Notes: Gomen ne!! How the heck did Yami Bakura get in this chapter?! XD Well, I've fixed that now ^^ Thanks to the one who informed me of this slipup!
Back in the Ishtar home, everyone was puzzling over the latest shocking event. It had only been a moment ago when Khu had barged in, and still no one could figure out how he had or even why. Nor how he had left.
"Did he just come in to ask about his brother?" Mai wondered, tossing her long blonde hair.
"It sure as heck seems that way!" Joey exclaimed. "Or maybe he just came to badmouth the Pharaoh here!"
"Did he come to leave this, too?"
Everyone turned at Marik's voice. He was bending over to pick up a piece of paper from the floor. Then he straightened up again, leaning into the soft couch as he held the leaf gingerly by two fingers. "Somehow I don't think it belongs to anyone here."
"Lemme see that!" Joey cried, grabbing it away from the Egyptian. The others all crowded around to see a map of Domino City and the surrounding area—including a place known as Cooperstown. That was circled in red.
"Khu's going there?!" Yugi gasped in shock.
"Why would anyone in his right mind go there?" Tristan wondered. Of course, Khu wasn't in his right mind.
"What's Cooperstown?" Marik demanded. He didn't remember ever having visited such a place, but it certainly seemed to have an effect on his friends. It was probably just the sort of place a villain like Khu would hang out at.
"Oh, it's a regular picnic," Tristan grumbled.
"The whole place is a ghost town, only it looks like it was full of people only five minutes earlier!" Joey said, gesturing wildly. He would never forget their visit to the eerie town, though it had been over a year before.
"Oh joy," Marik muttered sarcastically. "It sounds pleasant."
"And we will have to journey there," Yami Yugi spoke up, narrowing his eyes. "This could have only been left by Khu." He didn't like the idea of going back to Cooperstown anymore than any of the others did, but with Khu at large he knew it was necessary. Whether anyone else went with him or not, he would have to go.
But as it was, everyone agreed to go. They all wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. Bakura hoped that even maybe his Yami had gone to Cooperstown. It was a possibility he couldn't ignore. After all, the thief could have gone there chasing after his mortal enemy Khu. Bakura had this feeling that, even though he couldn't see his Yami anywhere, he was right nearby at all times.
****
Cooperstown isn't that far away from Domino City, perhaps a half-hour drive or so. But with the heavy snow falling, it was taking much longer to get there this night. Everyone had crowded into Seto's limo, insisting that it was the only thing big enough for all of them. Seto himself was reluctant to get mixed up in this nonsense. Khu wasn't his problem. The possible return of Pegasus was his problem. Even if the man had given Yugi advice about some previous enemies once, how did Seto really know that he wouldn't still have to worry about his brother being taken again and having his soul stolen? What if Pegasus was even working with Del Vinci?! That was what Seto needed to concentrate on dealing with—not chasing an Egyptian madman into a deserted town.
"Was that the sign there?" Téa asked uneasily as they passed by a landmark covered in snow.
"It could've been," Yugi nodded. "I remember the last time we were here we had to come through this canyon pass. That must've been it!"
"Either that or a 'Watch out! Cliff ahead!' announcement," Duke said sarcastically. He and Marik both shared a fondness for dry remarks, though the times they used them varied.
"Hey! Don't scare Serenity!" Joey snapped. His temper was already wearing thin. The last thing he needed was for Duke to get on his nerves and make it worse.
But Serenity smiled. "I'm not scared, Joey. But I haven't seen any cliffs yet." She turned to look out the window curiously, enjoying the sight of the snow-covered canyons as they passed through. She could see that Joey wasn't that happy about making the trip out to this ghost town, and she was certain it was mostly because of her. But she would be alright. She could handle whatever might happen, she told herself. She could be strong. Someday maybe she'd even be like Mai. Serenity idolized Mai—firm and stouthearted, not letting anyone push her around. That was how Serenity wanted to be.
"There's so much snow, how can anyone see anything?!" Téa cried. She felt like they were in a snowglobe that never ceased to be shaken. And the closer they got to the town, the stronger her feeling of foreboding was.
Bakura rolled down a window, trying to remove the snowflakes from it. "Cooperstown was a mining community," he said quietly. "There used be an active mine running through this canyon, but once it stopped producing the ore, the town slowly began to shut down." He shuddered. "Unfortunately . . . no one knows what happened to the townspeople. They didn't just abandon the town and leave. That much is only too clear."
