So I was drinking tea while writing this chapter and then I almost poured tea all over my laptop… Glad that didn't happen!

And I'm really, really, really tired, but wanted this chapter to be finished so that I could start with a really exciting chapter tomorrow, so this chapter isn't that great, since it was a little rushed and there are probably a lot of typos as well, since I'm tired… So sorry about that. I'll probably fix this chapter soon.

Anyway, I don't own Kuroshitsuji. I think. Nope, I definitely don't.

But I do own Clarissa.

XxX

Chapter 22

'So, what's a detective from Scotland Yard doing here, Inspector Abberline?' Ciel asked.

Me, Ciel and Abberline were sitting in some sort of Chinese shop on the Fair and were – of course – drinking tea. This had been Ciel's idea, but me and Abberline both didn't seem to like it as much. I didn't because I was scared that Ciel would be mad that I hadn't told him about the little meeting in the hospital and Abberline probably didn't because he had work to do. Anyway, Ciel didn't care about that.

Sebastian wasn't with us, he'd gone to Madame Red's house to pick up my belongings. I felt somewhat relieved that he was gone for a few minutes.

Abberline put his tea down and frowned. 'A man's corpse was discovered underneath the ice this morning,' he explained, making me only more unsure about the Frost Fair.

Ciel ate one of the cookies that they'd put on the table for us, not bothered by this subject of death at all. Maybe the way the acted was also a way to make Abberline talk more.

'He was a member of a certain criminal organisation,' Abberline went on, 'we're are currently looking for the killer and the ring he stole.'

I decided to follow Ciel's example and grabbed a cookie.

Then Abberline said: 'There's a blue diamond set in the ring that's supposedly worth 2000 quid.'

When I heard the amount of many, I nearly dropped the cookie into my tea. '2000 quid for a ring?' I asked, not believing him while also believing him.

Then someone standing next our table joined the conversation. 'The diamond… the gemstone that gleams in eternal radiance,' Lau said, making me roll my eyes. A Chinese shop, with sexy waitresses and a strange smell. I should've known. 'Legend has it that those bewitched by its sparkle are compelled to pursue it even when they know only destruction awaits.'

Abberline was so shocked that he shoot up from his chair. 'How do you know about the Hope piece?!' he asked, of course thinking that he got himself a suspect, which both me and Ciel knew wasn't true.

Still Ciel seemed shocked, but about something else. 'The Hope piece?' he repeated, sounding surprised.

Then Lau pulled an innocent and dumb face while hugging that girl he was always with. I believe her name began with an 'R'. 'Hmm? What's this? So there really is a jewel like that? Oh, my…'

Ciel looked annoyed, but not surprised. Abberline looked unsure. And I just looked how I always looked when Lau entered the picture. A look full of disapproval.

'What?' Abberline said. 'But-but you just said-'

I sighed and Ciel interrupted him. 'He was just blathering. Don't give him attention. Never mind that. Lau, what are you doing here?' he asked, making me confused. Wait, I figured it out before Ciel did?

Awesome.

Lau still had that dumb look on his face as he said: 'I own his place.'

Ciel looked at me, realised that I had realised that already and pulled a face that showed annoyance. 'I see,' he said.

Abberline sat back down again, knowing that this guy wasn't very helpful for his investigation.

'Say,' Lau said, 'this "Hope" thing sounds very interesting, my Lord. Will you tell me more?' He asked, sitting down on the fourth chair on our table, the girl immediately on his lap the moment he sat down.

Ciel put down his tea and sighed. 'You've never heard about the blue diamond that we call the Hope because it was part of Henry Philip Hope's collection?'

Well, I sure didn't. Was I supposed to know that? It didn't seem like common knowledge.

'Nope,' Lau said, making sure that we'd have to listen to some sort of historical boring story. Great. Talking with Ciel did not only turn my life around, it also brought more education into my life. Not something I could be happy about.

'Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette… It's known as a diabolical stone that's passed through the hands of many owners and driven them all to ruin. Then, after being stolen yet again, the diamond was cut to disguise it, producing smaller pieces. They say only two pieces of the Hope diamond exist. Is one of those the ring you're searching for, Abberline?'

Abberline didn't answer the question immediately, but he did talk, looking at the table as he did. 'Explosives were used on a carriage transporting evidence, and it was stolen,' he said, making the answer a clear 'yes' without actually saying it.

