The Mysterious Benedict Society - After the Story

Chapter 3 - Discussions, Accomplices and Nightmares

A.N. I will admit that this chapter is quite a cliche one, but it also brings in an important part of the subsequent chapters. Despite the cliche, I hope you will enjoy it. 

Milligan's agency was located in the Monk Building and consisted of some of the best agents in the world. Reynie was enjoying the job because firstly, it was close to home. Secondly, he could use his strength in puzzle-solving and analytical thinking for the greater good. He was proving to be a "hard-working" and "treasured" worker, according to Milligan.

It was a late night. Reynie and Kate had finished dinner and went to Kate's room to discuss a new case. There was recently a new case of serial killings which were believed to have been executed by an escaped prisoner — Marco Alfonzo. All of the victims were government officials who had ties with the K.E.E.P. so the case was given to the agency for its high profile of the case.

The two were sitting on the floor (as was their custom) with all the materials they had gathered on the table.

"Do you believe he has an accomplice?" Reynie suggested, "You understand why I have this suspicion right?"

Kate looked at the floor laden with information. "I think it has got something to do with where the body was found in the latest murder, but I can't seem to put my finger on it."

Reynie explained that the body was found in the boot of the victim's car, but the crime was committed in the garage. The victim was a much larger size than Alfonzo, so Alfonzo would have required help to lift the body into the car.

Kate nodded along as he spoke and pointed to the information of the first killing. "It would also explain why there is an unexplained shoe print at the scene of the first crime." When she finished speaking, she suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Reynie, much concerned, asked if she would like him to get some water. She told him to stay put as she left for the kitchen. "You continue working your magic champ."

But when Kate returned, she was met with the sight of Reynie fast asleep, his body slumped against the nearby chair and his chest rising and falling as he breathed. Kate took a glance at her watch. Why, it's almost midnight! No wonder Reynie's fallen asleep. Not wanting to rouse Reynie, Kate moved the furniture around, placed a pillow under Reynie's head and allowed him to sleep on the floor.

At this time, she let out a yawn and she was suddenly very aware of how tired she was. She quickly got into bed, switched off the lights and promptly fell into a deep slumber.

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Reynie was in a room. The walls were starkly white. He heard a hissing sound. He looked down. Oh no! It was this dream, or rather, nightmare! On the floor, dozens of snakes were writhing about, flickering their long tongues as they hissed menacingly. But there was something different about this nightmare, Reynie was seated in a chair.

Suddenly, two snakes slithered up the legs of the chair and coiled around the armrest and arms of Reynie. Then, something hard lowered onto Reynie's head. "What is your name?" a familiar voice asked.

Reynie's heart was pumping erratically, he knew that he had to fight. "No!" he shouted.

"Hello, Reynard Muldoon-Perumal."

There was a pause. A snake began to coil up Reynie's feet, up his chest and around his neck.

"What is your greatest fear?" the voice asked.

"No!" Reynie shouted, "No! No!" The snake around his neck began to slowly tighten its grip. Oh, how he wanted to wake up from this terrible nightmare.

"Reynie! Reynie! Wake up!" a distant voice called. "Wake up!" The voice was not of the Whisperer, but Reynie, in his panicked and frightened state, could only think to shout, "No!" The snake around his neck began to squeeze tighter. Reynie could feel his breath lightening.

Then he felt his body being moved up and down, someone was shaking him. With a start, he opened his eyes and saw Kate looking worriedly down at him.

Still shaken from the terrible dream, Reynie sat up, his eyes wide as saucers. He looked around him. He realised that this was not in his room. He naturally had a few questions, so he looked to Kate for answers.

"You fell asleep here last night while we were discussing the Alfonzo case. I didn't want to disturb you, so I let you stay," Kate explained, "Then you started shouting "no" really loudly, and it woke me up and I woke you up." Reynie nodded slowly, his heart was slowing to its normal rhythm and the events of the previous night were coming back to him.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, still quite worried. "You were shouting and twisting violently. You must have been having quite a bad dream."

"It was a nightmare," Reynie said, a drop of cold sweat running down his neck. He proceeded to tell Kate what had happened in the nightmare and that he had been previously afflicted with similar night terrors.

Kate hugged Reynie. It was not her usual "knock the breath out of you hug", but a warm, gentle hug. "I am sorry you had to go through that. The Whisperer is destroyed, Mr Curtain is in jail and so are the Ten Men. Don't worry about it, okay?" She pulled back from her hug and kissed Reynie on the cheek.

Reynie remembered that he was not in his room, he stood up and made as if to go, but Kate stopped him. "It's late, you need to get your sleep. I am fine with you being here." she started to smile, "and, since you are without my level of gracefulness, you will most likely wake the entire house."

"Kate," Reynie joked, the corner of his lip twitched with amusement, "Ever humble."

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Reynie was awoken by a sharp knocking on the bedroom door. "Katie-Cat, are you up?" It was Milligan.

"No, I am still sleeping!" came a voice from the adjoining bathroom.

Reynie could hear Milligan chuckle. "I'll be in your room, I've got to discuss something with you." The door opened. Milligan's eyes fell on Reynie who was now sitting up straight on the floor.

"Okay, give me a minute," Kate called from the bathroom.

"Reynie! What are you doing here?" Milligan saw the blanket and pillow on the floor by Reynie. His eyes widened and then they narrowed. "Did you spend the night here, my boy?"

Reynie told Milligan about the previous night's events. Just as he was about to tell Milligan about the nightmare, Kate burst out from the bathroom in her usual uniform, holding her canvas jacket and securing her utility belt around her waist. She looked at Reynie, "You're awake. Did you sleep well?"

Reynie nodded in response.

Kate turned to Milligan. "You want to discuss something?"

"I was going to discuss the materials from the case with you but since both of you have already done so," Milligan gave the two a significant look. "And Reynie has shared with me his view that there is an accomplice, I would like to discuss our next step."

"I would personally like to chase this lead on the accomplice," Kate volunteered.

"I'll draw up a list of suspects when we get to the office," Reynie added. He turned to Milligan "I will get the list to you by lunch."

Mulligan nodded, he placed a hand on each of the youths and said, "I know you two are excited, but first, breakfast."