When the Wolfbane Blooms

Chapter 9 - A Newcomer To The Village

Adam barked out a laugh and stood from the table to properly speak to his friend. "I think transforming into a wild animal has made me lose a certain... care... for being as well mannered as I was brought up to be. Maybe it was the near death experience. I don't mean to be."

Lumiere gave him a smile. "Worry not, mon ami, I take no offence." He cleared his throat. "Anyway - the reason I came in here: Monsieur l'inspecteur is here to see you."

Adam swallowed. "Oh. Why?"

Lumiere gave him a lost look. "He would not say. He said he only wishes to speak to the master of the house."

"If this is about the wolf attacks, what should I say?" It was the most logical conclusion. Multiple men had died, it only made sense that the authorities would finally take interest in their little town.

"I would suggest not telling him about the werewolves," Lumiere said lightly. "Can you lie?"

"I have never really had the occasion to lie before. Not like this, not about anything this large."

"I hope for all of our sakes that you can."

The two men nervously walked down to the entryway of the manor, where Inspecteur Forte stood. The man gave them a wide catlike smile as they approached.

"Monsieur l'inspecteur," Adam greeted, reaching out to shake the man's hand. "I am Adam Villeneuve, the keeper of this house. How can I help you today?"

Forte gave a curious glance over Adam's shoulder to look at Lumiere. Lumiere cleared his throat and gave Adam a nod before departing. Adam wished he could have stayed, he didn't like the thought of being alone with the policeman.

"Do you have a tea room or a drawing room where we could speak privately?" Forte asked.

Adam led him to the drawing room after stopping by the kitchen to ask Madame Potts for tea. He couldn't let his nerves stop him from playing the part of a good host, it might have made Forte suspicious if Adam seemed too eager to be rid of him.

They sat across from each other in the drawing room and Forte stared at Adam for a few moments before speaking. Adam hoped he wasn't sweating visibly.

"Good afternoon, Monsieur Villeneuve, I hope you don't mind my intrusion. As I assume you already know, I am Inspecteur Forte. I work with the police in Strasbourg. As your village has no police of their own, I have been sent here to investigate the string of murders that have happened here as of late."

"Murders?" Adam blurted out, cursing himself internally for not being able to contain himself.

Forte gave him a confused look. "Yes, the murders." He pulled a notepad out of his breast pocket and flipped it open. "In August, a man called Monsieur Stanley was found dead outside of his home. In September, three men were killed in the woods. One of them managed to find his way to your yard before perishing, as I'm sure you will recall. In the past seven years, fourteen people have been killed in this village with no suspects."

Adam stared at Forte in confusion. "They were wolf attacks," he stated. It wasn't technically a lie, and up until he himself had been attacked and transformed that is what he had believed they were. It made no sense for Forte to assume they were murders.

Forte hummed. "Well, Monsieur, I do not believe them to be. Wolves were hunted out of this region of the country many years ago. There have not been any other wolf attacks in the north in the past thirty years besides your town."

Adam felt his hands shake and tried to suppress it. He had heard, of course, that the wolf population was dwindling in France. They were hated and feared, especially by farmers and those who lived in small villages such as his own. It was estimated that they would be completely gone from the country within mere decades. But their village was different. He knew there were wolves - ordinary wolves - stalking the woods surrounding them. He heard them at night. He thought that perhaps the presence of a werewolf attracted them despite their fear of the superior wolves.