CHAPTER 4

"Is zis ze place?"

Alice huffed at her assistant. "Of course it is, Frog." She paused, just about to ring the doorbell. "And no flirting."

"Quoi?" Francis smirked at her. "Jealous, ma reine?"

"Of course not!" Alice hissed at him, her face lava red. "I just don't want to be the one to drag your bloody ass out of jail because you sexually harassed someone again."

"One time!" Francis' face was red now, too. "And I was drunk."

"Just don't do it again," Alice rang the doorbell.

"Coming!" A muffled voice called, scrambling inside the apartment. "I-In u-un...momento!"

Alice's face scrunched up. "His Italian is horrible."

The door opened, revealing a tall man. He was lanky, with ginger hair and bright freckles and soft, pastel grey eyes. "Sì?"

"Michael Clyde?" Alice flipped open her badge. "Detective Kirkland. I need to speak to you and Ms. Brentwood."

"O-oh, er, yes." Michael stuttered. "Do come in," He led them into the apartment. Black silk curtains clashed with the turquoise walls and white furniture. "Um, tea? Coffee?"

Alice shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Mike, what's-!" A shriek pierced the air. They turned. A girl about twenty stood in the hallway. She had dark chocolate hair and copper-tanned skin. And she was...naked.

Francis couldn't help himself...he winked. "Bonjour~!"

XXX

Mike sat across from them, his soft grey eyes turned into a steely glare. Probably trying to evaporate Francis with his eyes. Lilly clung onto him, her face still bright red in shame and buried in his shoulder. "What do you people want?" Michael hissed at them.

Alice tried not to groan. God damn the bloody frog. "You two were friends with Ms. Isabelle Blackwater, correct?" Lilly gives a hesitant nod, but Mike freezes. "Good. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right with you."

It wasn't a question.

Lilly and Mike nod, glancing at each other occasionally. Alice reaches back and fiddles with her recorder that was disguised as a pocket watch. "Why did you leave London without telling anyone?" Alice asked.

Mike looked startled. "W-we just thought it would be nice, a change of scenery w-would be nice, right?" He glanced at Lilly. "A-and we just didn't tell anyone because we were in such a hurry-"

Alice cut him off with a dark glare. She fiddled with the pocket watch again. Pause. "Cut the bullshit, Michael." She kept her glare steady, ignoring the snickers of the frog. "You'd better start telling the truth, because I don't give two shits about whatever the bloody fuck your family is fighting about, but you might want to start talking."

"What are you-"

Alice cut him off. "I'm a homicide detective and you two are my prime suspects." She watched their faces morph into pure terror. Well, that ought to do it. She fiddled with the pocket watch again. "So, can you two tell me where you were Tuesday night?"

Francis smirked as her voice went from piss-in-your-pants worthy to like a melodic siren.

"The Bella Venezia!" Lilly squeaked. "I-I have the tickets still!" She rushed off to their room and was back in an instant. "H-H-Here,"

Alice pulled a pair of emergency gloves from her pocket. You never knew what would happen when you were a homicide detective. She grabbed the two tickets. "Your captain's name was Charlie Baker?" Alice double checked. Michael nodded.

"You know him?" Francis asked, eyebrow raised.

"Sort of. I have a friend who knows Baker." She paused, "Can I borrow a plastic bag?" Lilly nodded and rushed to the kitchen and brought back a plastic bag. Alice placed the tickets inside.

"Now," She looked back at Lilly and Michael. "Why did you leave England?"

The two glanced at each other. "My mother, she..." Lilly exhaled. "She-She disowned me b-b-because of the baby." Her thumb absently swirled little patterns on her stomach.

"Q-Quoi?" Francis asked, "F-Félicitations, mon chéri."

Michael gave Francis a glare, but Lilly didn't notice. "Michael and I, w-we were at a party and we were just s-so stupid and..." Lilly took a shuddering breath, "She told me to leave. That she never wanted to see or hear of me ever again. I was a disgrace and she wanted nothing to do with me."

"Isabelle broke the engagement off between us when she found out," Michael said, "And I followed Lilly to Venice, because," He glances at Lilly's stomach. "It's my responsibility, as well."

"Aw, comment douce!" Francis cooed.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Bloody rich people." She muttered under her breath. Was wealth and reputation really so important that someone could toss away family so freely? No matter how stupid and irritating her brothers and sister could be, she wouldn't trade one of them for all the bloody gold in the world. Ever.