"Man, we only know that too well!" Joey moaned. He wasn't eager for this expedition, just as Serenity had thought, but he was eager to track down Khu and find out once and for all what was going on.
"What's that up ahead?" Marik spoke up. He had been mostly quiet, as he was still recovering from what he had come through, but he was very attentive to all that was going on. Now he was pointing to a cluster of snow-covered buildings up ahead. There were lights and things looked inhabited, but he had supposed it would look that way after what Joey had told him. It all added to the eerieness of it all.
"That's it," Tristan said darkly. "Cooperstown."
****
As the limo pulled up along the main street, Yugi and the others who had been there previously observed that everything look eerily the same as the last time, save for the snow. The door to the general store was wide open, as if inviting customers to enter. Houses were brightly lit, the smells of cooked food coming from inside. Perhaps the most eerie of all were the Christmas lights and decorations that adorned the streets. Nativities were set up in store windows and Santas and reindeer graced rooftops. And the group could almost swear they heard the echoes of laughing children.
Mark, perhaps, was disturbed the most. He knew that children were innocent and undeserving of torment. What the devil had happened to the town?! What sort of foul curse had been laid out on the people?! The boy shuddered and walked forward, finding himself accidentally kicking something along the sidewalk. When he looked down, to his horror he found a girl's toy.
Ishizu, sensing how upset her poor brother was becoming, came to him from behind and laid her hands on his shoulder. Marik started at first, but then he settled down and simply glared at the street.
Serenity looked around nervously. "I don't like this place," she said quietly. Suddenly realizing something, her hazel eyes widened in alarm. "Where did Duke go?!" He had been right beside her all the time they had been walking up Main Street, but now, in front of the saloon, Serenity realized he was gone.
"Isn't he here?!" Téa gasped, unwilling to believe that their problems were starting already.
They soon found that he was not. He had been standing by Tristan and Serenity, as they both remembered, but now they couldn't recall ever seeing him leave. It was as if he had never been there at all. There weren't even any footprints in the snow. And he definitely wasn't in the saloon. They even checked for good measure, but nothing.
"Where the heck did he go?!" Joey yelled, messing up his hair. "We just got here and he decided to pull a magician act!" He feared that the other boy had met with foul play and he moved closer to his sister protectively. The last time they had been here no one had disappeared, but things were different this time. He wouldn't be surprised if old enemies were behind this.
"The only thing we can do is look for him," Yami Yugi said quietly. Perhaps Khu had taken Duke, but the Pharaoh had the feeling that the evil that had cursed the town was at work again. Duke had vanished just as the townspeople had. And . . . perhaps he would never return, just as they had not.
"What if we never see him again?!" Serenity cried, voicing Yami Yugi's fears. Tears filled her eyes. Why hadn't she noticed Duke was gone before?! She should have noticed! And she would have, if something out of the ordinary hadn't been going on that seemed to have blinded both her and Tristan to Duke's disappearance.
Tristan laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Serenity," he comforted. "We'll find him and he'll be just the same as ever." If circumstances were different, Tristan would be glad for this chance to be with Serenity without interference, but as it was he knew she would be too worried about Duke now to really think much of any time they could have together. He himself was still irked at the raven-haired boy for the way he'd been making sure that Serenity stayed right with him as they'd walked through the town. Serves him right if he gets shaken up a bit! Tristan thought to himself bitterly.
Knowing both that they shouldn't split up and that Duke needed to be found, Yami Yugi directed them to separate into two large groups, with him and Seto Kaiba leading him. But though both groups searched diligently for ages, they never found any trace of Duke.
"The guy's gone!" Joey said in frustration as he wandered through the town hall with Yami Yugi's group. They had been everywhere more than once, but still there was nothing. Joey was more than a little upset. He was tired of something always going wrong.
But Tristan just looked irritated. "He's probably just playing a joke or something, trying to see if Serenity will worry about him," he said. "I'm not too worried. He'll turn up. I just wish Serenity would pay some attention to me." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But that'll never happen." With that he looked up and glared at the snowflakes visible through the skyroof. Duke had always been in the way, ever since Battle City. Tristan could never be certain whether Serenity prefered him or that "conceited, self-centered, know-it-all womanizer," but of course he hoped that she would eventually choose him over Duke.
