up and walked quickly to the door, yelling back his gratitude and, after the door was closed, a steady stream of curses at the heat. D chuckled and stood.
Mikinoa's hand trembled as she placed it on the doorknob of Count D's Petshop. Long brown hair flowed to her knees as she opened the door, hearing the tinkling of chimes. Cold air beckoned her inside the shop. She scanned the shop with vert* coloured eyes. Declaring it safe, she sprinted out of the heat and into the shop.
"Hello?" Her voice was tinted with a slightly French accent. "Is zere-ah, there- anyone here?"
A cold voice answered her. "Welcome, my dear. I am D, grandson of Count D. Care for a cup of tea?"
Death
The infamous Count D smiled. He put away the broom he had been holding, finally finished with the tiring task. D sat down on a plush couch, pouring himself a cup of tea and popping a bit of cherry tart in his mouth. Licking a bit of the sticky mass from his fingers crudely, he noticed the time. His smile widened. He would soon be here. Hopefully, he'd bring some sweets.
"Argh..." Officer Leon Orcot groaned and leaned back in his chair. It was too hot. "Too damn hot..." he said aloud. Jill perked a bit at the sound that broke the monotonous silence. Noticing it wasn't exactly a great conversation started, she sulked a bit and turned back to her paperwork. Leon glanced at the pile on his desk. Then he looked at the clock. 10.... 9...8.... 7.... Leon signed one last paper before jumping out of his chair. Jill glanced at him. "Where are you going in a hurry?" Leon grinned as he started for his jacket. Thinking better of it, he said "Lunch break, my dear Jill" and walked out the door. Jill jumped up herself and drained the last bit of water from her bottle. She slung her purse over her shoulder and headed out after him. It was the first time she had gone out on a lunch break for some actual lunch.
Leon walked into Count D's shop and relished in he wave of cold that washed over him. Being sure to close the door, as it was one of D's biggest pet peeves, he walked towards the... er...well, what he supposed was the living room.
"Greetings, Officer. Bring anything?" D was in his innocent-little-oddball mode, and a childish eagerness sparkled in his eyes.
Leon shook his head. "Sorry, D, I didn't." He smiled. "But if I did, it would have melted anyways." D pouted, but gestured for Leon to sit down anyways. Leon complied, sitting in the same chair as always.
"So, why are you here? Is there a new murder case that ties in with the shop?"
Leon tried to read D's face, but it was impossible. D wasn't smiling or frowning; in fact, he was simply looking out the window and into a garden that grew behind the shop. With a slightly exasperated sigh, Leon replied "No, D. I just came in because of the heat. It's almost 102 out there."
D raised a skeptical eyebrow. "102?"
"Alright, somewhere around 98. But it's still pretty hot. How the hell do you manage to keep this place so cold?"
D smiled. "That's my little secret." Q-Chan squeaked subtly in agreement as D sipped some tea.
Their conversation was rather dull, but it was enough for Leon. When his break was officially over, he sprung up and walked quickly to the door, yelling back his gratitude and, after the door was closed, a steady stream of curses at the heat. D chuckled and stood.
Mikinoa's hand trembled as she placed it on the doorknob of Count D's Petshop. Long brown hair flowed to her knees as she opened the door, hearing the tinkling of chimes. Cold air beckoned her inside the shop. She scanned the shop with vert* coloured eyes. Declaring it safe, she sprinted out of the heat and into the shop.
"Hello?" Her voice was tinted with a slightly French accent. "Is zere-ah, there- anyone here?"
A cold voice answered her. "Welcome, my dear. I am D, grandson of Count D. Care for a cup of tea?"