Chapter Six

  Part Five

  The group were crowded around a table in a corner. They were all still in The Nights Rest, a small but cosy inn.

  “seeing that Lyra and Anya are so close and have similar looks, I’m guessing they are sisters. So they would probably be sharing a room. Then, Jemiah and Sean are sharing”

  “how do you know that?” Ali asked.

  “They are both wearing matching wedding rings. Jemiah and Sean are together”

  “so does that mean Zayne and Mauve were sharing?” Vax’dian asked.

  “possibly. Ali, did you see if the girls had their ears pierced?”

  “No I didn’t see”

  “Ali, I thought I told you to be more perceptive”

  Ali winced “sorry”

  Hyde cut in “Anya was wearing earrings. Lyra did have piercings, but wasn’t wearing any”

  “why did you want to know if they had piercings?”

  From her pocket, Line pulled out the earing that she had found “someone is missing an earring”

  “I saw that Jemiah had earrings, but Sean did not have piercings. That does just leave Zayne” Queen Silva commented.

  Line smiled at her “indeed. Ali, I want you to try and separate the sisters and talk to Lyra alone. By what you’ve told me, Lyra didn’t speak”

  “Hyde” Vax’dian didn’t need to finish his sentence, as Hyde already understood. Hyde would be helping Ali.

  “Vax’dian, stay friendly with Jemiah and Sean. See if there’s anything else that they haven’t told us”

  “and what of you?” Vax’dian asked.

  “I’m going to meet Zayne. The fact that he isn’t down yet worries me slightly, so I’ll just have to go to him”

  “be careful”

  It was that tone again, the tone that began to give her butterflies “of course” she stood from her chair and left the group.

  *

  Line moved to the reception desk, where Ema was sitting. Glancing over the desk, she could see various small stacks of papers. The key tray now stood empty.

  “Ema? Can I know what room Zayne is staying in?”

  “Sure, he’s in the third room”

  “thank you” before Line left, she looked at Ema’s ears. Taking note that Ema didn’t have piercings, Line then made her way up the stairs.

  “Did you see if she had any earrings?”

  Slightly startled, Line turned to see Queen Silva “your Majesty? What are you doing?”

  “I’m coming with you”

  “I thought that you would’ve stayed with Vax’dian”

  “please, I see enough of my own son every day. I’d much rather get to know you some more”

  “why me?”

  Queen Silva just smiled “I see you don’t use honorifics towards my son”

  “oh, right. I just...” she ran out words to say.

  “Do you like my son?”

  “Oh, look were here”

  They were indeed standing before door three. Line reached up and knocked against the wooden door.

  “you are quite similar to him”

  She was hesitant to ask this question “...how so?”

  “when he’s shy, he tends to try and change the conversation”

  Line just knocked at the door again.

  Opening the door was a handsome young man “... Anya, I’ll be down in a minute-“ His words faltered when he realised who was standing before him “you’re not Anya”

  “No I’m not. I like your ears”

  He frowned “...I’m sorry?”

  Line winced to herself, her friends ways with words have rubbed of on her.

  The man she presumed to be Zayne, ran his hand through his shoulder length dark hair. He did have piercing holes “what is it?”

  “do you know someone named Mauve?”

  Zayne faltered again “I do. Why?”

  “May we come in to talk?”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Zayne hesitated again, but he did let them into his room “is Mauve alright?”

  “I’m sorry”

  “what happened? Where is she?”

  Before answering him, Line took a glance around the room. If the band was staying here a few nights, then there should be some women’s belongings. But in this room, there was none “what was your relationship with Mauve like?”

  “why are you asking me this? What happened to Mauve?”

  “Mauve...is dead”

  “...What?”

  “she was murdered, and we are trying to learn the truth”

  “Who even are you?”

  “Inspector Line spelt line but the e is silent” as she said that she showed off her monastery token “please, can you answer my questions”

  He grew quiet, it looked as though he did truly care for Mauve.

  “Zayne? Please tell me what your relationship with Mauve was like”

  “...Mauve, Mauve was...”

  “It’s alright. Take your time”

  Zayne looked up at her “who? Who killed her?”

  “that’s what we’re here to find out”

  “Do you think I had something to do with her death? I would never hurt Mauve”

  “I never said you would, Zayne”

  Tears threatened to fall down Zayne’s face.

  “Zayne, did Mauve have any enemies?”

  He clenched his jaw “I know she didn’t get along well with the sisters”

  “Anya and Lyra?”

  He nodded “well it was mostly Anya. Lyra mostly just followed Anya around wherever she went”

  “who’s the eldest?”