"Hey, Duke's a jerk, but he wouldn't play with Serenity's emotions like that," Joey retorted. Even he knew that. That would be too cruel a trick for Duke to pull on a girl he loved, for Joey had come to realize that Duke did genuinely love Serenity.
Tristan glowered and didn't reply. Oh, he probably really knew as well that Duke wouldn't do it. He was just angry at the moment.
Both boys glanced up as Serenity's frantic voice echoed outside, screaming for the missing boy. She was opening the door to the schoolhouse down the street. In the next moment her piercing shriek rent the air.
"Serenity!" Joey yelled, forgetting all thoughts of Duke. "We've gotta get to her!" Thoughts of attacking demons filled his mind, but he pushed them all aside.
The entire group ran to the girl who had gone ahead. Now she was on the porch, shaking uncontrollably and refusing to go into the building. Joey and Tristan were instantly at her side, and Seto Kaiba's group could be seen approaching as well as the rest of Yami Yugi's.
"Sis, what is it?!" Joey gasped, laying a hand on the distressed girl's shoulder.
Instantly Serenity was there, falling into his arms. Through her sobs Joey could make out the words "body," "dead," and "hanged." He held her close, looking up at Tristan grimly. Serenity had obviously seen something horrible.
Tristan wordlessly turned to go in the schoolhouse. He was determined to know exactly what had gotten his love interest so hysterical. And so he walked inside, groping for the light. What he saw when it came on made his heart leap into his throat. He had to catch the doorframe as dizziness came over him. The sight was sickening.
"Tristan? What's goin' in there?!" Joey yelled, desperately trying to shield Serenity from whatever it was.
Tristan didn't answer. He couldn't. All he could utter was one word. "No. . . ."
Above him a body hung, suspended by a rope from the rafters that went around the neck. The hands were tied behind the back so the person had no chance of being free. But Tristan recognized the raven hair. It was Duke Devlin. He was dead.
****
For what seemed ages Tristan stood, aghast, just staring up the other boy's body. He wanted to look away, but he didn't seem to have the power to do so. He had been so angry with Duke just moments before, and he realized now that while he was thinking hateful things, Duke was being slowly killed in one of the most horrid ways. What was the most horrifying for Tristan was that he remembered thinking that he wouldn't mind if Duke was hurt in some way. But even though he had thought that, he had never wanted anything like this to happen! Never!
Then a hand was laid on his shoulder and he was brought back to the present as Yami Yugi stepped into the room. He surveyed things grimly and then finally spoke. "We'll have to cut him down." The Pharaoh moved forward, looking for something sharp he could use. They couldn't very well leave their friend's body just hanging like that. They would have to get him free and take him back to Domino for a proper burial.
"I'll do it." Marik entered then, the Millennium Rod's dagger bared in his hand. It was hard to see exactly what sort of emotion he was feeling, but from his shaking hands as he climbed upon a desk and severed the rope, Tristan could tell the Egyptian was upset.
Duke's body hit the floor with a treacherous thud. Then Marik was kneeling beside him, carefully untying the rope from around his wrists. It could have been any one of them who had met with this fate. Marik knew very well that his siblings or Mokuba could have been taken just as easily. He bit his lip, watching as the final frayed parts of rope came free. The noose was still around Duke's neck. He would have to remove that as well.
Serenity could be heard sobbing outside. Marik's heart went out to her. He knew she was taking this harder than probably any of the rest of them. And Tristan looked quite ill about it all. Marik had the feeling that Tristan and Duke perhaps had been having one of their infamous squabbles over Serenity right before any of this had happened and that Tristan was now feeling guilt.
"We shouldn't have come!" the poor girl was wailing, clutching at her brother. "We just shouldn't have!"
Joey hadn't known at first that the body Serenity had found was Duke's. But he had glanced through the open door a moment ago and had seen. Now he didn't know how to console his sister. Duke had loved Serenity. Joey didn't know if Serenity had ever returned that love romantically, but he did know that Serenity cared a great deal for the deceased. "Hey," he said softly, "this isn't my sister talking. Duke wouldn't want you to be sad like this." Gently he wiped away a falling tear.
"But who would have done that to him?!" Serenity cried, shaking. "Duke . . . he . . . he would have put up a fight! We would've heard something!!" She hugged Joey tightly again. They hadn't heard a thing.
"He was struck on the head," Marik reported gravely from inside. "He was probably unconscious when they . . . hanged him." He had been doing an examination of the other boy, trying not to let his disturbed feelings get in the way. They needed to know exactly what had been done. The killers might strike again. Marik really had no doubt of this.
