Chills On Her Back

The day ended without Belle understanding what had happened. The authorities came to check on what happened. Her mother was crying, her brother tried to calm her who fainted while her father had sat on the family room, looking distressed. 

Everyone was shaken by the sudden murder.

But Belle ... Belle didn’t cry. She sat still near her father’s chair, on the cushioned chair. She saw men who was dressed in a uniform asking question to her mother as if he couldn’t see that she was shocked.

Belle couldn’t tell well what was happening. She understood that her sister had been gone but her mind and heart wasn’t ready to accept the news. Somewhere in her mind, she denied it was all true. Her wrist had turned red from all the pinching she did but nothing worked. This wasn’t a dream. Rachel, her dearest sister had died.

She felt as though she was drunk on liquor. She felt as if she was walking on a dream, living in a nightmare.

“We would need to ask questions to the servants.”

Belle ’s head then turned to look at one of the few authorities who had spoken. “Do you mean someone had killed my sister and they are one of the servants here?”

“I would say it is a suicide attempt.” The man ruled out coldly.

“Nonsense!” Damian cut through the Authorities’s words. “My sister was getting married in the next few hours. She wouldn’t kill herself. That dagger wasn’t hers. It was the killer’s!”

“Nothing can be ruled as if of now, sire,” answered the man while brushing his short mustache under his nose. “Can you explain to me how happy she is? From what I had heard there was a few arguments about her not wanting to get married but Madame Carperly insisted her on a one sided marriage.”

“That isn’t true,” said her mother who was still a sobbing mess. “Rachel had only came crying to me because she hated leaving the house like all other daughters who were going to become a bride would do. She has love Dante for years since her childhood it was her dream to get married and no one would kill themselves.”

“You are too you to understand other’s pain, Madame Carperly,” the Authorities said with an extreme coldness that only worsened her mother’s pain.

Belle cannot take it anymore, her heart was being ripped slowly and seeing her mother’s face of pain, only worsened her pain. She came forward, receiving the authorities who had been talking to her mother to look at her with a passive gaze.

“Allow me to speak,” Belle looked straight at the man’s eyes. “Whatever it is, indeed it is your job to found out about who had killed my dearest sister and what the reason is. You are a big man with your body but so petty to instead go and fulfill what the taxes had provided you to eat you have came to press my mother who is clearly not in the state to calmly sit head and listen to your accusation that my sister had killed herself!”

Belle spoke all her words in one breaths. “Leave her!”

The authorities were mostly men and they weren’t pleased the talking young lady but had to go unless they wanted to be subjected by more shame. 

Belle came toward her mother, she was about to reach her hand when she noticed how her hands were trembling. The authorities weren’t as kind as Belle had thought and for the entire night, they kept questioning the servants and her family who was not in the state to speak.

Belle held her hands across her chest when the authorities called her after her parents and brother. When she entered the room which was still in her house but now felt as though it had turned into the personal room for these strangers, she felt her heartbeat quicken as it was her first time to be interrogated.

“Miss Belle , is it?” Asked one of the four men in the room.

Belle apprehensively take a seat as she looked at the man standing on the left side of the man who had asked her, the same man who had pressured her mother.

With lips pursing, she nodded, “I am Belle . Have you find out who had killed my sister?”

“It will be difficult to say,” answered the man who seemed to not be much older than her. He appeared handsome compared to the rest and younger which was a surprise as he seemed to be leading the team. “My name is Arnold Lestrange. I received the information that you were the one who entered the room.”

Belle frowned because she knew the question was leading to something. “Yes I did.”

“Can you tell me what you see?” Arnold questioned carefully.

“Rachel’s body...” Belle pursed her lips tightly. “Today was her wedding, I thought she was getting ready but the door was locked and when we asked the maid, she claimed she didn’t see Rachel since the morning and the door had been locked. Waiting for the Lord takes time and my sister once had asthma. It got both me and Damian, my brother to be worried and we both entered the room.”

“I heard that other than Rachel herself, the butler hold the key. How did you enter?”

Belle wasn’t responsible to anything but hearing Arnold’s questioned, she felt as though someone had filled her with black paints, making her to be the killer.

“When I was young I took the skill to pick the lock,” said Belle and she could see the men frowned at her odd skill she took. “It was a very alarming moment. I don’t have time to wait for the butler as he was old. The only chance was for me to open the door. When I entered I saw Rachel on the bed with... with that dagger.”

“The body was found while the room was locked. The key was then later found only on the hand of the butler and the drawer in the room of the victim. I was confused how the culprit could do this but now I don’t. There is someone who can enter,” said the same man who had pressured her mother earlier. A smirk on his lips and Belle wondered why there was petty man in the world like him who felt it was his job to repay what others did to him.

The rest of the men then looked at Belle as if she had been found out as the killer.

Belle looked at the man who was still smirking. “I don’t think it is my job to help you Mr...”

“Acre,” named the man.

“Mr. Acre,” Belle repeated after him. “I think you should find a better job for yourself. Not only had you pressured the family of the victim in the name of your job which I am sure there must be a better way for you to do that. You are not as brilliant as I think the authorities would be.”

Mr. Acre frowned heavily on her words which not only surprised the rest of the men in the room.

“What do you mean, Lady Belle ?” Arnold asked.

“Our house had aged well and the doors had only been fixed three months ago, that includes the door knobs. You can check for all you can that when I had pick the lock in the room, I used my hairpin that would cause scratches on the keyhole but there won’t be scratches inside,” explained Belle , impressing Arnold while the rest of the men looked unhappy.

“Thank you for your knowledge, Lady Belle ,” Arnold broke the tension with his words and he offered her a kind smile, “Do you might know whether Lady Rachel had been threatened or if there is anyone who have a very bad relationship with her?”

Belle took her time to think before she shook her head, “My sister was a very kind person, sir. I am sure everyone will say the same as I do, I have never seen anyone hating her or if there was a fight but we can’t see a person’s true nature just by our eyes.”

“Of course. I think that is enough for today, Lady Belle, you can leave now.”

Belle stepped out of the room. With all the servants and her family on the other side of the room, the hallway was left dark without the help of any candles to light the place. 

Belle felt the thrill of coldness sending goosebumps all over her body. She rubbed her hand, her sadness growing in her heart, creating a large hole when she think of how Rachel had left the family. 

While walking across the dark room, she heard a faint rustle from behind her. Quickly turning her head, Belle saw that there was no one before hearing the same sound from her back again. 

Belle snapped her head to follow the sound as she noticed that instead of a rustling, when she recalled the voice again, it sounded like a small footsteps. 

When Belle found the single candle placed on the cupboard on the hallways, she quickly took one to help her chase for the sound and went to follow for the noise again. 

Walking straight, Belle brought the candle before her, letting the shadows to vanish when it was touch by the yellow kindle.

She heard again the sound of footstep but it grew louder and bolder than before. She had been too deep in the darkness that confused her from detecting whether the noise came from her back or her front.

She felt her throat went dry, the chill sent to her spine, uncomfortable spooky from the creaking floor.

Unable to endure the scare, Belle asked, “Is there anyone—” a soft could touch latched on her shoulders. Belle snapped her had behind, and the candle on her hand lost its flame.