Trouble in Paradise
Bakura awoke, shivering.
He knew what the spirit had done. He only wished he could control him.
Bakura leapt out of bed, dressed hurriedly and rushed out of the house without any breakfast.
He didn't marvel at the fact that it was been snowing.
He already knew that.
It had started at about three o'clock last night.
His sneakers sank deep into the fluffy white drifts, and his new socks were soaked through.
Still he ran, leaving a darkened trail through the untouched snow.
Finally, he reached the great doorway of the Moncrieff place and leant against the wall, panting.
He turned to knock, but the door had already opened.
In the frame stood Vivian, looking almost as pale as her daughter.
She wore a long, cherry red dress, which stood out from the snow like blood on linen.
In her slender hand, she grasped a sheet of paper.
Bakura could no longer move his toes, but still he stood, looking at her.
'Hi.' Said Bakura quickly, 'I was wondering if, er, if Xatrina would like to come out and go sledding with us today.'
Vivian gestured to him dumbly. He approached obediently.
'What's this?' she asked quietly.
Bakura read what he already knew was on the white sheet of paper:
'They may have just met, But soon shall they part. One in mystery, leaves without warning. The other, a victim of broken heart.'
'Sounds like a death threat to me.' Said Vivian.
'Who would-' Bakura choked, 'What do you think it means?'
'Who do you know who has only just met?' asked Vivian.
'Well, I - ' began Bakura, 'Well, Xatrina and I maybe?'
'It seems to be a threat to kill both of you.' Said Vivian matter-of- factly, folding the sheet up and pocketing it, 'Or, at least, one of you.'
'Who do you think could have done that?' asked Bakura, wide eyed.
'You.' Replied Vivian curtly.
Bakura jumped. 'Me?'
'Well, you had the means. You knew where we lived.'
'No offence, ma'am,' began Bakura, 'but if I could just break in here and written that note at any time I wanted, what would have stopped me from just breaking out of the spare room and killing Xatrina when I was staying here that night?'
'You were drunk.' Said Vivian.
'Listen.' Said Bakura, 'I'll tell you what, I'll solve this for you. I'll prove to you that I wasn't a part of this. You know how much I want to be a friend of your daughter's - '
'You just want to find an excuse to get close to her so you can kill her.' Said Vivian.
'I could have done it that time when we went to town.' Pointed out Bakura.
'Fine,' said Vivian, 'You solve this, and I will allow my daughter to befriend you and your companions. But if you can't – if I find out that my daughter has gone missing or has been found dead or something like that, I'll go straight to the FBI and you can solve the mystery for them.'
'I'll call the other chaps over, and we can have a chat about all this, if you don't mind.' Offered Bakura politely.
'All right.' Sighed Vivian submissively, 'but I want the blonde boy to take a shower first.'
'Ok,' replied Bakura, 'Can I use your telephone quickly, please?'
'Fine.' Said Vivian, and led Bakura into a slightly overdone chintz sitting room, and gestured to the phone, which, in total contrast to the rest of the room, was a top-of-the-range model.
Bakura punched in Téa's mobile number and waited impatiently.
Minutes later, the gang were arranged on the various couches, armchairs, pouffes, and in Joey's case the floor.
'Sounds like the press to me.' Said Mai, 'I bet they planted that note there to start a scandal. Sounds like the tabloids, the way it's written. I mean look at it. It changes in rhythm after the first two lines! That's bad poetry, I tell you that.'
'It does sound a little theatrical.' Agreed Téa, 'It would probably be scarier if they just wrote something less pretentious.'
'Hey, this ain't a literature critics meeting!' interrupted Joey, 'We're solving a mystery here!'
'Well, Bakura does seem like a suspect.' Admitted Yugi, nodding apologetically to his friend, 'But I don't think he'd do anything like it. Unless - '
'Yes?' prompted Vivian impatiently.
Bakura shot Yugi a pleading look.
'Never mind.' Said Yugi, 'It isn't important.'
Yugi knew how much Bakura liked Xatrina, and if he ever mentioned the spirit of the millennium puzzle, Xatrina would ever refuse to see him ever again, or just think he was a raving lunatic.
'Well, maybe Bakura should talk to Xatrina. You know, alone.' Suggested Tristan.
'This isn't the time, Tristan.' Snapped Téa.
'Man, I was being serious!' complained Tristan.
'You know, I think that may be a decent idea.' Agreed Bakura, 'After all, Ms Moncrieff and I took the subject of the note to be Xatrina and I.'
'So if she dies, you're heart will break?' Duke twitched his eyebrows at Bakura.
'No-one asked you.' Bakura sniffed.
'Well, maybe you two should get talking.' Said Serenity, 'The less time it takes, the more time we can spend actually solving this.'
'I'll call Trina down.' Said Vivian.
Vivian left the room, and the friends began chattering.
'Bakura, are you sure it wasn't the spirit of the millennium ring?' Yugi asked.
'Of course I'm sure!' snapped Bakura, lying all the way, 'I know what he does and what he doesn't do!'
'Fine.' Shrugged Yugi.
Vivian soon returned, Xatrina close behind her.
Bakura stood up.
'Fancy a walk in the grounds, Trina?' he asked, quite self-consciously.
'Ok.' Replied Xatrina, ignoring the winks and cheesy grins from Bakura's friends. 'That would be fine.'
They linked arms like something out of a nineteenth century style movie and strolled out of the door.
Xatrina led them out through the kitchen doors and into the snow-stifled gardens.
'Bakura?' began Trina as they walked, 'It wasn't you, was it?'
Bakura shook his head, knowing that every lie was leading him deeper into his own trap.