Back in the Ishtar home, everyone was puzzling over the latest shocking event. It had only been a moment ago when Khu had barged in, and still no one could figure out how he had or even why. Nor how he had left.
"Did he just come in to ask about his brother?" Mai wondered, tossing her long blonde hair.
"It sure as heck seems that way!" Joey exclaimed. "Or maybe he just came to badmouth the Pharaoh here!"
"Did he come to leave this, too?"
Everyone turned at Marik's voice. He was bending over to pick up a piece of paper from the floor. Then he straightened up again, leaning into the soft couch as he held the leaf gingerly by two fingers. "Somehow I don't think it belongs to anyone here."
"Lemme see that!" Joey cried, grabbing it away from the Egyptian. The others all crowded around to see a map of Domino City and the surrounding area—including a place known as Cooperstown. That was circled in red.
"Khu's going there?!" Yugi gasped in shock.
"Why would anyone in his right mind go there?" Tristan wondered. Of course, Khu wasn't in his right mind.
"What's Cooperstown?" Marik demanded. He didn't remember ever having visited such a place, but it certainly seemed to have an effect on his friends. It was probably just the sort of place a villain like Khu would hang out at.
"Oh, it's a regular picnic," Tristan grumbled.
"The whole place is a ghost town, only it looks like it was full of people only five minutes earlier!" Joey said, gesturing wildly. He would never forget their visit to the eerie town, though it had been over a year before.
"Oh joy," Marik muttered sarcastically. "It sounds pleasant."
"And we will have to journey there," Yami Yugi spoke up, narrowing his eyes. "This could have only been left by Khu." He didn't like the idea of going back to Cooperstown anymore than any of the others did, but with Khu at large he knew it was necessary. Whether anyone else went with him or not, he would have to go.
But as it was, everyone agreed to go. They all wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. Bakura hoped that even maybe his Yami had gone to Cooperstown. It was a possibility he couldn't ignore. After all, the thief could have gone there chasing after his mortal enemy Khu. Bakura had this feeling that, even though he couldn't see his Yami anywhere, he was right nearby at all times.
****
Cooperstown isn't that far away from Domino City, perhaps a half-hour drive or so. But with the heavy snow falling, it was taking much longer to get there this night. Everyone had crowded into Seto's limo, insisting that it was the only thing big enough for all of them. Seto himself was reluctant to get mixed up in this nonsense. Khu wasn't his problem. The possible return of Pegasus was his problem. Even if the man had given Yugi advice about some previous enemies once, how did Seto really know that he wouldn't still have to worry about his brother being taken again and having his soul stolen? What if Pegasus was even working with Del Vinci?! That was what Seto needed to concentrate on dealing with—not chasing an Egyptian madman into a deserted town.
"Was that the sign there?" Téa asked uneasily as they passed by a landmark covered in snow.
"It could've been," Yugi nodded. "I remember the last time we were here we had to come through this canyon pass. That must've been it!"
"Either that or a 'Watch out! Cliff ahead!' announcement," Duke said sarcastically. He and Marik both shared a fondness for dry remarks, though the times they used them varied.
"Hey! Don't scare Serenity!" Joey snapped. His temper was already wearing thin. The last thing he needed was for Duke to get on his nerves and make it worse.
But Serenity smiled. "I'm not scared, Joey. But I haven't seen any cliffs yet." She turned to look out the window curiously, enjoying the sight of the snow-covered canyons as they passed through. She could see that Joey wasn't that happy about making the trip out to this ghost town, and she was certain it was mostly because of her. But she would be alright. She could handle whatever might happen, she told herself. She could be strong. Someday maybe she'd even be like Mai. Serenity idolized Mai—firm and stouthearted, not letting anyone push her around. That was how Serenity wanted to be.
"There's so much snow, how can anyone see anything?!" Téa cried. She felt like they were in a snowglobe that never ceased to be shaken. And the closer they got to the town, the stronger her feeling of foreboding was.
Bakura rolled down a window, trying to remove the snowflakes from it. "Cooperstown was a mining community," he said quietly. "There used be an active mine running through this canyon, but once it stopped producing the ore, the town slowly began to shut down." He shuddered. "Unfortunately . . . no one knows what happened to the townspeople. They didn't just abandon the town and leave. That much is only too clear."
