January 1st, 2013
Sunday
12:40 a.m.
Dear Janet,
I attended Ethan's New Year's Eve Party. The party itself was filled with entitled assholes I could give no less fucks about. I stole Archie's camera he lent Ethan on Halloween and transferred the photos of you and them to my phone. It was hard evidence and I am going to take them out if it's the last thing I ever do.
I then hid the camera somewhere where they wouldn't find it. Later I caught Ethan frantically looking for something. It was the perfect opportunity.
I asked him what he was looking for. He said he was looking for the camera Archie gave him as a gift. He might've misplaced it.
I offered to help and very casually, found it tucked away in one of his cupboards. No sooner had he spotted the camera in my hands than he snatched it away from me. Little did he know that it was all part of my sweet plan. He thanked me and promised to treat me to a free dinner someday. Fucking idiot.
Everything was fine until I ran into Paul as the party drew to a close... He'd seen me going through the camera in Ethan's room.
I won't lie about the fact that my blood went cold when he said that, yet, I knew he had more skeletons in his closet than I did in mine. I remember the exact words I hit him with.
"Paul, with all due respect, do you even want to be on Ethan's side now that Janet's dead?"
The question hit his weakest spot. He thinks I'll go easy on him just because he used to be your friend. However, he lost that trump card ages ago. Nothing's gonna stop me from getting what I want.
He scratched the back of his neck, ran a hand through his hair, then walked away in silence. He's been looking like a dead man ever since you left. His behavior is hollow and so are his words. I don't know if he will share what he had seen with Ethan. If he still has the tiniest bit of humanity left in him, the tiniest corner of his heart weeping for a lost friend, he won't.
But I won't count on a monster. Monsters can't be trusted. I just have to wait on Amara's parents to respond to the evidence I collected.
As for my New Year's Resolution, it's to make sure the four of them go down and so does their reign of terror.
Happy New Year. I love you.
Your brother,
Jeremy
***
It's the night of the Covingtons' celebratory party. My head hurts whenever I think of that chance encounter with Victor and Father Eddard the previous day. I'm still doubting whether or not I'm reading too much into the situation or if there's truly something big going on behind our backs.
I rented a silk mermaid gown with spaghetti straps from a local dress shop. It's a dark red-maroon color. You could say crimson. Ever since I've been assigned this case, I've grown to hate the color. I asked for a similar dress in purple but they didn't have options. Fortunately, it's just for one night and I can bear wearing it if it means I don't stick out like a sore thumb. Besides, it was also one of the cheaper gowns in that store.
Aiden picked me up in a limousine that he rented. He is dressed in a very fancy tuxedo that I assume he also rented, but can't be sure. Either way, it's the first time I've seen him dressed up for an event.
He cleans up well, I told him as a compliment to break him out of his daze when he first saw me. He had his jaw on the floor when he saw me in this dress, unable to conjure up a sentence for a whole minute. I guess I clean up well too.
The limo ride was silent for the most part. While putting on our masks, Aiden suggests I stick to his side if I feel overwhelmed. Though it's our day off, I decide to follow his suggestion.
We are greeted at the door by Patricia and Victor, each holding a glass of champagne in their hands.
"Oh, detectives!" Victor says, bearing all his teeth in a wide grin. "I didn't expect you to show up, given how busy your jobs are."
"Please, just call us by our names for the night," Aiden says, passing the couple a smile.
"Well, I hope you enjoy the evening," Patricia says and we nod. The two then walk off, leaving Aiden and me to ourselves.
"I hate pretentious assholes," Aiden murmurs to me and I scoff.
"Seconded," I reply.
He holds out his arm for me to loop through. "Let's just get this over with?"
Sighing, I loop my arm through his. "Gladly," I say and a hint of a smile appears on his face as we walk past the entrance.
As we walk into the masquerade party filled to the brim with entitled rich people, my heart starts racing and my palms grow sweaty. The grand ballroom is filled with opulence and extravagance. I feel overwhelmed by the sea of elegant masks and shimmering gowns. The chandeliers sparkle above, casting a warm glow on the marble floors. My anxiety makes everything seem larger than life, and I couldn't help but feel out of place amidst the glamor. I take a deep breath and remind myself to embrace the experience, one step at a time.
The rich people exude an air of sophistication and elegance. They are adorned in exquisite outfits, with flowing gowns and tailored tuxedos. Their masks add an element of mystery to their appearance. They carry themselves with grace and confidence, mingling effortlessly with one another. Their conversations are filled with laughter and animated gestures, showcasing their social prowess. It is clear that they were accustomed to the finer things in life and know how to enjoy themselves in this lavish setting.
I, on the other hand, have no idea how to act. I didn't grow up super-rich. I wasn't invited to parties like this from before I could read. The worst part? Rich people food tastes like trash. The drinks are all I can ingest.
So, naturally, I'm downing glass after glass of champagne at the bar.
Aiden can tell I am nervous. His eyes have concern in them. He places his hand around my waist, pulling me away from the bar. As much as I wanted him to leave me be, I think his actions are far more rational than mine.
