Private Tales Sickly Sweet

[Alistair Krixus]

"Captain Jedidiah Delaney, an officer in the Anirian Navy. Said to be skilled at the helm, but even better with a blade. Second in line for House Delaney, a merchant family in the city."

Alistair looked down disgusted at the nude body lying face down in the bed. The fact that he was called in for something like this was insulting, but this was the fourth member of House Delaney to die in the last month...and not a single one of them with any sort of wounds on their body. It may just be shit luck, but that was rarely the case.

This death had occurred in a rather prominent brothel in the city of Vel Vara, known as Spring's Blossom, there had been more than a few complaints when they shut down the building upon entry.

One of the...courtesans was being held in the other room, the last to have seen Delaney alive. She was beside herself with grief, apparently, the man was a regular attendant of the establishment. The Dreadlord stalked across the room looking over everything at every angle he could imagine. His unique vision gave him no indication of magic, and nothing looked strange. It simply looked like the man had fallen asleep and never woken up.

The only noticeable trait of this room was an overbearing scent, sweet was that...vanilla and lavender? It was strong enough that it gave Alistair a headache just being in the room. How anyone could stay in a room like this, and even...build up a sweat was mindboggling.

With a prolonged sigh, Alistair stepped out of the room and looked down the hall.

"Have we found anything else?"

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

"A ledger." She came up behind Alistair, having stepped out from a back room that served as something several notches down from an office. "Awful practice to note down high clientele, but helpful for us to figure a pattern. Seems Jeddy here is a regular." Kitra leaned against the wall beside the doorway Krixus came through, opening the ledge to the page she kept place of with a finger. "Like clockwork, he visited every week on the same day, at the same time."

But she didn't stop just there, as she angled the open pages for him to glimpse. "Every name these high profile clients would use. The book keeper," Kit snorted, "as they call him, is nowhere to be seen. This is all his findings."

She nodded her head, towards the door that shut the courtesan away from every one else. "She was his favourite."

Trix Alistair Krixus

 

[Trix]

"That is a powerful book to leave behind in a rush," Beatrix Umbra commented from where she leant in the hallway. Her skillset was far better suited to extracting information from the living, not the dead. She had just left the small room where the courtesan had been held, her quiet sobbing reaching them down the corridor. She flicked a small blade over in her hands. Thankfully, it did not appear to be bloodied.

"The girl has told us everything truthfully," Trix said with conviction, for there were very few people in the world who could withstand the truth serums she wore on her very skin. A single, soft, terrifying touch across the lips and even the King himself would be emptying out his darkest secrets if she asked. "She left him for but half an hour to wash herself, and when she returned with refreshments he was dead. It was not her," her lilting accent gave off a hint of indifference but her eyes told a different story. Trix always liked a mystery and what better mystery than a murder with no clear weapon.

"I have spoke to the Madame, and she is writing a list of everyone she knows of who had come in and out of here tonight. I suspect our murderer will not be on the list though."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Yes, a book that could likely ruin several prominent men in this city. Luckily for them, they were not here to disrupt merchant families. They were here only for the killer of an Anirian officer and likely other nobility.

Alistair took a look at both of his partners in this investigation. The first thing he noticed was the lack of blood on Trix's knife. Good, he wanted to keep this as clean as possible. As for Kitra's information, if he showed up here regularly and as consistently as she said, then the killer would have had plenty of time to plan out the deed.

"No signs of magic inside the room...." Alistair left the rest unsaid as he looked pointedly at Trix. Not many things could kill without leaving a mark, magic was one and the other was another one of Trix's specialties.

The Matron of the brothel now stood at the end of the hallway watching them. A tough woman, she would have had to have been to run a place like this. Her gaze was now firmly locked on the door where the sobs of the courtesan could still be overheard, protecting her girls until the very end.

"With records that well kept, the killer is more likely to have blended into the staff."

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

"Any one can buy the word of staff." Kitra raised a brow, flicking through the pages absentmindedly. "Says here, you've got sixteen girls in your employ. Are they all sharing the same, uh, responsibilities?"

The Matron cut the Dreadlord a bemused look. "Some work as maids. One is a cook. Girls that have earned enough in time and coin and chose to stay and keep a home over their heads."

Kitra did her best not to frown at that.

"We would like to question them." She shrugged, turning to Trix. "Want a hand with questioning?" Knowing the Umbra was capable of determining the work alone, Kitra was still new to the Vigilite.

Trix Alistair Krixus

 

[Trix]

Trix threw the blade higher this time and when she caught it, a mere inch from her face, the matron pressed her lips into a thin, disapproving glare.