"Man, we only know that too well!" Joey moaned. He wasn't eager for this expedition, just as Serenity had thought, but he was eager to track down Khu and find out once and for all what was going on.
"What's that up ahead?" Marik spoke up. He had been mostly quiet, as he was still recovering from what he had come through, but he was very attentive to all that was going on. Now he was pointing to a cluster of snow-covered buildings up ahead. There were lights and things looked inhabited, but he had supposed it would look that way after what Joey had told him. It all added to the eerieness of it all.
"That's it," Tristan said darkly. "Cooperstown."
****
As the limo pulled up along the main street, Yugi and the others who had been there previously observed that everything look eerily the same as the last time, save for the snow. The door to the general store was wide open, as if inviting customers to enter. Houses were brightly lit, the smells of cooked food coming from inside. Perhaps the most eerie of all were the Christmas lights and decorations that adorned the streets. Nativities were set up in store windows and Santas and reindeer graced rooftops. And the group could almost swear they heard the echoes of laughing children.
Mark, perhaps, was disturbed the most. He knew that children were innocent and undeserving of torment. What the devil had happened to the town?! What sort of foul curse had been laid out on the people?! The boy shuddered and walked forward, finding himself accidentally kicking something along the sidewalk. When he looked down, to his horror he found a girl's toy.
Ishizu, sensing how upset her poor brother was becoming, came to him from behind and laid her hands on his shoulder. Marik started at first, but then he settled down and simply glared at the street.
Serenity looked around nervously. "I don't like this place," she said quietly. Suddenly realizing something, her hazel eyes widened in alarm. "Where did Duke go?!" He had been right beside her all the time they had been walking up Main Street, but now, in front of the saloon, Serenity realized he was gone.
"Isn't he here?!" Téa gasped, unwilling to believe that their problems were starting already.
They soon found that he was not. He had been standing by Tristan and Serenity, as they both remembered, but now they couldn't recall ever seeing him leave. It was as if he had never been there at all. There weren't even any footprints in the snow. And he definitely wasn't in the saloon. They even checked for good measure, but nothing.
"Where the heck did he go?!" Joey yelled, messing up his hair. "We just got here and he decided to pull a magician act!" He feared that the other boy had met with foul play and he moved closer to his sister protectively. The last time they had been here no one had disappeared, but things were different this time. He wouldn't be surprised if old enemies were behind this.
"The only thing we can do is look for him," Yami Yugi said quietly. Perhaps Khu had taken Duke, but the Pharaoh had the feeling that the evil that had cursed the town was at work again. Duke had vanished just as the townspeople had. And . . . perhaps he would never return, just as they had not.
"What if we never see him again?!" Serenity cried, voicing Yami Yugi's fears. Tears filled her eyes. Why hadn't she noticed Duke was gone before?! She should have noticed! And she would have, if something out of the ordinary hadn't been going on that seemed to have blinded both her and Tristan to Duke's disappearance.
Tristan laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Serenity," he comforted. "We'll find him and he'll be just the same as ever." If circumstances were different, Tristan would be glad for this chance to be with Serenity without interference, but as it was he knew she would be too worried about Duke now to really think much of any time they could have together. He himself was still irked at the raven-haired boy for the way he'd been making sure that Serenity stayed right with him as they'd walked through the town. Serves him right if he gets shaken up a bit! Tristan thought to himself bitterly.
Knowing both that they shouldn't split up and that Duke needed to be found, Yami Yugi directed them to separate into two large groups, with him and Seto Kaiba leading him. But though both groups searched diligently for ages, they never found any trace of Duke.
"The guy's gone!" Joey said in frustration as he wandered through the town hall with Yami Yugi's group. They had been everywhere more than once, but still there was nothing. Joey was more than a little upset. He was tired of something always going wrong.
But Tristan just looked irritated. "He's probably just playing a joke or something, trying to see if Serenity will worry about him," he said. "I'm not too worried. He'll turn up. I just wish Serenity would pay some attention to me." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But that'll never happen." With that he looked up and glared at the snowflakes visible through the skyroof. Duke had always been in the way, ever since Battle City. Tristan could never be certain whether Serenity prefered him or that "conceited, self-centered, know-it-all womanizer," but of course he hoped that she would eventually choose him over Duke.
"Hey, Duke's a jerk, but he wouldn't play with Serenity's emotions like that," Joey retorted. Even he knew that. That would be too cruel a trick for Duke to pull on a girl he loved, for Joey had come to realize that Duke did genuinely love Serenity.
