EPISODE TWO
WHICH?
There have always been ways in time past to undercover dark truths and one of it was through frivolous questions. People tend to reveal their deepest desires whilst a playful joke or song.
The entire members of the throne room stared at me like some rotten apple covered in maggots but I wasn’t bothered. All I wanted to do was make sure blood flowed……..and fast.
“Let’s play a game your Majesty”, I smiled.
“A game? Now?”, Mrs Joanne Tempest, his first wife scowled.
“Yes a game!”, I confidently replied. “Through this we will establish trust among the lots of you.”
“Agreed”, the king seemed curious. “But what’s this game called”?
“A WHICH game”, I answered with a deadly smirk.
“We have no witches here”, Mr Timolette Koy got up enraged.
“Sir, I imploy you sit down and listen”, Gregory countered him.
The king quickly shifted his irritating gaze to Timolette who gradually sat down in shame to avoid incuring some degree of wrath.
“Go on Flaw”, he encouraged.
“Thanks your Majesty”, I bowed. “This game is going to be played by everyone, I included.”
“What are the rules”?, Jones Styger, the self proclaimed judge asked with a mocking chuckle.
“They’re simple and straight forward”, I leaned on my chair. “When you’re caught, death is imminent.”
“Ha!”, Commander Snowden turned to the king. “What authority has this investigator to kill whosoever refuses to play his game”?
“My authority”, Mrs Harik Tempest chipped in.
It was at this moment I smiled beckoning on Rudervyn to get his axe on standby.
“Master I must say you’re treading on dangerous waters”, Gregory expressed his anxiety.
“Of course”, I replied. “I was once a shark.”
“Let’s begin”, Mr Jones Styger sought to prove his innocence a tad too quick.
“Okay judge”, I giggled. “Which is true about you? The fact that you were at the wedding eve party yesterday unannounced? or the fact that you weren’t instructed by the king to be part of this investigation.”
“Both”, he replied much quieter.
“Impressive”, I nodded. “Why were you at the eve yesterday”?
“Nothing”, he looked at the king.
Mrs Harik smelled the bait and threw more hook at him. “I personally handled the invitations Mr Jones, you were not invited.”
“Of course I was”, he lied and at his completion of that statement, Rudervyn swiftly chopped off his right hand.
“Oh gods of the moon”, Mrs Joanne vomited by her side. “This is too much.”
“Not really”, I smiled at her.
“Your Majesties, the real Jones Styger was my mentor as a child, one of the best investigators I know. However he detests being referred to as a “judge”
“What”?, Commander Snowden got up in shock. “Then who the hell is this”?
“An impostor”, Gregory folded his hands.
“Who sent you”?, Timolette Koy started to creep out his true nature but then I closely watched all their reactions including the king who showed neither remorse nor fear.
“He’s not a new player in this game”, I whispered to my apprentice as his attention went directly to the king as well.
“Oh Master, you are awesome”, he answered with that cackle as my entire game plan started to unfold.
“My turn”, Mrs Joanne Tempest got up on her feet. She reluctantly turned to Styger who was feeling rather nauseated after losing much blood and screaming for a couple of minutes.
“I suspect a foul play”, she said with her red lips doing it’s gentle caresses.
“Which is true”?, She suddenly faced Harik’s son whose injury caused him to sweat profusely.
“This is so unfair”, his mother got up to point accusing fingers at her fellow wife. “You know my son is hiding a deep wound and yet you sought to take that advantage.”
“Far be it from me, your Highness”, she approached her husband with that gentle touch.
His mildness after such body contact revealed that she was pregnant for him probably before Jia’s death who seemingly wasn’t her daughter to begin with.
“Can I”?, She seeked my permission.
“The floor is yours ma’am”, I went to my seat as the cat was finally finding it’s comfort out of the bag.
“Harrison”, she called out to him.
He answered with a cold “Yes” as his face was now pale and his lips dried.
“Which is true? The fact that my late daughter Jia Shu gave you this injury? or the fact that somehow you attempted to prevent her from getting married to Mr Timolette Koy”?
“Both ma’am”, he replied as she beckoned on the executioner to come closer.
“Dare take a step Rudervyn….. and I’ll make sure I strangle you with your intestines”, Mrs Harik closed her fists in rage.
“Master”, Gregory looked at me hoping I intervene but I raised my hand at him.
“Let them throw poisons at each other”, I said with insane calm.
“Why are you against our marriage”?, Timolette threw a tantrum. “I have nothing but love for Jia yet you claim I was never best for her.”
“Yes you were never”, Harrison raised his voice whilst covering his injury with his other hand.
“You always beat my step sister each time you had sex with her and she…….and she was in love with someone else”, he faced my direction.
I immediately crossed my fingers praying I don’t spill the truth with his certain gaze on me but Mrs Joanne was so filled with revenge. So much revenge that she drew out a short knife and slew his throat before he could explain further.
“A means to an end”, she concluded.
“You have no right to do that Mrs Joanne”, Gregory grew agitated as he took the knife from her.
“He’s the killer”, she defended her act. “Wasn’t his confession obvious”?
“No it wasn’t”, Timolette trembled in his seat as his humbled countenance now glanced towards my direction.
“Why did he look at you that way”?, He asked.
Amidst a thirst for words from my mouth, Mrs Harik pounced on a pregnant Mrs Joanne punching her on her tummy and face.
“You witch! You dare lay your filthy hands on my son”, she almost tore out an eye.
I looked at Tempest Shu to break up his wives but his solitude was baffling.
“Nubico”, he called out to the maid.
“Tea and meat for everyone.”
“My Lord”, Commander Snowden stood up in derision. “What about your wives”?
“Well they’ve played their own parts of the game”, he gestured towards me. “I believe Detective Lloyd Flaw is doing a good job at making us tear up ourselves.”
“Far be it from me”, I nodded in disdain.
“Then why this game? Why the executioner”?, Gregory turned against me.
“Because I want the full onslaught”, I roared. “Jia Shu meant alot to everyone, me included.”
Those words without warning halted everyone. Mrs Harik got up with blood on her fists as she approached where I sat.
“We will find the killer”, she assured me. “And after that, Mrs Joanne must be killed.”
“Not really”, I bent my dark fedora to the ground.
“Your son Harrison got drunk on a very good advice. He was indeed stabbed by Jia as the corpse had blood on her hands which I suspected wasn’t hers.”
“What do you mean Flaw? That my son is the murderer”?
“No your Majesty. No conclusions have been drawn yet”, I smiled.
“Harrison was indeed looking out for her but when she refused to heed his advice to leave Timolette, he tried to drag her away leading to a struggle and……..of course an unfortunate stab to the aorta region.”
“Tea and meat please”, Tempest Shu screamed at Nubico.
“I need water”, Jones Styger awoke from a nightmarish slumber.
“Get up with your fake pregnancy”, Mrs Harik walked over Joanne’s body.
“Ten more hours Flaw”, the king spoke in a coarse voice. “Either the murderer or your head.”
“Don’t worry”, I encouraged him. “The culprit has never left these walls.”
Gregory all of a sudden frowned at me wondering whether he bargained to be in a slaughter house.
“Master”, he called out.
“Not now Gregory!”, I ignored him.
“Darkness just stared back at me.”