Hell, she gave up nearly everything for them.

She tossed away her dream of becoming a world-famous violinist, she kept their parent's' darkest secrets from them, and she was always working overtime to support them.

Wealth could never replace her siblings.

After all, money didn't get into fights at pubs or drink all the bloody alcohol in the world, did it?

"...Do you two," Alice paused, wondering how she was going to say it. "Do you two know of anyone that may have disliked or was very close to Isabelle?"

"Why?" Michael asked.

Alice sighed. "Ms. Blackwater was found in her room, dead, Wednesday morning."

Lilly shrieked, her hand flying up to her mouth. "No!" All the blood that was in Michael's pale face fled. "NO!" Lilly began to rock herself back in forth, but her husband was frozen in his spot.

They stayed like that for at least two hours, with Lilly rocking herself hysterically and Alice trying to comfort her, and Michael non-stop pacing.

XXX

"Well, what do you zink?"

Alice looked at Francis. "I don't think they did it."

Francis tried not to groan. "I meant ze restaurant."

After things had settled down at the apartment, Francis had to drag Alice out of the hotel room again so that she didn't work herself to the bones (And also because he wanted another excuse to take her out on a date). He brought her to a nice restaurant that wouldn't rob him of whatever little money he had in his allowance, but still was nice enough to consider as a 'date'.

Not that Alice ever would.

"O-Oh," Alice stuttered, flustered. "It's beautiful."

Francis smiled. Score! "And ze food?" That was the ultimate test, really. He'd learned early on that with Alice, practicality mattered more to her than anything. She never wore anything lavish, and though that was probably because of financial reasons, Francis couldn't help but think that she wouldn't do it even if she had the money.

Alice's blush deepened. "It's good," And then she mumbled, looking away from her partner...But it's not as good as yours...

"Quoi?" Francis didn't hear the second part.

"Nothing." Alice huffed, not looking at him, and instead focusing her attention on her food. "I didn't say anything."

Francis chuckled at her, enjoying the silence for a minute before he spoke. "What was it like? When you played in ze orchestra?"

He watched her eyes gloss over slightly. They twinkled. "It was wonderful." Was all she said for a minute. "I got to see and play across the world, spreading my music to thousands of people. That was the best part of my life, I think."

"Why did you come back, zen?"

Alice's eyes dimmed a bit. "...My brother, Dylan (AN: Wales)-he's the second oldest-was on a business trip in North America when he got into an automobile accident. The company fired him since he can't use his legs anymore...They're paralyzed, now. And since he was the one who was supporting the family, I had to come back home and help." She paused again. "It also helps that I was fighting with our conductor."

"What about?" Francis watched her expression.

"He...He was my fiancé," Alice seemed to deflate a little. "And I, uh, well, on my wedding day...He decided not to show up. And, when we went looking for him, I found him having sex with our soprano."

"Oh."

Alice smirked and turned to look at him. "Yeah, but I think I said something a little stronger than that."

Francis laughed lightly. "I bet you did." He continued, "So what did you do?"

She snorted. "First I kicked their asses out of my hotel room...completely naked." She smirked at that, "And then I broke it off with him. He kept asking for forgiveness, but eventually I left because of Dylan's accident. Haven't heard from him since."

"Do you miss him?"

"...No." Alice's eyes met his. "Not anymore, at least."

Francis was on fire. He was sure of it. Was she? "Alice..." He didn't even notice that they were leaning in until-RING! RING! RING!

Alice shot back, her face startled and red. Adorable. "Hello?" She asked into her phone.

"Yo, dude, you need to get your ass back to London."

"Alfred?" Alice stood, "Alfred, what's wrong?"

"We got another case," Alfred sounded rushed and worried. "Same death type, same kind of knife. We think it's the same guy."

"Fuck." Alice cursed. "I'll be over as soon as I can, but I don't think flights will be ready until morning."

"Got it," Alfred groaned. "Just try to get over here as fast as you can, 'kay?"

"Yeah, see you." She hung up. "Francis, get to the hotel and pack our things when you're done eating. I'll meet you there."

"Wait, where are you-!" Francis called, but Alice had already run out of the restaurant.

Translations:

Quoi? = What?

Ma Reine = My Queen.

In un momento = One moment.

Sì = Yes.

Bonjour = Hello.

Bella Venezia = Beautiful Venice.

Félicitations, mon chéri = Congratulations, My Dear.

Aw, comment douce! = Aw, how sweet!