Chapter IV: The Murder

"What?!" The four women blurted out in unison.

"L-lord Jeremy found dead at the bathroom." The maid uttered again, stuttering.

But before they react, Señorita Laura suddenly collapses on the floor.

"Señorita Laura!" Alice immediately catch the old woman and Anastasia help her to lay her down

.

"Señorita Laura wake up!" Alice tried to shake her but the old woman is showing no response.

Anastasia check her pulse and sigh in relief when it is still beating, but incredibly fast.

"Don't worry, Señorita just fainted because of too much emotion. Maybe her system doesnt take the information well. She will wake up later." Anastasia assured since after all, she's originally a nurse. Alice looks relieve.

"Detective Alice, I think they need you there. Let me take care of Señorita." Madame Leticia offered and Alice thanked her, knowing that they will really need her at the scene.

Alice was about to leave when Anastasia stop her.

"Wait. Let me come with you." Anastasia said and Alice give her a confuse look, ready to refuse her but Anastasia cut it.

"You know what? Whatever. We will both come." Before Alice can protest, Anastasia grab her arm and drag her.

Once they arrive, they saw Señior Victor, trying to calm Madame Irene, who is crying like there's no tomorrow. Señior Philip is standing beside them while the prince and his scholar is at the front of the bathroom.

"Detective Alice you're finally here." Señior Philip exclaimed and all of them are now looking at them.

Anastasia notice Lord Gilbert at the side and they exchange a look. Anastasia just shook her head at the old man.

No. Its certainly not her.

"Where's the body?" Alice ask and all of them give a way for her.

Alice open the bathroom's door and found Lord Jeremy's body lying on the cement, bathing in his own blood.

Thankfully, Alice have her gloves in her pouch since she always take it with her incase of emergency. But she cant believe she was going to use it now.

She check the pulse and shakes her head when there is no sign of beating. The man is really dead. And she cant help but to feel guilty because she let this thing happened, without even noticing it.

The detective checks the surroundings. There is no presence of any kind of weapon. But base on the blood from his chest, she conclude that the weapon is a knife.

After investigating, she get up and went outside the bathroom.

"Lord Jeremy is already dead and the cause of death is the stab from his chest. Im sorry." Alice announce and Madame Irene cried harder until she suddenly fainted, because of too much crying.

"Bring Madame Irene to her room please." Señior Victor instruct tiredly to the servants that immediately obliged.

"I suggest you to remove the body from the bathroom since it will started to rot later. Do you perhaps have any other vacant room where we can place the body?" Alice ask.

"Is the basement fine?"

"That's fine."

Señior Victor ordered their other servants to take care of Lord Jeremy's body. Meanwhile Alice tell the others to wait on the lounge since she will going to ask questions first to the servants.

While walking through the lounge, Anastasia and Lord Gilbert makes a distance from the others.

"Did you do it?" Lord Gilbert whispered at her.

Anastasia cant stop herself from glaring at the old man.

"Are you stupid? You give me a poison not a knife or any other kind of weapon!" Anastasia shout-whispered, making sure no one can hear them.

"You didn't do it? So who did?" But before Anastasia can comment, Lord Gilbert just chuckled.

"Whatever. Atleast our plan is successful without even doing anything. That bastard is finally dead." And Lord Gilbert give her a disgusting smirk and Anastasia wanted to puke.

When they are inside, all of them seated in silence. No one have a courage to speak.

But before anyone else, Anastasia is the one who feel more frustrated right now. She did everything to avoid the death of Lord Jeremy. But she guess no one can change the conflict of the book. And she's afraid it will turn out on something...worst.

After a while, Alice is back with her unreadable expression. She silently seat at the vacant chair and everyone waited for her to speak but the latter stayed silent.

"Can we discuss about what happened now?" Prince Alistair is the one who break the silence.

"We cant until everyone is here." The detective said.

As if on cue, Señior Victor who check on his wife earlier came back while supporting Señorita Laura. Madame Leticia is on their back while supporting Madame Irene who's eyes are so red. Miss Louise and Mister Charles are following them.

"They're here. So how about we start?" The prince stated and Anastasia immediately notice his impatientness but decided not to comment about it.

"I already called the police but it is impossible for them to arrive here, considering the weather right now." Alice started. Anastasia look outside the window and notice that it is indeed, raining heavily.

