"Holly shit!"
Emma yelled and held her mother's hand.
"Turns out this case is even more complicated than you think."
David mumbled and approached the body to examine it.
"Well there's only one thing we know for sure! He didn't commit suicide... there are bruises all over his body. Plus... there's something engraved on his back..."
He narrowed his eyes taking a look on the bleeding wounds and put on a pair of latex gloves to examine the deep cut.
"How did the perp had access to your room anyway?"
Snow asked and paced up and down in the room nervously. As much strong as she tried to seem, this time she was getting really worried. All these years she was so used to be facing dark magic and dragons that she almost forgot how much crueler real murders are.
"It's probably someone from the hotel."
Regina shook her head negatively not leaving Henry's side for a second.
"It's Robin."
She mumbled and glared over at David who seemed to be quite confused while examining the wound.
"The cut was so carefully made. There's not a single mistake when it comes to the pressure he applied and the straight lines he engraved."
David confessed and pressed his lips together skeptically.
"How do you know Regina? He might left prison but that doesn't mean that he's here. Maybe he's just messing with you."
"He's not. What about that emma?"
She asked and pulled emma towards the hanged man. Emma approached her father and her brunette lover that kept staring at a specific symbol on Michaels's back.
"A lion..."
She whispered in shock and looked at Regina with wary in her eyes.
"As the lion tattoo."
The brunette replied in desperation and rubbed her forehead.
"Someone must be helping him. He can't just move around the hotel without anyone noticing. Especially us."
Snow mentioned and crossed her hands underneath her chest retaining her strong face.
Regina remained silent. She was 90% sure about the person that must be helping Robin but she wasn't ready to reveal that information. She couldn't just risk ruining Emma's family in case Killian was actually innocent. She doubted that case scenario though, but she had to be thorough about this.
"I can interrogate every hotel employe."
Emma announced and grabbed her cellphone preparing herself to leave.
"You can't go alone. I'm coming with you."
David said and tried to stop her from exiting the room.
"Dad this is not storybrooke. Reality is much more different than a magic land... people here are dangerous... and humanity is almost extinguished."
David looked at her filled up with worried. He knew he was in no place to run after a bad guy in this land but he couldn't just let his daughter do it all alone. After all he knew Robin... they shared the same pain and anger for Regina even though robin decided to do something about it while David decided to forgive the former queen.
"I don't care. Your mother is gonna help Regina transfer the body to the coroner while we will be interrogating the employees."
Emma agreed with a nod of her head and exited the room escorted by her father.
"Hey kid... why don't you get in our room and have some time to yourself for a while? We need to work and I really need you to be safe!"
Regina kneeled down next to Henry and hold both his hands lovingly.
Henry was about to protest when snow interrupted as usual.
"Your mother is right kiddo."
Regina looked at her in surprise. She would have never expected that Snow would have actually called her Henry's mother after all that disaster she had caused..
She knew that Snow White is not the kind of person who's trying to take revenge on you or try to get to you somehow and hurt you but she didn't expect her to be so calm and peaceful after separating from her daughter for once again.
The younger boy just nodded his head annoyed and left the room running. Regina sighted and sat down on the velvet sofa. She leaned her head back on the pillows and took a deep breath. Snow just kept pacing up and down in the room trying to think of something to say.
The deadly silence that had been conquering the entire room for the last 5 minutes was driving her crazy. She finally found the courage and sat down next to former queen swirling her thumbs.
"Long time no see huh?"
Her voice was hesitant but soft.
Regina just placed her head inside her palms breathing heavily. Her head was spinning... even the floor was spinning.. she didn't feel that good.
" I know you're feeling wearily considering what happened but the past is in the past Regina. I can see that you're obviously regretting your former actions and it's okay. I'm not here to give your a hard time or a lecture."
You know what was the weird thing about Snow? Even though she went through hell she always managed to be positive and carrying! You could say that she was quite charismatic at making people feel loved and well taken care of... when it comes to Regina... even though that woman made sure that Snow's life would be filled up with misery and pain, Snow loved her incredibly.