Ciel had forgotten all about his tea now and leaned forward, seemed truly interested. 'Interesting. Give me details, I'll lend you a hand in this.' Abberline's mouth dropped open, making a not really joyful smile appear on Ciel's face. 'Naturally I won't force you,' he said, making me roll my eyes. Naturally. Yeah, right. 'But Sir Arthur might find himself in a rather awkward position.' And there is was. The reason why Abberline was going to help Ciel no matter if he used force or not.

Abberline nodded. 'I do believe I cannot give you the details, but I know a man who can, since he was the one who takes care of the de-'

Ciel interrupted him, knowing exactly who Abberline was talking about. 'Ah, if it's the Undertaker we're talking about, then we'll visit him shortly. But first I would like to know why you wanted to talk to me and miss Lane.'

Oh no.

Abberline scratched the back of his head. 'Well, Randall wanted me to ask some more questions… Not only because you're an owner of the other Hope piece, but also because we found out that Drossel Keinz might be the one behind the murder.'

I froze. Ciel frowned. 'At what does Drossel Keinz have to do with me?' he asked, giving me a glance. Oh, shit. Did he already know? Sebastian, you traitor.

'Well, we looked into Drossel Keinz and we figured out that he'd lived with miss Lane's grandmother for a few years and well, that made Clarissa a bit suspicious. Not only because she hadn't told that during our previous meeting, but also because now, Sir Keinz is a suspect in a murder case, making her a suspect in this case, too.'

I could slap myself. Great, so now people were suspecting me of a murder I didn't committed, while they didn't seem to worry about the murder that I had possibly committed.

Ciel laughed. 'I assure you that miss Lane is absolutely innocent, why would her being a childhood friend of Sir Keinz make her a suspect?'

'Because… he really doesn't know, does he?' Abberline asked me nervously.

I shook my head and then decided that I could best explain to Ciel. 'While you were in the hospital I got lost' – I left Ash out of the story for now – 'and ended in the cellar, where I had a short encounter with Drossel before a nurse sent him back to his room.'

Ciel frowned, not sure what to think of this new information. 'Then I do believe that they have a good reason to suspect you,' he then said and after that he stood up, clearly finishing the conversation on his own terms. 'I'm bored. Let's get going.'

XxX

The only think Abberline had to do was to stroll inside the Undertaker's shop and introduce himself as the police inspector that he was.

The Undertaker started laughing as if Abberline was the funniest person in the world. 'You're amazing!' he said, pointing at the confused police inspector. 'I tell you, you're in the wrong business!'

That was something I, unfortunately, did agree with.

'You could rule the world of comedy!' the Undertaker then said.

That was something I, fortunately, did not agree with.

Lau came to stand next to me. 'So. Where are we?'

'Are you serious?!' I asked. 'We're at the Undertaker's shop! You've been here, like, two days ago!'

Lau did seem to remember it now. 'Aaah.'

I rolled my eyes. Geez, what was with that guy? Did he have a short term memory or was he dumb on purpose?

'What did you do?' Ciel asked Abberline as he walked in behind me, Sebastian and Lau. That girl hadn't come with us.

Abberline looked absolutely shocked. 'I-I was just conversing normally, but out of nowhere he…'

The Undertaker started to laugh again, as if only the sound of Abberline's voice was too much for him to handle.

Ciel clenched his teeth. 'Abberline, you are a man to be feared,' he said, but I wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke or not.

Even Sebastian looked down, but more in a 'I will slowly kill you' way then in a 'you just eat my cake' kind of way. 'It appears you are rather skilled, Inspector,' he said, his voice colder then ice.

I giggled. He couldn't be serious, right? The glance he gave me only showed me that he actually was, which made me giggle again.

'Tell me about the ring, Undertaker,' Ciel said, ignoring the angry looks Sebastian was giving Abberline. 'If you have the frozen corpse, then you should have it!'

The Undertaker didn't give an answer, he just kept giggling.

Abberline decided it was a good idea to partake in the conversation. 'It might be buried near where the body was found. As an upstanding citizen of London, I call on you to cooperate with us.'

I was happy that that didn't make the Undertaker laugh again, though he was still giggling while he said: 'I'm profoundly impressed, inspector. I'll tell you about it. The ring is…' A smile appeared on his face, a smile that looked way too happy for the situation we were in.

'Stop being mysterious and say it! Where is the ring?!' I asked, because now I was getting impatient.

