LMJ Rewrite
So I'm mostly following the anime version of Ernest for this fic, rather than in-game version. Just to clarify.
Alright, let's continue! :D
Chapter One: The Hand That Feeds, Part Two
As Katrielle and Ernest followed Inspector Hastings at a scurried pace to Parliament Square Garden, they were in awe of what the exact problem was, as did numerous other onlookers before them.
Kat in particular was taken aback at the sight: On the clock face of the Elizabeth Tower most visible to them, only one hand was present, showing it was ten in the morning, but not of what minute!
"Good gracious! The minute hand! It's missing!" Ernest exclaimed in rapid succession.
"Yup, I'm afraid so." sighed Hastings, distraught. "It was reported to us this morning."
"So that's what this is all about? One of the hands from the clock tower has been stolen?" Kat inquired. Is it really worth all this fuss?
"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Hastings remarked. "We've gotta catch the 'ooligan who did it and get the 'and back quick smart."
"But there are four clock faces on the Elizabeth Tower, aren't there? Even if this one minute hand is missing, the other three faces will still show the correct time, surely?" Kat questioned, a part of her already having second thoughts on this case.
"That's right." Ernest concurred. "I mean, certainly, it may be a little inconvenient perhaps, but to describe this as affecting all of Britain...? Isn't that rather an exaggeration?"
"Yeah, my better 'alf said the same thing. But it's much worse than a bit inconvenience not knowin' the right time." Hastings explained. "The problem is, we're due for a visit tomorrow from Ambassador Fouxdufàfà."
"Oh yes, I remember reading about it in the Times." Ernest stated. "It's the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, isn't it? But what does that have to do with the Elizabeth Tower?"
"The ambassador's goin' to be received at a venue in sight of the 'Ouses of Parliament and Big Ben." Inspector Hastings added. "As a symbol of the timeless friendship and cooperation between our two lands, they planned on givin' 'im a present: A pendant modelled on the 'ands of Big Ben!
The younger two adults were both stunned by this revelation.
"Yeah, so you can only imagine that the conversation's gotta turn to the subject of the clock tower at some point." He rambled. "And it's not gonna look too clever if the very 'ands the pendant is modelled on 'ave been 'alf-inched by some lowlife scoundrel the Met can't catch! Obviously it'll be plastered all over the foreign press as well. It's a bloomin' disgrace is what it is."
"I see." Kat remarked. "So that's why you're intent on tracking down the culprit and recovering the missing hand before tomorrow's engagement." There could be worse reasons...
"Exactly. We really need your 'elp on this one, Kat." Hastings confirmed.
"Of course I'll do everything I can." She beamed confidently. "Our national pride is at stake here, as you say."
"Well that's a relief. I was worried you'd turn me down." Hastings sighed.
Well, I almost did, but he doesn't need to know that. she thought.
"Obviously Scotland Yard will be carryin' on with its own investigations at the same time." The inspector said. "It's all 'ands on deck!"
And so, the investigation finally began.
It's so rousing when she takes the bull by the horns like this! thought Ernest as he followed her to the iconic clock tower.
"Hm, so at 11:50 last night, the clock was fine. But by six this morning, the hand was missing." Kat pondered aloud, as she and her assistant went over the information acquired from members of Inspector Hastings' team. "So we're looking at a window of about six hours in which the crime was committed."
Ernest nodded in response, giving the notes he took a once-over while she spoke. "Not much leeway, is there?" He commented. "Perhaps, if he's here, we should speak with DC Booker next."
It didn't take long to find him, much less to ask him a few questions in regards to the case.
"Yes, well according to our enquiries, it seems there's been an outbreak of, um..." he paused as he referenced his notes. "Ah yes, of metal theft in the capital recently."
"Metal theft?" Ernest inquired.
"Um, yes, I think that's what it says here." replied Booker. "...Yes. Metal being stolen from factories and warehouses."
"Really? What on earth would anyone steal pieces of metal for?" asked the uni-fresher.
"Some metals are valuable, and some quite versatile." Kat explained. "And thieves can sell scrap made from them for a high price."
"Yes, according to my notes here, the missing clock hand was made of, um...Ah yes, here it is, copper, a highly sought after metal, which given that amount, would fetch a good price if sold." Booker affirmed. "So we're continuing along this line of investigation."
