[DINE] The Den of Deception

[kwando1313]

Mizuki was... A little surprised Rachel let out a reaction like that, when hearing where the explosion came from.

"What seems to be the matter? W-What's wrong with the explosion coming from there, Rachel?"

[Bad Player]

"Thank you very much," Nao says as she accepts the keys and places them in her dress pocket. "At the time of the explosion, I was doing the laundry."

-----

"That's where... T-That's where..." is all Rachel is able to make out.

[kwando1313]

Please don't tell me that... Well... That's what happened?

"Sorry if I'm opening wounds here, but... That... That wouldn't happen to be where his body was, r-right?"

[Bad Player]

Rachel lets out a small squeak and gives a small nod.

[DWaM]

"Right, then. Thank you for your help." I said to the maid. "Come on, Haru."

I went back to Mizuki, Rachel and Groud.

"Sorry about that." I said. "Had some key matters to attend to. Did you find anything else in the room where the bomb went off? Anything that might suggest how the bomb was triggered? Was it activated by a detonator of some kind or was it based on some sort of timer?

Just curiosity, above all."

[Reverie]

It hadn't been the conclusion she'd wanted, but the situation had basically resolved as she expected.

With all that said and done, Haru tails Edwam to talk with the policeman.

[Bad Player]

"Unfortunately, no," Groud says. "The bomb itself was completely destroyed by the explosion, so we can't tell exactly what type of explosive it was nor what type of detonator it used."

[kwando1313]

"I... See. Thanks for the information..."

"Would it be fine if we re-entered the house at this point?"

[DWaM]

"...What a same. But, oh well."

I said, sliding my hands into my pockets.

"In that case, I'm all out of questions. I'm pretty sure we all got a job to do from here on out. We won't interfere with your business. But we will keep you posted if we find anything. And if you find anything... that looks like it might be a hint to an extremely vague four-line riddle, please be so kind to let us know."

I looked over at Rachel.

"We will find the inheritance. It's not all over yet."

[Bad Player]

"Uh...huh," Groud says, giving Edwam a skeptical look. "Anyway, I think we've done all we can do here. We'll be sure to follow up on the investigation, and let you know if you find anything else. The house should be safe, but I'd avoid the room where the explosion happened."

The police and firemen pack up and leave, as the residents of the mansion trickle back in. Gabriel goes over and talks to the men with the van, and they leave too.

When you reenter the foyer, Nao is there, fiddling with the key drawer. There is also a box that you don't think was there before...

[DWaM]

"Althorp..."

"Oh, no, not again with this..." My head started to hurt. "Don't think about the nightmares you idiot... Come on... Come on... Come o--"

I'd suddenly found myself in a completely different place.

A badly-lit room. A distinct smell of thick smoke filling it. Must've been the guy sitting across me. I couldn't see his face. When I said 'badly-lit', I meant that the only source of light was a lamp on the table we were both sitting at. And it was pointed directly at me.

The man was shuffling through the papers before him. It was an interrogation of some sort.

"So, then. Mr... Edwam." The man spoke to me.

"It's Groud. Edwam Groud." I said. But I wasn't actually saying it at that moment. It was as if I was reliving a memory of some sort.

"Right. Mr. Groud. Let's take it from the top, okay?" The man, who I concluded was an investigator, continued. "You arrived at the Althorp mansion because you were summoned by a mysterious letter signed by the owner of the house, Mr... Isaac Althorp. Or at the very least, that's what you believed.

Along with you were four other detectives -- a Mr. Blake Roone, a Mr. Michael Black, a Mr. Nathaniel Thalpy, and a Mr. Charles McNeil."

"Pretty sexist, if you ask me. The lack of a female detective, I mean." I interjected in what I assumed had been attempt at a joke. The investigator was not amused.

"...The first three introduced themselves as private investigators, while Mr. McNeil claimed to be a police detective, correct?"

"Correct." I said. "When we entered, we were greeted by a maid. She led us to Isaac Althorp's study, confused, as she wasn't expecting us. When we got there though, the door was locked. So, we broke it down and found Mr. Althorp dead."

"And then-"

"The trick, you see," I began, "was that there was a secret passage through which the ki-"

"I don't care about the tricks, Mr. Groud. You were more than detailed when explaining those to the deputy. I just want a basic run-down of the events."

"...Right. Of course. The story's over and it's only a matter of time before he comes back and sends me away to somewhere else."

The investigator said nothing.

"...After figuring out the trick, we went to sleep, since it was the dead of night and we weren't able to contact the police. We were woken up to a nightmare -- Roone was dead. And incidentally, he'd been the one to figure out the trick to Isaac Althorp's murder. At that point, we not only knew the killer was not only still around but among us, since the trick to his murder req-

Right. Never mind.

The butler was next to go. Then the son, Sebastian Althorp.

We managed to set a trap for the killer, using Blair Althorp, the eldest daughter as bait. And, to our surprise, it'd actually worked. The killer had revealed himself.

...It was Charles McNeil. The police officer.

Only he wasn't a police officer. He was another child of Althorp's, but one seeking revenge for being disowned by his father. A shame all the trouble a one-night stand can give a guy, right?"

The investigator said nothing.

"So? Can I go? I mean, he'll come for me any second now. He hadn't expected me to remember. To realize."

"Realize what?" the investigator asked.

"That none of this is real. We're all his pawns. His little figurines he uses to play with in the pocket universes he builds. He keeps us all in a neat little drawer and shuffles us around as he likes. All for his amusement. We're in a doll house, detective. And the moment the story ends, he'll take us all out and toss us back into that drawer. And we'll forget, like we always do. Not that it will matter. Because in these stories, most of our memories - our childhoods, our relationships - they're all a lie. Just something to fill in the blanks. Something made up on the spot.

Except, you see, I do remember the time before it got to all of this now. I know. I know who I am. I know who I was. I remember my wife. I remember Me-Me. And I-"

...Black.

I opened my eyes.

"-n."

I was back in the Den.

What the hell was that? A memory?

Of... Althorp manor? The case that never happened?

...

I shook my head.

Something was very wrong. But I had to carry on.

I casually walked over to Nao, careful not to rudely drop shadow onto whatever she was doing, but still where I could see what she was doing.

"No worries. I don't intend to take the keys this time around. But, say, is there anything maybe... odd about the drawer? Compared to how you last left it, I mean.

Also, I don't recall that box being here..."

Somewhere in the distance, I could've sworn I heard a door creak open...

[Bad Player]

Nao has apparently placed the keys she received from Edwam on top of the drawer, and is in the process of reorganizing all the keys back into the drawer.

"The explosion caused all the keys to get mixed up," she says (without any sort of irritation or resentment in her voice, you think), "But there is nothing different about the drawer itself. As for the box, I believe the police left it here, although I am not sure if it was intentional or merely an oversight."

[DWaM]

"Hrm..."

I opened the box and took a look what was inside.

[Bad Player]

It's... a basic forensics kit!

...You're not quite sure how or even if it'll help in solving the riddle, but at least it's here.

[DWaM]

"I welcome our detective overlords and their gifts to my people."

I said, taking the forensics kit with me.

"...By the way. Mind if I ask about the portraits? What are they... supposed to represent? Who are they supposed to be of?" I asked Nao, still careful not to come across like too much of a bother.