The Undertaker laughed. 'You've already laid your eyes on the ring, little miss!' he said, still smiling that strange smile.

'Oh, really? And when and where was that?' I asked, pulling up an eyebrow.

XxX

Abberline was doing a pretty impressive 'scream'-impression while we were standing in front of the Queen Victoria ice sculpture.

Ciel looked grumpy, Sebastian looked neutral and Lau smiled dumb. 'It looks like the artist found the frozen ring and designed the sculpture to compliment it.'

Abberline had his mind together by then. 'Collect it!' he screamed at some police men that were standing under the London bridge, smoking. 'Right now!'

The men dropped their cigarettes and ran over to the sculpture. 'Yes, sir!' they said, reaching towards the ring.

'What are you doing?!' an angry voice screamed from behind us.

We all turned around to see a group rich people, most of them were old (and fat), but one of them was surprisingly handsome. And also looked surprisingly familiar.

Aleister Chamber was standing there, completely dressed in white. He even had a white rose in his hands. 'That is the sacred lady bestowed on the victor,' he said and I wasn't sure if he was talking to us or to his rose. Then he kissed the rose and finally looked at us. Well, at me. 'You mustn't touch her.'

While the group rich people explained why the police couldn't just destroy the sculpture, Sebastian had to physically restrain me from attacking Aleister and gouging his eyes out. Which was something that I really had planned on doing.

It was clear that these people, whoever they were, weren't doing to let us take the ring without protest and I knew that Ciel hated making a scene, so we just stood there. Eventually I calmed down and Sebastian let me go.

But then Aleister Chamber smiled and pulled the finger of Queens Victoria – as well as the ring – free from the sculpture, handing it to me. 'An apology for the fair lady,' he said, giving me a wink.

Sebastian grabbed my shoulders, ready to stop me if I would try to attack him. Which I didn't. I kept myself in check. After all, we'd got what we wanted. I put the ring (and the ice-finger that came with it) in the pocket of my coat and said: 'If that was all, shall we go then?' I felt kind of badass that I was the on who'd gotten the ring, Who needs who, Ciel Phantomhive?

Ciel and Abberline frowned. 'That's evidence, miss Lane,' Abberline said. 'You're not supposed to keep it.'

I shook my head. 'I won't. But I do believe that the last owner ended up under the frozen lake, so someone if after this thing. I thought that it would be a smart way to find the killer if I kept it. The one to attack me is the owner. Does that sound like a plan?' I was already feeling like a badass right now, but that wasn't the only reason that I volunteered. I also did that because there was a chance that Drossel was behind this and if it was, I was sure I could talk him out of it. Or I could trust Ciel that he would order Sebastian to save me. I felt in any case save enough to volunteer. And if I really wanted to become part of the Phantomhive Queen Guard Dog Team (the P.Q.G.T?) then I supposed that this was the way to do it.

'Yes,' Ciel said, the same time when Abberline said: 'No.' Then Abberline added: 'You're way too long. This is something Scotland Yard should handle.' He pulled out his hand and kept it in front of me. 'Give me the ring.'

I looked over at Ciel, waiting for approval. Wait… when had I become Ciel's minion?

Ciel closed his eye and nodded, said that it was okay to give it away without words.

I sighed and reached into the pocket of my coat, which was now wet because of the melted ices. But I didn't find the ring. I frowned as I looked up. 'The ring's gone,' I said, sounding completely shocked.

XxX

He walked towards the room upstairs, opening the door while sounding like old stairs. 'So I thought to myself that the Hope piece has found a new keeper on his own, my master,' he said in a strange mantra, while bowing for the man that was sitting in the chair, looking out the window, looking at the city that seemed so boring but also so interesting.

The man closed his eyes while contentedly humming a song. 'Hold on, my dear child. My chess pieces finally start moving. Soon it will all be… over,' he said, smiling a devious smile as he started to sing out loud: 'London is burning down, burning down, burning down. London is burning down, my fair lady.'

XxX

That was chapter twenty-two. Sorry if it was a bit short, but I couldn't drag this chapter out any longer.

justaislinn: ha ha, me too! I also always say 'Shieru Fantomhivu' instead of 'Ciel Phantomhive', because that's the way they say it in the anime. It's also easier to say it that way for me, since the Dutch accent and Japanese accent have a lot in common when it comes to pronunciation, so that's a plus for me!