Katrielle thanked the detective constable for his time, and decided the next course of action would be to have a look inside the clock tower. All they had to do really was ask PC Beate to unlock the door he was guarding for them; he did just that, but not without warning the pair of the long, towering ascent they would be facing.
After what felt like hours, Katrielle and Ernest finally reached the clock-room at the top of the tower, their thighs throbbing and throats aching with each pant.
"...Golly!...What a...lot of stairs!" Ernest managed to speak between heavy huffs. "My feet are...killing me!"
"Ernest...Greeves...you should be...ashamed of yourself getting...tired out so...easily..." Kat had barely managed to breathe out.
"You're panting harder than I am!" He retorted once he caught his breath.
A short time passed until they had mostly recovered from their climb. They found themselves taking in the sights of the cogs, mesmerised by the rhythmic movement, much like the pair's own beating hearts, keeping steady track of the time which showed on the outside clock faces. Daylight shined through on all four sides, illuminating the room without the need for lamps, the yellow-orange glow giving the room a timeless air.
"Alright, we really ought to get started." Kat spoke after awhile. "You never know what you might find while you're hunting for clues, so leave no stone unturned, Ernest!"
"Not one, Miss Layton!" exclaimed Ernest.
Though they soon noticed one of the servicemen nearby, and decided to ask him some questions.
"Hey, what are you doing inside?" The short, square faced broad shouldered serviceman shouted at the pair. "No entry to public!"
"It's alright. We're from the Layton Detective Agency, and have been given permission to investigate." Kat stated. "Are you one of the serviceman for the Great Clock?"
"No, yes. I'm Hans. Hans Lipski." The serviceman replied. "If this is for missing hand, I already said to police everything I know. You people are drilling hole in my belly!"
"Well I'm sorry to ask you to repeat yourself, but would you mind telling us what you told the police, Mr. Lipski?" Kat inquired, while Ernest took notes.
"Okay, here is what I know." Hans started on his explanation. "I was working until after midnight fixing this clock. There is big party for it tomorrow! When I went to put hand back, I was shocked!"
"What happened?"
"The crane started moving on its own! I tried stopping him from taking hand, but it was taken anyway. He lowered it onto his lorry and shouted 'Thanks for the assist!' before driving away."
"Did you get a good look at the robber?" Kat asked. "How about the lorry? What colour was it?"
"No, yes. The robber had silver hair and dark clothes." Hans elaborated. "Lorry was dark colour, too. It was all I could see at such late hour."
"This will be of immense help, thank you very much." Kat smiled, as Hans went back to his work. "Let's go back down to the ground. There's something I'd like to ask Inspector Hastings."
And ever so carefully, the pair began treading back the way they came.
"If you would rather take lift, it's over there!" Hans called to them, pointing in the direction of a set of doors.
"There...was a lift this whole time?!" Kat and Ernest groaned in unison.
It pretty much goes without saying that their descent went far quicker, and soon they found their way back to Parliament Square Garden.
"There's Inspector Hastings, look. Even from this distance, I can see the furrows in his brow." Kat remarked.
"Perhaps his investigation isn't going very well, miss?" Ernest concurred.
They weren't wrong; as a matter of fact, it was apparent to anyone who happened to notice Ercule Hastings at that moment, they could tell he was nearly on the verge of shutting down, what with how he stood by the lamp-post, eyes dull until he spotted the younger two adults.
"Ah, Kat!" He exclaimed. "What 'ave you got for me? Who did it then? Who's the culprit?"
The questions came at such a rapid and eager pace, that even threw Kat off-guard.
"Please, Inspector, calm down." Kat replied once she had the chance to say something. "I'm still in the middle of my investigation."
"Oh, I see." Hastings spoke above a mumble.
"I have a quick question for you, actually." She stated. "Has Scotland Yard recently apprehended any robbers with silver hair and dark clothes?"
"I can go find out." said Hastings.
"That would be kind of you, if you would. Ernest and I will pick up where we left off in the mean time."
"So what's our next move, Miss Layton?" The younger man asked her once Hastings hurried off to the police station.
"I thought we'd briefly return to Chancer Lane." Kat explained. "We'll go over what we know so far, then figure out where to go for interviews -I have a map of London in my desk drawer. From there, hopefully we'll find a key witness to this incident."
