Chapter 4: Preparation

For the next ten minutes, Gaius explains to everyone what happened during and before the meeting. He explained how he and the late Ludger first became friends with Kyle and Tanner, the two convicts involved, why were they arrested by the Elympios police, why he couldn't pardon them for their crimes despite being King of Rieze Maxia and how till this day, he suspects that Herschel and his informant Alex Quigley may have framed the two boys in order to get them arrested.

"I see. This is all very interesting." Alicia said, folding her arms.

"If I was still a normal civilian known as Erston Outway, I would have pardon Kyle and Tanner for their crimes." Gaius said, looking very grim after giving his explanation.

"It's alright Gaius. You were only doing your job." Jude said to him. Leia nods her head in agreement.

"We all have to make hard decisions during our lives and we always have to make the right choice, even if that choice makes us sad. Miss Elize learnt that the hard way too." Rowen said, placing his hands behind his back.

"But…I still don't fully understand. Even after Gaius's explanation, we still don't know why the murderer is killing people involved in the case." Leia said, placing her hands on both sides of her hip.

Alicia closes her eyes and rubs her chin. Then she widens her eyes when she makes a sudden realization. "Wait, the caller claimed that her brother was kidnapped. Herschel goes to the caller's location, only to end up getting captured and killed. Then afterwards, Alex Quigley got killed too. Herschel and Alex are the first two to get killed…"

"Because they are the ones who framed Kyle and Tanner!" Amelia finished what her partner has to say.

"So the killer is related to Kyle and Tanner!" Leia said, slamming her fist onto her left palm.

"When we arrested Kyle and Tanner, we did a background check on the two before sending them to prison. Last time we checked, Tanner has no parents, siblings or other relatives." Alicia said. "Which could only mean…"

"The killer is related to Kyle." Gaius said, curling his hands into fists. "Of my two friends, he is the one who suffered the most from that incident."

"According to his records, Kyle has one sibling…a sister named Brittany Sutcliffe." Amelia said. "Brittany Sutcliffe is our murderer."

"We finally know who murdered Herschel and Alex. The next question now is who will she be after next?" Alicia said, turning to her partner.

"We know she would go after Gaius which he is involved in that meeting, and so were the foreign and trading ministers of Elympios and Rieze Maxia." Jude said to the two inspectors.

"And so were the victims' parents." Gaius said. Everyone turn to him. "I remembered how emotionally distraught they were after learning the death of their son and meeting his murderer Kyle. They attended the meeting as well, watching how I would punish Kyle and Tanner for their crimes."

Leia narrows her eyes. "Whoever her next targets are, we have to warn the victims' parents and the ministers-"

"No." Alicia said.

"What?" Jude, Leia and Rowen all said in shock.

"Are you crazy, Alicia?" Amelia cried, scolding her partner.

"Amelia, if we warn the victim's parents and the ministers, it will create another political tension between Elympios and Rieze Maxia. It will be like a year ago all over again. I know not warning them will put their lives at risk…" Alicia turns to the king. "But I don't want Gaius's efforts to prevent tensions between the two nations a year ago go to waste."

Gaius nods his head, showing his affinity to Alicia. "Thank you, Miss Alicia." Alicia smiles back at the king of Rieze Maxia.

"So what do we do?" Amelia shrugs.

"We just got to find Brittany before she strikes again." Alicia said, turning to her partner.

"Don't worry. I know someone who can help us." Gaius said to the inspectors.

Later, Gaius, Rowen, Jude, Leia, Alicia and Amelia walk out of the palace and down the stairway. When they reach the bottom of the stairway, they stop and Gaius closes his eyes and folds his arms.

"Muzet, can you hear me?"

A few seconds later, Gaius receives a response. "Yes Gaius, I can."

"Muzet, my friends and I need your help. Can you come to my location?"

"Of course. Anything for you."

While Gaius is communicating with Muzet, Alicia and Amelia turn to Jude, Leia and Rowen. "What are we doing here? And what is he doing?" Amelia asked softly to the three.

"Sshh. He's concentrating." Rowen replied softly while placing a finger in front of his lips.

Then, Gaius opens his eyes and looks up. Jude, Leia, Rowen, Alicia and Amelia lift their heads up as well and they all see a light blue and green haired woman with large wings and dressed in a dark blue dress flying down to them.

The woman then finds herself levitating in front of them and she bows her head. "Hello everyone! It's been a while."

"Whoa…is she a spirit?" Alicia uttered as she and Amelia stare at Muzet in awe.

Muzet turns to the two inspectors who are staring at her in awe. She smiles softly at them and tilts her head to the side. "My my, if I didn't know any better, you two seem to be attracted to me." Amelia and Alicia blinked their eyes.

"What? No!" Amelia protested, waving her hands. "It's just that Alicia and I have never met a spirit in person before."

"Then it's an honor for me to be the first spirit you two ever met." Muzet clasps her hands together and playfully winks an eye at the two.

Alicia turns to Amelia and whispers to her. "She sure is very flirty."

"Muzet, these are inspectors Alicia and Amelia from Elympios." Jude said to the spirit, introducing the two to her.

"Nice to meet you two." Muzet greeted, waving her hand at them. Alicia and Amelia wave back at her.

"Muzet, we need your help. We are looking for a woman named Brittany Sutcliffe." Gaius said to the spirit.

"Brittany Sutcliffe. Should be easy since Sutcliffe is an uncommon surname." Muzet said. "But may I ask, why are you looking for such a person?"

"She has killed two people back in Elympios. If we don't stop her, she will kill many more people including Gaius." Alicia said to her.

Muzet gasps, widens her eyes and places a hand on her chest. "Gaius?"

"Yes, Muzet." Gaius nods his head. "Apparently this woman wants revenge on me."

Muzet sighs and shakes her head. "A pitiful human if you ask me. Thinking that she can gain true happiness through killing. Alright, I'll go back up and search through both Rieze Maxia and Elympios for all people whose surname is Sutcliffe. Could take a while though."

"Please try to be quick if you can, Muzet. There are lives at stake." Leia said.

"I'll try." Muzet nods her head.

"And one more thing, Muzet." Jude spoke to the spirit. "Tell Milla I said hi."

"Sure thing, Jude." Muzet smiled playfully at him. Everyone watches the spirit look up and fly back up into the sky.

Gaius turns to Rowen. "Rowen, at the meantime, can you make a call to Chancellor Marcia? I want her to do a favor for me."

"Yes, your Highness." Rowen said, bowing to Gaius.

Alicia turns to Amelia. "Alright Amelia, let's prepare ourselves to go catch Brittany." Alicia said. Amelia smirks and nods her head.

Jude and Leia turn to Alicia and Amelia. "Alicia, Amelia, if you don't mind, I would like to help you both in catching her." Jude said with a serious frown.

"So do I! Let's go catch Brittany and put an end to her killings." Leia said, lifting up her cap with a determined smirk on her face.

"I would like to come too. I do want to meet Kyle's sister face to face. And before you two ask, I can take very good care of myself." Gaius said, turning to the inspectors.

"Sure thing. We do need all the help we can get." Amelia said, pulling a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Okay." Alicia places her hands on both sides of her hip. "Let's go catch our killer."

END OF CHAPTER