The Murders Of The Opera

Chapter 11: The Phantom's beginning

Anna was following Erik down to the auditorium so they could talk. Said they wouldn't be coming in for thirty minutes to an hour, after they talked to the owner. "Has he owned this place long?" Anna asks Erik, knowing he should know, since how old it seemed he was. "Family has owned it since the place got shut down. His ancestor was originally the director" he tells her, before floating right through the door, making Anna run into it.

Anna rubbed her forehead as she groaned in pain. "I forgot about that!" she mutters to herself out loud. Then, pulls open the door and steps inside the empty auditorium.

When Anna walked onto the stage, and sits down on the floor, Erik was silent before asking "Do you still wish to help me?". His question made Anna look up at him confused, and with narrowed eyebrows. "Of course I do" she says. Anna was confused of why he would even ask her that.

"Then allow me to tell you of why I came to Paris in the first place" Erik says before he walks over to Anna, and touches her head like before, and then, they were on a boat, staring at Erik alive, talking to who Anna assumed was the captain of the ship.

"I was going to Paris under a free ticket from the owner of the opera at the time, a lord Benjamin Carmichaels." Erik explains to Anna, as they watch him and the captain speaking over by the edge of the boat, talking about how long it would take for them to arrive at the Paris docks.

"Why?" Anna asks him. "I was giving him money for his opera. At the time he was having trouble with money. I gave him a bit of a loan when I had heard from his younger brother, and he and I were friends. It was no problem to give him some money to keep his dream alive." Erik says and Anna looks up at him and smiles. " I guess, your apart of the rare percent of men who didn't care about their pride then" Anna says, and Erik smiled softly. "I suppose I was" he says quietly, looking down at the deck floor.

Next thing Anna knew was they we're back on the stage, staring down at the seats in front of them. "You met Alessandra because of going to see a performance at your friends opera house" Anna says and Erik smiled down at her. "I suppose it was. In a way" he says, and when he was about to continue his story, Anna heard something. The sound of a door opening.

Anna and the Erik looked at each other, before Anna dashed behind a giant prop of a painting to show a background of a field.

Anna peaks out on the side closest to the stage entrance and sees Louis Bernard walking fast away from madam Denise, who was speaking to him in a hush, but strict tone in french. "Tu te souviens de ce que j'ai sur toi!" madam Denise yells quietly at Louis. (you remember what I have over you!). Louis turned around to face madam Denise, "ma soeur ne devrait pas avoir à souffrir" (my sister should not have to suffer). Madam Denise scoffs, "j'aurais du y penser il y a des mois." she says arrogantly. (should have thought about that months ago). "D'après ce que j'entends, votre soeur devrait écouter ces letters qui lui ont été envoyées." Madam Denise says to Louis, before she turned, and walked out the door. Louis walking out the other stage door. (from what I hear, your sister should've listen to those letters sent to her).

When Anna walked out from behind the painting, and looks at Erik who stares down at the seats, wondering on what those two living people, conversation meant. "Are you as confused as I am?" Anna asks.

*~*~~*~*

Later that day, when the detective and prince Leopold enter the auditorium with the owner of the opera house, Anna was sitting on the edge of the stage, thinking about what the phantom and her had just witnessed.

'Something is definitely up with Nathalie brother..' she thinks, when she looked up for a second to see them walking towards her. "I don't understand why your asking about those other woman. Do you really believe that there murders are linked?" The owner, George Newton asks the detective.

Anna jumped off the edge of the stage. "Yes. And we do have proof." Anna tells him, as she meets them by the stage. "And who is this, young lady?" George Newton asks the detective jokingly. "This is Anastasia Spencer. The girl who saved your leading lady, discovered the latest body, and also..tied together the murders" the detective says, making Anna smile up at the owner.

"May I ask questions of my own, detective? If Monsieur Newton does not mind." Anna says, looking at Newton. The owner smiled at Anna, finding the girl quite amusing. "Go on ahead" he says, his two lawyers and his assistant behind him. "Your ancestor, Adam Newton, he inherited the opera because of the death of its original owner, who also happened tk be a rich lord, and had no children. Am I correct?" Anna says to the owner, and he smiled.

The girl had learned her history of his theatre. That's a lot more initiative than the detective and police department were doing.

"Who used to own the opera house?" George Newton asks Anna and she smiles, "Benjamin Carmichaels." Anna replies. "I like you" George comments as he points at Anna. "Not many people do, actually monsieur. I usually annoy them" Anna says and Leopold shook his head. "That's usually people our age." Leopold tells her, and the people around them, stared at the two teens confused.

Prince Leopold, who many people knew wasn't the nicest, was being nice and supportive to a commoner girl.

"Did you know the deceased?" Anna asks Monsieur Newton. His lawyers walk over, "I don think you should answer" they advise him, he shakes his head. "If this is being tied to my opera house, I want it solved as soon as possible. Especially since I could lose even more money" George tells his lawyers, before turning back to Anna. "I knew all the deceased. The three originals brought good profits. And I am happy that my opera house has given a home to many famous singers and dancers, along with actresses, in our lovely city. Adelene..." George seemed to not be able to continue.

That's when Anna saw Erik at the back, and wrote with smoke, she was his niece. Anna looks back at the monsieur. "She was your niece.." Anna says and the man looks at her, as the detective stared wide eyed. "How did.." he whispers and Anna touches his shoulder comfortingly, "I've heard many things around this auditorium" Anna says, smiling softly at him.

Anna brought George over to the front row and sat him down, seeing that he would maybe collapse. "Can you tell me about Adelene?" Anna asks him softly. "She's an only child. It's just her and my sister, her mother. I have been bringing her to the opera since she was a child." George explains to Anna, while the detective took notes. "She didn't really want to be a performer, but understudy gave her some credit for her dress designs" George says. Anna looks at him confused. "She was apart of the dress apartment as well?" Anna asks. George nodded. "Did she have any enemies?" Anna asks. George shook his head. "Everyone loved Adelene. Her designs we're always beautiful, and accurate to the era the dress were from." George explains.

Anna decided to tell George what she had been thinking ever since it happened, "I believe George that Adelene isn't the main target, but Nathalie is. Adelene it seems was..just a warning" Anna tells him, and it made him start to sob. "I think that is enough" his assistant says as she goes over to george, trying to get him to calm down.

When Anna went to walk away he reached out and grabbed Anna wrist, "Adelene told me that morning, that Nathalie had been getting threatening notes about not performing at saturday's show. A talent scout was going to be coming from new york. Nathalie wanted to be on broadway." George tells Anna. Something clicked in Anna's mind. "Thank you Monsieur Newton. I am very sorry for your loss" she says, and he released her wrist, and the prince, detective, and herself, walk up the ramp, leaving the owner with his assistant, and lawyers.

When they were out of the auditorium Anna turned quickly to face the two behind her, "Detective, that day we kinda first met, you went to interview Louis Bernard. What did he tell you exactly?" Anna asks him. Detective Archibald looks through his notes. "He told us he was off duty, and went to go grab his sister her honey. She had been having a sore throat" detective Archibald reads, and Anna whispers, "I need to go speak with Monsieur Bernard. After what I saw just minutes before you came in, I think he's hiding something that could lead us to whoever did this." Anna says seriously.