Tristan glowered and didn't reply. Oh, he probably really knew as well that Duke wouldn't do it. He was just angry at the moment.
Both boys glanced up as Serenity's frantic voice echoed outside, screaming for the missing boy. She was opening the door to the schoolhouse down the street. In the next moment her piercing shriek rent the air.
"Serenity!" Joey yelled, forgetting all thoughts of Duke. "We've gotta get to her!" Thoughts of attacking demons filled his mind, but he pushed them all aside.
The entire group ran to the girl who had gone ahead. Now she was on the porch, shaking uncontrollably and refusing to go into the building. Joey and Tristan were instantly at her side, and Seto Kaiba's group could be seen approaching as well as the rest of Yami Yugi's.
"Sis, what is it?!" Joey gasped, laying a hand on the distressed girl's shoulder.
Instantly Serenity was there, falling into his arms. Through her sobs Joey could make out the words "body," "dead," and "hanged." He held her close, looking up at Tristan grimly. Serenity had obviously seen something horrible.
Tristan wordlessly turned to go in the schoolhouse. He was determined to know exactly what had gotten his love interest so hysterical. And so he walked inside, groping for the light. What he saw when it came on made his heart leap into his throat. He had to catch the doorframe as dizziness came over him. The sight was sickening.
"Tristan? What's goin' in there?!" Joey yelled, desperately trying to shield Serenity from whatever it was.
Tristan didn't answer. He couldn't. All he could utter was one word. "No. . . ."
Above him a body hung, suspended by a rope from the rafters that went around the neck. The hands were tied behind the back so the person had no chance of being free. But Tristan recognized the raven hair. It was Duke Devlin. He was dead.
****
For what seemed ages Tristan stood, aghast, just staring up the other boy's body. He wanted to look away, but he didn't seem to have the power to do so. He had been so angry with Duke just moments before, and he realized now that while he was thinking hateful things, Duke was being slowly killed in one of the most horrid ways. What was the most horrifying for Tristan was that he remembered thinking that he wouldn't mind if Duke was hurt in some way. But even though he had thought that, he had never wanted anything like this to happen! Never!
Then a hand was laid on his shoulder and he was brought back to the present as Yami Yugi stepped into the room. He surveyed things grimly and then finally spoke. "We'll have to cut him down." The Pharaoh moved forward, looking for something sharp he could use. They couldn't very well leave their friend's body just hanging like that. They would have to get him free and take him back to Domino for a proper burial.
"I'll do it." Marik entered then, the Millennium Rod's dagger bared in his hand. It was hard to see exactly what sort of emotion he was feeling, but from his shaking hands as he climbed upon a desk and severed the rope, Tristan could tell the Egyptian was upset.
Duke's body hit the floor with a treacherous thud. Then Marik was kneeling beside him, carefully untying the rope from around his wrists. It could have been any one of them who had met with this fate. Marik knew very well that his siblings or Mokuba could have been taken just as easily. He bit his lip, watching as the final frayed parts of rope came free. The noose was still around Duke's neck. He would have to remove that as well.
Serenity could be heard sobbing outside. Marik's heart went out to her. He knew she was taking this harder than probably any of the rest of them. And Tristan looked quite ill about it all. Marik had the feeling that Tristan and Duke perhaps had been having one of their infamous squabbles over Serenity right before any of this had happened and that Tristan was now feeling guilt.
"We shouldn't have come!" the poor girl was wailing, clutching at her brother. "We just shouldn't have!"
Joey hadn't known at first that the body Serenity had found was Duke's. But he had glanced through the open door a moment ago and had seen. Now he didn't know how to console his sister. Duke had loved Serenity. Joey didn't know if Serenity had ever returned that love romantically, but he did know that Serenity cared a great deal for the deceased. "Hey," he said softly, "this isn't my sister talking. Duke wouldn't want you to be sad like this." Gently he wiped away a falling tear.
"But who would have done that to him?!" Serenity cried, shaking. "Duke . . . he . . . he would have put up a fight! We would've heard something!!" She hugged Joey tightly again. They hadn't heard a thing.
"He was struck on the head," Marik reported gravely from inside. "He was probably unconscious when they . . . hanged him." He had been doing an examination of the other boy, trying not to let his disturbed feelings get in the way. They needed to know exactly what had been done. The killers might strike again. Marik really had no doubt of this.