Still, I push his hand away. I'm not that hammered to let him invade my personal space.
"You nervous?" he asks me over the loud music.
"I needed some liquid courage. That's all," I say, taking in a deep breath as we come to a stop in the middle of the dance floor. "Wait, what are you—"
He bows in front of me, reaching out his hand like some duke in a period drama. "Do you want to dance?" He asks and I smile at how cocky he sounds. I don't know if it's the alcohol or the lighting or whatever, but he looks like a dream with that smile he puts on.
"Sure we can dance," I say with a smile, taking his hand, "but just so you know this is purely for professional purposes."
He chuckles. "Okay rookie, whatever you say," he says, then pulls me closer to him by my waist. I placed my left hand on his shoulder and our eyes meet. He has the same cocky smile on his face.
Dammit.
We sway around the room when I initiate some small talk to break the awkwardness.
"How are you so...calm?" I ask him.
"I'm used to attending parties as this," he says.
"Don't tell me you're one of the pretentious rich assholes you seem to hate," I say, raising an eyebrow.
He laughs. "Definitely not."
I squint, trying to catch him in a lie. "Still an asshole, though," I comment with a shrug.
He laughs and shakes his head as he twirls me around.
My ears perk through nonsensical chatter that fills the room. The song playing is Lover by Taylor Swift. I wish Sadie was here. She would be the life of the party if she were here and I would secretly pray that she doesn't start twerking on the dance floor.
"Apart from the music, this party's so dead," I say to Aiden.
"Mhmm," Aiden hums in agreement. "I'm just amused to see the masks the guests are wearing," he says, followed by a chuckle as he points at someone behind me.
I turn around and spot a tuxedo guy a few feet away from where I'm standing. He seems to be wearing one of those long-nose masks that make you look like a bird-human hybrid. Worse even when it's a bright orange mask.
"I won't be surprised if he's cosplaying a toucan," Aiden says into my ear and I snort.
"I won't be surprised either," I say just when he dips me in classic waltz fashion. The step makes us lock eyes for a second, or maybe longer.
It's weird and sudden, something I should deem awful when it's with him, but I don't say a word. I don't ease out of his hold on me and I swear his face moves closer to mine, almost hypnotically, but just then, pulls away and helps me back up, finishing the waltz.
He scratches the back of his neck, his cheeks lighting up with a slight pinkish undertone. "I'm uh...gonna get us some drinks," He says, then disappears in the other direction.
My cheeks are heated from what happened just a few moments ago. I am no more nervous about the rich people I'm surrounded with. The nervousness is replaced with confusion and a strange butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling. I can tell no one here cares about anyone but themselves. It's okay if I give no fucks about them either.
With Aiden gone, I walk away from the dance floor. It's not been long since I take one of the seats in a far corner of the room when someone approaches me. It's a little girl, dressed like a white swan.
"Hi," she says and I turn my attention to her. It's then that she reaches her hand out, a tarot card held in her palm. My heart drops as I take it from her. "From Janet," she says and before I can question her further, she runs away.
I turn my eyes at the tarot card I have in my hand. It's a Reversed Six of Wands, meaning secrecy and deceit, like when someone's lying to you...
I look around the party, hoping to spot something suspicious and that's when I see her...
A woman, dressed in an all-black gown, shrouding her eyes with a feathery black mask. What she can't shroud, however, is that shade of red hair I know all too well.
She's trying to escape through the front door and I get back on my feet, trying to chase her through the crowd of masked men and women.
Just then, I feel a hand grab my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I seem to lose her in the sea of people. It's Aiden, tugging onto my arm with a horrified look on his face.
"Amara, what were you doing?" he asks. The music stopped playing and I didn't even notice.
"I... I think I saw Janet," I try to explain and turn to the entrance. She's gone. There's no trace of her at the party.
"Amara, Janet's dead!" Aiden says, trying to keep the volume as low as possible.
"I...I don't know Aiden, but I know it's her!" I plead, hoping to get my point across.
His face softens and he lets go of my arm. "Fine, we can search the CCTV footage later, alright?"
I swallow and nod, still shaken up from what I'd just seen.
"Good evening everyone," Victor says, tapping the mic to get everyone's attention. He's standing on the stage many feet across from us. "I'm extremely happy that all of you who've made it to this party. I'd just like to propose a toast to my son Logan, who has had a very successful debut. I'm sure he will bring greatness to the Covington name!" He finishes, raising his glass of champagne and everyone cheers, raising their glasses as well. "Logan, come up here!" he urges, walking off the stage for his son to take his spot.
Logan takes the stage to give his speech. He holds his microphone in his hands, about to say the first word when suddenly...the stage explodes from below.
What follows are flames, screams, and crimson everywhere.
***
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hi Arcanas,
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I promise more exciting things to come! We will see you next time! We are taking The Crimson Chariot to the Wattys 2023, so remember to vote on chapters and add the story to your public reading list!
-Author Emily