June 11th, 1899

Summer has arrived. It is my least favorite season, but it is so achingly beautiful. The blue skies, the puffy white clouds, the green of the leaves. I had enough energy to walk through the garden this morning. The camomile flowers are in full bloom, scenting the air heavily, and our Azaleas are the prettiest shade of blue this year. I think your father added a little lemon juice to the soil to get it to turn blue for me. They remind me of your eyes.

Six months without your voice. Someday, when you become a mother, you will realize how hard it is to be apart from your child. It is an ache in your heart you cannot soothe. I wish that you'll never have to feel it like this. I wish I could talk to you, to see you. See the changes in you since last December. I wish the last time I saw you wasn't such a horrible fight that ended in this chilling silence.

If I could see you in person, I'd tell you why we don't marry the first man who we think we love. We wait for the man our instinct tells us to run to. Carmen used to tell me that instinct is the future whispering warnings and all we have to do is listen. So, listen, solnishko.

Love, Mama


Carlos kissed Sophie goodbye and followed David out of Race and Clara's home.

"You don't have to come." David said.

Carlos flashed him an amused smile, "Of course I do, David. A break-in means there's a villain to catch and I am a Private Investigator."

Rolling his eyes, David grabbed the closest carriage and barked the address of the hotel as they climbed in. "Is there anyone you haven't found, Carlos?" He meant it rhetorically, confident in the Spanish man's abilities because he had never failed him before.

Carlos' blue eyes looked out the window, an array of emotion behind them. David suspected there was annoyance and awe, "Only one. A girl I was asked to look for in the fall of 1899. The man didn't have a lot of money, but I was young and needed to get a good rep so I did it for nothing. But, it got to be an interesting case when I searched every lead I had and they all ran cold." He ran a hand lightly through his hair, "I finally gave up last year. I ran out of resources and leads and Sophie came to town." He grinned suddenly, "I didn't find her, but he left the city after I told him I had to retire the case and found her. Married her."

David felt an answering smile quirk up the corner of his mouth as he let silence fall in the carriage. It was nice to hear that although Carlos had failed, the man looking for her hadn't. Unfortunately, David couldn't bask in the good news of that story for long because he had to mentally prepare himself for the inevitable craziness that he was sure had developed due to the break-in. He was equal parts furious that it had occurred and curious at whomever had been stupid enough to do something in his hotel. It hadn't escaped his notice, either, that the break-in had occurred in Nina and Natalia's room. As two of the best dancers, they were bound to be targeted by numerous people.

Sure enough, when they arrived they found the hotel in utter chaos. Police, Greg, and Natalia were behind the desk as other guests milled around the lobby, excitedly gossiping of the break-in. Jake Miller wove between them, trying and seeming to fail at convincing them to go back to their rooms. He looked relieved when he caught sight of David. David on the other hand, felt a wave of irritation, compounded on top of putting his pride aside to pay Jack, and found himself in an all-around terrible mood.

He grudgingly reflected that at one time in his life, when he was younger and helping Jack lead the strike, he had liked people. Remembered even after losing Minnie and Jack, fondly assuring and answering every question and problem each guest brought to him when he had overseen the guest relations desk at the Chelsea Hotel. For a while it had felt like his calling; it was why he'd gotten into this business. Had naively believed that he could foster a comfortable, homey feeling at his own hotel for every guest who was looking for a stopping place for the night-or a few nights.

Now, everything felt like a continual buzz of irritation, just out of reach for him to swipe it away. The soft roar of the gossiping patrons hummed around him in such a grating way that he desperately wished he'd gone through the back receiving door. Anything to avoid all the stares that turned on him as soon as he walked through the front door.

"Mr. Jacobs." Greg hailed him, letting guests who didn't know him by face now recognize him.