She knew that all Regina needed was love... she had the ability to pierce Regina's walls and read her feelings and thoughts. She wasn't the strong and fearless woman she always seemed to be. Deep inside her she was scared... and she needed help. That's what made her so special to snow. She was a person in need... And Snow White wanted to make sure that her step mother would get her happy ending at some point.
"Yeah... thanks."
Regina managed to say as she felt her stomach turning. Snow smiled broadly and placed her hand on Regina's shoulder rubbing it softly. She didn't even bother to notice that Regina was now white as a piece of paper. Snow kept bubbling and bubbling about the past when the brunette suddenly bowed down and burfed on the floor. She coughed a couple of times as she held her hair behind and groaned in annoyance.
She was in no mood to think of how humiliating that was. Snow gasped and run in the bathroom to get the brunette a towel to wipe her mouth.
"It's okay it's okay relax! I was planning to mop the floor anyway."
Snow cheered and handed regina a towel. The brunette woman just shut her eyes and snow guided her to lay back on the couch. She fixed her hair and tacked them behind her ears while rubbing her sweaty forehead.
"Emma told me that you're going through a hard time lately... are you sick?"
She asked curiously and run her fingers through Regina's dark hair. The former queen whimpered annoyed and breathed heavily.
"How long?"
"How long what?"
She groaned in hoarse voice.
"How long have you been sick Regina?"
"A couple of weeks. It's probably the food... or the water I don't know."
Snow narrowed her eyes skeptically as silence covered the room again. She rubbed her chin and frowned as soon as it hit her.
"Hey... is there any chance you.."
Her voice faded within seconds.
"What?"
Regina opened her eyes and stared at the pixie haired woman in curiosity.
"Have you taken a pregnancy test?"
Regina narrowed her eyes and broke down in laughter. Snow had no clue... poor Snow! She would have payed so much money to even look at Snow's face as soon as she would find out that Regina was screwing with her daughter.
"No, I'm not pregnant."
"How can you know?"
"It requires a physical action that... let's say that I haven't done in ages."
She admitted and smirked. The pixie haired woman stood up and left the living room. Regina sat upright staring at the door as soon as Snow walked back inside holding a pregnancy test.
"Then you have nothing to lose."
She was smiling broadly now.
"Where did you find that?"
Regina narrowed her eyebrows and cleared her throat.
"You never know when you're gonna need one. You can thank me later."
She said in an annoying tone in your voice and handed the pregnancy at Regina.
Even though Regina protested a lot in order she wouldn't pee on that stupid stick, Snow forced her. She locked her inside the bathroom and claimed that she wouldn't let her get out unless she peed on that stick.
Regina had no choice...
Emma's side:
Emma walked downstairs and reached the main entrance of the hotel where the receptionist was sitting at. Her father was in the dinning room interrogating the chefs and waiters while Emma would be in charge for the receptionists.
She approached the receptionist office and knocked on the tiny bell on top of the wooden office. The entire room was empty... there was no one around. A few seconds later a woman that had her head shaved showed up with a huge blush on her face.
"I'm so sorry! I was filling up papers in the back room and didn't see you approach! What can I do for you miss...?"
"Chloe. Chloe Davis."
Emma gave her a charming smile.
"I need to talk to you somewhere more private."
The tall girl behind the desk frowned.
"Ugh... why?"
Emma smiled playfully and opened her backpack carefully in order not to drop anything. She grabbed her budge and identity card as a sheriff and showed it secretively to the girl across her.
The other woman seemed to be getting quite tensed but swallowed hard and shook her head.
"We can talk in the back room."
"Sounds perfect."
Emma smiled and followed her inside the tiny room behind the receptionist office. There was an even bigger desk in there covered with papers, files, hotel guide books and multiple cups of coffee.
"My name is Daphné Novak by the way."
Emma shook her hand and sat down on the table across her. She pulled out her notebook and pen and rubbed her chin.
