Chapter 3

In which there is a holy union stemmed from sin.

Francis, after stepping off of the unholy death machine that was the boat back to Rome, took two days to rest in Rome. It was a lovely city, and it gave him a chance to clear his head of the fog that had accumulated thanks to seasickness.

He thought over what he'd done so far since receiving the first note. He'd researched quite a lot, and that had led him to the crossroads of Lion Lane and Rooster Road, right where he'd first met Elisabeta.

Then he'd deduced what the six tomatoes were, and that took him to where his first full case with Elisabeta took place—the tomato farm in Sicily.

Come to think of it, the first note from the Rose said she was a huge fan of his and Elisabeta's, as long as they were together. It seemed to be true. He or she knew all about their cases and what happened and where they took place.

Maybe that in itself was a clue.

This meant that the next pin would be in Russia, where the next case had been after they took that break during November to relax after Francis was almost decapitated. Elisabeta had decided to stay with him in Paris instead of going home, and thinking of it made Francis smile.

He shook his head to clear away those irrelevant thoughts. No. Russia. The clue was The Drunken Baker's Bastard. Was that who held the pin? Someone in Russia who was a drunken baker's bastard?

Yeah, that narrowed it down.

He thought of the case. Katya Braginski had read about him in a newspaper years earlier when she was visiting Kiev for her ailing grandmother. He'd just solved a case there, something with stolen jewels or something. She remembered him when high-ranking officials in her little town had started dropping like flies. Francis thought the case looked interesting, and it led to spending Christmas with Elisabeta in Russia. Well, Elisabeta, as well as Katya Braginski and her alcoholic little brother, Ivan, and her little sister with the baby.

The baby…

She'd never said who the baby's father was, so Francis had sent Elisabeta to investigate, more out of curiosity than necessity to the case. But oh, when he'd found out who the father was (really, who the fathers were), it became the key to the case.

It had all ended a bit strangely, actually. Francis decided not to dwell on it.

Still, something about the baby was nagging him. That baby's father was certainly not married to young Natalia Braginski. Didn't that make it…

Oh, yes.

So that explained the bastard, but what about the drunken baker? Ivan was an alcoholic, but he wasn't a baker.

Perhaps it was another play on words, like the six tomatoes. None of the words were connected in the way they first appeared. Francis had figured out that the bastard was Natalia's little baby, and the drunk was probably referring to the fact that Ivan had been the main suspect thanks to his drinking and his hatred for the thirteen men who were dying.

Thirteen.

One more than twelve, which was a dozen, but at bakeries they always gave you an extra because it was a baker's doz—

Baker!

The fourth pin was definitely in Russia.

Francis finally made it the tiny town he'd solved a series of gruesome murders in not two months ago. It was still covered in snow, but the sun was in the middle of the sky and the place seemed deserted.

The whole town seemed empty, except for the church, actually. Francis clutched his luggage in his hands, the basket of nearly-ripe tomatoes under one arm, and tromped toward the little church at the end of the road.

The doors were open, which was a bit foolish thanks to the snow, but he was ushered in with a smile and he took a seat toward the back. The building was crowded, but it wasn't a preacher at the front of the church. Well, it was, but there was also a man in what was clearly his best suit, looking nervous. Happy, but nervous.

Francis realized he had stumbled upon a wedding.

Music started to play and he turned around. Coming up the aisle in a lovely gown, clutching her brother's arm, was Natalia Braginski.

She was positively enchanting, and Francis wished Elisabeta was there to see her. He wondered what Elisabeta's wedding had been like. Obviously much fancier, and not so Russian Orthodox. She would have been wearing a white dress with a long train which was a bigger lie than the love she'd be professing to Roderich, and—

No. This was not the time to be thinking about that.

Ivan had given Natalia to the man waiting at the altar. The priest started on a very long service which included lots of too-long pauses where sniffling (probably from Katya Braginski) could be heard. Finally, though, the important parts began.

"Do you, Toris Laurinaitis, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…"

Toris! That was his name! He'd been in the case as well! What was he doing here marrying Natalia Braginski? Good for him, but there was somewhere else he should be.

Well, it was Russia. They did things weird in this country. It froze their brains.

"And do you, Natalia Braginski, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband…"

That boy did dote on Natalia, though. He remembered during the case, he'd always hover around her when Francis would ask uncomfortable questions. She really didn't need protecting from the likes of Francis, though. The likes of other people, maybe, but that wasn't neither here nor there.

Suddenly, there was cheering. Oh! They'd kissed. Francis set the tomatoes on one of his suitcases and stood up to clap.

There was a party being held next door, at someone's house. Francis followed the crowd there, taking his luggage and the tomatoes with him. He honestly didn't know what to do with them.

He met the bride and groom soon enough, though. And when Katya noticed him, she immediately gave him a hug that nearly suffocated him. She took his luggage and handed it to Ivan and ordered him to store it away. The man only smiled and lumbered away. Francis feared for his poor luggage.

"Come! You haven't seen Natalia yet!" Katya had dragged him over to where the for once blushing bride sat, surrounded by other women and her baby.

"Detective Bonnefois?" she asked when he approached, startled by his appearance. "You're here for my wedding?"

"Congratulations!" Francis pointedly avoided the question. "I brought you some tomatoes!" He shoved the tomatoes onto the lap of the nearest giggling girl, then bowed to kiss the newly married woman's hand. "I need to discuss something with you. In private."

The girls all giggled and Natalia frowned. "Not now."

"It's important."

"More important than this?"

"Elisabeta could die," Francis said desperately.

Natalia glared at him. "How long will this take?" she asked.

Francis smiled. "Five minutes at the most. May I say you look absolutely lovely," he added when she sighed and rose to follow Francis to a secluded spot to talk.

"Thank you," she replied. She dragged him out the back door and into a shed. It was dirty and smelly and she fidgeted with her dress, but Francis cut straight to the point.

"Do you have an orange hairpin that you received recently?"

Natalia blinked. "How do you know about that?" she asked.

"I need it to save Elisabeta's life."

Natalia nodded. "I see. Take it." She pulled one of the many pins out of her hair and handed it to Francis.

It was another steel hairpin, all orange except for the blossoms on the end. These were a dark red. Francis wondered what they meant.

"Did they come with a note?" he asked.

"Yes." She reached into the front of her dress and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "Go crazy."

Francis briefly wondered why she would want to store this of all things there, but decided not to think about it too much. He opened the door to the shed and she stalked out to go back to the party. Francis followed close behind her so he could find Katya and tell her he'd need his bags back now.

He'd read the next clue, and it had given him a chill. It read, The Fifth Red Sister of Death.

AN: Damn, this was short. It wasn't as important, though. I tried to give away as little as possible about the case titled The Brothers Braginski. But I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job.

But you know about the next case that's covered! Because it's Murder on the Vargas Express!

Natalia isn't a crazy murdering insaneopants because she's too happy from just being married, even if it is to Toris. She does sort of owe him. But you don't really know what for. That's a story for another time. ;) But she does love him! She's not just marrying him out of obligation.

Someone returns next chapter, and that someone will provide a direct tie-in to the sequel to this, which I don't know much about yet but it will involve Nordics.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! :D