Bakura awoke, shivering.
He knew what the spirit had done. He only wished he could control him.
Bakura leapt out of bed, dressed hurriedly and rushed out of the house without any breakfast.
He didn't marvel at the fact that it was been snowing.
He already knew that.
It had started at about three o'clock last night.
His sneakers sank deep into the fluffy white drifts, and his new socks were soaked through.
Still he ran, leaving a darkened trail through the untouched snow.
Finally, he reached the great doorway of the Moncrieff place and leant against the wall, panting.
He turned to knock, but the door had already opened.
In the frame stood Vivian, looking almost as pale as her daughter.
She wore a long, cherry red dress, which stood out from the snow like blood on linen.
In her slender hand, she grasped a sheet of paper.
Bakura could no longer move his toes, but still he stood, looking at her.
'Hi.' Said Bakura quickly, 'I was wondering if, er, if Xatrina would like to come out and go sledding with us today.'
Vivian gestured to him dumbly. He approached obediently.
'What's this?' she asked quietly.
Bakura read what he already knew was on the white sheet of paper:
'They may have just met, But soon shall they part. One in mystery, leaves without warning. The other, a victim of broken heart.'
'Sounds like a death threat to me.' Said Vivian.
'Who would-' Bakura choked, 'What do you think it means?'
'Who do you know who has only just met?' asked Vivian.
'Well, I - ' began Bakura, 'Well, Xatrina and I maybe?'
'It seems to be a threat to kill both of you.' Said Vivian matter-of- factly, folding the sheet up and pocketing it, 'Or, at least, one of you.'
'Who do you think could have done that?' asked Bakura, wide eyed.
'You.' Replied Vivian curtly.
Bakura jumped. 'Me?'
'Well, you had the means. You knew where we lived.'
'No offence, ma'am,' began Bakura, 'but if I could just break in here and written that note at any time I wanted, what would have stopped me from just breaking out of the spare room and killing Xatrina when I was staying here that night?'
'You were drunk.' Said Vivian.
'Listen.' Said Bakura, 'I'll tell you what, I'll solve this for you. I'll prove to you that I wasn't a part of this. You know how much I want to be a friend of your daughter's - '
'You just want to find an excuse to get close to her so you can kill her.' Said Vivian.
'I could have done it that time when we went to town.' Pointed out Bakura.
'Fine,' said Vivian, 'You solve this, and I will allow my daughter to befriend you and your companions. But if you can't – if I find out that my daughter has gone missing or has been found dead or something like that, I'll go straight to the FBI and you can solve the mystery for them.'
'I'll call the other chaps over, and we can have a chat about all this, if you don't mind.' Offered Bakura politely.
'All right.' Sighed Vivian submissively, 'but I want the blonde boy to take a shower first.'
'Ok,' replied Bakura, 'Can I use your telephone quickly, please?'
'Fine.' Said Vivian, and led Bakura into a slightly overdone chintz sitting room, and gestured to the phone, which, in total contrast to the rest of the room, was a top-of-the-range model.
Bakura punched in Téa's mobile number and waited impatiently.
Minutes later, the gang were arranged on the various couches, armchairs, pouffes, and in Joey's case the floor.
'Sounds like the press to me.' Said Mai, 'I bet they planted that note there to start a scandal. Sounds like the tabloids, the way it's written. I mean look at it. It changes in rhythm after the first two lines! That's bad poetry, I tell you that.'
'It does sound a little theatrical.' Agreed Téa, 'It would probably be scarier if they just wrote something less pretentious.'
'Hey, this ain't a literature critics meeting!' interrupted Joey, 'We're solving a mystery here!'
'Well, Bakura does seem like a suspect.' Admitted Yugi, nodding apologetically to his friend, 'But I don't think he'd do anything like it. Unless - '
'Yes?' prompted Vivian impatiently.
Bakura shot Yugi a pleading look.
'Never mind.' Said Yugi, 'It isn't important.'
Yugi knew how much Bakura liked Xatrina, and if he ever mentioned the spirit of the millennium puzzle, Xatrina would ever refuse to see him ever again, or just think he was a raving lunatic.
'Well, maybe Bakura should talk to Xatrina. You know, alone.' Suggested Tristan.
'This isn't the time, Tristan.' Snapped Téa.
'Man, I was being serious!' complained Tristan.
'You know, I think that may be a decent idea.' Agreed Bakura, 'After all, Ms Moncrieff and I took the subject of the note to be Xatrina and I.'
'So if she dies, you're heart will break?' Duke twitched his eyebrows at Bakura.
'No-one asked you.' Bakura sniffed.
'Well, maybe you two should get talking.' Said Serenity, 'The less time it takes, the more time we can spend actually solving this.'
'I'll call Trina down.' Said Vivian.
Vivian left the room, and the friends began chattering.
'Bakura, are you sure it wasn't the spirit of the millennium ring?' Yugi asked.
'Of course I'm sure!' snapped Bakura, lying all the way, 'I know what he does and what he doesn't do!'
'Fine.' Shrugged Yugi.
Vivian soon returned, Xatrina close behind her.
Bakura stood up.
'Fancy a walk in the grounds, Trina?' he asked, quite self-consciously.
'Ok.' Replied Xatrina, ignoring the winks and cheesy grins from Bakura's friends. 'That would be fine.'
They linked arms like something out of a nineteenth century style movie and strolled out of the door.
Xatrina led them out through the kitchen doors and into the snow-stifled gardens.
'Bakura?' began Trina as they walked, 'It wasn't you, was it?'
Bakura shook his head, knowing that every lie was leading him deeper into his own trap.