"Im also done questioning the servants and all of them have the same alibis since they are together on the same place. Which means..."

"That one of us is the murderer. Is that what you're trying to tell us detective?" Madame Leticia concluded.

"Im not saying yes but im not saying no too. That's why I want to hear the alibis of each one of you." Alice said.

"Based on the body's temperature, the crime just happened not a while ago. So I want to hear what are you doing exactly that time." The detective continued.

Madame Irene is the first one to speak.

"Just like what we said, we supposed to be resting at the guest room when my husband said that he's heading to the bathroom. I-i should have stopped him if I know this will happened to him." Madame Leticia tried to calm Lord Jeremy's wife when she's starting to cry again.

"So you are left at the guest room alone?" Alice ask.

"Y-yes."

"Can you prove that?"

"N-no–"

"Wait are you trying to suspect Madame Irene?" Madame Leticia argued but Alice just look at her blankly.

"Im not saying anything. But I wanted to be fair here and im not here as one of the guest but as a detective. So please let me properly do my job." Alice stated firmly.

When no one tried to speak, Alice ask Miss Louise and Mister Charles.

"We're at the guest room also. You can ask one of the maids since we ask for a tea earlier." Mister Charles said. Alice just nod and look at Señior Philip.

"Im at the lounge together with Señior Victor, the prince and Scholar Francis. We're also having a tea."

"And you're with us detective." Madame Leticia said.

Alice went silent again, thinking.

"Who discovered the body?"

"I did. I was supposed to use the bathroom." All of them look at the prince when he said that.

"You did? Are you alone?"

"I am-wait are you suspecting me?"

"Im not. But that makes you the prime suspect, for now." Alice said, not minding if the guy is a prince.

"Its not me. But I know who's the murderer." Prince Alistair stated with certainty and everybody immediately payed attention to him.

"Who?" Alice ask.

The prince look so much certain when he look at Anastasia who gasp in surprise, realizing what the prince is trying to say.

"Its you Lady Doreen. Admit your crime and surrender yourself." Prince Alistair command but Anastasia just left speechless.

'Did I heard it right? The prince just called me a murderer?' Anastasia thinks.

"Its impossible. Lady Doreen is with us the whole time. Detective you know that." Madame Leticia defend.

"I don't know how she did it but Im sure she's the murderer." Prince Alistair insist.

So Anastasia snaps.

"Are you nuts?!" Anastasia exclaimed without even thinking.

She only notice what she did when all of them give her a questioning look but she just cleared her throat.

"I mean, isn't it senseless of you 'your highness' to suddenly point of someone without even showing an evidence?" Anastasia said sarcastically. Well the real owner has an awful attitude. Might as well use it now.

"Then I will surely going to prove that you did it." The prince said, challenging her.

"Then do it. I will surely laugh at your stupid reason anyway. Or maybe you're just pointing on someone just to hide your crime?" She barks back.

"Lady Doreen!" Lord Gilbert tried to stop her but she just glared at him.

"What? He started it!"

The prince was about to say something but Alice stop them.

"That's enough. Im going to investigate without you pointing at each other." She said with finality.

The two just glared at each other. Anastasia rolled her eyes on him.

'Stupid prince.'

Anastasia stopped when Señior Victor cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Everyone, I would like to apologize because we let this things happened. Specially to Madame Irene, we're very sorry." Then the married couple bowed their head.

Alice just shook her head to the elders.

"No its not your fault. There is no ones fault other than the culprit. So please don't bow your head." Alice said and she knows the others has the same thoughts.

"Thank you. But please let us have you on this manor for the meantime. The storm is not stopping and we doubt all of you can return to your home yet. Our guests rooms are available." Señorita Laura said.

"If you don't mind Señorita then we'll gladly stay here." For the first time since they arrived here, Scholar Francis finally speak.

"Alright. I think everyone really need a rest. I'll continue the investigation tomorrow." Alice said, dismissing them.

Everybody decided to stay. Each of the guests have a room for them to stay and the married couple also lent them a comfortable clothes to use and a meal for dinner.

Anastasia sigh while staring at the ceiling blankly. This is her first day inside this book and so much things already happened.

Then she closes her eyes tiredly and wishes that maybe, all of this is just a dream and everything can still go back to normal once she wake up.

But its not.