"Have you heard about the murders and kidnappings that took place in this hotel?"
She had no time to lose. She chose to skip the getting to know each other part and jump in the crucial questions.
"Yes..."
Daphné replied petrified and played with her fingers obviously getting uncomfortable.
"Who told you?"
Emma continued.
"To be honest I was the first one that found out that Sarah Miller and Fiona O'Connor were missing."
"Did you report this to anyone in management? To whom? Was it Vanessa?"
Emma asked narrowing her brows while trying to concentrate on Daphne's facial expressions.
"No I didn't tell anyone. I hadn't seen them for three weeks straight and then I decided to go over their room and check out if they were okay. I realized that they were missing... so.. I just kept it to myself."
"Why?"
"People would consider me as a suspect since I was the very first one that found out. It could have been easily me!"
Daphné admitted and bowed down her head ashamed.
"Do you realize that confessing this right now makes you look even more suspicious right?"
"Yes. But I can't keep it as a secret any longer. I needed to get this out of my chest."
"Okay so... what else did you witness except the two women missing?"
"Nothing else I promise!"
She crossed her hands in front of her chest and teared up in fear.
"Are you sure?"
Emma asked again and the other woman remained silent.
"Is there any way that I can convince myself that you're indeed innocent? No matter what you're claiming your behavior and actions have this tendency to seem suspicious."
Daphné broke down in loud sobs and covered her face with her hands.
"Just arrest me already!"
Emma frowned and signaled her to hush.
"Woah woah! Are you confessing?"
Daphné just shrugged her shoulders and wiped her tears.
"I know that I shouldn't have stolen a piece of evidence! I know I'm a bad person... I just wanted to check it out and the minute I held it in my hands I realized that my fingerprints were all over it! I couldn't just leave it there risking the police finding out about my visit over the couple's room."
She sobbed and grabbed a tissue.
"Do you still have it?"
Emma asked remaining calm.
"Yes..."
"Where?"
"In my room. Inside a hidden drawer in my closet."
Emma nodded and noted a couple of things on her notebook.
"Show me."
"Aren't you gonna arrest me?"
Daphné raised her sight looking at the former savior with pleading eyes.
"Nope. You might seem suspicious but I can't arrest someone without having enough proof that he's involved."
Daphné nodded.
"Do you know anyone else who can shed light on this incident?"
Emma continued.
"Ugh... I heard a couple of coworkers bubbling about Vanessa's weird attitude lately but I'm not in place to judge her. I know she's going through a lot lately."
"You imply that Vanessa might know something?"
"I don't know. She's the owner of the hotel right? She's obligated to know! After all... Vanessa knows everything."
"I'll make sure to talk to her. Now let's go over your room. We have work to do."
Emma smiled and placed her notebook inside her purse again. She rushed upstairs and waited for Daphné to unlock the door of her room.
They both walked inside and Emma looked around examining the area. Daphné must be a neat freak... the entire room was carefully decorated and cleaned up neatly. There was no sign of dust...
Daphné rushed towards the tall wooden closet and started searching inside the vast object. She opened a tiny portal at the left corner of the wardrobe and pulled out a small drawer. She held the object inside her palms carefully and turned around looking at emma.
"This is it."
She forced a smile and handed emma the glassy object.
"A bottle of rum..."
Emma examined the bottle and made sure that there was no sign of lipstick on it.
"I gotta take this to the lab."
"Just please make sure that they won't consider me as a suspect! I'm not the kind of person who kills! I would never do that... my guilts would drive me crazy afterwards!"
Daphné claimed and teared up again.
"I'll make sure that we find the criminal... no matter what."
Emma said filled up with with confidence and placed the glassy bottle inside her backpack.
"One more thing before I leave."
"What?"
"Do you have any idea if Sarah and Fiona used to drink?"
"The weird thing is that Sarah hated alcohol, and Fiona only drunk wine. It's pretty odd to find a bottle of rum in their room."
Emma nodded her head and left the room...
-TO BE CONTINUED