"Oui, Cherie. If you wish to help. It will go quicker if we split them amongst us anyway," out of the corner of her eye she watched for the matron's reaction to their casual discussion of interrogating women she no doubt cared about as fiercely as a mother would her own daughter. The woman was ice though. Not a flicker of movement betrayed her beyond the irritation she was clearly happy for the Dreadlords to see.

"If there is anyone difficult, then you can always assist. Three rooms, if you please Madame?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair moved to stand next to the matron, casting his eyes towards the stairs. He would let the other two handle the interrogations since they had already taken the reigns there. The matron kept a tight ship and she had been doing it for years. She must have had an extensive background check process for these girls, otherwise it would be ruining her.

"I'm going to go speak with the kitchen staff. Let me know when you two are done."

With that said, Alistair made his way downstairs, his cane tapping away at the stairs...A blind man in a brothel, there was a joke there somewhere.

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

Kitra was no true detective, nor was she really adequate in obtaining anything useful from those employed at this... establishment. What she was good at was her ability to mimic. She had simply kept a conversation flowing in her interrogations, keeping it pleasant so that the people she interviewed would relax and let down their guard. Although they were choosing their words, they were unaware of the Dreadlord's ability.

So, as they occupied their thoughts with careful words, unaware to them that their body language gave away their true thoughts.

Kitra would subtly mimic their movements, feel them suck in a breath, or decidedly stare at their slippers. Many a time she felt her own heart race as did theirs.

When she found her way to the kitchen almost an hour later, she spied Krixus and gave him a smile. It didn't matter if he saw it or not, it held no importance to her accompanying next words.

"Got a name of a jealous courtesan... who conveniently has been ill all week but her rooms have not been slept in for the past few days. Apparently, Merryn is her name. Fixated on the Delaney man since he began to frequent the establishment."

Trix Alistair Krixus

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair was busy staring at a piece of paper, it was questionable whether he could actually read the information though. He looked up just as Kitra entered the room, confirming her discovery with a nod.

"We'll pay them a visit once we are done here. It seems today was also delivery day here. What do you think this place brings in?... Besides food and drink." He added the last bit as he motioned around the room.

He was lucky that Kitra had been quicker about her work, but he had no way of knowing when Trix would finish, and interrupting her would only undermine her so they would have to wait for her to finish then they would continue to move.

The ledger he had been examining was now largely left forgotten as Alistair's mind turned to other concerns, and that incessant headache from earlier was still bothering him.

Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

Kit raised a brow as she approached Krixus, then turning her gaze to the ledger.

On the page was a document of goods ordered, and the Lyrebird turned to look around the kitchen. She remembered what was listed on the page, peering around to identify the supplies on the shelves. Taking a few vials, she undid the stoppers and gave them a quick sniff.

"Perfume oils. From Amol-Kalit..." The kind that were of high quality and sold to customers with large amounts of coin. "But what that ledger says, this is some discounted stuff they are mixing together."

She drifted back to Alistair, giving him a chance to smell the amber coloured vial himself. "Smell familiar? It's a punch to the nose in sweetness, but that is an imitation vanilla bean scent..."

In Vel Cirak, getting one's hands on Kaliti perfume oils fetched a high price due to the distance and difficulty getting any supply to the fortress city within the Falwood. Many had gone about to dividing oils and adding their own fillers to sell, where scents did not last long and caused ladies to apply more, and thus needing to buy more product more often.

 

[Trix]

"Paradise Lily," Trix commented from where she lounged against the doorway watching the pair sniffing over ointments. It was a bemusing sight. She didn't bother to join them. Instead she reached up to touch one of the sad looking potted plants that sat about the room. A single touch and the wilting Thyme was given a new lease of life. It's leaves returned to a vibrant green and it's subtle scent filled the room, subdueing the one coming out of the bottle.

"I wouldn't sniff it too much, it is a reason it is one of my favourite poisons."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

The smell of the cheap perfumes was certainly strong, but something about it seemed strange to Alistair. Then he realized it, it wasn't completely matching what he had smelled upstairs, something must have been added. However, his thoughts were dismissed by a far more important intrusion.

He turned to face Trix standing calmly by the door. That look on her face meant her work could only have been successful.

"Paradise Lily? What does a brothel need Paradise Lily for?"

There were several glasses of the liquid, only further worrying Krixus. Plus, there was still the important question of why this man had ended up dead in the first place.

"Where would one get Paradise Lily from Trix?"

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

At the mention of a poison, Kitra placed the stopper to the vial quickly and gave a slightly horrified face as she set it down. Subtly, she wiped her hands.