  “Anya is, by a year”

  “I see” she almost didn’t want to ask this next question “what were you doing last night?”

  He scoffed “and here I thought you didn’t think I would hurt Mauve”

  “I’m sorry I just need to ask”

  “...Wait. Last night? That’s when she was...?”

  “Based on the body. yes”

  “...I was here, sleeping”

  “Is there anyone who could collaborate your alibi?”

  “Anya came to see me, but I told her to leave”

  “Anya came?”

  “yes”

  “and she was alone?”

  “Yes”

  Line looked at Queen Silva, who nodded in return.

  “If you think Lyra would’ve done something, I doubt it. Lyra doesn’t seem like the type”

  “no one does. Not until the very end”

  **

  Vax’dian moved across the dining area, back to Jemiah and Sean. They had grown quite sombre since learning of Mauve’s passing. He turned to speak with his mother, but found that she was no longer behind him. He sighed, knowing that she was probably with Line.

  Vax’dian turned his attention back to the pair sitting in front of him “excuse me, but do you mind if I sit here? My friends seemed to have abandoned me”

  “Sure, you can sit” Sean answered.

  Vax’dian gave a warm smile “thank you” a pause “you know, while I’m here. Do you mind if I ask some follow up questions?”

  “If it helps, then go ahead”

  “I assume you two were together the whole night?”

  “we were. We were planning on talking to everyone today”

  “About what?”

  “We’re tired. We was going to leave the band and settle down in Yor” Jemiah smiled “it’s no lie that we’re getting older now, all this travelling is starting to get to us”

  “And I want a career change. Playing the violin is great and all, but I like making wine. We did just finish saving up enough money to buy a decent sized building in Yor. So we thought now would be the best time to part with the band” Sean explained.

  Jemiah continued “when we’ve started the business, your appraisal would be highly appreciated”

  “Jemiah, now might not be the best time to talk business”

  Vax’dian smiled “I will gladly praise your wine. But of course, my praise does not come free”

  “Of course, of course”

  “now tell me, what do you know of the sisters?”

  “Anya and Lyra? What’s there to tell?”

  “How was their relationship with Mauve?”

  Sean sighed “it wasn’t that hard to see that Anya held a grudge against Mauve”

  Jemiah continued “from our understanding, Anya has quite the infatuation with Zayne. But when Mauve was brought in, it was clear to us that Zayne fancied Mauve quite a lot”

  Sean nodded “even before Mauve, Zayne never really reciprocated Anya’s feelings. It did hurt her”

  “Lyra has always been a quiet girl, but she was smart enough to know when her sister was hurting the most”

  “I see” Vax’dian paused for a moment “are they always together like this?”

  “from all our time spending time with them, we rarely see them apart”

  Vax’dian thought that Ali and Hyde might have trouble separating them. Just then appearing from a wooden door behind the reception desk was a young boy. He was carrying a tray of breakfast foods, and walked to their table. This was Denis. Denis was extremely quiet, as he placed plates of food and cups of tea in front of each of them. After this, Denis then returned back through the door he came from.

  Vax’dian looked at the pair in front of him “is Denis always so quiet?”

  Sean shook his head “no, he’s usually livelier than that”

  Vax’dian looked back at the door Denis walked through, he would have to talk to him.

  ***

  Ali and Hyde had sat back down at Anya and Lyra’s table. Ali had already started up a conversation with them, trying to get them to be a little more comfortable with them.

  “...so then, I had no other choice. This little chicken had won over my heart by that point...” Ali was doing what she did best, babbling was her greatest strength. Ali laughed, even Lyra let out a small laugh. It seemed she had become quite at ease with Ali through her story.

  Lyra smiled “Ali, I love your story”

  “why thank you Lyra, I do have more if you want to hear them”

  Lyra beamed, while Anya scowled.

  It seems Ali’s plan is working so far “Lyra, it seems that your sister isn’t too fond of my stories. Why don’t we take another table?”

  Lyra faltered “oh, that’s alright. I’ll stay here”

  Damn it, no luck yet.

  “did that actually happen?” Hyde asked.

  Ali looked at him “of course it did. What? Do you not trust me?”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it just that...it sounds quite unbelievable”

  Ali frowned “unbelievable? Then please enlighten us. I’m sure you also have an unbelievable story like mine”

  “I do not. My story is extremely believable”

  “prove it”

  “Alright”

  “See this girls, let’s have Hyde tell us a story...” Ali looked back at the now empty seats where the two sisters were sitting. Ali looked at a table across the room where the sisters were now sitting “Hyde, look what you did. You scared them off”

  “I scared them off?”

  “yes, yes you did”

  Hyde just glared.