He scowled, but was in no mood for formalities. Quickly, he began to dish out orders as Carlos easily blended into the background and watched, "Greg, please take Miss Malakhov to the back office, along with the investigating officers. I want only witnesses left down here, preferably over in the lounge. Jake, I want you to assure all guests of their safety and seen back to their rooms. Give each room on Miss Malakhov's floor as well as any witnesses a complimentary pot of coffee for the disruption of their evening."

"Mr. Jacobs, my name is Ethel Shroudsberry and I swear the assailant climbed up the fire escape right past my bedroom." The woman, Ethel, placed herself directly in front of David and he had to clench his jaw to keep from snapping at the lady.

Instead, he forced a polite nod, "Mrs. Shroudsberry, we humbly request your participation as a key witness, then. If you'll just wait a few minutes over here in our lounge, I'll have an officer take your statement. Let me have the restaurant bring out a dessert to tide you over." His uncanny ability to appease guests done, David let Jake usher the woman over to the lounge and turned towards his office where Natalia and the officers waited.

Running a hand through his hair, he hung his coat on the rack and turned to Natalia, "Are you alright? Can I get you anything?" He motioned for her to sit in his desk chair, the more comfortable of the chairs in the office. His number one rule, always make sure your guest was comfortable and felt safe.

"Um, just water." She said hesitantly as she took the seat, gaze watching Greg as he left to bring her what she asked for before adding, "I wasn't harmed or anything. Just spooked to wake up to find a man beside my bed."

"Did you catch what he looked like? Did you recognize him?" David asked, catching Carlos pull out a small journal to write down anything she remembered.

Natalia lightly ran a hand through her blonde hair, "Well, no. It was too dark and when I realized someone was in my room, I sort of froze up. It was definitely a man. I heard him curse. He was looking through my drawers for something."

Carlos pointed up and David nodded his head and turned back to Natalia, "We're going to take a look around the room. The officers here will ask you any other questions."

Natalia nodded just as Greg brought back the glass of water and David and Carlos left the office.

"Where's Nina?" Carlos asked as they stepped onto the elevator.

David shrugged, "I don't know. They've been at rehearsal every evening and she's always the last to come back."

Carlos quirked a dark eyebrow, "Keeping a close eye on her, David?"

"No." David muttered, scowling and pointedly ignoring the Spanish man's knowing look as the elevator door pinged open to the sixth floor. "Room 611." He told Carlos, pointing to the left and they went down a few doors until they reached Natalia and Nina's room. David pulled out his master key and together they stepped into the suite.

"Which room is Natalia's?" Carlos asked, gazing around.

"Probably should have asked. Guess we'll have to look through both rooms." David replied, heading towards the room on the left.

Carlos muttered something, but David didn't catch it and he didn't ask for him to repeat it. He simply began looking around for something of value that would illicit a break in. Moving over to the bed, he pulled open the top drawer of the night stand. Inside was a map of New York and he pulled it out and opened it up. Little stars were made with a pen, and he realized he remembered seeing Nina with this map last week. Gently, he folded it up but instead of putting it back, he found himself tucking into the inner pocket of his coat.

He closed the drawer and opened the bottom one. The only thing inside was a lacquer box with a painting of a man and woman riding a large, grey wolf. He lifted the lid and was surprised to find no jewelry, but rather a bundle of letters addressed to Nina Teleshova.

"What are you doing in my room?!" A voice from the doorway startled him and he let the lid of the lacquer box fall shut as he turned to meet the startling blue eyes of the Prima Ballerina.

A/N: Ugh, this is short for how long I made you guys wait but I already started chapter 6 and you shouldn't have to wait as long for that one. I'm sorry! I've been distracted by Numb and have been ignoring this story, but lucky for you guys Pixielou wanted to use Carlos in her story My Perfect Disaster and so I got quality time with him and got back to this story! YAY! (So, you guys should check out Pixielou's stories and review them!)

Also, drop me a review! Thank you to everyone reading and reviewing this story!

Truly,

Joker is Poker with a J~