A/N: No S&S interaction here. Basically this chapter is about the background of Kiros' phone call. BTW I changed the summary and the genre. I think it suited better.
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Edea really satisfied with her choice. This year freshmen were remarkable and certainly able to follow her special curriculum. The downside with most kids got parents loaded with money or power or both was the carefulness, even with those students whom chose to stayed in apartment than the dorm, she still prepared some extra security with them. Thus, she now got some senses whenever a 'security breach" approached her school, even if the threat wasn't real yet.
Those senses 'ringing' when she received a bright red envelope in her desk at the first week of school. Squall Leonhart Loire typed neatly on it. It was rare these day people still send someone a letter. Out of curiosity, she asked Tifa to quick scanned it and emailed it directly to Kiros Seagill, the right hand of Esthar's mayor which listed as Squall's emergency contact and he called her immediately after,
" Miss Krammer, I can't say anything right now. But do you mind to open the envelope for me?" asked the man.
The security of mayor's son certainly his priority than the said boy's privacy. Edea opened it and found a letter in it.
"Uh, a letter." She said, "I shall read it for you"
She opened the letter and just found picture, or scribble to be precise.
"Miss Krammer?" Kiros said from the other side," you still there?"
"Ah, yes. It's not a letter per se. Just a scribble of, what it could be...four people?drawn with line and circle like a child's drawing...it drew and colored with some kind of Sharpies, I guess" she said.
"Could you do me a favor and scanned it for me?" he said.
"Yes of course and I will send the letter to you too right away. Should I told Squall about this?"
"Not now, he should enjoy a quiet school days for now. But could you tighten security around him? In discreet of course?"
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" It's here again, Miss" Tifa said, she reached for her purse and gave Edea a red envelope.
" Twice in this month, isn't it Ms. Lockhart?" she sighed, Tifa nodded stiffly.
"Yes, and 6 times since the school started" Tifa recalled, "should we tell him now?"
Edea thought for a while and shook her head, "No. I shall give Mr. Seagill a call . Let him tell us what to do next."
Edea damned that red envelope with Squall Leonhart Loire written on it. She was not hesistant to open them anymore, and always reported to Mr. Seagill afterward. The contents still made her uncomfortable. Usually just a scribble of people in line and circle just like the first one. Once the scribble of a person in front of a square with legs, then two people with brown hair and a cat( she wasn't really sure ), or two people walking with one of them had yellow hair. And this time...she wasn't sure.
" Mr. Seagill ?"
"What is it now?" Kiros said impatiently .
" Looks like the first one." Edea said, " but ..."
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She didn't remember her real name, but everybody called her 'Ellone' since always. She was raised in an orphanage in Winhill and went to public elementary school where she met Miss Leonhart whom had a bakery near it. They had been clicked in an instant, Raine often invited her for lunch and dinner and she liked her a lot. She had been officially adopted when Raine married a journalist and politician, Laguna Loire, and asked her to come with them to Esthar. When Squall was born, their little family finally complete. She loved them to the moon and back, and they were really happy. Four years ago after Laguna elected as the mayor, Ellone met a lovely man, Michael Evans, and they got married not long after. Ellone chose to work as general practitioner in a hospital in Midgar, meanwhile her husband worked as surgeon at the same hospital. It could be said at 26, her life was a perfect.
She got a call from a nurse at 7 am that her husband was collapse after did an emergency operation. She hurriedly left her apartment and approached her parked car at the front of the building. Vincent discreetly tailing behind her. Just before she enter her car, she was pushed by the man then she heard a gunshot. Vincent was shot in the head, his blood pooled below his body. She couldn't see the shooter and she was panic, but realize that she couldn't scream, her tears rolled down her cheeks. She ducked and crawled and finally reached the rear of her car to protect herself from the invisible shooter. Then, she heard a clicked and felt something put right behind her head. She closed her eyes and realized that the killer not just one.
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"But the third person's head crossed with red ink."
As a mayor it wasn't odd to received threat now and then. Kiros had told him to be extra careful. Laguna was told that Squall received anonymous disturbing letters but he decided to keep Squall out of the blue. About five months ago, someone send a teddy bear to Raine. Then, the next month, might be the same someone send her a smaller teddy bear. He had given the letters and the dolls to Ward had them checked, and he found nothing, they were cleared of fingerprints or other traces.
Fortunately, nothing serious happened to them until now. Their adoptive daughter also fine, at least that her personal bodyguard said. And Squall besides of the letter he hadn't known yet, living in peace at his dorm. Laguna wisely just told him to check the gifts and the letters and keep eyes on Ellone and Squall. But still Kiros, felt uneasy. He knew that they didn't like to be guarded so he did it discreetly.
Yesterday a smaller headless teddy bear send personally to Laguna's mail box. This time Kiros' gut tickled even more, and he felt that something bad shall overcome. It was the third times Loire couple got a mysterious gift. It was the third person's head which crossed. If his instinct were right, one of the Loire might be in trouble. And the third person in Loire's family was...Kiros figuratively jumped and reached for his phone when it rang. The screen displayed VALENTINE. Ellone's personal bodyguard.
Damn it!
He really got a bad feeling about this,
"Yes?" he answered the phone rushly, expected it was Vincent whom called, instead, he heard a stranger voice,
"Umm, hello... I'm calling from a man with crimson eyes' phone...He and a girl was brought to a nearby hospital a moment before. They've been shot"
Kiros hung up then ran right away to Laguna.
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Laguna held Raine really tight meanwhile he also spilled his tears. Yes, probably Ellone was adopted but it didn't mean they love her less. Kiros saw the couple outside the Midgar General Hospital's morgue. They hadn't told Squall yet. But, the news about her probably all over the television by now. His guilt was eating him right now. Ellone and her husband were deceased, and her bodyguard now in coma. If he was sharper, he could perhaps prevent
"Kiros..." he heard Raine called his name.
"Yes ma'am?", Raine standing and put her hand on his shoulder, " Don't blame yourself" her voice still filled with sorrow, she's a mother after all
"I'm trying to..." he said, his voice trembling, "Laguna, Raine...I'm really really sorry, I should known better, I should prepare better..."
"It's not your fault." Said the mayor, "please Kiros...If you want to do us a favor please give Squall a call, I..I couldn't make up proper words for now, so please..."
Kiros nodded, " Yes, certainly Sir. Please give me a minute", he left the room to find better signal. It was hard to tell him but it must be done. He collected his breath before finally pressed CALL, after a moment of waiting the boy finally picked up his phone,
"Squall..." he said, he felt that his voice came out differently than usual.
"Kiros?" It was obvious that Squall voice full of worries.
"You're not gonna like the reason I called you" he sighed.
"What happened?"
"I'm really sorry Squall...Ellone is dead, she was murdered this morning in Midgar..."
Squall didn't answered, he must be to shocked to heard this bad news. Kiros didn't realized that his tear also fell right now.
"Squall?" He said softly, the boy must be mournful right now,
"I...I got to go...now...if you please..."
Kiros could hear his sob, "Yes, I'm really sorry Squall...I'll arrange your trip."
Squall hung up the phone, and Kiros knew how broke the boy heart was.
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Even from behind, Rinoa knew instantly something wrong with him.
"Squall?" she asked softly, when she noticed that he got some tears on his cheeks, she pulled him to a nearby alcove.
"What happened?" she asked, " Something wrong?"
He looked really troubled
"Elle died" he said shortly between his sob.
"Oh my..."
They were really close...
They hugged for good ten minutes, before Squall decided that currently he just want to be in his room.
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