Gilbert And Ludwig

Roy and Brian caught up with him before long to give him a push in the right direction to the next person on the list. "Ye're gonna hae 'im," Roy said gleefully.

Vash did not mention he had not found anyone else but the innkeeper and the talkative owner of the store at all tolerable. After all, none of that mattered. What mattered was finding the culprit, something these two 'officials' did not seem to be taking seriously.

Still. He looked at the name of Gilbert with a certain trepidation.

They came across him outside of the house of another, his face one entire bruise and a bandage over his nose.

"Vhere's my shovel?" he was shouting at the house.

"Don't change de subject!" the person in the house shouted back. "My ceiling fan! Now!"

"They were at this when we stopped by earlier," Brian mentioned. "Ludwig was about ta let it go, but Gilbert 'as obviously decided this is a great opportunity ta annoy 'is bro'er."

There was something wrong with familial relations in this town. But Vash's mind was stuck on something else. "His ceiling fan?"

"Yep."

"Such serious crimes," Brian shook his head, his glasses reflecting the light.

Apparently Ludwig was much more willing to come out when Brian grabbed his attention. Gilbert was grousing about the entire situation and shooting his brother glares which did not look all that healthy. Then again, it might have been because of his albinism, so Vash did not comment. Then again, it could have been because it looked like he just had his face smashed into a wall. Vash could have commented on that, but he did not care to.

Ludwig was missing his ceiling fan and Gilbert claimed to be missing a shovel. Ludwig commented he did not think Gilbert owned a shovel. Gilbert said he did and it was missing and his brother reminded him that was his shovel.

"When did you last see these items?" Vash asked before the brothers could begin to bicker once again.

"Last night, right after I brought out de extra blankets," Ludwig said promptly.

"You made Feli sleep out on de couch?" Gilbert exclaimed, shocked.

"It vasn't for Feliciano."

"You let someone else sleep ofer your house?"

"Dat is none of your business, Gilbert."

"Who stayed the night?" Vash cut in. Gilbert grinned at Ludwig, awaiting his answer. Ludwig did not look back at him, instead meeting Vash's gaze.

Finally, someone other than Tino who wanted him to be thorough.

"Ivan Branginski. He vas hiding from his sister. Neider of us heard anyding last night dough."

"How'd he convince you to get involfed?" Gilbert practically shouted. "Are you an idiot?"

"I leafe dat to you."

"After I find dat shovel, I'm shoving it up your–"

"And the shovel?" Vash interrupted once again.

"Vhat about it?" Gilbert asked, frowning.

"When did you last see it?"

"I dunno."

Another voice sounded from within the house, echoing out of the open front door. "You have a large hole in your ceiling."

"Get out of my house, Maddox!" Ludwig called in.

Maddox came out of what looked like the kitchen window and rolled into the bushes. Vash could not help but stare as he tried to think of what he was about to say.

"What 'appened ta yer face?" Brian asked Gilbert. Gilbert scoffed, looking away.

"Noding!"

"Ah. Ye always look like tha'. Ai see," Roy nodded.

"Shut up! I... I..."

"He vent to our doctor to get his face patched up," Ludwig told Vash. "Football to de face."

"Ha!" Roy laughed at Gilbert, but Gilbert was too busy glowering at Ludwig to reply.

"If Dad had thrown me instead, he would feel much better," Maddox said, now standing on his hands in front of the bushes. Vash looked from Ludwig, to Gilbert, to Maddox, to Maddox.

"You still have not told me where you were yesterday evening," he announced.

And just like that Maddox walked away on his hands. Vash overheard the conversation behind him as he watched the man go with disbelief.

"Ai would hae fer Liza ta be righ' by this poin'," Roy was saying to Brian. "Ivan coulda pulled tha' ceiling fan out o' Ludwig's ceilin'."

"Only obviously," Brian reminded him. "Back ta square one."

Why will that man not just say where he was? Vash screamed at them in his mind. But they were not worried about Maddox. They did not seem worried about anything. All of these missing items and all of this chaos and Roy and Brian did not really seem to care. Why is everyone here so difficult?

Only by reminding himself of his own claim to solve this mystery was he able to stay calm.

Before they left the premises, Vash found a note left on the ground where that man had rolled into the bushes.

Stop messing around.

I cannot set things on fire.

I need my works now.

"That is it," he muttered, crumpling the haiku in his fist.

Notes:

Because his fireworks are missing. Get it? *shot for stating the obvious*