"Kress..." She now gave the kitchen a hard look, suspecting everything else to be a poison.

Kit remained quiet, looking between Alistair and Trix. It was her first time working with either of them, but she liked the dynamic they both brought to the investigative group. Neither of their powers she wanted to mimic either, that much she knew upon meeting them. None of which would have helped the Lyrebird from learning anything new.

However, she was no great at being aware of her body until she realised she had mimicked Alistair's stance and expression as he asked the other woman some questions. Subtly as she could, Kit rearranged herself and went back to reading the ledger.

 

[Trix]

Trix beamed at the discomfort on Kitra's face when she realised what it was she held and stepped forward to take it out of her unwanting hands.

"To your first question, cherie, the Paradise Lily has many other uses. Prime among them, in small doses at least, they can make a man stiffer than a floorboard," her eyes danced with amusement at the thought the brothel needed such help. Though, from the list of clients, she supposed more than a few were beginning to lose their control of certain areas of the body.

"To your second question, they are common in the mountains around here. My cousins estates on the edge of the city have them in droves in their gardens. They can be a little like a weed when left to their natural cycle. It would not have been hard for someone here to find them on a walk out into the country."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

This revelation brought with it so many more questions. Was there now a possibility that this death was simply an overdose? No, that was unlikely, an establishment like this would be careful to with such a product. Still, maybe they could ask the woman that Delaney had been with whether she was aware that the man used this product.

"Well, it looks like we may have the weapon, but we still need to find the wielder. Let's go find this jealous courtesan, and we also need to find out who the Blossom's supplier for Paradise Lily is."

Alistair was already moving, he had already left several of his runes around the establishment, so he could keep his eyes on the place while they were gone. He was confident that none of these women were the culprits, but he would not put it past them to protect one of their own.

"How much of this would it take to kill someone, Trix?"

Kitra Sen Trix

 

[Kitra Sen]

Kit had a name for the courtesan that was now their first suspect, but she needed to figure out more in order to get an idea of where to go. The Madame was protective of her girls, but the courtesan that told her of the jealous Merryn had been very difficult to talk anything out of her until Kitra tricked her into divulging information pertinent to the case.

But she had built relations and connections while growing up in Vel Cirak and being stationed in the Falwood fortress city after graduation from the Academy, all of which have now extended here in Vel Anir and other cities. A simple keyword to the right person would have them know who she was and be more lenient to help the Lyrebird of Vel Cirak.

"And before we do move on from here...did you find anything out with your interrogations?" Kit asked, not sure if she wanted to hear what Trix said in response. She had looked eager to question some of the girls earlier.

 

[Trix]

"Questions, questions, questions," Trix sighed and picked up a bottle of wine that had been left on the table. No doubt to be taken to a customer during one of their private sessions. She popped the cork open and poured herself a glass. "Part of the fun of an investigation is the investigation, we should savour it," there was a thrill to the chase she missed once the villain was uncovered. She offered a glass to both her companions before taking a seat and settling in to answer what they had asked.

"A single petal is all that is used for the more... pleasurable uses for the paradise of the lily. Two petals will leave a person paralysed but conscious, three will leave them in a coma like state for a few hours, and all four would kill an ogre with ease."

A single flower. So deadly, so beautiful.

"Nothing that I thought was of interest until seeing you with that vial. There was a delivery this morning - a florist - who delivered a bouquet to one of the courtesans here. The Madame had thought it was from a secret lover as there was no card. Lilies, she thought. A Merryn?"

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair wanted to move, he did not make a habit of sitting on problems when he had the solutions. He was already moving for the door when Trix stopped him. A sigh escaped his lips, but a smile did slide onto his face.

"Part of the fun is also in the winning."

Although he did complain a little, he did accept the glass of wine from his fellow Dreadlord. Ultimately, the culprit had no way of knowing that they were onto them. They could afford a small reprive for a drink. While he did not take a seat, he did take a small sip from his glass.

The mention of a florist made Alistair think about all of this in a larger context. All signs were pointing to this death being the result of some love triangle or the like.

"I wonder if they realized they killed a noble and navy officer when they killed this man over a fling."

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

Kitra took the wine, giving it a smell like she had the Paradise Lily vial. She deemed it safe once Alistair took a swig, but Kitra was always careful of such a thing after the distrust she had built in Vel Cirak. It was what lead her to make the transfer to Vel Anir, to start again and rebuild, but a name like the Lyrebird did not leave her so easily.