The walk back to Chancer Lane was short and swift; in what felt like an instant, they had returned to the Layton Detective Agency. However, just as they were about to go inside...
"Hey! You there!" called a masculine voice from nearby.
Katrielle and Ernest both froze with a start, then prepared to defend themselves; Chancer Lane was rather safe, but who knew what kind of shady figures were lurking in the alleyways. But to their shared surprise, when they turned around, the only thing that stood behind them was a rather small basset hound with a cream and reddish-brown coat.
When Kat was a child, her Uncle Luke told her how he was one of the few people who could fully communicate with animals, which were more than capable of speech, he would point out. However, she never did entirely believe him; that is of course, until now, when she found herself making eye contact with what was a stray dog that may have just spoken.
...Or did it?
"Who said that?" She whispered in case anyone else was close by and would have inevitably given her strange looks. "...Was it you?"
"Can you really solve any mystery?" The dog asked, as Kat kneeled in front of him, while Ernest yelped in shock.
"Oh...A talking dog!" Kat remarked. I suppose Uncle Luke wasn't making things up, after all.
"That, that dog! It-it just spoke!" The uni-fresher stammered.
"It's only talking, Ernest." She retorted to her assistant, shrugging.
"'Only talking'?" The dog repeated in disbelief.
"You aren't surprised? Miss Layton?" Ernest gazed at her, with an eyebrow raised.
Well, she was certainly! But compared to the many stories her father told her and her brother growing up, this was quite vanilla...
The dog changed the subject. "Is it true? I want some proof. Can you really solve any mystery?"
The two humans looked on, having figured out what this pooch was getting at.
"Would you give us a minute?" Kat requested, as she and Ernest stepped aside.
"It seems he has a mystery for you." The teen stated.
"Hm...Yes, but this mystery is far more urgent." She replied, scratching the back of her head, discouraged. "What do you think? Perhaps he could accompany us, and provide whatever answer I find as 'proof'?"
"That could very well work, miss." Ernest nodded in agreement.
"It'll be worth a shot." She shrugged, as they returned their attention to their would-be new client. "Alright, how about this: you will accompany us as I solve this mystery we are currently investigating, and you can take the outcome as proof."
"Works for me." The basset replied.
Kat opened the door for the four-legged client. "Why don't you step inside?"
The dog gave a small bark as he entered the detective agency, Kat and Ernest respectively following behind.
Since she first set up shop nearly a month prior, many, many notes on her father's disappearance, along with those of now past cases she hadn't gotten around to taking down, had accumulated and begun eating up space on the wall and even the side of the bookcase!
The desk didn't fare any better, with stacks of envelopes and various reading material both on top and below it, with just enough space in the middle for writing. Which is pretty much why Kat had to bring her map of London to the tea table instead.
"So there's Parliament Square Garden." Ernest gently pressed the tip of his index finger next to a green square. "The side with the missing hand."
"Most anyone residing in this section of London could have potentially seen the incident take place." Kat pondered aloud.
The dog watched and listened to them intently.
Ernest grew skeptical. "Would it be really possible to interview every potential witness?"
"Even if we split up...No." Kat confirmed. "We'll have to start with residential areas closest to the scene."
"Right." Ernest nodded. "There must have been at least a few night owls who saw what happened!"
"If you don't mind my asking," the dog piped up. "What is it exactly that you're investigating?"
"It's a little difficult to believe, but one of the minute hands of the Elizabeth Tower was stolen." Kat explained to him.
"All we have to go on is a silver-haired man in dark clothes, driving a lorry." Ernest added.
The mini basset perked up. "A blue one, by any chance?"
Kat and Ernest gazed at him, stunned.
"How do you know that?" She inquired.
"I happened to witness a theft a few streets over the other night." The dog explained.
"Goodness!" Ernest exclaimed. "And you did nothing about it?"
"I'm a talking dog!" The basset snapped. "What did you expect me to do? Call the police?"
"Oh...Yes, I do believe you have a point, sir!" Ernest stuttered, taken aback. "Did he see you?"
"I doubt it. It was the middle of the night." The dog answered.
"Perhaps we'll use that to our advantage." Kat remarked, the wheels turning in her head.