The Lethal Heptagon

CHAPTER VIII

[Dante]

     The oppressive grayness of room felt like a hungry monster ready to swallow me whole. The stress of my investigation weighed heavily on my shoulders, leaving me pacing back and forth, cracking my knuckles in frustration. I was running out of ideas. I plopped myself down on my office chair, gazing at the notice board I had before me. I intended to fill that brown board as in those detective films, but that was far from being real. Still empty, it just contained four adhesive notes adorned with my name and that of my brothers and father.

     My head ached as I tried to figure out a way to add more information on the board, those four lonely pieces of papers which could have been there for nearly a decade—I'm lying—already cried for companions, they needed colleagues.

     As I struggled to conjure up more leads, the thunderous music from Lander's party downstairs reverberated through the walls, assaulting my ears with its relentless beat. It felt as though the speakers were positioned right in front of me, each note pounding against my skull. I am sure even with AirPods and background noise cancellation it could still be heard.

     Just as I was grappling with the overwhelming noise, the creak of my door interrupted my thoughts. Lander and Boris barged in. I turned my office seat.

     "We need you, brother," said Lander.
      I groaned, "I've told you I can't participate in the party, enjoy bro." I turned back my seat.
     "Why are you so boring, come up, let's go have some drinks. You are tired, you need to disconnect for a while." Lander's grip raised me from my seat.
     "Lander."
     "You don't need to worry, I've given the workers money to shut up. Let's go enjoy." He chuckled, his voice perched with immense persuasion. "By the way, we need your help in serving."
     "Okay, but—"
     "That's all we wanted to hear." Boris—his friend—said. "Surely, it would have been a different case if we were to persuade that your other brother, Lucas," he muttered, looking at Lander.

     Minutes after serving, I found myself awkwardly swaying amidst the crowd, I saw how the multitude danced around me as if they were seasoned profesional dancers while I terribly moved my arms and legs. It was not a usual thing at home, if dad had the opportunity to see me, he had surely killed me. He saw dancing, singing and many other as unnecessary shameful stuff that losers do.

     By then, the music's volume which I found high initially was unnoticeable. Lander was right since the party made me disconnected from the case of our mother which already caused me headaches.

     The living room had been transformed into a bustling dance floor, the furniture pushed aside to make room for the festivities. The large twelve-chaired dinning table alongside the mármol kitchen island served as stay for the buffet. The wine bar that was adjacent to the kitchen served as the drinks center. The truth is that I didn't know why we had it if dad hated alcohol, but well, there it was. Lander was tasting the wine that was there with his colleagues—father's expensive wine for sure.

     After giving me a little squeak, I decided to go talk to him, I went through the dining room which was on an open plan between the kitchen and the living room, I dodged the people who were smoking indian hemp and cocaine? And I finally reached Lander at the bar.

     "B-brother, what liquor do you want?" Lander inquired, his eyes turning as if he were dizzy.
     "You know that alcohol and I aren't friends," I said, sitting on a high bench, "and it seems that I'm not the only one." I stared at him. He was definitely in another world.
     "I'm fine, brother, ready to fuck those bitches," Lander said. "W-where is that you brother? He also needs to help us with the party."

     "True, Lucas." I thought.
   
     "I don't know, he hasn't come yet, I guess."
     "Well, he ain't gonna do anything either," he said. "Fuck your a-ass D-dante, if you don't wanna enjoy with me, it's your prob..." Lander slipped through the ground and I immediately went and grabbed him up, with the aid of a comrade.