Je te Plumerai

Anabasis

"Now that it has been established that we will not be solving the murder, can we return home tomorrow?"

"Whoever said we would not be solving the murder?" Cadence asked indignantly.

"You heard the police chief. Neither of us are welcome in the station. Not that I would want to be there anyway. That man is thinks he's such a nabob."

"Which is why we are going to show him up at his own game! We will solve this mystery and show him just how wrong he was! No one slights Cadence Caverly and gets away with it!"

"Cadence," Arthur groaned. "How do you plan on solving the murder without talking to the police?"

"There are plenty of other people to talk to that will be far more useful than some stupid police officer."

"I highly doubt you will be able to solve these murders before the police. You do realize that they have much more experience than you? The only murder you've ever solved was in a book."

"Yeah, but I have something that stupid police chief lacks."

"And just what might that be? The idea that you're an amazing detective even though you've never even seen a crime scene?"

"No, this is something else. Something that every murderer with even a chance at success must have, and something that I happen to have in abundance. Imagination."

"And where exactly is your whimsical mind supposed to come in handy?"

"You need to have an imagination so that you can get inside of the murderer's mind. How else are you supposed to find out who he is?"

"I don't know, maybe by looking at the facts? And evidence? Something that you do not have access to as the police do? Besides, what makes you so sure that the murderer is a man?"

"Don't be silly, Arthur. Women don't go into mass murder."

"Don't be so sure of that. Although I would also say that when one hears homicidal maniac, one thinks of a man, but to pull off something on large scale, as you just said, one requires imagination. Something many men are lacking."

"Yourself included."

"Whatever. But you honestly mean to tell me that you plan on solving these two murders without help from anyone?"

"Not without help. I'll have the public on my side. I already have plenty of friends here, and we're not the only ones that dislike the police chief. And not just two murders. There will be more. Of that I am sure. And now, we return to where we just were. The home of André Roux."

"The little boy?" asked Arthur incredulously. "How useful will he be?"

"Very. He may not seem it, but little André is one of the most observant people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Quite the little gentleman, that one."

"So we're going to talk to a six year old to find out who some madman is?"

"He's eight, not six! And, yes, yes we are. If there was anything off about Aceline's death, her brother will know about it. And not only that, but he won't tell the police. He told me that he thinks the police are all idiots. Can't blame him, with some of the blunders you hear about in the news. Arresting the wrong person and leaving the murderer on the loose to do as he likes, sending people to insane asylums and letting them out months later only to have them commit another murder. It's quite ridiculous."

"You know what, do whatever you want, but I'm going back to the hotel. And if you plan on staying here any longer, it's up to you to cancel our train back and make new arrangements."