The Murders Of The Opera

Chapter 9: Assisting

Leopold had stayed by Anna the entire night, sitting in the chair until he had fell asleep at one in the morning.

The next morning when Anna opened her eyes it was twelve in the afternoon, and Leopold still sat in the chair, only he was on his phone, playing what Anna assumed was a game. "Leopold?" She whispers and his head snapped up as he stared at her, before turning off his phone and standing up, throwing the phone on the chair as if it was nothing.

He came to sit on the edge of her bed and stared at her, his expression showing how worried he was. "Are you Alright?" He asks. Anna slowly sat up, her elbows on the bed. "I think so.." she whispers quietly, "I just can't get.." she couldn't continue.

Anna sat up all the way, and Leopold moves to sit beside her on the bed. "Let's not talk about last night..how about..tell me about your life?" Leopold says the first thing that popped into his head.

He wanted to distract Anna if what happened last night. Especially since she would be questioned soon by the detective, and being back what she had seen. He wanted her to relax a bit before that got brought back into her mind.

"What do you want to know exactly?" Anna asks. "Let's play twenty-one questions. We ask each other something about the other and take turns." Leopold explains the rules and Anna nods. "I'll go first. Something simple. What's your favourite colour" Leopold asks her. Anna smiles, "it's teal." She says and he smiles back at her.

Leopold nods at her, "now it's your turn. Ask me a question." He says and Anna began to think. "Favourite food?" She asks. Leopold thought for a second. "I say it would be the Italian lasagna I had when visiting last summer. I was so happy when my parents hired him to be our chef" Leopold says. Anna laughed.

Leopold looked at Anna with a bit of a offended look. "His lasagna is amazing. I should have him come to England. Make you his lasagna. Then you'll understand" Leopold tells her, before asking her another question.

"Parents names?" He asks and Anna stopped laughing. Leopold knew he had hit a soft spot. "Anna..I'm sorry if I-" he says but she stops him, as she smiled up at him sadly. "It's okay. My adopted mother's name is Diane. Diane Spencer" Anna tells him, her voice giving off happiness. Even though she looked a little depressed.

Anna spoke up, "how many siblings do you have, exactly?" Anna asks curious. Anna's question worked on lightning up the mood. "I have four siblings. There's five of us. Three brothers and one sister." Leopold says. "What about your favourite food?" Leopold asks.

Anna was smiling after that question. "That would shrimp cocktail. Or well..anything having to do with seafood. Only type of meat I really eat. I couldn't really go full vegetarian" Anna says and Leopold laughs.

This girl had quite a sense of humour. Not like everyone else he knew. Unless they were all alone, and not in public.

"My turn. Um.." Anna couldn't think of anything. The only question she really had left for Leopold was why he was transferring to the academy. "What?" Leopold asks, already knowing Anna well enough to know her questionable look. "Is it okay if I ask why you were transferring schools?" Anna asks him hesitantly.

Leopold smiles guiltily. "I wasn't always the boy you see now Anna. Infact, I actually am still that guy, but a little better now." Leopold says as he thinks about it. "My father transferred me to England thinking it would be good for me. The academy has a good reputation. Thinks it will teach me a bit more on what I need to be king someday." Leopold says.

Anna understood. "Your the eldest child" she states and he nodded. "My father had already told me that when I turn twenty-one, he is stepping down. I don't have many years left until that day comes" Leopold says.

Anna dropped her head as she stared at the mattress. "But.." Leopold says as his fingers gripped her chin softly and made her look up at him. "When I am with you Anna, I feel that pressure removed from my shoulders." He tells her, and smiles charmingly at her. Anna blushed. Leopold felt his heart pump. 'She's so cute' he thought to himself.

Then he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Is it okay if I ask you a personal question?" He asks her. Anna hesitantly nodded, as she looks up at him. "Did you ever know your biological parents?" He asks. Anna shook her head as her gaze moved to his biceps.

She could tell that he was going to be a big man when they got older. While she remained a small, skinny girl.

"I didn't. I was at the orphanage for a long time. I got placed with a couple families..none really ever sticked for more than three months. Not until Diane" Anna says and smiles when she mentioned Diane.

Leopold looks at her and smiles, as he moved her head back to look up at him. "I guess that Diane really changed your world around, then huh?" He asks and Anna nods smiling. 'Her smile is so cute' he thought. "She really did." She says remembering the day she met Diane, just four months before.

After Leopold and her asked each other a couple other questions, there was a knock on the door. Then, Jacques poked his head inside, "detective Archibald is here" he says before opening the door widely, and the detective walks slowly inside the hotel room.

"How do you feel today Anna?" He asks the young girl, his voice remaining soft, and quiet. He was trying to keep her at ease. "I'm okay. Leopold has been distracting me." Anna says as she smiles at the prince before looking back at the detective.

Who, was eyeing the princes arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Good. As long as it helps you remain..relaxed" he says as he looks at the prince then his arm, and slowly Leopold removes it.

"Now, would it be alright if I ask you a couple questions?" He asks Anna, taking out his recorder. Anna gulps loudly, her nerves returning, but nods anyway. She wanted to help the police catch this guy.

Even though she was worried to tell them about her suspicions, because then it would just bring up Erik.

"May I ask, why were you going to backstage?" He asks her. "I had been having. A bad feeling when we reached the opera house. Felt as if something was about to happen" Anna explains, "when the lights began to shatter I thought that maybe the same thing as before was happening..only..this time I had been to late" Anna whispers.

The detective looked at Anna sympathetically. A girl that young should not have to see something like that. "I see." The detective says not really have anymore questions to ask Anna.

While he was thinking of something else to ask Anna, she was thinking if she should tell him about what she had found and her suspicions of this being a quadruple homicide now.

When the detective ended the recording and went to stand up, Leopold stood after him. "Detective Archibald, I think you should do some research on that past murder. Maybe it can give you a clue" Leopold suggests.

Detective Archibald looks at him curiously, before he saw Anna looking at him with wide eyes. These two definitely knew something, and he wanted to know what it was.

"What is it, exactly, that you two children know about my case, hm?" He asks as he stood in front of them both, and Anna looks at Leopold angrily. "You should have just let him leave" she mutters as she crossed her arms over her chest.