"I am sure these girls would kill for less when it comes to making that coin. They can be territorial of their repeat clients too..." She shrugged, another sip of wine passing her lips. "I guess that sort of thing will happen a lot when you visit a place like this often..."

 

[Trix]

Trix raised her glass to Alistair's countered words in a salute before taking a sip. Winning, she could agree, was just as fun. She just hoped it was not over too soon. It was so rare they let her play with others on a mission now, calling on her talents more and more for the type of work that required shadows and secrets, where less people meant less tongues to cut out.

She hid the smile her lips curved into as she watched Kitra wait for Alistair to drink first. Clever mouse.

"What is that saying again? There is no wrath like a woman scorned," she swirled her glass. "I could name several women we both know Alistair who have asked for poisons to quietly get rid of a man," her eyes sparkled with amusement. Perhaps dating that Pirian girl had made him complacent with what a woman was capable when wronged and cornered.

"I am not quite convinced yet that this is a murder spurned of jealousy though. Delaney had many enemies beyond whores."

 

[Alistair Krixus]

He noticed Kitra waiting for him to drink. He did not really have such worries as he trusted Trix not to go about killing him. At least, if he ever wronged her then he would know he was in her crosshairs.

Trix's last sentence brought a smile to his face, because that was exactly what he was thinking. He was not blind to the dangers of a love gone wrong. However, the women that he and Trix knew all had the power to serve as a fulcrum for their intentions. But for some random courtesan to suddenly build the courage to kill a noble, did not happen so easily.

"If this girl truly killed Delaney, then someone may be manipulating her...His death is just too convenient for so many."

His death was an advantage for other merchant families, his own family, and maybe even military officers. The list would only keep growing.

"The girls here...they would also be protective of their clients. So the one Delaney was with would have told us if there was a danger there."

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

"Well, I got her whereabouts from one of the girls. Doesn't live here in the building as she can afford a home elsewhere." She made no comment about the high price she could fetch in this profession, but Kitra made quick work of her wine and placed the glass down.

They had all found possible leads, and Kit was eager to see how it all came together.

"Perhaps it should be Trix and I leading the questioning? If you are right, Krixus, and that someone may be manipulating her... we should proceed with the utmost caution." And the gentle faces of the two women present may just put this courtesan at ease.

 

[Trix]

"Or they are protecting their own," Trix countered to Alistair's point. It was always hard to tell which way a whore house would go. The sisterhood that was formed in places like this could become iron tight with women happy to take a good beating if it spared another the noose. From the flippant air to her tone though it was clear she had merely made the point to be the devil's advocate than believing it herself. She took another sip of her wine with a contented sigh.

It seemed they had their next point of questioning either way. There was a girl missing - for whatever reasons - who used to be the dead man's favoured whore. It was almost too easy. Trix hoped the little mouse threw them a curveball when they went to flush her out of her hole.

"You think she would feel safer with two women?" Trix tilted her head curiously, having caught the unspoken meaning in the words. She tapped her fingers against her lips. "Or perhaps she might be more interested in received in a new client," her eyes flickered to Alistair and a dark smile curled the corner of her lips.

 

[Alistair Krixus]

Alistair sighed, every time he went on a mission with former classmates and there was a brothel involved, they immediately tried to get him involved somehow...Still, the plan wasn't horrible.

"We can do both. I'll lure her in by pretending to be a client then, when we have her contained you two can ask the questions. By that point, it will be worth having you to ask the questions."

Alistair threw back the rest of his wine before standing up. While he was confident that they could find the girl in short order, he was beginning to grow more concerned if this investigation proved to be larger than they originally believed. The longer they waited, the more time individuals had to cover things up."

"Alright, let's find this...Merryn was it?"

Trix Kitra Sen

 

[Kitra Sen]

Kit gave Alistair a once over, almost snorting as she came to the conclusion he need not change a thing about him to appear to look like a new client. "Kress, Krixus. You certainly do look like you need to be loosened up." She could only pray that the courtesan Merryn would take a liking to him enough to grant them access to her home. At least they each had a glass of wine before embarking on this lead.

"She is over by the Merchant's District." Somewhere she did not think would be home to someone of this profession, but then again, perhaps it was the perfect location to find prospective work. "Follow me." Kit grinned.

She led the rest of the Vigilite back into the populated street, pushing people out of the way and parting the sea of people so that they could find the main road and walk it a little. The Merchant's District was not too far, perhaps a few minutes walk on a day that was not boasted as a market day. Due to her average height, not many seemed to want to get out of her way until a booming and deep voice belonging to a man that sold her apple this morning scared many of them to part and allow the Lyrebird, Trix, and Alistair past.